Chapter IV: Part 4

"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."

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.

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."

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.

CHOSEN BY HIS FATHER.

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.

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:

TESTIMONY OF PRESIDENT YOUNG.

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.

TESTIMONY OF HEBER C. KIMBALL.

"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.

TESTIMONY OF ORSON HYDE.

"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.

TESTIMONY OF WILFORD WOODRUFF.

"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).

BATHSHEBA W. SMITH'S TESTIMONY.

"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]

BENJAMIN F. JOHNSON'S TESTIMONY.

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."

EZRA T. CLARK'S TESTIMONY.

"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.

PROPERLY ORDAINED.

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."

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]

GURLEY'S AUTHORITY.

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."

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.

Footnotes

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 the _Saints' Herald_ of August 18, 1888. At that time Joseph Smith, his president, and William W. Blair, counselor, were the editors of the _Herald_. 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 him _that 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, and _no one was so designated to act in his stead_ while 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, _then_ the oracles and the power conferred in them _are 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, and _was 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 the _offices_ of 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, _also_ to ordain and set in order _all other officers_ in 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 'this _office_ of 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 of _Priesthood_ and 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 Patriarchal _Priesthood_, even the Evangelical _Priesthood_ and 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, _ordained_ and 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."