TOM - My question involves Priests within the Aaronic Priesthood being able to stand in on the ordination of other priest. I believe that the Handbook states that this is permissible and I am of the same opinion. It makes sense to me, I have seen and participated in the performance of it and I have had a few different Bishops tell me that it's okay to do. If this is true, why/how come. Is it stated somewhere in the Doc. and Cov. that this is okay to do? Also, can Priests stand in on the ordination of Deacons and Teachers? I recently had a stake president tell me that Priests are not allowed to stand in on the ordination of other Priests do to the fact that they themselves would not be able to be the voice or the one actually performing the ordination. He backed it up with the example of a person being called to be a Bishop. If the person were not yet a High Priest already he would need to become such in order to perform in his calling. Now in that case he would need to be ordained by only High Priests. Is that correct? A person standing in on his High Priest ordination must also be a High Priest. You cannot have and Elder or someone of a lesser office stand in. (correct?) At least that is how I understand it. This stake presidents main point was that if a person does not have the ability themselves to perform the ordination that they should not even be standing in. I hope you understand what it is that I'm trying to ask. I suppose it would just be nice to have some clarification on who exactly can perform and assist in the ordinations in these instances.

JOEL - Here are the duties of the Priest as stated in the D&C:

"The priest’s duty is to preach, teach, expound, exhort, and baptize, and administer the sacrament, And visit the house of each member, and exhort them to pray vocally and in secret and attend to all family duties.
And he may also ordain other priests, teachers, and deacons.
And he is to take the lead of meetings when there is no elder present;
But when there is an elder present, he is only to preach, teach, expound, exhort, and baptize,
And visit the house of each member, exhorting them to pray vocally and in secret and attend to all family duties.
In all these duties the priest is to assist the elder if occasion requires." (D&C 20: 46-52)

So according to verse 48 a Priest can ordain other priests, teachers, and deacons and therefore can also stand in the circle of such ordinations. Teachers and Deacons can not ordain other Teachers or Deacons. (See verse 58).
I am not sure why your stake president told you that Priests cannot ordain other priests.

Here are some statements of policy from the Church Handbook:

1. "The stake president (or someone under his direction) may ordain or authorize a worthy Melchizedek Priesthood holder to ordain the person to the office of elder. Only Melchizedek Priesthood holders may stand in the circle.

2. The stake president (or someone under his direction) may ordain or authorize a worthy high priest to ordain the person to the office of high priest. Only high priests may stand in the circle.

3. The bishop (or a counselor under his direction) may ordain or authorize a worthy priest or Melchizedek Priesthood holder to ordain the person to the office of deacon, teacher, or priest. Only priests and Melchizedek Priesthood holders may stand in the circle.

A person (who has previously been ordained a High Priest) is ordained a Bishop either by a General Authority, an Area Authority Seventy, or by the Stake President with written approval from the First Presidency."

You are correct in saying that if a person does not have the ability themselves to perform the ordination that they should not be standing in the circle.



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