The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression ... visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. 14:18
13:1 1 Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.
I confer the priesthood of Aaron upon you. [1]
It won't be taken away until the sons of Levi sacrifice animals in the temple again to the Lord. [2]
This section doesn't tell us who is conferring the priesthood, or who is receiving it. If you want to know that you will have to go to Volume 1, page 39 of the History of the Church.
That document provides the missing details. It was John the Baptist who conferred the priesthood on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery - under the direction of the apostles Peter, James, and John - on May 15, 1829.
They'll have the priesthood of Aaron until the sons of Levi sacrifice animals again in the temple.
Now it all makes perfect sense, right?
Since the main function of the priesthood of Aaron was the ritualistic sacrifice of animals, why didn't Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery perform the sacrifices described in the first nine chapters of Leviticus?/p>
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