KnoWhy #101 - Why does the Book of Mosiah Talk So Much About Priesthood Authority? (Mosiah 23:17)

None of the descendants of Lehi could have had access to the Levitical Priesthood, yet the Book of Mormon narrative depicts the Nephites building temples and living the Law of Moses. Alma the Younger later taught that theirs was the Melchizedek Priesthood, which did not need to be passed in succession but was instead given only to “just men.” The establishment of the doctrine that men must possess priesthood power to act in God’s name is one of the overriding themes of the book of Mosiah, which in turn sets the stage for all that follows in the rest of the Book of Mormon.