At the time of Joseph Smith, there was an incredible amount of excitement among the saints, especially regarding the concept of the priesthood being power beyond the grave. For many, this was a new concept to have the power of God being all encompassing, instead of the power of many with obvious limitations. The struggle to grasp this concept was explained by Joseph Smith in section 128 verse 8, and further explained in several other scripture.
In section 128 verse 8, Joseph is writing to the saints concerning baptism for the dead, and explaining specifically that “whatsoever you record on earth shall be recorded in heaven”. Joseph Smith also makes the intertextual reference to Matthew 16, when peter is given the sealing authority, that even as he was able to bind on earth and in heaven, so do our records have nearly the same effect. The most difficult concept to grasp is that of how the priesthood can operate beyond the grave and out of this world, a concept that I am still trying to understand fully. Joseph Smith references Matthew 16, and the sealing power given to Peter when he said, “whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” This intertextual reference must have been familiar in the ears of the early saints as they were familiar with the Bible, and what the Savior had conferred upon Peter, but it is further expanded to that the binding is also interpreted as a record being taken. Even from the first official meeting of the church, a record had been kept of those who were baptized into the church, and here Joseph is making the strong connection between the priesthood and the record that is being made.
In Doctrine and Covenants 121:36, this concept of divine power is further explained when it is stated that the “rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven”. This further helps to explain that when the priesthood is exercised righteously, it is as if a conduit is open from heaven, and there is literal power coming down to perform the ordinance, something that the early saints would have known about, but also that would have been a harder concept to understand. The saints were still very young in their spiritual progression, and although many would have known a great deal about the church, entirely grasping the reference to the powers of heaven must have been daunting to newly baptized members. It is understandable here to see how critical of a role Joseph Smith had, to lead the saints and to teach them about the priesthood, as he had previously had many more experiences and was comparatively much more mature spiritually speaking.
As also taught in Alma 13:7, the priesthood is more eternal than probably most of us understand. It is stated that “this high priesthood, … without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity.” From this example, we can see that the priesthood was operable long before the earth was made, and that it would have transcended the creation of the world and been placed upon the earth, still with the actual priesthood power coming from heaven. With this knowledge, it would only make sense that with the power going from heaven to earth, that record of the use of sacred authority could go from earth to heaven.
The Lord again teaches this same principle incredibly plain terms in Doctrine and Covenants 132:13 when He says, “And everything that is in the world… that are not by me or by my word, saith the Lord, shall be thrown down, and shall not remain after men are dead, neither in nor after the resurrection, saith the Lord your God.” This makes it all the clearer that the authority of God is authority that stretches farther than this world. Elder M. Russell Ballard relates the experience of sealing his son in his book Our Search for happiness. He states clearly that he was only performing the ordinances because he had been ordained to do so. He says, “I certainly wouldn’t claim the authority to perform marriages that would bind people to each other through the eternities without authorization from the God of eternities.” (Page 66) This teaching is clear that in order for ordinances to be enforce after this world, the authority must come from God, who’s authority is the only authority that will be in effect outside of this world.
Overall, section 128 greatly strengthens our understanding of priesthood authority and we can see the development of its understanding for the early saints. Even though it took teaching from the prophet, many of the saints were able to grow in their understanding because of both ancient and modern scripture.
