Claim Ledger · Position · Authority
AM-CLAIM-000270revision 1 of 1ProvisionalDoctrinal interpretation
Priesthood authority was restored by angelic conferral — the Aaronic by John the Baptist, the Melchizedek by Peter, James and John — and is transmitted by ordination from that restoration.
Provisional · awaiting editorial review. This revision is public and citable, but its references, wording and confidence levels have not yet been verified by an AbrahamMoses editor. It was drafted with AI assistance, as disclosed below. What provisional means
Review state
Awaiting editorial review
Drafted with AI assistance; editorial verification pending.
Where interpretation diverges
The Latter-day Saint answer. Disagrees with Catholic and Orthodox teaching about whether authority was ever lost, and with Protestant teaching about whether it resides in an office.
Never combined
Confidence, on separate axes
Levels as proposed in the draft. They have not yet been verified by an editor and may change on review.
Textual certainty
Probable · level 3 of 5
One of the two necessary witnesses (D&C 27:12) is an addition of 1835 (AM-CLAIM-000262).
Philological certainty
Unambiguous · level 5 of 5
Lexically and syntactically unambiguous; standard lexica and grammars agree.
Historical support
Tradition-attested only · level 2 of 5
Attested by the participants’ later accounts only (AM-CLAIM-000263).
Inferential strength
Defeasible · level 3 of 5
Follows if Restoration scripture is revelation (AM-AX-011) and the Apostasy lemma holds.
Fifth axis
Traditional acceptance
Latter-day SaintAffirms
CatholicRejects
Eastern OrthodoxRejects
LutheranRejects
ReformedRejects
EvangelicalRejects
DispensationalRejects
Rabbinic JudaismNot addressed
Sunni IslamNot addressed
Witnesses, editions and evidence
| Primary witness | Work | Edition cited |
|---|
| D&C 13:1 | Doctrine and Covenants | The Doctrine and Covenants (2013 edition) |
| D&C 27:12 | Doctrine and Covenants | The Doctrine and Covenants (2013 edition) |
| D&C 107:1–4 | Doctrine and Covenants | The Doctrine and Covenants (2013 edition) |
Quotations and translations
The claim quotes no translated wording.
Textual variants
No variant bearing on this claim is recorded.
What this claim rests on
A derived claim: it holds only while at least one derivation below holds.
AM-DRV-0023
Restoration by angelic conferral
Authority lost in the Apostasy was restored by messengers who held it: John the Baptist for the Aaronic priesthood, Peter, James and John for the Melchizedek.
- AM-CLAIM-000260necessarypremise
D&C 13: the Aaronic priesthood conferred.
- AM-CLAIM-000261necessarypremise
D&C 27:12: apostles ordained by Peter, James and John.
- AM-CLAIM-000269necessarylemmaneeds warrant
Restoration presupposes that authority was lost.
- AM-CLAIM-000264supportingpremise
The two priesthoods named in D&C 107.
- AM-CLAIM-000265supportingpremise
The Melchizedek lineage of D&C 84.
- AM-CLAIM-000266supportingpremise
The Book of Mormon’s order of the Son.
- AM-AX-011 Continuing revelation and an open canonrequired
Treats Restoration scripture as revelation.
Counterviews
AM-CM-014strongProvisional
Christ’s unique priesthood
Protestant traditions
Christ alone holds the Melchizedekian priesthood; believers share a common priesthood, and no office transmits another.
Hebrews 7:23–24 contrasts Christ’s permanent priesthood with succession; 1 Peter 2:9 gives the community its priesthood.
Hebrews 7:23–24; 1 Peter 2:9
Provenance chain
Finding
Priesthood authority was restored by angelic conferral — the Aaronic by John the Baptist, the Melchizedek by Peter, James and John — and is transmitted by ordination from that restoration. (Doctrinal interpretation.)
Claims used
Restoration by angelic conferral: AM-CLAIM-000260 (necessary), AM-CLAIM-000261 (necessary), AM-CLAIM-000269 (necessary), AM-CLAIM-000264 (supporting), AM-CLAIM-000265 (supporting), AM-CLAIM-000266 (supporting); reading principles AM-AX-011 (required)
Supporting evidence
The primary witness itself: D&C 13:1; D&C 27:12; D&C 107:1–4.
Primary source
D&C 13:1 (The Doctrine and Covenants (2013 edition)); D&C 27:12 (The Doctrine and Covenants (2013 edition)); D&C 107:1–4 (The Doctrine and Covenants (2013 edition))
Covenant relationships
AM-COV-0014 (illustrates) — Restoration by angelic conferral.
Doctrine connections
AM-DOC-0025 (illustrates) — Restoration by angelic conferral.
Interpretations
Affirms: Latter-day Saint. Rejects: Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, Evangelical, Dispensational. Not addressed: Rabbinic Judaism, Sunni Islam.
Counterviews
AM-CM-014 “Christ’s unique priesthood”, held by Protestant traditions
Map connections: AM-COV-0014 (illustrates); AM-DOC-0025 (illustrates)
Editorial record and machine involvement
Editorial
Author: AbrahamMoses editorial (Sagolik)
Reviewers: none recorded — this revision has not been externally reviewed.
Change note: First published.
Machine involvement
Drafted with AI assistance
Drafted with AI assistance (Claude, Anthropic) in October 2026 from the cited editions and the published record. References, editions, variants and confidence levels await verification by an AbrahamMoses editor. Verification: pending.
Living record
Revision history
| Revision | Status | Published | Change |
|---|
| Revision 1 | Provisional | 2026-10-14 | First published. |
Cite this claim
Citations point at revision 1, which will never change.
AbrahamMoses editorial (Sagolik). “Priesthood authority was restored by angelic conferral — the Aaronic by John the Baptist, the Melchizedek by Peter, James and John — and is transmitted by ordination from that restoration.” AbrahamMoses Claim Ledger, AM-CLAIM-000270, revision 1 (provisional), 2026-10-14. https://abrahammoses.com/claims/AM-CLAIM-000270?rev=1
