The Covenant Keeping God Vs. The Covenant Breakers of the LDS Church

 

The Failure of Man and the Victory of Christ in the Covenants

There are two things that are true about every Old Testament covenant; man failed miserably to live up to the conditions of the covenant, and Christ came along later and succeeded where men and women failed. The following is a simple overview of Christ in the covenants. 

The Adamic Covenant

This is also referred to as the covenant of works. Although the word “covenant” isn’t used in reference to God’s interactions with Adam, it is clearly implied. Prior to the fall of Adam in Genesis chapter 3, God gave Adam some commands and conditions, both positive and negative. The single negative command was that Adam not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:26-17). The condition upon disobedience of this command was death. However, God also gave Adam some positive commands. Adam was to be God’s vice regent and have dominion “over all the earth” (Genesis 1:26). This included dominion over the fish, birds, cattle and all other animals. He was also commanded to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). God also placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to “dress and keep it.” Even though the Bible isn’t specific about the conditions upon Adam’s obedience, it doesn’t take alot of assumption to believe that there would have been some type of reward (possibly eternal life without the possibility of sin). It doesn’t seem consistent or feasible to think that there was such a harsh condition for disobedience and no reward for obedience. The truth is that we may never know because Adam disobeyed God. 

What we do know is that when Adam disobeyed God and failed to fulfill the conditions that God set before him, the whole world was plunged into sin and death. Paradise was lost. Adam managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and fail God in a nearly perfect situation. However, Christ came to the earth as the second and last Adam to redeem what the first Adam lost. I Corinthians 15:21-22 says, “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”... “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.” (I Corinthians 15:45-47). Adam acted as our federal representative in the garden of Eden. When he sinned, we sinned. When he died, we died. The human race both sinned and died in Adam (See Romans 5:12). However, Christ acting as the federal head of all of those who would ever come to Him by grace through faith brings them eternal life through His death and resurrection. 

Think about the contrast between the temptation of Adam and the temptation of Christ in the wilderness after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights (Genesis 3, Matthew 4, Luke 4). Adam disobeyed God in a perfect paradise. Christ obeyed God in a barren wilderness. Adam ate when he had plenty. Christ rejected food when he was starving and weak. Adam obeyed the word of the serpent over the Word of God. Christ obeyed the Word of God over the word of the serpent. Adam submitted to the sin of his bride. Christ died for the sin of His bride. Adam brought death through disobedience. Christ brought eternal life through His obedience unto death. Time simply will not permit me to go into greater detail on this incredible subject. Suffice it to say that where man miserably failed, Christ perfectly succeeded. 

Even in the same chapter as the fall of Adam, we see the very first promise of this coming Messiah who would redeem sinful humanity. Genesis 3:15 is called the protevangelium, meaning “the first good news” or first gospel. God said to the serpent, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” There are several key elements in this prophecy. First, “the seed of the woman” is a promise that a coming redeemer would enter into the world through the human race. Some theologians also speculate that it could also be a prophecy about the virgin birth since biologically, it’s the man that has the seed and not the woman. The second element that needs to be mentioned is that this seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent by the bruising of His heel. This is a clear reference to the cross. Christ was bruised on the cross but by this same bruising He crushed the head of the serpent. I hope that by now that the reader has seen that even though this covenant was given to Adam, it was ultimately about Christ, the last Adam. 

The Noahic Covenant

The Noahic Covenant can be found in Genesis 8:20-9:17. This is an example of an unconditional covenant of promise because the Lord makes promises without any condition on the part of man. The Noahic Covenant has both universal and specific aspects to it. Sometimes this covenant is referred to as the covenant of common grace because it makes universal promises to “every living thing” (Genesis 8:21). God promised that He would never again destroy the world with a flood and that as long as the earth remained, “seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22). We also find the first institution of human law in this covenant with specific laws against murder (Genesis 9:5-6). 

This covenant gets more specific with the promises that God makes to Noah and his descendants. Genesis 9:9 says, “And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you.” This is the second instance of the “seed” that we have seen. This connects the Noahic covenant back to the seed of the woman in Genesis 3:15 and also looks forward to the coming Messiah. This is clarified in Genesis 9:27 when it says, “God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.” This is Noah’s prophecy concerning his three sons. Noah stated that God would dwell in the tents of Shem. We know that Shem was the progenitor of the race of people that would eventually spawn the Jews. So now the prophecy of the “seed” has gotten even more specific. It has gone from the seed of the woman (the human race) to the seed of Shem (a specific race). It also gives a clue that somehow God Himself would be born through the line of Shem. 

God has kept the promises of the Noahic covenant in three main ways. First, despite the wickedness all across the face of the earth, the Lord has kept His promise and not destroyed it. Second, despite whatever may be going on across the globe, the 24 hour day and the four seasons have continued right on schedule. Third, the Lord did send the Messiah, Jesus Christ, through the line of Shem. We know this because the genealogy of Christ in Luke’s gospel tells us that Christ is a direct descendant of Shem (Luke 3:36). However, perhaps that greatest truth concerning Christ and the Noahic covenant is that in the Old Testament God judged the sins of the world in a flood. In the New Testament God judged the sins of the world in His Son, Jesus Christ. As God commanded Noah to run to the ark, so He commands men and women everywhere to run to the cross. Here we see that God both made and fulfilled all of the conditions of the covenant in Jesus Christ. The covenant might have been given to Noah but ultimately it was about Christ.  

The Mosaic Covenant 

 Also known as the covenant of law, the Mosaic Covenant is a conditional covenant that promises blessing for obedience and punishment for disobedience. As I mentioned earlier in this chapter, the Israelites promised to keep all of God’s commandments, but immediately broke them in one of the most profane ways imaginable. This has always been the problem. There is nothing wrong with God’s holy law, the problem is with sinful people who could never live up to God’s standard. There are people who make the mistake of thinking that God would never command us to do something if He didn’t think that we were capable of doing it. However, this is an incorrect assumption. The giving of the law isn’t a reflection of what God thinks about our abilities, it’s a reflection of God’s holy character. God commands us not to steal because He isn’t a thief. He commands us not to lie because He’s not a liar, and is actually incapable of doing so (Titus 1:2). We could go on down the list. Unlike us, God is perfectly, sinlessly holy and righteous. 

There are 613 laws given in the Old Testament. There are moral laws (laws of do’s and don'ts), civil law, ceremonial law, etc. Most people couldn’t even memorize all of these laws, much less perfectly perform them. This is why it’s inconceivable that man would be so arrogant and self righteous so as to look at the law and think “oh I can do that.” The law was supposed to be seen as an Everest that couldn’t be climbed. The law is meant to show us our need for a Savior greater than ourselves. This is why in Galatians 3:24 the Apostle Paul calls the law a “schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.” He also stated in Romans 3:20 that, “by the deeds of the law there shall be no flesh justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” 

Think about this in terms of the 10 commandments, which is God’s minimum standard of human behavior. Has the reader ever told a lie? That makes you a liar. Has the reader ever looked upon someone with lust in their heart? That makes you an adulterer (see Matthew 5:28). Has the reader ever stolen anything? That makes you a thief. Has the reader ever used God’s name in vain? That makes you a blasphemer. Has the reader ever placed anything above God in their life? This makes you an idolator. If God were to judge us by the 10 commandments alone, we would all be condemned. God is very clear about His diagnoses of mankind and it’s not good. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10-12). This is why we need a Savior. 

Moses wasn’t even allowed to enter the promised land with the people of Israel because he had disobeyed God as well. Instead of speaking to the rock in order to obtain water as God commanded, he struck the rock instead. This is why it’s so special that one of the greatest themes in the Gospel of John is Jesus as a new and greater deliverer than Moses. We find this first in John’s prologue, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). This is also seen in the feast cycle of Jesus’ ministry. Think about the feeding of the 5,000. Jesus was in the wilderness feeding thousands of hungry Jews with supernatural manna, during Passover. The allusion to Moses and the children of Israel being fed with supernatural manna in the wilderness is glaring. This is when Jesus took the opportunity to say, “Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world… I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:32-33, 35). Jesus says in no uncertain terms that Moses may have given bread to the people, but He gave Himself as the bread that would be broken for the sins of the world.

So much more could be said about this contrast between Moses and Jesus. However, the bottom line is that Moses was unworthy to lead the people of Israel into the promised land. Both he and the people of Israel had failed God miserably at every turn, which is why they wandered for over 40 years in the wilderness. Christ on the other hand came to this earth, lived a perfectly sinless life, fulfilling the just demands of God’s law, died on the cross for sin, rose from the dead three days later and ascended to Heaven in power and glory 40 days after that. Mission accomplished. None of us could ever keep the covenant of law, but Christ kept it on our behalf (Matthew 5:17). Christ not only died for us, He lived for us as well. He lived the perfect life that we could never live. Christ is the greater Moses and He is enough!  

The Abrahamic Covenant 

The Abrahamic covenant is very important to this discussion because it is a covenant of promise that foreshadows, and in some ways even initiates the covenant of grace. The Abrahamic covenant can be found in Genesis 12, 15, 17 and 22, becoming more specific with each chapter. Genesis 15:4-6 says, “And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” There is a lot to unpack in these three verses. First, the “heir” of Abraham has a dual meaning. The near fulfillment came through his son, Isaac, whom the LORD miraculously gave to him and Sarah at a very old age. However, the ultimate fulfillment would come through Lord Jesus Christ. 

This brings us to the second thing that must be gleaned from this text. When God promised Abraham that through this heir would come a seed as numberless as the stars, there is also a dual meaning here. Through Isaac would come the nation of Israel. However, the ultimate fulfillment would come through Christ. The main focus of this promise is found in all of those who come to Christ in saving faith. The Apostle Paul left no doubt about this when he wrote Galatians chapter 3; “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham…And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galtians 3:7-9, 29). Those who come to Jesus Christ in saving faith are the spiritual seed of Abraham, and therefore in this covenant of promise. 

Something else that needs to be pointed out here is that in both Genesis 15 and Galatians 3 (see also Romans 4) it says that “Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Paul even said in Galatians 3 that God Himself preached the gospel unto Abraham, and that’s what he believed in. This brings up a very important point that must be mentioned before moving on. Salvation has always been by faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Testament saints were saved by faith in the coming messiah. New Testament saints are saved by faith in the messiah that has already come. Salvation has never been by good works, temple sacrifices, man-made covenants, an earthly priesthood, etc. Nor could it ever be. Salvation has always come by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. 

Later in Genesis chapter 15, Abraham asks the LORD, “whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?” (15:8). This brings us to the official sealing of this covenant through a blood sacrifice. Dr. Michael Horton has written extensively on the sealing of the Abrahamic covenant and for this next section I am relying heavily on his work. The LORD answered Abraham’s question by instructing him to take various animals and sever them in half, leaving a walkway through the severed pieces. Abraham did so without asking any questions or acting like the Lord’s instructions were strange or out of place. This is most likely because in that day this was a common practice among kings of the Ancient Near East. They called it “cutting a covenant.” With a conditional covenant, two kings had to come to an agreement as to the terms and conditions of the covenant. For example, a suzerain (greater king) might want more taxes from the vassal (lesser king) in exchange for military protection at the vassal’s request. Once the terms were agreed upon, they would sever several animals and leave a walkway through the severed pieces. The two kings would then lock arms and walk between the severed pieces. What they were essentially saying in this sacred ceremony was, “if I don’t fulfill my end of the covenant, let me become as these severed animals.” It was a very serious thing. 

On the other hand, with unconditional covenants of promise, one king (usually the suzerain) would promise to fulfill all of the necessary conditions of the covenant by himself. In this case the king would walk through the severed pieces by himself. Knowing this information really makes the end of Genesis chapter 15 come to life. “And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.” (Genesis 15:17). The LORD shows up in the appearance of a smoking furnace and a burning lamp and walks through the severed pieces by Himself! He did not say, “come on Abraham, walk through these pieces with me.” Here in this chapter, we find God making promises of a great savior and a great salvation, and He made the commitment to fulfill all of the necessary conditions. 

In Genesis 22 the picture of this covenant comes even more into view. The LORD commanded Abraham to take his son, Isaac, to the top of Mt. Moriah and sacrifice him on an altar of wood. However, the LORD would intervene and provide a ram for the sacrifice instead. The allegory of Christ as pictured by Isaac is glaring. For starters, Mt. Moriah is where the Jewish Temple would be built (think of all of the animal sacrifices also picturing Christ). Mt. Moriah is also in the same vicinity in which Christ would be crucified. The Abrahamic covenant (picturing the covenant of grace) is God’s promise of salvation to all of those who come to Christ in faith, guaranteed by the death and resurrection of Christ Himself! God spared Abraham’s son, but He would not spare His own. “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:21) 

Closing Thoughts

Time will simply not allow me to expound upon Christ in all of the covenants. However, in this brief chapter we have seen a few things very clearly. First, the LDS church places the burden of salvation upon the individual by mandating the keeping of their covenant promises to God. This is very problematic because as we have seen, mankind has never been able to keep their covenants with God. Adam failed, Moses failed, the Israelites failed, etc. Knowing this information, why would anyone want to try and shoulder the responsibility of their salvation, contingent upon keeping their promises to God? What a pressure cooker. Listen to the words of Elder Richard Maynes from the Fall General Conference of 2004; 

“Brothers and sisters, we are all looking forward to the day when we can return home to our Heavenly Father. In order to qualify for exaltation in the celestial kingdom, we must gain the trust of the Lord here on earth. We gain the trust of the Lord through earning it, and that is accomplished through our actual performance in living His gospel and keeping our covenants. In other words, we earn the trust of the Lord by doing His will.”   

The Biblical gospel of grace isn’t about the Lord trusting us, it’s about us trusting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ! Salvation isn’t something that we can earn, it was earned by Christ on our behalf if we would just trust Him! He is the greater Adam, the greater Moses, the greater David and the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham! After seeing man’s failure and Christ’s success in the covenants, how could anyone reduce the covenants to broken promises that we make to God?  “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. (Hebrews 8:6)

A Better Covenant vs. Broken "Covenants" of the LDS Church

 

“A covenant is a binding spiritual contract, a solemn promise to God our Father that we will live and think and act in a certain way—the way of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In return, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost promise us the full splendor of eternal life.” These are the words of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. One thing that is clear from this short quote is that in LDS theology a person’s eternal life rests upon their faithfulness to keep the covenants that they make with God. If there was any doubt about this, Holland doubles down by saying;

     

 “It is important to remember that we need to succeed—not just finish the course, but ‘finish [our] course with joy.’ For a celestial reward, it is absolutely essential that we remain faithful to the end. There is nothing in the Church that is directed toward the telestial or terrestrial kingdoms. For us it is a celestial goal every step of the way. We cannot flag or fail or halt halfway.”

This places a tremendous amount of pressure on Latter Day Saints for two main reasons. First, it’s their eternal life that’s at stake, and they are responsible for making it to the Celestial Kingdom. Second, because the standard is arbitrary. How good is good enough? How faithful is faithful enough? Can a Latter Day Saint even know that they have reached the point of “good enough” or do they have to wait until they die in order to find out? I have personally never met a Latter Day Saint who was 100% sure about their Celestial destination. It is certainly a “hope so” as opposed to a “know so.” 

What if I told you that according to the Biblical gospel, our salvation isn’t based upon our covenant faithfulness to God, but rather on God’s covenant faithfulness to us. Scripture tells us that Christ has fulfilled all of the necessary conditions of the covenant of grace in order to guarantee salvation to all of those who come to Him by grace through faith. This chapter will take a 30,000 ft. view of the Old Testament covenants, as well as the book of Hebrews which describes in detail the better covenant of grace.   

A Better Covenant

The book of Hebrews really drives home this idea of Christ doing a new thing. One of the main themes of Hebrews is “better things.” Within this category of better things is Christ and the better covenant. It's important to recognize that there are two kinds of covenants in the Bible; covenants of condition and covenants of promise (unconditional). 

With conditional covenants, God gives instructions with the promise of blessings for obedience and punishment for disobedience. A prime example of a conditional covenant is found in the giving of the Old Testament law (Mosaic Covenant). Deuteronomy chapter 28 lays out the conditions of the Mosaic covenant. For brevity’s sake I will only list three verses in order to give the gist. “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2)... “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee.” (Deuteronomy 28:15). Here we see the clear promise of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. 

The problem with conditional covenants is that mankind has always failed to live up to the conditions of the covenants. In the case of the Mosaic covenant, just prior to Moses going up Mt. Sinai to retrieve the rest of the law the Bible says, “And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.” (Exodus 24:3) The Israelites promised to obey all of the words of the LORD. The problem is that by the time that Moses came down from the mountain they were dancing naked around a golden calf. Moses breaking the stone tablets was symbolic of the people breaking God’s law, as well as the conditions of the covenant. 

On the other hand, covenants of promise are covenants in which God Himself unconditionally keeps all of the necessary requirements of the covenant. He shoulders all of the responsibility and makes all of the provision. This type of covenant is based on God’s promises and not our performance. The covenant of Grace is a covenant of promise based solely upon the finished work of Christ; His death on the cross and His resurrection. The point that can’t be missed here is that Christ has provided salvation to all who come to Him by grace through faith. Hebrews bears this out in detail when it says, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:16-17). Notice all of the unconditional promises that God makes concerning this covenant; “I will make the covenant with them”, “I will put my laws into their heart”, “I will write them in their minds”, “I will remember their sins and iniquities no more.”

In contrast with the Mosaic covenant, “Christ has obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.” (Hebrews 8:6-7) The “fault” of the Mosaic covenant was that men and women in the weakness of their sinful flesh could never live up to the Holy standard of God. The law has never justified anyone, but only condemned. 

The closing words of Hebrews again highlights this unconditional covenant of grace. “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21). Notice again these unconditional promises from God. He makes us “perfect in every good work” and “well pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ.” Even the works that we do as Christians are a result of his grace working in us. In other words, Christians aren't working in order to be saved, we work because we are saved. We serve the Lord with a new heart and are motivated by love and gratitude, not by shame and condemnation.   

Broken “Covenants”

There are two main ways in which the LDS church breaks away from the Biblical model of covenants. First, according to the Biblical covenants (both conditional and unconditional) it is God who always sets the conditions of the covenants, not us. In other words, we don’t make covenants with God, He makes covenants with us. The LDS church reverses this order, so that we are the ones making covenants with God. The second way that the LDS church breaks away from Biblical Christianity concerning the covenants is that in LDS theology there is no such thing as a covenant of promise, even when it comes to salvation and the covenant of grace. In LDS theology it’s our sole responsibility to shoulder all of the conditions of the covenants. Even when Latter Day Saints use promise language, they are the ultimate cause of the success of their covenants, not God. Elder Boyd K. Packer said, “Keep your covenants and you will be safe. Break them and you will not.” In other words it’s completely up to you. No pressure.

Former President Joseph Fielding Smith said, “The Holy Spirit of Promise is the Holy Ghost who places the stamp of approval upon every ordinance: baptism, confirmation, ordination, marriage. The promise is that the blessings will be received through faithfulness.” The irony in this is that the promises will only be received through our faithfulness. That’s not a promise, that’s a condition. President Smith went on to say, “If a person violates a covenant, whether it be of baptism, ordination, marriage or anything else, the Spirit withdraws the stamp of approval, and the blessings will not be received.”... “Every ordinance is sealed with a promise of a reward based upon faithfulness. The Holy Spirit withdraws the stamp of approval where covenants are broken.”

This is not a message of hope, but one of endless condemnation. It’s not about God’s faithfulness to us on behalf of Christ, but about our flawed faithfulness to Him. When I share the gospel of grace with Latter Day Saints I make it a point to ask them two questions. First, “if you died today do you know 100% for sure that you have done enough to make it to Heaven where God is?” The answer is always “no” (usually accompanied by them drooping their head). The very next question that I usually ask is, “could you ever get to a place where you could know for sure that you have done enough?” Again, a dejected “no.” I would like to ask my LDS readers, how is that good news? Contrast this with I John 5:13 which says, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” You can know with 100% certainty that you have eternal life! How? Through believing on the Son of God and His finished work. Christ is the mediator of a better covenant. Jesus is enough!

More to Come.

A Better Priest vs. the LDS "Priesthood"

     It has been well said that a prophet goes to the people on behalf of God, but a priest goes to God on behalf of the people. The Jewish priests in the Old Testament had two main duties; blood sacrifices for the sins of the people and intercession on behalf of the people. It’s important to understand that the intercession of the priests was always directly connected to the blood sacrifices being made. For example, immediately following the sacrifices on the final day of Passover, the priests prayed to God on behalf of the people. “Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven.” (II Chronicles 30:27)

When reading through texts like Leviticus chapters 4-9 it becomes clear that the priests of Israel were pretty much full time butchers. The inside of the temple must have looked and smelled worse than a meat packing house. The priest's clothes were no doubt soaked with the blood of animals. The smell of death would have been overwhelming. All of this was to serve as a stark reminder that the wages of sin is death, and that God is Holy and will not allow sin to go unpunished. The constant sacrifices were also a reminder of the constant sin of the people of Israel. The blood never stopped running from the floor of the temple. However, “it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). This system screamed for something (and someone) better. As with the better covenant, the book of Hebrews goes into great detail about Christ being a better priest. There are four main ways in which Christ is a superior priest over the earthly Jewish priesthood (or any earthly priesthood for that matter); His sinlessness, His sacrifice, His Intercession and His access. 

Our Sinless Priest 

One of the main problems with earthly priests is that they are all sinners themselves. In fact, before the Jewish high priest could enter into the temple to offer a sacrifice, he had to make a sin offering for his own sins. If the high priest had entered into the Holy of Holies without making an offering for his sin, he would have been struck down by the holy presence of God. Hebrews 5:1-3 says,  “For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.” Because the priests were sinners they eventually died. Therefore their priesthood was not eternal.

Christ on the other hand is our sinless, ever living high priest. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.” The sinlessness of Christ is what makes this next point possible. 

Our Perfect Sacrifice

The Old Testament animal sacrifices could never take away sin. They were merely a picture or a shadow of the sacrifice that Christ would make on the cross. Hebrews 10:11-13 says, “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.” Notice the contrast here in their posture. The Jewish priests were constantly standing because their butchering work was never done. However, when Christ offered Himself as the perfect, sinless offering for sin, He sat down on the right hand of God. This is a position of power and rest. Christ came to this earth as the God-man, born of a virgin. He lived a perfect life, died a perfect death, rose as a perfect Savior, ascended to the Father and is reigning from on high! Christ is the perfect sacrifice for sin and there are no other sacrifices to be made. 

Our Great Intercessor

Earlier we saw that the Old Testament sin offerings were directly connected with the intercessory prayers of the priests for the Lord to honor those sacrifices. It’s important to know that the intercession of Christ is also directly connected to His sacrificial death. Think about it like this. The death and resurrection of Christ is enough to save anyone who comes to Him in faith. So the finished work of Christ saves a person, and that perfect sacrifice along with the continual intercession of Christ is what keeps a person saved. No one that truly belongs to Christ can ever be lost. No wonder the writer of Hebrews was able to say, “And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:23-25).

If someone wants to make the argument that a person can lose their salvation, then they are going to have to answer the following questions. What does Christ accomplish as our great high priest? What does Christ accomplish as our intercessor? What did Christ accomplish as our Saviour through His death on the cross and His resurrection? What does Christ accomplish as our advocate? If Christ can lose one of His own then He is a failure. He is a savior who can’t save, a priest who can’t atone and an intercessor who can’t meditate. In this case, poor Jesus has to depend on us to make His work count. Of course the Bible doesn’t give any room at all to such notions of a weak and beggarly Christ. 

We get a glimpse of Christ praying a high priestly prayer in the garden of Gethsemane just prior to His arrest. John 17:24 says, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” Christ is praying that we be kept to the uttermost on His behalf. I think it’s safe to say that believers are safe in Christ. 

Our Direct Access to God

There are examples in the Old Testament of people praying to God, as well as seeing answers to those prayers. However, because of the constant presence of sin there was always a question about whether or not they could draw near to God through prayer. This is not the case for a New Testament Christian under the New Covenant. Hebrews 4:15-16 says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Notice the causative language here. Because of what Christ has done, and because of who He is, believers have an open invitation to approach the throne room of God on behalf of Christ. 

In reference to His ascension, Christ said, “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you” (John 16:23). The Apostle Paul also chimed in on this priestly access to God through Christ when he said, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (I Timothy 2:5). It is for this reason that historical, biblical Christians believe and teach in the doctrine known as the priesthood of believers (I Pet. 2:5-9). Although the office of priest has been done away with, Christians are priests in the sense that we have direct access to God through Christ. We don’t need any earthly priest to mediate between us and God.

The LDS “Priesthood” The LDS church places such great emphasis on their earthly priesthood. The official church website states, “The word priesthood has two meanings. First, priesthood is the power and authority of God. It has always existed and will continue to exist without end. Through the priesthood, God created and governs the heavens and the earth. Through this power, He exalts His obedient children, bringing to pass “the immortality and eternal life of man.” Second, in mortality, priesthood is the power and authority that God gives to man to act in all things necessary for the salvation of God’s children. The blessings of the priesthood are available to all who receive the gospel.” The two priesthoods of the LDS church are the Aaronic priesthood and the Melchizedek priesthood. We are writing this book with LDS readership and mind. So for the sake of brevity we are assuming a certain level of knowledge about the LDS beliefs on these issues and therefore won’t go into great detail about these offices. However, a few things need to be said. That Aaronic Priesthood After seeing all that Christ is and all that He does as the believer’s great high priest, we have to ask the question, what’s the point? What purpose does the Aaronic priesthood serve within the LDS church? Keep in mind that the actual priests of Aaron were the aforementioned temple butchers who made daily blood sacrifices on behalf of the people. Christ already made the ultimate sacrifice, and the Jewish temple was destroyed almost 2,000 years ago. So what’s the point? Especially considering that Aaronic priests of the LDS church never have to get their hands bloody. Would somebody please explain to me like I’m 5 years old, what’s the point of the Aaronic priesthood among Latter Day Saints? The book of Hebrews makes it clear that the Melchizdek priesthood replaced the Aaronic priesthood. “If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?” (Hebrews 7:11). Something else to consider is that in Exodus 29, the LORD made it clear that the Jewish priests were only to be sons of Aaron within the tribe of Levi. So how does the LDS church justify calling priests that have no connection to the tribe of Levi or the line of Aaron? Would The Real Melchizedek Please Stand Up? Concerning the Melchizedek priesthood, the official church website states, “Through the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood, Church leaders guide the Church and direct the preaching of the gospel throughout the world. In the ordinances of the Melchizedek Priesthood, “the power of godliness is manifest.” This greater priesthood was given to Adam and has been on the earth whenever the Lord has revealed His gospel. It was taken from the earth during the Great Apostasy, but it was restored in 1829, when the Apostles Peter, James, and John conferred it upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.” Let’s examine this claim for a moment. Melchizedek is a very vague character found in Genesis 14. Almost nothing is known about him. The Bible doesn't mention his origin or say anything about his parents or background. He simply appears to Abram as the “priest of the most high God.” (Gen. 14:18). The important thing that must be grasped is that Melchizedek is a type or shadow of the true high priest to come, Jesus Christ. He brought forth “bread and wine” (Gen. 14:18). This seems to be a picture of the body and blood of Christ, typified by Christ at the last supper. Melchizedek is also called the King of Salem (meaning “peace”). Most scholars agree that Salem is the same place that would later become Jerusalem. But perhaps, the greatest comparison is the fact that like Melchizedek, Christ is also a priest-king. Everything about Melchizedek points to Christ and Christ alone. The only other time that the name Melchizedek is mentioned in the Old Testament is in Psalm 110. This entire Psalm is a prophecy about the greater David and the greater King who would come (Christ). Verse 1 says, “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” Someone once said that if God had a favorite Bible verse, this would be it. This verse is cited more in the New Testament than any other Old Testament verse. Notice that the first use of the word “LORD” is in all caps. Whenever we see this in our English translations it lets us know that it is a reference to the name of “Yahweh” (or Jehovah). The second use of the word Lord isn’t in all caps. That’s because in this case it comes from the Hebrew word “Adonai”, meaning master. The literal rendering of this verse would read, “The Yahweh said unto my Adonai, Sit thou at my right hand until I make, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” In other words, God the Father said to God the Son, sit thou at my right hand until I make thy enemies thy footstool. This is why Christ quoted this verse to the Pharisees in Matthew 22:41-46. The point that Christ was making is clear, why would David call his son “Lord”, unless his son was deity. It's’ just four verses later into this Psalm that we find a reference to Melchizedek. Psalm 110:4 says, “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” Again we see Yahweh speaking to the one at His right hand (Christ), and promising Him that He would be a priest in the same model as Melchizedek. The entire seventh chapter of Hebrews is devoted to the idea that Christ is that Melchizedek priest. I encourage the reader to go back and read Hebrews 7. For brevity’s sake I will only mention verses 17-22, “For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.” The author of Hebrews is referencing and elaborating on Psalm 110:4. There are a few things about this text that deserve attention. First, through the priesthood of Christ a better hope and a better testament (covenant) have been ushered in. Better than what? Better than the earthly Aaronic priesthood of the Old Testament that could never take away sin. The second thing that absolutely has to be grasped here is that Christ is the only priest after the order of Melchizedek. No one else could ever be worthy enough to meet the requirements necessary to ascend to Heaven and be seated in power at the right hand of God the Father. This is a scary proposition considering that the LDS church teaches their men that they must be “worthy Melchizedek Priesthood holders in order to receive the temple endowment and be sealed to their families for eternity.” Only Christ is worthy enough to be a Melchizedek priest! It’s terrifying that the LDS church would take a title and an office that belongs to Christ alone and give them to sinful men. This text also states that Christ’s priesthood is an eternal priesthood. So how does this square with the LDS teaching that “It (the Melchizedek priesthood) was taken from the earth during the Great Apostasy, but it was restored in 1829, when the Apostles Peter, James, and John conferred it upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.” Not only was this not Joseph Smith’s priesthood to receive, it wasn’t the Apostle’s priesthood to give. It makes me cringe when I hear LDS hymns like “Praise to the Man” in which Joseph Smith is spoken of in terms of endearment that only belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. “Great is his glory and endless his priesthood”, indeed. Closing Thoughts So what is a Latter Saint to do with this information? What should they do knowing that Christ is the only and eternal great high priest after the order of Melchizedek, that Christ put away the Aaronic priesthood, and that He is the only capable sacrifice, temple and mediator? Again, if Christ is all of these things, what’s the point of an earthly priesthood? Job security and control certainly come to mind. I would encourage Latter Day Saints to repent and run to the only priest that can save you. “And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:23-25