_THE PRIESTHOOD_
_The Priesthood_--All ye inhabitants of the earth, hearken and
hear! God has, in our day, spoken from the heavens; he has bestowed his
holy Priesthood on the children of men; he has called upon all people
to repent. 8:136.
Let us submit to him, that we may share in this invisible, almighty,
God-like power, which is the everlasting Priesthood. 3:259.
The Priesthood of the Son of God, which we have in our midst, is a
perfect order and system of government, and this alone can deliver the
human family from all the evils which now afflict its members, and
insure them happiness and felicity hereafter. 13:242.
If anybody wants to know what the Priesthood of the Son of God is, it
is the law by which the worlds are, were, and will continue for ever
and ever. It is that system which brings worlds into existence and
peoples them, gives them their revolutions--their days, weeks, months,
years, their seasons and times and by which they are rolled up as a
scroll, as it were, and go into a higher state of existence. 15:127.
When we talk of the celestial law which is revealed from heaven, that
is, the Priesthood, we are talking about the principle of salvation, a
perfect system of government, of laws and ordinances, by which we can
be prepared to pass from one gate to another, and from one sentinel
to another, until we go into the presence of our Father and God. This
law has not always been upon the earth; and in its absence, other laws
have been given to the children {202} of men for their improvement, for
their education, for their government, and to prove what they would do
when left to control themselves; and what we now call tradition has
grown out of these circumstances. 2:139.
The Priesthood of the Son of God in its operations comprises the
Kingdom of God. 11:249.
Some of the brightest spirits who dwell in the bosom of the Father are
making their appearance among this people, of whom the Lord will make
a Royal Priesthood, a peculiar nation that he can own and bless, talk
with, and associate with. 11:132.
Men who are vessels of the holy Priesthood, who are charged with words
of eternal life to the world, should strive continually in their words
and actions and daily deportment to do honor to the great dignity of
their calling and office as ministers and representatives of the Most
High. 11:216.
The Gospel has brought to us the holy Priesthood, which is again
restored to the children of men. The keys of that Priesthood are here;
we have them in our possession; we can unlock, and we can shut up. We
can obtain salvation, and we can administer it. 4:299.
This Priesthood has been on the earth at various times. Adam had it,
Seth had it, Enoch had it, Noah had it, Abraham and Lot had it, and it
was handed down to the days of the Prophets, long after the days of the
ancients. This High Priesthood rules, directs, governs, and controls
all the Priesthoods, because it is the highest of all. 9:87.
But the Lord has so ordained that no man shall receive the benefits of
the everlasting Priesthood without humbling himself before him, and
giving him the glory for teaching him, that he may be able to witness
to every man of the {203} truth, and not depend upon the words of any
individual on the earth, but know for himself, live "by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God," love the Lord Jesus Christ and the
institutions of his Kingdom, and finally enter into his glory. Every
man and woman may be a revelator, and have the testimony of Jesus,
which is the spirit of prophecy, and foresee the mind and will of God
concerning them, eschew evil, and choose that which is good. 2:189.
The Priesthood is given to the people and the keys thereof, and, when
properly understood, they may actually unlock the treasury of the
Lord, and receive to their fullest satisfaction. But through our own
weaknesses, through the frailty of human nature, we are not capable of
doing so. 3:191-2.
The Priesthood does not wait for ignorance; it instructs those who have
not wisdom, and are desirous of learning correct principles. 7:64.
It is the business, duty, and power of the eternal Priesthood to
commence laying the foundation to bring back the days, years, and
intelligence that have been lost through transgression. I intend to
pursue this course so long as I possibly can. I trust that I shall not
commit an act that will annoy my feelings when I meet my Savior. I pray
for this every day and every moment. 8:62.
The Lord Almighty will not suffer his Priesthood to be again driven
from the earth. 2:183-184.
But mark it well, if we live according to the holy Priesthood bestowed
upon us, while God bears rule in the midst of these mountains, I
promise you, in the name of Israel's God, that he will give us
seed-time and harvest. We must forfeit our right to the Priesthood,
before the blessings of {204} the heavens cease to come upon us. Let us
live our religion and hearken to the counsel given to us. 10:292.
Much has been said about the power of the Latter-day Saints. Is it the
people called Latter-day Saints that have this power, or is it the
Priesthood? It is the Priesthood; and if they live according to that
Priesthood, they can commence their work here and gain many victories,
and be prepared to receive glory, immortality, and eternal life, that
when they go into the spirit-world, their work will far surpass that of
any other man or being that has not been blessed with the keys of the
Priesthood here. 7:288-9.
There is not a despot upon the earth whose power has not originally
sprung from the Priesthood, and there is not a law in the Priesthood
but what is founded on the revelations of Jesus Christ. These are the
laws upon which all governments were originally based. Truth will
endure forever, and every person that cannot abide truth will fail in
obtaining eternal life. Truth is what we have. Let us live to it, and
we shall abide for ever and no power can prevent it. 7:149.
When the faithful Elders, holding this Priesthood, go into the spirit
world they carry with them the same power and Priesthood that they had
while in the mortal tabernacle. 3:371.
When the holy Priesthood is upon the earth, and the fulness of the
Kingdom of God has come to the people, it requires a strict obedience
to every point of law and doctrine and to every ordinance which the
Lord reveals. 10:286.
Were your faith concentrated upon the proper object, your confidence
unshaken, your lives pure and holy, every one fulfilling the duties
of his or her calling according to the {205} Priesthood and capacity
bestowed upon you, you would be filled with the Holy Ghost, and
it would be as impossible for any man to deceive and lead you to
destruction as for a feather to remain unconsumed in the midst of
intense heat. 7:277.
An individual who holds a share in the Priesthood, and continues
faithful to his calling, who delights himself continually in doing the
things God requires at his hands, and continues through life in the
performance of every duty will secure to himself not only the privilege
of receiving, but the knowledge how to receive the things of God,
that he may know the mind of God continually; and he will be enabled
to discern between right and wrong, between the things of God and the
things that are not of God. And the Priesthood--the Spirit that is
within him, will continue to increase until it becomes like a fountain
of living water; until it is like the tree of life; until it is one
continued source of intelligence and instruction to that individual.
3:192.
It is the privilege of every person who is faithful to the Priesthood,
who can overcome the enemy, thwart the design of death, or him that
hath the power of it, to live upon the earth until their appointed
time; and they may know, see, and understand, by revelation, the things
of God just as naturally as we understand natural things that are
around us. 3:192-193.
All the acts we perform should be governed by the guidance of the
Priesthood. 7:64.
There is no act of a Latter-day Saint--no duty required--no time given,
exclusive and independent of the Priesthood. Everything is subject to
it, whether preaching, business, or any other act pertaining to the
proper conduct of this life. 7:66. {206}
Until a selfish, individual interest is banished from our minds, and
we become interested in the general welfare, we shall never be able to
magnify our holy Priesthood as we should. 11:115.
No man will gain influence in this Kingdom, save what he gains by the
influence and power of the Holy One that has called him to truth,
holiness, and virtue. That is all the influence I have, and I pray God
that I may never have any different influence. 7:140.
Let me say to the brethren and sisters, when you are chastened by any
of your leaders, never consider that the enemy does it, but receive
it always as a kindness from the hand of a friend and not as from an
enemy. If your presidents were your enemies they would let you alone
in your faults. If you are beloved of the Lord you will be chastened;
receive it with joy. 10:174.
In trying all matters of doctrine, to make a decision valid, it is
necessary to obtain a unanimous voice, faith and decision. In the
capacity of a Quorum, the three First Presidents must be one in their
voice; the Twelve Apostles must be unanimous in their voice, to obtain
a righteous decision upon any matter that may come before them, as you
may read in the Doctrine and Covenants. Whenever you see these Quorums
unanimous in their declaration, you may set it down as true. Let the
Elders get together, being faithful and true; and when they agree upon
any point, you may know that it is true. 9:91-92.
I would like to see the High Council and Bishops and all Judges filled
with the power of the Holy Ghost, that when a person comes before them
they can read and understand that person, and be able to decide a case
quickly and justly. When men have a just appreciation of right and
{207} wrong, their decision can be made as well the first minute after
hearing a statement of the case, as to waste hours and days to make it.
I would like the Bishops and other officers to have sufficient power
and wisdom from God to make them fully aware of the true nature of
every case that may come before them. But there are some of our great
men who are so ignorant that a personal favor will so bias their minds
that they will twist the truth and sustain a person in evil. Some,
with a trifling consideration, can so prejudice the mind of a High
Councilor, a High Priest, a Bishop, or an Apostle, that he will lean to
the individual instead of the truth. I despise a man that would offer
me money to buy me to his favor. 10:42.
In all High Councils, in Bishops' Courts, and in all other departments
for transacting our business, the Church and Kingdom of God, with the
Lord Almighty at the head, will cause every man to exhibit the feeling
of his heart, for you recollect it is written that in the last days the
Lord will reveal the secrets of the hearts of the children of men. 3:47.
When I am brought to the test to fight for my religion, which I trust
I never will be, I will call men who are full of the power of God for
such an emergency. 7:143.
I relate these circumstances to show you that a person who is ordained
to the office of an Elder in this Kingdom has the same Priesthood that
the High Priests, that the Twelve Apostles, that the Seventies, and
that the First Presidency hold; but all are not called to be one of the
Twelve Apostles nor are all called to be one of the First Presidency,
nor to be one of the First Presidents of all the Seventies, nor to be
one of the Presidents of a Quorum of Seventies, nor to preside over the
High Priests' Quorum; but every man in his order and place, possessing
a portion {208} of the same Priesthood, according to the gifts and
callings to each. Does not this clear up the subject? This will explain
it to you so that you can understand it. When we find where our
callings and positions are in the midst of the people of God, and every
person willing to act in the discharge of his duty, there is enough for
us all to do. All persons can have all they desire to do to promote the
Kingdom of God on the earth; they can exercise themselves in all that
God has granted to them to prove themselves worthy before God and the
people. 9:89.
Did they destroy it when they took the life of Joseph? No. "Mormonism"
is here, the Priesthood is here, the keys of the Kingdom are here on
the earth; and when Joseph went, they did not go. And if the wicked
should succeed in taking my life, the keys of the Kingdom will remain
with the Church. 5:76-7.
If I find a man, as I do once in a while, who thinks that he ought to
be sustained in a higher position than he occupies, that proves to me
that he does not understand his true position, and is not capable of
magnifying it. Has he not already the privilege of exhibiting all the
talents he has--of doing all the good he is capable of in this Kingdom?
Is he curtailed in the least, in anywise or place, in bringing forth
his wisdom and powers, and exhibiting them before the community and
leading out? No, not in the least. Are any of you infringed upon or
abridged in the least? Is there a sister who has not the privilege of
exhibiting all the talent and power she will, or is capable of, for
the benefit of her sisters and her children? Are the sisters deprived
of any liberty in displaying their taste and talent to improve the
community?
When I hear persons say that they ought to occupy a {209} station more
exalted than they do, and hide the talents they are in possession of,
they have not the true wisdom they ought to have. There is a lack in
them, or they would improve upon the talents given. 7:161-2.
I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their
leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they
are led by him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind
self-security, trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their
leaders with a reckless confidence that in itself would thwart the
purposes of God in their salvation, and weaken that influence they
could give to their leaders, did they know for themselves, by the
revelations of Jesus, that they are led in the right way. Let every man
and woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves,
whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates, or
not. 9:150.
You may take the Quorums in this Church--the First Presidency, the
Twelve, the Presidents of the High Priests, the High Councilors, and
the Presidents of the Seventies; and a person may go to each of those
Quorums for counsel upon any subject, and he will invariably receive
the same counsel. Why is this the case? Because they are all actuated
by the same spirit. 5:328-9.
Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah, all the Patriarchs and Prophets, Jesus and the
Apostles, and every man that has ever written the word of the Lord,
have written the same doctrine upon the same subject; and you never can
find that Prophets and Apostles clashed in their doctrines in ancient
days; neither will they now, if all would at all times be led by the
Spirit of salvation. 5:329.
Where the Priesthood is not, the people are expected to {210} live
according to the best knowledge they have; but even then they cannot
with impunity commit many heinous faults. The Lord more readily
overlooks them in consequence of their unenlightened condition, and
there is a kingdom prepared for them. 10:286.
When a man merely from a spirit of conviction goes forth to build up
the Kingdom of God--to reform the nations of the earth, he can go so
far as morality operates upon and enlightens him; but he is without
authority from heaven. We are under no obligation to obey any man or
being in matters pertaining to salvation, unless his words have the
authority and sanction of the holy Priesthood. 8:122.
I never passed John Wesley's church in London without stopping to
look at it. Was he a good man? Yes; I suppose him to have been, by
all accounts, as good as ever walked on this earth, according to his
knowledge. Has he obtained a rest? Yes, and greater than ever entered
his mind to expect; and so have thousands of others of the various
religious denominations. Why could he not build up the Kingdom of God
on the earth? He had not the Priesthood; that was all the difficulty
he labored under. Had the Priesthood been conferred upon him, he would
have built up the Kingdom of God in his day as it is now being built
up. He would have introduced the ordinances, powers, grades, and
quorums of the Priesthood; but, not holding the Priesthood, he could
not do it. Did the Spirit of God rest upon him? Yes, and does, more or
less, at times, upon all people. 7:5.
Many persons think, if they see a Prophet they see one possessing all
the keys of the Kingdom of God on the earth. This is not so; many
persons have prophesied without having {211} any Priesthood on them at
all. It is no particular revelation or gift for a person to prophesy.
You take a good statesman, for instance, he will tell you what will
become of a nation by their actions. He forsees this and that, and
knows the results of any line of policy that may be pursued. To be a
prophet is simply to be a foreteller of future events; but an Apostle
of the Lord Jesus Christ has the keys of the holy Priesthood, and the
power thereof is sealed upon his head, and by this he is authorized to
proclaim the truth to the people, and if they receive it, well; if not,
the sin be upon their own heads. 13:144.
Seek diligently to know the will of God. How can you know it? In
matters pertaining to yourselves as individuals, you can obtain it
directly from the Lord; but in matters pertaining to public affairs,
his will is ascertained through the proper channel, and may be known by
the general counsel that is given you from the proper source. 1:78.
I have already said that Christ set in his Church Apostles and
Prophets; he also set in his Church evangelists, pastors and teachers;
also the gifts of the Spirit, such as diverse tongues, healing the
sick, discernment of spirits, and various other gifts. Now, I would
ask the whole world, Who has received revelation that the Lord has
discontinued these offices and gifts in his Church? I have not. I have
had revelation that they should be in the Church, and that there is no
Church without them. I have had many revelations proving to me that the
Old and New Testaments are true. Their doctrines are comprised in the
Gospel that we preach, which is the power of God unto salvation to all
who believe. 13:144.
I plead with the Elders of Israel day by day, when I have an
opportunity, to live their religion--to live so that {212} the Holy
Ghost will be their constant companion; and then they will be qualified
to be judges in Israel, to preside as Bishops, presiding Elders,
and High Councilors, and as men of God, to take their families and
friends by the hand and lead them in the path of truth and virtue, and
eventually into the Kingdom of God. 6:331.
_The First Presidency_--In the setting forth of items of doctrine
which pertain to the progress and further building up of the Kingdom
of God upon the earth, and the revealing of his mind and will, he has
but one mouth through which to make known his will to his people. When
the Lord wishes to give a revelation to his people, when he wishes
to reveal new items of doctrine to them, or administer chastisement,
he will do it through the man whom he has appointed to that office
and calling. The rest of the offices and callings of the Church are
helps and governments for the edifying of the body of Christ and the
perfection of the Saints, etc., every president, bishop, elder, priest,
teacher, deacon and member standing in his order and officiating in his
standing and degree of Priesthood as ministers of the words of life as
shepherds to watch over departments and sections of the flock of God in
all the world, and as helps to strengthen the hands of the Presidency
of the whole Church. 11:135.
The Lord Almighty leads this Church, and he will never suffer you to be
led astray if you are found doing your duty. You may go home and sleep
as sweetly as a babe in its mother's arms, as to any danger of your
leaders leading you astray, for if they should try to do so the Lord
would quickly sweep them from the earth. Your leaders are trying to
live their religion as far as they are capable of doing so. 9:289. {213}
The First Presidency have of right a great influence over this
people; and if we should get out of the way and lead this people to
destruction, what a pity it would be! How can you know whether we lead
you correctly or not? Can you know by any other power than that of
the Holy Ghost? I have uniformly exhorted the people to obtain this
living witness, each for themselves; then no man on earth can lead them
astray. 6:100.
Be careful, all the world, and touch not the anointed of the Lord.
Afflict not the people who have the oracles of salvation for all the
human family. 8:195.
To possess and retain the spirit of the Gospel, gather Israel, redeem
Zion, and save the world must be attended to first and foremost, and
should be the prevailing desire in the hearts of the First Presidency
of the Elders of Israel, and of every officer in the Church and Kingdom
of God. 7:174.
Perhaps it may make some of you stumble, were I to ask you a
question--Does a man's being a Prophet in this Church prove that he
shall be the President of it? I answer, No! A man may be a Prophet,
Seer, and Revelator, and it may have nothing to do with his being
the President of the Church. Suffice it to say, that Joseph was the
President of the Church, as long as he lived. He always filled that
responsible station by the voice of the people. Can you find any
revelation appointing him the President of the Church? The keys of the
Priesthood were committed to Joseph, to build up the Kingdom of God on
the earth, and were not to be taken from him in time or in eternity,
but when he was called to preside over the Church, it was by the voice
of the people; though he held the keys of the Priesthood, independent
of their voice. 1:133. {214}
I would beseech and pray the people to live so that if I do not magnify
my office and calling, you will burn me by your faith and good works,
and I shall be removed. 7:281.
The spirit of Joseph which fell upon me is ready to fall upon somebody
else when I am removed. 5:57.
The first name I shall present to you is that of Brigham Young,
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If any
person can say that he should not be sustained in this office, say so.
If there is no objection, as it is usual in the marriage ceremony of
the Church of England, "Let them for ever afterwards hold their peace,"
and not go snivelling around, saying that you would like to have a
better man, and one who is more capable of leading the Church. 7:228.
Suppose that Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams had been taken
away or had apostatized, as one of them did soon after the revelation I
have referred to was given, and there had been only Joseph Smith left
of the First Presidency, would he alone have had authority to set in
order the Kingdom of God on the earth? Yes. Again: Suppose that eleven
of the Twelve had been taken away by the power of the Adversary, that
one Apostle has the same power that Joseph had, and could preach,
baptize, and set in order the whole Kingdom of God upon the earth,
as much so as the Twelve, were they all together. Again: If in the
providence of God he should permit the enemy to destroy these two first
Quorums, and then destroy the Quorum of the Seventy, all but one man,
what is his power? It would be to go and preach, baptize, confirm,
lay on hands, ordain, set in order, build up, and establish the whole
Kingdom of God as it is now. Suppose the enemy had power to destroy
all but one of the High Priests from the {215} face of the earth, what
would that one possess in the power of his Priesthood? He would have
power and authority to go and preach, baptize, confirm, ordain, and set
in order the Kingdom of God in all its perfection of the earth. Could
he do this without revelation? No. Could the Seventies? No. Could the
Twelve? No. And we ask, could Joseph Smith or the First Presidency
do this without revelation? No. Not one of them could do such a work
without revelation direct from God. I can go still further. Whoever is
ordained to the office of an Elder to a certain degree possesses the
keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood; and suppose only one Elder should
be left on the earth, could he go and set in order the Kingdom of God?
Yes, by revelation. 9:88.
Although Brothers Willard Richards, Heber C. Kimball, and myself are
out of the Quorum of the Twelve, our Apostleship has not been taken
from us. I preached considerable upon this subject in Nauvoo, to give
the people the understanding of the different callings of men. 6:320.
Many may think that a man in my standing ought to be perfect; no such
thing. If you would only think of it for a moment you would not have
me perfect, for if I were perfect the Lord would take me to Paradise
quicker than you would be willing to have me go there. I want to stay
with you; and I expect to be just nearly perfect enough to lead you on.
10:212.
I had the promise, years ago, that I never should apostatize and bring
an evil upon this people. God revealed that through Joseph, long before
he died; and if I am not doing right, you may calculate that the Lord
is going to take me home. He will not send me to hell, but he will take
me home to himself. "I will take you up here, Brigham, and give you a
few lessons." 9:142. {216}
(After putting the motion for himself to be sustained as "Prophet,
Seer, and Revelator," the President remarked):
I will say that I never dictated the latter part of that sentence. I
make this remark, because those words in that connection always made me
feel as though I am called more than I am deserving of. I am Brigham
Young, an Apostle of Joseph Smith, and also of Jesus Christ. If I have
been profitable to this people, I am glad of it. The brethren call me
so; and if it be so, I am glad. 5:296.
_The Apostle and Melchizedek Priesthood_--The calling of an
Apostle is to build up the Kingdom of God in all the world; it is the
Apostle that holds the keys of this power, and nobody else. If an
Apostle magnifies his calling, he is the word of the Lord to his people
all the time. 6:282.
It is the duty and privilege of the Twelve Apostles to have the Holy
Ghost for their constant companion, and live always in the Spirit of
Revelation, to know their duty and understand their calling; this is
also the duty and privilege of the First Presidency of the Church.
11:135.
I can tell you the spirit of the Twelve, which will be a consolation
to you, and also to the Twelve. If I could see every one of the Elders
with their wives and children as obedient to every requirement made of
them--the children to the parents, the wives to the husbands, and the
husbands to the Priesthood--as the Twelve are--my soul would be happy.
I will say further: those of the Twelve that travel the most and serve
God, are the most obedient. 10:310.
In the last week's News I published a portion of a revelation, showing
the authority of the First Presidency of the Church, composed at
first of Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. When
this revelation was {217} given, the two last-named brethren were
Joseph Smith's counselors, and this First Presidency possessed the
power and authority of building up the Kingdom of God upon all the
earth, and of setting the Church in order in its perfection. You read
in the revelation alluded to that when the Twelve were called and
ordained, they possessed the same power and authority as the three
First Presidents; and in reading further you find that there must
needs be appendages and helps growing out of this Priesthood. The
Seventies possess the same power and authority; they hold the keys of
establishing, building up, regulating, ordaining and setting in order
the Kingdom of God in all its perfections upon the earth. We have a
Quorum of High Priests, and there are a great many of them. They are a
local body--they tarry at home; but the Seventies travel and preach;
so also do the High Priests, when they are called upon. They possess
precisely the same Priesthood that the Seventies and the Twelve and the
First Presidency possess; but are they ordained to officiate in all the
authority, powers, and keys of this Priesthood? No, they are not. Still
they are High Priests of God; and if they magnify their Priesthood,
they will receive at some time all the authority and power that it is
possible for men to receive. 9:87.
The Bishopric by right belongs to the literal descendants of Aaron, but
we shall have to ordain from the other tribes, men who hold the High
Priesthood, to act in the Lesser, until we find a literal descendant of
Aaron, who is prepared to receive it.
The Lesser Priesthood, then, you perceive, comes within the purview
of the Apostleship, because a man that holds it has a right to act
or officiate as a High Priest, as one of {218} the High Council, as
a Patriarch, as a Bishop, Elder, Priest, Teacher, and Deacon, and in
every other office and calling that is in the Church, from first to
last, when duty demands it. 1:136.
Now will it cause some of you to marvel that I was not ordained a High
Priest before I was ordained an Apostle? Brother Kimball and myself
were never ordained High Priests. How wonderful! I was going to say how
little some of the brethren understood the Priesthood, after the Twelve
were called. In our early career in this Church, on one occasion, in
one of our Councils, we were telling about some of the Twelve wanting
to ordain us High Priests, and what I said to Brother Patten when he
wanted to ordain me in York State: said I, "Brother Patten, wait until
I can lift my hand to heaven and say, I have magnified the office of
an Elder." After our conversation was over in the Council, some of
the brethren began to query, and said we ought to be ordained High
Priests; at the same time I did not consider that an Apostle needed to
be ordained a High Priest, an Elder, or a Teacher. I did not express
my views on the subject, at that time, but thought I would hear what
brother Joseph would say about it. It was William E. McLellin who told
Joseph, that I and Heber were not ordained High Priests, and wanted
to know if it should not be done. Said Joseph, "Will you insult the
Priesthood? Is that all the knowledge you have of the office of an
Apostle? Do you not know that the man who receives the Apostleship,
receives all the keys that ever were, or that can be, conferred upon
mortal man? What are you talking about? I am astonished!" Nothing more
was said about it.
I have tried to show you, brethren, as briefly as possible, {219} the
order of the Priesthood. When a man is ordained to be an Apostle, his
Priesthood is without beginning of days, or end of life, like the
Priesthood of Melchizedek; for it was his Priesthood that was spoken of
in this language and not the man. 1:136.
Twenty-seven years ago, on the 5th of this month, in the year 1834, a
company started for Kirtland to redeem the land of Zion. Brother Heber
C. Kimball and my brother Joseph were in that camp. There had not then
been ordained any Twelve Apostles, nor any Seventies, although there
was a revelation pertaining to the Apostles and Seventies. There were
High Priests, but no High Priests' Quorum. I am relating this as a
little matter of history that will no doubt be interesting to those who
were not there.
After we returned from Missouri, my brother Joseph Young and myself
had been singing after preaching in a meeting; and when the meeting
was dismissed, Brother Joseph Smith, said, "Come, go down to my house
with me." We went and sung to him a long time, and talked with him.
He then opened the subject of the Twelve and Seventies for the first
time I ever thought of it. He said, "Brethren, I am going to call out
Twelve Apostles. I think we will get together, by-and-by, and select
Twelve Apostles, and select a Quorum of Seventies from those who have
been up to Zion, out of the camp boys." In 1835 the last of January
or in February, or about that time, we held our meetings from day to
day, and Brother Joseph called out Twelve Apostles at that time. He had
a revelation when we were singing to him. Those who were acquainted
with him knew when the Spirit of Revelation was on him, for his
countenance wore an expression peculiar to himself while under {220}
that influence. He preached by the Spirit of Revelation, and taught
in his council by it, and those who were acquainted with him could
discover it at once, for at such times there was a peculiar clearness
and transparency in his face. He followed up that revelation until he
organized the Church, and so along until the baptism for the dead was
revealed. 9:89.
How came these Apostles, these Seventies, these High Priests, and all
this organization we now enjoy? It came by revelation. Father Cahoon,
who lately died in your neighborhood, was one of the first ordained to
the office of High Priest in this Kingdom. In the year 1831 the Prophet
Joseph went to Ohio. He left the State of New York on the last of
April, if my memory serves me, and arrived in Kirtland sometime in May.
They held a General Conference, which was the first General Conference
ever called or held in Ohio. Joseph then received a revelation, and
ordained High Priests. You read in the book of Doctrine and Covenants
how he received the Priesthood in the first place. It is there stated
how Joseph received the Aaronic Priesthood. John the Baptist came to
Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. When a person passes behind the veil,
he can only officiate in the spirit-world; but when he is resurrected
he officiates as a resurrected being, and not as a mortal being. You
read in the revelation that Joseph was ordained, as it is written. When
he received the Melchizedek Priesthood, he had another revelation.
Peter, James, and John came to him. You can read the revelation at
your leisure. When he received this revelation in Kirtland, the Lord
revealed to him that he should begin and ordain High Priests; and he
then ordained quite a number, all whose names I do not now recollect;
but Lyman {271} Wight was one; Fathers Cahoon and Morley, John Murdock,
Sidney Rigdon, and others were also then ordained. These were the first
that were ordained to this office in the Church. I relate this to show
you how Joseph proceeded step by step in organizing the Church. At that
time there were no Seventies nor Twelve Apostles. 9:88-89.
Joseph Smith never would permit the Seventies to get together and
believe themselves a separate body from the rest of the Church. I
never cared much about this, for I was not a particle afraid that
they would get any power that truly does not belong to them; for, if
they did, I was always satisfied that it would be blown to the four
winds. I want to inform the Seventies living in Bishop Miller's Ward
(and what I now say applies to all the other Wards and Bishops) if
he calls on them to act as Teachers, it is their imperative duty to
act as Teachers, seeking to benefit and bless the people by enlarging
their understandings, that they may prove themselves before God and one
another. There is a world of intelligence to impart, and the Priesthood
(in its various callings, appointments, helps, and governments) is the
means, through its ministers, of imparting it to the people. It is not
a duty of a Seventy or High Priest, who is appointed a Teacher or a
Bishop, to neglect the duties of those callings to attend a Seventies'
or High Priests' meeting. Attend to the wishes of your Bishop, and
never ask who has the most power. The man who has the most power with
God will wield it, and earth and hell cannot hinder it. Every man who
has true influence has obtained it before God through faithfulness, and
in all such cases there is not the least danger but what he will have
it before the Saints. It is the man who converses with the heavens,
who delights in doing so, and knows for himself {222} that this is the
Kingdom of God, who has true influence. 9:92.
There is no retrograde movement in ordaining a High Priest to the
office of a Bishop, for, properly speaking, he is set apart to act in
that office. 10:96.
We shall dissolve the present High Council of this Stake. Many of
them are far advanced in years, and some of them live at considerable
distances from this city. They have labored according to the best of
their ability. 7:337.
_The Bishop and the Aaronic Priesthood_--The office of a Bishop
belongs to the lesser Priesthood. He is the highest officer in the
Aaronic Priesthood, and has the privilege of using the Urim and
Thummim--has the administration of angels, if he has faith, and lives
so that he can receive and enjoy the blessings Aaron enjoyed. At the
same time, could Aaron rise up and say, "I have as much power and
authority as you, Moses?" No; for Moses held the keys and authority
above all the rest upon the earth. He holds the keys of the Priesthood
of Melchizedek, which is the Priesthood of the Son of God, which
holds the keys of all these Priesthoods, dispensing the blessings and
privileges of both Priesthoods to the people, as he did in the days of
the Children of Israel when he led them out of Egypt. 9:87.
I will say a few words with regard to a Bishop. Except we find a
literal descendant of Aaron, a man has to be ordained to the High
Priesthood to administer as did Aaron and his sons. Can the Bishop
baptize the people, according to his Bishopric? He can. When the people
he has baptized assemble for confirmation, can he confirm them? He
cannot, under the power of his Bishopric; but as he has been ordained
to the office of a High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek, to
prepare him to act in the office of a {223} Bishop in the Priesthood
of Aaron, when he has baptized the people under the authority of his
Bishopric, he has a right as a High Priest to confirm them into the
Church by the laying on of hands. 9:280.
A Bishop in his calling and duty is with the Church all the time; he is
not called to travel abroad to preach, but is at home; he is not abroad
in the world, but is with the Saints. 2:89.
In the capacity of a Bishop, has any person a right to direct the
spiritual affairs of the Kingdom of God? No. In that capacity his right
is restricted to affairs in a temporal and moral point of view. He has
a right to deal with the transgressor. I do not care what office a
transgressor bears in the Church and Kingdom of God, if he should be
one of the Twelve Apostles, and come into a Bishop's neighborhood, and
purloin his neighbor's books, defile his neighbor's bed, or commit any
breach of the moral law, the Bishop has a right to take that man before
himself and his council, and there hold him to answer for the crime he
has been guilty of, and deal with him for his fellowship in the Church.
9:91.
Who, then, has the greatest power? Those who best do the will of God.
When a Bishop calls upon a man to officiate as an assistant to him, he
does not call upon him as a Seventy or as a High Priest, but as one of
his own family--as a member of his Ward. 9:93.
Instead of my believing for a moment that Paul wished to signify to
Timothy that he must select a man to fill the office of a Bishop that
would have but one wife, I believe directly the reverse; but his advice
to Timothy amounts simply to this--it would not be wise for you to
ordain a man to the office of a Bishop unless he has a wife; you {224}
must not ordain a single or unmarried man to that calling. 2:88.
The Bishops should be a perfect example to their Wards in all things.
16:44.
Let each Bishop attend faithfully to his Ward, and see that every man
and woman is well and faithfully and profitably employed; that the
sick and aged are properly cared for that none suffer. Let each Bishop
be a tender and indulgent father to his Ward, administering a word of
comfort and encouragement here, a word of advice and counsel there,
and a word of chastisement in another place, where needed, without
partiality, wisely judging between man and man, caring for and seeking
earnestly the welfare of all, watching over the flock of God with the
eye of a true shepherd, that wolves and dogs may not enter-among the
flock to rend them. 11:252.
The Bishops should, through their teachers, see that every family in
their Wards, who is able, should donate what they would naturally
consume on the fast day to the poor. 12:116.
If a Bishop will act to the extent of his calling and office, and
magnify it, there will not be an individual in his Ward that is not
employed to the best advantage. He would see that all lived as they
should, walking humbly with their God. There would not be a person in
his Ward that he does not know, and he would be acquainted with their
circumstances, conduct, and feeling. 8:146.
The Bishops should set those whom they have confidence in, those whom
they know to be honest, to be watchmen on the tower, and let them find
out who are suffering. 3:245.
There are many of the Bishops here today, and my advice {225} to them
is for them to be honest with me, to be honest with their God, to
keep their covenants sacred, and to make a clean breast of all their
business transactions that their consciences may be void of offense
towards God and man. 8:316.
When your Bishop calls upon you, or advises you to do anything that
will be for your good, do not call that oppression. All the instruction
he gives will be calculated to do you good, to raise you in that scale
of intelligence that will make of you wise men and wise women. When we
are recommended to do that which will lead to good, that cannot very
well be construed into oppression. 10:313.
If the people of a Ward are living in the faithful performance of their
several duties, their faith and their prayers will be concentrated
before the Lord, in the name of Jesus, for and in behalf of their
Bishop, that he may know his business and be made fully capable to
fulfil the duties of his calling to the honor of God and the salvation
of the people. 11:135.
You have often heard me and my brethren say that if the people in the
capacity of a Ward, for instance, would let their faith be perfectly
united, and their whole desires rise to the Father, through the name
of Jesus Christ, and hold their Bishop in his calling between God and
them, it would hardly be possible for that Bishop to do wrong, for he
would be filled with wisdom. 6:98-99.
Do our Bishops labor for pay? No, if they are not capable of getting
a living and sustaining themselves and families, and of filling the
office of Bishop without pay, they are hardly worthy of the Bishopric.
If a High Priest is called to be a president or to travel and preach
the Gospel to the nations of the earth, he must do it without pay; and
{226} we think that any man who is not able to keep himself and family
and travel and preach one-half or two-thirds of his time without being
paid, is not so good a financier as he ought to be. 14:108.
I say to the Bishop who has just addressed us, won't you do as I have
formerly directed you, and appoint good, wise, judicious men to go
through your Ward, to find out what is in that Ward, and the situation
of every family, whether they have money, flour, or costly clothing
or whether they are destitute and suffering? This is your business
and calling. Do not let there be one place, in the habitations of the
Saints in your Wards, about which you are uninformed. Brother Woolley
has reported the circumstance of a Bishop finding a woman who had been
living upon the charity of her neighbors, and who, at the same time,
had valuable property, and money hid up. I can refer you to scores of
like circumstances, and what is more, to some of the Elders, those who
are supposed to be among the best of our Elders. 3:244.
Bishops' Counselors should be examples to the Church; they should be
like fathers to the Church. If they are really the Counselors of the
Bishop, they should practice everything that is good that he practices;
and if the Bishop himself should neglect any duty, they should perform
their duty as counselors, and should teach, guide, direct, and counsel
the Bishop to improve in his life. 13:275.
The Wards will be organized hereafter; Bishops will be placed over
them, with their two Counselors, all of whom will be ordained High
Priests, if not already so ordained, and then be set apart to act in
their several offices. They then will form a court; and all the other
quorums of Priesthood will be set in order. 19:43. {227}
_Church Organization and Government_--The living oracles of the
Lord, * * * are always in the midst of his people. 10:302.
Teach the people true knowledge, and they will govern themselves.
10:190.
The government of this Church is based upon true principles,
and the reason people fall out by the way is because of their
ignorance--because they do not thoroughly canvass their acts, and
wisely ponder the probable results. 7:65.
We shall never have the keys of authority committed to us to be rulers
until we will rule just as God would rule if he were here himself.
14:97.
But the Kingdom of heaven, when organized upon the earth, will have
every officer, law and ordinance necessary for the managing of those
who are unruly, or who transgress its laws, and to govern those who
desire to do right, but cannot quite walk to the line; and all these
powers and authorities are in existence in the midst of this people.
15:161.
I am for the Kingdom of God. I like a good government, and then I like
to have it wisely and justly administered. The government of heaven, if
wickedly administered, would become one of the worst governments upon
the face of the earth. No matter how good a government is, unless it is
administered by righteous men, an evil government will be made of it.
10:177.
"But we thought that the government you are talking about was a
theocratic government." It is; and it is the only true form of
government on the earth--the only one that possesses all the true
principles of republicanism. It puts every man and woman right, puts
everything in its place, and gives to each one his due according to his
work; for so will they be judged in that day. 7:8. {228}
People have reason to fear the bogus or spurious theocracy. There
are but few upon the earth who do not in their hearts acknowledge a
Supreme Being, and also believe that Being to be holy; and, if they
could be dictated by that Being, and be sure that they were dictated
by the influence from him, there are but few who would object to that
influence, and that government. 7:147.
I wish you to build up every man who is in the faith of the Gospel--who
is in the faith of God, angels, and good men; and if you strive to pull
down good men who are around you, you are sure to fall yourselves. 8:71.
There is only one way to obtain power and influence in the Kingdom of
God, and only one way to obtain foreknowledge, and that is to live so
that that influence will come from our Creator, enlightening the mind
and revealing things that are past, present and future pertaining to
the earth and its inhabitants, and to the dealings of God with the
children of men; in short, there is no source of true information
outside of the Spirit of Revelation; it maketh manifest all things,
and revealeth the dispositions of communities and of individuals. By
possessing this Spirit, mankind can obtain power that is durable,
beneficial, and that will result in a higher state of knowledge, of
honor and of glory. This can be obtained only by strictly marking the
path of truth, and walking faithfully therein. 10:104.
It is the right and privilege of every Elder in Israel to enjoy the
Holy Ghost, and the light of it, to know everything which concerns
himself and his individual duties, but it is not his right and
privilege to dictate his superior in office, nor to give him counsel,
unless he is called upon to do so, then he may make suggestions. 11:135.
Now ask yourselves, and let me ask you, who has been {229} to you,
individually, and told you to vote just as you have voted here today?
Has any man visited your habitations to tell you that when you come to
this house you must all vote precisely alike? I will pause right here
and will request that, if any person present has been so instructed, he
or she will let us know it. I do not see any person rise, and I need
not look for any one to do so, from the simple fact that not a word on
this subject has been said to the Latter-day Saints. Our doctrine is
true and we like it; our faith is one and we are one in it, our object
is one and we unitedly pursue the straight and narrow path that leads
to it. 14:91.
If the time was that the Elders of Israel could not be chastened and
corrected for their wrongs, and be set right, you may know that they
have proved recreant to the faith. And if those who are appointed to
lead this people dare not rise up and tell them of their iniquity and
chastise them therefor, and teach them the way of life and salvation,
you may know that your leaders have fallen from their station. 5:124.
We will first present the Authorities of the Church; and I sincerely
request the members to act freely and independently in voting--also
in speaking if it be necessary. There has been no instance in this
Church of a person's being in the least curtailed in the privilege
of speaking his honest sentiments. It cannot be shown in the history
of this people that a man has ever been injured, either in person,
property, or character, for openly expressing, in the proper time and
place, his objections to any man holding authority in this Church, or
for assigning his reasons for such objections. Persons have frequently
ruined their own characters by making false accusations. 7:227-228.
{230}
Our ecclesiastical government is the government of heaven.
No being possesses intelligence, in any degree, that he has not
received from the God of heaven, or, in other words, from the Fountain
of all intelligence, whether he acknowledges his God in it or not. No
man, independent of the Great Ruler of the universe, is capable of
devising that which we see and are well acquainted with. All mechanism,
good government, wholesome principle, and true philosophy of whatever
name or nature, flows from God to finite man. What for? To determine
what he will do with it. It is for his improvement and advancement in
the arts of civilized life, morality, and true religion. This has been
taught you from the beginning as the unmistakable features of our holy
religion. 7:141.
Let the Presidents and Apostles and Elders do the work the Lord has set
them to do, and obey the counsel which is given them, and the Kingdom
will continue to roll, to increase in strength, in importance, in
magnitude and in power, in wisdom, intelligence and glory; and no one
need be concerned, for it is the Kingdom which the Lord our God has
established, and has sustained by his matchless wisdom and power from
the beginning to this day. 11:253.
It is a common adage, "Old men for counsel, and young men for war."
Until men born in the Priesthood grow old therein in faithfulness, I
would say, with comparatively few exceptions, "Young men for counsel,
and young men for war." For knowledge and understanding, I would
rather, as a general thing, select young men from eighteen years of
age--the sons of men who have been in this Church from the beginning,
than to select their fathers. Their minds have {231} been but little,
if any, trammeled with erroneous traditions and teachings. Let the yoke
of the Gospel be put upon those young men Brother Joseph referred to in
his remarks, who have been sowing their wild oats for years, and they
are generally better and more correct in the offices of the Priesthood
than many of the gray-haired fathers. They understand more about God,
about Jesus Christ, and the government of God on the earth, than do
many of the fathers and grand-fathers. 7:335.
It is true that under some circumstances we may have to look at the
others. For instance, here is the High Council, they are called to
act upon cases that come before them. Of course their duty, then, is
to examine into the conduct of their brethren and sisters; and this
is required of them. And if they do it without prejudice, without
selfishness, by the power of the Holy Ghost, divested of every
improper feeling, judging righteous judgment between man and man, the
performance of this duty will purify them just as much any other labor.
11:292.
It may be considered that we are a mixed congregation, consisting of
Bishops, Seventies, High Priests, Elders, the Twelve, and the First
Presidency; but I consider we are, strictly speaking, a meeting of the
Elders of Israel; for if we were to be instructed in the duties of any
one of these Quorums, that instruction would be equally good for all.
6:314.
High Councilors, do you have any trials before you? "Yes." Have the
brethren complained of each other? "Yes." Are their feelings alienated
one from the other? Is there a party spirit manifested in the Council?
"Sometimes." Do the brethren go off satisfied with the decisions of the
Council? Bishops, do you have any trials? Are the feelings of {232} the
brethren in your Wards alienated? "Yes." What should they do in such
cases? They should follow the rules laid down, and be reconciled to
their brethren forthwith. I think that it can be shown that the great
majority of difficulties between brethren arises from misunderstandings
rather than from malice and a wicked heart, and instead of talking the
matter over with each other in a saint-like spirit, they will contend
with each other until a real fault is created, and they have brought a
sin upon themselves. When we have done good ninety-nine times and then
do an evil, how common it is, my brethren and sisters, to look at that
one evil all the day long and never think of the good. Before we judge
each other we should look at the design of the heart, and if it is
evil, then chasten that individual, and take a course to bring him back
again to righteousness. 12:173.
When you are rebuked by each other--when brethren meet you and say,
"This is wrong in you," you should receive it kindly, and express your
thanks for the reproof, and acknowledge the wrong frankly, and admit
that you may frequently do wrong when you do not know it, and say, "I
wish you to enlighten my mind, to take me by the hand, and let me go
along hand-in-hand and strengthen and sustain each other." What, in
your weaknesses? Yes. Do you expect to see a perfect man? Not while you
stay here. 8:367.
You may, figuratively speaking, pound one Elder over the head with a
club, and he does not know but what you have handed him a straw dipped
in molasses to suck. There are others, if you speak a word to them, or
take a straw and chasten them, whose hearts are broken; they are as
tender in their feelings as an infant, and will melt like wax {233}
before the flame. You must not chasten them severely; you must chasten
according to the spirit that is in the person. Some you may talk to all
day long, and they do not know what you are talking about. There is a
great variety. Treat people as they are. 8:367.
Just a few words to the Presidency of this Stake of Zion. It is now
their duty to see that the officers within their jurisdiction perform
their several duties, it is sufficient work for them, too, if they will
attend to it. The High Council, I hope, will not have much business to
do. I am told that there have only been three cases during the last
twenty-three years, that have gone for trial before the High Council
from Farmington. That is doing very well. To the now acting Bishops,
who will be ordained Bishops, as well as to Brother Hess, who I believe
is the only ordained Bishop in the county, I will say that you will
now be required to look after your several Wards more assiduously than
heretofore; see that Teachers are diligent in the performance of their
duties, and that all difficulties that may arise among the brethren of
the Ward be settled, if possible, by the Teachers; and also see that
all who claim membership in this Church observe the moral law of our
religion. We shall not expect to hear of people breaking the Sabbath,
and a hundred other things all of which are inconsistent with our
holy callings, and opposed to the accomplishment of the work that the
Father has given us to do. You are called upon now to make yourselves
familiar with the revelations and commandments that have been given us
of the Lord for our perfection, for our sanctification preparatory to
our exaltation, and so live that our acts and conversations may conform
to the same. You are called upon now to improve your ways, to seek
with all {234} earnestness for an increase of faith that you may live
according to the higher laws, which is your privilege to do, and which
is so necessary for our peace and comfort and for the good order of
society and for the salvation of the Latter-day Saints. 19:43. {235}