God’s Earthly Government During Old Testament TimesSlide 2The Adamic TheocracySlide 4Slide 5Slide 6Slide 7Slide 8Slide 9Slide 10Slide 11God’s Earthly Government During Old Testament TimesJoseph Smith taught: “It has been the design of Jehovah, from the commencement of the world, and is His purpose now, to regulate the affairs of the world in His own time, to stand as a head of the universe, and take the reins of government in His own hand. When that is done, judgment will be administered in righteousness; anarchy and confusion will be destroyed, and ‘nations will learn war no more.’ It is for want of this great governing principle, that all this confusion has existed. … The Lord has at various times commenced this kind of government, and tendered His services to the human family.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith [1974] 250-51; emphasis added)The Lord has at various times commenced this kind of government, and tendered His services to the human familyThe Adamic Theocracy•Adam was given dominion over all the earth.(Moses 2:26-28)•Under the direction of God he established a theocratic government often referred to as the patriarchal order.(Moses 6: 1-22; D&C 107:40-52)JosephSmithStatementBruce R. McConkie Statement•Cain established an imitation theocracy(Moses 5: 18-42)•“And thus the pattern was set. Ever thereafter, when evil and carnal men set up governments of compulsion, governments in which the secular arm imposed a way of worship upon men, such governments were not of God and such ways of worship had no divine approval.” (Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles Faith [1985] 658)False and Imitation TheocraciesBruce R. McConkie Statement•Enoch’s Theocracy (Moses 7)•Government after the flood Bruce R.McConkieStatementBruce R.McConkieStatementEnoch to MosesGovernment of Ancient IsraelThe Lord reestablished his theocracy through MosesJoseph Smith StatementBruce R. McConkie StatementThe Law of MosesReligious Offices• High Priest (Urim & Thummim)1 Samuel 28:6• Priests & Levites:Residence: Num. 25:1-8 • Levitical CitiesResponsibilities:• Teaching Law Lev. 10:11, Deut 33:10• Ceremonies & OrdinancesCivil Offices Joshua 24:1• General:Chief Judge Deut. 17:8-13• Local:Elders Deut. 19:12Judges & Officers Deut 16:18Prophetic Offices Deut. 18:9-22• Prophets, Men of God (and Angels)•Duties Seers & Revelators (1 Sam 28:6) Preaching (2 Chron. 15:1-13)Warning (1 Sam. 2:27-36)Ancient Israel’sTheocracyReligious Offices• High Priest (Urim & Thumim)• Priests & Levites:Residence: Levitical CitiesResponsibilities:Teaching LawCeremonies & OrdinancesCivil Offices • General:Chief Judge • Local:Elders Judges & Officers Prophetic Offices • Prophets and Men of GodKing Royal Court OfficialsState OfficialsMonarchy andTheocracyThe Law of MosesIn Days of WickednessElder Bruce R. McConkie wrote:What happened in the days of wicked and rebellious kings? They simply instituted their own ways of worship, appointed their own priests, and, when it pleased them so to do, commanded the worship of Baal, or Ashtoreth, or Molech, or whatever deity pleased their fancy. The religions of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and all the nations that inhabited the land before Israel, were state religions. The worship in Assyria, Babylonia, Egypt, and all the nations of the Gentiles was by government edict. People were not free to choose their own gods and to worship according to the dictates of their own conscience. In the minds of the credulous and superstitious Gentiles, the issues of war and peace, life and death, national survival or defeat were all tied in to the proposition of whose god was the greatest – Baal or Jehovah; the god of the Assyrians or the God of Jacob; the gods of the Canaanites or the Lord of Hosts who camped with Joshua; the god of whatever nation or the God of Israel. (A New Witness for the Articles Faith [1985] 661)In Days of WickednessKing Royal Court OfficialsState OfficialsThe Law of MosesReligious Offices• High Priest (Urim & Thumim)• Priests & Levites:Residence: Levitical CitiesResponsibilities:Teaching LawCeremonies & OrdinancesCivil Offices • General:Chief Judge • Local:Elders Judges & Officers Prophetic Offices • Prophets and Men of God• False ProphetsIn Days of