Authority Must Be Given, Never Assumed

2 Nephi 5:26
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did consecrate Jacob and Joseph, that they should be priests and teachers over the land of my people.

D&C 63:62
60 Behold, I am Alpha and Omega, even Jesus Christ.
61 Wherefore, let all men beware how they take my name in their lips—
62 For behold, verily I say, that many there be who are under this condemnation, who use the name of the Lord, and use it in vain, having not authority.

D&C 68:8
Go ye into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature, acting in the authority which I have given you, baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Mark 13:34
For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch

Luke 22:29
And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;

There are over 32,000 Christian denominations in the world today, all claiming authority from God and many denying the other that same authority. There came long ago, but long after the fall of the Early Christian Church of the New Testament, the idea and doctrine that any person who accepts Jesus Christ, automatically has authority to preach, raise a church, call that church any name he chooses, and interpret the scriptures anyway he wants and preach it. As a result we see many differing beliefs & doctrines about the same scriptures and many versions of salvation. Such as baptism is required - baptism is not required, a physical church is needed - no physical church is needed, faith only - faith with some works needed - faith with many works needed, tithe is optional - tithe is needed - no tithe required but donations and the list goes on.

What then, do the scriptures say and show by example?

They say, as shown above, that we need God's authority and power to exercise anything that requires spiritual powers or right from God. NO man can call upon spiritual powers or spiritual rights by his own merits. This means men cannot self-authorize, self-ordain, self-exalt, self-call things of God. If this was so that would mean that men, in and of themselves, have powers equal to God. No such automatic powers exist for anyone, not even those who merely believe in Jesus Christ and call themselves born again. No spiritual power, beyond the mere gifts God gives to all men, can men call or have by their own will and choice.

There is a simple saying that portrays the dangers of automatic self-assumed authority, "When any fool can hold the scriptures in his hand, claim a belief in Jesus Christ saying he now has authority, then any fool the people shall get".

God is not the author of confusion. His pattern in the scriptures reveal that a person must have authority assigned to him from God and no man or woman can assume it. The words assigned, consecrate, ordain, appointed, are all words that clearly denote the assignment of authority from God and such assignment has always come through someone who is already assigned authority.

The scriptures above show that authority is part of God's plan, it is required to do anything for God, even to preach. Without that authority, that man or woman does not represent God, but only his or her own beliefs. For if a person thinks that he or she can automatically assume authority, just because they believe and hold the book of scriptures, then he or she is a fool and a fool the people shall get (2 Corinthians 11:19).