"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.