Priesthood vs. Priestcraft

2 Nephi 26:23 states, “The Lord God worketh not in darkness.” Verse 24 continues, “He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world, for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, He commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.”

Verses 25-28 expound on this same idea. By contrast, verse 29 talks of “Priestcraft”, prefacing the discussion with a direct statement that “He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts.” Continuing, the term is defined: “For behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.”

Verses 30 and 31 conclude this line of reasoning: “Behold, the Lord hath forbidden this thing; wherefore, the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing. Wherefore, if they should have charity they would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish. But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish.”

The word “priestcraft” seems like an opposing form of “Priesthood”. But if Priesthood is the authority of God, how are these two terms related?

One can consider the word “Priesthood” in connection with its suffix, particularly when considering other words with this suffix such as, “sisterhood”, “brotherhood”, “neighborhood”, etc. What do these words have in common? The suffix “hood” can be understood to mean something like “The close association of”. So for instance, a “sisterhood” is a close association of sisters (or more commonly, women). A “brotherhood” is a close association of brothers (or men). A “neighborhood” is a close association of neighbors. Put this way, “Priesthood” is a close association of priests, similar to the kingdom of Priests as found in the scriptures (for instance, Revelation 1:6). But what are “priests”? 

The Bible Dictionary defines a Priest in the Old Testament times as follows, “The essential idea of a Hebrew priest was that of a mediator between his people and God by representing them officially in worship and sacrifice. By virtue of his office he was able to draw nigh to God, while they, because of their sins and infirmities, must needs stand afar off. The priest exercised his office mainly at the altar by offering the sacrifices and above all the incense (Num. 16:40; 18:2–3, 5, 7; Deut. 33:10) but also by teaching the people the law (Lev. 10:10, 11; Deut. 33:10; Mal. 2:7), by communicating to them the divine will (Num. 27:21), and by blessing them in the name of the Lord (Num. 6:22–27).”

Whether we are ordained as Priests in the Aaronic Priesthood or not, all Latter-day Saints are part of what Exodus 19:6 calls “A kingdom of priests and a holy nation”. As Latter-day Saints serve as a mediator between someone and God, they are serving in a priestly function. For instance, when a Latter-day Saint teaches, shares an impression, prays for, visits, ministers to, or blesses others in the name of the Lord, he or she serves in a priestly function.

To summarize, the idea of “Priesthood” could be understood as a close association of Latter-day Saints (or Christians) that serve others and each other in a priestly manner, building up the kingdom of God by serving as a mediator in imitation of and in the name of Jesus Christ. This is in sharp contrast to “priestcraft”, where individuals skillfully (implied by the word craft) build themselves up at the expense of others. They do not seek the welfare of Zion.