Daniel Peterson comments that kingship among the Nephites was considered a priesthood calling in addition to the political responsibilities. Priestly ordination was not only a royal prerogative for “king” Nephi (2 Nephi 5:18), but it seems that early Nephite priesthood was mediated and given structure through family and clan organization, rather than through an as yet unfounded church. Thus, Nephi himself ordained his brothers Jacob and Joseph “after the manner of [God’s] holy order” (2 Nephi 6:2; compare 2 Nephi 5:26; Jacob 1:18; Alma 13:1-2, 6, 8; D&C 107:2-4).
The idea of “consecration” emphasizes the elevation of these familial and cultural responsibilities to a higher purpose. Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary, a marvelous resource for understanding the language Joseph Smith used to translate the Nephite record, defines consecration as “the act or ceremony of separating from a common to a sacred use, or of devoting and dedicating a person or thing to the service and worship of God, by certain rites or solemnities.” As examples, Webster cites “the consecration of the priests among the Israelites” (see Exodus 29:9) and “the consecration of a bishop.”
In regards to this early Nephite priesthood structure, it is striking that the small plates of Nephi do not record a single reference to any church actually existing in the New World. This is significant because the small plates cover nearly the first five centuries of Nephite history. It is in the book of Mosiah (large plates) that mention is first made of a church (organized by Alma1). [Daniel C. Peterson, “Priesthood in Mosiah,” in The Book of Mormon: Mosiah, Salvation Only through Christ, pp. 188-191, 200]