Читать книгу History of Joseph Smith, the Prophet and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Joseph F. Smith - Страница 106

1. Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 18.

2. Elder Joseph Young gives the following interesting account of the above meeting mentioned by the Prophet: "On the 8th day of February, in the year of our Lord 1835, the Prophet Joseph Smith called Elders Brigham and Joseph Young to the chamber of his residence, in Kirtland, Ohio, it being on the Sabbath day. After they were seated and he had made some preliminaries, he proceeded to relate a vision to these brethren, of the state and condition of those men who died in Zion's Camp, in Missouri. He said, 'Brethren, I have seen those men who died of the cholera in our camp; and the Lord knows, if I get a mansion as bright as theirs, I ask no more.' At this relation he wept, and for some time could not speak. When he had relieved himself of his feelings, in describing the vision, he resumed the conversation, and addressed himself to Brother Brigham Young. He said to him, 'I wish you to notify all the brethren living in the branches, within a reasonable distance from this place, to meet at a general conference on Saturday next. I shall then and there appoint twelve Special Witnesses, to open the door of the Gospel to foreign nations, and you,' said he (speaking to Brother Brigham), 'will be one of them.' He then proceeded to enlarge upon the duties of their calling. The interest that was taken on the occasion of this announcement, produced in the minds of the two Elders present a great sensation and many reflections; having previously notified Brother Brigham Young that he would be one of the Witnesses, but said nothing to Joseph, until he had exhausted much of his feelings in regard to the Twelve, which took up some little time. He then turned to Elder Joseph Young with quite an earnestness, as though the vision of his mind was extended still further, and addressing him, said, 'Brother Joseph, the Lord has made you President of the Seventies.' They had heard of Moses and seventy Elders of Israel, and of Jesus appointing 'other Seventies,' but had never heard of Twelve Apostles and of Seventies being called in this Church before. It was strange saying, 'The Lord has made you President of the Seventies,' as though it had already taken place, and it caused these brethren to marvel. The Prophet did not say that any others would be called to be the bearers of this message abroad, but the inference might be clearly drawn, that this was his meaning, from the language he used at the time. Agreeable to his request to Elder Brigham Young, the branches were all notified, and a meeting of the brethren in general conference was held in Kirtland, in the new school house under the printing office, on the following Saturday, February 14th, when the Twelve were appointed and ordained, and the conference adjourned for two weeks."—"History of the organization of the Seventies," by Joseph Young, Sen. (1878) pp. 1, 2.

3. This vision, in which the Prophet evidently saw the order of the Church organization, is several times alluded to by him. By reference to the note on page 181 it will be observed that President Smith there refers to the vision in such a manner as to lead one to believe that he saw that Brigham Young would be one of the Twelve, and Joseph Young President of the Seventies. He also refers to this vision in the revelation which appears in chapter 14; (Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 107, 93). Describing the order of the Seventies, he says: "And it is according to the vision, showing the order of the Seventy, that there shall be seven Presidents to preside over them, chosen out of the number of the Seventy." It was doubtless in this vision also that the Prophet saw the manner in which the Twelve should be chosen.

4. Elder Joseph Young in his "History of the Organization of the Seventies," (page 14) says that the following sentiment was delivered by the prophet Joseph Smith in an address to the Elders assembled in Kirtland soon after the Seventies were organized: "Brethren, some of you are angry with me, because you did not fight in Missouri; but let me tell you, God did not want you to fight. He could not organize His kingdom with twelve men to open the Gospel door to the nations of the earth, and with seventy men under their direction to follow in their tracks, unless He took them from a body of men who had offered their lives, and who had made as great a sacrifice as did Abraham. Now the Lord has got His Twelve and His Seventy, and there will be other quorums of Seventies called, who will make the sacrifice, and those who have not made their sacrifices and their offerings now, will make them hereafter."

5. A full list of those who sent up to Zion, including women and children, is here published in place of the partial list heretofore published in the History of Joseph Smith in the Millennial Star, volume 15, page 205.

6. The hymn was peculiarly suited to the occasion. Some of the stanzas follow: "Hark! listen to the trumpeters! They sound for volunteers; On Zion's bright and flowery mount Behold the officers. 'Their horses white, their armor bright, With courage bold they stand, Enlisting soldiers for their king, To march to Zion's land. We want no cowards in our bands, Who will our colors fly: We call for valiant-hearted men, Who're not afraid to die.' To see our armies on parade, How martial they appear! All armed and dressed in uniform, They look like men of war." They follow their great General. The great Eternal Lamb—His garments stained in his own blood—King Jesus is His name.

7. It was made known to the Prophet and Oliver Cowdery as early as June, 1829, that there would be Twelve Apostles chosen in this dispensation. In that revelation (Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 18:37) the Lord, addressing Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer, said: "And now, behold, I give unto you Oliver Cowdery, and also unto David Whitmer, that you shall search out the Twelve, who shall have the desires of which I have spoken." That is, desires to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ with full purpose of heart. It will be observed that in this revelation only two of the Three Witnesses are named, yet Martin Harris was associated with his fellow Witnesses in choosing and ordaining the Twelve Apostles. I think it was designed from the first that the Three Witnesses should choose the Twelve Special Witnesses of the name and mission of the Lord Jesus Christ—the Twelve Apostles; but at the time the revelation of June, 1829, was given, making known that Twelve Apostles would be called, and designating Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer as the ones to choose them, Martin Harris was out of favor with the Lord, and I suggest that it was for that reason doubtless that his name was omitted at that time. The evidence that Martin Harris was wavering about that time in his adherence to the Prophet and the work of God is found in Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 19, given in the month of June, 1829; in which revelation Martin Harris is sharply reproved for such wavering; for his covetousness; for hesitating to dispose of his land to meet the obligations entered into with the printer. He is commanded to repent of all these things, which, happily he did; but evidently not before the revelation concerning the choosing of the Twelve (Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 17) was given, for which reason doubtless his name is not there associated with those of his fellow Witnesses when they were designated to choose the Twelve Apostles. As already stated, however, in the vision in which the Prophet Joseph saw more perfectly the organization of the Church, and the manner in which the Twelve were to be chosen, he undoubtedly learned that it was in harmony with the order of things that the Three Witnesses should choose the Twelve Special Witnesses, and hence appointed Martin Harris to assist Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer in choosing the Apostles.

A word, by the way, in relation to the appropriateness of the Three Witnesses choosing the Twelve. In the revelation defining the special calling of the Twelve Apostles it is written: "The Twelve traveling counselors are called to be the Twelve Apostles, or special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world; thus differing from other officers in the Church in the duties of their calling. (Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 107:23). From this it appears that the special calling of the Twelve is to be Witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ in all the world; hence it was preeminently proper that these Twelve Witnesses should be chosen by the Three very special Witnesses—witnesses of the Book of Mormon in particular, and of God's marvelous work in general.

8. Much interest has been manifested in the Church concerning who was mouth in ordaining respectively the brethren of the first Twelve. Most likely the Three Witnesses who ordained the Apostles were mouth in the order in which they have always stood as Witnesses, viz., Oliver Cowdery first, David Whitmer second, and Martin Harris third. If they officiated in this order then Oliver Cowdery ordained Lyman E. Johnson; David Whitmer, Brigham Young; and Martin Harris, Heber C. Kimball. It has been suggested by some that the Prophet Joseph may have joined the Three Witnesses in ordaining the Twelve, and in that event would be mouth first, and therefore ordained Lyman E. Johnson, leaving Oliver Cowdery to ordain Brigham Young, David Whitmer, Heber C. Kimball. This, however, is not likely since but three of those who had been chosen were called up at the above meeting to be ordained, one for each Witness. Besides, the express language of the minutes of the proceedings is, "The Three Witnesses laid their hands upon each one's head and prayed separately;" that is each ordained his man. The statement of Heber C. Kimball in the published extracts of his journal, also confirms this view of the matter. After giving the names of the Twelve men chosen he says: "After having expressed our feeling on this occasion, we were severally called into the stand, and there received our ordinations, under the hand of Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris. These brethren ordained us to the Apostleship, and predicted many things which should come to pass, that we should have power to heal the sick, cast out devils, raise the dead, give sight to the blind, have power to remove mountains, and all things should be subject to us through the name of Jesus Christ, and angels should minister unto us, and many more things, too numerous to mention." He also adds the following interesting item with reference to the ordinations of that day: "After we [referring to the first three called up to receive ordination] had been thus ordained by these brethren, the First Presidency laid their hands on us and confirmed these blessings and ordinations, and likewise predicted many things which should come to pass." (Times and Seasons, vol. 6, p. 868). While these statements make it very clear that the Prophet Joseph did not join with the Three Witnesses in ordaining the Apostles—except in the way of confirming the ordination they received from the Witnesses, as described by Elder Kimball—the minutes of the meeting held February 21st, at which Parley P. Pratt was ordained, state that he was "ordained one of the Twelve by President Joseph Smith, Jun., David Whitmer, and Oliver Cowdery." Martin Harris must have been absent, and the Prophet evidently joined Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer on that occasion because of the absence of Harris; but whether or not the Prophet was mouth on that occasion does not appear in the minutes or in Elder Pratt's autobiography.

9. According to Heber C. Kimball's Journal, Orson Pratt's ordination took place on the 5th of April, 1835, under the following circumstances: "Sunday morning, April 5, 1835.—The Twelve had not all as yet been together, for the last three mentioned [ Orson Pratt, Thomas B. Marsh and Parley P. Pratt ] were not present at the time of choosing, and as the time drew near that we should travel to the east, we appointed this day to bear our testimony unto our brethren and friends. We were all assembled together, with the exception of Brother Orson Pratt, who had not yet been with us. At this time, while we were praying, and wishing for his arrival, while opening the meeting, he entered the house. We rejoiced at his presence, and thanked the Lord for it. He was then ordained and we proceeded to speak according to our ages, the eldest speaking first. This day Brother Thomas B. Marsh, Brigham Young, David W. Patten, and myself spake." (Times and Seasons, vol. 6, p. 869.) The incident is given as Elder Kimball relates it because of its interest, but he is in error as to the date of the occurrence, since Elder Pratt himself, as well as the Prophet, gives the date of the former's ordination 26th of April, 1835. Elder Pratt also makes this entry in his journal: "April 24—Took the stage, and arrived in Kirtland on the 26th, about ten o'clock in the forenoon; walked into the meeting and learned that they had been prophesying that I would arrive there, so as to attend that meeting, although not one of them knew where I was. I was much rejoiced at meeting with the Saints."

10. Doctrine and Covenants, sec. 18.

11. Elder Parley P. Pratt, in his autobiography (page 127) refers to this question put to each of the Twelve Apostles by Elder Cowdery as the "Oath and Covenant of the Apostleship."