Levitical Priesthood in New World?

[inquiringmind]

Was there a hereditary Levitical Priesthood in the New World?

Was Jacob a descendent of Aaron (or Levi)?

[Sevenbak]

Was there a hereditary Levitical Priesthood in the New World?

Was Jacob a descendent of Aaron (or Levi)?

No, they administered under the Melchizedek Priesthood, and were descendants of Joseph. Even when they mixed with the Mulekites, who were from Judah, there might have been descendants of Levi among them, but non that still held any Aaronic priesthood.

I also find it interesting that Moses himself received the High Priesthood completely from outside the chosen birthright people. He was ordained by his Father in Law, Jethro, a Middian High Priest, who descended from Abraham's wife Keturah, as opposed through Sarah / Isaac - Jacob, etc.

[Robert F. Smith]

Was there a hereditary Levitical Priesthood in the New World?

Was Jacob a descendent of Aaron (or Levi)?

No to your second question: his father Lehi was a descendant of Manasseh (Alma 10:3). The Aaronic priesthood among Israelites always was passed father to son, although a first-born son of any tribe could function at the temple as a priest (as did Samuel the Prophet) -- unless redeemed by his parents for 5 shekels, a ceremony which Jesus went through (Luke 2:25-35).

However, Jacob was not firstborn, so he must have been ordained for that specific purpose.

We do not know whether there were priests of Aaron among the Mulekites. We only know the descent of Mulek himself (from Judah).

[mfbukowski]

In fact Alma 13 is a discourse about the Melchizedek Priesthood- all the details were well known and understood.

So though they lived the Levitical law, the Priesthood they had was the Melchizedek.