LINEAGE.

Therefore it was by right of divine appointment that the Apostles' quorum became the presiding quorum of the Church at the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

We will now consider this "law of lineage." From section 86, they quote to us as follows:

"Therefore, thus saith the Lord unto you with whom the Priesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers, for ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God; therefore your life and the Priesthood hath remained and must needs remain through you and your lineage, until the restoration of all things spoken by the mouths of all the holy prophets since the world began."

But they fail to quote the eleventh and succeeding verse:

"Therefore, blessed are ye if ye continue in my goodness, a light unto the gentiles, and through the Priesthood, a savior unto my people Israel. The Lord hath said it, Amen."

But to whom was this revelation given? Was it to the Prophet Joseph Smith alone? Is this a promise that his seed shall inherit the Priesthood? Certainly not. This revelation was given December 6, 1832, to the Elders of the Church. Therefore, when members of the "Reorganization" declare that Joseph Smith was one of these Elders and must be included with his posterity in the promise, we meet their argument with the counter statement, that the promise was also to Hyrum Smith, to Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, George A. Smith, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, and a large number of other Elders who never have been identified with the "Reorganization," nor have their children, and to them this promise is as sure as to the seed of any others. We must not lose sight of the fact that no man can lay claim to salvation, nor to the Priesthood of God, simply because he had a faithful father. The inference in this eleventh verse is, that if they are not faithful, then they will not receive the fulfilment of the promise. The posterity of Joseph Smith, like the posterity of any other Elder of Israel, will stand or fall on their own foundation which they have builded. And if the sons of Joseph Smith refuse to keep the commandments, the blessings will pass them by; but God's work will continue until the consummation of all things.

Again they quote from section 112 as follows:

"For verily I say unto you, the keys of the dispensation which ye have received, have come down from the fathers; and last of all being sent down from heaven unto you."

This revelation was given to Thomas B. Marsh and the Apostles in July, 1837; and while it is true that the Priesthood which these men held did come down from the fathers, it was not from father to son, from generation to generation, in the flesh. For the Priesthood, as we know, was conferred on the heads of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery by Peter, James and John. Joseph Smith's grandfather did not hold the Priesthood nor his fathers before him for generations upon generations. So we must look at this in a broader sense than our friends are willing that we should do. What is meant by the Priesthood coming down from the fathers, and that it must needs remain through the lineage of the Elders of the Church? It means simply this, that the Priesthood has come down from those who held it in ancient days and has been conferred upon men in this day according to promise, because they are of the seed of Joseph of the tribe of Ephraim. For the Lord promised to bless the children of Ephraim in the latter days with His power. And when the Church was established it was with the promise that it was never again to be destroyed; therefore, it must needs be that the Priesthood remain through the lineage of the Elders of the Church. But it will be through those who are faithful, and not the unfaithful sons, and there is not one word in these passages that declares that the Presidency of the High Priesthood descends from father to son, and that it is the right of the son of Joseph Smith to succeed his father. Not one word!

They also quote section 110; to the effect that the generations were to be blessed through the seed of Joseph Smith. That passage is from a vision received by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, April 3, 1836, when they received the keys of various dispensations, and is as follows:

"After this, Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of the Gospel of Abraham, saying, that in us, and our seed, all generations after us should be blessed."

Therefore they say that unless the sons of the Prophet Joseph Smith were in the true Church and held the Priesthood, this promise would fail. Not so, however. As I have said, if those sons are not faithful the realization of the promise will pass them by until some of the seed of Joseph Smith will stand up to receive the blessing. Furthermore, this promise was not made solely to Joseph Smith. Oliver Cowdery received the same blessing; but he left the Church and went into forbidden paths, and the promised blessing was taken from him and given to another. So it will be with the sons of Joseph the Prophet; if they repent not they shall not receive the blessing. The Lord has declared:

"Who am I, saith the Lord, that have promised and have not fulfilled? I command and a man obeys not, I revoke and they receive not the blessing."

I stated that this blessing that was given to Oliver Cowdery was taken from him and given to another. In the Doctrine and Covenants, section 124:94-95, this is found:

"And from this time forth I appoint unto him (that is Hyrum Smith) that he may be a prophet, and a seer, and a revelator unto my Church, as well as my servant Joseph."That he may act in concert also with my servant Joseph, and that he shall receive counsel from my servant Joseph, who shall show unto him the keys whereby he may ask and receive, and be crowned with the same blessing, and glory, and honor, and Priesthood, and gifts of the Priesthood, that once were put upon him that was my servant Oliver Cowdery."

"And from this time forth I appoint unto him (that is Hyrum Smith) that he may be a prophet, and a seer, and a revelator unto my Church, as well as my servant Joseph.

"That he may act in concert also with my servant Joseph, and that he shall receive counsel from my servant Joseph, who shall show unto him the keys whereby he may ask and receive, and be crowned with the same blessing, and glory, and honor, and Priesthood, and gifts of the Priesthood, that once were put upon him that was my servant Oliver Cowdery."

Here the blessings of Oliver Cowdery are transferred to the head of Hyrum Smith, and, therefore, we can say with equal emphasis that in the seed of Hyrum Smith, as well as in the seed of Joseph Smith, all generations after him shall be blessed. For the Lord hath spoken it! Now, the seed of Hyrum Smith are not connected with the "Reorganization." However, in the words of another let me say:

"That the descendants of Joseph Smith, and those of Hyrum Smith, stand before God as do all other men, assured of honor or dishonor, exaltation or degradation, according to their individual works."

We are also referred to verses 56-58 of section 124, which, perhaps, is a passage on which they lay the greatest stress of all. I shall read beginning with the fifty-sixth verse, and ask you to follow me closely and I will read it as clearly as I possibly can:

"And now I say unto you, as pertaining to my boarding house which I have commanded you to build for the boarding of strangers, let it be built unto my name, and let my name be named upon it, and let my servant Joseph, and his house have place therein, from generation to generation;"For this anointing have I put upon his head, that his blessing shall also be put upon the head of his posterity after him."And as I said unto Abraham concerning the kindreds of the earth, even so I say unto my servant Joseph, in thee and in thy seed shall the kindred of the earth be blessed."

"For this anointing have I put upon his head, that his blessing shall also be put upon the head of his posterity after him.

"And as I said unto Abraham concerning the kindreds of the earth, even so I say unto my servant Joseph, in thee and in thy seed shall the kindred of the earth be blessed."

You see it says, "this anointing have I put upon his head." What anointing does this refer to? Notice that it says, "as pertaining to my boarding house * * let my servant Joseph, and his house have place therein, from generation to generation." That is the anointing the term "this" refers to. It is the place in that boarding house, and has nothing to do with the Presidency of the Church. I have already shown to you that in the seed of Hyrum Smith as well as in the seed of Joseph Smith the generations after them were to be blessed; there is nothing in this promise indicating that the posterity of either of them shall have right to the Presidency of the Church.

But they say this blessing does not refer to the boarding house in which the Prophet Joseph paid stock for himself and generations after him; but that it refers to the blessing of his progenitors; that is, to the birthright which was given to Joseph—the right of the primogeniture. And considering this passage Heman C. Smith, in his "True Succession," has the following to say:

"Here then is the blessing given to Joseph to occupy in this position, and to discharge these duties and responsibilities. But some one objects that this is not called a 'blessing;' but is it not a blessing? However, to silence this caviling, we refer the reader to the blessing of Joseph Smith as pronounced by his father on the occasion of the ordination of the High Council. February 19, 1834, Joseph in his history says:"'My father Joseph then laid his hands upon my head and said, "Joseph, I lay my hands upon thy head and pronounce the blessings of thy progenitors upon thee, that thou mayest hold the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, until the coming of the Lord. Amen.'" (True Succession, p. 44).

"'My father Joseph then laid his hands upon my head and said, "Joseph, I lay my hands upon thy head and pronounce the blessings of thy progenitors upon thee, that thou mayest hold the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, until the coming of the Lord. Amen.'" (True Succession, p. 44).

Then he goes on to say that this is the blessing referred to in the revelation I have just quoted from, and that it was the blessing of the primogeniture. The birthright of the first born. But Mr. Heman C. Smith is too hasty. Invariably in quoting this blessing given to the Prophet by his father and which is found in the Times and Seasons, volume 6, pages 994-5, they tactfully refrain from quoting what immediately follows. I will quote it from the Times and Seasons:

"He also laid his hands upon the head of his son Samuel and said, 'Samuel, I lay my hands upon thy head, and pronounce the blessing of thy progenitors upon thee, that thou mayest remain a Priest of the Most High God, and like Samuel of old, hear His voice, saying, Samuel, Samuel. Amen.'"John Johnson also, laid his hands upon the head of his son Luke and said, 'My Father in heaven, I ask thee to bless this my son, according to the blessings of his forefathers, that he may be strengthened in his ministry, according to his holy calling. Amen.'"

"John Johnson also, laid his hands upon the head of his son Luke and said, 'My Father in heaven, I ask thee to bless this my son, according to the blessings of his forefathers, that he may be strengthened in his ministry, according to his holy calling. Amen.'"

This proves to us that the blessing of the progenitors was not necessarily the blessing of the first born; nor was it the right to the Presidency of the Church; for Samuel received a blessing similar to that of his brother Joseph, and neither of them received the birthright in these blessings. I shall now show you that it was Hyrum Smith who received the blessing of the first born—the birthright—and it was not the Presidency of the Church either, for they are not the same. However, before I show this I want to read a paragraph from the history published by the "Reorganized" Church. This is volume 2, and is "written and compiled" by Joseph Smith and his assistant, Heman C. Smith, their historian. On pages 462-3 they give the dying blessings pronounced by Patriarch Joseph Smith on the heads of his children. They introduce this account in the following words:

"In connection with the fact that Joseph's and William's children are identified with the Reorganization, while Hyrum's and Samuel's are in Utah, it is interesting to note that the children of the two former were to be blessed after them, while the children of the two latter are not mentioned."The account of this deathbed scene and the blessings, as given by Lucy Smith, the mother of the Prophet and widow of the Patriarch, is as follows:"

"The account of this deathbed scene and the blessings, as given by Lucy Smith, the mother of the Prophet and widow of the Patriarch, is as follows:"

Here is the blessing of Hyrum Smith:

"My son Hyrum, I seal upon your head your patriarchal blessing, which I placed upon your head before, for that shall be verified. In addition to this, I now give you my dying blessing, You shall have a season of peace, so that you shall have sufficient rest to accomplish the work which God has given you to do. You shall be as firm as the pillars of heaven unto the end of your days. I NOW SEAL UPON YOUR HEAD THE PATRIARCHAL POWER, and you shall bless the people. This is my dying blessing upon your head in the name of Jesus. Amen."

There is the birthright!

And now Joseph's blessing:

"Joseph, my son, you are called to a high and holy calling. You are even called to do the work of the Lord. Hold out faithful and you shall be blessed and your children after you. You shall even live to finish your work. At this Joseph cried out, weeping, 'Oh! my father, shall I?' 'Yes,' said his father, 'you shall live to lay out the plan of all the work which God has given you to do. This is my dying blessing on your head, in the name of Jesus. I also confirm your former blessing upon your head; for it shall be fulfilled. Even so. Amen."

On first thought it is a little strange that the children of Joseph the Prophet are to be blessed after him, while that promise is not in the blessing of Hyrum Smith. However, let us examine the blessing given to Hyrum Smith a little more closely. The first sentence reads: "My son Hyrum, I seal upon your head your patriarchal blessing, which I placed upon your head before,for that shall be verified. And what followed was in addition to that former blessing so there was no need of repeating what that former blessing contained; but it was to be verified. I have before me that former blessing. This is a patriarchal blessing given by Patriarch Joseph Smith on the head of his son Hyrum, December 9, 1834, in Kirtland, Ohio, and is recorded in Patriarch Joseph Smith's book of blessings on pages 1 and 2, and is in the handwriting of Oliver Cowdery. Here is a portion of it:

"Hyrum, thou art my oldest son whom the Lord has spared unto me. * * * * Behold thou art Hyrum, the Lord hath called thee by that name, and by that name He has blessed thee. Thou hast borne the burden and the heat of the day, thou hast toiled hard and labored much for the good of thy father's family; thou hast been a stay many times to them, and by thy diligence they have often been sustained. Thou hast loved thy father's family with a pure love, and hast greatly desired their salvation. Thou hast always stood by thy father, and reached forth the helping hand to lift him up when he was in affliction, and though he has been out of the way, thou hast never forsaken him nor laughed him to scorn; for all these kindnesses the Lord my God will bless thee."

I promised that I would prove to you that when the Patriarch blessed Joseph, his son, with the blessing of his progenitors, that it was not the birthright, but that that blessing was reserved for Hyrum. Here is the proof, or at least a portion of it. The blessing continues:

"I now ask my Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, to BLESS THEE with the SAME BLESSING with which Jacob blessed his son Joseph, for thou art his true descendant, and thy posterity shall be numbered with the house of Ephraim, and with them thou shalt stand up to crown the tribes of Israel; when they come shouting to Zion. * * * *"The Lord will multiply his choice blessings upon thee and thy seed after thee and thou with them shall have an inheritance in Zion, and they shall possess it from generation to generation, and thy name shall never be blotted out from among the just, for the righteous shall rise up, and also thy children after thee, and say thy memory is just, that thou wert a just man and perfect in thy day."

"The Lord will multiply his choice blessings upon thee and thy seed after thee and thou with them shall have an inheritance in Zion, and they shall possess it from generation to generation, and thy name shall never be blotted out from among the just, for the righteous shall rise up, and also thy children after thee, and say thy memory is just, that thou wert a just man and perfect in thy day."

We see that Hyrum was blessed with the blessing of Joseph, and we learn from the fifth chapter of I Chronicles that through the transgression of Reuben, Joseph received the birthright, and he got it from his father Jacob. In the second verse we read:

"For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's."

Before we leave this chapter in Chronicles let me state that if Joseph received the birthright, and if the birthright and the Presidency of the Church were inseparable, then it should have been through Joseph that the Messiah should have come; but we learn that Judah prevailed above his brethren in this particular.

So you see Hyrum was blessed with Joseph's blessing, and in his dying blessing his father declared that it should be verified! I maintain that the birthright therefore was not the blessing of his progenitors that was given to Joseph, neither to Samuel Smith.

Our friends have solemnly informed us there was "no blessing to the children of Hyrum Smith." I desire to call your attention to a few expressions in the blessing which I have just read. The promise is here given that the posterity of Hyrum Smith shall be numbered with the house of Ephraim and shall stand up with their father to crown the tribes of Israel when they come shouting to Zion. Now, how can they crown the tribes of Israel unless they hold the Priesthood and are faithful men? Again, the promise is made to them that they shall have an inheritance in Zion and possess it from generation to generation, and their names never were to be blotted out. Now, how could this be unless they were members of the Church holding the Priesthood? For the faithless and unbelieving and the apostate was not to be numbered in Zion, but his name was to be blotted out. I think you will agree with me that these gentlemen in their preface to these blessings spoke rather hastily of the children of Hyrum Smith.

I have here another blessing. This was given by the Prophet Joseph to his brother Hyrum December 18, 1833, at Kirtland, and is also recorded in the handwriting of Oliver Cowdery and is on file in the Historian's office, Salt Lake City. This blessing shows to us that the Prophet Joseph Smith recognized the fact that his brother Hyrum had received the birthright. He says:

"Blessed of the Lord is my brother Hyrum, for the integrity of his heart; he shall be girt about with strength, and faithfulness shall be the strength of his loins; from generation to generation he shall be a shaft in the hands of his God to execute judgment upon His enemies."

I will pause here. We are told that faithfulness shall be the strength of his loins. This is a figure. We all understand what it means. It means that the children of Hyrum Smith shall be faithful and from generation to generation shall be a shaft in the hands of God to execute His judgments. That is what it means!

But the blessing continues:

"And he shall be hid by the hand of the Lord, that none of his secret parts shall be discovered unto his enemies unto his hurt. * * * He shall stand in the tracks of his father, and be numbered among those who hold the right of Patriarchal Priesthood, even the Evangelical Priesthood and power shall be upon him. His children shall be many and his posterity numerous, and they shall rise up and call him blessed."

Here we have the Prophet acknowledging that his brother Hyrum should receive the birthright, for it was the right of Patriarchal Priesthood, even the Evangelical Priesthood that was conferred upon the first born, and not the office of President of the Church.

We learn from the Doctrine and Covenants that there are two offices in the Church that descend from father to son. One is that of the Bishopric, for upon Aaron and his sons the Lord conferred this Priesthood (section 68:16-18). The other is that of the Evangelist. This we learn in section 107, but our friends misconstrue this section and try to make it appear that it is the Melchizedek Priesthood that is meant.[2]

I will read it and you may judge for yourselves:

"It is the duty of the Twelve, in all large branches of the Church to ordain Evangelical ministers, as they shall be designated unto them by revelation."The order of this Priesthood was confirmed to be handed down from father to son, and rightly belongs to the literal descendants of the chosen seed, to whom the promises were made."This order was instituted in the days of Adam, and came down by lineage in the following manner," etc.

"It is the duty of the Twelve, in all large branches of the Church to ordain Evangelical ministers, as they shall be designated unto them by revelation.

"The order of this Priesthood was confirmed to be handed down from father to son, and rightly belongs to the literal descendants of the chosen seed, to whom the promises were made.

"This order was instituted in the days of Adam, and came down by lineage in the following manner," etc.

Now, Hyrum Smith obtained this birthright from his father. The Prophet Joseph Smith declared in his blessing upon the head of his brother Hyrum that it was his right to walk in the footsteps of his father. Let's see what the Lord says about this: In section 124, verse 91, we read:

"And again, verily I say unto you, let my servant William (Law) be appointed, ordained, and anointed, as a counselor unto my servant Joseph in the room of my servant Hyrum, that my servant Hyrum may take the office of Priesthood and Patriarch, which was appointed unto him by his father, by blessing and also BY RIGHT!"

The fact that the Lord has made two exceptions in the order of the Priesthood, and has so plainly indicated them proves beyond the need of controversy that the other offices do not so descend, for if they did, the Lord would not make special mention of these two. Another thing, if the first born son was to receive the office of Patriarch, that is sufficient proof that the Presidency of the High Priesthood did not so descend, for if it did one man must of necessity hold them both. Again we learn that this evangelical order came down from father to son and was instituted in the days of Adam. Let us see if the office of president has come down in that manner.

Reorganites sometimes quote to us the following from section 81, but for the life of me I do not understand why, since it destroys their position:

"Verily, verily I say unto you my servant Frederick G. Williams listen to the voice of him who speaketh, to the word of the Lord, your God; and hearken to the calling wherewith you are called, even to be a High Priest in my Church, and a counselor unto my servant Joseph Smith, Jun."Unto whom I have given the keys of the kingdom, which belongeth always unto the Presidency of the High Priesthood."

"Unto whom I have given the keys of the kingdom, which belongeth always unto the Presidency of the High Priesthood."

If the keys of the kingdom belongeth always to the Presidency of the High Priesthood, then Peter was President of the High Priesthood for the Lord conferred upon him the keys of the kingdom (Matt. 16:19), and he conferred them upon Joseph Smith (Doc. & Cov. 27 and 128 sections) even when we go back in ancient Israel we find Moses of the tribe of Levi ordaining Joshua the son of Nun as his successor,[3]and not his own son; Joseph, son of Jacob, receiving the birthright, but his brother Levi receiving the Priesthood in Israel, and Judah the promise of the Messiah. Even in Book of Mormon times, Nephi was the younger brother of Sam, a faithful man, and Nephi ordained his brother Jacob, not his son. Alma who became the High Priest of the Nephite church was not a son of Mosiah who by right of birth became the king of the people. And thus we might go on. It is a peculiar law indeed when the Lord ignores it almost if not quite every time, and we may conclude that it is a man-made doctrine concocted to bolster up the claim of an aspiring set of men, not inspired of the Lord.

We will now consider the claim that the president of the "Reorganized" Church was appointed by his father. They base their claim on the testimony of the following witnesses: (1) the statement of the president of the "Reorganization," (2) the statement of Lyman Wight, (3) the statement of James Whitehead, (4) the statement of John S. Carter, (5) and the statement of William Smith.

The president of their church declares that he was blessed in Liberty Jail, twice afterwards before the fall of 1843, and again publicly in the Grove at Nauvoo. (True Succession, p. 40). However, he is very careful in the wording of his statement and deals with glittering generalities. All he dare tell us is that the "promise and blessing of a life of usefulness to the cause of truth was pronounced upon his head." Lyman Wight declares that the Prophet blessed his son in Liberty Jail in 1839 as his successor. In another place he states that this blessing was given shortly after they came out of Liberty Jail. (See Succession, pp. 51-2). So you see that Lyman Wight contradicts himself. We will further examine his statement. Sidney Rigdon, Caleb Baldwin and Alexander McRae were fellow prisoners with the Prophet Joseph, Patriarch Hyrum and Lyman Wight in Liberty. If any such blessing or ordination, or whatever you desire to call it, had taken place at that time these brethren would have known something of it. Moreover, Hyrum Smith and Sidney Rigdon were counselors to the President, and in such an appointment they would in all reason have been called on to assist in such blessing; an account of it would have been made on the records of the Church. In other words it would have been done in an official way, and not in a corner. These fellow prisoners with the Prophet and Patriarch, even including Lyman Wight, knew nothing of such an appointment, calling or ordination while in Liberty prison. No record of such a thing was made. Again, that such a blessing did not take place, either in or shortly after they came out of that prison, is quite evident from the fact that Sidney Rigdon, August 8, 1844, while making his claim to the "guardianship" of the Church, declared that there could be no successor to Joseph Smith. It is also quite evident that this expression was an afterthought on the part of Lyman Wight from the fact that on that memorable 8th of August, 1844, he voted to sustain the Twelve Apostles as the presiding quorum and Presidency of the Church, (History of the Church, for August 8, 1844). If such a thing had taken place Sidney Rigdon and Lyman Wight would most certainly have remembered it on that day. But they were not only ignorant of such a thing, but each took a course diametrically opposed to this alleged blessing. The entire lives of Caleb Baldwin and Alexander McRae also protest against the statement of Lyman Wight.[4]

The testimony of James Whitehead is as follows:

"I recollect a meeting that was held in the winter of 1843, at Nauvoo, Ill., prior to Joseph Smith's death, at which the appointment was made by him, Joseph Smith, of his successor. His son Joseph was selected as his successor. Joseph Smith did the talking. There were present Joseph and Hyrum Smith, John Taylor, and some others who also spoke on the subject; there were 25 I suppose at the meeting. At that meeting Joseph Smith, the present presiding officer of the complainant church, was selected by his father as his successor. He was ordained and anointed at that meeting. Hyrum Smith, the Patriarch, anointed him, and Joseph, his father, blessed him and ordained him and Newel K. Whitney poured the oil on his head, and he was set apart to be his father's successor in office, holding all the powers that his father held. I cannot tell all the persons that were present, there was a good many there. John Taylor and Willard Richards, they were two of the Twelve, Ebenezer Robinson was present, and George J. Adams, Alpheus Cutler, and Reynolds Cahoon. I cannot tell them all; I was there too."

Newel K. Whitney, John Taylor, Willard Richards and Reynolds Cahoon all remained with the Church and came with the Twelve to Utah. Their entire lives protest against this falsehood of James Whitehead. They deny that any such ordination ever took place. Ebenezer Robinson also denies it and after the martyrdom, he followed Sidney Rigdon, and later joined the Whitmerites. If George J. Adams was present on such an occasion, he soon forgot it, for after the martyrdom, he followed James J. Strang and acknowledged him as the legal successor to the Prophet Joseph Smith, and was the very man who crowned Strang "king" on Beaver Island. Alpheus Cutler also denied that any such thing as this occurred. I shall read his testimony. This is the statement of Abraham Kimball, his grandson:

Father Cutler said:

"I know that Brigham Young is Joseph Smith's legal and lawful successor, and always did know it. But the reason I am where I am, I could not be led but must lead. I have run my race and must meet my fate, and I know what my doom is, as I died once as dead as any one dies. And I went to the land of spirits, and saw the crown I should wear if I remained faithful and the condemnation I should meet if I failed. I begged to stay. I was informed I could not remain now, but must return and warn sinners to repent. And the first word I spoke on returning was to Sidney Rigdon, who was bending over me, 'Sidney, repent of your sins or you will be damned.' He then continued. 'I know that Mormonism is true. I know that Heber C. Kimball is your father, and Isaac's and he is a good man. Now I want you to take Isaac and return to your father, and remain true to Mormonism and never yield the point, for it will save and exalt you in the kingdom of God and all who will live it to the end of their days.' He then wept like a child, which caused my eyes to moisten. After recovering himself he continued by saying: 'Now my boy, I want to ask one favor of you, and that is that you will never reveal what I have told you today to the people I lead while I live as you boys are going away and I depend on the people for my support.' I promised him I would do as requested. He then released me to go visiting.""Now, Mr. Wilcox (E. S. Wilcox) and friends, I am in a shape that I may be called to meet my God any minute, as disease is praying upon my poor body and I am near a skeleton, and my flesh may soon be devoured by worms; but I bear testimony to you before my God that the statement I have made of Alpheus Cutler's confession is correct as near as I can word it."—Saints' Herald, Vol. 52:255.

"Now, Mr. Wilcox (E. S. Wilcox) and friends, I am in a shape that I may be called to meet my God any minute, as disease is praying upon my poor body and I am near a skeleton, and my flesh may soon be devoured by worms; but I bear testimony to you before my God that the statement I have made of Alpheus Cutler's confession is correct as near as I can word it."—Saints' Herald, Vol. 52:255.

You see that each of these men named by James Whitehead give the lie to his declaration by their entire lives, but this is not all. Joseph Smith of the "Reorganized" Church denies it himself. While he states that he was blessed by his father, in his testimony under oath in the Temple lot suit, he said:

"No, sir, I did not state that I was ordained by my father; I did not make the statement. I was NOT ordained by my father as his successor—according to my understanding of the word ordained, I was not"—Plaintiff's Abstract, Page 79, Par. 126.

Thus the testimony of James Whitehead is worthless. John S. Carter said the Prophet chose his son at a public meeting in Nauvoo on a Sunday, "not long before Joseph was killed." (True Succession, page 48). Yet none of the people knew of this. Nothing was said of it during the trouble with Sidney Rigdon. And William Marks, president of the Nauvoo Stake, would most likely be present at the public meetings held on Sundays in Nauvoo. Yet he supported the claim of Sidney Rigdon to be the guardian when the latter declared that there could be no successor. It is a little strange that such an appointment could be made at a public meeting and all the people—just a few months later—be ignorant of it. Where were the people the day this public meeting was held? How much easier it would have been for Sidney Rigdon to have said, August 8, 1844: "I want to be appointed 'Guardian' until young Joseph grows up," instead of declaring that no successor could be appointed! How easy it would have been for Lyman Wight to have said, "I was present when Joseph blessed his son in Liberty prison, as his successor," or for James Whitehead and John S. Carter to have declared that young Joseph had been ordained as his father's successor in a public meeting in Nauvoo shortly before the martyrdom, and thus have reminded the people of it. How strange that such an important occurrence should slip the minds of the entire people on such a vital occasion? But they did not think of it. The truth is it was an afterthought on the part of these men.

Another thing which is peculiar: There were too many "appointments" and "ordinations" of this "successor" which makes the thing look suspicious. It is hardly reasonable to suppose that the Prophet, "appointed," "blessed," and "ordained" his son to this office every few days. If such a thing had taken place it would have been done in the proper way and manner in the presence of the presiding officers of the Church and a proper record of it would have been made and filed away. But the records of the Church are silent and it is quite significant that Lyman Wight, James Whitehead, John S. Carter and even Joseph of the "Reorganization" himself had "forgotten" this "appointing" or "ordination" at the most critical moment for it to have been mentioned—August 8, 1844.

William Smith stated that the right of Presidency was by lineage, and therefore he supported the son of the Prophet in 1850, or even in November, 1845. (True Succession, p. 17). Yet William Smith knew of no appointment or ordination of young Joseph, although he was one of the Apostles, and would have been sure to have known had such a thing taken place. In May, 1845, he stated that the Twelve were the proper authorities to lead the Church. (Times and Seasons, 6:904). He was excommunicated in the following October and it was not till after his excommunication that he advocated the right of young Joseph. Furthermore, William Smith claimed that he was himself ordained by his brother to lead the Church (Roberts' Succession, pp. 103-105.) And he also followed James J. Strang and accepted him as the "successor" until excommunicated from that cult.

Now, can we put any credence in the testimonies of such men as Lyman Wight, James Whitehead, John S. Carter, and William Smith? Most assuredly not.

That the Prophet did not choose his son is quite evident also from the following testimony given by reliable witnesses and at the proper time:

At a meeting held at Nauvoo, August 7, 1844, he said:

"How often has Joseph said to the Twelve, 'I have laid the foundation and you must build thereon, for upon your shoulders the kingdom rests. * * * * I tell you in the name of the Lord, that no man can put another between the Twelve and the Prophet Joseph Smith. Why? Because Joseph was their file leader, and he has committed into their hands the keys of the kingdom in this last dispensation for all the world; don't put a thread between the Priesthood of God."—(History of the Church for August 7, 1844).

And in a letter written to Orson Spencer, January 23, 1848, President Young said:

"Joseph told the Twelve the year before he died, 'There is not one key or power to be bestowed on this Church to lead the people into the celestial gate but I have give you, showed you, and talked it over to you, the kingdom is set up, and you have the perfect pattern, and you can go and build up the kingdom and go in at the celestial gate, taking your train with you."—Mill. Star, 10:115.

"Brother Joseph has passed behind the veil, and he pulled off his shoes, and some one else puts them on, until he passes the veil to Brother Joseph. President Young is our president, and our head, and he puts the shoes on first. If Brother Hyrum had remained here, he would have put them on. Hyrum has gone with Joseph and is still his counselor. The Twelve have received the keys of the kingdom, and as long as there is one of them left, he will hold them in preference to any one else."—Times and Seasons, 5: 664.

"The shafts of the enemy are always aimed at the head first. Brother Joseph said some time before he was murdered, 'If I am taken away, upon you, the Twelve, will rest the responsibility of leading this people, and do not be bluffed off by any man."—Times and Seasons, 5: 650."Before I went east on the 4th of April last, we were in council with Brother Joseph almost every day for weeks, said Brother Joseph in one of those councils, 'There is something going to happen; I don't know what it is, but the Lord bids me to hasten and give you your endowment before the Temple is finished.' He conducted us through every ordinance of the Holy Priesthood, and when he had gone through with all the ordinances, he rejoiced very much, and said, 'Now, if they kill me, you have got all the keys, and all the ordinances and you can confer them upon others, and the hosts of Satan will not be able to tear down the kingdom, as fast as you will be able to build it up;' and now, said he, 'on your shoulders will the responsibility of leading this people rest, for the Lord is going to let me rest awhile.'"—Times and Seasons, 5: 651.

"Before I went east on the 4th of April last, we were in council with Brother Joseph almost every day for weeks, said Brother Joseph in one of those councils, 'There is something going to happen; I don't know what it is, but the Lord bids me to hasten and give you your endowment before the Temple is finished.' He conducted us through every ordinance of the Holy Priesthood, and when he had gone through with all the ordinances, he rejoiced very much, and said, 'Now, if they kill me, you have got all the keys, and all the ordinances and you can confer them upon others, and the hosts of Satan will not be able to tear down the kingdom, as fast as you will be able to build it up;' and now, said he, 'on your shoulders will the responsibility of leading this people rest, for the Lord is going to let me rest awhile.'"—Times and Seasons, 5: 651.

"Has the Prophet Joseph found Elder Rigdon in his councils when he organized the quorum of the Twelve, a few months before his death, to prepare them for the endowment? And when they received their endowment, and actually received the keys of the kingdom of God, and oracles of God, keys of revelation, and the pattern of heavenly things, and thus, addressing the Twelve, (Joseph) exclaimed, 'Upon your shoulders, the kingdom rests, and you must round your shoulders, and bear it; for I have had to do it until now. But now the responsibility rests upon you.'"—Times and Seasons, 5: 698

And also President Woodruff's testimony given in 1892. (Succession, page 101).

"I was a resident of Nauvoo, State of Illinois, from 1840 to 1846. I was married to George A. Smith, July 25, 1841, Elder Don Carlos Smith performing the ceremony. Near the close of the year 1843, or in the beginning of the year 1844, I received the ordinance of anointing in a room in Sister Emma Smith's house in Nauvoo, and the same day, in company with my husband, I received my endowment in the upper room over the Prophet Joseph Smith's store. The endowments were given under the direction of the Prophet Joseph Smith, who afterwards gave us lectures or instructions in regard to the endowment ceremonies. They are the same today as they were then.In the year 1844, a short time before the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, it was my privilege to attend a regular prayer circle meeting in the upper room over the Prophet's store. There were present at this meeting most of the Twelve Apostles, their wives, and a number of other prominent brethren and their wives. On that occasion the Prophet arose and spoke at great length, and during his remarks I heard him say that he had conferred on the heads of the Twelve Apostles all the keys and powers pertaining to the Priesthood, and that upon the heads of the Twelve Apostles the burden of the kingdom rested, and they would have to carry it."[5]

In the year 1844, a short time before the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, it was my privilege to attend a regular prayer circle meeting in the upper room over the Prophet's store. There were present at this meeting most of the Twelve Apostles, their wives, and a number of other prominent brethren and their wives. On that occasion the Prophet arose and spoke at great length, and during his remarks I heard him say that he had conferred on the heads of the Twelve Apostles all the keys and powers pertaining to the Priesthood, and that upon the heads of the Twelve Apostles the burden of the kingdom rested, and they would have to carry it."[5]

At the eighty-seventh birthday anniversary celebration of Elder Benjamin F. Johnson, held at Mesa, Arizona, July 29, 1905, that Patriarch said:

"I speak of things of which I know I was the business partner of Joseph Smith, from my mission until the time of his martyrdom, was as familiar with him as with my brother or my father."Do I know that Brigham Young was the true successor of Joseph Smith? I knew it before the Prophet was martyred, for Joseph had made it known. I was present when the Prophet gave his charge to the Twelve Apostles, when in council, after solemn prayer, he rose up with the light of heaven shining in his countenance, related his experiences with reference to the beginning of this work, the responsibilities placed upon him, the persecutions and hardships through which he had passed. He declared that God had revealed all the truth necessary to save mankind, had given unto him the keys of the kingdom, and he had carried the weight and load thus far, and then, speaking directly to the Twelve, he said: 'I now roll off the burden of this responsibility upon you; I give unto you all the keys and powers bestowed upon me, and I say unto you, that unless you round up your shoulders and bear off this kingdom you will be damned."

"I speak of things of which I know I was the business partner of Joseph Smith, from my mission until the time of his martyrdom, was as familiar with him as with my brother or my father.

"Do I know that Brigham Young was the true successor of Joseph Smith? I knew it before the Prophet was martyred, for Joseph had made it known. I was present when the Prophet gave his charge to the Twelve Apostles, when in council, after solemn prayer, he rose up with the light of heaven shining in his countenance, related his experiences with reference to the beginning of this work, the responsibilities placed upon him, the persecutions and hardships through which he had passed. He declared that God had revealed all the truth necessary to save mankind, had given unto him the keys of the kingdom, and he had carried the weight and load thus far, and then, speaking directly to the Twelve, he said: 'I now roll off the burden of this responsibility upon you; I give unto you all the keys and powers bestowed upon me, and I say unto you, that unless you round up your shoulders and bear off this kingdom you will be damned."

"Before I left Nauvoo, I heard the Prophet Joseph say he would give the Saints a key whereby they would never be led away or deceived, and that was: 'The Lord would never suffer the majority of this people to be led away or deceived by imposters, nor would he allow the records of this Church to fall into the hands of the enemy.' I heard Joseph say this, and I also heard him say that he would roll the burden of the Apostleship upon the quorum of the Twelve. I heard Joseph preach many times; heard him in the last sermon he ever delivered, bear testimony to the truth of the work that God had called him to; also that the Lord had never suffered him to be slain by his enemies, because his work had not been done, until a short time ago. He had now laid the foundation of this work, and rolled the burden of the Priesthood upon the Twelve; and having given them their washings and anointings, they would now bear off this work triumphantly, and it would roll on faster than ever before; and, if the Lord was willing to accept him, he was willing to go."—M. I. A. Era, Vol. 5: 202.

We will now consider the claim that Joseph Smith of the "Reorganization" was properly ordained. We must first know what constitutes a proper ordination.

First. It must be done by those holding authority in the Priesthood who have been properly appointed; otherwise the ordination is not valid.

Second. The ordination must be approved by the body of the Church and sanctioned by the Church, or it is not valid. For there is in the Gospel the law of common consent. Doc. & Cov. Sec. 20:63, 65; 26:2.

Third, If a man exercises his Priesthood contrary to the rules of the Church, or in unrighteousness, Amen to his authority.—Doc. & Cov. 121:27.

Fourth, "Again, I say unto you, it shall not be given to any one to go forth to preach my Gospel, or to build up my Church except he be ordained by some one who has authority, and it is known to the Church that he has authority, and has been regularly ordained by the heads of the Church."—(Sec. 42:11).

The question is, will the ordination of Joseph Smith of the "Reorganization" stand this test? He was "ordained" under the hands of William Marks (mouth), Zenas H. Gurley, William W. Blair and Samuel Powers. Messrs. Blair and Powers never did belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so we will pass them by without consideration, and will take up the cases of William Marks and Zenas H. Gurley separately.

William Marks was president of the Nauvoo stake at the time of the martyrdom, but it is of a more recent period that we are considering him. Did he in 1860 hold the priesthood? William Marks was dropped from his position as president of the Nauvoo stake at a conference of the Church held October 7, 1844. (T. & S., 5: 692).

The whole Church voting not to sustain him, excepting two votes. This action was taken because he supported the claims of Sidney Rigdon and opposed the Twelve and action of the Church. In the December following he acknowledged his error in the following:

NOTICE."After mature and candid deliberation, I am fully and satisfactorily convinced that Mr. Sidney Rigdon's claims to the Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are not founded in truth. I have been deceived by his specious pretenses and now feel to warn every one over whom I may have any influence to beware of him, and his pretended visions and revelations. The Twelve are the proper persons to lead the Church.""WILLIAM MARKS."

NOTICE.

"After mature and candid deliberation, I am fully and satisfactorily convinced that Mr. Sidney Rigdon's claims to the Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are not founded in truth. I have been deceived by his specious pretenses and now feel to warn every one over whom I may have any influence to beware of him, and his pretended visions and revelations. The Twelve are the proper persons to lead the Church."

"WILLIAM MARKS."

After making this acknowledgment he was received back into fellowship, but did not again obtain his former position. Later he became dissatisfied and withdrew from the Church and was excommunicated. During the exodus he joined James J. Strang, and in 1846 was called to be a counselor to James J. Strang in his organization. (History of "Reorganized" Church, 3:723). For a time he was also president of Strang's "Stake of Zion," and also a bishop in his organization (History of "Reorganized" Church, 3:44 and 723). First a "bishop," then "president of the 'Stake of Zion,' and then "counselor" in Strang's presidency. In 1852 he became a member of Charles B. Thompson's church (Reorg. Hist., 3:55 and 3:724). In 1855 he left Thompson and entered into an organization with John E. Page and others (Reorg. Hist., 3:724); and on June 11, 1859, he was received into the "Reorganization" on his original baptism," "and they recognized his original ordination to the Priesthood, although he had been disfellowshiped by the church that conferred that Priesthood. After he was disfellowshiped in 1844 and later left the Church and wandered around through the organizations of James J. Strang, Charles B. Thompson and John E. Page, receiving "ordinations," and honors, and positions, in these movements, he was then received into the "Reorganized" Church on his original baptism. Now, I ask the question in all candor of any fair minded Latter-day Saint—Did he after this, in 1860, have any authority or Priesthood to confer upon Joseph Smith of the "Reorganization," much less the keys and position of president of the High Priesthood; keys that he never did hold?[6]

Zenas H. Gurley, who also laid hands on the head of Joseph in that "ordination," was ordained to the office of a Seventy in Nauvoo in 1844 under the direction of President Joseph Young. Members of the "Reorganization" claim that he was ordained a Seventy in Far West, Mo., in 1838, but this is not the fact. The records in the Historian's office show that this man was ordained in 1844, as I have stated, and the following year—April 6, 1845—he was made the senior president of the Twenty-first quorum of Seventy. He left the Church as did William Marks, and therefore lost his Priesthood and had none to confer on the head of Joseph Smith.

Now the revelation clearly indicates that no man is called to build up the Church unless it is known to the Church that he has been properly ordained to that calling, by the heads of the Church. But these men were not so called. On the 8th of July, 1904, I wrote to Mr. Heman C. Smith, historian of the "Reorganization" as follows:

"In the biographical sketch of Zenas H. Gurley, in the third volume of your Church History, the statement is made that he, (Zenas H. Gurley) was ordained to the office of a Seventy at Far West, Missouri. Would you kindly furnish me with the date of this ordination, and also state the authority on which the statement is made, and oblige."

On the 15th of that month I received the following:

"Replying to yours of July 8, will say that the church record in the Recorder's office shows that Zenas H. Gurley was ordained to the office of Seventy at Far West, Mo., in 1838; day and month are not stated. This appears once in the hand-writing of Isaac Sheen, former church recorder, and once in the handwriting of Henry A. Stebbins, the present church recorder. Elder Stebbins' memory is that he received it directly from Elder Gurley; and it is presumable that Elder Sheen also had the information direct. It is upon the authority of this record that the statement was made in the biographical sketch."

You see they don't know very much about it, it is all presumption. I cannot conceive of any reason why Mr. Gurley would desire to falsify the record, and doubt that he ever made such a statement as the above. The fact is, however, that he was not ordained a Seventy in Far West in 1838, but in Nauvoo in 1844.

Now we will see how much faith they put in the "authority" of Mr. Gurley themselves. January 30, 1905, the following communication was sent to the president of the "Reorganization:"

"Will you be so kind as to answer for me the following questions: Is it a teaching of the 'Reorganized' Church that the quorums of Seventies are limited in number to seven quorums, or do you place a limit on these quorums at all?"Do you recognize as valid any of the ordinations in Nauvoo in 1844-5, of men to the office of Seventy, under the direction of the Twelve Apostles and first council of Seventy, beyond those of the first seven quorums?"In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah, the custom is to ordain Seventies and organize quorums beyond the seventh, and as this practice has been opposed by some of the Elders of the 'Reorganized' Church, I was prompted to inquire if those Elders were in harmony with the doctrines of the Church."

"Do you recognize as valid any of the ordinations in Nauvoo in 1844-5, of men to the office of Seventy, under the direction of the Twelve Apostles and first council of Seventy, beyond those of the first seven quorums?

"In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah, the custom is to ordain Seventies and organize quorums beyond the seventh, and as this practice has been opposed by some of the Elders of the 'Reorganized' Church, I was prompted to inquire if those Elders were in harmony with the doctrines of the Church."

On the 31st of January the following was received:

"There are no provisions as revelations as law to the Church for the organization of more than seven quorums of Seventy; for that reason we do not recognize as valid any of the ordinations in Nauvoo in 1844-5 beyond those of the first seven quorums; and our teaching is that the number is necessarily limited by direct provision of the law."

Thus you see, the president of the "Reorganization" repudiates the Priesthood of the very man who "ordained" him to the office which he pretends to hold. In conclusion let me add that these men did not hold the keys of the kingdom and therefore could not bestow them on another. The organization to which they belong is not the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and all the laying on of hands that they can practice from now till dooms day, will not give one single soul the Priesthood of God, for that can only come through the proper channel—the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. An ordination in the "Reorganized" Church is of no more effect than is an ordination in the Methodist, Presbyterian, or Catholic church, for those officiating do not hold the Priesthood, and are not recognized of God. The Prophet did bestow the keys of the kingdom upon the head of Brigham Young and with him his associates, the Twelve, as we have shown with a multitude of unimpeachable testimony. If it was necessary for all the prophets from Adam to Peter, James and John to confer their keys upon the head of Joseph Smith (See D. & C., 110 and 128 sections), notwithstanding he has been ordained to the Priesthood by angels, then in all reason we must hold that it is necessary for him to bestow the same power and keys of the kingdom on others which the evidence shows that he did. The men who ordained Joseph Smith of the "Reorganization" were not regularly ordained and did not hold the keys of the kingdom. The Apostles constituted the second quorum in the Church and were sustained in their calling as the First Presidency of the Church by the vote of the people August 8, 1844, and again at the fall conference in October of that same year.

I call the attention of the Latter-day Saints once more to the fact previously mentioned (section 43:4-6) that there is but one at a time who holds the keys and the right to receive revelation for the Church, and that man is the President of the Church. And when the First Presidency is disorganized through the death of the President, then, according to revelation, the Twelve Apostles become the presiding quorum of the Church, and then, if the Lord has any revelations to give to His people they will come through the proper channels—the President of the Twelve. If we will keep this in mind it will be a key to us as the Lord intended that it should be, by which we may gage and weigh the pretended revelations of men. When we see this man, or that man, or perhaps that woman, or child, giving revelations as was the case in the "Reorganized" Church when Jason W. Briggs, Zenas H. Gurley, Henry H. Deam and the daughter of Zenas H. Gurley, received "revelations" bearing on the organization of their cult, we will know assuredly that these things are not of God. The Lord will never ignore the presiding officer and quorum of the Church, for he respects authority, as He requires us to respect authority. And it will always be a key to us, if we will bear it in mind, that whenever He has a revelation or commandment to give to His people that it will come through the presiding officer of the Church. This is plainly taught in the revelations.

If there is within the sound of my voice one soul who has not received a testimony of this work, and that Brigham Young was the right man in the right place, and the rightful successor, and so on down to the present day, then I say to you, when you go home go before the Lord in the spirit of repentance, and humility, and prayer, and ask Him in faith for that knowledge and He will hear your prayers. There is no reason why any man should be deceived, for the Lord has promised us that we shall receive if we ask and if we knock it shall be opened unto us. By keeping the commandments of God, all men may know of this work that it is true. If you will do this, then when these deceivers and pretenders, these men who delight in destroying your faith, come to you saying that you are in the dark, you can say to them, get behind me, for I will not be deceived by you. I know we have the truth, that this is the work of the Lord, that Jesus is the Redeemer of the world, and that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God and was called to stand at the head of this dispensation, and those keys and that position he will ever hold. He was not a fallen Prophet, but died a martyr to this work. May God bless you. Amen.

1.Serious objection is raised to this line of argument by the author of the "defense," who attempts to place me in a false position by imputing to me expressions that are not here conveyed. Had he been honest in his argument he would have fairly presented what I have had to say; but this he has studiously avoided throughout his reply. Here he argues that the provisions in these revelations regarding a "successor" were not limited in their scope, but were to be carried out during the life of Joseph Smith. I respectfully call his attention to an editorial in theSaints' Heraldof August 18, 1888. At that time Joseph Smith, his president, and William W. Blair, counselor, were the editors of theHerald. The article is called "The Power to Perpetuate the Church." After quoting these passages the author—presumably the editor, or his assistant, for it is an editorial—continues:

(d) "The authority to ordain is given unto the Church.

(e) " 'Verily, I say unto you, the keys of this kingdom shall never be taken from you, while thou art in the world, neither in the world to come; nevertheless, through you shall the oracles be given to another; yea, even unto the Church.'

(f) "This language was addressed to Joseph Smith, the one who had been appointed of God to hold and exercise the gift to receive commandments and revelations for the Church, two full years after it was said through himthat if he fell away he should have power only to appoint one in his stead. The saying is preceded by the statement that the sins of Joseph Smith had been forgiven him, and he should bear the keys from thenceforth.

(g) "Joseph Smith was taken away dying a martyr, of which death he was conscious and made preparation before it occurred. He was not accused of the Lord of transgression and the gift that had been conferred upon him taken from him; nor was there a command given him to appoint another in his stead because he had been unworthy and the Lord proposed to depose him from his office.It was only in the event of the gift being taken from him that he was to so appoint another. This event did not occur. * * *

"If Joseph Smith had been adjudged unworthy to longer bear the "keys" and exercise the "gift," which had been conferred upon him, he was under obligation to declare it, at the command of God, and to designate who the Lord had ordained to act in his stead.The fact that no such declaration was made, is strong proof that no command came from God, andno one was so designated to act in his steadwhile he was still living. This proof is made stronger still by the declaration made by Joseph Smith just before his death: "I go as a lamb to the slaughter."

(h) "If Joseph Smith continued to abide in Christ, which all must admit that he did, in that case the gift conferred was to continue with him; not only in the present world, the life of the flesh, but the keys were to remain with him in the world to come. But that no harm could come to the Church, and the elders be put in possession of a key to the situation in case Joseph Smith should be taken,they were told that there was no one other than he appointed until he was taken, and that when this should occur the oracles should be given to the Church.

(k) "The command, 'Nevertheless through you shall the oracles be given unto the Church,' is equivalent to the saying, Until Joseph Smith be taken he shall continue to act in the office unto which he is called, and shall continue to exercise the gifts conferred upon him; but when he is taken,thenthe oracles and the power conferred in themare lodged with, or in the Church, to be exercised and observed in accordance with the revelations and commandments given to and accepted by the Church, from God through him, up to the time he should be taken."

The writer then quotes sec. 87, paragraph 5, Reorganite Doctrine and Covenants, and continues:

(n) "This commandment was given to Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams. The latter died before Joseph Smith did; and whatever may have been the rights of Sidney Rigdon at the death of Joseph Smith, he was not permitted to stand in Joseph's stead nor act as his successor. This confirms the thought that Joseph was to continue in the exercise of the gift conferred upon him, during his life, andwas not to be compelled to appoint another in his stead." (My italics throughout.)

We concur.

2.Of this the "defense" says: "Our friend's idea is that 'the order of this priesthood;' refers to the office of evangelist in particular rather than to the Melchizedek priesthood in general, although the latter is under consideration not only on the page from which the quotation is taken, but also on the following page and on the two preceding."

It does refer to the priesthood of the evangelist, and only by a deliberate twisting of the Scriptures can it be made to apply to the Melchizedek Priesthood in general; it does not read that way. In the verses preceding theofficesof the priesthood have been defined also the duties of the officers. The paragraphs immediately preceding speak of the High Councils.

Verse 38 declares that the traveling High Council shall call upon the Seventy when they need assistance, then verse 39 says it is the duty of the Twelve to ordain evangelical ministers. From and including verse 40 to 57, is parenthetical and is explanatory of the office of the Evangelist. Verse 58 continues: "It is the duty of the Twelve,alsoto ordain and set in orderall other officersin the Church. Only by misconstruing the revelation can this be given the appearance of applying to the Melchizedek Priesthood.

The critic says: "If it said 'thisofficeof the Priesthood,' there might be some shadow of reason in his contention, but it does not." Is our friend not aware of the fact that the office of the Evangelist (Patriarch) is spoken of as an order of Priesthood? The Lord said pertaining to Hyrum Smith: "That my servant Hyrum may take the office ofPriesthoodand Patriarch which was appointed unto him by his father, by blessing and also by right." (Sec. 124:91). And in the blessing of Hyrum by his brother Joseph at Kirtland: "He shall stand in the tracks of his father, and be numbered among those who hold the right of PatriarchalPriesthood, even the EvangelicalPriesthoodand power shall be upon him." It is spoken of as an order of Priesthood, although a part of the Melchizedek Priesthood, just as the Levitical is spoken of as an order, included in the Aaronic Priesthood.

3.The "defense" writer says: "There is not a scrap of evidence that Moses confirmed upon Joshua a particle of Priesthood—merely the civil leadership" The Scriptures say: "And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom;for Moses had laid his hands upon him; and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the Lord commanded Moses." (Deut. 34:9). He may, of course, quibble because it does not say he gave him "the priesthood" when he laid hands upon him; but surely he did not lay hands on Joshua merely to give him civil leadership. It was by the power of the Priesthood that he led Israel and commanded the sun and moon, he could have done it by no other power. In regard to the others mentioned here who were ordained, the "defender" is absolutely silent.

4.Of this argument and the testimony that follows the "defense" writer remains silent, the editor of the Herald, however, takes exception to the statement that Lyman Wight was at the meeting on the 8th of August, having refused to attend. He says: "Heber C. Kimball and George Miller came to his house, in her presence, (L. Wight's oldest daughter) with a summons from Brigham Young to appear, which he declined to do, declaring that the Twelve were usurping authority. This resulted in a personal encounter during which Miller was forcibly evicted from the room by Wight and Kimball followed without awaiting the enforcement of the order."

If Lyman Wight refused to attend that meeting then he is incompetent to say that the Apostles were usurping authority, for he knew nothing about it. Moreover, if this statement is true it merely shows the bitter apostate spirit manifested by Lyman Wight at that time. It was his duty to meet with the Twelve and if things were not going as he thought they should he had the privilege of stating his feelings; this he refused to do, if the statement is correct. His hasty unchristian-like action and sulking in his house does not redound to the credit of the man.

5.Blood Atonement and Origin of Plural Marriage, p. 104.

6.Here are a few items in the history of William Marks after he left the Church and was excommunicated.

At a conference held at Voree, April 6, 1846, "On motion of William Marks * * * James J. Strang unanimously called to the chair as President of the Conference." "On motion of Elder William Marks, it was unanimously resolved that this church receive, acknowledge, and uphold James J. Strang as President of this church, Prophet, Seer, Revelator, and Translator, with our faith and prayers."—Voree Record.

April 8, 1846: "The First Presidency presented William Marks for the office of Bishop of the Church and on motion of Apostle John E. Page, resolved unanimously (that he) be sustained."—Voree Record.

Aug. 26, 1849: "Brother William Marks was then ordained, consecrated and set apart as Apostle of the Lord, Jesus Christ, a Counselor to the Prophet, one of the First Presidency, and a Prophet of the Most High God, under the hands of Presidents Strang and Adams."

"Brother William Marks was anointed,ordainedand set apart to administer baptism for the dead, under the hands of Presidents Strang and Adams."—Voree Record.

Previously, William Marks had forsaken James J. Strang, and January, 1849, James J. Strang had a "revelation" in which he said: "Behold my servant, William Marks, has gone far astray in departing from me, yet I will give unto him a little space, that he may return and receive my word, and stand in his place; for I remember his works that he has done in the time that is past. If he will return and abide faithful, I will make him great, and his possessions shall be great, and he shall possess a city, and his children shall dwell therein; a nation shall call him Blessed."

Well, he returned, and at the conference August 25, 1849, arose and said: "He ought to make a confession to the Saints fornotacting in his calling and also to ask their forgiveness. Gave a brief history of the course he had pursued after the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph, testified that he had ever had the fullest confidence in the work of the last days, and knew it was of God, and was now determined by the help of God to go forth in the discharge of his duty and act in the place in which he was called by revelation of God through His servant James" [J. Strang].—Voree Record.

He was received back and sustained.

In the year 1852 he joined Charles B. Thompson's organization and was "ordained" "Chief evangelitical teacher of the School of Faith in Jehovah's Presbytery of Zion." Acting in this calling he wrote an epistle to "the School of Faith to all the traveling teacher's quorums and classes of said school, and Jehovah's presbytery of Zion." In that epistle he said:

"Well Brethren: I have lived to see the foundation and the platform laid, the principles revealed and the order given, whereby the great work of the Father can, and will be accomplished.There is no doubt resting on my mind in reference to this work of Baneemy being the work of God, for I am fully convinced that it is the work it purports to be, the work of the Father spoken of in the Book of Mormon, to prepare the way for the restoration of His covenants to the house of Israel. Now, all who are convinced of this fact ought to move forward and take a decided stand to labor for Jehovah and the benefit of Mankind. I intend from this time, henceforth, to labor in the cause and give my influence and substance to speed the work." (Harbinger and Organ, Vol. 3:52-3-4).

This is his testimony when with Thompson. He later organized a quorum at Batavia, and appointed James Blakeslee—a man who was excommunicated from the Church May 18, 1844, with Francis M. Higbee, Charles Ivans and Austin Cowles, for apostasy—chief, and Jehial Savage teacher. "After this he joined John E. Page's organization, forgetting how faithful he had promised to be in Thompson's organization, and later (1859) connected himself with the "New Organization." He was not one of the true fold, for:

"When he [the true Shepherd] putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers."—(John 10:4-5).

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