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In Mormonism, the Melchizedek priesthood (/ m ɛ l ˈ k ɪ z ɪ d ɛ k /), [1] [2] also referred to as the high priesthood of the holy order of God [3] or the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God, [4] is the greater of the two orders of priesthood, the other being the Aaronic priesthood.
If the priesthood of Aaron were effective, God would not have called a new priest in a different order in Psalm 110. (Heb. 7:11) The basis of the Aaronic priesthood was ancestry; the basis of the priesthood of Melchizedek is everlasting life. That is, there is no interruption due to a priest's death. (Heb. 7:8,15-16,23-25)
Latter Day Saint theology has recognized at least three orders of priesthood: the Aaronic priesthood, the Melchizedek priesthood; and the Patriarchal priesthood.Although these are different orders, they are, in reality, all subsumed under the priesthood held by Jesus Christ, that is, the Melchizedek priesthood.
To receive the Melchizedek priesthood in the church today, the recipient must hold the Aaronic priesthood and be at least 18 years old. Some special cases may not permit initial or continuing ordination, such as children living with a same-sex couple. [4] [5]
The Aaronic priesthood is thought to be a lesser or preparatory priesthood and an "appendage" [2] of the more powerful Melchizedek priesthood. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) today, the holders of the Aaronic priesthood are primarily young men ages 11 to 18 and recent adult male converts to the church.
According to the Doctrine and Covenants, the duty of a priest is to "preach, teach, expound, exhort, and baptize, and administer the sacrament". [4] Accordingly, priests bless the sacrament and are permitted to perform baptism. They can also ordain deacons, teachers, and priests and confer the Aaronic priesthood upon others. A priest must ...
By the mid-1830s, Smith began teaching a hierarchy of three priesthoods—the Melchizedek, the Aaronic, and the Patriarchal. [19] Each priesthood was a continuation of biblical priesthoods through lineal succession or through ordination by biblical figures appearing in visions. [16]
The second level of the priesthood is the Melchizedek priesthood. All Melchizedek priesthood holders are 18 or older but the offices do not have set ages for progression. The first office is elder. An elder may confer the gift of the Holy Ghost; give blessings by the laying on of hands; ordain other elders; and perform any duty given to priests ...