Stephen, You give some nice definitions, but can you show where these definitions come from? I agree that the term "high priest" can have more than one meaning, but there are many Church leaders who would disagree with your Alma 13 assessment, and say that those were, indeed, high priests in the "modern sense" as you so put it. I say that the term is an ancient one, that we were foreordained as high priests, according to Alma. I use Occam's Razor on this, as your definition requires a twisting of terms (or redefinition, anyway). If Alma says faithful men were foreordained as high priests, why can't you accept it as it is written? I mean, there are different MP titles given in the BoM, even though I grant they aren't exactly the same as we have today (obviously "teacher" was an office in the MP for the Nephites).
And are you trying to tell me that Abraham's desire to be a high priest just means he wanted to hold the MP? Why didn't he just say he desired to be a priesthood holder, then? Why do we have to twist his terms, when they are clear enough without redefining them? Finally, we are told that there will be an ordination to become a god, that we will be set apart as "kings and priests." Since you already hold the MP as an elder, why must one be reordained a priest? BTW, I'm not teaching false doctrine. It may not be official doctrine of the Church, but it isn't rejected out of hand, either (except, of course, by you). K'aya K'ama, Gerald/gary Smith gszion1 @juno.com http://www .geocities.com/rameumptom/index.html "No one is as hopelessly enslaved as the person who thinks he's free." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Stephen: >1. The lead, or head, or "high", priest of a group of ecumenical >authorities. Thus, Alma was "high priest over the land", meaning he was >the head of the priests; similarly, Aaron, though not in possession of >the higher Priesthood, was still a "high priest", since he was the >leader. > >2. Any holder of the high Priesthood may properly be referred to as a >"high priest", in the sense that he is a priest (i.e. a holder of the >Priesthood) after the order of Melchizedek. Thus it is that Alma calls >those who hold the higher Priesthood "high priests" in Alma 13:9. > >3. Specifically, in modern days a "high priest" is an office in the >Melchizedek Priesthood, one that has certain duties assigned to it, >normally relating to administrative duties. > ________________________________________________________________ Sign Up for Juno Platinum Internet Access Today Only $9.95 per month! Visit www.juno.com ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
