form of a half moon. This council is spoken of in John xi, 47-52. "Then gathered the Chief Priests and Pharisees a council. * * And one of them named Caiaphas, the High Priest, said * * it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people. * * And this spake he not of himself; but being High Priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation, and not for that nation only; but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad." "Now Caiaphas was he which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people."—John xviii, 14. This council had not the power of death, (ver. 31.) (See also Acts iv, v and vi.) About this Sanhedrim there is little or nothing said in the Old Testament nor of the organization of this court. It is thought by some it existed after the captivity, or in the days of the Maccabees only.

There is another remarkable thing about the Aaronic Priesthood, or at least about the early action of Aaron, as an associate of Moses. When Moses was first called upon to deliver Israel from Egyptian bondage, he told the Lord that they would not believe him, nor hearken unto his voice, and Moses was told to cast his rod upon the ground, and it became a serpent, and he fled from before it; but when the Lord told Moses to take it by the tail, and he caught it, it became a rod again. Then the Lord told him to put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out it was leprous. He was told to put it into his bosom again, and it was restored and like his other flesh. Still, Moses was unconvinced and said, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant; but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue. And the Lord said unto him. Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."—Ex. iv, 10-12. Yet Moses was not satisfied and shrank from his mission, and said: "O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he said. Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know, that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs." (See the whole of chap. iv, Ex.)

From the above it would seem that if Moses would have done as the Lord requested him, Aaron would not have been called. Moses shrank from the responsibility; and though the Lord was angry with him yet he gave unto him a helper in Aaron. A revelation through the Prophet Joseph Smith, says: "Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God; but they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence, therefore the Lord in his wrath (for his anger was kindled against them) swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fullness of his glory. Therefore he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also; and the lesser Priesthood continued, which Priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory Gospel, which Gospel is the Gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord in his wrath, caused to continue with the house of Aaron among the children of Israel until John, whom God raised up, being filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb; for he was baptized while he was yet in his childhood, and was ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight days old unto this power, to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews, and to make straight the way of the Lord, before the face of his people to prepare them for the coming of the Lord, in whose hand is given all power."—Doc. and Cov. Sec. 84, pars. 23-88. pp. 290-1. Again, Paul says, "If therefore perfection were by the Levitical Priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another Priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the Priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law."—Heb. vii, 11, 12. (See also chapters viii, ix and x.) John the Baptist came as the forerunner of Christ, and baptized him as stated. "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him. Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and lo, a voice from heaven, saying. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."—Matt, iii, 13-17. On inquiry being made, Jesus said of John the Baptist, "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist; notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."—Matt, xi, 11. Again Jesus said, "And if ye will receive it, this is Elias which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." (vers. 14, 15.) But they would not receive it: they beheaded John and crucified Jesus; hence the restoration, the mission of Elias was postponed until he appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple. (Doc. and Gov. Sec. ex, p. 405.) At which time Elijah came, as Malachi says: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."—Mal. iv, 5, 6.

It seems from the foregoing that Moses had the greater or Melchizedek Priesthood; that when he was taken, the keys went with him; that the Aaronic Priesthood ruled until Christ, and the people were under the law; that when Christ came he introduced a better covenant and restored the Gospel; and that the Bishopric was, and the Aaronic Priesthood is, under the Melchizedek, and an appendage thereto, as are also all Elders appendages to the Melchizedek Priesthood; and it is also evident that the Presidency of that Priesthood presides over all, as did Melchizedek, Moses, Joseph Smith, etc., with Jesus at the head, as the great Presiding High Priest.

But if, as Paul says, the Priesthood being changed, then is made of necessity a change also of the law; or in other words, a change from the law of carnal commandments and ordinances to the law of the Gospel. Yet the Aaronic Priesthood, as the Melchizedek, is an everlasting Priesthood, as before exhibited, and continueth forever as an appendage to the Melchizedek Priesthood; and hence in the old apostolic days, when under an organization of the Melchizedek, the latter is the most prominent, and very little is said about the Levitical or Aaronic: probably on account of the peculiar traditions and superstitions of the Jews, which made it almost impossible for them to comprehend the greater or Melchizedek. Yet the Aaronic cannot be ignored, and in the dispensation of the fullness of times it again comes forth, as one of the grand aids or appendages to the Melchizedek Priesthood; and hence in the ushering in of this dispensation, John the Baptist appears on the stage and confers the Aaronic Priesthood upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.

Having therefore