Chapter IX: Priesthood (2)

LEADERS MUST BE COURAGEOUS. One of the highest qualities of all true leadership is a high standard of courage. When we speak of courage and leadership we are using terms that stand for the quality of life by which men determine consciously the proper course to pursue and stand with fidelity to their convictions. There has never been a time in the Church when its leaders were not required to be courageous men; not alone courageous in the sense that they were able to meet physical dangers, but also in the sense that they were steadfast and true to a clear and upright conviction.

Leaders of the Church, then, should be men not easily discouraged, not without hope, and not given to forebodings of all sorts of evils to come. Above all things the leaders of the people should never disseminate a spirit of gloom in the hearts of the people. If men standing in high places sometimes feel the weight and anxiety of momentous times, they should be all the firmer and all the more resolute in those convictions which come from a God-fearing conscience and pure lives. Men in their private lives should feel the necessity of extending encouragement to the people by their own hopeful and cheerful intercourse with them, as they do by their utterances in public places. It is a matter of the greatest importance that the people be educated to appreciate and cultivate the bright side of life rather than to permit its darkness and shadows to hover over them.

In order to successfully overcome anxieties in reference {194} to questions that require time for their solution, an absolute faith and confidence in God and in the triumph of his work are essential.

The most momentous questions and the greatest dangers to personal happiness are not always met and solved within oneself, and if men cannot courageously meet the difficulties, and obstacles of their own individual lives and natures, how are they to meet successfully those public questions in which the welfare and happiness of the public are concerned? Men, then, who are called to leadership should be alarmed at the possession of a disposition filled with forebodings and misgivings and doubts and constant wonderments. Clouds, threatening storms, frequently rise in the horizon of life and pass by as speedily as they came, so the problems and difficulties and dangers that beset us are not always met and solved, nor overcome by our individual effort nor by our efforts collectively.

It is not discreditable to a man to say, "I don't know," to questions whose solution lies wholly within some divine purpose whose end it is not given man clearly to foresee. It is, however, unfortunate when men and women allow such questions, questions which time and patience alone can solve, to discourage them and to defeat their own efforts in the accomplishment of their chosen lives and professions. In leaders undue impatience and a gloomy mind are almost unpardonable, and it sometimes takes almost as much courage to wait as to act. It is to be hoped, then, that the leaders of God's people, and the people themselves, will not feel that they must have at once a solution of every question that arises to disturb the even tenor of their way.--_Juvenile Instructor,_ Vol. 38, p. 339, 1903.

DUTIES OF OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH. The Lord here especially demands of the men who stand at the head of this Church, and who are responsible for the guidance and direction of the people of God, that they shall see to it that the {195} law of God is kept. It is our duty to do this.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1899, p. 41.

TRUTH WILL UNITE US: WORDS TO CHURCH OFFICERS. The truth will never divide councils of the priesthood. It will never divide presidents from their counselors, nor counselors from their presidents, nor members of the Church from one another, nor from the Church. The truth will unite us and cement us together. It will make us strong, for it is a foundation that cannot be destroyed. Therefore, when bishops and their counselors do not see eye to eye, or when presidents and their counselors have any difference whatever in their sentiments or in their policy, it is their duty to get together, to go before the Lord together and humble themselves before him until they get revelation from the Lord and see the truth alike, that they may go before their people unitedly. It is the duty of the presidents of stakes and high councilors to meet often, to pray together, to counsel together, to learn each other's spirit, to understand each other, and unite together, that there may be no dissension nor division among them. The same with the bishops and their counselors. The same may be said of the councils of the priesthood from first to last. Let them get together and become united in their understanding of what is right, just and true, and then go as one man to the accomplishment of the purpose they have in view.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1907, pp. 4, 5.

OFFICERS TO SET THE EXAMPLE. The Lord will make a record also and out of that shall the whole world be judged. And you men bearing the holy priesthood--you apostles, presidents, bishops, and high priests in Zion--will be called upon to be the judges of the people. Therefore, it is expected that you shall set the standard for them to attain to, and see that they shall live according to the spirit of the gospel, do their duty, and keep the commandments of the Lord. You shall make a record of their acts. You shall {196} record when they are baptized, when they are confirmed, and when they receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. You shall record when they come to Zion, their membership in the Church. You shall record whether they attend to their duties as priests, teachers or deacons, as elders, seventies or high priests. You shall write their works, as the Lord says here. You shall record their tithings and give them credit for that which they do; and the Lord will determine the difference between the credit which they make for themselves and the credit which they should make. The Lord will judge between us in that respect; but we shall judge the people, first requiring them to do their duty. In order to do that, those who stand at the head must set the example. They must walk in the right path, and invite the people to follow them. They should not seek to drive the people; they should not seek to become rulers; but they should be brethren and leaders of the people.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1901, p. 72.

DUTY OF THE HOLY PRIESTHOOD. It is the duty of this vast body of men holding the holy priesthood, which is after the order of the Son of God, to exert their influence and exercise their power for good among the people of Israel and the people of the world. It is their bounden duty to preach and to work righteousness, both at home and abroad.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1901, p. 83.

HOW TO VOTE ON CHURCH PROPOSITIONS. We desire that the brethren and sisters will all feel the responsibility of expressing their feelings in relation to the propositions that may be put before you. We do not want any man or woman who is a member of the Church to violate their conscience. Of course, we are not asking apostates or non-members of the Church to vote on the authorities of the Church. We only ask for members of the Church in good standing to vote on the propositions that shall be put before {197} you, and we would like all to vote as they feel, whether for or against.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1902, p. 83.

ORDER OF VOTING FOR OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH. The Presidency of the Church will first express their mind, thus indicating, at least in some degree, the mind of the Spirit and the suggestions from the head. Then the proposition will be submitted to the apostles, for them to show their willingness or otherwise to sustain the action of the First Presidency. It will then go to the patriarchs, and they will have the privilege of showing whether they will sustain the action that has been taken; then to the presidents of stakes and counselors and the high councilors; then to the high priests (that office in the Melchizedek Priesthood which holds the keys of presidency); next the traveling elders--the seventies--will be called to express their feelings; and then the elders; then the bishoprics of the Church and the lesser priesthood, and after them the whole congregation. All the members of the Church present will have the privilege of expressing their views in relation to the matters which shall be proposed, by a rising vote and by the uplifted band.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1901, p. 73.

OFFICERS DEPENDENT ON VOICE OF PEOPLE. It is well understood that we meet together in general conference twice a year for the purpose of presenting the names of those who have been chosen as presiding officers in the Church, and it is understood that those who occupy these positions are dependent upon the voice of the people for the continuance of the authority, the rights and privileges they exercise. The female members of this Church have the same privilege of voting to sustain their presiding officers as the male members of the Church, and the vote of a sister in good standing counts in every way equal with the vote of a brother.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1904, p. 73.

NEARLY ALL MALE MEMBERS HOLD THE PRIESTHOOD; RESPONSIBILITY. We want the people to understand, and {198} we would like the world to understand, the great fact that it is not the prominent leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that wield all the influence among the people of this Church. We want it understood that we have fewer lay members in this Church, in proportion to the number of our membership, than you will find in any other church upon the globe. Nearly every man in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds the Melchizedek or the Aaronic Priesthood, and may act in an official capacity by authority of that priesthood whenever called upon to do so. They are priests and kings, if you please, unto God in righteousness. Out of this vast body of priests we call and ordain or set apart our presidents of stakes, our counselors, our high councilors, our bishops and their counselors, our seventies, our high priests, and our elders, upon whom rests the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel of eternal truth to all the world, and upon whom also rests the great and glorious responsibility of maintaining the dignity, the honor and the sacredness of that calling and priesthood. So that nearly every male person in the Church, who has reached the years of accountability, is supposed to be, in his sphere, a pillar in Zion, a defender of the faith, an exemplar, a man of righteousness, truth and soberness, a man of virtue and of honor, a good citizen of the state in which he lives, and a staunch and loyal citizen of the great country that we are proud to call our home.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1903, p. 73.

MANY HOLD THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD. Although we may enjoy a little advantage over the rest of the congregation, for my part I could stay here a week longer to hear the testimonies of my brethren, and to give to the world an opportunity to see and know that the priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not confined to one man, nor to three men, nor to fifteen men, but that there are thousands of men in Zion who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood, which is after the order of the Son of God, {199} and who possess keys of authority and power to minister for life and salvation among the people of the world. I would like to give the world an opportunity to see what we are, to hear what we know, and to understand what our business is, and what we intend to do, by the help of the Lord._--Oct. C. R.,_ 1903, p. 73.

PRIESTHOOD QUORUMS' RESPONSIBILITIES. We expect to see the day, if we live long enough (and if some of us do not live long enough to see it, there are others who will), when every council of the Priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will understand its duty; will assume its own responsibility, will magnify its calling, and fill its place in the Church, to the uttermost, according to the intelligence and ability possessed by it. When that day shall come, there will not be so much necessity for work that is now being done by the auxiliary organizations, because it will be done by the regular quorums of the priesthood. The Lord designed and comprehended it from the beginning, and he has made provision in the Church whereby every need may be met and satisfied through the regular organizations of the priesthood. It has truly been said that the Church is perfectly organized. The only trouble is that these organizations are not fully alive to the obligations that rest upon them. When they become thoroughly awakened to the requirements made of them, they will fulfil their duties more faithfully, and the work of the Lord will be all the stronger and more powerful and influential in the world.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1906, p. 3.

WHAT IS PRIESTHOOD? Honor that power and authority which we call the Holy Priesthood, which is after the order of the Son of God, and which has been conferred upon man by God himself. Honor that priesthood. What is that priesthood? It is nothing more and nothing less than divine authority committed unto man from God. That is the principle that we should honor. We hold the keys of {200} that authority and priesthood ourselves; it has been conferred upon the great masses of the Latter-day Saints. It has, indeed, I may say, been bestowed upon many who were not worthy to receive it and who have not magnified it, and who have brought disgrace upon themselves and upon the priesthood which was conferred upon them. The priesthood of the Son of God cannot be exercised in any degree of unrighteousness; neither will its power, its virtue and authority abide with him who is corrupt, who is treacherous in his soul toward God and toward his fellowmen. It will not abide in force and power with him who does not honor it in his life by complying with the requirements of heaven.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1904, p. 3.

WHERE AND HOW COUNSEL SHOULD BE SOUGHT. The attention of the young men in the Church is called to the need of conforming to the order of the Church in matters of difficulty that may arise between brethren, and members and officers, and also in other things where counsel is sought.

The youth of Zion should remember that the foundation principle in settling difficulties lies in the persons themselves who are in difficulty making the adjustments and settlements. If those who vary cannot adjust their differences, it is infinitely more difficult, if not impossible, for a third or fourth party to create harmony between them. In any event, such outside parties can only aid the contending persons to come to an understanding.

But, in case it is necessary to call in the priesthood as a third party, there is a proper order in which this should be done. If no conclusion can be arrived at, in a difficulty or difference between two members of the Church, the ward teachers should be called to assist; failing then, appeal may be made to the bishop, then to the high council of the stake, and only after the difficulty has been tried before that body should the matter ever come before the general presiding {201} quorum of the Church. It is wrong to disregard any of these authorized steps, or authorities.

This matter is generally understood in cases of difficulty, but does not seem to be so well understood in what may be termed smaller, but nevertheless quite as weighty subjects. We often find instances where the counsel and advice and judgment of the priesthood next in order is entirely overlooked, or completely disregarded. Men go to the president of the stake for counsel when in reality, they should consult their teachers or bishop; and often come to the First Presidency, apostles or seventies, when the president of their stake has never been spoken to. This is wrong, and not at all in compliance with the order of the Church. The priesthood of the ward should never be overlooked in any case where the stake authorities are consulted; nor should the stake authorities be disregarded, that the counsel of the general authorities may be obtained. Such a course of disregarding the proper local officers is neither in conformity with the Church instructions and organization, nor conducive to good order. It creates confusion. Every officer in the Church has been placed in his position to magnify the same, to be a guardian and counselor of the people. All should be consulted and respected in their positions, and never overlooked in their places.

In this way only can prevail that harmony and unity which are characteristic of the Church of Christ. The responsibility also of this great work is thus placed upon the laboring priesthood, who share it with the general authorities; and thus likewise, the perfection, strength and power of Church organization shine forth with clearer lustre.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol. 5, p. 230; Jan. 1902.

PARENTS SHOULD BE CONSULTED. One of the first duties that a young man owes in the world is his duty to his father and mother. The commandment which God gave early in the history of the Israelites: "Honor thy father and {202} thy mother," was accompanied with a promise that holds good to this day; namely: "That thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

With obedience naturally comes that respect and consideration for his parents that should characterize a noble youth. They stand as the head of the family, the patriarch, the mother, the rulers; and no child should fail to consult them and obtain counsel from them throughout his whole career under the parental roof.

This feeling should be respected by the Church. Hence, officers who desire to use the services of a young man in any capacity for the business of the Church, should not fail to consult the father before the call is made. We have instances where young men have even been called to fulfil important missions; their names having been suggested to the Church by bishops of wards, or by presidents of quorums, without the father having been consulted whatever. The parents have been entirely overlooked. This is neither desirable nor right, nor is it in conformity with the order of the Church, or the laws that God instituted from the early times. The Church is patriarchal in its character and nature, and it is highly proper and right that the head of the family, the father, should be consulted by officers in all things that pertain to the calling of his children to any of the duties in the Church. No one understands as well as the father, the conditions that surround the family, and what is best for his children; his wishes should therefore be consulted and respected.

Our elders would justly think it wrong to baptize a wife without the consent of her husband, and children without the consent of the parents. So also, it is improper for any officer in the Church to call the children in any family, as long as they are under the care and keeping of the parents, to receive any ordination, or to perform any calling in the Church, without first consulting the parents.

{203} The family organization lies at the basis of all true government, and too much stress cannot be placed upon the importance of the government in the family being as perfect as possible, nor upon the fact that in all instances respect therefore should be upheld.

Young men should be scrupulously careful to impress upon their minds the necessity of consulting with father and mother in all that pertains to their actions in life. Respect and veneration for parents should be inculcated into the hearts of the young people of the Church--father and mother to be respected, their wishes to be regarded--and in the heart of every child should be implanted this thought of esteem and consideration for parents which characterized the families of the ancient patriarchs.

God is at the head of the human race; we look up to him as the Father of all. We cannot please him more than by regarding and respecting and honoring our fathers and our mothers, who are the means of our existence here upon the earth.

I desire, therefore, to impress upon the officers of the Church the necessity of consulting fathers in all things that pertain to the calling of their sons to the priesthood, and to the labors of the Church, that the respect and veneration which children should show for parents may not be disturbed by the Church, nor overstepped by its officers. In this way harmony and good will are made to prevail; and the sanction of the families and the family life, on which the government of the Church is based and perpetuated, will thus be added to the calls of the holy priesthood, insuring unity, strength and power in its every action.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol. 5, p. 307. Feb., 1902.

PROPER USE OF TITLES OF THE PRIESTHOOD. There is also another point in this connection to which attention may profitably be drawn. It is the too frequent use in the ordinary conversation of the Saints of the titles "Prophet, Seer {204} and Revelator," "Apostles," etc. These titles are too sacred to be used indiscriminately in our common talk. There are occasions when they are quite proper and in place, but in our every-day conversations it is sufficient honor to address any brother holding the Melchizedek Priesthood as elder. The term elder is a general one, applying to all those who hold the higher priesthood, whether they be apostles, patriarchs, high priests or seventies; and to address a brother as Apostle So-and-So, or Patriarch Such-a-One, in the common talk of business, and the like, is using titles too sacred to be in place on such occasions. It, in a lesser degree, partakes of the character of that evil of which we are so often warned--the too frequent use of the name of that Holy Being whom we worship, and of his Son, our Redeemer. To avoid this evil the Saints in ancient days called the holy priesthood after the great high priest Melchizedek, while the royal and correct title is, "The priesthood after the order of the Son of God." The use of all these titles continuously and indiscriminately savors somewhat of blasphemy, and is not pleasing to our heavenly Father.--_Juvenile Instructor,_ Vol. 38, p. 20; Jan. 1, 1903.

ALL OFFICERS OF THE PRIESTHOOD NECESSARY AND SHOULD BE RESPECTED. I believe it to be the duty of the Church to recognize and acknowledge every man who holds an official position in it, in his sphere and in his calling. I hold to the doctrine that the duty of a teacher is as sacred as the duty of an apostle, in the sphere in which he is called to act, and that every member of the Church is as much in duty bound to honor the teacher who visits him in his home, as he is to honor the office and counsel of the presiding quorum of the Church. They all have the priesthood; they are all acting in their callings, and they are all essential in their places, because the Lord has appointed them and set them in his Church. We cannot ignore them; or, if we do, the sin will be upon our heads.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1902, p. 86.

{205} CHECKS UPON CHURCH MEMBERS. I say that when these members of the Church are in error or doing wrong, we have the check on them in the first place in the wards; bishops look after them; then their quorums to which they belong have jurisdiction and they are required to look after them, too, and then after the quorums look after them the presidencies of the stakes look after them and see that they are helped; that they are strengthened; that they are admonished; that they are warned, and that they are applauded when they do their duties and keep the commandments of the Lord. So the Lord has placed a great many checks upon the members of the Church with a view to teaching them right principles, to help them to do right, to live right and to be pure and clean from the sins of the world, that the body of the Church may be perfected, that it may be free from disease, from all contagious evils, just as the body of the man Jesus Christ is free from all taint, evil and sin. So God has placed these safeguards in the Church, from the deacons to the apostles, and to the presidency of the Church, with a view of persuading men and women to keep themselves pure and unspotted from the world and to help them to be faithful to their covenants entered into with one another and with their God.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1913, pp. 6, 7.

THE PRIESTHOOD SHOULD KNOW SECTION 107 OF THE DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS. I now say to the brethren of the priesthood--the high priests, the seventies, the elders and the lesser priesthood--magnify your callings; study the scriptures; read the 107th section of the Doctrine and Covenants on priesthood; learn that revelation, which was given through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and live by its precepts and doctrine, and you will gain power and intelligence to straighten out many kinks that have heretofore existed in your minds, and to clear up many doubts and uncertainties in relation to the rights of the priesthood. God gave that word to us. It is in force today in the Church and in the {206} world, and it contains instruction to the priesthood and the people in relation to their duties, which every elder should know.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1902, p. 88.

WHO IS FIT TO PRESIDE? Every man should be willing to be presided over; and he is not fit to preside over others until he can submit sufficiently to the presidency of his brethren.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol. 21, p. 105.

OBLIGATIONS OF THE PRIESTHOOD. Think what it means to hold keys of authority which--if exercised in wisdom and in righteousness--are bound to be respected by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost! Do you honor this Priesthood? Do you respect the office and honor the key of authority that you possess in the Melchizedek Priesthood, which is after the order of the Son of God? Will you, who hold this priesthood, profane the name of Deity? Would you be riotous, and eat and drink with the drunken, with the unbelieving and with the profane? Would you, holding that priesthood, forget your prayers, and fail to remember the Giver of all good? Would you, holding that priesthood, and possessing the right and authority from God to administer in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, violate the confidence and the love of God, the hope and desire of the Father of all of us? For, in bestowing that key and blessing upon you, he desires and expects you to magnify your calling. Would you, as an elder in the Church of Jesus Christ, dishonor your wife or your children? Would you desert the mother of your children, the wife of your bosom, the gift of God to you, which is more precious than life itself? For without the woman the man is not perfect in the Lord, no more than the woman is perfect without the man. Will you honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy? Will you observe the law of tithing and all the other requirements of the gospel? Will you carry with you at all times the spirit of prayer and the desire to do good? Will you teach your children the principles of life and salvation {207} so that when they are eight years old they will desire baptism, of their own accord?--_Improvement Era,_ Vol. 21, December, 1917, pp. 105-6.

HOW HONOR FOR THOSE WHO BEAR THE PRIESTHOOD IS BEGOTTEN. If you will honor the holy priesthood in yourself first, you will honor it in those who preside over you, and those who administer in the various callings, throughout the Church.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol. 21 December, 1917, p. 106.

PRIESTHOOD MEMBERSHIP ROLLS. First.--Each quorum should have one roll only and every person holding the Priesthood should be enrolled in the quorum having jurisdiction in the ward where his Church membership is recorded. The practice of keeping a supplemental or inactive roll is not approved.

Second.--Recommends from one quorum to another are not required. The present arrangement for admitting members in the quorum is already published as follows:

"The certificate of ordination should be carefully preserved by the person ordained; and, whenever necessary, it should be presented to the proper authority as an evidence of his ordination. Upon this evidence he should be admitted to membership in the usual manner by the quorum having jurisdiction in the ward or stake where he resides, provided he has been accepted as a member of the ward. If he does not possess a certificate of ordination, and the recommend upon which he is received in the ward names his Priesthood and ordination, it should be accepted as evidence that he holds that office, provided there is no evidence to the contrary and provided he has been admitted as a member of the ward in full fellowship."

Third.--When a person holding the Priesthood removes from one ward to another, and is accepted as a member of the ward into which he moves, it becomes the duty of the ward clerk to notify the president of the quorum {208} of the arrival of this person. The new member should present his certificate of ordination as evidence that he holds the Priesthood, and upon that certificate he should be presented for admission to membership in the quorum to which members of that ward holding the same Priesthood belong. It is the duty of the ward clerk to report at the next ward weekly Priesthood meeting the arrival of any person holding the Priesthood, and every such newly arrived member should be enrolled in the proper class, whether he has attended a class meeting or not.

Fourth.--When a member holding the Priesthood becomes a member of the ward, the proper quorum officer having jurisdiction should look after him and see that he becomes enrolled in the quorum.

Fifth.--It is the duty of the secretary of a High Priests' or Elders' quorum to prepare certificates of ordination, and to have them signed by the proper officers, presented to the ward clerk to be entered upon the ward record, and then delivered to the persons in whose favor they are issued. Seventies' certificates of ordination are issued by the First Council of Seventy. When a person is ordained a Seventy, by any other person than a member of the First Council, the proper quorum officers should immediately notify the First Council of Seventy, requesting a certificate of ordination to be mailed or delivered to the quorum officer, and after it has been entered on the quorum record and the ward record it should be delivered to the person in whose favor it is issued.

Sixth.--When a quorum withdraws its fellowship from one of its members, a report of the action of the quorum should be sent to the bishop of the ward.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol. 19, pp. 752-753.

ALL SHOULD EXERCISE THEIR AUTHORITY. A deacon in the Church should exercise the authority of that calling in the priesthood, and honor that position as sincerely and faithfully as a high priest or an apostle should his calling, {209} feeling that he bears a portion of the responsibility of the kingdom of God in the world, in common with all his brethren. Every man should feel in his heart the necessity of doing his part in the great latter-day work. All should seek to be instrumental in rolling it forth. More especially is it the duty of every one who possesses any portion of the authority of the holy priesthood to magnify and honor that calling, and nowhere can we begin to do so to better advantage than right here, within ourselves and when we have cleaned the inside of the platter, cleansed our own hearts, corrected our own lives, fixed our minds upon doing our whole duty toward God and man, we will be prepared to wield an influence for good in the family circle, in society, and in all the walks of life.--_Deseret Weekly News,_ Vol. 24, p. 708.

THE LEADERS OF ISRAEL. These mighty men who sit before this stand clothed with power from Almighty God, are not self-called. They have not been chosen by man. They have not chosen themselves, but they have been called by the power of the Almighty to stand in high places in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as presidents, as fathers to the people, as counselors, as judges, and as leaders, walking in the way that the people of God should follow them into all truth and into the possession of greater light, greater power and wisdom and understanding. God bless you, my brethren. And while you stand united, as you have stood in the past, and as you have manifested your union here during this conference, so God will magnify you before your flocks and in the midst of your people, and will increase your power and your strength to do good and to accomplish his purposes, until you shall be satisfied with your labors and have exceeding great joy therein; and your people will rise up and call you blessed, they will pray for you and sustain you by their faith and good works.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1905, p. 94.

{210} A TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH SMITH AND HIS SUCCESSORS. I bear my testimony to you and to the world, that Joseph Smith was raised up by the power of God to lay the foundations of this great latter-day work, to reveal the fulness of the gospel to the world in this dispensation, to restore the priesthood of God to the world, by which men may act in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and it will be accepted of God; it will be by his authority. I bear my testimony to it; I know that it is true.

I bear my testimony to the divine authority of those who have succeeded the Prophet Joseph Smith in the presidency of this Church. They were men of God. I knew them; I was intimately associated with them, and as one man may know another, through the intimate knowledge that he possesses of him, so I can bear testimony to the integrity, to the honor, to the purity of life, to the intelligence, and to the divinity of the mission and calling of Brigham, of John, of Wilford, and of Lorenzo. They were inspired of God to fill the mission to which they were called, and I know it. I thank God for that testimony and for the Spirit that prompts me and impels me towards these men, toward their mission, toward this people, toward my God and my Redeemer. I thank the Lord for it, and I pray earnestly that it may never depart from me--worlds without end.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1910, pp. 4, 5.

GOODNESS OF THE LEADERS OF THE CHURCH. I have served from my youth up along with such men as Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards, George A. Smith, Jedediah M. Grant, Daniel H. Wells, John Taylor, George Q. Cannon, and Wilford Woodruff and his associates, and Lorenzo Snow and his associates, the members of the twelve apostles, the seventies, and the high priests in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than sixty years; and, that my word may be heard by every stranger within the sound of my voice, I want to testify to {211} you that better men than these have never lived within the range of my acquaintance. I can so testify because I was familiar with these men, grew up from babyhood with them, associated with them in council, in prayer and supplication, and in travel from settlement to settlement through our country here, and in crossing the plains. I have heard them in private and in public, and I bear my testimony to you that they were men of God, true men, pure men, God's noblemen; virtuous men who never were either tempted to do evil or tempted others to do wrong, men whose examples and whose lives were above reproach, except in what corrupt, wicked or ignorant men supposed they saw and presumed to denounce as wrong in them.--_April C. R.,_ 1917, p. 6.

DIVINE MISSIONS OF PRESIDENTS OF CHURCH. I testify to you, as I know and feel that I live and move and have my being, that the Lord raised up the boy prophet, Joseph Smith, and endowed him with divine authority, and taught him those things which were necessary for him to know that he might have power to lay the foundation of God's Church and kingdom in the earth. Joseph Smith was true to the covenants that he made with the Lord, true to his mission, and the Lord enabled him to accomplish his work, even to the sealing of his testimony with his shed blood. His testimony is now, and has been, in force among the children of men as verily as the blood of Jesus Christ is in force and a binding testimony upon all the world, and it has been from the day it was shed until now, and will continue until the winding up scene.

I bear my testimony to you my brethren and sisters, of the divinity of the mission and work that was accomplished by President Brigham Young and his associates in fleeing from the wrath that threatened in Illinois and Missouri and other places, into these peaceful vales, which was done by the will of heaven and by the guiding power of the Holy Spirit, President Young and the pioneers were enabled to lay the {212} foundation of a commonwealth, the equal of which is scarcely to be found within the borders of our glorious land; and it was done, not by the wisdom of Brother Brigham, nor of Brother Heber C. Kimball, nor of any of their associates, grand _men_ as they were, true servants of the living God as they were, faithful and true to their callings, grand as was their integrity to the cause of Zion--but back of them, behind them, above them and below, and all around them, was the power of God, leading and directing them, and thus consummating his purposes through their instrumentality. We give the honor to our Father in heaven and we also honor and bless the names of those great and good men whom the Lord chose to accomplish his purposes, and through whom he did accomplish his purpose without failure.

I bear my testimony to the integrity of John Taylor as one of the purest men I ever knew in my life, a man clean from head to foot, clean in body and clean in spirit, free from every vulgar thing, so common among the children of men. I know whereof I speak, for I was with him day and night, month after month, year after year, and I bear my testimony of his integrity. He was a martyr with the Prophet Joseph Smith. He suffered more than death with Joseph and Hyrum, and the Lord preserved him and honored him by calling him to take charge of his work for a season in the earth, thus exalting him to that most glorious and most responsible position that any man could be called to occupy in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I bear my testimony to the faithfulness of Wilford Woodruff, a man in whom there was no guile, a man honest to the core, a man susceptible to the impressions of the Spirit of the Lord, a man guided by inspiration in the performance of his duty, far more than by any gift of wisdom or of judgment that he himself possessed.

I bear my testimony to the work that was accomplished by President Lorenzo Snow, although it was brief, yet some {213} of the things which were left for him to do were absolutely necessary in order to relieve his successor and others that may arise in time to come, from mistakes and errors that had crept in before.

As to the present administration of the gospel and of the work of the Lord I have nothing to say. Let the work speak for itself, let the people and the voice of the people of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints say what is being done by the Lord, let it not be said by me nor by my counselors and my associates. The Lord forbid that I should ever imagine for one moment that we are of any great importance in this great work of the Lord. Others may be raised up, and the Lord can shape their minds. He can qualify them and can humble them, if need be, to fit them for the duties and responsibilities that may be required at their hands. I believe that Zion is prospering, and that as far as our spiritual life, our spiritual growth, and our faith are concerned, as well as our temporal condition, we are prosperous, and all is well in Zion today.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1917.

THE PRESIDENTS OF THE CHURCH HAVE BEEN INSPIRED. I knew President Brigham Young, and I bear my testimony to the world that not only was Joseph Smith inspired of God and raised up to lay the foundations of this great latter-day work, but Brigham Young was raised up and sustained by the power of Almighty God to continue the mission of Joseph and to accomplish the work that he laid out during his lifetime. I have been connected with President John Taylor, and I testify that he also was a man of God. He was indeed God's mouthpiece. He was a martyr with the Prophet Joseph, for his blood was shed with Joseph's and Hyrum's, but the Lord preserved his life that he might fulfill the mission unto which he was called to preside over the Church for a season. I was intimately acquainted with President Wilford Woodruff, and I bear testimony to the {214} mission of that gracious, good man. I have also been more or less intimate with President Snow, and I bear testimony that his work was of God.--_Oct. C. R.,_ (Special), 1901, p. 96.

WHEN TO ORGANIZE THE FIRST PRESIDENCY. After the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Twelve Apostles continued as the presiding quorum of the Church for a number of years; but finally they were moved upon by the Holy Spirit to reorganize the First Presidency of the Church, with Brigham Young as president, and Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards as his counselors. In reality this organization might have been effected within twenty-four hours after the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, but their action was delayed, until they found by experience that the exercise of the functions of presidency and the government of the Church by twelve men at the head, was not only cumbersome but was not fully perfect in the order of the Holy Priesthood as established by the Lord. On the death of President Brigham Young, President John Taylor followed in some measure the example of his predecessor and it was some time before the Presidency of the Church was organized. The Presidency was finally organized, however, with John Taylor as president, and George Q. Cannon and myself as counselors.

At the death of President Taylor, President Woodruff hesitated and he allowed a little time to pass before the Presidency was again organized. When at last he became convinced that it was his duty, and necessary in order to carry out the purposes of the Lord, he organized the Presidency of the Church. At that time he gave a solemn injunction to his fellow servants in relation to this. He desired it understood that in all future times, when the President of the Church should die, and thereby the First Presidency become disorganized it would be the duty of the proper authorities of the Church to proceed at once, without any unnecessary delay, to reorganize the First Presidency.

{215} As soon as the news reached us of the death of President Woodruff, who was in California at the time, President Lorenzo Snow said to me, "it will be our duty to proceed as soon as possible to reorganize the Presidency of the Church." As you are aware, after the burial of the remains of President Woodruff, he proceeded at once to do this. In this connection I may tell you another thing. President Snow said to me, "you will live to be the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and when that time comes you should proceed at once and reorganize the Presidency of the Church." This was his counsel to me, and the same was given to the Twelve Apostles. In accordance with the principle and with the injunction of President Snow, within one week after his death the apostles proceeded to designate the new Presidency of the Church and we did this strictly in accordance with the pattern that the Lord has established in his Church, unanimously.

I desire to read a little from the revelation in relation to the order of the Holy Priesthood, that you may understand our views concerning adhering as nearly as we can to the holy order of government that has been established by revelation through the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. We cannot deny the fact that the Lord has effected one of the most perfect organizations, in this Church, that ever existed upon the earth. I do not know of any more perfect organization than exists in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today. We have not always carried out strictly the order of the Priesthood; we have varied from it to some extent; but we hope in due time that, by the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we will be led into the exact channel and course that the Lord has marked out for us to pursue and adhere strictly to the order that he has established. I will read from a revelation that was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith, at Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, January 19, 1841, which {216} stands as the law of the Church in relation to the presentations of the authorities of the Holy Priesthood as they were established in the Church, and from which I feel that we have no right to depart.--_Oct. C. R.,_ (Special), 1901, pp. 70, 71. Doctrine and Covenants 124:123-145.

FIRST PRESIDENCY NOT NECESSARILY APOSTLES. We have the council of the first presidency consisting of three presiding high priests who are called of God and appointed to preside over the Church and over the Priesthood of God, and I want to say here that it does not follow and never has followed that the members of the First Presidency of the Church are necessarily to be ordained apostles. They hold by virtue of their rights as Presidents of the Church all the keys and all the authority that pertains to the Melchizedek Priesthood, which comprehends and comprises all of the appendages to that priesthood, the lesser priesthood, and all the offices in the priesthood from first to last and from the least to the greatest.--_April C. R.,_ 1912.

THE PRIESTHOOD AND ITS OFFICES. In the _Era_ for February, it was stated that several persons who had acted as counselors in the First Presidency had never been ordained apostles. Several correspondents have objected to the statement that Sidney Rigdon, Jedediah M. Grant, Daniel H. Wells, John R. Winder, and others were not ordained apostles. We still maintain, upon lack of convincing evidence to the contrary, that none of these brethren was ever ordained an apostle. We do know positively that John R. Winder, Sidney Rigdon, William Law and Hyrum Smith, all of whom were members in the First Presidency of the Church, were never ordained apostles. But, be that as it may, however, the main point we wish to make is this, that it was not necessary that they should be so ordained apostles in order to bold the position of counselor in the First Presidency. The leading fact to be remembered is that the Priesthood is greater than any of its offices; and that any {217} man holding the Melchizedek Priesthood may, by virtue of its possession, perform any ordinance pertaining thereto, or connected therewith, when called upon to do so by one holding the proper authority, which proper authority is vested in the President of the Church, or in any whom he may designate. Every officer in the Church is under his direction, and he is directed of God. He is also selected of the Lord to be the head of the Church, and so becomes, when the Priesthood of the Church (which includes its officers and its members), shall have so accepted and upheld him. (Doctrine and Covenants, section 107:22.) No man can justly presume to have authority to preside, merely by virtue of his priesthood as is the case with Joseph Smith of the reorganized church, for in addition, he must be chosen and accepted by the Church. The reverse was the case with him. Such action was repudiated by the Twelve, the quorum in authority after the martyrdom, and by the whole Church. An office in the priesthood is a calling, like apostles, high priest, seventy, elder, and derives all its authority from the priesthood; these officers hold different callings, but the same priesthood.

The apostolic office in its very nature, is a proselyting office. When an apostle presides, he, like the high priest, the seventy, the elder, or the bishop, presides because of the high priesthood which has been conferred upon him; and furthermore because he has been called upon so to do by the acknowledged head of the Church. (Doctrine and Covenants, section 107:23-33.) And so with the high priest who has been called to officiate in the First Presidency, in which case he is "accounted equal" with the President of the Church in holding the keys of the Presidency (section 90:6) as long as the President remains. When he dies, the calling of his counselors ends, and the responsibility of Presidency falls upon the quorum of Twelve Apostles, because they hold the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood and are {218} the next quorum in authority. (Doctrine and Covenants, section 107:24.) It is not the apostleship (Doctrine and Covenants section 107), but the priesthood and the calling by proper authority which enables any person to preside. Every man holding the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood may act in any capacity and do all things that such priesthood holds, provided he is called upon by proper authority to so officiate; but he would have no right to depart from the limitations of his office, unless he is specially called upon by one whose calling, from those over him up to the head, would clearly authorize him to give such instructions. It is always to be presumed, also, that order will be observed, and that the servants of the Lord will not depart from that order, and call upon men to do things which the law of the priesthood and the nature of their office do not authorize, unless there is special occasion for it. The Lord says that all things are governed by law. (See Doctrine and Covenants, section 88:42.) It is not consistent, for instance, to imagine that the Lord would call upon a deacon to baptize.