What is a Testimony? When does a Testify become a Lie? Today we talk about scenarios in which the Testimony was changed or only parts of it were included. Can we historically say that we have been honest?
Resources:
-Joseph Smith was ordained to the High Priesthood by Lyman Wight 1831
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/minutes-circa-3-4-june-1831/2
-Original Story about “John the Baptist” which part of it becomes D&C 13
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1834-1836/51
–The Original Section 27 (Chapter 28) that was in the Book of Commandments can be found here which only contains 7 verses:
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/book-of-commandments-1833/64#XC64B36C6-746C-4026-A852-105AA3C7C262
https://eadview.lds.org/findingaid/MS%203429
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/topic/high-priest
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This episode is pretty enlightening and does strike a chord with me.
Going to the origin of Aaronic & Melchizedek preisthood is super vital to the Church and restored gospel.
Now that part of my testimony seem to have been watered down.
William V. Smith and others have shown from historical documentation that in 1831 the terms ‘priesthood’ and ‘lesser priesthood’ referred to the office of priest, and the term high priesthood, the office of high priest. In 1835, these terms changed meaning. It’s anachronistic to read “Melchizedek priesthood” into an 1831 document.
See his paper “Early Mormon Priesthood Revelations” in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought.