God’s Earthly Government
During Old Testament
Times
Joseph Smith taught: “It has been the design of Jehovah, from the commencement of the world, and is His purpose now, to regulate the affairs of the world in His own time, to stand as a head of the universe, and take the reins of government in His own hand. When that is done, judgment will be administered in righteousness; anarchy and confusion will be destroyed, and ‘nations will learn war no more.’ It is for want of this great governing principle, that all this confusion has existed. … The Lord has at various times commenced this kind of government, and tendered His services to the human family.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith [1974] 250-51; emphasis added)
The Lord has at various times commenced this kind of government, and tendered His services to the human family
The Adamic Theocracy
• Adam was given dominion over all the earth.
(Moses 2:26-28)
• Under the direction of God he established a theocratic government often referred to as the patriarchal order.(Moses 6: 1-22; D&C 107:40-52)
Joseph
Smith
Statement
Bruce R.
McConkie
Statement
• Cain established an imitation theocracy(Moses 5: 18-42)
• “And thus the pattern was set. Ever thereafter, when evil and carnal men set up governments of compulsion, governments in which the secular arm imposed a way of worship upon men, such governments were not of God and such ways of worship had no divine approval.” (Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles Faith [1985] 658)
False and Imitation Theocracies
Bruce R. McConkie Statement
• Enoch’s Theocracy (Moses 7)
• Government after the flood
Bruce R.
McConkie
Statement
Bruce R.
McConkie
Statement
Enoch to Moses
Government of Ancient Israel
The Lord reestablished his theocracy through Moses
Joseph Smith Statement
Bruce R. McConkie Statement
The Law of MosesReligious Offices
• High Priest (Urim & Thummim)
1 Samuel 28:6
• Priests & Levites:
Residence: Num. 25:1-8
• Levitical Cities
Responsibilities:
• Teaching Law
Lev. 10:11, Deut 33:10
• Ceremonies & Ordinances
Civil Offices Joshua 24:1
• General:
Chief Judge Deut. 17:8-13
• Local:
Elders Deut. 19:12
Judges & Officers Deut 16:18
Prophetic Offices Deut. 18:9-22
• Prophets, Men of God (and Angels)
•Duties
Seers & Revelators (1 Sam 28:6)
Preaching (2 Chron. 15:1-13)
Warning (1 Sam. 2:27-36)
Ancient Israel’sTheocracy
Religious Offices
• High Priest (Urim & Thumim)
• Priests & Levites:
Residence:
Levitical Cities
Responsibilities:
Teaching Law
Ceremonies & Ordinances
Civil Offices
• General:
Chief Judge
• Local:
Elders
Judges & Officers
Prophetic Offices
• Prophets and Men of God
King
Royal Court Officials
State Officials
Monarchy andTheocracy
The Law of Moses
In Days of Wickedness
Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote:
What happened in the days of wicked and rebellious kings? They simply instituted their own ways of worship, appointed their own priests, and, when it pleased them so to do, commanded the worship of Baal, or Ashtoreth, or Molech, or whatever deity pleased their fancy. The religions of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and all the nations that inhabited the land before Israel, were state religions. The worship in Assyria, Babylonia, Egypt, and all the nations of the Gentiles was by government edict. People were not free to choose their own gods and to worship according to the dictates of their own conscience. In the minds of the credulous and superstitious Gentiles, the issues of war and peace, life and death, national survival or defeat were all tied in to the proposition of whose god was the greatest – Baal or Jehovah; the god of the Assyrians or the God of Jacob; the gods of the Canaanites or the Lord of Hosts who camped with Joshua; the god of whatever nation or the God of Israel.
(A New Witness for the Articles Faith [1985] 661)
In Days of Wickedness
King Royal Court Officials
State Officials
The Law of Moses
Religious Offices• High Priest (Urim & Thumim)
• Priests & Levites:
Residence:
Levitical Cities
Responsibilities:
Teaching Law
Ceremonies & Ordinances
Civil Offices
• General:
Chief Judge
• Local:
Elders
Judges & Officers
Prophetic Offices
• Prophets and Men of God• False Prophets
In Days of Wickedness
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