Let us now proceed to the proof that Joseph Smith, the prophet, did
not take the keys of authority with him from the church, when he fell
a martyr to the truth, but that said keys of authority remained with
the church, more especially with the quorum of the Twelve.
On March 8th, 1833, the Lord said to Joseph Smith:
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 unto
another yea, _even to the church!_[A]
[Footnote A: The _italics_ are mine. R. Doc. and Cov., sec. xc.]
Joseph and Hyrum, then, did not take with them the "oracles" of God
necessary to make the church efficient in accomplishing the work that
God designed it to perform. Though the keys given to the prophet were
never to be taken from him, either in this world or that which is to
come--though for ever he is to stand as the President of the great
dispensation of the fullness of times--yet the keys of authority and
power committed to his hands may be given to another, "even to the
church," not to his posterity, mark you.
This revelation makes it easy to believe that there was inspiration in
the declaration of Brigham Young, uttered when he heard for the first
time of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum. He was at Peterboro, N. H.,
when the sad intelligence reached him:--
The first thing that I thought of was whether Joseph had taken the
keys of the kingdom with him from the earth. Brother Orson Pratt
sat on my left, we were both leaning back in our chairs. Bringing
my hand down on my knee, I said, _the keys of the kingdom are
right here with the church_.[A]
[Footnote A: Brigham Young, quoted by Tullidge. See Life of Brigham
Young, p. 106.]
In line also with this revelation under consideration is the testimony
of the spirit of God to Parley P. Pratt. This elder while making his
way on foot across the prairies of Illinois towards Nauvoo, bowed down
with grief at the loss of Joseph and Hyrum, heard the spirit of God
say:
Lift up your head and rejoice, for behold it is well with my
servants Joseph and Hyrum. My servant Joseph still holds the keys
of my kingdom in this dispensation, and he shall stand in due time
on the earth, in the flesh, and fulfill that to which he is
appointed. Go and say to my people in Nauvoo that they shall
continue to pursue their daily duties, and take care of
themselves, and make no movement in church government to organize
or alter anything until the return of the remainder of the quorum
of the Twelve; but exhort them that they continue to build up the
house of the Lord, which I have commanded them to build in
Nauvoo.[A]
[Footnote A: Autobiography P. P. Pratt, p. 361.]
The keys had not been taken from Joseph--he is yet to stand on the
earth and fulfill all that is appointed to him--the work which under
God he had founded was to go on, is the significance of this message
of the spirit.
A carping criticism may ask: How can Joseph Smith forever stand at the
head of the dispensation of the fullness of times, never have the keys
of authority thereof taken from him, and yet give those keys or
oracles to another, "even to the church"--how can this thing be? It
can be upon the same principle that God can give his power to men,
even the priesthood, and yet not diminish aught from his own power:
Upon the same principle that Jesus could say to Peter, "I give unto
you the keys of the kingdom, and whatsoever you bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven,"[A] and yet Jesus lose nothing in dignity of office,
in authority, or the possession of keys. Upon the same principle that
Peter, James and John, (whom John the Baptist declared to Joseph Smith
and Oliver Cowdery possessed the keys of the priesthood of
Melchisedek,) could give the keys of the priesthood of Melchisedek to
Joseph Smith, and yet not strip themselves of them. So Joseph Smith
could give the keys or oracles of the priesthood to the church and
still hold them--giving the keys to the Twelve more especially, and
yet stand in his place, without losing one iota of power ever
conferred upon him. It is a case where the one possessing keys of
power and authority can give and not diminish his own store; but even
increase it more abundantly, being made richer the more he gives, when
bestowing upon those who are worthy to receive such high things; even
as God increases the ever widening circle of his own power by giving
that power--the priesthood--to his faithful sons.
[Footnote A: Matt. xvi.]
It now remains for me to prove that the prophet Joseph did give the
"oracles to another"--and that they remained with the church.
On the 7th of August, 1844, at a meeting of the Twelve Apostles, high
council of the Nauvoo stake, and high priests, held in the Seventies'
Hall, in a speech following one made by Sidney Rigdon, Brigham Young,
speaking of the Twelve, said:
Joseph conferred upon our heads all the keys and powers belonging
to the apostleship which he himself held before he was taken away,
and no man or set of men can get between Joseph and the Twelve in
this world or the world to come. 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."[A]
[Footnote A: Hist. Joseph Smith, _Mill. Star_, Vol. XXV, p. 232.]
In his speech in behalf of the claims of the Twelve Apostles to lead
the church, on that memorable day, the 8th of August, 1844, Brigham
Young said:
I say unto you that the quorum of the Twelve have the keys of the
kingdom of God in all the world.
. . . . You[A] cannot appoint a prophet; but if you will let the
Twelve remain and act in their place, the keys of the kingdom are
with them and they can manage the affairs of the church and direct
in all things aright.[B]
[Footnote A: The saints.]
[Footnote B: History of Joseph Smith, _Mill. Star_, p. 215-6.]
Whence this confidence on the part of Brigham Young before the church
to make so bold a declaration that the keys of the kingdom were still
with the church--held more especially by the Twelve? It arose from the
fact that the prophet Joseph had committed those keys to the Twelve.
Elder Woodruff, writing from Salem, Mass., under date of October 11th,
1844, at a time when the claims of Sidney Rigdon were still agitated,
said:
Has the prophet Joseph found Elder Rigdon in his counsels when he
organized the quorum of the Twelve, a few months before his death,
to prepare them for their endowment? And when they received their
endowment, and actually received the keys of the Kingdom of God,
and the oracles of God, keys of revelation, and the pattern of
heavenly things; and thus addressing the Twelve, exclaimed, "upon
your shoulders the kingdom rests, and you must round up your
shoulders, and bear it; for I have had to do it until now. But now
the responsibility rests upon you. It mattereth not what becomes
of me."[A]
[Footnote A: _Times and Seasons_, Vol. V, p. 698.]
That was when Wilford Woodruff was a young man; let us hear him
forty-eight years' later, when he stood up under the weight of
eighty-five years and in the presence of a large congregation said:
I remember the last speech that he [Joseph the prophet] ever gave
us before his death. It was before we started upon our mission to
the East. He stood upon his feet some three hours. The room was
filled as with consuming fire, his face was as clear as amber, and
he was clothed upon by the power of God. He laid before us our
duty. He laid before us the fullness of this great work of God;
and in his remarks to us he said: "I have had sealed upon my head
every key, every power, every principle of life and salvation that
God has ever given to any man who ever lived upon the face of the
earth. And these principles and this Priesthood and power belong
to this great and last dispensation which the God of heaven has
set his hand to establish in the earth, "now," said he, addressing
the Twelve, "I have sealed upon your heads every key, every power,
and every principle which the Lord has sealed upon my head." And
continuing he said: "I have lived up to the present time, I have
been in the midst of this people and in the great work and labor
of redemption. I have desired to live to see this temple [the
Nauvoo temple] built. But I shall never live to see it completed,
but you will. After addressing us in this manner he said: "I tell
you the burden of this kingdom now rests upon your shoulders; you
have got to bear it off in all the world, and if you don't do it
you will be damned."[A]
[Footnote A: Remarks of President Woodruff following a discourse on
Priesthood and the Right of Succession, by the writer in 1892.--See
Appendix.]
The testimony of Wilford Woodruff in his youth is the same as in his
old age; the same when a missionary in the eastern states traveling
without purse or scrip, as when President of the church of Jesus
Christ, honored and loved for his unswerving integrity and truth.
Under date of January 23rd, 1848, President Brigham Young, in a letter
to Orson Spencer, President of the British Mission, informing him of
the organization of the First Presidency of the church at Winter
Quarters in 1848, 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 given you, showed you, and talked it
over to you, the kingdom is set up, and you have the perfect
pattern, you can go and build up the kingdom, and go in at the
celestial gate, taking your train with you.[A]
[Footnote A: _Mill. Star_, Vol. X, p. 115.]
And now for a testimony from the "enemy's" camp that the Twelve were
the proper persons to lead the church, after the prophet Joseph's
death: