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Theses and Dissertations
1973
Prophetic Authority in the Teachings of Modern Prophets Prophetic Authority in the Teachings of Modern Prophets
Clifford Gary Bennett Brigham Young University - Provo
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BYU ScholarsArchive Citation BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Bennett, Clifford Gary, "Prophetic Authority in the Teachings of Modern Prophets" (1973). Theses and Dissertations. 4520. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4520
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PROPHETIC AUTHORITY IN THE TEACHINGS
OF MODERN PROPHETS
A thesis
presented to the
department of church history and doctrine
brigham young university
in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree
master of arts
tyby
clifford gary bennett
august 1973
odbuluochA gary andersonandersen committee member
v
jfr3
typed bybys mary 13 bennett
li
russetsrussejsalassel1 brrv rich committee ctelcmandhacha n
114bizhik
faf1
this thesis by clifford gary bennettsbennettybennetttbennettaBen isnetty accepted in its present
form loytoy the department of church history and doctrine in the college of
religious instruction of brigham young university as satisfying the
thesis requirements for the debreedegree of master of arts
M
bythe
de e
kz46rson
dredro
dredrs
ackmowusdgments
the writer wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to the follow-
ing
to the prophets past and present whose inspired writings are the
living substance of this study
to the writers wife marymaxymaltmait abnbnB Bennetbennett without whose support thiswork could never have been accomplished
to dr richard 4 andersonAnder professorsongsont in the college of religion
whose active help made possible the completion of this study
to the executive committee of the board of trustees with an
especial mention of elder thomas si monson of the council of the twelve
who was actively encouraging to the graduate school and to the depart-
ment of church history and doctrine of brigham young university for
permission to pursue this study
to dr lamarimmarlemarlekar C berrett chairman of the department of church
history and doctrine for his encouragement
to dr russell R rich committee chairmanChair formang his counsel aid
and criticisms
to dr rodney turner minor committee membermemberg for his doctrinal
insights and criticisms
to dr A gary anderson acting committee member during the
absence of dr turner who read the thesis and offered helpful suggestionssuggestion
finally to brigham young university a campus set on a hillwhose light though imperfect is an inspiration to the writer who counts
it as one of his great privileges to have been a student theretheres
iii
S
ACKNOWIFaugmentsadgments
tv
se
to marygmary carol kristen
ivvi
I1
PURPOSES OF THE STUDY 0 0 0 & 0
fdaUSATABLEIRLBLEtabek OF CONTENTS
page
acknowledgments
v
chapter
1 introduction TO THE STUDY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
THE PROBLEM
6
ULTIMATE AUTHORITY 0 0 0 6 0 0 s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 a 6
ULTIMATE AUTHORITY AND MAN 0 0 a 0 0 0 6 0 0 0
14
SURVEY HISTORY OF PROPHETIC AUTHORITYIN PAST dispensations 21
THE WORLD WITHOUT PROPHETIC AUTHORITY 29
conclusion 0 0 0 0 0 & 0 c 0 & 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 a 30
3 THE BASIS OF PROPHETIC AUTHORITY IN THETIMtle dispensationOF THE FULLNESS OF TIMES
31
v
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 illdedication 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 iv
TABLE OF CONTENTSTABIEOF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 & 0 6 0 a 0 0
to
0 0 0 a 0 a a 6 4 6 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
limitations AND METHOD OF THE STUDY
0 0 0 a 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 2
justificationjustifications S 0 0 4 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 a 0 0 0 2
STATEMENT OF clarification 0 0 0 9 e 9 s e s 9 4
definition OF TERMSTEMteltrl 0 0 0 0 0 a 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
2 AUTHORITY AND PROPHETSIPROPHETS definitions AND SHORT HISTORYOF PROPHETIC AUTHORITY IN PAST dispensations
0 0 a 0 a 10
delegation OF GODSGODOS AUTHORITY TO MAN s 0 a 0 0 9 0 e a 11
OVERVIEW OF THE PROPHETIC OFFICE AND ITS AUTHORITYAUTHOFITY
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 31
THE IASTLAST dispensation IN perspective
nanimanthani
lo10
as6s
THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY OF THE LAST dispensation
32
FULL restoration OF THE PROPHETIC OFFICEIN THE IASTLAST dispensation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 40
testimonies OF THE ELEVEN PRESIDING PROPHETS OF THISdispensation REGARDING THEIR PROPHETIC AUTHORITY 0 0 9 43
SUMMATION
1
introduction 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 to 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 to to to to to to 151
PROBIRMSPROBLEMS IN FOLLOWING PROPHETS 0 e 0 0 0 0 0 O0 s 0 6 0 0 0 55
conclusion 86
5 PROPHETIC AUTHORITY AS IT RELATESRETATES TO THE WORLD AS A WHOLE to a 87
THE PROPHETIC stewardship OVER ALL THE WORLD 87
THE WORLDPSWORLDS NEED FOR tmTHE PROPHETS
0 0 0 a 9 32
SPECIFIC authorities RESTORED TO JOSEPH SMITH
0 0 0 0 0 0 O0 s 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 a lq49
4 obligations OF CHURCH MEMBERSWieK TOBERS THE PROPHETIC OFFICE a to to 9 51
s to to to e s e a to 9 a to to
50
to s to 9 to s87
0 a to to 0 0 0 0 0 0 90
THE TESTIMONY OF THE PROPHETSPROPHITS IS THAT makMANkak UNAIDEDCANNOT GOVERN OR SAVE HIMSELF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 111 0 0 0 0 0 0 93
THE NEED OF THE WORIDWORLDwohld TO ACCEPT THE GOSPELOGOSPEL BECOME
KNOWIFBIRKNOWLEDG ABOUTABLE THE PROPHETS AND9 ACCEPT THEM
AS TRUE MINISTERS OF CHRIST 0 0 0 a 0 0 0 0 e 0 0 0 0 0 6 94
BLESSINGS FOR THE WORLD IN ACCEPTING PROPHETICAUTHORITY to 0 0 6 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 a 0 to e 0 0 97
THE CURSING THAT FOLLOWS REJECTION OF PROPHETICAUTHORITY 0 0 0 0 6 0 41 0 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 41
d
MINIS S
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 98
conclusion 0 4 0 0 0 0 41 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .1001000100
6 conclusion s to to to 9 0 41 0 0 0 tik111 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .1011010101eloisiol
bibliography 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 41 0 to 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 al 0 0 6 0 0 107.1070107
vi
loo
iol
107
iatterlatter nts
churchonchurchof
chapter 1
introduction TO THE STUDYstudt
THE IRROBIEMPROBUSM
the members of the church of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday
are unique in the modern christian world because they believe in the
existence of present day prophets of god they also believe that in every
age prophets of god have contributed to moral stability for those accept-
ing their authority leadership of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints speaks with an assurance that is unusual among contemporary
churches the statement of LDS prophets on the reality and signific-
ance of theirkheir authority provides for an unusual opportunity to study
prophetic authority as understood by latterdaylatteriatter saintsday in modern times
the general problem therefore lsis what is prophetic authority and how
does it function in latterdaylatter saintday theology
delimitations ANDAMD KETHODMETHOD OF THE STUDY
an analysis of the statements on prophetic authority by those
eighty or so men who have been sustained by the church of jesus christ
of latterdaylatter saintsday as prophets seers and revelators has been
accomplished
primaryPritt sourcesnryary have emphasized the holy scriptures of the
church of jesus christ of latterdaylatteriatterletterietter saintsday the official history of
the church of jesus christ of latterday saints a seven volume work
assuxencethat
theirauthority
day ants
journaljournel of discoursestDiscoursest
sogsos
2
edited tyby B H robertsRoberrobertspbober the yejfjdigcoji conference
reportssssssmf g8888 0 e t les an direct statements of the
denominated prophets ofat the church found elsewhere in latterdaylatter saintday
literature
PURPOSES OF THE STUDY
this study has attempted to answer ten specific questions about
prophets and prophetic authority from the standpoint of the doctrinal
beliefs of the LDS church they are 1 1 what is a prophet
2 why have prophets been such an integral part of gods program
through the ages 3 what is prophetic authority and to what extent
does it relate to the church rembermember to the world as a whole 4 was
christ the consummation of the prophets in the sense that there has been
no need for prophets since christ 5 Is christ himself a prophet
if so how does he relate to the other prophets 6 how does the
presidingpre prophettiding of the church ofol01 jesus christ of latterdayletterlatteriatterietter saintsdaydey
relate to other prophets Is a fullness of salvation obtainable
without the ministry of prophets Is salvation merely an individual
affair 8 could the presiding prophet or the president of the church
lead the church astray how does humanhunan fallibility affect prophetic
authority under what circumstances if any could the individual church
member feel free to reject prophetic authority 9 on whatwhit basis does
one judge true prophets from false ones 10 how does obedience to
prophetic authority relate to the agency of the individual
justification
A survey of current church literature theses and dissertationdissertations
messages of the first presidepmPreside andpM directstatements odtheofthedenominatedprophets
7
currentchurch
tst
ies
iallallat
1972o19720 llis1141ilis
3harocharo ld
edeedo
joseph fielding smith the tenth president prophet seer and
revelator of the church has recently pled for the spirit of obedience2and conformity to come upon the church especially the youth again
and again the men accepted by the church as modern prophets are stating
that
3
has revealed that a study of this nature has not yet been accomplishaccomplished
if we keep our eye on the president we will never be
3led astray elder gordon B hinckley of the council of the twelve
said in a recent conferenceconferences
I1 give you my testimony that the happiness of the latterdaylattersaints
daythethepepeaceace of the latterdaylatter saintsday the progress of the
latterdayletterlatterietter saintsday the prosperity of the latterdaylatter saintsday andthe eternal salvation and exaltation of this people lie inwalking in obedience to the counsels of the priesthood of god
in his conference address given during the most recent april
1973 conference of the church elder mark E petersen of the council of
the twelve stated unequivocablyunequivocally that salvation for the human family is
in the church and of course the president of the church by definition
presides over the church assuming this position to be correct in
it should be noted that the author has found many sourceshelpful prophetic authority is partially discussed in many places inLDS literaturelitera sometureo of the more prominent of these include the
gjy0 by haroldharoid glen clarki priesthood and churchgovernment by john A widstoeVidwid tgchingsteachindeachinstoe of the living prophets astudent manual approved by the adult correlation committee of thechurch of jesusjesuajebus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday mormon Doctrindoctrine by bruceR mcconkiemcconkleMcCon andkletkleikiei mvlngfogphetsfor living church a studentmanual approved by the youth and young adult correlation committeeof the church of jesus christ of latterdayiatterlatter saintsday
2joseph fielding smith ogden temple dedicatory prayer theensjlfla II11 march 19721922 11
harold B lee conference report october 1970 ppap 152153152
gordon
153
B hinckley Conferenceconferjmg report october 1971 P 162
mark E petersen deseret newsmewsflews church news april 14 1973p 14
4
5
foundmany
art of governing alonaion 9
dedicatoryprayerensi
it 1970t4 hinckleyconference R t5
day
et
ter
lit
uvine ts for a
sidingiding ageaermee
160igo hereafter cited asteachings
pretatpretetionslons expressed throughout the paper are given according to the
official scripturesscripture and writing of the LDSLD churchSo
definition OF TERMS
the prophetprophe grosidingpresgrogmonno py
retationsrotations
4
latterdaylatteriatterletter saintday theology a thorough understanding of prophetic
authority would be essential to a believer
STATEMENT OF cluificationgiabification
inasmuch as this thesis deals exclusively with doctrines and
interpretations of latterdayiatterlatterylatterlettery saintday theology it is to be understood
without calling further attention to it that the doctrines and inter-
pretations
dent ofoflkofl thethgehg iiililhillhhiilh iesjhies seeraseerjjh and reyelatorrevelatorsrevelatorRey ielator
these terms will refer to that prophet who presides among the peoplepeoplemeo
the
meo
high priest who holds directing powers over all others under christechrist
prophetpr unlessi otherwise indicated this term will refer to
any person who has the spirit of prophecy which is the testimony of
jesus christychristo which comes through the holy ghostghosts
prophetic authorityt willvillviii referrofercefer most specifically to that
authority possessed by the presiding prophetsprophet the president of the church
of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday unless otherwise indicatedindica
thetjie
tede
churchychigchschurcht that is the hurchchurch of jesus christ the organized
joseph fielding smithpsmith teachingTeach ofitaipa the prophet josephjoaeph smithsnithsalt lakelmkeimke citycityicitti deserett book co t971
P
s
&l president of the churchechurchw presipresl
priesthoodg greatiulh priests seer
6
autho I1
6josephfielding9 1971p pe
deacteac to
phetphat joaejose
retat
lesal
SELsekints7johnajohn
5
followers of christ possessing priesthood and the oracles of god
specifically this term refers to the church of jesusjesu christ of latterday saints in this dispensation
priesthood
4
Priest 8hoods
it is the rule and government of god whether on earth or inthe heaven and it is the only legitimate power the only authoritythat is acknowledged by him to rule and regulate the affairs of hiskingdomking whendorodomo every wrong thing shall be put right and all usurasurpers shall be put down when he whose right it is to reign shalltake the dominion then nothing but the priesthood will bear ruleit alone will sway the sceptresceptmasceptry of authority in heaven and on earthfor this is the legitimacy of god7
7john taylor journal of discourses G D watt and othersreporters london latterdaylatter saintsday book depotdepots 18548618548691854 869 I186 it 148148t
hereafter cited as JD
oraciescleseles
s
godt
t do
goda
seitselt
peopdeop ietletleg
chapter 2
AUTHORITY AND PROPHTSIPROPHETS definitions AND SHORT HISTORY
OF PROPHETIC AUTHORITY IN PAST dispensations
god has established all things in their order the house of godis a house of order and not a house of confusion in this housegod himself is the supreme head and he must be obeyed christ isin the image and likeness of his being his begotten son and hestands as our saviour and our god we must walk in his paths andobserve his precepts to do them or we will be cut off next untogod and christ in the earth is placed one unto whom the keys ofpower and authority of the holy priesthood are conferred andunto whom the right of presidencypresidencpresidence is given he is gods mouthpieceto his people in all things pwtainingpe3rtaining to the building up of zionand to the spiritual and temporal salvation of the people he isas gods viceregentviceregentivice I1regent do not hesitate to announce this truth forit is his word and therefore it is truetruee 1
ULTIMATE AUTHORITY
on january 16thl6thlath that year he wilford woodruff attended a conferenceof young men in ogden city where he explained to them the importanceof divine authoritythoritydhority and showed the meaning of those keys which un-lock the door of salvation to the human family those keys he ex-plained had been in the keeping of gods trusted servants from themost ancient times
Q
author or originator source power to influence
1joseph F smith conference report april 1898 p 68
thias F cowleygowley the life of wilford woodruff salt lake citycityicittibookcraft inc 1964 ppap 5335534
3
35e
A merriam webster JfeMAM ffjl11Springfielspringfieldtspringfield G & G merriam company publishers 1963p 14
6
authority
P
an explanation of the importance of ultimate authority is stillnecessary the basic definition of authority as found in websters
third new international dictionary includes the fundamentals of
fe 1898v pe
2mathias woodruffsalt19649
webster s third newkew international dictidiati146
pla ined
dt
presidenceno7
roq6oqgog
hinghini
edeedo
smisnith teacdeac
iatterlatter daydeydex saintst edeedo
actsets
9josephajoseph
7
4to the theist god himself is the ultimate authority god is the
sovereign he made the people and the earth and he has the right to
reign the scriptures teach thatthathetthet in him we live and move
and have our beingbeings and that also all things were made by
7him A modemmodern revelation as accepted by latterdaylatteriatterletterdetter saintsday states
he comprehendethcomprehend all things and all things are before himhinand all things are round about him and he is above all thingsand in all things and is through all things and is round aboutall things and all things are by him and of himhir even god for-ever and ever
and again verily I1 say unto you he hath given a law unto allthings by which they move in their times and their seasons0
joseph smith has said god has moremorelnorel power than all other beings9because he has greater knowledge he has power over allali 7
4generally speaking the atheist recognizes no noauthorityauthoritycoauthority asabsolute all authority to the atheist is relevant to the fallibilitieswilitiesbili ofties the order of things as hetiehietle perceives them his non lecogrecognitionaition of divine authority changes nothingnoth howeverhowingo isaiahevereevero has wellwritten of such for shall the work say of him that made it hemade me not or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it hehad no understanding isaiah 29162906290.62906 the testimony of scripture isthat finally all will recognize the ultimate authority of god yeaevery knee shall bow and every tongue confess before him yea evenat the last day when all men shall stand to be judged of him thenshall they confess that he is god then shall they confessconf whoesso livewithout god in the world that the judgment of an everlasting punish-ment is just upon them mosiah 2731 thus all will acknow-ledge as nebuchadnezzar of babylon was brought to acknowledge thatto
0 0 the most high ruleth in the kingdom of men daniel 425
joseph smith hisris tory of the churchy of jesus christ oflattda&dj ed B H roberts t2d ed rev salt lakeleke citydeseret book co 1959601959 VI60 15 hereafter cited as HC
cts 17287 john 13Q
doctrine and covenants salt lake city theT churchhe of jesuschrist of latterdayiatterlatter saintsday 1952 8841428841 hereafter42 cited as dac
Qjoseph fielding smith teachings of the prophet joseejosephJosepjosegh smithhSmith
salt laketake oltycity deseret book co 19737 p 288 hereafter cited asteachimteachingsmeachim
5
1060 0
himl
unaoseasons 0
overall
0
0
5
hv
8doetrine
1971pro josephsmith
po9
eth
hing
histontad
theaothemo
witnesserwitnessor testatortestators
concerning
9
his position relative to the father christ has
said
then answered jesus and said unto themthea verily verily I1 sayunto you the son can do nothing of himselfhimsel but what he seeth the
matthew 6il36tl3
the doctrine and covenants salt lakeiakelekedekeaake citycityscites the church ofjesus christ of latterdaylatteriatterdatterietterletter saintsday published by george Q cannon & sonsgoco 1891 lectures on faithmaithmalth
8
perhaps christ best articulated the total place of god when he said
in his prayer to the father of0 0 for thine is the kingdom and the
power and the glory for ever amen
to the members of the church of jesus christ of latterdaylattersaints
day
god remains the absolute authority but that authority is more
particularized in the words of the prophet joseph smithsmiths
god is the only supreme governor and independent being inwhom all fullness and perfection dwell who is omnipotent omn-ipresent and omniscient without beginning of days or end of lifeand that in him every good gift and every good principle dwelland that he is the father of lights in him the principle of faithdwells independently and he is the object in whom the faith ofall other rational and accountable being center for life andsalvation dlaJLA
this supreme anthropomorphic father has delegated his authority
to two other beings his first begotten son in the spirit and only
begotten son in the flesh jehovah or jesus christ and to the indivi-
dual spirit called the holy ghost speaking of this delegation of
authority the prophet joseph smith wrotewrotetwroten
everlasting
t
covenant was made between three personagestersonierson beforeagesthe organization of this earth and relates to their dispensationof things to men on the earth these personages according toabrahams record are called god the first the creatorCrea godtoritorl thesecond the redeemer and god the third the witness or
p 99 hereafter cited as lectureson faith
teachings p 19019041igod
C
10
omni otentogentwithovtbeginning
p
iqutional1
accoardingrding12
10
11
pe
12teacdeac pe
fv
veriyerilygodandgodana
father do for what things soever he doethboeth these also doethboeth theson likewise
for the father loveth the son and showeth him all things thathimself doethboeth and he will show him greaterareateraleater works than these thatye may marvel
for the father raisethramseth up the dead and quickenethquick themtheneneth evenso the son quickenethquick whomeneth he will
for the father judgethjudieth no moanroanmanmenren but hath committed all judgmentunto the son
that all should honor the son even as they honor the fatherhe who honorethnorethhonoretaho not the son norethhonorethhonoretaho not the father who hath senthim
verily verily I1 say unto you he who heareth my word andbelieveth on him who sent me hath everlasting life and shallnot come unto condemnationscondemnationj but is passed from death into life
verily verily I1 say unto you the hour is coming and now iswhen the dead shall hear the voice of the son of god and they whohear shall live
for as the father hath life in himself so hath he given to theson to have life in himself
and hathhathgivengiven him authority to execute judgment also becausehe is the son of man
search the scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternallife and they are they which testify of me
and ye will not come to me that ye might have life lest yeshould honor me
I1 receive not honor from menmenorennenonene
but I1 know you that ye have not the love of god in youI1 am come in my mathersfathers name and ye receive me not if
another shall come in his own name him ye will receivehow can ye believebellevebelibellbeil whoevet seekseelseei honor one of another and seek not
the honor which cometh from god onlydo not think that I1 will accuse you to the ratherfather there is
moses who accusethaccuse youth in who ye trustfor had ye believed moseskoses ye would have believed me for he
wrote of me
butif ye believe not his writingswiAt howings shall ye believe my
wordswordsw
in the general conference of the church held in october 1911
president charles W penrose of the first presidency articulated the
place of christ in LDS theology as follows
we are indebted for that which we know and may be indebtedfor that which we expect to know about our eternal father to jesuschrist his son whom he has made heir of all things and by whom
also he made the worlds he is the real witness for god in the
the inspired version of the holyroly scripturesScripture independencemassourismissouritmissourisMissomlsMismie theuritumitsouris reorganized church of jesus christ of letterlatteriatterietter day saints1964 john 51927519 40484027 hereafter48 cited as IV
9
song
quickeneththem
thesonsearchthe
myfathers6
bu if ewordsb
placeof
oureternal4
othe holyscriptures
27p
sont
butia
constitutetheconstitute the great
matchless governing and supreme power over allali things 0 0 a
ULTIMATEUITPIMATE AUTHORITY AND MAN
since adam fell in the garden of eden man has not had direct
contact with the father except through the son this separation from
17the father is denominated the spiritual death
sailsall
10altsait
hadandhadadd
10
earth he was god manifest in the flesh when he dwelt among menand it is by him and through him and of him that all the truthswhich have been communicated to mortals from the beginning of thisworld have been made known he is the chosen representative ofthe father and in him dwellethdwell theeth fullness of the godhead bodilyhe has had and now has under his direction men mortal men torepresent him as far as he can be represented in mortality and tocarry on his work under his direction and we are indebted as aninstrument in his hands to the great prophet of the nineteenthcentury joseph smith for bringing forth many grand and glorioustruths concerning deity and his orkwork and his ways his laws hiscommandments and his precepts 4
the holy ghost the testator is the witness of and for the
father and the son these three the godhead are the ultimate author-
ity in latterdayiatterlatter saintday theology they M
since this event
christ was appointed by the father asits the great mediator between god
and man speaking of this event baulpaulbaui has written
who is willing to have all men to be saved and to come unto theknowledge of the truth which is in christ jesus who is the onlybegotten son of god and ordained to be a mediator between god andman 18
charles V penrose conferencegonljsence bert october 1911 p 48
lectures on faith p 5414
joseph16 fieldingFiefle smithsmithtsnithlaing doctrines ofsalmtjlontof edsalvation bruce R
mcconkie salt lake city bookcraftBooke incraft 1954 I1 27 hereaftercited as doctrines of salvationesalyationsalvationsalvagioneSalvatSalyaselmaseima seetionionelone also IV john 119
j n9brucebmce BR mcconkie mormon doctrine salt lake citycityicitti bookcraft
inc 1966 p 756 hereafter cited as mormon doctrine
ilgiy I1 timothy 24624
was
faras
14
overall
16thefather
14 we
salt7lake 127
18ivg 6
9915
bace
ay
902000209620
I1 am the way the truth and the life no man
19cometh unto the father but by memeeree
himshins91220122
courbetcourset
11
of course christ enunciated his position so as to leave no doubt when
he declared7 and so for man on this earth
christ becomes the ultimate authorityauthorty for there is none other20name given among men whereby we must be saved
holy men of22god spake as they were moved by the holy ghost
since the fall of adam it has become necessary for god to con
23descend to man or else there wouldwo bealidllid no hope for him in this world
john 146on20acts 41221the scriptures do indicate that god has writtenwrit fortems example
god wrote on the tablets exodus 32sl6 and of course christ wrote onthe sand john 860 neither of these writingswriting though are now extantand all public scripture at least has come through the hands of othersit is interesting to note too that mans first language came from godand a book of remembrance was kept in the which was recorded in the
language of adam for it was given unto as many as called upon god towrite lyby the spirit of inspiration and by them their children weretaught to read and write having a language which was pure and und-efiled moses 65665
22
6
11II peter 121
the book of mormon salt lake citycityicitti the church of jesuschrist of latterdaylatter saintsday 1952 I1 nephi 1126 hereafter cited asB of M followed by the reference within
delegation OF GODS AUTHORITY TO MAN
even a cursory perusal of sacred writ reveals that god has
from timetiretilbe to timetire delegated at least part of his supreme authority to
man As a matter of fact we have not one word of sacred writ that has
21come to us first hand from god himself rather
timedelegated rtpa
lfthat these holy
men were acting for god is made clearelear by their oft repeated phrase
thus saith the lfordlord
19
tabletsexodus 32 1686o
thehands
for
23the1952t
sp
oflatter
mayemqyeraye
I1
powpover
afirmafire
bysobaso
12
24for in this world all are fallen and are lostjosts christ is the
ultimate condescension of god to manroannoannmannan but25 thoughbutabutq he is the great
minister of his father to man he is not alone it is the established
pattern of deity to work through others too witness these words of
mormon to his son moroni
for behold they are subject unto him to minister accordingto the word of his command showing themselves unto them of strongfaith and a firm mind in every form of godliness
and the office of their ministry is to call men unto repen-tance and to fulfillful andfillrillrili to do the work of the covenants of thefather which he hath made untotintolinto the children of men to prepare theway among the children of men by declaring the word of christ untothe chosen vessels of the lordlfordiford that they may bear testimony of him
and by so doing the lord god preparethpre thepareth way that theresidue of men may have faith in christ that the holy ghost mayhave place in their hearts according to the power thereof andafter this manner bringethbri tongeth pass the father the covenants whichhe hath made unto the children of men
and christ hath said if ye will have faith in me ye shallhave power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me 2
thus the scriptures attest that thethib father condescended to send the27savior jesus christ because of his infinite love jesus christ
90now has all power under the father the savior utilizing the holy
ghost as the great testator calls others as ministers these others
are also the children of the father they are brothers or sisters in
the spirit to christ joseph smith has written M there are no
angels who minister to this earth but those who do belong or have
B of M alma 39349B25b of M I1 nephi 1116211116
oz21
B of M moroni 730337&30337307&30
john27
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28
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29belonged to it an angel is fundamentally a servant of godgodsgode
whether the individual is premortalpre ormortal postmortalpost hemortal deynaypaybaybey in
the large sense be classified as a ministering angel or servant the30angels who taught the gospel in the time of adam were prepro mortal the
31angels who served as bishops in the seven churches of asia were mortal
the authority of god delegated to manran is called priesthoodpriest
priesthood
hoods
in essence is the power to minister for god to all men
32in his name and by his power for the salvation of mankind for
example it is written concerning the priests of the mosaic dispensa-
tion for the lord thy god hath chosen him out of all thy tribes to33stand to minister in the name of the lord some reasons for
the ministry ofpf priesthood were given by orsonomson FFs whitney as follows
there is but one savior there is only one name given underheaven whereby men can be saved but there may be innumerableassistantsassistant innumerable subordinates saviorssarlorscarlors in a lesser senseand degreedegrees john the revelator saw no less than one hundred andforty four thousand of such saviors standing on the mount zionwith the fathers name written in their foreheadsforeheadsorehead and it wassaid of them these are they that follow the iamb withersoeverwhithersoeverwitherhe
soevergoeththe gospel of christ represents what god did for man that
man could not do for himselfhimsel and it also represents what herequires of man in return there is nothing possible of acheivescheivement that god cannot do but there may be things that he has nottime to dlo and which may be done for him there are some thingshoweverhow thatevero even god cannot do I1 speak it with all reverence
d&g 130 5
the pearl of great price salt lakeleke citycityscites the church ofjesus christ of latterdaylatteriatter saintsday il95201952i moses 5585580 hereafter citedas P of gt P followed by the reference within
IV revelation 120 italics by the wzlterwriterwkiterskiter32john taylorstaylor journal of discoursespiscourge8 G D watt and others
reporters london latterdaylatteriatter saintsday book depot 1854861854 I186 224v224yhereafter cited as JD
33deuteronomy 185185
10330 0
gonesavediledtl
thatgod
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31iv revbevelation
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for instance he can not make something out of nothing thoughmany pious christians ascribe totic him that powerifpower lfif such it can becalled there is another thing that god cannot do he cannot be pre-sent in all places at the same time in his own proper person thisis god work and it can only be done by the power of god but wecannot expect him to be everywhere present nor in two places at thesame time except by his authority his spirit and his influenceinfluencinfluentthis fact renders necessary a priesthood to represent him
after ther
fall the priesthood was again conferredconferted on adam and the decree was
sent forth that this priesthood would be in the world until the end
37thereof the sacred history reveals a genealogy of priesthood
extending from this first minister adam down to those men thus authorQQ
leed today
OVERVIEW OF THE PROPHETIC OFFICE AND ITS AUTHORITY
those especial priesthood ministers of god are most often
denominated prophets actually they are so essential to the lordsprogram on earth that one of them said surely the lordoord god will do
39nothing until he revealethreve thealeth secret unto his servants the prophets
nc
dohe
14j a
adam was the first on this earth to receive the priesthood or
the authority of god the lord declared this when he said to adam and
eve be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue itand have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air
3and over every living thing that movethloveth upon the earth 05
36
worlduntil
38
R pe
35genesis 228 seee alsoe teachingsts&jsmsssl P 57 t confirmation ofadams priesthood before the fall italics by the writerwritere
P of G P moses 66468664
P
68
of G P kosesmoseskobes 67DX 107415210741 and 846184617846 17
IV391v10
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writers
7.7
4orson F whitney conference jrejJR octoberej 1913 P 98
35genesis
revellbevellbeveilqcmhaapocrypha old lippaniippancippaniipp Nan J i fleming H reveilvelivellco 1971 p 375
hahA
a
theodore tuttle conference report october 1959 p 9
oid01 jetjes
15
to understand the authority of the prophetic office it is fundamental
to understand what the prophetic office includes
prpjhet de
the word prophet comes from the greek word prophetesprophetsprop andhetes
denotes one who uttering or interpreting an oracle was believed to40
speak not his own thoughts but a revelation from without the
hebrew word nabhinabhvigabhinabavi which is translated prophet means a giver of
information or a a recipient of information 1 iesveetlveet as to the unseen
41world they are sometimes calledcallecailecalie men of god angels
42or messengers of the lordlorda the prevailing definition of a prophet
as one who foretells the future is inadequate anyone who is
familiar with prophetic writings knows that a prophet does more forth
telling of the word of god than meremeranerenedareda foretelling the future histori-
cally this has always been the mission of the prophet not so43
much to foretell as to forthtellforthtelIs
since the prophet is gods mouthpiece it is important to turn
to the scriptures for further elucidation on what constitutes a prophet
peter clarified an essential characteristic of a prophet in his famous
statement about the scriptures whenwhonnhennhon he said knowing this first that
no prophecy of the scriptures is of any private will of manmanomane for the
prophecy came not in old time by the will of manmansmantaan butbutholyholy men of god
encyclopedia britannicaBrit l4th14thlathannLea editioneaiFAieal XVIIItion 586
duncan B macdonald the hebrew literary genius princetonN jijet princeton university presapress 9351935p ppo gge69690
42alexander cruden unabridged concordance of the old and new
testaments and the
speaknot 11w
d
e
143
hnc10 ia
41Bs literarygenius
andthe ap d nappanntppan0 po 0
43a re 19599 piePIP 90
het definitidnsdefinitions
lipp
964811489948
igo160ige
4846be of M illIII111lillii nephi 319
aq4qrevelation 1910
matmetmav
I1
teresttermst
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16
44spake as they were moved by the holy ghost thus as peter states
the thing which separates a prophet from other men is the fact that he
is moved upon by the holy ghost anyone therefore who has received
the holy ghost is in general termsterns a prophet and so the scriptures
refer to many as prophets without respect to position sex or ageaageagee we
read about the young man samuel who with no official outward rank4645was establishedestablishedasestablish as a prophet in israelisraeleIsraeleeLo elizabeth the mother of john
46the baptist prophesied when filled with the holy ghost and the little
47children of the nephitesNep spokehites greater things than christ
the scriptures also explain that one who has individual revela-
tion is a prophet now it was the custom among the nephitesNep tohites
appoint for their chief captains some one that had the spirit of
revelation and also prophecy therefore this gidgiddoni was a great48
prophet among them 0 0 0
further one who has the testimony of jesus is a prophetaprophet for
as john the revelator was told on the isle of patmos the testi49
mony of jesus is the spirit of prophecy
to summarizesumsun amarizemarisemariee person is a prophet when he or she has
1 1 received the holy ghost 2 received individual revelation and
3 received the testimony of jesus
IVimp II11 peter ls20 210 italics by the writerewriterwri45
teresamuel 320
luke Is 412041241
B47b
2
of M illIII111ili nephi 261426l4 and 16
ai iyonelyone
re s ectactP
thenephites
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44ivp 10 20212
46
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edas
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endowmendowsent
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whichardwhichare
17
another significant dimension to this general definitondefinitordefi ofniton
what constitutes a prophet is given by joseph smith he reiterates allthe points mentioned above emphasizingemphasis that they be used in the ministry
SO50of jesus christ in other words a prophet should be an active agent
in proclaiming the salvation which is in jesus christ
faophets&rphets and seers
to some prophets god grants the futher endowment of being a
seer A seer is one who sees in a total perspective as god sees he
is often privileged with access to the urimarim and thummim which are iden-
tified as eerseer stones M the angel moroni stated that the possession
of these stones constituted seers ancientlyancient 51lyeiye A prophet may use these
stones to help him in translating and revealing the word of godgode it is
this larger scope that distinguishes a seer from a prophetprop
and
hetaheto
the king said that a seer is greater than a prophetprophete andammon said that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also 0 0 e
but a seer can know of things which are past and also ofthings which are to come and by them shall all things be revealedor rathersrather shall secret things be made manifest and hidden thingsshall come to lightight3 and things which are not known shall be madeknown by them and also things shallshellsheli be made known by them whichotherwise could not be known 32
the propheticiqpheticpr2phetic offofficeice as distindishedJQJJvished
moses stated that it was his desire that all the lords people
54be propheprophets the very man who spoke this however was not just a
HO VI 390
51p51pe of G P joseph smith 2135
B52 ofbe M mosiah 81517815170815 17o
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18
prophet he was the prophet for his time since gods house is a house
of order and has been from the beginning of the dispensations he has
called presiding prophetsprophetss how do these presiding prophets differ from
prophets in general
first the presiding prophets as well as having sods spiritand the other characteristics of general prophets hold the priesthood
A perusal of the scriptures reveals that the presiding prophets
received their priesthood and calling directly from god by ordination
of others or through the lineage of the fathers there are instances
where the individual has been called of god but ordained to the priesth-
ood by constituted authority the lord sought out enoch as a young
rilaniran andandcalledcalled him to be the prophet and seer to a people he received
the priesthoodpriesthoodat at the age of twentyfivetwenty atfive the hands of the patriarch54
adam moses was called at the burning bush and ordained by his
fatherinlawfather jethroin thelaw priest of midian joseph smith further
clarified the importance of calling and ordination in the fifth article
of faith which stateswe believe that a man must be called of god by prophecy and
by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority to preachthe gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof 0
the presiding prophets receive this honor calling and ordin-
ation not by theirtheimthelm ownownwillwill but by the will of god and no man can take57the honor unto himself but he must be called of god
Wd&c 10710 487
d&gdag55d&cdac 846
P56 ofpe G P articles of faith p 60
hebrews 54
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57hebrews57
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19
second the presiding prophets hold the keys or the directing
powers of the priesthood during their administrationadministrations the priesthood
holders are ministers of salvationsalvat toionslons be effectiveeffectivein in this ministra-
tion they must have direction the power of directing these labors
priesthood labors constitutes the keys of the priesthood in their
falnessfulness these keys are held by only one person at a time the prophettq
0 0 01158 As the priesthood serve as ministers of salvation those whom
they serve the followers or disciplesaredisciples theare church in the latterdays the church could not be organized until the priesthood with itskeys had been restored to the prophetpro byhet constituted authority namely
john the baptist and peter james and johnjohnojohns
at this point it would beie important to understand that it isthe fulnessfalness of the apostolic office that contains all of the keys
powers and authority of the priesthood
could he joseph smith have built up the kingdom of god with-out first being an apostle no he never could the keys of theeternal priesthood which is after the order of the son of god arecomprehended by being an apostle all the priesthood all the keysall the gifts all the endowments and everything preparatoryopreparatoryreparatory toentering into the presence of the father and of the son are incomposed of circumscribed by or I1 might say incorporated withinthe circumference of the apostleship 5999
thus each member of the quommqiiorum of the twelve apostles holds
all the keys powers and authorities of the priesthood frompromfron the6060scriptures and from the prophets we learn however that only one man
at a time has the right to exercise these keys powers and authorities
servethe
P
58joseph
59 it 134513450134 o
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58joseph F smith distinction between keys of the priesthoodand priesthood M the improvement eraseraterab IV january 1901 230
brigham young JD I1
dac
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20
in total use rorfor the church and that man is the senior apostle the
president of the church he becomes by the very nature of the authority
which he holds the presiding officer over the priesthood and the church
third the presiding prophet receives his calling to be a
prophet from god he receives the authority and keys of the priesthood
by conferral and ordination and he receives the right to preside by
the sustaining vote of the people over whom he will preside without
the sustaining vote of the people a man may be a prophet seer and
revelator but will not be able to act in this calling for the church
he will not be the president of the church until he is sustained icybylcy the
people
does a mansmasras being a prophet in this church prove that he shall bethe president of it I1 answer nonotnolI1 A manroanmoan may be a prophet seerand revelator and it may have nothing to do with his being thepresident of the church suffice it to say that joseph was presi-dent of church as long as he lived the people chose to have itso he always filled that responsible station by the voice of thepeople can you find any revelation appointing him the presidentof the church the keys of the priesthood were committed tojoseph to build up the kingdom of god on the eartheartho and were notto be taken from himhir in time or in eternity but when he was call-ed to preside over the church it was by the voice of the peoplethough he heldheid the keys of the priesthood independent of theirvoice 61
this act of sustaining constitutes the lawiawlewbaw of common consentCon
no
sentesentabenta
man can preside in any office in the church without the consent of
the people over whom he presidespresidee b this does not mean that the people
choose the individualinalinaiindi norvidual do they impowerempower him but it is their right
and their responsibility as god has directed through revelation to
sustain their leaders in the offices to which they have been called
brigham young JD I1 133
dac 2622620
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21
harold B lee has said this concerning the source of prophetic
authorityauthoritysauthor
A
itys
prophet does not become a spiritual leader by studying booksabout religionreligiobeligio nor does he become one by attending a theologicalseminary one becomes a prophet a divinely called religiousleader by actual spiritual contactcontacts he gets his diplomatsdiploma as itwere directly from god 3
thus as this study examines the authority of the prophetic
officeOfficefficeeffic iteitelt willmill dodoboso in this broadened definition as articulated above
SURVEY HISTORY OF PROPHETIC AUTHORITYIN PAST dispensations
there have been numerous prophets this survey will identify
mainly dispensation heads andor presiding prophets it would be well
to note that dispensation by definition is a giving out of the gospel64including the priesthood authorities and keys associated therewith
adamicjpigjggrjmgn
the bookhook of moses in the pearlpearibearl of great price identifies adam
as a patriarchal prophet holding all the keys over his family he
received revelation w65 preached the gospel performed66
ordinanceordinances
and
67
prophesied what would befall his posterity to the last generationafi6fi
of timestimetimettines by68 virtue of his faithfulness and by patriarchal priest
harold B lee he lighted the lamps of falthfaithmalth 11 the improvemgnjlgra LXXIII february 1970 94
fh64d&c 128821
6565p of G P moses 5
P of G P moses 412
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63i3rroveao
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ss didiplomaasplomaas
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hood right he presides over all the earth and all the peoples thereof
under christ adam holds the keys of authority over allali dispensationsalldispensationso
commencing with adam the great grand progenitor becausehe was the first and ratherfather of all not only by progeny but thefirst to holdholhoidhoi thed spiritual blessings to whom was made known theplan of ordinances for the salvation of his posterity unto the endand to whom christ was first revealed and through whom christ hasbeen revealed and will continue to be revealed from henc-eforth adam holds the keys of the dispensation of the fullness oftimes ieiselseibe the dispensation of all the times have been and willbe revealed through him 07
jesfilslj0enoch was ordained to the priesthood at the age of twentyfivetwenty
70
five71under the handhandshend of adaradam he was given the privilege of seershipseer
72
ship
his propheciesprophecie are among the greatest in scripture he was able as
a minister of god to establish a city and bring his city into the
presence of god he developed a zion pure in heart society and73finally his people were taken off the earth of him their is much
mentioned because of the success of his dispensation even his enemies
74recognized his great authority
disgensationpensationdispensation ofpf N
noah obtained all the samesemesere covenants powers and presiding7authorities that were given to adam he was the second great pro
Teachingteachingst p 1671670
d&gdag70d&cdac 10710748iw71r P of G P moses 66606
P72 ofpe G P moses 7246972422469
73p73f of G P moses 7t187tl8 21
P74 of G P moses 712712167121616
tffching875teac ppe 171
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75
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the book of mormon chronicles the rise of a civilization
referred to as jareditesJared soonites after the flood at the time of the
building of the tower of babel a certain mahonri moriancumerMorian whocumer was
the brother of jared was importuned by jared to request of the lord
that their language not be confoundedconfocinfo andladedlmded that they be led to a
promised land
23
genitor of the race of men his triarchalpatriarchallneite priesthood authority over
his generation was so absolute that those who heard not his prophecies
perished in the great deluge
jaredinejarediteJarjamedite
the lord answered this prayer and these people were
led to the western hemisphere and for over a milleniummillennium flourished as
a separate civilization mahonri moriancumerMorian receivedcumer a personal
theophonytheophonetheo andphony witnessed the preearthpre christearth as he would appear in77the flesh this man may be described as one of the greatest of all
prophets the things which he wrote were so great that it would overgrr
power a man to read them thus we have only a small abridgment of
his writings in the book of mormonmorron he ministered to his people with
both secular and spiritual authority other prophetleadersprophet appearedleaders
from time to time among these people ether one of the greatest gave
79his name to the jareditejaredineJar recordreedite
meichigedemelchizedekMeIchimelchikeichi
corlcori
kokingkjkinggedeyede of
jareditellis sationbation
civilibationbatlon 76
thethings78
77b 16
godsgodo
143iao
signiasignificarticant
tothisrothis
24
one of the most significant of all the prophets was the man
melchizedek he was contemporary with abraham abraham was ministeredafqf
to by him and from him abraham received the priesthood melchizedek
himself received the priesthood through the lineage of his fathers and
had such complete power and authority that he was able to put at
defiance the armies of nations to divide the earth to break every
band to stand in the presence of god to do all things according toal
his will subdue principalities and powers this prophet
king was so preeminently successful that he and his people obtained82
heaven in honor of him the church in ancient days called the high
priesthood the priesthoodthepriesthood after the order of melchizedek because he
was such a great high priest and alsoalisoaiso to avoid the too frequent repetirepati0
tion of the name of christ
abrahamic84
dispensation
of abraham deity himself said he was among the great ones
he sought righteousness obtained the priesthood from melchizedek and
wrought in such great faith that he has ever since been called theQ
friend of god few prophets have been greater to this prophet the
lord himself made a covenant which has ever since had a material impact
d&c 841484l4
IV genesis 1431
IV82 genesis 1431434lato1434d&cdac83d&c 1072 and 4
84P of G P abraham 323
585jamesjamesjaresjamea 223
80
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melchizedekbecause
83
soughtrighteousness
185
80
81
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25
on all subsequent dispensationsdispensations9 priesthood and prophets
and I1 will make of thee a great nation and I1 will bless theeabove measure and make thy naretnamenametnarenarel great among all nations and thoushalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee that in their handsthey hallshallhailhalishailshali bear this ministry and priesthood unto all nations
and I1 will bless them through thy name for as many as receivethis gospel shall be called after thy name and shall be accountedthy seed and shall rise up and bless thee as their father
and I1 will bless them that bless thee and curse them thatcurse thee and in thee that is in thy priesthood and in thy seedthat is thy priesthood for I1 give unto thee a promise that this
right shallshailshali continue in thee and in thy seed after thee that isto say the literal seed or the seed of the body shallbhail all thefamilies of the earth be blessed even with the blessings of the 0gospel which are the blessings of salvation even of life eternal
and so ever since the time of abraham his lineage alone has had
right to the priesthood
the house of israel from jacob on down were those who hadpower with god and with men and prevailed I1 genesis 3224-
30 jacob wasmas a prince with god or one who had contended or pre-vailed with god the israelites and all adopted into their houseare those who hold the priesthood of god they are a peculiarpeople a royal lineage and thetho seed of abraham through thepower of the holy ghost a gentile converted to the gospel of jesuschrist and complying with the commandments is literally changed andpurged to become a true member of the house of israel with christ ashis king the blessings promised to abraham come upon the adoptedgentile 7
all subsequent priesthood ministers have been abrahamic israelitishor hebraicbraicoHe even christ the greatest of allaliail was through the loins
of abraham all others receiving the gospel or the priesthood are
adopted into the family of abraham his progenitors and those adopted
into this covenant have been the ministers of salvation to this earth
ever since most significantly of all since abrahams time god often88
refers to himself as the god of abrahamabrahan isaac and jacob or israel
OZP of G P abraham 294129harold87harold87
41
glen clark the art of governing zion provos BYUextension publications 1966 p 141
exodus 36396 matthew 2232 etc
theirfather
shallcontinuebodyshall
86
hadcontended
67
86pap9 go
1
ll
88Exodus
dac89d&c 84t23 26026
exodus909xodus 71711211
91
stoeto ry
26
mosaicjp88110 dispensation
moses one of the most renowned of prophets sought diligently
to bring the apostate israelites into the presence of god the people
could not follow their prophetleaderprophet intoleader the heights of sinai they
were so immature spiritually that a lesser law and a lesser priesthood89had to be ministered unto them at the hand of moses there can be no
doubt of the authority and power of moses the great lawgiverlaw ofgiver him
it is brittenswrittenswrit andtens the lord said unto moses see I1 have made thee a90god to pharaohpharaohs and aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet tv
the milleniummillennium or so of israelitish history after moses is a sad
story of apostasy and degradation the bulk of the old testament is the
story of how god raised up prophets to lead his people with their lesser
law and priesthood to the fullness of gospel lightlights by and large the
prophets of israel from moses to christ officiated with the higher
priesthood but outside of the immediate religious structure the people91were usually in apostasy 7 by and large their voices were voices in
the wilderness the culminating prophet of this dispensation john the
baptist came out of the wilderness to lead the people to christ and the
full gospel law there was no place for him in the contemporary reli-gious structure of the jews although he was the only legallegai administrator
christ said of johns status among the prophets that among those that
are born of women there is not a greater prophet than john the baptist
d&c
joseph fielding smith doctrines of salvationisalvationSalvat edionsionilons bruce R
mcconkie salt lake city bookcraft inc 19419471942 illiliiiiliiv1119 848584 hereafter85cited as doctrines of salvation
followtheir
among
robookcraftmcraft
arong
iadfadcad for approximatelyapproximatelyaapproximate a thousand
years the lamaniteslama generallynites the more wicked faction have remnants
remaining to this day among the aborigines of this hemisphere now
known as indiansIndi theseanseanso people had prophets constantly among them
their sacred record the book of mormonmomonkomon was written by one of their
greatest prophets enos another writer in the book of mormon said
luke 728
wilford woodruff D 11II 200201200 see201 also dac 13326133i26
B of M I1 nephi 1
10ao
lyaiya
ijaij1 10.10
27.9292
since these tribes have been lost to the knowledge of the world
from aboutabottaboteaboul the eighth century BCBX little is known of them however itis clear that they too are blessed with the ministry of prophets as wit-
nessed by these words of wilford woodruffwoodruffs
the ten tribes will also come in remembrance before the lord andthey will again return with outstretchedout armsstretched to their lands andbe led by leaders inspired by the spirit and power of GAgod and theywill come with visionsvision revelation and prophets
the righte-
ous faction the nephitesNep flourishedflourishhites
the ten lostlogt tribes
elgathghth
beforethe
4193091
the coloncolopycolop2
during
of
the
lehilehl
mosaic dispensation just before the destruction of
jerusalem the lord raised up a great prophet by the name of iehl thisman was a descendent of joseph the triarchpatriarchBa after warning the people
of jerusalem of their imminent destruction if they did not repent lehi
departed with his family into the wilderness eventually he and his
family were led across the ocean to the western hemisphere not long94after their arrival the family divided into two groups
c
92
93wilfordwoodruff JD
94 ofm
st
92
91951195
mesmet illIII111lilliiili nephi 31931190olghebrews97hebrews97 Is199
98hebrews98hebrews 6200099mattmatthew 135713357hemhew
28QC
that there were exceeding many prophets among us 7 these
people were ministered to by christ just after his resurrection
christschrists church as established on the foundation of prophets and
apostles thrived until the second century after christ when there was
a great civil war as the result of complete apostasy of both the
nephitesNep andhites lamanitesLama thatnites liquidated the nephitesnephitesasNephiteNep ashites a distinct
nation
the authority of the prophets among these people when they were
striving to follow god might be summarized in this waywayswayt
now it was the custom among all the nephitesNep tohites appoint fortheir chief captains save it were in their times of wickednesssome one that had the spirit of revelation and also prophecytherefore this gidgiddoni was a great prophet among themthen as alsowas the chief judge96
t1jesus christ the son of god is the culmination of all the
prophetsprophe he was annointed with the oil of gladness above all0797others heilefiehie7 wasnaswasthewaithethe greatest
he was however a prophet also the greatest
of all the Prophetprophets he thus identified himself when he said after he
hadtodmod been cast out of nazareth M A prophet is not without honorQQ99991199save in his own country 7 toro the nephitesNep thehites savior further
enunciated
qtB of M enos vs 22
B of M
judge
theta
96
christian dispensation
e e high priest after the order of98
melchizedekemelchissedekMelchize 9dekedeka 0
1
95b me
96be
sas
tse
sl
matthem
theng
loh104had gone
lolloi
chuichut cho
100loo
101iolephesiansEphe 220slanssiansm
29
behold I1 am he of whom moses spake saying A prophet shallthe lord your god raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me
him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto youand it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear thatprophet shall be cut off from among the people
verily I1 say unto you yeayeatyeas and all the prophets from samuel andthose that follow after as many as have spoken have testified ofme 100
the savior gave the keys of binding authority to his chief
apostleprophetApostle peterProphet his church was founded on apostles and
prophets jesus christ himself being the chief corner stone these
christian apostles and prophets ministered with such authority over the
church that while they were alive they were the only onlyacknowledgedacknowledged
general authorities of christs church peter james and john were the102most preeminent
THE WORLDWORID WITHOUT PROPHETIC AUTHORITY
the socalledso greatcalled apostasy chronicles the period in history
when this world was left without recognized prophetic authority thisi
lack brought spiritual famine in thethetthei landland103 that lasted until the
dawning of the last dispensation it maswasvas a period of dark ages a
time when as in a similar period in israelitish history the sun
down over the prophets no recognized man could rise
and say authoritativelyauthoritativelvi thus saith the lord no one could legally
minister for god on the earth and so for over a milleniummillennium there was
1 noB of M 111illliililiii nephi 2023242023 see24 also acts 32123
galatians 29amos103amosaros 811128118
micah
t
36
11 12
loh104
0
101
11104
9
102
3 6oao60
ephesians
I1
107legrand
106logIVIOVlov amos 37 surely the lord god will do nothing untilhe revealethreve thealeth secret unto his servants the prophetsprophe tl
107leGrandlegrand
tsetso
hetsbets
30
only a form of godliness but no powerpo
conclusion
105weicweirweyr
legrand
concaCONCO
richards
ILUSION
a present layday prophet commenting on amos
3t106 concludconcludedconclude
what does that mean it means thabthattat1 noat honest person believing inthe scripturesscripturscripter could look to find gods eternal truth upon the earthwithout a prophet at its head because we have no record that he hasever had a church or a movement without a prophet 7
the testimony of king benjamin is true and the lord god hath1 aftnft
sent his holy prophets among all the children of men 0 0 096108prop
105p105f of G P joseph smith 219in
richards why a prophet the improvement eraLXXIII june 1970 1081080
108loaaBbo of M mosiah 313313031333110
37106logedo
107
go
prophetthe
m9
scriptugtures
ma
lifordiwilfordalfordtwilford
mengmentreng
seltseitsell
tealteai
partofmartof
andyourandybur leadersleedersleadleed isersserbs thepower of this priesthood given for the last days and for the lasttime in the which is the dispensation of the fullness of times
llford woodruff coirfnwgort aprilkpri 1880 p 6
chapter 3
THE BASIS OF PROPHETIC AUTHORITY IN THE dispensation
OF THE FULLNESS OF TIMES
joseph smith remained with us about fourteen years he remaineduntil he hadhed received all the keys of the kingdom of god which werenecessary for the establishment of this church and kingdom and whichwere necessary for those men who followed him to have those keysupon their shouldersshoul thatderst they might continue to build upon thefoundation that had been laidisid but as soon as joseph received thekeys of the aaronic and melchizedek priesthood as soon as hereceived the keys from moses for the gathering together of thehouse of isreelisraelisrae in1 the latter days and from elijah to seal thehearts of the fathers to the childrenchi andlArenidren children to the fatherswhen joseph received all these keys and had power to sealbealbeai themupon the heads of other menren the lord called him away a
TRTHE
1
IASTLAST dispensation IN perspective
joseph smith never claimed to be an innovator he wasvasnasnab a res-
torer 1 am the lord thy god and 1I gave unto thee my servant joseph2an appointment and restore all things M the last dispensation is an
intrinsic partnart of all previous onesoness to understand the authority of
prophet administratorbadministmtorsadministrators of the past dispensations is to fundamentally
comprehend the basishasisbasks of prophetic authority in the dispensation of the
fullness of timestires
for unto you the twelve and those the first presidency whoare appointed with you to be your counselors andend youryoum
doctrine and covenants saltsall lake citycityicitti thethechurchchurch of jesuschrist of latterdaylatter saintsday 1952 132140 hereafter cited as daoDAC
31
INTHE
hadreceived
lordcalled
I
thetwelvet
conference lepart ap1p 1880t pe ae6e
1952t
apri
918118whichwaswhichways
5theathe
ap6p
32
which power you hold in connection with all those who havereceived a dispensationdisdensation at any time from the beginning of thecreationcreatlon j
for verily I1 say unto you the keys of the dispensation whichye have received have come down from the fathers and last of allbeing sent down from heaven untoumboim youto
verily I1 say unto you behold how great is your calling
THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY OF THE IASTLAST dispensation
4god is the source of ultimate authority the genesis of this
dispensation was the theophanytheo ofpany joseph smith which occuredoccurred in a grove
near palmyra new york in the early spring of 1820 in this grove the
boy joseph saw in open vision the father and the son in a very real
sense joseph receivedrecereco hisived commission to be the prophet of the last days
directly from god himself for god had a work for him to do in a
revelation the lord saidsald joseph smith whom I1 did call upon by
mine angels my ministering servants and by mine own voice out of the7heavens to bring forth my work it is significant to note that
according to the lord all of this occuredoccurred M that it might be fulQ
filled which was written by the prophets 0 0 0
SPECIFIC authoritiesauthoritil RESTOREDBESTORED TO JOSEPH SMITH
AC 112s30 33
4see chapter 2 of this thesis
the pearl of great price salt lake cibycity the church of jesuschrist of latterdaylatter saintsday 1952 joseph smith 21420214 hereafter20cited as P of G P followed by the reference within
P of G P joseph smith 23323302333
AG7d&c 13637
AC 1180
thedispensationusation
3
5sawt
6
saidt 1
3d&c 112 303330
8dac
thedispe
AUTHORITIlitllisS
grod
9910soloisio
I1 must join none of them for
they were all wrongwrongs
songsons
sazgau
christ5hrist
9josephajoseph
33
mjjqg gfepjgsjz w
the day joseph smith walked outloutloub of the grove he possessed
authoritative knowledge about the nature of god joseph fielding smith
speaking of the reality of this authority has writtentwritteniwrit
in
tentteni
the spring of 1820 after the vision naswasvasnab given to joseph smith ofthe father and the son he stood aaas the only witness among men whocould testify with knowledge that god lives and jesujes christ is verilyhis sonsonssona in this knowledge he became a special witnesswitnebitne for christand thus an apostle before the priesthood had beenbee restoredres 7toredo
along with this fundamental knowledge about god joseph smith knew of the
apostasy of all the creeds of men M
they deny the power of god 0 0 0 0M
authorautho3itauthoq joej08coeww
the stick of ephraimjrdjifjgod
the book of mormon containing a fullness of the gospel
was committed to joseph smith for translationtranslations I1 have committed the4
keys of the record of the stick of ephraim to joseph smith w
to the latterdaylatteriatterlatker prophetday was also givenbiven the authority to bring forth13the
restoration
word
of
of
priesthood
god
authorityauthorilyAutho
to
rily
this generationgenerations13
sfesebdfill0
on may 15 1829 under the tendshenda of john the baptistotist joseph
0joseph fielding smith doctrinesdoctrin jf salitjjnt ed bruce R
mcconkiemcconklemccMcG saltonkieonkle lake citycityscites bookcraft inc 3y nl 146 hereaftercited as doctrines jbfjtf
authority on the knowledge ofgod and the apostasyapostasm
usss
n
godo
t as translator overfp im and the
wordvord of god
oil
tojoseph012
ptist
es of salvation edeeds Rs11
of lltionsalvation
P of G P joseph smith 219AGit 27350dac
d&c12 275270d&cdac13d&c 5105110
10PO Gs pe
ll tion
dayprophet3
dac 225
ay47 t liiv1119
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lithalth
ayiy5oneaonewhicharewhichard
teislthisl
34
ta14t4smith and oliver cowdery received the lesser or aaronic priesthoodPriest
shortly
hoodshooda
thereafter they received the melchizedekkeichiaMelchia priesthoodedek under the
hands of peter james and john
whichjwhichwhicha johnohn I1 have sent unto youyout my servantsservan josephtst smithjunjunojuna and oliver cowdery to ordain you unto the first priesthoodwhich you have received that you might be called and ordained evenas aarontaaronj
andandalsoandalloalso with peterpeeter and james and johnjohnojohnp whom I11 have sent untoyou by whom I1 have ordained you and confirmed you to be apostlesand especial witnesses of my name and bear the keys of your minis-try and of the same things which I1 revealed unto themthemltheawheal
unto homwhomhon I1 have committed the keys of my kingdom and a dis-pensation of the gospel for the last timetimestineskimebine and for the fulnessfalness oftimes in the which I1 will gather together in one all thingsthinas bothwhich are in heaven and which areace on earthy
restoration of Rsover iiegthpodjiirjl10s
the authority to direct or the right of presidency in the
saving ministry of the priesthood constitutes keys of the priesthood
to the prophet joseph there was committed a fullness of all priesthood
keys he has so recorded
for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation ofthe fulnessfalness of timesbinealinea which dispensation is now beginning to usherin that a whole and complete and perfect union and welding toget-her of dispensations and keys and powerspowerss and glories should takeplace and be revealed from the days of adam even to the presenttime and not only this but those things which never have beenrevealed from the foundation of the world but have been kept hidfrom the wise and prudent shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in thisthig the dispensation of the fulnessfalness of times lf
an overview of omesomeoae of these restored keys of authority is in order
d&c 13
AO 278 12131213012 13o
joseph16
13
F smithsmithp gospel doctrine llth11th ed salt lake citygityigittideseret book co 1966 p 136 hereafter cited as gospel dgctrinedoctrineodoctrinedoctrines
d&g 128 tletlq
w tsl
earths
presidimauthowtapriesthood ministrations
or priesthood Ks
16
forithe
a1r
14d&c13t
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pensation
whichare
Doctrineo
dag7dw 12818
dac
ors
228
edw
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vleovievlee john0johnojohna 123
iineslinet
ao2o
the22 inspired version of the holy scriptures independencemissouriMisso theurit reorganized church of jesus christ of latter day saints1964 john 142 hereafter cited as IV
d&c
35
SMJJSL when joseph smith and
oliver cowdery received the fullness of aaronic priesthood from john the1 Rbaptistbaptistqbaptista the culminating prophet of the mosaic dispensation they
19received with that ordination the key to the ministering of angels
they had the right to entertain angels it is clear that the prophet
entertained numerous angels during his ministryminirinistrys it was from these
angelic ministers thatkhatkhab he received subsequent keys
and the voice of michael the archangelarc thehangell voice of gabriel andof raphael and of divers angels from michael or adam down to thepresent time all declaring their dispensation their rights theirkeys their honors their majesty and glory and the power of theirpriesthood giving line upon line precept upon precept here alittle and there a little giving us consolation lyby holding forththat which is to come confirming our hope20hopet4v
keyske overs gods kip&domiklngdom pon peterearth james and john were
21the presiding ministers of the christian or meridian dispensation
peter held these keys in total and was called by christ a seer or a22stone M these three apostles of the lord ministered to joseph smith
and oliver cowdery in 1829 by them they were ordained
and confirmed apostles and given the keykeys revealedr
unto them viz the keys given to peterpeteropeters james and john more will
be said of this later therefore it is sufficientsufficientto to conclude that
1 ftsee chapter 2 of this thesis
d&cdac9d&c 13 84262784262842627 107t2010t20on20
the keygey of the ministeminiate of anmisf
18
ministersthat
s
18
19640 citedas
2
dac 12821
galatians21 21929 and dec 8112810120811biglbigi 2
91291129
36
with this melchizedek priesthood authority joseph and oliver had the
right to administer the gospel and hold the keys of the mysteries
of the kingdom even the key of the knowledge of god in the ordin24ances the power of godliness is manifesto
&xs2je satan was an early participant in the25restoration he was present in the grove when the prophet prayed he
26tempted joseph to use the plates for monetary gain and a greater
fullness of his kingdom was established with the establishment of god
27kingdom on the earth adam detected satan on the bankbanks of theQ
susquehanna river and may have given the key of detection to the
prophet joseph at this timetimeatinetineatimes let it be remembered that it was the pre-
mortal adam known as michael who fought and defeated satan in the pre29 30mortal war in heaven M he will so defeat him again be this as
it mynay the record clearly discloses that joseph had the keys enabling31
him to detect the devil
oh
p73 hereafter cited asteachingsteajdhiineteachipgs
d&c 128i20128s20
revelation29reve 1278127lation
d&c
812
8811111588111
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d&c31dxdac115
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6lal61 and teachings p 2052050
andoliver
manifest 124
s to detect satan
gods
s28
24dacDAGdao 8484192098419s
25
209192019
P
20
of G P joseph smith 215172051721520526
17
william E bernettberrett andhistory
almasalt
burtonlake
readimsreadingsreadirscitycityicittiin
deseretLDS
bookchurch
co 1953 19 335 hereaftercited as readings
2727josephjoseph fielding smith teachingsTea ofchingA theprophetjoseph smithsalt lake citycityscites deseret book coicot 19719 P 3659
po
43435
the pr t josephco
28
434 35
deg
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37joseph37joseph fielding smith utah genealogicalGeneagenee andpacaiPacal historical kafflmafflginezineyineeinesine july 1936 p 100loo
ao38teachingsTea ichitachina p 151
iszaisrael
01320137abrahamabrehamkb thenahamrahamneham promises given to hisUs posterity
abaahamabxaham the fttriarchal priesthoodt at the
37
feaj10 from the great leader of the
first exodus of israel even mobesmoseskobes joseph and oliver received on april
3 1836 in the kirtland temple the keys of the gathering of israelfrom the four parts of the earth and the leading of the ten tribes from
32the land of the northnorthgorthmorth among other things these keys allowed the
prophet to send orson hyde and john E reigebeigepagebelgerage to the holy iandlandandI in 1840
orson hyde dedicated the holy land for the return of the jews in
november 1841 33
I1 ajaaj8ars sfof fflyj0 A e same
time and place where the keys of the gathering of israel were restored34 3 36
joseph and oliver entertained an elias even noah he committ-
ed the keys of the dispensation of the gospel of abraham which funda-
mentally pertains to the blessings that were conferred upon
37 this in essenceQ
is the patriarchal priesthood the gospel of abraham was one
of celestial marriage including plurality of wives it was a gospel
or commissioncommissi to provide a lineage for the elect portion of the pre-
existent spirits this power and commission is what ellaseliaseilas
d&c
33readi
11011
treadinjgs itI1 393400393
d&c
400
110t12llotlzbnxce35bruce rv mcconklemcconkie mormonjtortonstorton doctrinepogtriportri salt lake citycityicitti bookcraft
inc 1966 p 221 hereafter cited as mormon doctrinefjoseph fielding smithsmithy conference report april i960ig6oigho p 2
keys of ahwthw therimcherim of isaalisxal
39
02thenorth
Es
the WS
34t 35
38
commissionto
0 0 0
dac32d&c
34
pe
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1936t
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thlthikhi is the spirit of elijaheiljah thatthabthatwethatjewe redeemourredeeredeem deadadeadtour dead andconnect ourselves with outour fathers which are in heaven and sealup our dead to come forth in the first resurrection and here wewant the power of elijah to seal those who dwell on earth to those
dacdeodao
jobejose rohtaught
mournour
dacdec
withoutwithour
38
39restored thus the lord saidsaidtsaldbaldtbaldg go ye therefore and do the works
40of abraham church history records that the prophet fulfilled41this commissionmissionecom
sssjisiy finallyFinalfinel againlyslyt in
the kirtland temple joseph smith andard oliver cowdery received the seal42ing powers of the priesthood from elijah the prophet this was in
43fulfillment of the great prophecy given bylay malachi in the old testament
and also to fulfill the words of moroniMo anronit important angelic minister44for the last dispensation joseph taught that elijah was the last
4prophet that held the keys in ancient israel this sealing power
was restored in order that all the ordinances may be attended to in45righteousness also we have the following from the prophet
the spirit powerpowertpowerspokert and calling of elijah is that ye have power tohold the key of the revelationsrevelation ordinances oracles powers andendowments of the fulnessfalness of the melchizedek priesthood and of thekingdom of god on the earthtearthlearthabarthl and to receive obtainobtains and performall the ordinances belonging to the kingdom of god even unto theturning of the hearts of the fathers unto the children and thehearts of the children unto the fathers even those who are inheaven
ye
churchhistory
the of elieilell h thteower of beasea un
1145
beattended
godt
0 thig
39mormon doctrinedoctrineidoctrines ppe 220
40d&c 1320213232
d&c41
132sl9132tlg 20 12458012458
d&c42 110131611013
malachi
16
4564544
6
P of G P joseph smith 23639206390206236
teachinsachinsILKilc
Te
39
pr 172leachaleachi
43
p9
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39kormonmormonkozmon Doctrinei
200
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Israismaelinisraelianisraelin
39
who dwell in heaven thisTOs is the power of elijah and the keys ofthe kingdom of jehovah 46
this sealing power incorporatesincorpometes the sealing of families to each47other the living and the dead for all eternity f also it includes
48the power of sealing up unto eternal lifeilfe these sealing keys of
elijah are an important part of whatnhat connects the lastlestiest dispensation with
all previous dispensations
I1 ssqslpjljsssthe lord has said the fullness of priesthood and keys is to be
49found in a temple of god the lord commanded and authorized joseph
the prophet to build such holy places the church is not fully
organizedorgani ineedsed its proper order and cannot be until the temple is co-mpleted where places will be provided for the administration of the
ordinancesordinardin ofaneesances the priesthood
these words of wilford woodruff become very significant
he joseph smith lived until he received every key ordinanceand law ever given to any man on the earth from father adam downtouching this dispensation he received powers and keys from underthe hands of moses for gathering the house of israel in the lastdays he received under the handslands of elijah the keyskey of sealing thehearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the childrento the fathersfat heherstherslherbt received iaderimderxmder the hands of peterpetert james andjohn the apostleship and everything belonging thereto he receivedunder the handsbands of moroni all the keys and powers required of the
46ibid p 3373383373380307338302338337307302
ibid
338
p 323
48ibid p 323 and 338
dac 12428
d&cdac50d&cbac 88sll988tl1q 124011243112401.
isasiisasgIsa51teachi Ppo 2242240
ik
40
the restoration of te es
50tobuild
51
ofwilford
i s
e0
471bidot
ibid9 po and338ILOllo77
sg
471bidetbidot
iia
nindmindbind95
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As
of56GP P joseph smith 2424942 DXdagdao 7611211976112 etc119ilg
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40
stick of joseph in the hands of ephraim he received under the handsof john the baptist the aaronic priesthood withkith allailali its keys andpowers and every other key and power belonging to this dispensationand I1 am not ashamed to say that he was a prophet of god and helaid the foundation of the greatest work and dispensation that hasever been established on the earth52earthyl
FULL restoration OF THE PROPHETIC OFFICEIN THE lastIAST dispensation
joseph smith as the presidingpresiding prophet of the last dispensation
restored in its totality the prophetic office fundamentally joseph6353smith had the testimony of jesus and thus was a general prophet
6454that joseph was also a seer is attested to by deity himself that the
prophet magnified this calling is shown by his own statement
it is my meditation all the dayclayhlay and more than my meat and drink toknow howhov I1 shall make the saints of god comprehend the visions thatroll like an overflowing surge before my mind55
As a revelator joseph smith revealed more of the word of god to the
people than any other prophet of whom we have record also it is very
clear from the prophets writings that he only revealed to the church a
very small portion of what he received 5 of course as a translator
joseph smith brought forth the book of mormon the book of abraham and
6757other documents incorporated in the doctrine and covenants the
inspired revision of the bible and elsewhere
withallgodo
mind95
revealedto56
52wilfordsa D xviixviq 267t18548691854868541854 XVI86 26
hereafter cited as JD
CQ
teachings p 2692690
54dac 23 ilteachinsachinsTe p
53teac pe
1
teachings55teacbln
p9
earth 52
52wilford woodruff journal of discourses G D watt and othersreporters Londontdons latterdaylatteriatterletterietter saintsintsday book depotepotapotIiondoniiondon 869
howl
pa
manmanoaanomana59
116ilgtimetimestirestire ands seasons nauvoo illinois V 651 hereafter cited
as y181timestires and seasons3801861
dac 1022241072224010722102210222
1
24240
59doctrinesdoctrinism of salvation 111ililiiiii 1 146
60
oftheodthe
8araar
41
thejhsjs postolicstolicapostolicPo autholauthoaA y
he should be ordained anapostle of jesus christ that office puts him in possession ofevery key every power every authority communication benefitblessing glory and kingdom that was ever revealed to man0
at this point it should be clarified that there are two kinds
of apostles recognized in the church A general apostle is an ambassa-
dor for christ even a witness of him in this sense every member of59the church especially priesthood bearersbear shoulderst be apostles the
status of the ordained apostle is vastly different however As an
office in the priesthoodthepriesthood the apostleship incorporates all the powers
keys and authorities enumerated above when the lord through joseph
smith called the first quorum of twelve apostles in this dispensation
they were given all the authority and keys joseph had thus the
prophet was able to say after they had received this great endowment
now if they kill me you have got all the keys and all the ordin-ances and you canaingingln confer them upon others and the hosts of satanwill not be able to jeartearteam down the kingdom as fast as you will beable to build it up 00
usually ordained apostles are members of the quorum of the
twelve apostles the second ranking presiding priesthood quorum in the
church under the quorum of first presidency since the death of
brigham young JD IX 8 italics by the writer
doctrinesmDoctrineDoctrines y11011sM
bene it
61
58 87
t vav9 65
JJin the apostleship bestowed bytoyboy christ upon the twelve men he
chose in palestine is incorporated the fullness of priesthood keys
authorities and powers
what ordination should a man receive to possess all the keys andpowers of thebhe holy priesthood 0
9
59
orporv
hevinghaving 11
voivolce
brasbrag LXXIII june 1970 28
64isssisssis P 591
dac65d&cdecdeo 1091107919210919266
d&c 1381 50s3650j0
dftc67d&c36&2s3682
fingallvingall faggifts
beertseert revelatrevelstorrevelatorrevelant and church president is the senior ordained apostle of6
the council of twelve no exception could be made to this procedureZQ
unless it were revealed to the presiding apostle
impiqppresident of the church ofjesus christ of ietteriatterletter dazdaysaints
42
joseph smith the presiding high priest of the kingdom of god the prophet
seer Revelreveibevelatorstorstoc
jisfl1pjijfsmslj1jegughristjojatter
the presidency of the church of jesus christ of latterdaylatter
lintssaintstintsday
is an aggregate office as has been already explained in actual
fact there is no more authoritative office on earthaearthsgartha upon the president
of the church the almighty bestows the highest office and the greatest6gifts that mortal man is capable of receiving the lardlord himself has
said
the duty of the president of the office of the high priesthoodis to preside over the whole church and to be like unto moses
behold here is wisdom yea to be a seer a revelator a trans-lator and a prophet ha the ftg of godsod which he bestowsupon the head of the church 0
mw
timetire after time in the revelations the lord explains that the
voicevolce of the prophet is equivalent to his voice the action of the67
prophet when acting in the prophetic office is his work f the power
62ct ojl&lw 111illiliiii 155156155r
156
harold B lee time to prepare to meet god the improvementkraera
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62
63
the extent of the authority ofthethe projdk4tlq O0
cl
64
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62doctrines of salvationgSalvasaivationg63
9
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mormon doctrinegdoctrinesDoctrin peeg
vingaligallgaii
92
god
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70
measureneasure
timeatimej
rebeilirebeill
3Q
of the prophetic office is indeed the power of god untonto salvation and
finally those who receive or recognize the prophet for what he is are
in effect receiving god 1 he that receivethreceive my servants receivethreceive69
me
spencer W kimball speaking at the time when joseph fielding
smith was sustained as the tenth presiding prophet of this dispensation
aptly summarized the authority of thatteatteetthet office in our timetireI1 make no claim of alibilityinfantilityinf for him the prophet but he
does need to be recognized of god an authoritative person he isno pretender as numerous are who presumptuously assume positionwithout appointment and authority that is not given he must speaklike his lordtlordslordvord as one having authority and not as thescribesscri matthew1beso s29
he must be bold enough to speak truth even against popularclamor for lessening restrictions he must be certain of hisdivine appointment of his celestial ordination and his authorityto call to service to ordain to pass keys which fit eternal locks
he must have commanding power like prophets of oldoldsoidsoldtoid t toseal both on earth and in heaven the unbelieving and rebellious
unto the day when the wrath of god shall be poured out uponthe wicked without measurer d&c 18918 and9 rare powers
d&c 132132s
70he bridges the gap between man and his maker
testimonies OF THE ELEVENEIEYEN PRESIDING PROPHETS OPOF THISdispensation REGARDING THEIR PROPHETICPROPMTIC AUTHORITY
j2ephjoisgh smithsmitsnitsnith
every
jrman who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of
the world was ordained to that very purpose in the grand councilof heaven before this world was I1 suppose I1 was ordained to thisvery office in that grand cotmei1coimcll it is the testimony that I1
d&c
spencer W kimball the need for a prophetProphe the improvementemarav LXXIII june 1970 939493 94
43
u68
Mj69
7s2q
0 soutupon
1to it
that whatsoever you seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven andwhatsoever you bind on earth in my name and by my word saith thelord it shall be eternally bound in the heavens and whosoeversins you retain on earth shall be retained in heaven46
erav
th th
tp
dac
dac
jseph
I1 stoop from the sublime authority of almighty god to be handledas a monkeys cat paw and pitifycitify myself into a clown to act the ffarce of political demagoguery no verily nonolnoa the whole earthshallstallsheilshelishailshali bear me witness that 19 like the towering rock in the midstof the ocean which has withstood the mighty surges of the warringwaves for centuries am impregnableyimpregn andabley am a faithful friend tovirtue and a fearless foe to vice no odds whether the formerwas sold as a pearl in asia or hid as a gem in america and thelatter dazzles in palaces or glimmers among the tombs
I1 combat the errors of ages I1 meet the violence of mobs I1cope with illeralillegalvilleral proceedings from executive authority I1 cut thegordian knot of powers and I1 solve mathematical problems ofuniversities with
I1
7222
shalishail
visvit
stendytend
oftheodthe fullness of all thingsspoken by the mouths of all the holy prophets since the world beganunder the sealing power of the melchisedec sic
godpgoda
want that I1 am gods servant and this people his people theancient prophets declared that in the last days the god of heavenshould set up a kingdom which should never be destroyed nor leftto other people and the very time that was calculated on thispeople were struggling to bring it outcutscuttouttgod mymissionwill always protect me until my mission is fulfilled
I1 calculate to be one of the instruments of setting up the king-dom of daniel by the word of the lord and I1 intend to lay a founda-tion that will revolutionize the whole world 7
also when defending his position as a prophet to james
arlington bennett who wanted him to use his position forsor political
leverage the prophet joseph saidsaidtsald
shall I1 who have witnessed the visions of eternity and beheldthe glorious mansions of bliss and the regions and the misery ofthe damned shallhallshalihali I1 turn to be a judas shall I1 who have heardthe voice of god and communed with angels and spake as moved bythe holy ghost for the renewal of the everlasting covenant and forthe gathering of israel in the last days shallshalishail I1 worm myself intoa political hypocrite shall I1 who hold the keys of the lastkingdom in which is the dispensation of the
44
the
positionfor
godo
priesthood shallshashali
noverilyocean
probierstruthdiamond truth
yo
cot 195960195960t VI 78 hereafter cited as HC italics bythe writer
truth diamonddigon i
lureenablegnableanablegnablebie
cos
dleon
ena
ad
.727212
brigham youmgyouhg
just after the death of joseph smith when there was a question
in some peoples minds as to who should succeed to the prophetic office
71teachinfis71teach P9 3653663653660365pe
7272joseph
366
joseph smithsmithpsmiths historyhist of the church of jesus christ oflatterdaylatter saintsday ededeeda Bbo Hhe roberts 2d rev salt lakeleke citydeseret book co 1959 60
aloyioylo
I1
rebreo it is the godof heaven it is the spirit of the holy ghost it is not of myselfit is the lord jesus christ trying to save the inhabitants of theearth5earth75eartheartha
john
755
thusithuei
45
brigham young saidsaidtsald s
the twelve are appointed by the fingeringer of golgodgon here is brighamhave his knees ever faltered have his lips ever quivered here isheberher and the rest of the twelve an independent body who have thekeys of the kingdom of god to deliver to all the world this istrue so help me god they stand next to joseph and are the firstpresidency of the church73church3churchyChurch
we
733
also have this pertinent statement by brigham youngyoungs
I1 do not care who leads the church even though it were ann leebut one thing I1 must know and that is what god says about it I1have the keys and the means of obtaining the mind of god on thesubject
I1 know there are those in our midst who will seek the lives ofthe twelve as they did the lives of joseph and hyrumhyrucyru we shallordain others and give the fulnessfalness of the priesthood so that if weare killed the fulnessfalness of the priesthood may remain
joseph conferred upon our heads all the keys and powers belong-ing to the apostleship which he himself held before he was takenaway and no man or set of men can get between joseph and the twelvein this world or in the world to come
how often has joseph said to the twelve 1 have laid the foun-dation and vouyou must build thereon for upon your shoulders the king-dom rests 74
who gives me that power let the world inquireinqui
jlopresident taylor speaking of his position at the death of
president brigham young in 18 said
I1 occupied the senior position in the quorum and occupying thatposition which was thoroughly understood by the quorum of thetwelve on the death of president young as the twelve assumed thethe presidency and I1 was their president it placed me in a posi-tion of president of the church
thus I1 stood in the same position that president young did
readings II11 13
HC VIIyil 2302300
brigham75brigham75 young J I1 45450
fheber
the
m
I974
thedeath
187
3readi9 ht 13a
74
JD 19
taylor
viig
lorencolorenzo
elifetlifet
iwantawant
thailthatl
46
7at the death of the prophet joseph smithsmiths
wimrijlodwilford woodruff stated in the dedicatory prayer of the salt
lake templetemplettempietenpie
thou hast called thy servants wilford woodruff george Q cannonand josephjosephfjosephm F smith to hold the keys of the presidency and priesth-ood this day and for these shepherds of thy flock we feel to givethee thanksgiving and praise thy servant wilford is bound to ac-knowledge thy handremember in love thy servant whom thou hast called to be a prophetseer and revelator to all mankind whose days have been many uponthe earth yet lengthen out his span of mortal lifeilfe we pray theeand grant unto him all the powers and gifts in their completenessof the office thou hast conferred uponupo himhir and in likeilke mannerbless his associates in the presidency of thy church 1
orejrizo snow
lorenolorenzodoreno snow testified thatthet he had seen christ and that he caledcalled
him to prophetic leadershipleaders thishipshipo experience is told by his grand-
daughter allie young pond
after we left his room and while we were still in the largecorridorcorri leadingdorsdort into the celestial room I1 was walking severalsteps ahead of grandpa when hefiehieile stopped me saying wait a moment
allie I1 wantnant to tell you something it was right here that thelord jesus christ appeared to me at the time of the death ofpresidentPresipresl woodruffwoodruffeWooddont herufferuffo instructed me to go right ahead and organizethe first presidency of the church at once and not wait as had beendone after the death of the previousnr presidentsevious and that I1 was tosucceed president woodruff sto
joseph piFs smith
7 john taylor the gospel kinamkinpmkingdom salt lake city deseretbook co 1944 p 192
wilford woodruff the discourses of wilford woodruffwoodruf edG homer durham salt lake city bookcraft inc 199 ppap 336 and3420342
aft7ft78nels lundwall comp temples of the most high 7th edsalt lakelekeimkelmke citycit bookcrafts inc 1949 p 148 italics by the writerwrlteriter
P76
wilford woodruff
thanksgiving
uponhim U 16
18
76
0 0
77
19691
P
0
1
y
nhim
ath
I1 desire to make another remark or two before we close ourconference I1 will call your attention to the fact that the lord inthe beginning of this work revealed that there should be three highpriests to preside over the high priesthood of his church and overthe whole church d&c 1072210722010222 64664 67t 9192916 he92 conferred uponthem all the authority necessary to preside over all the affairs ofthe church they hold the keys of the house of god and of theordinances of the gospel and of every blessing which has been res-tored to the earth in this dispensation this authority is vestedin a presidency of three high priests they are three presidentsthe lord himself so calls them d&c 107 29 but there is onepresiding president and his counselors are presidents also I1 pro-pose that my counselors and fellow presidents in the first presi-dency shall share with me in the responsibility of every act whichI1 shall perform in this capacity I1 do not propose to take thereins in my own handstendsmends to do as I1 please but I1 propose to do as my
brethren and I1 agree upon and as the spirit of the lord manifeststo US 77
heber J grant
heberher J grant knew that the mantle rested on him
I1 can pledge to you the best that is in me to fulfill the highand holy calling that has come to me to exercise in righteousnessthe power of the priesthood of the living god which centers inme 80
ceorgegeorge albertgibertglbert smith
in the dedicatory prayer of the idaho falls templetempie president
george albert smith prayed 2
we pray that thy servant george albert smith may be endowedof thee with a vigorous body and mind
107291072
heberreber
preepreshiency
thatmythatty
4
in the annual general conference of the church of jesus christ
of latterdaylatter saintsday held in april 1913 president joseph F smith saidsaidtsald
and with the spirit ofprophecy seership revelation and of presidency and with theability to magnify thy great and holy nameenamenabenamennanen
gospel79gospej doctrine p 17616on80
Ggo homer durham edy gospel standards salt lake citydeseret news press 1911941igi P 1991999
rar181george albert smithsnith dedicatory prayer of idaho fallsfilsmailsmalis templetemplettenpie
47
brethren
ed
ofidahothe improvementimjroyementimpeovement era XLVIII october 1945 562
9
dac
dac
edp
the
I1 vement rnaena LXXI decemberdecem 196839683.968ber 109log1
lip11 Pr1kj
david 0 mckay
0
iteito
glaedlag smithsnithjortleiljfjisRt
less
LEilJiSthan three months before his death joseph fielding smith
told the priesthood of the church
now I1 shall say a few words to you about the priesthood andthose keys which the lord has conferred upon us in this final gospeldispensation
we hold the holy melchizedek priesthood which is the power andauthority of god delegated to man on earth to act in all things forthe salvation of men
we also hold the keys of the kingdom of god on earth whichkingdom is the church of jesus christ of latterdayiatterlatter saintsday
these keys are the right of presidency
48
iqljljsin his 94th year david 0 mckaymokaymekaymegay testified
there are many instances about which I1 could tell you whereinthe handiandandlandlendendI of the lord has been manifest in guiding his servants I1know it is real I1 know it as I1 know that you are assembled in thisconference I1 know ones spirit can be in tune and hear that sweetstill small voice I1 know he will warn us I1 know he will neversay anything that is impossible to understand I1 know he is ourfather in heaven he is just as real as my earthly father andmother whom I1 hope to meet over there the savior the son of godis at the head of this church I1 am not the head of this churchjesus christ is our head I1 know that the former presidents of thechurch knewknow that and declared it joseph smith the prophet knew
it this is christs church and we are his messengers his repre-sentatives and it is our duty to keep in touch with him and knowwhat his wishes are
Jf
they are the power andauthority to govern and direct all of the lords affairs on earththose who hold them have power to govern and control the manner inwhich all others may serve in the priesthood all of us maynay holdthe priesthood but we can only use it as authorized and directedso to do by those who hold the keyskeyso
this priesthood and these keys were conferred upon joseph smithand oliver cowdery by peter james and john and by moses andelijah and others of the ancient prophets they have been given toeach manmnran who has been set apart as a member of the council of thetwelve but since they are the right of presidency they can onlybe exercised in full by the senior apostle of god on earth who isthe president of the church
may I1 now say very plainly and very emphatically that we havethe holy priesthood and that the keys of the kingdom of god are
pdavid 0 mckay spirituality in learninlearningkearnin and teaching the
gospel the iroprgvgffljen
192
maY
sayvery emphaticallythat
82
sentatives
yis
lio11iio 0749
here they are found only in the church of jesus christ of latteriatterday saints
now brethren I1 think there is one thing which we should haveexceedingly clear in our minds neither the president of the churchychurchnor the first presidency nor the united voice of the first presi-dency nor the united voice of the first presidency and the twelvewill ever lead the saints astray or send forth counsel to the worldthat is contrary to the mind and will of the lord
an individual may fall by the wayside or have views or givecounsel which falls short of what the lord intends but the voiceof the first presidency and the united voice of those others whohold with them the keys of the kingdom shall always guide the saintsand the world in those paths where the lord wants them to be 0
at the solemn assembly where he was sustained as the eleventh
president of the church harold B lee stated
I1 know with a testimony more powerful than sight that as thelord declared the keys of the kingdom of god are committed untoman on the earth from the prophet joseph smith through his succes-sors down to the present andani from thence shall the gospel rollforth unto the ends of the earth as the stone which is cut out ofthe mountain without hands shallsnallshailshalisnail roll forth until it has filled thewhole earth
wherefore may the kingdonkingdom of god go forth that the kingdomof heaven may come t d&c 65 sas2 6 n
I1 bear that testimony with all the conviction of my soul
SUMMATION
at the beginning of this dispensation the lord said he had givenQ
his servant joseph smith jr an appointment to restore all things
joseph fulfilled his work all that joseph received he delegated to the
joseph fielding smith eternal keys and the bightright to presidethe enslenensign II11 july 1972 88887880887
84
88880
harold B lee may the kingdom of god go forth the enslenensignillIII111liililili january 1973 25
d&g 132401323400
110
83
haroldhroldharoid B leeie
it
kin domdon6529
85
83josephen n
bo9 0
dag85d&c
83
dac
seraer ntsants
50Q
quorum of the twelve before h was martyredairtyredmartyairtynarty thered church and kingdom of
god is now fully restored never to be taken from the earth or given toon
another peoplepeoples f at the head of thatt1vtt kingdom on eartheartho under christ
is the presiding prophet of the church of jesus christ of latterdaylatter
saints
day
haroidharold bingham leeleeoleea he has testified that he is fully empower
88edeeleol and so the testimony of gods servants today is thats
nowhow as in every age of the earthsearth0eartha s history when the lord hashad a message for people he has sent his servants to testify andbear witness of ltit they have spoken by the power of the holy ghostand have certified of the truthtroth of the reveterevelationtion 4
mewe do this todayrostroostmostnost solemnlysoleaolebole andsmiyamlysaly soberly 9
wilfordVi woodruffWoodvoodlfordiford goyrfermiceeg
87daniel87
muffsrufft april
2i42t44Danieldeniel
1898
conference p
haromharemhalid
reportre 89890
Bbe
portdort
88 leelaevleev may the kingdom of god go forth M the ensign111IIIliilil january 1973i 25259
go89bruce R mccMcGMemcconkiemcconkleonkieConkieonkleconkle the9 keystone of our religion t the
jmovgmgntj LXXIIUXII december 1969 58
86he
87
isfully
the
86
ensi noanuarn 1973 v
IM vement bnoEMO
naretnametnanet
discoursesdiscowcses G D wattkatt and othersreporters londonsLon latterdaylatterdons saintsday book depot 1854861854 11II86 151
hereafter cited as JDJDsjda
90
the
ow
book2theathe of nomonmomonkrononkomonkommom salton lake citytcityicitti the church of jesus christof latterdaylatter saintsday 1952 alnaalmaalmainaalq 562 hereafter cited as B of M
followed by the reference within
3theathe
godegodsessesq and fulfill their obligations
for they have obligated themselves before god and before angelsand before earthly witnesses that they would do this
lhebergheber
chapter 4
obligations OF CHURCH MEMBERS
TO THE PROPHETIC OFFICE
I1 would like to see all this people do right and keep the com-mandments of god I1 would like to see them fulfill their covenantsand live up to their vows and promisespromis
introduction
I1 speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church
and unto those who do not belong to the church I1 speak by way of invlinviinalinai2j2tattonfattenfatton
for as many as receive this gospel shall be called after thyname and shall be accounted thy seed and shall rise up and blessthee aaas their fathersfathers
in a very real sense the covenant members of the church are the children
heber C kimballKim journalbailoballo of
the pearl of great price salt imkelakelmke cityscityi the church of jesuschrist of iatterlatterletter day saints 1952 abrahamabodAboc 2810aham hereafter cited asP of G P followed by the reference within
51
0 0t thus spoke the prophet alma to the people of his day
covenantcoverant members of the church in any age have always borne a special
relationshiprelationshipto to the prophets the lord long ago covenanted with
abraham that all who receive the gospel would be called after him
0 0
father5
p0 he
mandments
Covenantverantyerant
father 5
beytrefrebre
mel
londona
ja
pa
paulbaulraulrhul
in the book of hebrews states that christ was annointed
609409699
I1
helsheismediator5mediatore finistministers
5theathe
9johnajohn 1411041lwi and marginal note for john 141italitaihebrews10 19
52
of the prophetspropheye are the children of the prophets and of the covenant which
god made with our fathersfat sayingherst unto abrahamabrahamsAbraabma andhamphanshars in thy seedshall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed
although all things are done in the name of christ and he is the great
mediator between5 the father and his children the ministers of christ
his undershepherdsflundershepherdsunderflunder haveshepherds always been sacred to the lord and they
should be to his people touch not mine annointed and do my prophets7no harm 41 has been the command of god to his covenant people in this
dispensation the lord has pronounced a curse against those who lift up
the heal against his annointed speaking most specifically of the prophetQ
joseph smith
christ is the ultimate annointedannoitited one the term christ isQ
taken from the greek christosGhristchristoe meaning the annointed one
with the
oil of gladness above his fellows the term fellows would
cts 3025
the inspired version of the holy scriptures independencemissouri the reorganized church of jesus christ of latter day saints1964 galatians 31920319 the prophet moses wall called to be themediator of the first covenant and of course jesus christ the greatestof all the prophets is the mediator of the gospel covenant
6 peter 547 chronicles 1622 and psalms 10515
doctrine8doctrine and covenants salt lake city the church of jesuschrist of latterdaylatter saintsday 1952 121l612116 hereafter cited as dac
gjohn
4
6
8
10
4actsacte
61
1 9
os
20
tst
christ
acts
ofgoag
53
be better translated associates companions or friends who
are those friends of christ those lesser annointed ones the
scripture states that christs friends are those who keep his command
t2taments abraham is often referred to as the firendferend of god in a most
special sense he it was who was chosen along with the other prophets34before the foundation of the world christ it will be remembered
said that he laid down his life forfox his friends J the book of mormon
makes it clearelear that those who would be the first resurrected would be
the prophets and those who followed them to christ
and there cometh a resurrection even a first resurrection yeaeven a resurrection of those that have been and who are and who
shall be even until the resurrection of christ for so shall he becalled
and now the resurrection of all the prophets and all thosethat have believed in their words or all those that have kept thecommandments of god shall come forth in the first resurrectiontherefore they are the first resurrection
they are raised to dwell with god who has redeemed them thusthey have eternal life through christchristo who has broken the bandsof death 16
among those annointed with christ as his fellows must be included the
prophets those who were foreordained from before the foundation of the17world joseph fielding smith stated that some of the great presiding
benjamin wilson trans the dia the newtestament brooklyn new york internationalxnational bible students associationwatch tower bible and tract society publishers 1942 hebrews 19
12john l5sl415f14 151133 3II11 chronicles 2072017 isaiah 418 and james 223
P of G P abraham 3233321
john15 1513116
Bbe of M moslah 1582123152115821
17
23
josephjoeeph smith the prophet taughtlbaught that anyone who is called tominister to gods children wasmas foreordained to that calling before the
oil
13
15
clearthat
evena
firstresurrection
emphatic ott ofint
2214
17joseph
23e
foi
nowy
19191119
dag19d&c 138
exodus20 2320212320
matthew
21
1040
54
prophets of the dispensations even assisted christ in the creation of
the earth
it is true that adam helped to form this earth he labored withour savior jesus christ I1 have a strong view or conviction thatthere were others also who assisted them perhaps noah and enochan l&lj10 and those who were appointed to be rulersbefore the earth wait formed10formedforred O
again
10
and againagin the scriptures affirm that those who bear the
name of christ and especially presiding prophets are to be honored as
christ is honored there is no essential distenctiondistinction made between
those empowered to represent christ or christ himself whether by my
19own voice or the voice of my servants it is the same to ancient
israel the lord warned concerning the angel whonbonho was sent before them
behold I1 send and angel before thee to keep thee in the wayand to bring thee into the place which I1 have prepared
beware of him and obey his voice provoke him not for he willnot pardon your transgressionstransgressionsstransgression for my name is in him 0
to his chosen twelve christ said he that receivethreceive you receivethreceive me
21and he that receivethrecelvethreceiverecel meveth receivethreceive him that sent me to joseph
smith the lord said this generation shall have my word through
world was teachings p 365 it should be remembered as beforeexplained that any with the spirit of prophecy or the holy ghost isin general a prophet thus those of the presiding prophets would beincluded and since christ indicated that the greater the call the moreextensive the ministry matthew 23 illtiltii the presiding prophets would beamong Christchrists closest friends
1 ftjoseph fielding smith doctrines of salvation ed bruce R
mcconkie salt lake citytcityscites bookcraft inciizcvizc 1954 17 747574 and75 abraham3j24 hereafter cited as doctrines of salvationSalvat significantlyloneione bothstate concerning christ and there stood one among them that was likeunto god and he said unto those who were with himhimshin we will go downfor there is space there and we will take of these materials and we
will make an earth whereon these may dwell italics by the writer
d&g
and wh not josedhjoseah smithsnith1 11 1 40
was
58r
2311
18
it24
21
ss
th th
th th
ts
therhe member of the church or more
generally those aware of the significance of the work of the res fora-ge
tion begun by joseph smith cite other reasonreasons A thorough examination
lvIV matthew2037023370
dacdao 5105210
2323matthewmatthew 2337392337 interestingly the inspired version extendsthis lament to the future for it states 0 jerusalemJerusa I1lertlemllent jerusalem I1 yewho will kill the prophets and will stone them who are sent unto youhow often would I1 have gathered your children together even as a hengathers her chickens under her wings and ye would not
fieotieo pienie
5522
you 11
PROBIEMSPROBLEMS IN FOLLOWING PROPHETS
the majority of gods children in the world have never followed
the true prophetsprophetsepropheprophette from father adam down to the presiding prophet of
the present even the covenant people have not been as obedient as they
should be the lament of christ over jerusalem bears a tragic
testimony
0 jerusalem jerusalem thou that killestgillest the prophets andstonestsoonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I1 havegathered thy children together even as a hen gatherebhgatherethgathegat herrebhreuhherethchickens under her wings and ye would not
behold your house is left unto you desolatefor I1 say unto you ye shall riotnot see me henceforth till ye
shall say blessed is he that cometh in the name of the lord 53
the reasons for acceptancenonacceptancenon of the prophets are varied and
complex the world as a whole generally unaware of their position as
it relates to the prophets either ignore them or simple disbelieve
the nominal christian generally cites that christ is totally sufficient24
and that he fulfilled the prophets
24chapter 5 will attempt to articulate the position of the worldin regard to the prophets these problems will be dealt with there
cthere are in the world today literally thousands who accept
the prophetic call of joseph smith but reject his legal successors
9
sent
under
e
restora
22
inspiredversion10
25there
39
tse
so
saysaeyeamye
coscob 1971971teachlteache v
inciinclplespies
huntohunjo
56
of these reasons reveals that they revolve around these issuersissuessissuest 1 1
ignorance of the stewardshipthestewardship of the prophets especially the presiding
prophet 2 misunderstanding regarding the principlesinciples of agency and
free agency 3 lacklaek of understanding in regard to covenants 4
misunderstanding regarding the checks and balances of church government
5 outright deception byttyityltv false prophetspropbets 6 disobedience and sin
these factors will be examined now
illliss3sisiljsisilySiSIjoseph
LJsmith saidt
whenever there has been a righteous man on eartheart unto whom godrevealed his word and gave power and authority to administer in hisnamenane and where there is a priest of godagod ministera who has powerand authority from god to administer in the ordinances of the gospeland officiate in the priesthood of god there is the kingdom of godgodigodtand in consequence of rejecting the gospel of jesus christ and theprophets whom god hath sent the judgments of god have rested uponpeople cities and nationsnationnetlon in various ages of the world whichwas the case with the cities of sodom and gomorrah that were des-troyed forfwsor rejecting the prophetsProp 629
hetes
the kingdom of god is no ethereal spiritual essenceessences in latterdaylattersaint
day
doctrine it is a tangible reality when it is established itsmembers are subject to its authorized ministersminis christterso is the king
27of lesser priesthood kings f the great high priest over lesser highQ
priests the truly converted covenantverantco person honors christs ser
3626joseph fiamtngf161ftng smith teachinffs of the prophet joseph smithsalt lake cityscityi deseret book co
joseph smith taughtthat chhistchtist isto the great high priestpriests adaradam next teachings p 158
pr
the stewardshistewardshipSteward heshishl fthetsR of tover gods covenant peorapeor1
earthunto
agessod m gomo ho
28
teach1in
pe 27121 hereafter cited asteachigga
revelation 16 and dacd&c 7656Q
hebrews 56 bruce R mcconkiemcconkle in his book mormon doctrinepipa 355 y concerning the presiding high priest in any age that he isgodgode chief representative on earthyearth the one who holds the highest
spiritual position in his kingdom in any age
28M conk1ein
islogods
teachi pe 1589
propbets
st
names
reachi
1973193 38
J Nathanhathannabhan E tanner conferenceconGon reportference october 1969 P 51
david 0 mckay conference report april 1950 p 32
P of G P moses 43
ae&epey
commenbommen
57
vants as he would honor christ he is subject to the laws and officers29of the kingdom the chief officer if christ is not present is the
presiding high priest or presiding prophet of the time the church is
a kingdom wrote bruce R mcconkie the lord jesus christ is the eter-
nal king and the president of the church the mouthpiece of god on
earth is the earthly king nathan BE tanner summarized the stewardsteward9stenard 9
ship of the prophets when he saidsaidisaldisaidtsaldour heavenly father knowing our weaknesses and our need for
constant direction sends us prophets to continually teach us andkeep us remindedremind of this plan of life and salvationour salvation and that of our loved ones depends on our listeningto and heeding the words of the prophets realizing that we mustbelieve all that god has revealed all that he does now reveal andthat he will yet reveal manynany great and important things pertainingto the kingdom of god j
next to the bestowal of life itself the right to direct that32life is gods greatest gift to mankinkanwinain these are the words of the ninth
president of the church david 0 mckay they identify the place of
agency in the doctrine of the church the whole plan of salvation pivots
on this fundamental principle theme war in heaven was fought that it33might be preserved it0 waswae an endowment given to man in the garden of
29some would cite the verse the kingdom of god is withinyou luke 1721 to excuse their disobedience to priesthood officersbut as the marginal reading to that verse states it would be betterrendered the kingdom of god is amoneamonganone you is italics by7byaby thewriter see marginal note king jamesjaresjancisjaners versioniversionversionsver alsosionislont IV luke 17s2l
30bruce R mcconkie doctrinal new testament commentary I1salt lake city bookcraft inc
1
5
jesuschrist
00
ed
revea itmanyinmany
r
0
5389
31nathan31 1969t32 19509 pe 320
33 p9
17 21y
rias
pa
propheticoitijelititt
duq35d&c 93 003100036brighas youndtyoungyyoungt JD ut
pap&ckeracker 1
58
34 35edenfideneideneeden without it saith god there could be no existence in
summarysualsuaisuni agencyagencymayneryBarydery mayway be defined aaass the power of choice all intelligent36
beings inherit fromyroa the gods of eternity it is innate
obedience leads to freedom Mn38 christchristsaidsaidgaidgald the39truth will make you free and he who w committeth ginsingln is the
40servant of sinbinbinmbina llrv
the agency and preeagencyfr6ea&nsxfreePree ofAgency thecovenant person as jit relatesto the W
both the agency and freeagencyfree ofagency the covenant person should
be more extensive than his brothertrotherkrother outside of the covenantcovenantscove the
34p
nantsnanta right
ajl3jlP of G anpnpa moses 3110jil7f317o3170 and hosesmoseskobesmobeshobes 732d&q 9330319330
Brighbrighmi
31
IX 105
37there is no unanimity in LDS literature as to the defini-tion of free agencyoageneyo the author after thorough research feels thatthere is freeagencyfree toagencygency do or be only if agency is properlypro0erly exercised
J boyd K packerdrickeripackerp conference report octobertobertOc 19701970q ppe 121
john39 8378137083281320
hn40john 8134qt3
without1to godt
inheritfrom 06
freeagessfisjssxfree
free
ggeagegee
agency
aerlerarr
at least for the purpose of this study will be
37considered as agency to do or to be ouwouroum use of agency determines
the degree of freeagencyfree weagency possess for example men were not free to
go to the moon until they had learned and applied certain laws in the
first place there was agency to strive to attain a goal in the second
place there was freeagencyfree toagency acheiveacheivetscheive it in the words of boyd K
aft3ftrackerbacker M
139
itoffice
p0
freea38boyd R
committeth
Mi
a
goaL
639
octobers
larv
signiasignif leance
artionrtion
59
to choose between alternatives is only significant when one comprehends
the significance of the alternatives if there is no cognizance of
alternatives the agency is not real in the words of lehi man
could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the
one or the other the question might be asked what makes a thing
enticing of course there are a legion of answers that may be given
intn the gospel context however and in an eternal sense only that
which is good should be enticing even the wicked would shake at the
appearance of sin if they fully comprehended it the wages of sin42 43
disobedience to gods law when accountable brings misery despair44 as4sand death in the words of alma wickedness never was happiness
logically thenonlythentonlythenthe thosenonlytonlytoniyvonly who know the truth have agency the holy
ghost is the spirit of discernment and since no one but the covenant
person is entitled to this gift he is with that gift endowed with
more agency it should be noted that the spirit of christ gives a
lesser ability of discernment to all but in the words of bruce R
mcconkie there is no perfect operation of the power of discernment46 47without revelation the holy ghost is the great revelator
obviously only correct use of agency lead to free agency no
B of M II11 nephi 21642
B of M alma 421B43b of M moronmoroninoron 10221020
44roman 623B of M almaainoaainnaalnaaina 411041210
46bruce R mcconkiemcconklemegMcGmec mormononkieonkle doctrinedpctjrine salt lake citycityicitti bookcraftinc 1966 p 197 hereafter cited as mormon doctrine
teachesteachingsteachls p 3283280
brings
inthe 145
abilityof
agencylead
41mo
be
i
45b
pe1117rr po
ope
6060
man has the freeagencyfree toagency inherit a fullness of celestial exaltation
unless he uses his agency to obey all the laws ordinances and per-
formances leading to that glory in the words of jesus christ
verily verily I1 say unto you except ye abide my law ye can-not attain to this glory
for strait is the gate and narrow the way that leadeth untothe exaltationexaltatioexaltation and continuation of the lives and fewfen there be thatfind it because ye receive me not in the world neither do ye knowme
but if ye receive me in the world then shall ye know me andshall receive your exaltation that where I1 am ye shall be also
this is eternal livesilves to know the only wise and true god andjesus christ whom he hath sent I1 am he receive ye thereforemy law az4z
jesus christ under the matherfatherfattiermathenfattler is the source of all good things49
in him we live move and have a being he has endowed us with agency
he adds upon us free agency as we obey his gospel As has already been
stated he is the great minister
aqhqdagdaodac 132212513213221
d&c
021250021 25250
8811138801138811880149
matthew50matthew50
13
20s2820
B of me II11 nephi 202320s23
d&c 207753
teachinfgsa p 190
the great prophet to our fathers
eternal family the holy ghost the third member of the godhead is52
the most especial minister of christ he is even referred to as52christsChrlschris spiritts after the holy ghostthostshost who is called by joseph
53smithsnith uI1
0 god the third the witness or testator the greatest
ministers of christ are the prophets they too are also testators
many of them have sealed their testimonies with their own blood in
speaking to the nephitesNep thehites savior said M all the prophets
few
ilivesto
50
51
3
53the
48
28
51b M
leach
formances
exaltatioatlon
20 23
52
dac
dac
themythery sayingsayings blessed are ye if ye shallstallshalishail give heedunto the words of these twelve whom I1 have chosen from among you tominister unto you and to be your servants and unto them I1 havegiven power that they may baptize you with fire and with the holyghost therefore blessed are ye if ye shall believe in me and bebaptized after that ye have seen me and know that I1 am 55
the whole exaltation of the covenant person is tied up with
prophetic ministers the gospel of jesus christ is a compendium of mi-
nistrations one is foreordained before birth by someone baptized on
earth by someone confirmed by someone ordained by someone etc allthe saving ordinances are by ministration all of christs ministers
are presided over by christ ultimately or by one of his recognized
servants imminently christ as he said is the trunk and his apostles
are the branches
somesoneonegonet
wanttolantto
61
54as manynany as have spoken have testified of me
the relationship of the covenant person is to christ through
the prophets it is most significant that as christ spoke to the
nephitesNep andhites gave to them the beatitudes he placed the following one
first t
and it came to pass that when jesus had spoken these words untonephi and to those who had been calledcalledo now the number of them whohad been called and received power and authority to baptize wastwelve and behold he stretched forth his hand unto the multitudeand cried unto themthea
the great reality of this concept is indelibly
placed in the mind when considered in the context of this statement by
heber GC kimball
brother brigham was speaking this forenoon showing what aninfluence he has over this people I1 wantnant to know if he has anyover a man ordr woman that is not in this vine he being the head
B of M ill111liilil nephi 2024
B of M 111IIIililii nephi 121 this additional beatitude Is alsoincluded in an attenuated form in IV matthew 5345053534534.
john56 1518151 8
am55
someonet
56
54 me0
55b
istrations
4
deibert60delbort
extentextenj
esqisq
62
now when joseph was here he wasinsimsvms the head of the vine in the fleshybut since he steppedstopped away brother brigham is head of the vine andwe are connected to it all you men andardarn womenwomens and then all thesaints throughout the world are connected to that vineyine to which heis connected and he has power and influence over thengthemthens because theypartake of his nature and his element and he partakes of the elementthat came through josephjosephs and joseph from peter and peter from jesusand jesus from the fetherfathermether and then it extends through all thequorums that pertain to the house of israelitisraeli7Israeli0
7
0 0 to believe in christ in the full and perfect andend saving sensewe must heed the testimony and accept the teachings of the lordsprophets so that we too may enjoy the promptings of the holy spiritand feel the spirit of revelation in our own souls58souls
the
58
individual covenantsiCovenant andsndsIpropheticbetic author ty
1jteoeticjauttux
the word of the lord to his people is keep the commandments
59and covenants by which ye are boundbounds n7 delbert L stapley
speaking in the conference of the church in april of 1959 articulated
the place of covenants in the gospel scheme
a covenant is a solemn binding compact between god andman whereby man agrees to keep gods commandments and serve him inrighteousness and in truth unto the end the gospel covenants andobligations bind church members to obedience to laws and principlesgiven of god which lead to happinesshapp loveinesso and eternal joy A
covenant then is an agreement which includes obligations and isgiven as a principle with promise of blessings for obedience
it is our duty to learn and understand the sacred and bindingnature of the covenants we accept at baptism and the covenants andobligations associated with all other ordinances of the gospelgpspelfound along that narrow path which leads to life eternalernaleet 00
significant to this study i the fact that the church member is
bound to his covenantcovenants
every member of the church has made covenants with the lord
heber C kimballKimbal JDjdajd9 Vyiavioyta 8870
58bruce be mcconklemcconkieMcCon conferencecorsCorrkletkietkleg reportserenceference octobertobergOc 196419649 ppe 38380
d&cdac39d&c 35t24
delbert L stapley conference report april 1959 PPppe 107810780107102 ao8o8
bruce R
qt
i
fromtheisrael
perfectand
59
e
forobedience
gg8pel
is
57heber
1959t
se
lg
na
I1ezateaera IJIXLXX juneoune 1961967t 31031 it should be understood that presidentsmiths remarks are applied to all men and not just covenant membersof the church the church teaches that all who have received bodiesand come to earth accepted at least to some degreesdegree the plan of thefather as championed lyby christ and thus they all have responsibilitiesto himhishir italics lyby the writer
B of M mosiah 18il018ilo
brigham64 youngsyoungyoungg TOjd9jda XIIxiiixii9 230
mevmeo
yeteyets
effortseffortgoflifeollife
whatichati
these commandments and covenants are not grievous they are notburdensome on the contrary they are enlightening upliftingassuring and helpful they are instruments of voluntary action onour part that help us to concentrate our efforts to accomplish thepurpose of lifeilfe and to reach our ultimate goal 61
this puts him in an entirely differentdiffer relationshiperntcant to christ and his
servants joseph fielding smith has saidt
I1 have heard people say and members of the church too 1t have aright to do as I1 please my answer 1stist no you do not youhavent any right at all to do just as you please there is onlyone right that you have and that is to do just whatwhet I1 read to youkeep the commandments of jesus chrischristchrls he has a perfect right totell us so we have no right to refusere 0fele
the baptismal covenantcpyenant in the cownantcovenantcornant of baptism the indivi-
dual promises to take upon himself the name of christ that he will63
always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given him
in speaking of this covenant brigham young has saidt
all latterdaylatter saintsday enter the new and everlasting covenant whenthey enter this church they covenant to sustain thekingdom of god and no other kingdomking theydomedone take a vow of the mostsolemn kind before the heavens and the earth and that too uponthe validity of their own salvation that they will sustain truthand righteousness instead of wickedness and falsehood and buildup the kingdom of god instead of the kingdoms of this world 0
the covenant of baptism among other things opens the door leading into
the celestial kingdom the baptizedbapti personzedsed is in a whole new relation
bibay L christiansenchristianson we have made covenants with the lordthe ensignensigut II11 january 1973 51510
62joseph fielding smith he that loveth me the improvement
63
Iis
thatyou haveghaveat 92v
ofthekingdoms 04
61
panuaryt 1973t
63
mee
reyels
leesleet ll11
saldosaido whenwhen men are placed as rulers and governors to control
preslPresidentt
rightorrightof
64
ship to gods kingdom the church of jesus christ of iatterlatterylatter day saints
he is subject to its laws and officers
next unto god and christchristo in the earth is placed one unto whom thekeys of power and the authority of the holy priesthood are conferredand unto whom the right of presidency is given he is gods mouth-piece to his peoplepeoplet ininalldinallallali things pertaining to the building up ofzion and to the spiritual and temporal salvation of the people heis as gods viceregentiviceregentlvicere I1gentl do not hesitate to announce this truths forit is his word and therefore it is true the people who have enteredinto covenant to keep the commandments of the lord must hearken untothe voice of birhimbimhir who is placedp3aced to preside over thethem 0
the covgnantjof s members of the
church are privileged to express without any kind of coercion whatever
their commonconsentcommon ofconsent those called to preside over them in gods
kingdomking thisdorodomodoms principle finds expression in the sacred act of raising
the right arm to the square in the public act of sustaining in relat-ing this to the sustaining of church officers nathan E tanner said
at the solemn assembly which sustained haroldharoidheroldhemoid B lee as the eleventh
prophet seer and revelatorbevKev ofelator the church and its eleventh presidentpresidenttpresidents
those voting will when called upon arise to their feethnwhen the affirmative vote is called rorfor those so voting will bringtheir right arms to the square to witness to the lord that theysustain the office for whom they are voting
it is noted that when you vote affirmatively you make a solemncovenant with the lord that you will sustain that is give your fullloyalty and support withoutwithoaitho equivocationg or reservation to theoffice for whom you vote 67
joseph F smith conferenceferencefereneederencecoidCoircord report april 18991890 ppo 68680
common66 consent is a law of the church d&gd&c 262 thislaw allows the individual to exercleexerciseexerile his agency in becoming subject tothe sovereignty of god through his servantservantsservantso the individual has no rightof nomination or veto in gods kingdom only the right of acceptance orrejectionreject theioneionolone sovereignty of god through the servants is a workingreality in the church of jesus chrifct of latterdaylatter saintsday
676714than62146714nathannathenthanthen E tanner the sustaining of president harold B leethe ensicttEASIP III111ili january 1973 3 speaking of common consent georgeA smith saldsaid
lordmust het enlacedP mam9
covenant of sustainjp&church leadersoleaieaderso
66
seedtertedg
65joseph
we
ch16vdf
kv
65
babic
so
fors
dac
coveovgnant
hgohpe
covenantcovgnant
revelacevela1
65
oath and CovenantcovenantofcovenantorCoven theantof melchizedekece4ece e4 hp0 1 those who
receive the higher melchledekmelchizedekMelchkelchkeich priesthoodledek receive it with an oath and a
covenant it is not the purpose of this study to examine this oath and
covenant thoroughly but to articulate how it pertains to the individual
priesthood bearers relationship to the prophets in general and the pre-
siding prophet in particular the savior said it very succinctly
and also all they who receive this priesthood receive me saiththe lord
for he that receivethreceive m servantsserr receivethreceivets me
and he that receivethreceive me receivereceiveth my fatherand he that receivethreceive my father receivethreceive my fathers kingdom
therefore all that my father hath shall be given unto himand this is according to the oath and covenant which belongethbelo
tongeth
the priesthoodtherefore all those who receive the priesthood receive this
oath and covenant of my father which he cannot break neither canit be moved 68
in his classic definition of priesthood john taylor said
what is his priesthood it is the rule authority administra-tion if you please of the government of god on the earth or in theheavens for the same priesthood that exists upon the earth existsin the heavens and that priesthood holds the keys of the mysteriesof the revelations of god and the legitimate head of that priesth-ood who has communion with god is the pophetrophetRo seerophetphetophee and bevelaveiator to his church and people on the earth 9
no man can hold or magnify priesthood without being subject to the
priesthood leaders over him in other words priesthood cannot be heldheid
independently
brother brigham is my head therefore that power is all in himI1 act in oneness with him in all things and sanction his purposes
the destinies of any people they must do it by the consent of thatpeople or it is unlawful unconstitutional unjust unholy god himselfdoes not rule the children of men upon any other principle you canserve me live under my dominion observeolserve my laws if you choose saysthe lord if not you may serve the devil and reap the reward thatfollows JD v 365
pDODAGdao 8435408435 italics40 by the writer
69john taylor JD 6256250
andcovenant of priesthood allail
mv
beheld
WD
68
69john
th thth thth th
ecea
I1 want to make thisemphatic
119ils
seatseit
endowmendowsantsents
66
in god of angels and all heavenly beings but let me turn awayand be independent of him and where is my priesthood or where ismy authority70
tempietemple covenantsocpyenantg the sacred work that goes on in the temple
is of such a nature that little can be said here about it for the
present purposepurpo it is sufficient to note that in holy temples the
covenant people are privileged to make further covenants they are able
to fully consecrate themselves to the buildingupbuildingup of god kingdom and
are made even more cognizant of their special relationship to the
prophets the lords annointed servants it is the doctrine of the
church that there is no fullness of exaltation without these most
71especial endowments given in holy temples the presiding prophet sus-
tains a special relationship in regmrdsregards to these sacred things joseph
fielding smith in speaking of this daysssaysisayss
you cannot receive the fulnessfalness of the priesthood unless yougo into the temple of the lord andaraarn receive these ordinances ofwhich the prophet speaks no man can get a fulnessfuln6ssfalness of the priesth-ood outside of the temple ofbf the lord
only one man at a time on the earth holds the keysof the priesthood
JD II1131
doctrines of salvation III111liililillilimt 13113213113 1321320
authority 70
lemalem2leerieeele covenantso
purposeit
gods
P
07
0
john
72
taylor put it all together toin relation to the prophetic office when
he statedstatedi
I1 will tell you how I1 feel aboutlabout the principle of consecration
heber C kimballkimbell TOJD VIvigvityit 667
71f brigham youngs classic definition of the endowment is asfollowsfollowstfollow your endowment is to receive all those ordinances in thehouse of the lord which are necessary for you after you have departedthis life to enable you to walk back to the presence of the fatherpassing the angels who stand as sentinels being enabled to give themthe keys words the signs and tokens pertaining to the holy priesthoodand gingaingln your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hellhellaheiihelihellshelis
feelabout
70
brigtamyoungsiso
fee
st
0.0
72 113201
goo900d
totimetotite
theasethemselives
67
if I1 am a servant of god I1 am under the direction of thoseservants of god whomwhoa he has appointed to guide the counsel me byrevelation from himhimihir it is their right to dictate and control me
amid all the affairs of those associated with the kingdom of godand I1 feel moreover that everything whether spiritual or temporalrelating to timetire or to eternity is associated with the kingdom ofgod 73
thus by many covenants the people of god are bound to the lord
and his servantsservantservante allsl for their exaltation and glory the inspired
counsel of the apostle paul is still very relevant to the covenant
people today
letiet every soul be subject unto the higher powers for there isno power in the church but of god the powers that be are ordainedof god
whosoever thereforethere resistethresiforet thesteth power resistethreslstethresiresl thesteth ordin-ance of god and they that resist shall receive to themselves punish-ment
punish-ments
for rulers are not a terror to good works but to the evil wiltthou then not be afraid of the power do that which is good and thoushaltshallshaitshail have praise of the same
for he is the minister of god to thee for good but if thou dothat which is evil be afraid for he bearettbeareth not the rod in vainvalnvaini forhe is the minister of godgodo a revenger to execute wrath upon him thatdoethboeth evil
wherefore ye must needs b subject not only for wrath but alsofor conscienceconsciencetconsciences sake
for rorforroc this cause pay ye your consecrations alsoelgo unto them forthey are godsgodqgoda ministers attending continually upon this very thing
but first render to all their dues according to customcustontribute to whomwhon tributetributestritrl custombutet to whom custom that your consecradipnatipna may be done in fear of hinhim to whom fear belongslongstbe and in honorof him to whom honor belongs74belongsbelongsolongso
the presidingPresi prophet aditz asa he relatesto the checks and balances ofchurch government
it must always be remembered that to the iatterlatterylatterlatker day saint the
church and kingdom of god in any age is not established on the arm of
john taylortaylorl JDJD I1it 375
74f iv9romansIV 131713117131romans italics7 by the writer
gods
Goctoclool
tothe
0 ined
be
for consecratiopslsoare2ods
towhomt m
whomhonor be
73john
74
y
tacyac
2711221178
68
7fleshfleshe if established on any other foundation than christ his gospel
and his power the priesthood it is simply not the kingdom of god
if any church or organization is founded on a man it is merely a ransmasmansras7977work those involved with it may have joy in their work for a season to f
but by and by that church or organization will inevitably go the way ofaqnq
all flesh the kingdom of god is established without mortal hands
and it is so maintained the great head of the church utilizes the ser79vices of mortals but he is able to do his own work every president of
the church has been quick to recognize the sovereignty of christ the
words of joseph fielding smith at his installation as the tenth president
of the church may be regarded as typicaltypic
I1
aleaie
desire to say that no man of himself can lead this church ibitis the church of the lord jesus christ he is at the head the churchbears his name has his priesthood administers his gospel preacheshis doctrine and does his work
he chooses men and calls them to be instruments in his hands toaccomplish his purposes and heliehielle guides and directs them in theirlabors but men are only instruments in the lords shandshands and thehonor and glory for all that his servants accomplish is and shouldbe ascribed unto him forever
if this were the work of man it would failfall but it is the workof the lord and he does not failfailefallfalifallefalie and we have the assurance thatif we keep the commandments and are valiant in the testimony ofjesus and are true to every trusttx theastousto lord will guide and directus and his church in the pathspatha of righteousness for the accomplish-ment of all his purposes
our faith is centered in the lord jesus christ and through him
7 7&c Is 19 it would appear that a major reason for the estab-lishment of gods church and kingdom on the earth is that man would nolonger be subject to merely human counsel
B of H illIII111ili nephi 276102762756
B77b of M III111illili nephineph 27 til511
daniel 2245245B79b of M II11 nephi 27s20
75
76
itisoy
kiegdomngdom 78
tod 1lo10
beenquick
heade
lordshands
75d&c lilge the
0
76me
me
me 27- 20
lishment
10
lord
20
subsuebubtainedbained him I1 come now to the closing moments of thissession when I1 have time for some sobered reflections somehow I1 havehad the feeling that during the expressions here whenever my name hasbeen mentioned they were talking of somebody other than myself andI1 really think thatthettheb is so because oneozieoheorieorle cannot go through the experiencethat I1 have gone through these last three days and be the same asbefore I1 am different than I1 was before friday morning I1 cannot goback to where I1 was
forgfort
godigodl
bnoeno
occbocc es
beretheret
69QA
in the fatherafatherfethermethermathera
nonetheless
80
none godthe doesless inspire men and call them to his holy work inaaiaal
all dispensations it is god himself says paulgpaulopauig who has set in his
church apostles and prophets who are second only to christ who is theft
chief cornerstonecornerstonescorners thesetonestoneo offices along with all lesser ones are pre-
sently essential in the divine economy the offices are essential to have
the full kingdom of god for repeating the woraswords of joseph smithsmithssmitht whe-
never men can find out the will of god and find an administrator legally0
authorized from god there is the kingdom of god M since these84offices are such an intrinsic part of gods kingdom on earth he has
carefully set up a systemsyster of checks and balances to regulate them letus now examine these as they relate to the office of the presiding prophet
the exalted naturenatuzg of the jggthffctffi the presiding
ggga gqgjgm who occupies it the
joseph fielding smith the reinsrains of0 responsibilityf and leader-ship M thejamovementthsjtogigmeTheJA LXXIIIUXIIIMOVement juneerat 1970 26
d&c 20 tiltii82 corinthians 1228
eaching83teachbeachingea pvching 274po
84in this connection it is apparent from the words of those whohold the office of presiding prophet that the office changes the mammannanmem
an example in point are the words of the latest sustained presidingprophetprophettprophets harold bebv leelaeslees as he spoke at the closing session of the confer-ence that had sustained
M harold B leelaeime A9 blessing for the saints M
the ensingensigg III111ili january 1931973 1331330
81
82 offices
j83
priesthood office orthe prebpres
aggahzophej contrasted to the fallible individual
0 0 1
80josephfielding260
8120111
1
ta gthinkthat
bo F
dac
gods
87d&cdac 10765107650
d&gdag88d&c 10766
d&c89d&cdac 10792907 john A widtsoewiftsoeWidt priesthoodsoe and church government of the church
of jesus christjjhrist ofjttgy ed salt lake city deseretbook co 1954y p 248 hereafter cited as pries
ensienelagngn
dag85d&c 1079192979186
929
churchischerchis
eae5
86
70
exalted priesthood office of the president of the church is all inclu-
sive these arearoameamo the words of the lordlordslordt
and again the duty of the president of the office of the highpriesthood is to preside over the whole church and to be like untomoses
behold here is wisdom yea to be a seer a revelator a trans-lator and a prophet having all the gifts of god which he bestowsupon the head of the church 0
nthere are some schismatic groups and other apostates who
claim that there are offices in the priesthood on earth that are higher
than that of the president of the church the office of president of
the church as established in this dispensation is composite it includes
the offices of president of the high priesthood presiding high priest88
89 90 91 92prophet seer and revelator apostle patriarch and lawgiver
also by virtue of the holy endowment the offices of priest and king are93
added president joseph fielding smith has written
there is a difference between the office of president of the churchand president of the high priesthood however these two offices can
d&g 107s91 92Q
some schismaticch groupsismatic usually denominated as fundament-alist believe in priesthood offices above that of the president of thechurch of jesujesus christ of latterdayiatterlatterdatter saintsdayaaydayn
d&c
and church govern
harold B lee A blessing for the saints 11 the ensign 111IIIilljanuary 1973 1331330loo
d&c92 10791
d&c 765657765657026565776562656 57570
here
87 priestEO88
s
s
of iatter71z saints rev1954 pe priesthood
91
93
Churchis
thood
dac
dac
mev
enew9bnsiffia II11 july 1972 8
087 tearihiags p 89
jamea 51
95d&cdac 904 and 10646610764660107641064d&c
96
66
1081821081 and82 32
joseph fielding smith eternaleterna keys and the right to presidethe
seperseparatedabed
94et
aengmeng
keichimelchi 71
occilOCCIA iesles the office of
presiding proldhet
edaedo coetcoot 1 it 312312a
d&c
820870
Qteacheteachl
oftheodthe
forhefoche
71
not be separated and must be held by the same person duly appointedand sustained by proper vote As president of the church the pre-siding officer presides verover all the membership of the church Aspresident of the high priesthood he presides over all the priesthoodof the church and hashag authoritythoritydhority to regulate it for he holds the keysof thatflatfiat priesthood9priesthood
although
949.49
the
au
priesthood was restored before there was the organization
of the church as an institution among menaen after the church was fully
organizedorganissedoraanizedorganis alldedsed the priesthood has been under the direction of the preslpresiQS95
dent of the church who is also president of the melchizedek priesthood
the lord hastas even made a provision that a president of the priesthood
may be called to answer for his actions before the common council of96
the church As presently organized then there can be no priesthood
on earth that exists separate from the church of jesus christ of latteriatterdatter0797day
fallibilfallibileFalfai
saints
oflibil
7
thea1 individual
mlessesis
who
joseph smith said M there was one good man and
98his name was jesus all others smorestoreshare in varying degrees mortal
frailties all the prophets are w0 0 subject to like passions as we
99areares people seem to take two extremes in regard to those who hold
these high and holy callings in christchrists church one extreme is that
04947 joseph fielding smith churchaisoa180histprhister mjgg2nd ed eni salt lake gityagitytcityscites deseret book co 197 I1
resides 0P p
1
t
an
edek
separatefrom
s98
and modern revelationX
97joseph 1
james5tl7e
97
goh
dac
janea
698
julys
gge
aa
maggand
rengmengneng
100looteachingsTeach ppap0iMet 89890
loi101iol ofB W mosiahtosiahmoslahdosiah 313 italics by the writer
george Q cannon millennial star LIIIlililill february 15 1891o189106586596586590658
george103george103
659
AAs smith JDJDO 2836736821367368213622136728367 368
isthatisthan
riddradd
72
uheythey ateare superhumansuper hunanhumanhumans this puts an impossible burden on the one who
holds the office again we have these words from joseph smithsmithssnith
I1 was this morning introduced to a man from the east 9 after hearingaymy narename he remarked that I1 was nothing but a man indicating bythis expression that he had supposed that a person to whom the lordshould see fit to reveal his will must be something more than aimnmanwan 100
the other extreme is that prophets are merely men with nothing
to distinguish them from other men the prophets though men are
endowed men empowered menwen yes and even holy men to whom all would
do well to give heed and the lord god has sent his holy prophets
amoneamongarone it is probable in the economy of god that we have
earthen vessels to carry the sacred treasures of the gospel so that
we might not put our trust in the arm of flesh but in the living god
perhaps it is his own design that faults and weaknesses should appear
in high places in order that his saints may learn to trust in him and
102not in any man or men if the shepherd were too fazfar ahead of the
flock how could he lead
god has placed in his church a prophet priest and presidentwho is just as good andaraarm as wise a man as we are capable of keepingin our society if he was any better than he is god would have totake him or we would have to improve with the rapidity of lightningto keep up with himhimphims joseph smith was a true prophet and thatwhich he has conferred upon this people is a timetrue priesthood
the prophets themselves are cognizant of these facts or they could not
assume the position for prophets are also saints and as such are meek
thdrare
TheC
ho
167menmononennononeno
ca sa r4dd
11102 farahead
ho
i rove ra idityedityIMP p
103
me
102 1891
3680
110liollo
I1
1898o18980105georgeqceorge
log106
106log
109logmatthew 16231623
d&ciioito 3719
brighamilllillii younayoung john taylor wilford woodruffewoodruffywoodruffWoodvood lorenzoruffy snow
sideneysilency
73
104and submissive numerous examples could be cited of many prophets
who were loathe to accept their calls because of their frailtiesfrail theretiesstiesO
is no place for ambition in regard to the prophetic callcallocalicalio george Q
cannon has written
men do not obtain place in this church because they seek forit if it were known that a man was ambitious to hold a certainoffice in the church that fact itself would lead to his defeatbecause his desire would not be granted unto him 5
enoch was but a lad and all the people despised him moses was slow
107of speech and is described as the meekest of men isaiah was a man
fqof unclean lips peter at times understood not the things of
109god joseph smith before he learned better feared men more than
god joseph fielding smith was bowed down with the weight of
ninetythreeninety yearsthree and sought not the call that came to him george Q
cannon a counselor in the first presidency of the church from 1831873 to
1901igol and who served with four of thethicthin presiding prophets of this
dispensation spoke with insight concerning the fallibilities of those
called to preside when he said
he supplements mans weakness mans shortsightedness and mansinability by his strength foreknowledge and almighty power thesemen whom he has chosen to be his apostles are weak fallible men
As president woodruff has told us the lord has chosen the
10 of M mosiah 319GeorgeQgeorge Q cannon deseret weeklyweekljwqsk12 LVII may 21 1898 708
P of G P moses 50151315531
exodus1072xodus hio410blo and numbers 123
isaiah108 6 5
citedof
0 t05
108
gr 0d
soughtnotpre sidencydencydeneysi
whoserved
almightypower
usg
104B ofm
65109matthew
105
dac
105
aq
gemWowlembeforewowbefore thesaints or before the world he has never left his servants at anytime god be thanked this day for this I1 he has never allowed themto be covered with shame and confusion through failurefaifeifel butlureslurea he hassustained therthem and he has borne them off victorious under all circ-umstances when they have served him and appealed to his holy spiritto guide them and he will do it fromthisfrom timethis forth until the lordhimself comes to reign on the earth
bhethe theindividualindividual who holds
the office of presidingpresjding rgoghetii there are at least six specific checks
and balances established in gods kingdom relating to the presiding
Propheprophet
Aae the source of the 11 the fifth article of faithfalthlaithmaithmalth of the
church of jebusjesusjesu christs of latteriatter tayday saints states
george Q cannon conference report april 1898 ppeppa 3455345345034 ao5o5
glogiory
thedatheenlle116ile
eitelt
willnotwillcotdenaremenare
owngoodownhood
hiathimt
churchofchurchon
74
weak things of the world that they might not glory in themsleves norin their own strengthstrengths and the man that does claim the glory takessteps to destroy his influence and to lose his power and gifts thelord will not bless menmannennan who seek to take the glory to themselvesthese nenmenngn areame fallible and subject to all the infirmities of humannaturenatures but god has chosen them and when they do the best they canseeking to himhir rorfor his spirit he inspires themithemtheml and where they comeshort he makes it up by his blessing that which would seem to thenatural eye to be a mistaken course or policy he overrules and co-ntrols for his glory that has been the course in thishisthighig church fromthe beginning the men that havekave instructed the people from josephhimself down through all the ranks of the priesthood have been falli-ble men their judgment has been imperfect their conclusions haveperhaps not always been as they should have been but if they haveacted according to the light theythoybhoy had and the spirit that god hasgiven them and they have sought the lord for his blessing and guid-ance then he takes charge afteraftwafta that and he brings to pass accordingto his own good will and pleasure and his power and wisdomisdomiscom are man-ifested in that which takes place so that we are perfectly safe ifit were not for this we would be appalled at the responsibilitytheresponsibility thatrests upon us any man who feels the weight of responsibility andthinks of the dreadful consequences that might attend a misstep couldnot endurendure it if there were not something behind him to sustain andbuoy him up president woodruff could not stand under the pressureof the responsibility upon himhin neither could any other man who maybe near him or connected with the apostleship and thethisthib priesthood
but there is this reflection all the timettimes god can be trustedgod will see to it that his servants are not put to shame that theydo not become a spectaclespec intabietable the midst of the people
jjmjlgljs
theirown claimthe
tohimfor
t
1
and W
endureit
putto
fit2this
recific checkachecks and balances relative to
presidir&d2phete
112 18989
cumstances
theirown
Recificfiefle
tp
conrusionslon
lay
9911801118
C is seniwsenia tx
lih114
theepthees
ppap 233234233
119ilg234
it is not within the scope of this study to pursue the order
aa&a
ap3p
75
we believe thatthet a man must be called of god by prophecy and bythe laying on of hands by those who are in authority to preach thegospel and administer in the ordinances thereof J
no man can take such a great honor unto himself unless he is called of
god as was aaron aaron was called by god through the presiding prophet114of his dispensation moses it is so in the kingdom of god today
each new apostle in turn is chosen by the lord and revealed to the liv-ing prophet who ordains him this is an ultimate check and balance
ye have not chosen me but I1 have chosen you and ordained you
by the principlebrinOrinomin ofelrieciRle common jgonsentconsentocondento this has already been ex
117plainedplaided f but specifically in this context is the followingfollowingifollowingsfollow everyingi
officer of the priesthood or auxiliary organization though properly nomi-
nated holds his position in the church only with the consent of the
people 118
cj the principle of seniority in the quorum of the twelve
apostlesApost itleselesoiese is impossible in the present order of church government
for a novice to come to the position of the presiding prophet the
present order of succession in the church is that the presiding prophet119
be the ranking member of the council of twelve thus spencer W
113 of G P articles of faithmaithmeithfalth p 60
hebrews 54spencerspencerwspencera115 VSpenc kimballKimbalerWerv we thank thee 0 god for a prophet
the ensign 111IIIlii january 1973 34340
116john 153161516
117see chapter 3 this thesis
hiesthqod118 andpriesthood church govern
believethat godo
15
115
116
B
atedg
twe lveive
thusspencer
p
113po go po po goe600
9
governst
within
conbentosentobente
lp
Governeternsternes
josejoge
gestionwestion ofsuccessionSucces saltgioneionelon lake city deseret news press 1909
qaq0 nnonannon
ofaofq
godagodp
76
kimball stated in the october 1972 general conference of the church
there have been some eighty apostles so endowed since josephsmith though only eleven have occupied the place of president ofthe church death having intervened and since the death of his ser-vants is in the power and control of the lord he permits to come tothe first place only the one who is destined to take that leadershipdeath
i
and life become the controlling factors each9 new apostle inturn is chosen lyby the lord and revealed to the then living prophetwho ardaineordaineordains hirehimhimehirhimo
the matter of seniority is basic in the first quorums of thechurch all the apostles understand this perfectly and all welltrained members of the church are conversant with this perfectsuccession program 120
do excommunication of the pves14m tD jsxcowwii no member of the121
church is exempt from the justice and the laws of god in
the workings of church government provision is made for the excommunic-
ation of the president of the church
of succession in great depth much has already been written on thesubject see for exampleexamples durham reed C and steven H heathheaths succession jjlujg js01 salt lakelekelmkeimke citesqtyicitys bookcraftBook inccrafto 1970 smithjoseph fielding ogaogjg gjljj reorganizedsgfffi81110reorglnized urc an A s88019fpenrosecharles VW priesthoodqsmfypriesthood saltand lakelekepresideapiPreside cityoiy1oiyengiapingu george Q cannonand sons pub 1898 roberts brigham H successioninjthe presidencyof the churchechurchychurch salt lake citescitysicitys george Q cannon and sons pub 1900it should be noted however that before his death the prophet josephsmith conferred every key right privilege sealing powerpowert and priesth-ood he had upon the twelve apostlesapostleseapostle see wilford woodruff conferencereport april 1898 89 joseph subsequently stated where I1 amnot there is no first presidency over the twelvewelvegeive M HCHCO II11110liv 3373383373380307338337 338ocertainly
338christ had already set the precedentsprecedent where christ was not
no one presided over the twelve in the meridian dispensation seematthew 281620281628sl6 the20 total book of acts in the new testamentstestament is atestimony to this fact today this order is maintained in the churchand kingdom of god the high priesthood and the lesser priesthoodand all the priesthood there is is combined centered in composed ofand is circumscribed by the apostleshipostleships brigham young millenialmillennialMilstarsterswarstarikstarll
lenialXV april 6 1853 489 and since this procedure hashag been
revealed the presiding prophet has always been the senior apostle
spencer W kimball we thank thee 0 god for a Propheprophet N
the enslenensign illIII111liiili january 1973 3
AC 107102 84
statedin
forthe
in the churchor of the church and the
succession in the
pe ph
centeredinga ostieostleshipeships
69 1853s procedurehas
120
ens 340
121dac 10784o107840
statedin
Westion
se
20e
centereding
tl
123royroy VW doxey the Utte the doctrine andCovenantcovenants a IV salt lake citycityicitti deseret book co 1965 51519
124 smithjoseph essentialsfielding in church history 23rded rev enienlienljenla salt lake citticityicity deseret bookcobookeobookeeBook 1969196Co p 96
brigham roungyoungyounggloung fidJTD IXIXO 1421420
godegodo 1 the special court or councilcounci presided over bythe presiding bishopricbish hasoprie been called into existence severaltimes the prophet joseph smith was tried before this councilcouncile 0 0 e
oliver cowdery david whitmer and cederickfrederickFt Ggo williamsVl werelliams eachtried by this tribunaltribu 123inalonaio
Eeo the soveresoygrgbovereityqf godsqdtgodo life and death are in the hands of
godgodsgodo since the presiding prophets comeomecone to their position generally past
the alloted threescorethree andscore ten it is reasonable to assume that god
could easily remove any prophet by the process of death if he so chose
perhaps this is what wilford woodruff had in mind when he said if I1
were to attempt that leading the churchth astrayurch the lord would move me
124out of my place
coetcoot 19650
shallbeshallie
particaparticu vergessversestversess
the church is so organized that no member or officer from the pre-sident to the last member received is exempted fromfron justice andthe laws of god
aptiptcac6
eptionption
truetrues the inspired prophecies of the lord regarding the last days and
the conditions that would exist before his second coming include these
d&c 10782310782boy
77
and inasmuch as a president of the high priesthood shall trans-gress he shallshailshali be had in remembrance before the common council ofthe churchchurchy who shall be assisted by twelve counselors of the highpriesthood
and their decision upon his head shall be an end of controver-sy concerning himhimohirhiro izz122
joseph fielding smith commented on these particular
brigham young said if I1 am not doing right
the lord will take me home1
pi true prophets and false prophetsenlightenment and
deceptiondecegtion there have always been false prophets to contend with the
counse lors
offiberticertfromjustice
existencebeforethis
W mer
of
rerovemove
11124
12ro ts prophets enlightenment
je
122
an
histoot a 460
125
3
lt
stlatter lax2rophets and
one
adt
dac
debravedetrave
befbeaore
78
words
for in those days there shallshailshali also arise false christs andfalse prophets and shall show great signs and wonders insomuchthat if possible they shall deceive the very elect who are theelect according to the covenantcovenants
also the lord said one could judge the true prophet from the false by
127their fruits or by their worksworkenorke As far as this relates to the
presiding prophet of the church of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday
there need be no confusion or deceptiondeceptdeceit thelomloh lord has made it abundant-
ly clear that oneOTIC is to be appointedbeappointed to be the presiding prophetic head
of his church these are the words of the lord
and this ye shall know assuredly that there is none otherappointed unto you to receive commandments and revelations untilhe be taken if he abide in me
but verily verily I1 say unto you that none else shall beappointed unto this gift except it be through him for it it betaken from him he shall not havehavet power except to appointtoappoint anotherin his stead
and this shall be a law unto you that ye receive not the teach-ings of any that shall come before you as revelations or comman-dments
and this I1 lvegive unto you thatti youeatvat may not be deceived that youmay know they are not of me
for verily I1 say unto you that he that is ordained of me shallcome in at the gate and be ordainedor asined I1 have told you before toteach those revelations which you havehade received and shall receivethrough him whom I1 have appointed 11
if members of the church were to be cognizant of this one divine law
of church government they would go far in avoiding deception commen-
ting on this law joseph F smith saidsald in 18831883s
it is not the business of any individual to rise up as a revel-ator as a prophet as a seer as an inspired man to give revela-tion for the guidance of the churchychurch or to assume to dictate to thepresiding authorities of the church in any part of the world
19 IV matthew 24231271271vIV matthew s29
d&c 4337433 italics7 by the writer
accordinainglna
presidingprophetic
assuredlythat
ive9
ha14r
fe
126
729128dac
membermerbernerbership
lag129139
I1inln a priesthood quorum of twelve men holding theapostleship
each apostle so ordained under the hands of the president of thechurch who holds the keys of the kingdom of god in concert with allother ordained apostles has given to him the priesthood authoritynecessary to hold every position in the church even to a positionof presidency over the church if he were called by the presidingauthority and sustained by a vote of a constituent assembly of themembership of the church
the prophet joseph smith declared that where1where the president isnot there is no first presidency 1 immediately following the deathof a president the next ranking body the quorum of the twelveapostles becomes the presiding authority with the president of thetwelve automatically becoming the acting president of the churchuntil a president of the church is officially ordained and sustainedin his office
all members of the first presidency and the twelve are regularlysustained as prophets seers and revelatorsrevelatory 1 as you have done
joseph F smith D XXIV 188190188 190
ikshas
presipreslding
sbleablemn
79
and the moment that individuals look to any other source thatmoment they throw themselves open to the seductive influences ofsatan and render themselves liable to become servants of the devilthey lose sight of the true orderorden through which the blessings of thepriesthood are to be enjoyed they step outside of the pale of thekingdom of god and are on dangerous ground whenever you see aman rise up claiming to have received direct revelation from the lordto the church independent of the order and channel of the priesthoodyou may set him down as an impostor 1
the lord hasiasI madeas it clear that the presiding prophet will
always come in at the gate what is the gate and what are the works
of the man who is called as the presiding prophet the words of harold
B lee in the sblemnsolemn assembly that sustainedstainedlu joseph fielding smith as
the tenth president of the church are materialmaterials
to those who ask the questionquestions how is the president of the churchchosen or elected the correct and simple answer should be a quotationof the fifth article of faithfaithsfalth we believe that a man must be calledof god by prophecybyprophecy and by the laying on of hands by those who arein authority to preach the gospel and administeradministerinadministering in the ordinancesthereof
the beginning of the call of one to be president of the churchactually begins when he is called ordained and set apart to becomea member of the quorum of the twelve apostles such a call by pro-phecy or in other words by the inspiration of the lord to the oneholding the keys of presidency and the subsequent ordination andsetting apart by the laying on of hands by that same authorityplaces each apostle
or 15
s
1aj3j
repilarapilarl1
JD
adminis terintemin
bothejothecothe
80
today this means that any one of the apostles so chosen and or-dained could preside over the church if he were chosen by the body
which has been interpreted to mean the entire quorum of the twelveappointed and ordained to that office and upheld by the confidencefaith and prayer of the church t to quote from a revelation on thissubject on one condition and that being that he was the seniormember or the president of that body see dacd&c 1072210722.
occasionally the question is asked as to whether or not oneother than the senior member of the twelve could becomebecore presidentsome thought on this matter would suggest that any other than thesenior member could become president of the church only if the lordreveals to that president of the twelve that smeoneimeone otherther thanhimself could be selected ioulou
fundamentally noho person could be called to be the presiding prophet of
the church unless he were living by the commandments and ordinances of
the gospel of jesus christ the mere mechanics of the workings of
church government could never replace simple obedience to god on behalf
of the individual these mechanics however could never fully function
for the person who is unworthy of course there have been counselors
in the first presidency of the church and members of the council of the
twelve who have fallen away from the church and been excommunicated
however the apostasy of an individual does not negate the divinity of
his call the agency of an individual is left intact even though he
has been called by divine authority As has been stated before in this
work the lord has made provision for the excommunication of even the
presiding prophet this principle was referred to by the lord when he
said
and if thine eye which seeth for thee him that is appointedto watch over thee to show tb light become a transgressor andoffend thee pluck him out 1
the converted member of the church of jesus christ of latterdaylatter
harold
day
B lee the day in which we live the improvementera LXXIII june 1970 28
IV mark as9s
andupheld
d&c10722
couldbecome
0
chur h
thee131
130harotidilddid IM ment280
131iv 946
ananyotheryother
readlreedl
aejasa
inqitq
presubjectaresubject
81
saints knows that only in the church are to be found the true prophets
all other claimants outside of the church cannot be prophets in the
full sense because only in the church is there the power of the priesth-
ood and the keys since as raulpaulelui stated it the spirit of the132prophets areanenne subject to the prophets all true prophets would lecogrecog
133nizenisse and be subject to the presiding prophet
agj of the church thatbhat the presiding lr2phet will never01
lead thebhe church astladjfche ch As an ultimate safeguard against deception isthe teaching of the church that the presiding prophet will never lead
the ohurch0hurchchurch astrayastiayabtastsstthe
bayozayo
authorities which the lord has placed in his church consti-tute for the people of the church a harbor a place of refuge ahitching post as it were no one in this church will ever go farastray who ties himself securely to the church authorities whom thelord has placed in his churchechurch the church will never go astraythe quorum of the twelve will never lead you into bypathsb3rpathslby itpathsraths neverhas and never will
there could be individuals who would falter there will neverbe a majority of the council of the twelve on the wrong side at anytime the lord has chosen them he has given them specific respo-nsibilities and those people who stand close to them will be safeand conversely whenever one begins to go his own way in oppositionto authority he is in grave danger I1 would not say that thoseleaders whom the lord chooses are necessarily the most brilliantbrillinor
antothe most highly trained but they are the chosenichosenp and when
chosen of the londlord they are his recognisedrecognized authority and the peoplewho stay close to them have safety 15
132 corinthians 143214320
133the schismatic groups that break off from the church would dowell to remember this principle none can reject the presiding prophetand prosperprospersprospera those who feel that they cannot sustain the presiding pro-phet may so indicate in the manner the lord has prescribeprescribed to do other-wise is to cubcutoutoukcuk themselves off from the tie that binds them to the livingchurch and kingdom of god and they willstill never prosper thus brighamyoung warned concerning those who weresreresiere leaving the church in his dayall that want to draw awayewayewey a party from the church after them let thenthemtherkhen
do it if they can but they will not prosper readings II11 12
spencer VW kimball conference report april 1941 p 104
0 othe
the deachinteachin
thepeoplepost
himselfsecurely
ando
rec sized&ized
1321
chur hdrLW
readi t niohlonii 22e134 19419
sibilities
do
834
earinenakerin n
I1iflf we will be thus obedient to seek counseland to accept counsel from the proper channels fortorwormom by doing thesethings the gates of hell shall notriot prevail against you yea and thelord god will disperse the powers of darkness from before youycu andcause the heavens to shake for your good and in his names glory I1
d&c 2146.2146to you latterdaylatter saintsday everywhereeverywheres that promise will be yours
if you will follow the leadership the lord has placed within thechurch giving heed to their counsel in patience and faith this
joseph fielding smith eternal keys and the right to presidethe
klisli
namenane Isax1x fore
82
misthis teachingbeaching was strongly articulated to the priesthood of the church
in the priesthoodpriestho session of the april 1972 general conference by the
tenth president of the church joseph fielding smith in the following
words s
now brethren I1 think there is one thing which we should haveexceedinglycleexceedingly clearelearcleeleeie inar our minds neither the president of the churchnor the first presidency nor the united voice of the first presi-dency and the twelve will ever lead the saints astray or send forthorthcounsel to the world that is contrary to the mind and will of thelord
an individual may fall by the wayside or have views or givecounsel which falls short of what the lord intends but the voiceof the glrstfirstgirst presidency and the united voice of those others whohold with them the keys of the kingdom shallshalisheell always guide the saintsand the world in those paths where the lord wants themth toI1 bem 5
the genesis of this teaching for this dispensation may be traced
all the way back to the first day of the organization of the church
april 6 1830 on that day the lord gave an important revelationrnvelationvelationrevelation relat-ing to the man who presides and how the church could escape the gates
of hell president harold B lee quotes and grivesgives commentary of the
revelationev inelation the following
so on the day the church was organized the lord said thisJ wherefore meaning the church and that was addressed not just to
the few on that day but to all who have been or who will be membersof this church thou shalt give heed unto all his words and comman-dments which he shallsl givep11 unto you as he receivethreceive them walking inall holiness before me 5
for his word meaning the president of the church ye shallreceive as if from mine own mouth in all patience andcand faith 1
now note the promise
ejrin II11 july 1972 88
f
firstpresidency35wantsth 1
r
churchandfew
againstyou
135jose hn9
th
Ejrin
Pries thood
rN
dac 2146
mls
tin
811
136log106
honehome ap1p13
again this from wilford woodruff
the lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as thepresident of this church to lead you astray it is not in theprogram it is not in the mind of god if I1 were to attempt thatthe lord would move me out of my place ijo
joseph F smith bore this witness
if any man in that position speaking of the one who holds thekeys of the high priesthood of the church should become unfaithfulgod would remove him out of his place I1 testify in the name ofisraelsisraelis god that he will not stiffersuffer the headlead1 of the church whomhe has chosen to stand at the head to transgress his laws and apo-statize the moment he should take a courscourse that would in time leadto it god would take him away why because to suffereuffer a wickedman to occupy that position would be to allow as it were the foun-tain to be corrupted which is something he will never permit 7
delbert L stapley during the administration of david 0 mckay added
these powerful words
I1 solemnly testify that every president of this church has beencalled of god and sustained by him and by the faithful church me-mbers who with uplifted hands before god angels and fellowdisciples agreed to accept and sustain their leader as prophet seerand revelatorrev weelatorelater so sustainstain our beloved president david 0 mckaytoday according to the spirit of truth within me I1 accept him inthis high position of prophetprophetyprophecyprop seerhety and revelator with all my heartand uphold him without question and without reservation I1 say tomy brothers and sisters that if everyone would keep his eyes on the
harold B lee the wayvaynay to eternal life
oifoaf
lithalth
axtixt
83
promise to you and yours is that the gates of hellheilheii will not prevailagainst you that the lord will cause the heavens to shake for yourgood and his names glory
brigham young said
I1 had the promise years ago that I1 never should apostatize andbring an evil upon this peoplepeoples god revealed that through josephlong before he died and if I1 am not doing right you may calculatethat the lord is going to take me home13
the ensignEnsi I1frnpyn nov-ember 1971 111211 121d
brigham137brigham137132
12
young JD IX 142
138es8entials p 496
hellwill
goingto
astreely not
itwere
s0 su
136
138essentials 496wf
139joseph139joseph F smith gospel doctrine llth11th ed salt lakeiakelekeaake cityicitycittideseret book co 1966 ppap 4459457 hereafter cited as gospel doctrine19669
lern
evel y
ihi141iblHarolharoldharoldbharolda B lee the harold B lee devotional
jadiidlid
disobedienceobedience
edeedw 0 0 0tn the improvement ezabraezedzeere februarybanaryFe 1970 LXXIII 8888o880 and
of joseph fielding smithssmithes death nathan E tanner siad t
oftheodthe
follonifolloxi he preslpresi to the most
stalwart followers of the prophets have always been the obedient
disciples for they alone are entitled to the influence of the holy ghost
which confirms that leadership of the presiding prophet it hashaahns been
the desire of the prophets from the beginning that those who follow themthenthee
delbert
kjpftrft
L140 stapley conferencecgnference report october 1959 pe 44
1
pap3esidingpresidingresidinges prophetiding of this dispensationd&c 13249 have succeeded in procurring thiathis great blessing see
B of M mosiah 26t2o926t20i helaman 10115ioli1011 and dacd&c 8814881 brigham4 young
testified that he should never apostatize 0 0 0tt jdqjtd IXlyv 1421429
joseph fieldingfieldin smith said of david 0 mckay that he was w0 0 0 perfect
e
anditsandeits residencypresidency111residency111
84
president of the church and follow hisbis exampleel heMple would never gowrongwronge I1 havehaye that faith and confidence and so testify to you withfull knowledge thatultimately I111 must answer to god for my teachingsand personal acts 10
finally on april 29 1973 the writer was present whenwhent in the sports
arena of the city of long beach president harold B ieeleeioeloe speaking to the
young adults of the church in southern california said that the lord141
would never allow me to lead you astray there is comfort and142assurance to hurchchurch members in these teachingteachings
dis and jfo A
unpublishedaddress long beachbeachtbeech california april 29299 197319231930
142it is the considered opinion of the author that the basis forthis teaching that the presiding prophet will never lead the churchastray is at least in part foundedrounded on the possibility that each of thepresiding prophets habbaahasbas made his calling and electionlection sureburesuzeesucee essentiallyreceiving onega calling and election is to have his exaltation sealedupon hiahimhishla while still in this lifelifeoilfedifeo see mormon doctrineDoctrin p 109from andiedancietandiet times see II11 peter liloislo1100 to the present see marion G
romneyronney conference report october 1965 PPppe 202320 the23 prophetsprop havehotsconstantly encouraged the saints to pursue this exalted goal kanymanyincluding joseph salthsmithsaith the first
nathan E tannertaner theo0
priesthood
0
and
his
its
pass-ing was as near translationtranslatio as possible
the ensign II11 january 197319739 100loo1000the presiding prophet holds all of the sealing keys
andfollowhavethat
knowledgethaj481timately
be
0
t dim prophe
p
be
eone s
go
oberreport oct
prociringthis greatblessingebo
gv
n go
5
so
dB
et
4odac
afo
ao
kinekingeineodomodon
emithsvitheuith
teachinglyteachingsyTeaching p 1561569
joseph F merrill conference report april 191igi1941g ppobpow 51
lurchlunchburch
secseeurltyurley trustingtrultriLtruu theirsting eternal destiny in the hands oftheir leaderleaders withnithhith a reckless confidence that in itself would thwartthe purposes of god in their salvation and weaken that influencethey could give to their leadersleadens did they know for themselves bythe revelations of jesus that they are led in the right way letevery man and woman know by the whispering of the spirit of godto themselves whether their leaders are waikingwalking in the path thewalwaikingin
relareiativ
85
have their own spiritbornspirit witnessbornbonn of their propheticgrophetic call
I1 am more afraid that this people havelave so much confidence in theirleaders that they will not inquire for themselves of god whetherthey are led by him I1 am fearful they settle down in a state ofblind selfseif security
lord dictates or not this iksinshns been my exhortation continually
those who disobey lose the spirit of the holy ghost they are
always the ones who chafe most under prophetic leadership joseph
smith the prophet saidtsaidl
I1T will give you one of the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom itis an eternal principle that nashas existed with god from all eternitythat man who rises up to condemn others finding fault with thechurch saying that they are out of the wayvraywraywaay while he himself isrighteous then know assuredly that that man is in the high road t9hjapostasy and if he does not repent will apostatize as god lives
joseph F merrill of the council of the twelvetwelvtwele bore his testimony to the
church in the april 1941 conference of the iurchchurch as follows
do the people of the church want a safe guide to what is wellfor them to do it is thissthis keep in harmony with the presidencyof this church accept and follow the teachings and advice of thepresident at every conference we raise our hands to sustain thepresident as prophet seer and revelator Is it consistent todo this and then go contrary to his advice Is anyone so simple asto believe he is serving the lord when he opposes the president OPafcourse the president is not infallible he makes no claims toinfallibility but when in his official capacity he teaches andadvises the members of the church relativerelativ to their duties let noman who wants to please the lord say aught against the counsels ofthe president 145
finally in the words of nathan EF tanner we are false prophets
s irlimalma w ltP ness
selfsecleadersvith
inf luence
walkingin 143
P
findingfaulthehimself
tt44
cl
fg5please
143brigham younggyoung JDjd9jda IXaxtixt 150
144teachimmTeachimbimm 0
145joseph145
sy
143brighamibb
gregortregort october 1968 p 98
matthew 113011130
148
0
vkjohn 1716
matthew149 1040
acts150acts 2i422 jr
creatchgreatchallengechallengeallange of the church today as it was in the church
anciently is to continue
86
146unto ourselves when we do not follow the prophet of godgodsgodo 11
conclusion
thus the covenant people of god are yokedjoked to gods prophets
but as the savior stated it long ago his yoke is easy and his burden
147is lightlights As the disciples of christ discipline themselves to follow
the prophets they follow the master for he has so stated As thou hast148
sent me into the world even so have I1 also sent thethemthen tt he
149that recelvethreeelvethrecel youyoureceivethveth receivethreceive neemesreeme
A great
150
nathan BE tannertannerttennertennert conference
john
s s s stedfastlysteadfastlystedfast inly the apostlesapostles1 doctrine
and fellowship1 50
146nathan146 R t 1968q
147matthew
th
1
147
I1
bhethe lord almighty has organizedorganisedorgani aeedsed government upon the earthand has committed the keys and priesthood of it to his prophet
ftcftq2seeasee
adojdo
5seeasee
chapter 5
PROPHETIC AUTHORITYAUMORITY AS IT REIATESRELATES
TO THE WORLD AS A WHOUEWHOLE
I1 have lived perhaps longer experience than almost anyone andI1 have never brooded over a situation which demanded more patiencecomposure courage and perseverance than that which unfoldsfolds itselfbefore us todaythetoday needthe of a prophet 1
THE PROPHETIC stewardship OVER ALL THE WORLD
2the first great presiding prophet was adamadamoadanadanoadane to him god gave
3dominion over all things the fullness of the prophetic stewardship
has always included this allcomprehendingcomprehendingallail authority over all things
that prophet holds jurisdiction over the earth the same as adamdid in the beginning 4
As has already been discussed the fullness of this authority was res-
tored to the presiding prophet of this dispensation and now reposes in
harold B lee the eleventh presiding prophet of this dispensation
the kingdom of codgod is a reality christ is the king and his kingdom
thomas S monson quoting sir winston churchill conferencerepjorb october 1964 p 18
2see chapter 2 of this thesis
genesis3genesisagenesis 1262812644jedediah
28
jedediah M grant journal of Discoursediscourses Ggo Ddo watt and othersreporters londontlondoniLon latterdaylatterdontdoni saintsday book depot 18548691854861854 869 II1186 ils 13139losios
hereafter cited as JD
see chapter 2 of this thesis878
un11
0 0 thelordeLordthefordth
frophetbolds jiisdictionthebeginning
thisdispensatiome
ofgod
so
28o
stlondona
morronmormon doctrine7m&tthew 610gio it is interesting to note that the phrase thy
kingdom come is deleteddelet from the version of the prayer given to thepeople in the book of mormon see 111IIIill nephi 1310 the probablereason is that the church of jesus christ was already organized amongthis peoplepeoples see helaman ll2l1121llyl
the pearl of great price salt lake citticityicaibycalby the church of jesuschrist of latterdaylatter saintsday 1952 articles of falthpaithfaith
88
is his churchechurch there is no need to pray thy kingdom come when the
church is fully organized on the earth because it is here in the pre-
sent dispensation the kingdom of godagod or the church exists within the
confines of worldly governments the doctrine of the church for the
present is that we believe in being subject to kings presidentsp
rulers magistrates in obeying honoringhonorihonorl andngg sustaining the law
the word of the lord is be subject to the powers that be untilhe reignsreign whose right it is to reign and subdues all enemies under his
Q
feet one day he will reign and then the fullness of the kingdom of
god will be set up politically as it now is ecclesiastically when
that event occurs christ will reign as king of kings and lord of lords
those who will be the lesser kings and lords include thasethdse who
have received a fullness of priesthood blessings and endowments in the12lords holy temples and who are fully faithful to their covenants
bruce R mcconkie mormonjoctrirjgb salt lake city bookcraftinc 1966 p 415 hereafter cited as mormondoctrine
7rmatthew
p 60 her-eafter cited of of G P followed by the reference withiniii
doctrine
thinewhine
andarularui covenants salt lakelekeimkelmke cityicitys the church of jesuschrist of latterdayietterlatteriatterletter saintsdaydby 1952 5822 hereafter cited as dac
much has already been written on the subject of the kingdom ofgod the council of 0 etcete it is not the authors purpose to pursuethis in any degree of thoroughnessthorough itnessa is sufficient for the presentstudy to be aware of the concepconcept
revelationewl&tion 17914
mocttgnl0111112 2 dac 656t76561 revelation 16 and 15 3
6 o7oa07
god1
t8
9 i
10
vq
6bruceebruce re mc onkieonkle kormonmormon doctrine
ed
lls2le8
4esus
pe p09doctrine
1952pto
godo
mormon doctrinesdoctrinetDoctrin peet 4241 169 1523k
te
50
ta
aq
pa
.5050
smithmithrithsalt lakeakelekeeke citygitysgetys deseret book co t971
salemsalea 7
coecoo 197teacmm
16re
melchiaedekmelchizedek the great high priest was
17king of salerno 1 abraham is pictured as a kingungeing in the book of18abraham finally bruce BR mcconkie has written i
the churchchure is a kingdomking thedombdomo lord jesus christ is the eternal king
orson hyde D VIIyllyli 53
john taylorfaylor D XI 53 italics by the writer
joseph fielding smith teachiewtgichinggTea ofsaltiakeSaltI
chiEW the prophetjoseph
meardmenrd
aqgq r9
89
the presiding prophet would be a presiding kinggking under christ in such
an order of things witness these words of orson hydehydesryde
what the world calls mormonismmormonism1 will rule every nation josephsmith and brigham young will be the headheads god has decreed it andhis own right hand will accomplish it upon the inspired wordsof these nenmenngn and eternal destiny of the generation in which theylived hangshanm 13
0
john taylor adderiaddersadde4addea
0
t
we honestly acknowledge that this the restored church isthat kingdom which the lord has commenced to establish upon theearth and that it will not only govern all people in a religiouscapacity but also in a political capacity 14
it has always been a problem for the world and eveneirenelfen for those
in the church to recognize the authoirty of presiding prophets especially
in secular matters that they have wielded such authority is however
a fact of history adam is referred to by joseph smith as 1 a
prince forever 0 f in the book of Abrahaabrahamabrahan adansadamsmg patriarchal priesth-
ood ministry is called he reign of adam noahs ministry is also
referred to as a reign
p 39 hereafter cited asteach
P of G P abraham 126
the book of mormon salt lekelakeake citescitys the church of jesus christof latterdaylatteriatter saintsdaydey 1952 almaalnaaina 1311j hereafter17 cited as B of M
followed lyby the reference within
P of G P abraham facsimilefaefaCrae 330SIALle
W son
uponthe
thatkingdom
15
the16
16 kelchlaMelchiaedekedekq
h
13ftson JD viigvii9 539
14 0 9 xi9xia15 prophet josephjmithJosephJosephj
po
bj
18pe go
1
sait
ra
aj
netmetnep
THETIM WORLDSWORIVIS NEEDMEED FOR THE PROPHETS
when ancient israel rejected the prophetic leadership of samuel
the lord said to semuelsamuelsenuel
2ogenesrogenesis 322203228032228
21 peter 29219
22 of G P abraham 32323it shouldshoul be noted that all these blessings are available to
the gentilesgentile by the gospel principle of adoption which is effectualthrough wortheworthy compliance with the sacred ordinances of baptism andconfirmation see mormon doctrinedoctrine9doctrines ppe9 232310e
24wr1 samuel 80
90
and the president of the church the mouthpiece of god on earthis the earthly king all things come to the church from the kingof the kingdom in heaven through the king of the kingdom on earth r
further examples could be given let it suffice to say that
all of the house of israel from jacob who was a prince withmith god and
20prevailed down to modern israel are of a royal lineage they are a21royalroyel priesthood the lord chose from among these great noble ones
22his rulers w the presiding prophets have leenbeen among the greatest of23these
they have not rejected thee but they24
have rejected me that I1 should reign over them in large measure
since the time of father adam the world has rejected the sovereignty
of god and his authorized representatives the result has beenbeenibeani
the world at the present time is all confused and it seemsto me sometimessometime that even we have made very little improvementindeed according to the light and intelligence god has communic-ated to us but what has the world done whether you look at itmorallyroralmoralrorai religiouslylyp philosophically or politically or in whatway you please you will find it is all a chaotic rassmassmaas confusion
19bruce R mcconkieMcConkle doctrinaldoctridoctori new testament commentary I1salt lakeleke city bookcraftebookcraftepBookcraft inc 1973733
OAgenesis
19
suffieeleeice
ro 1A2 the
n24
1
P go pegpogpes
al
d
ep
jo
eplgbrucemuce
19731.9731923 5380n it
231t
27amosanosaros 81113811130811 13013
comescometcoret
himahimq
neverableseverable
nnotannot
91
disorder weakness corruption and vice of every kind are aboundingand the whole world seemsseers to be confused and retrograding thehuman family have departed from the principles which god has laiddown for their guidance direction and supportsup theytheyhaveportiportl have forsakenhimrim the fountain of living waters and hewnhwn outou to themselves cis-terns broken cisterns that can hold no water 515
in the quest for the atom the world has forgotten the sermon on
the mount man haslashabhns walked on the surface of the moon butbirtbirb on the earth
he walks in constant fear of war poverty disease depletion of the
earths resources and the population explosion A knowledge explosion
boggles the mind but in the words of the scripture men are everp
learning and never ableabie to come to the knowledge of the truth
the technology of modern science has created affluence for some envy
for others and for still others disillusionment there are many who
have turned their backs on the establishment ll11 some are seeking for
spiritual solutions in many and varied ways the words of amos are
appropriate for many in these days
behold the days comecore saith the lord god that I1 will send afamine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst farfdr waterbut of hearing the word of the lord
and they shall wander from sea to sea and from the north evento the east they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the lordand shall not find it
in ctetttet day shall the fair virgins and young men faint forthirstthirsts 27
some in the world hope for prophetic leadership robert gordon
sproul an important educator has saidsaidisaldisaidtsaldhethe voice of the church today is the echo of our own voices
and the result of this experience already manifest is disillusion-ment the way out is the sound of a voice not our voice but avoice coming from somewhere not ourselves in the existence ofwhich we cannot disbelieve it is the task of the pastors to hear
john taylorstaylor JD I1 149
26 timothy 37amos
worldseems
26
and
lt
ca
25 it11
neverable
shshallwanderallwander
arvmramma
gifgic
godsgodo ll11 he said and he wept as hesaid it that some man could appearappft on the earth and authorita-tively say thus saith the lordlords 3oz
finally J reuben clark one of the prophetstatesmenprophetadroldro ofstatesmenphet this
dispensation has saidt
it is a trite thing to say the world is in a mess that weknow and out of a life of seventysevenseventy yearsseven I1 can say that so
pthomas S monson quoting robert gordon sproul conference
report october 1964 p 18
29hugh B brown eternal quest ed charles manley brownsalt lakeleke citycityioltycitti bookcraftbook inccraft 1956 p 1301300
ibid30ibidol ppo 1341340
59569y9569 po
viecoviewo
lestalestq edeedo
92
this voice cause us to hear it and tell us what it says if theycannot hear it or if they fail to tell us what it says we as lay-men are wholly lost without it we are no more capable of savingthe earth than we were capable of creatingcreatiqcreatic it in the first place 28
many have lost their faith in mansmangsmanegdanes ability to solve his immense
problems alone science is seldom thought of as the panacea it once was
elder hugh B brown of the council of the twelve reported a visit he had
with a member of the house of commons in england just before the second
world war during the visit elder brown stated that from the worlds
point of view perhaps the reason god doesnt speak through prophets
today is because M we have made such rapid studies in science
we are so well educated that we dont need god any more the learned
man replied mr brownbrowngbronn there never was a time in the history of the29world when the voice of god was needed as it is needed now after
elder brown bore his testimony to this man this member of the britishparliament concludeconcludediconcluded
mr brownbrowntbronnbrowng I1 wonder if your people appreciate the import of yourmessagemessages do you11 he said if what you have told me is true itis the greatest message that has come to this earth since theangels announced the birth of christ I1
earththan
00uncil
mrv
you
0t I wish it were true I1 hope it maynayney be true god knows it
ought to be true I1 would to godit
ashe
28 sore20rt ps 0
bo
di
app ft r
mant
I1 meanreanthe people I1 am not talking of administrationadministrations I1 am talking of uswe the people of the united states
some time ago a pamphlet came across my desk
amerignerieancan
kanthantUNAIDED CANNOT9 GOVERN OR SAVE HIMSELF
man is no more capable of saving himself than he is of resur-
recting himself john taylor declareddecladecia
but
redtreds
one thing I1 know and one thing you know you are not competentin and of yourselves to regulate anything pertaining to youreternal welfare I1 do not care how wise and intelligent you may bethere is not one among you independent of god orof the teachingsof his servants that I1 know and that you 2
3 J reuben clarkdarkmark jr conference report october 1948ppap 788278
john
82
taylor D 1I 373
heishels
93
far as I1 can see it has never beenbaen in the mess that it is in todaythere have never before in myjaylay life been the powers of evil in suchstrength satan seems to have taken us over very largely and we
are more or less his tools this is not the first time in our nation-al history that we have been in trouble and when I1 say we
on the out-side page it was stated we need a prophet I1 and as I1 read it thenand as I1 think of it now I1 thinkthirk how blind the world is we havehad a propheteprophefcprophetopropheprop anfcheto american prophet one who spoke our language onewho was imbued with christian ideals and that prophet gave us thegreat righteous principles of which we know and of which the worldpartly knows he gave them in ouroar own language over a hundred yearsago these may all be read we havebave been teaching them for a cen-tury the trouble with the world is they do not want a prophetteaching righteousness they want a prophet that will tell themthat what they are doing is right no matter how wrong it may be
now our prophet joseph smith and the prophets since his timeand there has always been a prophet in this church and prophetsand you sustain the brethren here conference after conference asprophets seers and revelators the prophet himself through thelord lyby revelation gave certain great principles that would savethe world if the world would but listen we do not lack a prophetwhat we lack is a listening ear by the people and a determinationto live as god has commanded that is all we need the way hasbeen made perfectly clearthe american prophet has spoken american prophets areaibealbe speakingthe great principles I1 have named and almost countless othershave been proclaimed for a hundred years noamerica does notneed a prophetprophetjprophete america needs a listening earetar 31
THE TESTIMONYSTIMONY OF THE PROPHECTSPROPHETS IS THAT MANkan
revelatorsthe
no america
tbs
godo 3fknow
31j
32 JD
so
prophetj
irean
01
af
01.01
mentnengreng
godagodq
godagodq
atxt
teacdeac
94
and brigham young succinctly testifierstestifiedstestiftedtestifiedthinking mennen inquiring minds ask whether it is really necessary
for the government of god to be on the earth at the present day I1answer most assuredly there never was a time when it was more need-ed than it is now why because men do not know how to govern them-selves without it33113311.33
and this from joseph smithsmitht
0 0 the world itself presents one great theater of misery woeand mistressaistressstressanstressAi of nations with perplexity all all speak with avoice of thunderthund thatergert man is not able to govern himselfhimsel to legis-late for himself to protect himself to promote his own good northe good of the worlde 9 attempts to promote universal peace and happinesshappinechappine in the humanfamily have proved abortiveabor everytivettivel effort has failed every plan anddesign has fallen to the grounds it needs the wisdom of god theintelligence of god and the power of god to accomplish this theworld has had a fair trial for six thousand yearsyearsiyearsin the lord will trythe seventh thousand himself J
A man can do nothing for himselfhim unlesssellbeil god directs him in the rightway and the priesthood is for that purpose
THE NEED OF THE WORLDWORID TO ACCEPT THE gospelsGOSPEL BECOME
knowiedgabieknowipmabie ABOUT THE PROPHETS AND ACCEPTTHEM AS TRUE MINISTERS OF CHRIST
in a revelation given to joseph smith in 1841 the lord directed
that a proclamation be made to the world about the restoration of the
gospel and the establishment of zionzio and that the time was coming for
the leaders of the world to become subject to god his laws and minisa
ters this proclamation was notriot made during the lifetimelife oftime joseph
smith but on april 6 1845 the twelve apostles sent a proclamation
brigham young JD X 320
34teachings p 250 and 252
Teachingteachingst p 064364ogo
d&c 1242111242211124212422 11
itishyW
worlditself
f05ix
d ctsacts
in
36
33brigham
35teachinat pe
36
jos-leph
St
ft
happine ss
33
dac
namebnamep
95
37to all the kings of the world a some of what was said in
this proclamation is most relevant to this study note should be
particularly taken ofpf the followingfollowings
0 0 thethegreatgreat and eternal high priesthood after the order of hisson even the apostleship has been restoredresto ororgredireda returned to theearth
this high priesthood or apostleship holds the keys of the king-dom of god and power to bind on earth that which shall be bound inheaven and to loose on earth that which shall be loosed in heavenand in fine to do and to administer in all things pertaining tothe ordinancesordinance organizationorganisationp government and direction of the king-dom of god
therefore we send untomybo you with authority from on high andcommand you all to repent and humble yourselves as little childrenbefore the majesty of the holy one and corncomecorrconncoreeore unto jesus with abroken heart and a contrite spirit and be baptized in his namefor the remission of sins that is be buried in the water in thelikeness of his burial and rise again to newness of life in thelikeness of his resurrectionresurrectiont and you shall receive the gift ofthe holy spirit through the laying on of the hanckshandhana of the apostlesand elderseiders of this great and last dispensation ofofmorcymercy to man
this spirit shall bear witness to you of the truth of ourtestimony and shall enlighten your minds
for be it known unto them that we now hold thebhe keys of thepriesthood and kingdom
and now 0 y kings rulers and people of the gentiles a hearye the word of the lordlordi 1 for this commandment is for youyoutyoup you arenot only required to repent and obey the gospel in its fulnesfulnessfalnessbulnesfulrulruiand
aqsqnessneesthus become members or citizens of the kingdom of god but you
are also hereby commanded in the name of jesus christ to put yoursilver and your gold your shipsshipcshipco and steamsteamsvesselsvesseis your railroadtrains and your horses chariotschariotcharlot camels mules and litters intoactive use for the fulfilmentfulfillment of these purposespurpo forseso be it knownunto you that the only salvation which remains for the gentilesis for them to be identified in the same covenant and to worshipat the same altar with israel in short they must come to the samestandard for there shall be onelordeLordonelardon and his name one and heshall be king over all the earth J
the world never paid attention to this proclamation but one
day this document will be studied in a different light the gentiles
37jaresjames R clark ed messages of the first presidency i I1salt lake cotyscityscityi bookcraft incinceinca 1965195 252253252 this253 proclamation
was probably in fulfilmentfulfillment of the earlier revelation to joseph smithsaithsalth
ibid38ibid ppap9 253255253 255
noteshould
so eventhe
godo
thingspertaining
ist
he
ye
ofgod
one loidllordlbeking 38
37james mesa s
Note
st
obobeytheeythe
st
kesa
resurrections
koonookoe
I1
hiathimt
96
face the challenge of accepting the gospel and becoming one with the39people of the covenant
much of the gentile civilization is built on a judeochristianjudeojude
base
o
and
christ
yet
ia
they
n
do not know christ nor have they listened to the40
voices of the prophets recorded in their scripture the prophets
today aware that the world has little or no knowledge of the true
nature of prophets have asked and pled with the world to pay thehth
investigatorst
priceprice91 and find out parleybarley P piattpratt articulated the
worldworlds dilemmadilemmas
who ever heard of a nations rising up and making its own minis-try of angels its own Prophetprophets apostles and priesthood to speakthe word of god and to inquire of him the lord would turn roundand say I1 have not chosen this man you have chosen him and or-dained hinhimhime 1 did bhethe people elect and appoint moses to receive allhis powers to hold communion with the burning bush and divide thewaters of the redbed sea did they elect joshua to that faith by whichhe lived to lead israel into canaan and divide jordan by the wordof god did they instruct him to lengthen out the day while israelconquered their enemies mo god almighty chose moses and ordainedhirhim and moadsmoaesmoseshosesnoses laid his hands upon joshua and ordained him andtherforethetherforelhe two were full of the spirit of god to fill a similarcalling we42
much of the world is frustrated because all they have known is apostate
religion all they have heard is false prophets to a modern genera-
tion often disillusioned with organizedorgani religionreliereedsed aiongionslons modern prophet
challenged s
you may say youve been to church that youve tried religion andnot been satisfied that is little wonder it isnt in them allyou know only a flavoring of it the substance of it the fulnessfalness
B of M 111IIIill nephinepha 1613ilaacts 13 s27
bruce R mcconkiemcconkle corcnobjbegorjconferetnee october 1965 P 1001000loolooe
parleybarley42 P pratt JD I1iffijolff 1771770127
41
worldis
39b m9
13t2741 rp203 p 19659 pe
christian
sg
ma
dag46d&cdac 61130
josephr F smithsaithsalthsmiths conferencereportconference octobertobertocreport 19131913v Ppe 2
48brigham youngyounggtoung JDJDO XIIxii9xiii 1111119iliiiililo
BLESSINGSBIESSINGS FOR THE VORLDWORLD IN ACCEPTINGPROPHETIC AUTHORITY
happiness is whatwhak the majority of people in the world want
44josephJosep hSmithsmith said that happiness is the whole object of nansnansmans existence
however to find true and complete happiness one must pursue the path
that leads to itmankind in all ages search for happinesshappihappl theynessinesst desire social anddomestic peaces and when they think of the vast futurefuturfatur they desireto participate in the blessings that are spoken of as pertaining tothat state of existence but they know not how to obtain themexcept a servant of god comes along and points out the way of lifewe have the way open before us and the gift of eternal life whichis the greatest gift of god
aeeame
toitecoite
pasqwasq
iraqzraq LXXIILUII decemberDecem 19691969tbersberv 58
S smsastsM Ptestsastgest t
brigham youngyounggtoungyoungs gooJTO IX 163
d&g
9743
of it can be found in only one place
45
true and complete happinesshadhav isDiness a product of slavationslavacionsla thevation lord46says there is no gift greater than salvation joseph F smith said
in the october conference of the church held in 1913 that there is
nothing under the heavenheavens of so much importance to me or to the children47of men as the great plan of life and salvation M f salvation is the full
existence of man of the angels and the gods it is eternal life the48life which was which is and which is to come of course the
important questionqu isestionestton how does one obtain salvation the answer is
4 boyd K rackerspackers the other side of the ship the improvementE
josephsmith
an45
andcomplete
fe
vj4salvasaivationkionklon
ist
43boyd ke
004
tteacjanasq 255
45
0 04decembers
rijmijriiministersiistersii Msters
blessed are they who shall believe on me and again moreblessed are they who shall believe on your words when ye shalltestify that ye hayehaveheyeleye seen me and that I1 am
yeai blessed are they who shall believe on your words and come
into the depth of humility and be baptized in my name for theyhallshallhmilshmil be visited with fire and the holy ghost and shall receive
a remission of their sins
hloLLOblorather7the
I1
desdev
listersaisters
artprt octobeoctober 19711921 P 162
98
through christ or his authorized
joseph smith elucidatedelucidate
salvation carmotcannot come without revelation it is in vain for any-one to minister without it no man is a minister of jesus christwithout being a prophet no man can be a minister of jesus christexcept he has the testimony of jesujesusjesusisl and this is the spirit ofprophecy whenever salvation has been administered it has beenby testimony5testimony
for
518
those who rely for salvation on the words of dead prophets
alone there is no salvation between the two lids of the bible without
a legal administrator and ordained his apostlesapostleso 9 of all men then
he is most blessedblesbies whosedo comes bearing the keyskerskeds of salvation for allthe human farllyfamily such is the mission of all the prophets the pre-
siding prophet under christ now administers the gospel to all the
inhabitants of the earth the happiness the peace the progress
the prosperity the eternal salvation and exaltation of all depends on
52following
THETHO
the
CURSING
lord
THAT
through
FOLLOWS
his
REJECTION
prophetsProp
OF
liets
PROPHRTICPROPHETIC AUTHORITY
the inspired version of the holy scriptures independencemissourimisHismls thesouris reorganized church of jesus christ of latter day saints1964 matthemmatthewnatthew 5345045053 hereafter4 cited as IV
teachings p 160160igo
ibidibiibl p 3193190olg552gordon B hinckley conference reerepbee protro 1971t peregojrt
yeat
firnd
wh everewertestimony18
50teach
ds
Ththereisereistheres n0
Apost lesoieso 51
seripturesindependence
fiand
octoba
5.151
dagdac
llalia
whenyewhence come into an house 9 salute itand if the house be worthy let your peace come upon itt but
if it be not worthy let your peace return to youand whosoever shall not receive youyouk nor hear your words when
ye depart out of that house or city shake off the dust of your feetverily I1 say unto youyougyous it hallsballheiidball be more tolerable for the lanian
of 3sodom and gomorrhaGomor inrha the day of judgment than for that city
notworthynorworthy
isthatisthan
99
anciently christ said of those who rejected his servants
and into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter inquire who init is worthy and there abide till ye go thence
and when ye
in his own appendix to the doctrine and covenantssection 133theto60 TO
lord warned
behold and lo10 there are none to deliver you for ye obeyed notmy voice when I1 called to you out of the heavensheavensjheaven yesj believed not myservants and when they were sent unto you ye received them not
wherefore they sealed up the testimony and bound up the lawand ye were delivered over unto darkness
these shall go away into outer darkness where there is weepingand wailing and brashinggnashingashinggr of teeth 54behold the lord your god hath spoken it aaenamengaengwena 5
this dispensation is in large measemeasureneasurenease a time of warning to all the
world 3 it was because of the calamity coming upon the world that the
lord called his servant joseph smith the calamity is that in thesemryfry
last days satan will rule over his own dominion this worldorldorid 57
and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the lord
neither the voice of his servants neither give heed to the words of the58
prophets and apostles shall be cutout off from among the people allneed to give heed to these words
matthew 1011151011
wd&cd&g
15
133717413314133113371
d&cdac55d&c
4
14d&cdac56d&c iii111lii1r17
fl&cfloc57d&c 105361353610513558bacbao
36
1141 014
covenants Section 133 athetthethe
55
56
w
thepeople
53matthew 10 0 111511CA
0
53Matthew
74
dag
100tooloo
I1 s
phetspeets have again been called to reveal anew with power and conviccondic vtion the truths about christ and salvation J
and so as legal administrators authorized so to speak we
invite all men everywhere to come unto christ and be perfected inhimhin to deny themselves of all ungodliness to accept him as the sonof godgoa and to gain for themselves peace in this lifeilfe and eternalsalvation in the life to come
d&c 124t8
B of M I1 nephi 1136
d&c 15615 6
godagodg
SA and that I1 may visit them in the day of visitation when I1 shallunveil the face of my covering to appoint the portion of the oppres-sor among hypocrites where there is gnashing of teeth if theyreject my servants and my testimony which I1 have revealed unto thenthemothemthennthern0
59
the prophet nephi concludesconcludesiconclude M thus shilshlshiishi be the destruction of allnations kindreds tongueston andguessguest people that shall fight against the
twelve apostles of the lambiamblanblemb
conclusionCONCI
gods
USION
especial ministers the prophetsProp relatehetes to the world as
a whole as especial messengers of salvation they proclaim and admi-
nister the gospel of jesus christ they have been going forth since the
restoration of the kingdom of god in this dispensation none can stayifttv
them for they are on the lord errand
the world needs prophets today as much as it ever did prophets jwho are the lord agents who stand as legal administrators withpower like peterspeterbeterbeters s to bind on earth and have their acts sealedeternally in the heavens prophets who speak for god who revealhis mind and his will to the people prophets who reveal and inter-pret the truth about christ our lord and his gospel
and thinks be to god for through his grace and goodness pro
bruce BR ConkiemcconkiemcconkleconkleMe gonfemcejteecbconfeiib october 1964 p 38
t 4
ister
61
didprophetslords
a tsinthe
tospeak
62
dac59d&c 124 t 8
60 11 t 36
61
62 nce raportr2port
si
dac
hims
4.4p pe
tobringbobring
chapter 6
conclusion
this study has attempted to answer ten specific questions about
prophets and prophetic authority as viewed by the official doctrines of
the church of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday very briefly these are
the answers that have been discovered through the course of this thesis
majmtj prophetpr9phetfiietel question 11
A prophet in the general sense is any person worthy of the
testimony of jesus A person who has received revelation through the
holy ghost is a prophet allaliail those endowed with the gift of the holy
ghost as covenant members of the church of jesus christ in any dispensa-
tion have the right to be prophets
in a more specific sense those individuals with the above
qualifications and who are added upon with sufficient priesthood and
keys are presiding prophets over the lesser prophets all true prophets
are subject to the presiding prophets because the spirit of the prophets
is subject to the prophets
prophets in varying degreesde aregreegsgreefs on the lords errand and do the
lords work which is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life
of all of gods children in doing hibhis work the prophets utilize gods
power to any degree and in any dimension of the legion of lifes activi-
ties the lord directs no9 one butbirtbirb the lord may check them
since the days of abraham all presiding prophets have been and
101
what is a
h
e
chue
lard
pertpartbert gfof j3od s prmmmjojgramhiljjiljthrqy&taissm03the
god
anesages
deals
lqestionlqwith
2estion
prophets because this is his methodology he does
nothingnoth heinaoingo says until he reveals it to them before the earth was
created the presiding prophets at least were fore ordained set apart
and annointed to be gods rulers because they were the great and noble
ones in the first place they were called because of their faith and
good works in the preearthpre lifeearth since god holds sacred the agency of
his children he may bless and empower only those who will choose to obey
and honor him
what jfaghetiismym8mymaMyMmyme
prophetic
jjlsffis8
authority andto what extent does it relate tothe church menmem r to the IMworldvoriasejljjismlzs
in its full sense as discussed in this study full prophetic
authority is given only to those who have a fullness of
whywhvwev havehaye rmtdmaetsint2emintegral
beenartjrt such an
aqulquestion a2
102
must be of his lineage either by blood or by adoption
g
e
priesthood and
keys of the priesthood which constitutes the directing power of the
priesthood since the days of christ at least this fullness has been
contained in the full apostolic office at present the fullness of the
prophetic authority is held by only the presiding apostle of the church
of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday As delineated in this work the
individual denominated the prophet of the church is alsoaiso aaSeerseer revela-
tor church president president of the high priesthood patriarch
priestspriest king and gods viceregentviceregentu thus by covenant the church member
is bound to uphold with his hands his heart and his life the lordsannointedannointedt that he might be more fully blessedblesselblesset I1 there can be no arbi-
trary restrictions placed on gods presiding prophets except those
gods
as a wholewhoie
senset
alsoaseer
viceregent
dl
amtpremm
aa
lejblE JJtheretheme hashag been no need for 0 hetsbetssince christ question 41
103
imposed by god himself in all dimensions of the legions of lifesactivities they are on the lords errand and must thus be honored
the prophetic authority and stewardship for the world is absolute
under christ the peoples of the world though in large measure unaware
of the stewardship of the prophets are under their authority for the
present it is not expedient in gods economyeconom foryp the presiding prophet
to exercise full authority both politically and secularly but the power
is theretheme salvation for all is ministered by christ through his prophets
wa christchrigt thelejj
annointed with
the oil of gladness above his fellows the lesser apostles the lesser
high priests and the lesser prophets the maitherraitherfathermather has given christ a
name above every other name he isAs the way the truth and the lifeilfeno man comes unto the father except through him in christ dwells the
stewardship
prresidingesiding
was consummation ofthe JW takintgkin the sense that
Is christ himself a prophet ifso homhow does he relatebelate to theotherjsjtjetat6
christ
question
is the great prophet he so denominated himself he is
the ultimate minister of his matherratherflather he is the greatest high priest pre-
siding under the father over all he is the christus1christus1
lford Is
alejj
ruttefuturefutie ministryministryin in the great millenialmillennialmil fulnessfalnesslenial of time are the pivotal
happenings of the prophetic timetabletimetire howevertabletabie it was christ himself
who set the apostles and prophets in his church in the meridian dispen-
sation and in his church today the ministry of prophetsofprophets is an essential
role
iaijsxjlssfijigwjfte jl
8338.33 sslefie8sliijslchrist VMSwas is and always will be the consummate message of
the prophets his past ministry 9 during the meridian of time and his
salvationsalutlpn mereljjmlaijmlaiwithout
JMthe ministry of an authorized servant of prophet there
is no fullness of salvation the gospel mustroustmoustrustruet be proclaimed by a living
prophetic minister where there is no prophetic ministry there is no
kingdom of god on earth in so far as the individual must by proper use
of agency choose to serve the lord his salvation is an individual affairhe is dependent though on prophetic ministers to receive the word and
power or ordinances of the gospel which are essential to his salvation
couldthe
circumstancesfftyggmy088
sioteslote
homhow does the presilin& pru et ofthe church of jesus christ oflatterdaylatter saintsday relatebelate to otherprophets etkeltke
thereistheres
oouldbouldheticbetic authoriauthorabajbgject pro
question 8
104
fullness of the godhead bodily
fiojslejle jsesJSljiyj esj6813 jjffjlsjs
latterdasaijits jelateJe tomothertojothertoctojlateipll01
the lord has deemed it expedient in this dispensation that his
church and kingdom be presided over by one who is fully empowered with
all the gifts of god that one is the presiding prophet of the church
of jesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday all other prophets if they are
indeed true prophetsodhetst recognize and are subject to the presiding prophet
of their particular time
Is a llngggpfs1010jestsjhsts Is
tqqliy propresidentptaidgnt of thehjuch
h how doegjhujnfallibilifallibilitfallibilityfallibile A
jlyj 8.8 whatif any jbouldhedividfree to rjgcjjpbhetia
esli
the presiding prophet will never lead the church astray before
so doing he would be moved out of his place the lord habhasbasbbs required
stion
pr
fullness of salvation obtain-able without the mipigt5y of pro-
pts
godon
could the presipresl d2phet or thethe church lead the
church astrayasim does hunanhumanFallibili affect propheticpr2pheticauthorityjlyo under
merely ankhindividual affair
ehe individual feel
ases
belate
laija
fiaeieeee
retebete
hipshipo they remain
true and faithful in the apostolic office until they become the senior
living apostle on earth and are set apart ordained and sustained as the
presiding prophet of the church of jesus christ of latterdayiatterlatterietterletter saintsday
fundamentally too true prophets exemplify through their walk talk
and conversation all the christian virtues and are obedient to every
law and covenantcove
how
nantanenta
apesdpes obedience to propheticauthorialauthwtyauthorillAuth relateorilL to the
105
that all accept the llibilitiesfallibilities of his prophets that they might not
place their trust in the arm of fleshfleshyfleshe all things work together for
good in the ministry of true prophets the lord honors his servants and
upholds them in spite of their weaknesses the disciple should be an
enlightened allowerfollowerllower of prophetic authority it is his responsibility
to know when authorized prophets are acting as prophets and when they
are not whenever an individual rejects authorized prophetic authority
he does so at the peril of his own salvation
s3188008on jywhat fi8basistrue
does one 4pj&etsjirgmsISBS
the lord said that one tells true prophets from false ones by
their fruits A chief criteria is the witness of the spirit to the spiritof the individual lacking6 this especially in regards to the prophetic
authority only those who follow the proper order of succession as estab-
lished in the church and kingdom of god today are entitled to the honor
respect and support due to a prophet presiding prophets come in at the
ghategsategate which has been interpreted to mean they are called by revelation
ordained and sustained to the fulnessfalness of the apostleshipApostles
10
fa
fo
prophetle
prqpheitsfrom falsefelsefeise onesestion 9
A neI1df
the individualindavldw ofquestion 10
vilWilviilingoobediencebedlbedi toence prophetic authority leads to more and more
agency and finally full seigencsei thegenegencdene opposite course leads to
s lavery
freeset a rncvo
slavesiaverysryo
106
agency is a gifgift of god to his children and as suchsuph is sacred to
god and his servants the whole planpianpiariplarl of salvation pivots around this
vital principle the war in heaven mswasnas fought to preserve it the true
prophets on earth champion it the agency of the individual is invio-
late willinghwillingwillingo
t sac red
0
freeaslaveryo
ced
SESEIECTEDALVECTED bibliography
107
mormonhormonmorron doctrinepocteinedocPoc 2dadteine ed rev salt lake citycityxciby bookcraftBookeinc
rafto1966
massakassamessa
odaodeeda be he robertsBo 7bentsberts vols 2dad ed rev salt lake citygityigittideseret book co 195919601959
108
1960
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BOOKS
t berrett william E and alma P burton comp readings in IDSlidsioslos
1991949
maedormlldt&cdonald duncan B the hebrew lifearutemrylitear genius princetonPrince njiNJajitongtontprinceton
zuniversity press 1935
corpecompo
artofartoy governip&
kewnew testament commemccMcGonkleonkie bruce R doctrinal wnc 3 vols saltlake citygityigitti bookcrafthookBook inccrafto 1973
f
churchhistory 3 volsvolevolb salte lakedake citycityscites deserets book co 1958
brown hugh B eternaleterjraljest ed charlesciarlesarleschariesclarlesclariesariesCI manley brown salt lakeleke citybookcraftBooke incincainc0rafto 1956
clark harold glen the artofgoyernlns zion provot BYU extensionpublicationspublication 196
clark james R compecompe messages of the first presidency 5 volssalt lake citycityicitti bookcraft inceihincpInCeinca
cowley
1965iH
mathias BR the life gfa salt lakeleke y1cityyabookcraftBooke inclneinengencereftraftzeft 1961964
cruden alexanderalexanderealexanders unabridgedgoncoxdanceunaune ofand the apopmhaepM
edhaehaahea
concordance t andund new testamentsMJM ajb00111 old tappantibppan9 NJ fleming H revellevellreyelleyell goCO 197119710
doxey roy V the iatterdaylatterIatterlettersatterday iphgbsft2phetsday and t covenantsGove4
nantsvols salt lake citescitys deseret book goco 1965195
durham G homer ed gospel standardsestandacdsstandardsStandastandestende saltrdse lake citycityt deseret newspress 1941
lundwall nels comp demolestemjleatemoles of th ed salt lakecitygityciby bookcraft inc
new international dictionary0 jspringfieldt G & C merriam companycoapComp publishersPublishanyo 196319 3
smith joseph history of the churchqf
be pe compoe readireadl shi 6
be quest
re presiden
of wilford woodruff
the oldoidNJs he
we the doctrine and
the most K 0 7thath edeeda
be
re4
9 0
merriamkerrian webster AAP webstersspringfield
thirdi
N
go
histo
0
church of jesusjq8118u christ of jitterdaylatterjitterletterlatterletterietter
saintsday
ed B H
ew DI
61ce
Lundwalldualldwail
McConklevkievkleg
erso
corp
mcconkle
ahhee
anc
I1 I1
copcoup deachinteachingsteachin of the japhetjphet jo smith1968719680
selsei
wisLIS
deseretreseret new
109
smith joseph F gospel
19
doctrines of salvation edeel bruce R mcconkie 3 volssalt lake oitesoityscityscites bookcraftBooke incyincraft 1954
salt lakecity dese3etdeseret book co
taylor john the gpglj11gonelawom salt3<sait lake citesgtycitys deseret book co194
journal ofescoursejscourseJscourse 26 volsboislondon latterday saint book depotsdepoto 1854185185486
vidtsoewidtsoeVidtWidt johnsoe A compcoap priesthoollftriesthood and church governmentogpyenmientgovernments 2dad edrev salt lake citticityicityt deseret book co 1954
vilson benjainbenjaminbenjaain trans the emphaticegaphatirmphatic thedhadla newof testament e
brooklyn new york international bible students association watchtower bible and tract society iputaishersfublishersq 194201942
woodruff wilford the discourses of wilford woodruffwoodruffiwoodruffeWoodvood edruffi G homerduchamdurham salt lake citescityscity bookcraft incoginetines 1969
newspapers AND periodicalsPERIOD
conferenceConf
ICAM
reeorepoauitamiterece ofe jesusrt christof ofthe latterdaylatterchurch saintsdaysal lake cityolty 188019731880 1973
peseretneys church newsneys salt lakeleke citygcity 1973
deseret weekly salt lakeleke oltycitycityv 189818980
the ensign salt lakeiske citycityv 197119731971197301971 1973
the improvement erabraezaezewra salt lake city 189719701897 1970
hillenial star london england 189118910
utah genealogical and historical erinemarineezinekarinemaainekaiMaikaf salt lake cibycity 1936
times and seasons nauvooMau illinoisillinoiseillinoisqvoo 1839184618391839111846W
doctrine lithlith ededeedo salt lakelmkeimke city deseretbook co 1966
JL smithsmithysmithpsnith joseph fielding church historyhistgryst2astaa andjteclern revelation 2 vols2ndand ed eni salt lake cityicitys deseret book co
rJP hi and modern1947
irv0 essentials in church history 23rd ed rev enienlienis salt lakelmkeimkelekecity deseret book co 1969
histcog
pro t joseph
19440
0 vattwatt Ggo Ddo and others reporters discourses
ao
slott
go
ham
latter day
Hillenial
i
86
Governmentementocomp
nauvoo
har
nau
110
unpublished WORK
lee harold B the harold B lee devotional unpublished address longbeachbeachtbeech california 197319751923
SCRIPTUMSSCRIPTuresUHESubes
the book of mormon translated by joseph smith salt lakeleke city thechurch of jesus christ of latter ay saints 1952
the doctrine and covenants salt lake citygitysgetys the church of jesus christof latterdaylatter saintsday published bylayloy george Q cannon and sons co189118910
the doctrine and covenants salt lake gityagitytcityt the church of jesus christof latter day saints 1952
the holy biblebibie king james version 4 salt lake cityscityi the church ofjesus christ of latterdaylatteriatterletterletten saintsday 1950
the holy scriptures inspired version 9 independence missourimissouriiMissourmissouria thereorganized church of jesus christ of latter day saints 1964
the pearl of great price salt lake cityicitys the church of jesus christof latterdaylatter saintsday 195201952
jesuschristii
day
exactexamtning
oftheodthe
s6nsan
PROPHETIC AUTHORITYAUr INHORITY THE TEACHINGSIUCHINGS
OF MODERNMOIDERN PROPHETS
clifford glarygary bennett
department of church history and doctrine
MANA degree august 1973
ABSTRACT
the purpose of this study wasWLSnas to identify the extent of propheticauthority as it is understood and taught by those denominated prophetsin the church of jesus christ of latterdaylatterlatterletterietterletter saintsday the purpose wasaccomplished by examining four specific areas 1 1 what are prophets andwhat was their authority in the past as articulated in the acceptedscriptures of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints 2 whatis the foundation of prophetic authority for the present dispensation
3 how does prophetic authority relate to the member of the church ofjesus christ of latterdaylatter saintsday 4 how doedoes prophetic authorityrelate to the world as a whole
it was found that the planpian of salvation as understood in theteachings of the church of jesus christ of latterdaylatteriatter saintsday is imple-mented by authorized ministers of god the matherratherfathermether who is the source ofall authority christ is the greatest of these ministers and is thegreat prophetprophetsprop theheto lesser prophets under christchristchr andistisk specificallypresiding prophets are fully empoweredempeap toovered implement while holding invio-late the agency of the individual the tokaltotaltoultotel plan to all of gods child-ren in and out of the church the presiding prophets of the church ofjesus christ of latterdaylatteriatterietterletter saintsday layley claim to this total authority
COMMITTEE APPROVAL tl AA SZruseellrus&ell R richrichobicho committee chairman
mlA garyaiargarsrandcrson committee memberlenberrenber
l&mteri&yar C berrett department chairman
d iy f
2
s
byauthorizedandis
ruskll11
LL 2ko
PROOPHETIC
ay