Today's Favorite Verse: Hebrews 7:3
"For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually."
How could Mechisdec be without father or mother. The Joseph Smith Translations explains this.
"For this Melchisedec was ordained a priest after the order of the Son of God, which order was without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life; and all those who are ordained unto this priesthood are made like unto the Son of God, abiding a priest continually."
(JST Hebrews 7:3)
It is the Mechizedek priesthood that is without father or mother, meaning it's not inherited.
"This phrasing indicates that, unlike the Levitical or Aaronic order in ancient times, the Melchizedek Priesthood is not conferred based on lineage alone. Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles further explained: “The right to this higher priesthood was not inherited in the same way as was the case with the Levites and sons of Aaron. Righteousness was an absolute requisite for the conferral of the higher priesthood” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 478).
(New Testament Student Manual, Chapter 49: Hebrews 7-13)
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