A PROPHECY THAT DID NOT FAIL.
Before concluding this writing I wish to refer to a matter before
briefly alluded to. On July 8, 1838, the Lord had given a revelation to
the Twelve Apostles through Joseph, the Prophet, in which John Taylor,
John E. Page, Wilford Woodruff and Willard Richards were chosen to fill
the vacancies in the quorum of the Twelve, and the Apostles were to
take leave of the saints in Far West on the twenty-sixth day of April,
1839, on the building spot of the Lord's House, and from thence depart
over the great waters to preach the gospel in foreign lands.
It had been the constant boast of the mob throughout the persecutions
we have been relating, that this was one of "Joe Smith's" revelations,
at least, that should not be fulfilled.
Yet at the time appointed, the twenty-sixth day of April, five of the
Twelve Apostles arrived there, having come from Quincy by various
routes to elude the vigilance of their enemies, together with a number
of Elders, High Priests and Priests. The five Apostles ordained Wilford
Woodruff and George A. Smith members of their quorum, thus making the
number of Apostles present seven, a majority of the Twelve, and hence
competent to transact business as a quorum. They also ordained a number
to the office of Seventy. They excommunicated a number of persons from
The Church; prayer was offered up by the Apostles in the order of their
standing in the quorum. A hymn known to the saints as Adam-Ondi-Ahman
was sung. After this hymn was sung, Elder Alpheus Cutler, the
master-workman of the Lord's House, laid the south-east corner stone in
its position, and then said, in consequence of the peculiar situation
of the saints, it was deemed prudent to discontinue further labor on
the House until the Lord should open the way for its completion. The
Apostles then took leave of some seventeen saints, who were present,
and started on their way to fill their missions beyond the great
Atlantic Ocean. Thus was fulfilled that revelation in every particular,
notwithstanding the boasts of the mob which said it should fail of
fulfillment. So important do I deem the fulfillment of this prophecy,
however, that I give here the official report of the proceedings of
that meeting, signed by the president of it:--
At a conference held at Far West by the Twelve, High Priests, Elders
and Priests, on the twenty-sixth of April, 1839, the following
resolution was adopted--
Resolved: That the following persons be no more fellowshipped in The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but excommunicated from
the same, viz.:--Isaac Russell, Mary Russell, John Goodson and wife,
Jacob Scott, Senior, and wife, Isaac Scott, Jacob Scott, Junior, Ann
Scott, Sister Walton, Robert Walton, Sister Cavanaugh, Ann Wanlass,
William Dawson, Junior, and wife, William Dawson, Senior, and wife,
George Nelson, Joseph Nelson and wife and mother, William Warnoch and
wife, Jonathan Maynard, Nelson Maynard, George Miller, John Grigg and
wife, Luman Gibbs, Simeon Gardner and Freeborn Gardner.
The council then proceeded to the building spot of the Lord's House;
when the following business was transacted--Part of a hymn was sung,
on the mission of the Twelve.
Elder Cutler, the master-workman of the House, then re-commenced
laying the foundation of the Lord's House, agreeably to revelation, by
rolling up a large stone near the southeast corner.
The following of the Twelve were present--Brigham Young, Heber C.
Kimball, Orson Pratt, John E. Page and John Taylor, who proceeded to
ordain Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith (who had been previously
nominated by the First Presidency, accepted by the Twelve, and
acknowledged by The Church)--to the office of the Twelve, to fill the
places of those who are fallen. Darwin Chase and Norman Shearer (who
had just been liberated from Richmond prison, where they had been
confined for the cause of Jesus Christ,) were ordained to the office
of the Seventies.
The Twelve then offered up vocal prayer in the following
order--Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, John E. Page,
John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith. After which we
sung Adam-Ondi-Ahman, and then the Twelve took their leave of the
following saints, agreeably to the revelation, viz.: Alpheus Cutler,
Elias Smith, Norman Shearer, William Burton, Stephen Markham, Shadrach
Roundy, William O. Clark, John W. Clark, Hezekiah Peck, Darwin Chase,
Richard Howard, Mary Ann Peck, Artimesia Grainger, Martha Peck, Sarah
Grainger, Theodore Thurley, Hyrum Clark and Daniel Shearer.
Elder Alpheus Cutler then placed the stone before alluded to in
its regular position, after which, in consequence of the peculiar
situation of the saints, he thought it wisdom to adjourn until
some future time, when the Lord shall open the way; expressing his
determination then to proceed with the building; whereupon the
conference adjourned.
BRIGHAM YOUNG, President.
JOHN TAYLOR, Clerk.