Dispensation Head

One who stands at the head of a dispensation. Dispensation heads are given the sealing power — the authority and the ability to use that power — to “seal up” by embodying the covenant that is given to them by God and by establishing an ordinance to perpetuate the covenant. Moses, Lehi, and Joseph Smith all received and established covenants that remained in effect after their deaths, so long as the covenant remained embodied within the ordinance.¹ “Dispensations are founded by prophets who establish practices and forms of worship to be administered by priests. In the moment a dispensation is founded, both the prophet and the priest are present. Moses was a prophet and established priestly rites. Christ was a prophet (and more), and He also established priestly rites. Similarly, Joseph Smith was an authentic dispensation head who was both a prophet and established priestly rites. We expect to have added to the prophetic voice heard among us an additional priestly set of rites in a temple founded by God.”² When a man is placed at the head of a dispensation, he’s brought into the Heavenly Council and stands as a member of that council, even though he is but a man on Earth. The breadth, depth, and extent of a dispensation head is so much greater than that of a prophet that any true prophet would show respect and defer to the dispensation head (as a child would respect his father). When this principle is understood and comprehended, man can see how it is played out in all prior Scriptures. Moses lamented when Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them [because Eldad and Medad had been prophesying in the camp]. And Moses said unto him, Do you envy for my sake? Would to God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them (Numbers 7:19). Moses knew that if that Spirit had been put upon them that they would reinforce and testify to the truthfulness of the message that the dispensation head had been delivering — because prophets support the dispensation head. The Apostle Paul said:… a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me (1 Corinthians 1:36) and would go on to explain: If any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:60). In other words, he’s saying, “If you’re really a prophet, then you’re going to defer to, support, and testify that the dispensation head has given you the Word of God.”³See also DISPENSATION; PROPHET.