LDS Priesthood Unveiled Appendix 1The American people received the Book of Mormon, but were only able to accept it
because of their belief in the Bible. However, the real truth—what Jesus truly taught the
people—was withheld from the record. Those who received the Book of Mormon and
embraced it looked way “beyond the mark and desired things they could not understand.”
The men of the early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wanted a “high priesthood”
so that they would have the “power of God to give the Holy Ghost” to the people. Instead of
understanding the symbolism (lesser things) of all of this, they perceived it literally.
Power to Give the Holy Ghost
Many began to question Joseph about what the Book of Mormon transcript said about
Jesus giving his disciples “power to give the Holy Ghost.” Joseph read the transcript about
the visitation of Christ to them and pointed out that the “multitude heard not the words
which [Jesus] spake [to his disciples]; therefore they did not bear record.”^173 Joseph explained
that the disciples were told not to disclose what he “truly” said to them, but that they
should give the people according to their [the peoples’] desires and faith, just as the Book of
Mormon instructs of the servants of Christ. That is why the record states, “but the disciples
bare record that he gave them power to give the Holy Ghost.”
The disciples told the people what they were commanded to, not necessarily the
“real truth.” Joseph, continuing his explanation to Oliver and Hyrum, then showed where
Mormon gives the clue about what really happened when “Jesus touched [each] one with his
finger”^174 : “And I will show unto you hereafter that this record is true.”^175 (See previous
section entitled “The Priesthood in Relation to Christ” explaining this.)
Mormon later gives the actual account of what happened before Christ “ascended
into heaven.” Jesus spoke “unto his disciples, one by one, saying unto them: What is it that
ye desire of me, after that I am gone to the Father?”^176 All of his disciples wanted to live
“unto the age of man” and then end their ministry and “speedily come unto thee in thy
kingdom.”^177 The selfish nature of these nine, according to their own free will, prohibited
them from knowing the mysteries of God in full. But three of them wanted to serve in
whatever capacity necessary “to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of
men, even until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when [Christ]
shall come in [his] glory with the powers of heaven.”^178 These would come to be known
throughout time as the “Three Nephites”; notwithstanding the fact that two of them are of
Lamanite descent.
Joseph also disclosed to Oliver and Hyrum that the Three Nephites, as well as John
the Beloved, were alive and well living in the United States locally to assist him in his work.
He revealed for the first time to anyone alive in that era that he periodically received much
instruction and intelligence from these men. He also revealed that he had been given the
“same power and authority” that these three men received from Christ. These three were
the only disciples who were not “touched...with his finger” before he departed. Therefore,
they did not receive what the unprincipled interpreters of scripture later viewed as “the laying
on of hands. ” These were the only three of the twelve who “were caught up into heaven, and
saw and heard unspeakable things. And it was forbidden them that they should utter; neither was it
given unto them power that they could utter the things which they saw and heard.”^179 Only these
three received the “mysteries of the kingdom of heaven... to commune with the general assembly
and church of the Firstborn,” which, as mentioned above, Joseph later taught is the actual
“power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood.”^180