"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.