![\"\"](\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2110.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I sometimes think that when we consider the visit of John the Baptist to Joseph and Oliver (the main event discussed in this lesson), we focus on the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood, but leave out the restoration of the ordinance of baptism. Yes, the ordinance can\u2019t be performed without the priesthood, but then I think that in some ways the priesthood is defined by the ordinances that it can perform. Without baptism, wouldn\u2019t the Aaronic Priesthood be different?<\/p>\n
Fortunately, the lesson does address both the priesthood and ordinances, putting both in the context of the restoration, the \u2018great and marvelous work.\u2019<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Certainly \u2018great and marvelous work\u2019 has become its own term, so that it\u2019s hard in LDS speech to talk about a work that is only \u2018great\u2019 or just \u2018marvelous.\u2019 And the term is closely connected with the growth of the Church, starting with the restoration \u2014 and perhaps also with the entire plan of salvation.<\/p>\n
That larger idea is the focus of Octave F. Ursenbach\u2019s poem presented here, which sees the restoration through the lens of the Old Testament prophets whose work was being restored. I think Ursenbach is a fascinating character in LDS history and literature. Known for his missionary and organizational efforts, Ursenbach was the son of one of Karl Maeser\u2019s missionary companions, and himself served in the Swiss-German mission in the 1890s and then in the French mission in the 1930s and as the President of that mission just prior to World War II.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
by Octave F. Ursenbach<\/p>\n
1930<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
While the priesthood restoration is mentioned in many poems, this poem makes it a key event in the ongoing restoration. Written under the pseudonym \u2018Fig Tree\u2019, I don\u2019t know who the author is, and I\u2019m not sure how to figure it out. The poem was published in the LDS newspaper in New York City, The Prophet<\/em>, just six months after the martyrdom.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n by Fig Tree<\/p>\n 1845<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We participate in ordinances in many different ways and times. Some ordinances are once in a lifetime and others are weekly. Some are clearly special occasions, in chapels and temples, while others are in more intimate settings, at home. In every case faith is required in addition to the priesthood, in this way providing access to God\u2019s power.<\/p>\n John Lyon\u2019s unrhymed sonnet below, focuses on what is one of the more intimate of ordinances, the blessing of the sick. The Scottish Lyon was the most significant poet of the early converts in Britain, active there while most LDS publishing was in England because of the exodus in the U.S.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n by John Lyon<\/p>\n 1853<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Not only are ordinances important, but Baptism\u2019s role as a gateway is particularly notable. Baptisms were, of course, the first ordinances performed after the restoration of the priesthood. The following poem, addressed to missionaries, focuses on one of the major roles of Baptism\u2014conversion to the gospel.<\/p>\n The author is the same John Taylor who became the third president of the church. During the period before the Saints arrived in Utah, Taylor\u2019s poems often appeared in LDS publications. From what I\u2019ve seen, he is the most prolific poet among the church presidents.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n by John Taylor<\/p>\n 1840<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The section on witnesses might seem a bit of an outlier in the lesson, with its focus on priesthood and ordinances. However, the role of witness is a part of many ordinances, and the following poem suggests that there is an underlying gospel principle to this role, and connects witnesses symbolically to baptism. So could the Three Witnesses actually be witnesses to a kind of ordinance? Is establishing scripture, or maybe restoration, an ordinance?<\/p>\n Regardless, this poem also connects the idea of three witnesses to the Godhead, implying that there is something special about using three witnesses. The author is again unknown, signing the poem with just the initial \u2018T.\u2019 in the poem\u2019s publication in the Nauvoo newspaper Times and Seasons<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n by T.<\/p>\n 1843<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I sometimes think that when we consider the visit of John the Baptist to Joseph and Oliver (the main event discussed in this lesson), we focus on the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood, but leave out the restoration of the ordinance of baptism. Yes, the ordinance can\u2019t be performed without the priesthood, but then I think that in some ways the priesthood is defined by the ordinances that it can perform. Without baptism, wouldn\u2019t the Aaronic Priesthood be different? Fortunately, the lesson does address both the priesthood and ordinances, putting both in the context of the restoration, the \u2018great and marvelous work.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":111,"featured_media":49067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2895,53,50],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-come-follow-me-currculum","category-latter-day-saint-thought","category-sunday-school-lesson-doctrine-and-covenants"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2110.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/111"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49064"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49064\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49070,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49064\/revisions\/49070"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}In eighteen hundred and twenty seven<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Ordinances give me access to God\u2019s power.<\/span><\/h2>\n
Faith<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\n
Bringing souls unto Christ is of great worth.<\/span><\/h2>\n
Go ye messengers of glory<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
The Lord uses witnesses to establish His word.<\/h2>\n
The Three Witnesses<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n