Officers
Must Be Called of God
Another tenet or "article" of LDS faith states that men must be called of God:
"We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof." (Articles of Faith 5)
The building up of the Church of Jesus Christ is always done with the right authority:
"...it shall not be given to any one to go forth to preach my gospel, or to build up my church, except he be ordained by some one who has authority..." (Doctrine and Covenants 42:11)
When Alma the Elder established the Church among the people of king Noah, he did it only with authority from God:
"And it came to pass that Alma, having authority from God, ordained priests... to preach unto them, and to teach them concerning the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." (Mosiah 18:18)
When king Noah died, his son, Limhi, assumed the throne. During the reign of king Limhi, a band of explorers "discovered" them, living far away from Nephite lands, among the people of the Lamanites. He told them about Alma the Elder and the Church being established among the people of the Nephites. The people wanted to join the Church, but Ammon, not having been set apart as a missionary or given commission to baptize, had them wait until they could find someone who had authority:
"And it came to pass that king Limhi and many of his people were desirous to be baptized; but there was none in the land that had authority from God. And Ammon declined doing this thing, considering himself an unworthy servant. Therefore they did not at that time form themselves into a church, waiting upon the Spirit of the Lord." (Mosiah 21:33-34)
Alma the Younger (the son of Alma the Elder) taught the people of the city of Ammonihah that it is God who calls and organizes those who hold His priesthood:
"I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people. And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption... therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared..." (Alma 13:1-3)
The servants of God are not given just any authority - they are ordained to the Holy Priesthood After the Order of the Son of God, or "priesthood" for short. They have to be ordained by God himself, by an angel, by a prophet - by someone who already has that authority.
Men must be called of God - or called by the Savior to serve in His ministry. He gives them authority and a calling, and then asks his people to follow them:
"Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants; and unto them I have given power that they may baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized with water, behold, I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost..." (3 Ne 12:1)
No Priestcraft Permitted - Unpaid Ministry
In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Nephi taught that people who labor in the church - for Zion - should not labor for money, that the Church should have an unpaid ministry:
"Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden. He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion. Behold, the Lord hath forbidden this thing; wherefore, the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing. Wherefore, if they should have charity they would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish. But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish. (2 Nephi 26:28-31)
As Alma the Younger was regulating the affairs of the Church, he described a number of ways in which the Church operated in his time. He said this about people who labor in the Church:
"And the priests were not to depend upon the people for their support; but for their labor they were to receive the grace of God, that they might wax strong in the Spirit, having the knowledge of God, that they might teach with power and authority from God." (Mosiah 18:26)
Later on, Alma gave more information about how the Church was supposed to work:
"And when the priests left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors" (Alma 1:26)
Even the priests had their day jobs to get back to when the Sabbath Day was over.
Another tenet or "article" of LDS faith states that men must be called of God:
"We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof." (Articles of Faith 5)
The building up of the Church of Jesus Christ is always done with the right authority:
"...it shall not be given to any one to go forth to preach my gospel, or to build up my church, except he be ordained by some one who has authority..." (Doctrine and Covenants 42:11)
When Alma the Elder established the Church among the people of king Noah, he did it only with authority from God:
"And it came to pass that Alma, having authority from God, ordained priests... to preach unto them, and to teach them concerning the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." (Mosiah 18:18)
When king Noah died, his son, Limhi, assumed the throne. During the reign of king Limhi, a band of explorers "discovered" them, living far away from Nephite lands, among the people of the Lamanites. He told them about Alma the Elder and the Church being established among the people of the Nephites. The people wanted to join the Church, but Ammon, not having been set apart as a missionary or given commission to baptize, had them wait until they could find someone who had authority:
"And it came to pass that king Limhi and many of his people were desirous to be baptized; but there was none in the land that had authority from God. And Ammon declined doing this thing, considering himself an unworthy servant. Therefore they did not at that time form themselves into a church, waiting upon the Spirit of the Lord." (Mosiah 21:33-34)
Alma the Younger (the son of Alma the Elder) taught the people of the city of Ammonihah that it is God who calls and organizes those who hold His priesthood:
"I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people. And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption... therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared..." (Alma 13:1-3)
The servants of God are not given just any authority - they are ordained to the Holy Priesthood After the Order of the Son of God, or "priesthood" for short. They have to be ordained by God himself, by an angel, by a prophet - by someone who already has that authority.
Men must be called of God - or called by the Savior to serve in His ministry. He gives them authority and a calling, and then asks his people to follow them:
"Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants; and unto them I have given power that they may baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized with water, behold, I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost..." (3 Ne 12:1)
No Priestcraft Permitted - Unpaid Ministry
In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Nephi taught that people who labor in the church - for Zion - should not labor for money, that the Church should have an unpaid ministry:
"Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden. He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion. Behold, the Lord hath forbidden this thing; wherefore, the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing. Wherefore, if they should have charity they would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish. But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish. (2 Nephi 26:28-31)
As Alma the Younger was regulating the affairs of the Church, he described a number of ways in which the Church operated in his time. He said this about people who labor in the Church:
"And the priests were not to depend upon the people for their support; but for their labor they were to receive the grace of God, that they might wax strong in the Spirit, having the knowledge of God, that they might teach with power and authority from God." (Mosiah 18:26)
Later on, Alma gave more information about how the Church was supposed to work:
"And when the priests left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors" (Alma 1:26)
Even the priests had their day jobs to get back to when the Sabbath Day was over.
At one point, the people of the Church brought before Alma an apostate by the name of Korihor who had been preaching against the Church. He accused Alma to his face of "glutting himself on the labors of the people". This was Alma's response:
"And [Korihor] did rise up in great swelling words before Alma, and did revile against the priests and teachers, accusing them of leading away the people after the silly traditions of their fathers, for the sake of glutting on the labors of the people. Now Alma said unto him: Thou knowest that we do not glut ourselves upon the labors of this people; for behold I have labored even from the commencement of the reign of the judges until now, with mine own hands for my support, notwithstanding my many travels round about the land to declare the word of God unto my people. And notwithstanding the many labors which I have performed in the church, I have never received so much as even one senine (a Nephite coin) for my labor; neither has any of my brethren, save it were in the judgment-seat; and then we have received only according to law for our time. And now, if we do not receive anything for our labors in the church, what doth it profit us to labor in the church save it were to declare the truth, that we may have rejoicings in the joy of our brethren? Then why sayest thou that we preach unto this people to get gain, when thou, of thyself, knowest that we receive no gain?"
In this exchange between Korihor and Alma, we can see the problem the Lord has with priestcraft, or paid ministry: people who are supposed to be serving him are more interested in making money. This can lead to people "selling forgiveness" and telling people what they want to hear instead of preaching the truth. Korihor himself was making good money at the time, telling people what they wanted to hear, and yet he had the nerve to accuse the leaders of the Church of priestcraft, when he knew fully well they were not involved in any such thing. Here, we also see an example of a true shepherd, being more interested in "declaring the truth that we may have rejoicings in the joy of our brethren" than in making money working for the Church. (Alma 30:31-35)
"And [Korihor] did rise up in great swelling words before Alma, and did revile against the priests and teachers, accusing them of leading away the people after the silly traditions of their fathers, for the sake of glutting on the labors of the people. Now Alma said unto him: Thou knowest that we do not glut ourselves upon the labors of this people; for behold I have labored even from the commencement of the reign of the judges until now, with mine own hands for my support, notwithstanding my many travels round about the land to declare the word of God unto my people. And notwithstanding the many labors which I have performed in the church, I have never received so much as even one senine (a Nephite coin) for my labor; neither has any of my brethren, save it were in the judgment-seat; and then we have received only according to law for our time. And now, if we do not receive anything for our labors in the church, what doth it profit us to labor in the church save it were to declare the truth, that we may have rejoicings in the joy of our brethren? Then why sayest thou that we preach unto this people to get gain, when thou, of thyself, knowest that we receive no gain?"
In this exchange between Korihor and Alma, we can see the problem the Lord has with priestcraft, or paid ministry: people who are supposed to be serving him are more interested in making money. This can lead to people "selling forgiveness" and telling people what they want to hear instead of preaching the truth. Korihor himself was making good money at the time, telling people what they wanted to hear, and yet he had the nerve to accuse the leaders of the Church of priestcraft, when he knew fully well they were not involved in any such thing. Here, we also see an example of a true shepherd, being more interested in "declaring the truth that we may have rejoicings in the joy of our brethren" than in making money working for the Church. (Alma 30:31-35)
Last but not least, we see Nephi teach that "the gate is narrow... [but the Lord] employeth no servant there..." (2
Ne 9:42 Nephi 9:41)
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