Ahkman continues to teach the people about the various required sacrifices described in the Great Scroll and that they should now return to the temple to begin offering them. He also perpetuates the distinctions between the families that Suran established, with Ahkman as high priest, Shurak as king, and Kodal as prophet, and this division of labor would continue along these familial lines. Ahkman's family alone would now take on the responsibility of administering in the temple and church. Surely, just as Suran passed on his patriarchal priesthood, the children of Shurak, Kodal, and Gura had access to the conferral of the same, but only Ahkman's line was ordained to offices within the Order of God and given ecclesiastical authority to perform temple rites and minister in the church.
Ahkman also discusses baptism, saying that God has commanded all people to be baptized by immersion to signify they follow the example of Christ and as a type of His own baptism to fulfill all righteousness.
He then closes his discourse requesting each family build an altar in their home similar to that found within the temple. It is to be in a designated sacred place apart from the world around which they will gather in "veritable prayer" (i.e., true order) to God. The dimensions of this altar are ~40.5 x 18 x 40.5" (L x W x H), and it sits on a ~76.5 x 54 x 22.5" block on which those praying kneel while facing the altar. This notion of prayer altars within the home should not be a novel idea nor come as a surprise to LDS readers. We'll see why in the next post.
Ooo... a teaser!
ReplyDelete