How Are Men Called of God? And Who was Melchizedek?

The Lord’s approved pattern for how someone becomes a priesthood leader is by being called from another priesthood leader. For instance, in Numbers 27: 18-23 Moses called Joshua as the Lord commanded.  Likewise, in our day bishops are called by Stake Presidents and General Authorities are called by other General Authorities, but the process of election is guided by the Spirit of the Lord. We can know who has authority in the church today by knowing who called them. If they were called through proper priesthood channels then their authority is in force. However, if they called themselves to a certain task, such as warning others of impending disasters, etc. we can know that they have no authority. Callings come from the Lord through priesthood channels. 

Melchizedek was one such authority. He was considered a great high priest because he was in the priesthood line of authority, receiving his priesthood through the lineage of Noah. He then went on to bestow it to Abraham. He was a king who ruled in righteousness, and the name of his city was Salem.  Some think that Salem and Jerusalem are one and the same. In Hebrews 5:8 we learn that he suffered many things but learned obedience by the things which he suffered. He was also a performer of miracles, according to the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis 14: 25-40. He stopped the mouths of lions and quenched the violence of fire. He was also given power equal to Enoch, to break up the earth and the sea, to stand in the presence of God, to put at defiance the armies of earth, etc. 

At later times Melchizedek also blessed Abraham, ministering to him after he defeated the wicked kings of the land in a mighty battle in which Lot was rescued. He also collected tithing from Abraham. Obviously he was a man of stature and great importance, being known at the time as the high priest of God. Before his day, the higher priesthood was called the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God. They changed the name to both honor Melchizedek, who was such a great high priest, and to avoid the too frequent repetition of the sacred name of our Lord. 

In Hebrews 6:1-3 Joseph Smith (see footnote 1a) again makes an important doctrinal correction. He says that we don’t leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ, but we leave behind the beginning, meaning we are to delve deeper. It’s important to not leave those behind because they are the foundation on which the deeper principles are built. 

The only sin which is unforgivable is to sin against the Holy Ghost. To do this, one must have had sure knowledge of Christ’s existence and yet deny that he is real. It says that one has to see the sun shining and yet deny that it is there. This is apparently the fate of many of the apostates of the church. The consequence of this sin is to be resigned to a lake of fire and brimstone, with no chance for redemption, which is apparently the only group of people who will have no opportunities for redemption. 

Melchizedek was such a great man that even Abraham paid him his tithes. He wasn’t personally without father or mother or beginning or end of days, but the priesthood which he held was, meaning that it wasn’t passed down through family lines as the Levitical priesthood was, but was given through oath and covenant to he who was righteous. Melchizedek was actually a prototype of the Savior, similar to Moses and Isaac in that there were similarities between their lives. He was called the Prince of Peace, just as Christ is. He sought after God all the days of his life and was able to do mighty miracles. They were both men of faith and high priests after the order of the Son of God. 

In Hebrews 7: 15-28, Paul taught us more about the priesthood and about Christ.  He taught that Christ was after the order of The Melchizedek priesthood, that he was created after the power of an endless life,  that the Melchizedek priesthood lasts forever, that the greater priesthood is given with an oath, that the law of Moses or even the commandments doesn’t bring us to Christ, but the gospel of Christ and repentance does. He also taught that Christ would continue forever, and his priesthood would be unchangeable, that he can save anyone who comes to him and that he is holy, undefiled and higher than the heavens. We also learn that the atonement happened once and for all when he offered himself up as a sacrifice.