Mormonism priesthood - Laying on of hands
Hello again! My name is Danny and I was an active Mormon for 60 years.
When I ask any Latter-day Saint – what separates the LDS Church from all Christian churches, the answer is most always - priesthood authority. That is because Mormonism claims to be a restoration of the original ancient church established by Christ and His disciples. Mormonism teaches that Jesus gave His priesthood power to His disciples by the laying on of hands. Mormonism teaches that in 1829 John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith conferring upon his head by the laying on of hands - the Aaronic or Levitical priesthood. Then soon after, apostles Peter, James, and John appeared to Joseph Smith conferring upon his head by the laying of hands - the Melchizedek priesthood. And as such, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only modern church on the face of the earth with complete and exclusive authority from Christ to perform all the ordinances of salvation for mankind.
Mormonism teaches the reason for the great apostacy was because once an apostle was killed, it was difficult to gather the other scattered apostles together and lay hands on a replacement. Mormonism teaches that the laying on of hands are tied directly to this priesthood authority.
As a sidenote: the phrase “priesthood authority” is never found in the entire Bible.
Within an LDS framework, the exercise of LDS priesthood authority is designed to be used in a precise manner or method. The blessing the sacrament, words and posture for baptism, confirmation of the Holy Ghost, conferring the priesthood, giving blessings with consecrated oil, lay on hands, etc. All of these require precise physical expressions of authority to be valid in Mormonism. This is why John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John needed to physically appear to Joseph Smith to confer the priesthoods. Smith could only receive these priesthoods if these angels personally laid their hands on his head.
While Mormonism views this physical act as essential, the Bible disagrees. Why? Because the Bible teaches God’s power may be used in a variety of ways. While the laying of hands is certainly practiced, nothing indicates that this physical act is essential for authority to be exercised.
Understanding that priesthood authority is so important to Mormonism’s claim of being the only true church on the earth - I recently published videos titled: “Levitical priesthood of Mormonism” along with “Melchizedek priesthood of Mormonism - Part 1 and Part 2”. I decided to do this one about the “Laying on of Hands” since it plays a major part in the Mormon priesthood practice. I’m going to use the Bible to demonstrate the role - laying on of hands played in the biblical narrative. I hope it will give clarity to those within the LDS Church.
A scripture that is often used as a proof-text to support the proper calling of a Latter-day Saint male to their priesthood is Hebrews 5:4 “And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.” What it simply means is that a person must be specifically chosen and appointed by God to serve. Aaron is used in this passage as an example of such divine calling. In Aaron’s case - there was no “laying on of hands” upon Aaron or his sons to ordain them as priests in the Levitical priesthood. They were simply called of God.
When the Lord directly authorized someone to do something, laying on hands was never practiced. Through Yeshua’s complete authority, the Lord’s command is all that is needed to authorize men to do whatever He wills. It is by the power of His word (Hebrews 1:3) that God created and sustains the universe, heals, and commissions (John 11:43; Mark 4:39; Matthew 8:5-13; Matthew 18:18-20) and gave His disciples power and authority. Not through a priesthood system established by organized man-made religion.
If anyone should instruct us on how to properly exercise authority, it should probably be Yeshua. And when we read examples of Christ in the Apostolic Record, we notice He does not consistently even touch people to exercise His power. Let’s just consider what the Gospel of Matthew says about Christ’s authority.
At the end of Yeshua’s famous Sermon on the Mount, it states in Matthew 7:28-29 “And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.”
Yeshua’s words had a power and weight that stunned His listeners. Yeshua’s true authority revealed itself not only through His teaching but also through miracles and other signs. And occasionally, Yeshua physically touched people when He healed them. Touching them out of love and compassion for the individual.
In the next chapter, Matthew 8:2-3 “And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.’ And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean.’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” Yeshua simply touched the leper. This poor individual probably hadn’t felt the touch of another human being in years. It doesn’t say He put both hands on the man’s head, anointed it will oil, and pronounce the healing in the name of a priesthood like is practiced in Mormonism. It simply infers that Yeshua might have just put His hand on the man’s shoulder, or back, or held his leprous hand - while commanding by the power of His word “be clean” and immediately the man was clean.
The very next story in the chapter deals directly with the issue of authority. Matthew 8:5-7 “And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.” Instead, vs 8-10, 13 “The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.”
Christ’s authority may be exercised by whatever means He deems fit - be it by physical touch or by the mere power of His word.
The chapter continues, Matthew 8:14-16 “And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
Matthew 8:23-27 “And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!”
Yeshua didn’t lean over the side of the boat to lay His hands on the water. Rather, the Lord spoke and the storm was stilled. Again, He never mentions performing any of these miracles through the power of a priesthood. The disciples as eyewitnesses to these events – marveled at His power.
The chapter continues: After Yeshua safely crossed the sea with His disciples - He was brought face-to-face with two demon-possessed men, who were clearly terrified of what Yeshua came to do to them. Matthew 8:31-32 “So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine.” One word from the Lord “Go” and the demons fled. No priesthood mentioned. No laying on hands.
The next chapter continues with the story of a paralytic man who was brought to Jesus for healing. Matthew 9:2-8 “And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.”
How was this divine authority brought to bear? By the words of Christ. If laying on of hands truly was essential to exercising authority, this moment would have been an excellent opportunity for Yeshua to demonstrate and set an example for His followers. But He didn’t.
Then in the same chapter it is recorded, Matthew 9:19-22 “And Jesus arose, and so did his disciples. And behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.” To heal this woman, Yeshua did not lay His hands on her head. Instead, the suffering woman simply touched Yeshua’s clothes. But notice that Yeshua distinguishes the effectiveness of her act - not in her physical touching - but in her determined faith. It was her faith, not priesthood that healed her.
Yeshua goes on in this chapter to raise a maiden from the dead by taking her by the hand. Then two blind men approached Him asking for His mercy. He touched their eyes and they could immediately see. Yeshua told them it was according to their faith that they were healed. No mention of priesthood. The chapter ends with this statement in Matthew 9:35 “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”
Many Latter-day Saints firmly believe that when Jesus conferred authority on His apostles, He laid his hands on them and gave them priesthood - as depicted in their LDS artwork. Sorry to say, but it’s a lie! Nowhere in the biblical text does it state Yeshua ever laid His hands on the apostles to ordain OR to authorize them. It states in Matthew 10:1 “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.” He gave them power – not priesthood.
After Jesus’ resurrection, it states in John 20:19-23 “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” There is nothing about the laying on of hands.
Here at the very end of Matthew’s Gospel, Yeshua declares that HE has been given ALL authority - and thus, His followers are authorized to act in His name. Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Once more, not priesthood is mentioned. And laying on hands is not necessary for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
What about Acts of the Apostles? It certainly includes examples of the laying on of hands - but it also demonstrates that God’s authority is not confined to this practice. Christ tells His disciples in Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” Their power (not priesthood) came after they received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
It is recorded in Acts 2:1-4 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
But, according to Mormonism - no one can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost without the laying of hands in the LDS Church. It states in Doctrine and Covenants 33:15 “Whoso having faith you shall confirm in my church, by the laying on of the hands, and I will bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost upon them.” That was Joseph Smith speaking as God. Yet in Acts 2, those in the upper room received the Holy Spirit without any laying on of hands.
That being said - some stories in the book of Acts do involve the physical laying on of hands. For example, in describing the appointment of deacons by the apostles it states in Acts 6:6 “Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.” It doesn’t say where they laid their hands – on their shoulders, or back, or their heads – we don’t exactly know.
When the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit in Acts 8:17 “Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.” No priesthood.
Likewise, in Acts 19:17 “And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.” No priesthood.
There is no consistent pattern in the book of Acts. During a pivotal moment in Christian history, Peter went to preach the Gospel to the Gentile Cornelius. It is recorded in Acts 10:44-45 “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.” These Gentiles received the gift of the Holy Spirit while Peter was still preaching. No laying on of hands involved. No mention of priesthood.
These examples highlight a pattern: while the laying on of hands can be involved, it is not a universal prerequisite for receiving the Holy Spirit or blessings or for receiving authority. God determines the means according to His good purposes.
If we look at the Epistles, we get some insight into the ideal Christian practice. The Book of Galatians is particularly helpful to consider as Paul addressed the problem of Judaizers who were teaching that Gentile believers needed to follow Jewish ceremonial laws, such as circumcision, in addition to believing in Christ. Paul refuted this by emphasizing that faith alone is sufficient for justification and the reception of the Spirit.
Paul asks in Galatians 3:2 “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” Paul’s argument highlights that the Galatians received the Spirit, justification, and blessings through faith - not through adherence to the law or any external acts. According to Paul, the simple “hearing with faith” is required for the receiving of the Holy Spirit. He fails to mention the laying on of hands or priesthood anywhere in the entire book.
Paul writes in Ephesians 1:12-13 “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.”
God granted the spiritual blessing and the sealing of the Holy Spirit to those who “heard the word of truth” and “believed in him.” Again, Paul makes clear how Christians may receive the gift of the Holy Spirit but mentions nothing about the physical laying on of hands or priesthood.
Finally, in 1 Timothy 4:14 and 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul mentions that Timothy received a “gift from God” when elders laid their hands on him. This gift is never identified - but is related to Timothy’s ministry in Ephesus. So, once again, the epistles present a multi-faceted image about the occasional role of laying on hands. Without ever mentioning priesthood.
In conclusion: Starting with its founder Joseph Smith Jr., - the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints currently claims to be the sole possessor of God’s authority on earth. I believed that myself - for decades. I was both humbled and proud that I held both the Levitical and Melchizedek priesthoods – until I realized later in life during a thorough reading of the Bible that it was all false and unsubstantiated. The priesthood system of Mormonism is not biblical nor is it Christian. It was fabricated in the 19th century as a method to place power and control over Latter-day Saint members within the institution. No one outside of Mormonism respects any of Mormonism’s claims that it exclusively possesses God’s authority. Jesus made that clear when He said ALL power was given to HIM - Yeshua.
I hope this helps to better understand how God’s power and authority, operated then and how it spiritually operates today in us through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit.
Thank you for your time. Watch more videos like this on YouTube and at TalkingtoMormons.com.
And until next time, God bless!