DOCTRINE & COVENANTS
D&C 13
Section 13 of 138
What happens in D&C 13
Records the conferral of the Aaronic Priesthood on May 15, 1829, near Harmony, Pennsylvania, on the banks of the Susquehanna River. John the Baptist, appearing as a resurrected being under the direction of Peter, James, and John, laid his hands upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.
D&C 13
Conferral of the Aaronic Priesthood
Study note
John the Baptist confers the Priesthood of Aaron upon Joseph and Oliver, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, the gospel of repentance, and baptism by immersion for the remission of sins.
Themes in D&C 13
How this section connects to Christ
The angel foretold that John the Baptist would come in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, directly prefiguring his return as a resurrected being to restore the Aaronic Priesthood.
The principle that no man takes priesthood honor unto himself but must be called of God, as was Aaron, is directly fulfilled in this divine bestowal.
Living D&C 13
This single verse records one of the most significant events of the Restoration: the return of divine priesthood authority to the earth. It teaches that God's authority is conferred by those who hold it, through the laying on of hands. Every baptism, every priesthood blessing traces its authority back to this moment on the banks of the Susquehanna.
Study the Doctrine and Covenants in Covenant Path
Read every section with study aids and daily reading plans — free in the app.