Priesthood Restrictions Through the Ages

There have always been restrictions on who could hold the priesthood. For example, women have never been able to hold the priesthood. It is a matter of faith, not sexism, that governs this practice. The belief is that the priesthood is a male responsibility - it is simply a matter of belief (faith).

As Latter-day Saints we believe that in the beginning of this world, Adam was given the priesthood and that all worthy males were eligible to hold the priesthood for centuries. But the world rejected righteousness (and its accompanying priesthood) and the Lord had to cleanse the earth of all but 8 souls; Noah and his family.

The first restriction to the priesthood came when Noah cursed Canaan, the son of Ham, and all of his descendants. This curse is found in the Book of Genesis 9:20-26 which reads as follows in the King James version.

20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.

24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

26 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

At this point in time the priesthood was available to all men, not women (first restriction) except the descendants of Canaan (second restriction).

The next restriction came once again as the result of sin as the world rejected the true religion and went after false gods. Moses entered into history and gave the Hebrews the Law of Moses. This law defined a priesthood, a lesser priesthood, the Aaronic Priesthood. The only men eligible to hold this priesthood were Levites, members of the Tribe of Levi. This excluded most of humanity (third restriction), and this exclusivity continued until the time of Christ.

At this point the trend from a very broad priesthood where all men could bear it to a very narrow one (Levites only) started to reverse itself. We will cover the gradual restoration of the priesthood to all worthy men in our next post.