With the
translation of the Book of Mormon nearly finished, the three and eight
witnesses have seen the plates, Joseph Smith recorded: "We
now became anxious to have that promise realized to us, which the angel
that conferred upon us the Aaronic Priesthood had given us, viz., that
provided we continued faithful, we should also have the Melchizedek
Priesthood, which holds the authority of the laying on of hands for the
gift of the Holy Ghost. We had for some time made this matter a subject
of humble prayer, and at length we got together in the chamber of Mr.
Whitmer's house, in order more particularly to seek of the Lord what we
now so earnestly desired; and here, to our unspeakable satisfaction,
did we realize the truth of the Savior's promise-"Ask, and it shall be
given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you"-for we had not long been engaged in solemn and fervent prayer,
when the word of the Lord came unto us in the chamber, commanding us
that I should ordain Oliver Cowdery to be an Elder in the Church of
Jesus Christ; and that he also should ordain me to the same office; and
then to ordain others, as it should be made known unto us from time to
time. We were, however, commanded to defer this our ordination until
such times as it should be practicable to have our brethren, who had
been and who should be baptized, assembled together, when we must have
their sanction to our thus proceeding to ordain each other, and have
them decide by vote whether they were willing to accept us as spiritual
teachers or not; when also we were commanded to bless bread and break
it with them, and to take wine, bless it, and drink it with them;
afterward proceed to ordain each other according to commandment; then
call out such men as the Spirit should dictate, and ordain them; and
then attend to the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost,
upon all those whom we had previously baptized, doing all things in the
name of the Lord. The following commandment will further illustrate the
nature of our calling to this Priesthood, as well as that of others who
were yet to be sought after: [D&C 18 recorded]" (History of the Church 1:60-62)