A Meaning of the Offering of the Sons of Levi in D&C 13

     I received a new and different, but seeming to me logical and powerful, interpretation of a scriptural passage we are currently considering in our current Come Follow Me studies, from a book on temple work by S. Michael Wilcox, “House of Glory.”   The passage is D&C 13, the words of John the Baptist as he conferred the Aaronic Priesthood upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery:
    “Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.”  (D&C 13:1)
    I am particularly focused on the meaning of the statement that at some time in the future of this ordination, the sons of Levi will offer an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.  At some earlier time in my life I was given the interpretation that this might be that persons descending from of the Levite priests of the Old Testament would perform an animal sacrifice in the manner of their Hebrew ancestors as a part of the restitution of all things (all practices associated with any gospel dispensation) as predicted in by Peter in Acts 3:21, to occur in this dispensation or the millenium.  Thinking back, this interpretation might have come from as an Answer to Gospel Questions from Joseph Fielding Smith, but I am not sure.  Among other things I wondered at the meaning of the word “until.”  Did it suggest that once this offering was made, that the Aaronic Priesthood would be discontinued, or what?
    In his study, Brother Wilcox points out that John was quoting Malachi 3:3.  In that passage the word “that” is used instead of “until” (likewise in 3 Nephi 24:3), and in Oliver Cowdery’s description of his and Joseph’s ordination in the footnote on p. 59 of the Pearl of Great Price, he records that John the Baptist promised that “This priesthood and authority... shall remain upon the earth that the Sons of Levi may yet offer an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.”  Brother Wilcox then concludes that “the priesthood was restored “that” the offering could be made.  In other words, without it the offering could not be made.  It was also restored “until” the offering was made.  In other words, the priesthood would never be taken from the earth... As Moroni promised (when he told Joseph earlier that the priesthood would be “revealed), the priesthood was being revealed by being restored, and its purpose was also being revealed–an offering had to be made... In the Malachi 3 version, we also learn that the priesthood bearers must be “purged and purified” or be made clean in order to make the offering.” (pp. 111-112)
    He asks, “Who are the sons of Levi?  What offering will be made? Why is that offering so critical that the priesthood will not be taken from the earth?  Why is it important that the priesthood itself was restored to allow the offering to be accomplished?  What do purging and purifying have to do with the offering?” (p. 112)
    In Old Testament times, the sons of Levi were the holders of the priesthood in Israel and performed their service in the house of the Lord.  Regarding the identity of the sons of Lehi in our day, there was a great revelation given on September 22 and 23, the anniversary of Moroni’s visit, in which Malachi’s and John the Baptist’s prophecies were repeated, but with additions that amplified and clarified the necessary offering: “The sons of Moses and also the sons of Aaron shall offer an acceptable offering and sacrifice in the house of the Lord.”  (D&C 84:31)
    The sons of Moses and of Aaron (both of whom were of the tribe of Levi) were defined in this Section as holders of the Melchizedek and Aaronic Priesthoods.  Therefore, it might be concluded that John’s promise refers to both priesthoods.  We also learn that the predicted offering and sacrifice will be made in the temple, explaining why the sons of Levi must be purged and purified.  Note also the use of the word acceptable regarding their offering.
    In a later revelation, Joseph Smith described the “acceptable offering.”  Quoting Malachi’s prophecy once more concerning the sons of Levi, Joseph added this instruction, “Let us, therefore, as a church and a people, and as Latter-day Saints, offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness; and let us present in his holy temple, when it is finished, a book containing the records of our dead, which shall be worthy of all acceptation.” (D&C 128:24)
    Brother Wilcox concludes: “In summary, Moroni first quoted the Malachi prophecy and promised that the priesthood wold be revealed.  John the Baptist next came to begin its revelation and added that the priesthood would remain on earth until the sons of Levi made an offering in righteousness to the Lord.  In section 84, the sons of Levi were identified as all priesthood holders, and it was revealed that the offering would be made in the temple.  Finally in Nauvoo, Joseph Smith’s letter now recorded as Doctrine and Covenants 128 invites all the Saints to participate in the offering, and the offering was identified.  It would be a book containing all the records of the ordinance work for the dead.  Since that time, tremendous effort and resources have been expended to make the offering “acceptable” to the Lord by completing it.” (p. 116)