I know you intended this to be a discussion primarily about priestcraft, but if you'll forgive the slight tangent, I wanted to insert a comment about grinding upon the face of the poor.
If I understand it correctly, 2 Nephi 26 is an extension of Nephi's commentary on the chapters of Isaiah he just quoted. I've begun a fresh study of those chapters, and was just studing 2 Ne. 13 this weekend. For the first time, these words stuck out to me:
Quote:
14 The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people and the princes thereof; for ye have eaten up the vineyard and the spoil of the poor in your houses.
15 What mean ye? Ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor, saith the Lord God of Hosts.
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Funny that you should point out this phrase in 26 right on the heels of my reading it in 13. I think it's safe to assume, given that the phrase appears nowhere else, that Nephi had this chapter (13) in mind when recording that phrase.
Isaiah 3 / 2 Nephi 13 is all about the punishment to be wreaked upon Israel/Judah given it's various forms wickedness, and has both ancient and latter-day implications and/or interpretations. Isaiah begins the chapter by threatening to revoke bread and water supplies (both of which have messianic symbolism), as well as an itemized list of professions, among which include "the prophet." Of course we know that the skilled of the Israelites were incarcerated by the Babylonians under Jehoachin, but what of the modern day application?
Could not the "poor" in this case refer to the "poor in spirit" (ala Beatitudes)? Could not priestcraft be those willing to use positions of priesthood power ("the prophet") to "eat up the vineyard" and "spoil the poor"
in our houses?
This almost strikes me as having more application to members of the church, than those outside it.