We now come to the last organization that was brought into existence
through the agency of men once associated with the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints--the so-called "Re-organized Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," commonly called the "Josephite
Church." This organization is still in existence, and has for its
President, Joseph Smith, the eldest son of the prophet Joseph. It is
my purpose first to give an account of how this organization came into
existence, and then consider the claims of Mr. Joseph Smith to be of
right the President of the church founded, under God, by his father.
Jason W. Briggs, one of the founders and leaders in the Josephite
movement, informs us that in the spring of 1850, William Smith, whose
acquaintance the reader has already formed, called a conference at
Covington, Kentucky:
"From which time he visited many of the branches and scattered
saints, teaching "lineal Priesthood" as applying to the Presidency
of the Church. . . . This principle, though pretty clearly shown
in the books, had been almost entirely overlooked or forgotten by
the saints; but when their attention was _thus_[A] called to it,
many at once received it as the solution of the question of
Presidency."[B]
[Footnote A: That is, by the preaching of William Smith.]
[Footnote B: Tullidge's supplement to Josephite edition of Life of
Joseph the Prophet, p. 576.]
William Smith as the reader is already informed, claimed the right as
natural guardian of the "seed" of Joseph the prophet, to stand as
President _pro tem_ of the church until the "seed" should come forward
to take his place; and proceeded to organize a church with that
understanding. This organization as already stated held a conference,
in October, 1851, at which was proclaimed a belief in and practice of
polygamy. Among those who attended this conference of William Smith's
church was Jason W. Briggs, who, after returning to his home in
Wisconsin, was much perplexed over the condition of the church. While
pondering in his heart the situation, on the 18th of November, 1851,
on the prairie some three miles from the town of Beloit, Wisconsin, he
claims to have received a revelation from God. In that "revelation"
the Lord is represented as declaring it to be the duty of those elders
who had been ordained by the prophet Joseph, or by the hand of those
ordained by him, to preach the gospel--
As revealed in the record of the Jews, and the Book of Mormon and
the Book of Doctrine and Covenants; and cry repentance and
remission of sins through obedience to the gospel, and I will
sustain them and give them my spirit; and in my own due time will
I call upon the seed of Joseph Smith, and I will bring one forth,
and he shall be mighty and strong, and he shall preside over the
High Priesthood of my Church; and then shall the quorums assemble,
and the pure in heart shall gather, and Zion shall be
re-inhabited, as I said unto my servant Joseph Smith; after many
days shall all these things be accomplished, saith the spirit.[A]
[Footnote A: Josephite edition of Life of Joseph the Prophet, p. 578.]
This "revelation" Mr. Briggs was commanded to send to the churches at
Palestine, Voree, Waukesha and other places.[A]
[Footnote A: Ibid.]
While the messengers of Mr. Briggs are carrying his "revelation" to
the scattered churches in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan, it is
necessary to relate some incidents said to have occurred in another
part of Wisconsin, in what is called the "Yellow Stone Branch."[A]
This "branch" belonged to that organization founded by James J.
Strang, and was presided over by Zenas H. Gurley, frequently called
"Father Gurley." During the year 1850, according to Mr. Gurley's own
statement, several strange things came to his knowledge which
satisfied him that
[Footnote A: The "Yellow Stone Branch" where "Father Gurley" was
located was in La Fayette Co., South Western Wisconsin. Beloit where
Jason W. Briggs operated was in extreme south of the same state.]
"Neither J. J. Strang, Brigham Young, William Smith, nor any that
had claimed to be prophets, since Joseph's death, were the
servants of God."[A]
[Footnote A: Life of Joseph the Prophet, Josephite edition, p. 580.]
The doubts born in 1850, grew stronger in Mr. Gurley's mind in 1851;
and one Sunday evening, in the fall of that year, while reflecting
upon the prophecies of Isaiah, respecting the great latter-day
work--especially of that prophecy which speaks of the house of the
Lord in the last days being established in the top of the mountains,
and all nations flowing unto it[A]--he thought then of Strang's Beaver
Island operation, and felt ashamed that he had ever thought that this
would bring to pass the work predicted by the Hebrew prophet. He
claims then to have heard the voice of the spirit say to him:
[Footnote A: Isaiah ii. 2-4.]
Rise up, cast off all that claim to be prophets, and go forth and
preach the gospel and say that God will raise up a prophet to
complete his work.
A few weeks afterwards this commandment and prophecy was repeated, and
he began looking about for a starting point. Meantime one David Powell
arrived at Yellow Stone with Mr. Briggs's "revelation," which
predicted the coming forth of one from the seed of Joseph the prophet,
to lead the church. Mr. Gurley, however, could not wholly accept the
"revelation" of Mr. Briggs. It had been "revealed" to him that God
would raise up a prophet, but who it would be had not been made known
to him. About ten or fifteen days after the arrival of Mr. Briggs's
messenger, word was brought to Mr. Gurley that his little daughter was
"singing and speaking in tongues" at a neighbor's house. Mr. Gurley
hurried to the house and after listening to the child a short time, he
requested all present to join with him in asking the Lord to tell them
who the successor of Joseph was. They spent a few moments in prayer
when the Holy Spirit declared:[A]
[Footnote A: Through whom is not stated.]
The successor of Joseph Smith is Joseph Smith, the son of Joseph
Smith the prophet. It is his right by lineage, saith the Lord your
God.
Shortly after this manifestation of the gift of tongues and the
proclamation of the above reputed revelation, the "Yellow Stone
branch" was convened and James J. Strang formally renounced as a
prophet, seer and revelator to the church, and the allegiance of the
branch pledged to the "seed" of Joseph Smith the prophet. The above
"revelation" made it possible for Mr. Gurley to unite with Mr. Briggs,
and word was accordingly sent to the latter, that evidence of the
truth of his "revelation" had been received, and proposed the holding
of a conference in June, 1852. After some correspondence it was
finally settled that the conference be held in the town of Beloit,
Wisconsin.
This conference by resolution first disclaimed all connection and
fellowship with those men who had presumed to lead the church,
charging them with having assumed powers contrary to the law of God.
Secondly the conference
Resolved, That the successor of Joseph Smith, junior, as the
presiding High Priest in the Melchisedek Priesthood, must of
necessity be of the seed of Joseph Smith, junior, in fulfillment
of the law and promises of God.
The other resolutions of importance adopted by the conference declared
that the office of President of the church grew out of the authority
of the presiding high priest in the high priesthood; that they
recognize the validity of all legal ordinations in the church; that
the whole law of the church is contained in the Bible, Book of Mormon,
Doctrine and Covenants; that there was no stake of Zion to which the
saints are commanded at present to gather; and that it was the duty of
the elders to cry repentance and remission of sins to this generation.
A committee was appointed to write a pamphlet based on these
resolutions entitled "A Word of Consolation to the Scattered Saints."
It was about this time, viz, during the summer of 1852, that the
"stake of Zion" in Lee county, Illinois, founded by William Smith's
church, went to pieces and a number of the members thereof joined this
Josephite movement set on foot by Messrs. Briggs and Gurley.
The next conference of the Josephite church was held in October, 1852,
at the Yellow Stone branch, and then more especially was considered
the question of authority to preside in the church that was forming,
pending the coming forth of "young Joseph" to be its president. The
pamphlet which the June conference had ordered written, announced that
the "highest authority presides always," and the deliberations of the
conference resulted in the following:
Resolved, That in the opinion of this conference, the one holding
the highest priesthood in the church is to preside, and represent
the rightfull heir to the presidency of the high priesthood in a
presiding capacity.
These men, however, found great difficulty in determining who held the
highest authority as many unwarrantable ordinations had taken place in
the various factions.
After earnest discussion it was determined that all ordinations
not within the limits of the law should be ignored, and all within
the limit recognized. This excluded all above an high priest, who
being the highest recognized, was sustained as the presiding
authority.[A]
[Footnote A: Life of Joseph the Prophet, Josephite edition, p. 592.]
I have been unable to learn, however, that any one of the high priests
was selected to preside over the Josephite church at this juncture,
and one is left to infer that the whole body of so-called high priests
were to preside. During the winter of 1853, the "spirit" intimated to
Mr. Gurley, that they must "organize;" but this they knew not how to
do, further than they had done.[A] They were even unable to decide on
the validity of the ordinations of the men who had attended the
October conference.[B]
[Footnote A: Ibid, p. 594.]
[Footnote B: Life of Joseph the Prophet, Josephite edition, p. 594.]
In the month of March, 1853, the subject of organization being still
agitated, the question was put to the Lord: "Were those ordained
apostles by William Smith recognized by God?" The answer was that
those ordinations were not acceptable--were not of God.[A] Near the
close of this revelation the men engaged in this movement were
commanded to organize themselves:
[Footnote A: Ibid, 595.]
"'For ere long,' saith the Lord, 'I will require the prophet at
your hand.'"
But how to organize they did not know. They claim to have had two high
priests and one senior president of the seventies among them. "But how
could these men organize the church?" asks Mr. Gurley:
It was impossible, utterly impossible. We counseled upon it, and
concluded that possibly, under the present circumstances, it might
be right for high priests, and for the senior President of
seventies to ordain seventies; but when done what would it
accomplish? Nothing, just nothing. We were in trouble--deep
trouble! To refuse to organize was disobedience; to go forward in
the attempt was darkness. There was but one alternative, and that
was to seek wisdom from above.[A]
[Footnote A: Life of Joseph the Prophet, Josephite edition, p. 595.]
The result of inquiring of the Lord, according to the statement of Mr.
Gurley, was that a commandment was given appointing a day of fasting
and prayer, and the Lord promised to show them how to organize. When
the meeting assembled the following question was put to the Lord:
Will the Lord please to tell us how to organize. . . . . And who
among us will he acknowledge as the representative of the legal
heir to the Presidency of the Church.
To this inquiry it is claimed that an answer was obtained through a
"revelation" to one H. H. Deam, a high priest, which reads as follows:
Verily thus saith the Lord, as I said unto my servant Moses,--see
thou do all things according to the pattern,--so I say unto you.
Behold the pattern is before you. It is my will that you respect
authority in my Church; therefore let the greatest among you
preside at your conference. Let three men be appointed by the
conference to select seven men from among you, who shall compose
the majority of the Twelve, for it is my will that that quorum
should not be filled up at present. Let the President of the
conference, assisted by two others, ordain them. The senior of
them shall stand as the representative. Let them select twelve men
from among you, and ordain them to compose the high council.
Behold ye understand the order of the bishopric, the seventies,
the elders, the priests, the teachers, and deacons. Therefore
organize according to the pattern; behold I will be with you unto
the end.[A]
[Footnote A: Life of Joseph, the Prophet, Josephite edition, p.
596-7.]
This alleged revelation was given on the 20th of March, 1853, and at
the April conference following an organization was effected on the
above indicated plan. After a long discussion, about whose priesthood
was the highest--in the course of which a great deal of ill-feeling
was manifested--finally the controversy ended in favor of Mr. Briggs,
and he was called to preside at the conference. Ethan Griffith,
William Cline and Cyrus Newkirk were appointed the committee to select
the seven "apostles" to form the majority of the quorum of the Twelve.
The men selected were Zenas H. [Father] Gurley, Henry H. Deam, Jason
W. Briggs, Daniel B. Razy, John Cunningham, George White and Reuben
Newkirk. It was voted that a "stake of Zion" be organized in the town
of Argyle, Lafayette Co., Wisconsin, of which William Cline, Cyrus
Newkirk and Isaac Butterfield were chosen and ordained the presidency.
A number of "seventies" were also ordained. At the close of the
conference a "revelation" was received informing the conference that
what had been done was recorded in heaven, and to the seven "apostles"
it was said:
I give unto you the care of my flock on earth; take the oversight
of them, as you shall give an account unto me in the day of
judgment.[A]
[Footnote A: Life of Joseph the Prophet, Josephite edition, p. 601.]
The period between the time of this organization effected in April,
1853, and the time when Joseph Smith, son of the prophet became its
president, April, 1860, is called by the Josephite historian Tullidge,
"an apostolic interval." During that interval the Josephite church
seemed not to make much progress. Joseph Smith was several times
solicited to take the Presidency of it, but he seemed not at all
anxious for the place.
In 1856, the "reorganized church" sent to the predicted head of it,
the word of the Lord, urging him to come and take his place. The
document was signed by J. W. Briggs, "representative president of the
church and the priesthood in Zarahemla." Messrs. Briggs and Gurley
were appointed a committee to present this message to Mr. Smith, which
they did at his home near Nauvoo. According to Mr. Smith's own amount
of this visit, these messengers did not meet with a very cordial
reception; and when Mr. Briggs vehemently urged the matter upon him,
and "announced the culmination of the message in tones of thunder, and
almost dictatorially" urged him to accept the message and do as
directed therein, or reject it at his peril, he says he met this
"vehemence indignantly, and almost turned these messengers out of
doors."[A]
[Footnote A: Life of Joseph the Prophet, Josephite edition, p. 767.]
The effort on the part of Messrs. Briggs and Gurley to induce Mr.
Smith to become their president ended on this occasion in
disappointment, though before leaving Nauvoo the whole situation was
talked over in the presence of Mrs. Emma Smith, mother of Joseph.
It is to be remarked as passing strange that neither on this occasion,
nor on any other that Josephite history speaks of, was it urged upon
Joseph Smith that he had already been formally anointed by his father
to be the President of the church.
Early in February, 1860, a call was issued, signed by Z. H. Gurley and
Reuben Newkirk, calling for a general conference to assemble at Amboy,
Illinois, the following April. All the branches of the church in
Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan were urged to send representatives,
as it was desirable to choose a high council and organize and set in
order all the quorums under the First Presidency; and an intimation
was made that much more than was anticipated might be realized--was it
an intimation that Joseph Smith would come and accept the Presidency
of their church?
Meantime Joseph Smith who, according to his own autobiography, had
failed as storekeeper, railroad contractor, in the study of law, in
farming, and while keeping soul and body together by labor and from
his fees as justice of the peace, was confronted with the question of
his connection with his "father's work;" and in the winter of 1859,
resolved to put himself in communication with the "reorganized
church."[A]
[Footnote A: For the above acts see his autobiography in the Life of
Joseph, Josephite ed., pp. 743-773.]
He accordingly wrote to Mr. William Marks, informing him that he was
"soon going to take his father's place at the head of the Mormon
church," and requested him and others that he considered nearest him,
to come to Nauvoo and confer with him.[A] Mr. Smith states as his
reason for sending for Mr. Marks that he was president of the stake of
Zion at Nauvoo at the death of Joseph, the prophet; that he had
retained his faith in Mormonism as taught by Joseph and Hyrum; and
hence his council would be valuable. Mr. Smith also announced his
intention to his mother and step-father; the former approved his
course, the latter took a speculative view of it and built fond
schemes for obtaining wealth through the position to be taken by his
step-son.
[Footnote A: William Marks, according to the statement of Joseph Smith
in his autobiography, came in company with James J. Strang to Fulton
City, where Emma Smith and her son Joseph lived during the winter of
1845-6, and had a brief interview with Joseph and his mother,
promising to meet them again. Messrs. Marks and Strang held meetings
in the neighborhood, but Mr. Smith says he did not see them again. It
was claimed by Mr. Strang that he on this occasion ordained "young
Joseph" to the same priesthood that his uncle Hyrum held, and it seems
that he afterwards so reported to some of his followers. As late as
June, 1891, Mr L. D. Hickey, a Strangite, wrote a tract entitled,
"_Who was the Successor of Joseph Smith?_" in which the following
occurs: "Nov. 6 1846, James J. Strang was commanded to go and anoint
and ordain Joseph Smith, the son of the martyr, to the same priesthood
his uncle Hyrum held. We have all the proof we want that James did
obey God; and that left the son of Joseph as one of the Presidents of
the church, and the Book of Rules says in case of the death of either
of the First Presidents, the other shall preside until the vacancy is
filled. This was the situation of the church at the dead of James [J.
Strang]. So that by virtue of the ordination Joseph obtained under the
hands of James and no other ordination, we [the Strangites] hold him
the legal President of the Church from the death of James to this
day."--(page 5.) Joseph Smith denies any such ordination having taken
place unless it was done when he was unconscious and unknown to
William Marks.--See _Life of Joseph the Prophet_, Josephite edition,
p. 754.]
Soon after this, Mr. Marks, one Israel L. Rogers and William W. Blair,
all interested in the "Reorganized church" movement, visited Mr. Smith
at his mother's home in Nauvoo, and held an interview with them. It
was finally decided that Mr. Smith and his mother should attend the
ensuing April conference, called to assemble at Amboy, Lee county,
Illinois, and the matter was to be laid before the church and a
decision arrived at:
"For, said Elder Marks; we have had enough of man-made prophets,
and we don't want any more of that sort. If God has called you, we
want to know it. If he has, the Church is ready to sustain you; if
not, we want nothing to do with you."[A]
[Footnote A: Life of Joseph the Prophet, Josephite edition p. 767.]
Messrs. Marks, Rogers and Blair, in 1860, seem not to have been so
urgent as Messrs. Briggs and Gurley had been in 1856; the latter had
commanded him to take the Presidency of the church, or refuse to do so
at his peril; the former merely agreed to see about it, by presenting
the matter to the church. Indeed for men who professed to have
evidence that Mr. Smith had been called, blessed and anointed by
Joseph the prophet to be the President of the church, and to possess
the right to that position by virtue of lineage, the reply of Mr.
Marks to Mr. Smith's proposition to take the Presidency of the
Reorganized church seems unaccountably cold, and too much burdened
with doubt and independence when addressing the only man who, on the
theory of the "Reorganized church," could possibly succeed to the
Presidency. Mr. Smith affects to have been made indignant at the
urgency of Messrs. Briggs and Gurley, in 1856; the coldness and
independence of Messrs. Marks, Rogers and Blair must have been a still
greater source of annoyance.
Mr. Smith went to the conference at Amboy, and in the afternoon of the
6th of April, 1860, made a speech, at the conclusion of which it was
moved that he be received as a prophet,--the successor of his father.
The motion was carried by a unanimous vote, after which Mr. Gurley
who, assisted by Mr. William Marks, presided at the conference, arose
and said:
Brother Joseph, I present this Church to you in the name of Jesus
Christ!
And of course Mr. Smith accepted it.
The speech made by Mr. Smith at the above mentioned conference is
remarkable only for its tameness; but I quote a few sentences that may
be of special interest; first as showing that he claimed to be called
to his position by a power not his own:--
I came not here of myself, but by the influence of the spirit. For
some time past I have received manifestations pointing to the
position I am about to assume. I wish to say that I have come here
not to be dictated by any men or set of men. I have come in
obedience to a power not my own, and shall be dictated by the
power which sent me.
. . . Some, who ought to know the proprieties of the church, have
told me that no certain form was necessary in order for me to
assume the leadership, that the position came by right of lineage,
yet I know that if I attempted to lead as a prophet by these
considerations, and _not by a call from heaven_, men would not be
lead to believe who do not believe now. And so I have come not of
my own dictation to this sacred office.
As to revelations he said:
I have my peculiar notions in regard to revelations, but am happy
to say that they accord with those I am to associate with, at
least with those of them with whom I have conversed. I am not very
conversant with those books (pointing to a volume before him), not
so conversant as I should be and will be.
That his "notions in regard to revelations" were indeed "peculiar,"
one only has to read the following to be convinced:
_I pledge myself to promulgate no doctrine that shall not be
approved by you_, or the code of good morals.
How different this from the reply of one of the ancient prophets, when
some sought to have him give out no prophecy or revelation but what
should be approved by them:
And Micaiah said, as the Lord liveth what the Lord saith unto me,
that will I speak![A]
[Footnote A: I Kings xxii, 7-14]
How different, too, from the spirit of Brigham Young who shortly after
being chosen President of the church wrote:
As the Lord's will is my will all the time--as He dictates so will
I perform. If He don't guide the ship, we'll go down in the
whirlpool.[A]
[Footnote A: Letter to Orson Spencer, Jan. 23rd. 1848, _Mill. Star_,
Vol. X, p. 115.]
What a contrast also between his "I-pledge-myself-to-promulgate-no-
doctrine-that-shall-not-be-approved-by-you" position of the son of the
great prophet, and the position in which the Almighty God of heaven
placed his father. The prophet Joseph's position may be learned from
the following revelation given the very day the church was organized:
Behold there shall be a record kept among you, and in it thou
shalt be called a seer, a translator, a prophet, an apostle of
Jesus Christ, an elder of the church, through the will of God the
Father and the grace of your Lord Jesus Christ. . . . Wherefore,
meaning the church, thou shalt give heed unto all his words and
commandments which he shall give unto you _as he receiveth them_,
walking in all holiness before me. _For his words ye shall
receive, as if from mine own mouth_, in all patience and faith;
for by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail
against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of
darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your
good and his name's glory.[A]
[Footnote A: Doc. and Cov., sec. xxi.]
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so is this position given to
the prophet Joseph by the Lord higher than that assumed by his son,
who claims to be his successor, and yet stands pledged to promulgate
no doctrine that shall not be approved by his associates! What manner
of prophet is this?
Following Mr. Smith's acceptance of the church at the hands of Mr.
Gurley, he was ordained to the office of President of the high
priesthood and President of the church by William Marks, Zenas H.
Gurley, Samuel Powers and W. W. Blair. Mr. Marks was president of the
Nauvoo stake of Zion at the death of the prophet, and the other three
gentlemen were "apostles" in the Reorganized church.[A]
[Footnote A: _The Successor_, (Josephite pamphlet,) pp. 10, II, also
_The Saint's Herald_, Vol XXXIX, No. 24. p. 375.]
We have now followed the history of the "Reorganized church" as far as
it is necessary. It only remains to remark that it is a stream formed
by the confluence of two other streams; one of which, represented by
Mr. Gurley and his following, flows from Strangism; and the other,
represented by Mr. Briggs and his following, flows from the church
organized by William Smith. We leave it for Josephites to inform us on
what principle of philosophy two corrupt, apostate streams by uniting,
make a pure one!