Why are you grateful to be a member of the Church? Consider making a list of reasons.
Which of these blessings would be possible without priesthood? The answer, of course, is none.
Doctrine and Covenants 84, called "The Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood," is relevant to all members of the Church, not just those who have been ordained. Currently, men are what we might call active priesthood holders, responsible for the administration of ordinances and governance of the Church; outside temple ordinances, women are in a passive priesthood role (for lack of a better word). But all of the good works and administrations of Church members are done through the power of godliness, or the priesthood. The roles of men and women are different, but all are members of the same priesthood team, functioning under the umbrella of its power and authority. Therefore all the principles for exercise of the priesthood must also be applied by women as they carry out their roles as family members, teachers, and sisters in Zion. Notice: the word "ordain" is not found anywhere in D&C 84--the word used is "obtain," which applies equally to men and women.
Elder Carlos E. Asay said, “Of all the holy agreements pertaining to the gospel of Jesus Christ, few, if any, would transcend in importance the oath and covenant of the priesthood" (General Conference Address, October 1985).
D&C 84:33-44 reads:
"For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.
They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God.
"And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord;
For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me;
And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father;
And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.
"And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood.
Therefore, all those who receive the priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved.
"But whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath received it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come.
"And wo unto all those who come not unto this priesthood which ye have received, which I now confirm upon you who are present this day, by mine own voice out of the heavens; and even I have given the heavenly hosts and mine angels charge concerning you.
"And I now give unto you a commandment to beware concerning yourselves, to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life.
"For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God."
Principles for Using the Priesthood: The Example of John Murdock
I love learning about unsung heroes of the Restoration. One of those is John Murdock. Although most of us know that Joseph and Emma Smith adopted twin babies whose mother had died, very few of us know much about their birth father, what he did, what he thought, how he felt. I decided to read his biography, and found his life very inspiring. From his journals, I find the example of a man who, through troubles and trials, magnified his priesthood.
1830
"For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ. And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit. And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father. And the Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world" (D&C 84:45-48).
Brother Murdock searched for and recognized the true Church:
"Through considerable religious exploration, John had developed some essential points to which a religion must subscribe: First, baptism must be by immersion and a proper candidate for baptism must be one who has faith that Jesus Christ died for our sins—therefore infant baptism was not proper; second, because current churches had lost all authority, 'the Lord must either send an angel to baptize the first man, or he must give special command to some one man to baptize another;' third, the Holy Spirit must attend the 'ministration' of the ordinances" (S. Reed Murdock, John Murdock: His Life and Legacy, Summerwood Publishers, 54).
He was staying on the Morley farm with the communal "Family" that was trying to live with all things common when the missionaries came to Kirtland. He was introduced to the Book of Mormon after other Family members had heard them speak.
“I read [the Book of Mormon] till it was late and went into father Morley’s chamber to bed and had not been long in bed, before [the Family] returned [from a meeting confirming new members], and some half dozen or more came into the same house, and as soon as they came into the house, although I was in bed…the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me, witnessing to me the truth of the work” (Murdock, 58).
1831
John and his wife, Julia Clapp Murdock, had three small children and had endured the death of an infant. In 1831 their twins were born and Julia died delivering them.
"Late in his life, John revealed his real feelings in a letter to his daughter Julia: 'The anguish of soul that I felt at this time you may try to imagine. I was bereft of a tender companion, a feeling mother, a good housekeeper and one that I love and yet love the memory of her.' John’s letter describes that the twins were born without any 'great agony or pain to the mother' and all appeared to be in order when Julia called for John and told him she was going. She shook hands with John and all in the room and then quietly died. 'She took me by the hand and bid me farewell and also all in the room and folded her arms acrost her breast peacably and sweetly went to sleep in Jesus in hope of a glorius resurrection' (Murdock, 68).
“And these signs shall follow them that believe— In my name they shall do many wonderful works; In my name they shall cast out devils; In my name they shall heal the sick" (D&C 84:65-68).
John Murdock and Parley P. Pratt were mission companions.
"After Parley and John left St. Louis, they experienced sore trials. Parley was so sick he could not go on; he lay down in the prairie. John spoke to Parley: 'I said Bro. P. Can you travel any further, said ‘he could not. I asked Do you believe the Son will heal you? He said the Son would heal him according to his Faith but "my faith is small." I said do you want me to lay hands on you? He said, ‘yes.’ I fell on my knees and with many tears laid my hands on him in the name of the Lord Jesus, and prayed for him and we both arose and traveled and gave glory to God for his goodness and Bro. P. gained health and strength from that time'” (Murdock, 87).
While on the mission, baby Joseph died in the care of the Smiths. Between missions Brother Murdock likely boarded with the families keeping his children. He boarded with the Smiths for a short time, while attending the School of the Prophets. Julia was not yet two. He did not reveal his identity to her. She was five years old before she learned that she was adopted.
1832
"And now, verily I say unto you, that it is not expedient that you should go until your children are provided for, and sent up kindly unto the bishop of Zion. And after a few years, if thou desirest of me, thou mayest go up also unto the goodly land, to possess thine inheritance; Otherwise thou shalt continue proclaiming my gospel until thou be taken. Amen" (D&C 99:6-7).
He was called on another mission, but first “kindly placed” his children again.
1833
"The power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church— To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant" (D&C 107:18-19).
At this time, Brother Murdock was attending the School of the Prophets, and was privileged to see a vision of the Heavens.
“We had a number of prayer meetings in the Prophet’s chamber, in which we obtained great blessings. In one of these meetings the Prophet told us if we could humble ourselves before God, and exercise strong faith, we should see the face of the Lord. And about midday the visions of my mind were opened, and the eyes of my understanding were enlightened, and I saw the form of a man, most lovely, the visage of his face was sound and fair as the sun. His hair a great silver grey, curled in most majestic form. His eyes a keen penetrating blue, and the skin of his neck a most beautiful white and he was covered from the neck to the heel with a loose garment, pure white, whiter than any garment I have ever before seen. His countenance was most penetrating, and yet most lovely. And while I was endeavoring to comprehend the whole personage from head to feet it slipped from me and the vision was closed up. But it left on my mind the impression of love for months, that I never felt before to the degree.” (Murdock, 96-97)
As many of the Saints were gathering to Missouri in the Spring of 1833, Brother Murdock paid a church member $10 each to deliver his children to Bishop Partridge in Zion, who placed each in a different home.
"The decisions of these quorums, or either of them, are to be made in all righteousness, in holiness, and lowliness of heart, meekness and long-suffering, and in faith, and virtue, and knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity; Because the promise is, if these things abound in them they shall not be unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord" (D&C 107:30-31).
While on his second mission, a member named Ezra Landon was openly disputing that Joseph Smith's vision of the three degrees of glory (recorded in D&C 76) was not divine. This vision was quite controversial because it was vastly different from the doctrine of any of the American churches of the day. John and his companions were able to kindly explain the doctrine so that Brother Landon understood and embraced it.
“Landon was invited to meet with four of the high priests privately. The meeting was commenced with prayer. Orson Pratt opened the conference, by stating that Brother Landon had said, 'The vision was of the Devil.' Landon responded by saying that he would not have the revelation taught in the church for one thousand dollars. Landon then rose and stressed the sacrifices he had made for the church and the good he had done for the cause.
"John reminded Brother Landon that there were many who had similarly sacrificed including Ezra Booth, who had suffered privations and hardship, traveled to Missouri and had afterward denied the revelations. Brother Landon was encouraged to repent: 'Bro. Orson led in explanation of the vision…Myself and Bro. Lyman followed….
"'Bro. Landen confessed that he had talked hard to the brethren, asked them for forgiveness, said that he heartily received all that he taught and would teach it to the church, and said he would not for two thousand dollars be set back where he was when we came to him. We allowed him to stand in his office and a good portion of the church met that afternoon and we taught the same things to the church….” (Murdock).
1834
Abuses from the local citizens in Jackson County, Missouri caused Joseph Smith to ask a group of brethren (and a few sisters) to join with him to travel to Missouri to defend the members there and fight for their rights. John Murdock joined the Zion’s Camp march straight from the mission field.
Upon their arrival in Jackson County, cholera broke out among the camp. The members in the two homes nearest the camps took in the sick, although the disease was deadly and extremely contagious. One of those homes was A. Sidney Gilbert’s. Sidney Gilbert was one of the few men in the Church older than John Murdock, Sidney being 43 and John 40. Sidney and his wife were childless but had taken on the care of three motherless children: Mary Elizabeth and Catherine Rollins who were their nieces. These girls would later save the pages of the Book of Commandments. The other child was John’s own little girl, Phebe, now 6. Sidney got sick and little Phebe also caught the disease. She had the comfort of her own father's care as she suffered for six days and then died on July 6th.
"The Spirit left the body at the break of day…Two young brethren namely Reid Peck & Henry C. Rawlings assisted me and we buried her a little after sunrise in the morning. She was decently laid out, and they dug a grave and we laid two split shakes [large shingles] in the bottom and each side and laid in some straw, and laid the corpse on it, laid two sticks across and covered it over, and that was her coffin" (Murdock, 126).
1836
John remarried in 1836. He and his new wife, Amoranda Turner, gathered his two boys home again. They had been so lovingly cared for that they didn't really want to leave the homes they had been placed in for the past several years. Little John R. hardly remembered any other family. Their father worked to build loving family relationships with them. Orrice was 12; John was 10.
Unfortunately, Amoranda died after only one year of marriage.
1838
John married for a third time in 1838. His third wife, Electa Allen, gave birth to three children, two boys, Gideon and Hyrum, and a baby girl who died.
"Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews from heaven" (D&C 121:45).
During this year of violence and danger in Jackson County, John Murdock’s courage and peaceable demeaner ended a confrontation with a mob.
“…when we were there [at Adam-Ondi-Ahman] three men, armed with rifles, came on horseback into the road forward of us, and cocked their rifles…the forward one whose name was Elijah Frost, cried out ‘Damn you who are you and where are you going?’
"Said I ‘Who are you and where are you going?’
"And I discovered they were Ruffians and as there was three of them and two of us, I thought we would not give up so easy and put my hand to my pistol, but at the same time discovered more of the same company, coming over the ridge. I did not draw my pistol, and they soon were all round the wagon, and I felt very safe, for the Lord took all fear from me. …
"I said to them ‘gentlemen show me two men among you that shall be traveling the road peaceably on their own business as we were doing, and let them be attacked by three ruffians, as we supposed we were and if they will not defend themselves, I will show you two cowards and scoundrels...’
"I asked him if we could pass peaceable without being ill treated. He said we should. I told him our brethren had the same promise in Jackson Co. and then were driven out the next day at the point of the sword and bayonet.
"They then with one consent cried out ‘Damn you’ and cocked their rifles…
"I surrendered my pistol and Bro. Rufus his rifle and Frost wished us well & wanted to shake hands with me. I did so, and told him before he could do well, he must repent…
"...They again cried out ‘damn you we do not repent,' again cocked their rifles, but after a little uncocked them, and I said to them 'gentlemen if you are done with me, and have no further business with me, I want you to open up right and left, and give me room to drive for I will neither drive through you, or around you.' And they opened up right and left and I drove off on a walk…”
1845
John endured the death of his third wife! He was now living in Nauvoo.
1846
At the age of 54, John married his fourth wife, Sarah Zufelt, and adopted her little boy, George. He was called as Bishop in Nauvoo.
September 19, 1846
The Saints had been cast out of Nauvoo, and the Murdock family with them. While camped at Winter Quarters, the youngest Murdock, little 2-year-old Hyrum (child of Electa) died and was buried with a cottonwood log for a coffin. The Murdocks took in two little orphan girls whose parents also had died there.
1847
The oldest Murdock sons, John R. and Orrice, both joined the Mormon Battalion. The rest of the family traveled to Salt Lake Valley in the second wagon train. Six-year-old Gideon drove the family’s second wagon the entire way. (This same little boy was assigned to stand guard against Indians in Utah when he was 13, armed with a very heavily loaded musket. He later said, “I did not know which I was most afraid of: the gun or the Indians” (Murdock, 324).
Nineteen wards were established upon arrival at the Valley. John was called as bishop of the 14th ward.
1849
As John R. and Orrice both married, Father John & his fourth wife Sarah had a new baby, Brigham Young Murdock. This numbered 13 children for John: 10 biological, two adopted (Sarah’s George and a little girl named Mary Cooper) and one foster child (Martha Henderson).
1851-53
"For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies" (D&C 84:33).
On February 20, 1835 John Murdock had received his Patriarchal Blessing at the hands of Joseph Smith, Sr. It stated “…thy Children shall be blessed of the Lord, and the Holy Priesthood, after the holy order of God shall be established with thy children, and thy children’s children unto the end of the earth…thou shalt have power to bring souls unto Jesus, by proclaiming the gospel till the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, in power and glory…” (Murdock, 135) It was not a blessing of long life on earth for most of his children, however: Orrice, John R., Julia Smith, Gideon, and George are the only ones known to survive childhood, and George only lived to be 35.
John Murdock magnified his callings outlined in the blessing. He always loved being a missionary and requested a call to serve once again before he was too old and infirm. He’d had bad health his whole adult life. He was called as one of the first full-time missionaries to Australia, and President of the mission there.
1853
A month after his return, he was called as a patriarch, in which capacity he served for 13 years.
John married a fifth wife in an attempt to live polygamy, but she hated being in their household and would never move in, although she would come over and help. After 2-1/2 years, the marriage was dissolved. John never stated any animosity whatsoever toward this wife. Polygamy was hard.
1859
In 1859 John wrote a letter to his daughter Julia, who was living back in Illinois with her adoptive mother, Emma Smith, no longer a member of the Church. He share with her his conversion story and testimony of the gospel, as well as his reason for placing her with the Smiths.
1871
John Murdock died at age 79, two days before Christmas.
“John’s life became the gospel of Jesus Christ and if there were a single word to capture the core of his relationship to the gospel, it would be ‘constant.’ From start to finish, John stayed true to the faith, he persevered to the end of his mortal ability to do so." (Murdock, 329).
Hundreds of thousands of people today are members of the Church because of the missionary labors of John Murdock and of his children.
His Posterity
In the posterity of John Murdock, we see the blessing fulfilled which the Lord promised to those who honor their priesthood. His three biological sons were great contributors to the building of the Kingdom. Besides serving in the Mormon Battalion, John R. helped rescue the Martin and Willie handcart companies and became a great philanthropist when he became wealthy. Orrice and John R. both sheltered and raised others’ children during times of trial, as had been done for them. They shared a great brotherhood their entire lives. When John R. died at age 87, Orrice, then 89, held his hand in his casket, with tears running down his face. He died within two years.
Gideon, who was only six when his brothers joined the Mormon Battalion, became a bishop and a sheriff and a temple worker. He was well-known for his lengthy prayers. “When Uncle Gideon would come for dinner, the hostess would not put the potatoes on to cook until it was time for Gideon to say the blessing on the food. When Gideon was through with the blessing, the potatoes would be done as well.”
These three sons stood by their father and helped him, taking him into their homes in his old age. On the day of his death, Orrice wrote in his journal, “My father departed this life. He had born the heat and burden of the day. He has gone to reap the reward of a righteous man.”
May we all (both men and women) keep the oath and covenant of the priesthood, and bear the heat and burden of the day, remaining constant to the gospel cause as did John Murdock.
Order of the Restoration of the Priesthood and its Offices
See Bill Beardall’s excellent Gospel Doctrine Class website for all the details on how the restoration occurred, physically and temporally.
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