Chapter 15  

The Offering of Sacrifice in the Times of the Restitution of all Things-Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith thereof-The Sons of Levi-Mafachi's Prophecy-The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times.     

IT would appear that, when everything shall have been accomplished pertaining or relating to the sacrifice and atonement of the Son of God, in the time of the restitution of all things the sons of Levi will offer up an acceptable offering unto the Lord; what this offering will be does not distinctly appear. There are many things associated with the final salvation of man, and the working out and accomplishment of the purposes of God in relation to the human family, which lie yet in the future: the peculiar position which the children will occupy, also the position of the heathen who have died without law, and of those who have been translated, and who it would appear have a specified labor to perform associated with their mission to the terrestrial worlds; the letting loose of Satan after the thousand years, and many other things which it is not permitted for us at the present time to comprehend in full. These will all be revealed in the due time of the Lord. The Prophet Joseph makes the following statement with regard to the offerings above referred to:     

"Thus we behold the keys of this Priesthood consisted in obtaining the voice of Jehovah, that He talked with him [Noah] in a familiar and friendly manner, that He continued to him the keys, the covenants, the power and the glory with which He blessed Adam at the beginning; and the offering of sacrifice, which also shall be continued at the last time; for all the ordinances and duties that ever have been required by the Priesthood, under the directions and commandments of the Almighty, in any of the dispensations, shall all be had in the last dispensation; therefore all things had under the authority of the Priesthood at any former period, shall be had again, bringing to pass the restoration spoken of by the mouth of all the holy Prophets; then shall the sons of Levi offer an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord. See Malachi, iii, 3: 'And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord.' It will be necessary here to make a few observations on the doctrine set forth in the above quotation, as it is generally supposed that sacrifice was entirely done away when the Great Sacrifice was offered up, and that there will be no necessity for the ordinance of sacrifice in future; but those who assert this are certainly not acquainted with the duties, privileges, and authority of the Priesthood, or with the Prophets. The offering of sacrifice has ever been connected with and forms a part of the duties of the Priesthood. It began with the Priesthood, and will be continued until after the coming of Christ, from generation to generation. We frequently have mention made of the offering of sacrifice by the servants of the Most High in ancient days, prior to the law of Moses; which ordinances will be continued when the Priesthood is restored with all its authority, power and blessings. Elijah was the last Prophet that held the keys of this Priesthood, and who will, before the last dispensation, restore the authority and deliver the keys of this Priesthood, in order that all the ordinances may be attended to in righteousness. It is true that the Savior had authority and power to bestow this blessing, but the sons of Levi were too prejudiced. 'And I will send Elijah the Prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord,' etc., etc. Why send Elijah? Because he holds the keys of the authority to administer in all the ordinances of the Priesthood, and without the authority is given, the ordinances could not be administered in righteousness. It is a very prevalent opinion that the sacrifices which were offered were entirely consumed. This was not the case; if you read Leviticus, second chapter, second and third verses, you will observe that the priest took a part as a memorial and offered it up before the Lord, while the remainder was kept for the maintenance of the priests, so that the offerings and sacrifices are not all consumed upon the altar, but the blood is sprinkled, and the fat and certain other portions are consumed. These sacrifices, as well as every ordinance belonging to the Priesthood, will, when the Temple of the Lord shall be built, and the sons of Levi be purified, be fully restored and attended to in all their powers, ramifications and blessings. This ever did and will exist when the powers of the Melchizedek Priesthood are sufficiently manifest, else how can the restitution of all things spoken of by all the holy Prophets be brought to pass? It is not to be understood that the law of Moses will be established again with all its rites and variety of ceremonies. This has never been spoken of by the Prophets, but those things which existed prior to Moses' day, namely, sacrifice, will be continued. It may be asked by some, What necessity for sacrifice, since the Great Sacrifice was offered? In answer to which, If repentance, baptism and faith existed prior to the days of Christ, what necessity for them since that time? The Priesthood has descended in a regular line from father to son, through their succeeding generations. See Book of Doctrine and Covenants."-History of Joseph Smith, Deseret News, Vol IV., No. 30.     

The remarks of President Joseph Smith are very plain and explicit, and are a strong confirmation of the passage he himself refers to, pertaining to the times of the restitution of all things; which will embrace all systems, doctrines, ordinances, dispensations, and Priesthoods connected with the Church and Kingdom of God. That there will be a full manifestation of all these things, relating to the various times and dispensations, is assured; yet, as Joseph Smith has very properly said, the details of those rituals and observances cannot now be fully defined. But as ancient Israel preserved in the Ark of the Covenant memorials of God's power, goodness and mercy, manifested during the exodus from Egypt, in the two tables of stone and the pot of manna; and of the recognition of the Aaronic Priesthood in Aaron's rod that budded; and as the sword of Laban, the sacred plates already revealed, as well as numerous others yet to be made manifest, and a Urim and Thummim were preserved on this continent; so will there be an exhibition an evidence, a memorial, and an actual manifestation of matters pertaining to laws, ordinances, ceremonies and dispensations, from the commencement of the world to the present time, preserved and manifested in the dispensation that the Lord in His loving kindness has now inaugurated. This will be in accordance with the eternal plans and purposes of God, and with the rights, ceremonies and ordinances belonging to the Priesthoods of God in the different ages, pertaining to the organization of this world, the proposed mediation and atonement of the Son of God, the manifestations and developments of the Melchizedek Priesthood, as the Prophet Joseph has referred to, as well relating to sacrifices in early days as in other matters, the introduction of the Aaronic Priesthood, together with the Ark and the Tabernacle, which we are told were made after the patterns shown unto Moses in the mount-patterns which existed in the heavens; the eternal existence, authority and power of both Priesthoods as connected with God and administering in time and eternity; the attempts of Satan to overthrow the dynasty, power and authority of Jehovah and his complete failure and discomfiture; exhibiting in a panorama all the leading, prominent details of the creation, atonement, redemption, salvation and exaltation of the world and man, the organization of a new heaven and a new earth, and all the purposes of God, His plans and ordinances, manifested through the Priesthood from the first inception of the organization of the world to the final consummation, purification and exaltation of the world and its inhabitants, according to the foreknowledge and determinate counsel of the Almighty.     

For as these memorials of the atonement were used by the ancient Patriarchs and Prophets to manifest to God their faith in the plan of redemption and in the coming Redeemer; so will these great types be again introduced as exhibiting the sacrifice of the great antitype, Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant, and as a perpetual recognition of the eternal salvation and exaltation wrought out by Him for the human family by the sacrifice of Himself. (See also 3 Nephi, xv, 4-8, previously quoted.)