Research and a close analysis of scriptures and the historical record strongly suggest that Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery did not receive the priesthood in the manner supposed by most Latter-day Saints. This study also shows it to be unlikely that the priesthood was part of ancient Israel’s religious practices until the time of the Exodus, nor, apparently, were priests part of early Christian leadership for some two-hundred years. These findings open the door to a wider interpretation about who has authority to speak and act in the name of God.

Margie Gee, Dan Vogel