Priesthood. If the Mormons don't have it...who does?

Question

Joseph and Oliver prayed for direction concerning baptism. Their prayer was answered by a heavenly messenger. The resurrected John the Baptist appeared to them and gave them the priesthood of Aaron, or Aaronic Priesthood, which has the authority to preach the gospel of repentance and to baptize.

http://www.mormon.org/learn/0,8672,1291-1,00.html

So if this is not true, then how do priest gain the right to baptize? How do they gain the right to have the priesthood?
If any man can have the priesthood then why did Jesus Christ lay his hands upon the 12 Apostles and CONFER that power?

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO
ST MARK
CHAPTER 3 14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

Answer 1

After the apostasy, the power of the priesthood was not on the earth, and hence the church. No one had the authority because it was not given to them. The priesthood was not present on the earth until it was confered to Joseph Smith, like you stated. Not just any man can have the priesthood, it has to be given with those who have authority.

I'm not sure what the talk was titled, but John Bytheway spoke at my efy about this. It was SOO much easier to understand, I reccommend you check it out.

Answer 2

Good point. The Priesthood must be conferred upon a person from one who holds it.
My husband worthily holds the Melchezidek Priesthood and has given me blessings (of healing) and also my father. I know the power of the priesthood is real. Last week I gave a lesson to my Young Women group about the Priesthood, the priesthood we have is the same priesthood Christ used to create the world. Wow! The Priesthood is esentially power given to act in God's name and with His power.
It is amazing.

Answer 3

Islam and Mormonism both claim to have "a better way" than the New Testament. They accept the New Testament so long as it doesn't conflict with their teachings. I have found no reason to believe that God has not kept his message intact for us in the Old and New Testaments. So my answer to the question is:

Every believer is a priest.
1 Peter Chapter 2 lays it out for us. And in Romans 12:1, the Holy Spirit tells us through Paul to offer our selves as living sacrifices. That makes us priests. Christ was the last priest to offer a blood sacrifice, and by his blood we are cleansed and the Holy of Holies is open to us now. You want to follow these guys (Muhammad and Joseph Smith) who came up offering "another gospel," that's your business. I'm sticking with Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, the only mediator between God and man, and rejecting everything that claims to be an upgrade. To God be all glory and power and blessing and honor for ever and ever. Amen.

Answer 4

The Catholic Church has the priesthood, along with the Eastern Orthodox Churches (and I believe the Oriental Orthodox Churches have it too), as long as the line of Apostolic succession is kept intact|

Anglicans do not have it because the line of succession was broken due to the radical change brought about in the sacramental process by Cranmer|


And about the Mormons, Joseph Smith did indeed see two beings (putatively the Father and the Son), but there is no actual proof of what their real identities are|

And about the Mormon "proof" of the truth of their religion that it is verified by a feeling of burning in their breast, that is not accepted by any credible schools of epistemology|


A burning sensation like that, could be caused by God, the devil, an evil spirit, a good angel - or even something entirely physical such as well aimed electromagnetic radiation|


To accept something as truth, it must adhere to the canons of logic, the first principles of thought and reality, valid intuitions such as the direct grasp of essences, or on the word of a credible authority|



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Answer 5

Read the book of Hebrews. It says in chapter 2 why Jesus is a priest and how He came to earth. It goes on to say in chapter 4,5,7,8 and 9 that Jesus is BOTH the Aaronic priest and the Melchizedek priest.
There ever was only one high priest at a time. Since Jesus both priests and His term is forever, then:
1) the priesthood set forth by the Mormons is false
2) NO OTHER IS REQUIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 6

The only two churches that could possibly have the priesthood of God are the Catholic church and the LDS church.

The Catholic church because they profess to have an unbroken line of succession from Peter to today.

The LDS church because they claim to be the restored church as it was when Christ first established it.

All others are break-off's of Catholicism or don't claim restoration, or a God-given priesthood.

Answer 7

If you read the bible you will see that although Jesus gave the power to heal to his 12 apostles the failed to ever get these powers to work. They told Jesus this and he answered their confusion saying they lacked faith. I doubt that any modern "priest" is likely to out do the 12 Jesus lived and prayed with. Is there less need for hospitals in Utah county? Mormon central. Is medicine prescribed at a lesser rate? You can have your blessings. I will use antibiotics and pain meds. And you will too.

Answer 8

Jesus

Answer 9

GOd calls people to this day. most people who enter into a religious life are truly called by God to go forth in that manner. to think that only if Jesus is alive and physically confers power to them in person would be th end of Christianity as a whole. God works in and through the people of His choice and in His manner.

Answer 10

In Baptism we become part of the body of Christ. It is in this that we have the authority to baptize.