A History of Jo's Spiritual Wifeism

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_grindael
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Re: A History of Jo's Spiritual Wifeism

Post by _grindael »

Addendum to King David...

In 1842 Joseph wrote a short letter to William Clayton which reads,

Oct— 7th 1842 in Solitude for love of Truth
Brother William Clayton

Dear Sir

I received your short note I reply in short be shure you are right and then go ahead David Crocket like and now Johnathan what shall I write more only that I am well and am your best Friend

Joseph Smith
or David

or his mark
——X——


From wiki:

David (Hebrew: דָּוִד‎; Dāwīḏ or David) and Jonathan (Hebrew: יְהוֹנָתָן‎; Yəhōnāṯān or Yehonatan) were heroic figures of the Kingdom of Israel, who formed a covenant of friendship recorded in the books of Samuel.


Image

(Thanks to H. Michael Marquardt for bringing this to my attention, Image courtesy of the International Society Daughters of Utah Pioneers). Here we see Joseph calling himself David and Clayton Jonathan, who had formed a covenant of friendship. This was four months after Smith had "married" Sarah Ann Whitney and mentioned David and that it would be revealed hereafter.
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Re: A History of Jo's Spiritual Wifeism

Post by _Nightlion »

grindael wrote:
I tracked down the source and it is interesting. He is referring to the Elders' Journal from 1838 which was edited by Joseph Smith. In Volume I, Number 4, August, 1838 there was an article written by the Editor called "To the Subscribers of the Journal". It was a scathing attack on Warren Parrish by Joseph Smith. In it Smith calls Parrish, Harris, Warren Cowdery and others ... well, read for yourself:

Joseph Smith wrote:
We are not in the habit of noticing the many libellous publications which are abroad in the world, designed to injure our character. We generally let the authors and publishers of lies, take their own course, relying at all times on the righteousness of our cause and the integrity of our course in the sight of God, our Heavenly Father, and feel disposed at the present time to pursue this as our general course. Indeed we have felt to pity the poor priests and their satellites, seeing they had no better weapons to work with than lies, a great majority of which they made themselves, but some were catered for them by men of like passions with themselves.

We have always been assured of this, that if they had any better weapons to have used against us, they would have used them, but as they have not, it would surely be wrong to deprive them of the best resort they have. And we feel the more willing to do this, inasmuch as we have no fear of their efforts doing any injury. They have been employed at it for eight years, making and publishing all kinds of lies, till one would be ready to think that the very prince of devils himself had by this time got wearied and would certainly be ready to sneak back to his smutty kennel, and there seek repose. But instead of this, at the appearance of every new liar, not only the prince himself but all the flunkies that fly at his knell whether in the flesh or out of the flesh, take new courage and put forth new efforts, and it would seem that they really believe that by the assistance of a few more liars, they will be able to dethrone Jehovah and upset His kingdom, and with Satan at their head, establish an empire that shall forever defy the Son of God and so completely destroy the Zion of the last days that He never will come down and reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before His ancients gloriously.

Poor simpletons! They do not know that He who sits in the heavens is laughing at them, that He has them in derision, and that after He has let them foam out their own shame and completely work out their own damnation that he will speak to them in His wrath and vex them in His displeasure, and that when His wrath is but a little kindled, they will perish!

If we did not know that the people of this generation love lies more than the truth, or at least a great many of them, it would be a matter of some astonishment to us to see with what eagerness they give audience to every hypocrite and iniquitous wretch we detect in his wickedness, and bring to an account. It matters not how scandalous is his conduct, the priests and all their coadjutors rally around them the very instant they are excluded from the church and listen with most intense interest to their lies; and soon, the papers are filled with their lies and abomination. But such is the piteous situation of the priests of all denominations, for there are no exceptions to be made. For to say the best of them, they have pleasure in lies, but in the truth they have no pleasure, neither have they any part.

Within the last six months, they have been making one of their greatest efforts. The Church in accordance with her laws, excluded from her fellowship a set of creatures whose behavior would have disgraced a heathen temple, and as might have been expected, they had recourse to the foulest lying and basest slander in order to hide their iniquity. This served as a favorable opportunity to the persecuting priests and their adherents. They gathered round them in swarms like the flies round Esop's fox and opened both their eyes and ears to enjoy a good feast of lies which pleased them more abundantly than any other sound could, except the voice of Beelzebub the prince of the whole brood. His voice would doubtless have been more delightful to them than an angel of light to the ear of a prophet of the living God.

All these pious soul's papers were put into requisition and this gang of liars, thieves and drunkards were called upon immediately to write their lies on paper and let them print them, so that all the world might have as great a feast of lies as they had. Accordingly to work they all went with one accord. And after this mighty mountain of bustle and human folly had filled its full time of gestation. Behold! and lo! it brought forth a mouse!! From the bowels of Mr. Warren Parrish and the priest's papers have flown abroad to tell the world of it.

No animal we presume has been produced in the last century which caused more agony, pain and groaning than this wonder of modern times, for during the time of gestation and a long time before the birth thereof, he kept up such an unusual groaning and grunting, that all the devils whelps in Geauga and Cuyahoga counties in Ohio were running together to hear what was about to come forth from the womb of Granny Parrish. He had made such an awful fuss about what was conceived in him, that night after night and day after day he poured out His agony before all living as they saw proper to assemble. For a rational being to have looked at him and heard him groan and grunt and see him sweat and struggle would have supposed that his womb was as much swollen as was Rebecca's when the angel told her that there were two nations there.

In all this grunting business, he was aided by Leonard Rich who, however, was generally so drunk, that he had to support himself by something to keep him from falling down, but then it was all for conscience sake. Also a pair of young blacklegs, one of them a Massachusetts shoemaker by the name of John F. Boynton, a man notorious for nothing but ignorance, ill breeding and impudence. And the other by the name of Luke Johnson, whose notoriety consisted, if information be correct, in stealing a barrel of flour from his father and other acts of a similar kind.

Thus aided, Mamma Parrish made a monstrous effort to bring forth. And when the full time of gestation was come, the wonder came forth, and the priests who were in waiting seized the animal at its birth, rolled it up in their papers and sent it abroad to the world. But Rich, Boynton, and Johnson in the character of midwives, waited around the bed of Mamma Parrish to get away the afterbirth; but awful to relate! They no sooner got it away than mamma expired and the poor bantling was left on the hands of the priests to protect and nurse it without any other friend. A short time after the delivery of Granny Parrish, a little ignorant blockhead by the name of Stephen Burnet[t], whose heart was so set on money, that he would at any time sell his soul for fifty dollars and then think he had made an excellent bargain; and who had got wearied of the restraints of religion and could not bear to have his purse taxed, hearing of the delivery of Granny Parrish, ran to Kirtland, got into the temple and tried withal his powers to bring forth something, nobody knows what, nor did he know himself. But he thought as Granny Parrish had been fruitful, so must he, but after some terrible gruntings and finding nothing coming but an abortion, rose up in his anger, proclaimed all revelation lies, and ran home to his daddy with all his might, not leaving even an egg behind, and there sat down and rejoiced in the great victory he had obtained over the great God and all the holy angels, how he had discovered them liars and impostors.

There was also a kind of secondary attendant that waited upon this granny of modern libels, whose name is Sylvester Smith. In his character there is something notorious and that is that at a certain time in Kirtland, he signed a libel in order to avoid the punishment due to his crimes. That libel can be forthcoming at any time when called for. And in so doing, has disqualified himself for taking an oath before any court of justice in the United States.

Thus armed and attended, this modern libeler has gone forth to the assistance of the priests, to help them fight against the great God and against His work. How successful they will be, future events will determine.

A few words on the history of this priest's helpmate may not be amiss.

He went into Kirtland, Ohio some few years since to live, and hired his boarding in the house of one Zerah Cole. He had not however been there but a short time until Mr. Cole began to make a grievous complaint about his taking unlawful freedom with his (Cole's) wife. Parrish was, accordingly, brought to an account before the authorities of the Church for his crime. The fact was established that such unlawful conduct had actually taken place between Parrish and Cole's wife. Parrish, finding he could not escape, confessed, pleaded for forgiveness like a criminal at the bar, promising in the most solemn manner that if the Church would forgive him, he never would do so again, and he was accordingly forgiven.

For some considerable time, there were no outbreakings with him, at least, that was known, but a train of circumstances began at last to fix guilt on his head in another point of light. He had the handling of large sums of money and it was soon discovered that after the money was counted and laid away and come to be used and counted again, that there was always a part of it missing. This being the case repeatedly, and those who owned it knowing that there was no other person but Parrish who had access to it, suspicion of necessity fixed itself on him. At last, the matter went to such lengths that a search warrant was called for to search his trunk. The warrant was demanded at the office of F. G. Williams Esq. but he refused to grant it; some difficulty arose on account of it.

The warrant, however, was at last obtained, but too late for the trunk in question was taken out of the way and could not be found, but as to his guilt, little doubt can be entertained by any person acquainted with the circumstances.

After this affair, Parrish began to discover that there was great iniquity in the Church, particularly in the editor of this paper and began to make a public excitement about it. But in a short time, he had an opportunity of proving to the world the truth of his assertion. A poor persecuting booby by the name of Grandison Newel and who in fact was scarcely a grade above the beast that perish, went and swore out a state's warrant against the editor of this paper, saying that he was afraid of his life. In so doing, he swore a palpable lie and everybody knew it, and so did the court and decided accordingly.

One of the witnesses called in behalf of Mr. Newel was Warren Parrish. Newel had no doubt but great things would be proven by Parrish. When the day of trial, however, came, Parrish was not forthcoming. Newel's council demanded an attachment to bring him forthwith and accordingly, Parrish was brought. But, behold, the disappointment when Parrish was called! Instead of fulfilling Newel's expectation, when asked by the lawyers, "Do you know of anything in the character or conduct of Mr. Smith which is unworthy of his profession as a man of God?" the answer was, "I do not." The countenance of Newel fell and if he had possessed one grain of human feelings, would went off with shame, but of this, there is about as much in him as in other beasts.

In giving the answer Parrish did, he has given the lie to all he has said, both before the since, and his letter that is now going the rounds in the priest's paper is an outrageous pack of lies, or else he took a false oath at Painesville; and take it which way you will, and the priests have but a feeble helpmate in Granny Parrish.

The truth is, at the time Parrish was called on to give testimony in Painesville, he had not gotten his nerves so strengthened as to take a false oath and though he could lie most insufferably, still he had some fear about swearing lies. But no doubt, if he were called upon now, he would swear lies as fast as tell them, since he denies all revelation, all angels, all spirit, etc. and has taken the liar Sylvester Smith by the hand and become his companion.

Some time after Parrish had given in his testimony at Painesville, he began again to rail, the Church would hear it no longer and cut him off, a with them to receive him back again, and in order to get back, he confessed all he had said to be false, asked forgiveness for it, and by much pleading and confession and promising reformation was received back again.

Thus once under oath, and another time voluntarily, for sake of getting back into the Church, he confessed himself that all that he had said and all that he had written were falsehoods, for his letter that is going the rounds in the papers is no more than a reiteration of what he had before declared and denied himself. This is the poor pitiful resort then, of the priests, in order to stop the progress of the truth.

But this is not all concerning Mamma Parrish. The next business we find him in is robbing the Kirtland Bank of twenty five thousand dollars at one time and large sums at others. The managers had, in the meantime, appointed him as cashier and F. G. Williams as president, and they managed the institution with a witness. Parrish tore the paper out of the institution and went to buying bogus or counterfeit coin with it, becoming a partner with the Tinker's Creek blacklegs and in company with Julias Granger, in buying different kinds of property with it and devoting it to his own use and soon entirely destroyed the institution.

He was aided by his former associates to take his paper and go and buy bogus with it from the Tinker's Creek blacklegs and on the way coming home, they would waylay Parrish and his gang and rob them, so they would lose the bogus money. At last Parrish sold his horse and carriage for bogus money and behold, when he came home and opened his box of bogus, it was sand and stones. Parrish was somewhat chagrined at this, so he gets out a state's warrant, takes his coadjutor, Luke Johnson, and off to Tinker's Creek they go, Johnson as constable. The pretended object was to take the man who had them, the horse and carriage, one for stealing them, and the others as stolen property. Coming to the place where they were, Johnson takes after the man and drives him into a barn. Parrish in the meantime, takes the horse and carriage, and clear to Kirtland with it and when Johnson had pretendedly tried to take the man, until he supposed Parrish had got off with the horse and carriage, he ceased the pursuit and went home.

For this, Parrish was taken by the sheriff of Cuyahoga County, his hands bound behind his back, and held in custody until he paid two hundred dollars, and if he had not paid it, he would have stood a chance for the work house.

Thus O ye priests, what a blessed company of associates you have got to help you on the work of persecution. You ought to rejoice greatly at the venerable addition doubt they are men as much after your own hearts as ever David was after the heart of God. And you, Mr. [LeRoy] Sunderland in particular, you have no doubt in Warren Parrish an helpmeet after your own image and your own likeness. Congratulate yourself greatly in having obtained a man after your heart to help you to lie and persecute.

O ye priests, but you are a heaven born race, and that all the world may well know by the company you keep. You have got Warren Parrish for your associate, a man notorious for lying, for adultery, for stealing, for swindling, and for villainy of all kinds, but for nothing else. Are you not happily yoked together with believers, precisely of your own character? Surely you are, since it is company of your own choosing.

For our parts, we shall consider it an honor to be belied and persecuted by such debauchees. In it we will rejoice as long as we have breath, knowing if these men speak well of us, that we are not doing the will of God. For the friendship of such is enmity against God, and the friendship of God is enmity to such.

And then, O ye priests, we leave you with your holy company, until it shall be said to you all, "Depart ye workers of iniquity, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."

There is another character who has figured somewhat in the affairs of Granny Parrish, Doctor W. A. Cowdery. This poor pitiful beggar came to Kirtland a few years since with a large family, nearly naked and destitute. It was really painful to see this pious doctor's (for such he professed to be) rags flying when he walked the streets. He was taken in by us in this pitiful condition and we put him into the printing office and gave him enormous wages, not because he could earn it, or because we needed his service, but merely out of pity. We knew the man's incompetency all the time and his ignorance and inability to fill any place in the literary world with credit to himself or to his employers. But notwithstanding all this, out of pure compassion, we gave him a place and afterwards hired him to edit the paper in that place and gave him double as much as he could have gotten anywhere else. The subscribers, many at least, complained to us of his inability to edit the paper and there was much dissatisfaction about it, but still we retained him in our employ, merely that he might not have to be supported as a pauper.

By our means, he got himself and family decently clothed and got supplied with all the comforts of life, and it was nothing more nor less than supporting himself and family as paupers, for his services were actually not worth one cent to us, but on the contrary, was an injury. The owners of the establishment could have done all the work which he did themselves, just as well without him as with him. In reality, it was a piece of pauperism.

But now, reader, mark the sequel. It is a fact of public notoriety that as soon as he found himself and family in possession of decent apparel, he began to use all his influence to our injury, both in his savings and doings. We have often heard it remarked by slave holders that you should not make a negro equal with you or he would try to walk over you. We have found the saying verified in this pious doctor, for truly this niggardly spirit manifested itself in all its meanness. Even in his writings (and they were very mean at best) he threw out foul insinuations, which no man who had one particle of noble feeling would have condescended to. But such was the conduct of this master of meanness. Nor was this niggardly course confined to himself, but his sons also were found engaged in the same mean business.

His sons, in violation of every sacred obligation were found among the number of Granny Parrish's men, using all their influence (which however was nothing, but they were none the less guilty for that, for if it had been ever so great, it would have been used) to destroy the benefactors of their family who raised their family from rags, poverty, and wretchedness. One thing we have learned that there are negroes who wear white skins as well as those who wear black ones.

Granny Parrish had a few others who acted as lackeys, such as Martin Harris, Joseph Coe, Cyrus P. Smalling, etc. but they are so far beneath contempt that a notice of them would be too great a sacrifice for a gentleman to make.


Having said so much, we leave this hopeful company in the new bond of union which they have formed with the priests. While they were held under restraints by the Church and had to behave with a degree of propriety, at least, the priests manifested the greatest opposition to them. But no sooner were they excluded from the fellowship of the Church and gave loose to all kind of abominations, swearing, lying, cheating, swindling, drinking with every species of debauchery, then the priests began to extol them to the heavens for their piety and virtue and made friends with them and called them the finest fellows in the world.

Is it any wonder then, that we say of the priests of modern days that they are of Satan's own making and are of their father the devil. Nay verily nay, for no being but a scandalous sycophant and base hypocrite would say other ways. As it was with Doctor Philastes Hurlburt, so it is with these creatures. While Hurlburt was held in bounds by the Church and made to behalf himself, he was denounced by the priests as one of the worst of men, but no sooner was he excluded from the Church for adultery, than instantly he became one of the finest men in the world. Old deacon Clapp of Mentor ran and took him and his family into the house with himself and so exceedingly was he pleased with him, that purely out of respect to him, he went to bed to his wife. This great kindness and respect Hurlburt did not feel just so well about but the pious old deacon gave him a hundred dollars and a yoke of oxen, and all was well again.

This is the Hurlburt that was author of a book which bears the name of E. D. Howe, but it was this said Hurlburt that was the author of it. But after the affair of Hurlburt's wife and the pious old deacon, the persecutors thought it better to put some other name as author to their book than Hurlburt, so E. D. Howe substituted his name. The change however was not much better. Asahel Howe, one of E. D.'s brothers who was said to be the likeliest of the family, served apprenticeship in the work house in Ohio for robbing the post office. And yet notwithstanding all this, all the pious priests of all denominations were found following in the wake of these mortals.

Hurlburt and the Howes are among the basest of mankind, and known to be such and yet the priests and their coadjutors hail them as their best friends and publish their lies, speaking of them in the highest terms. And after all this, they want us to say that they are pious souls and good saints. Can we believe it? Surely men of common sense will not ask us to do it.

Good men love to associate with good men, and bad men with bad ones, and when we see men making friends with drunkards, thieves, liars, and swindlers, shall we call them saints? If we were to do it, we might be justly charged with "partaking of their evil deeds."

Therefore until we have more evidence than we have now, we shall always think when we see men associating with scoundrels, that they themselves are scoundrels. And there we shall leave them for the present, firmly believing that when the day of decision had come that we shall see all the priests who adhere to the sectarian religions of the day. With all their followers, without one exception, receive their portion with the devil and his angels. (Pages 55-60)


Love it. Joseph giving crap to his false friends. A great harrah for Zion! A grunting MOMMA PARRISH :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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_grindael
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Re: A History of Jo's Spiritual Wifeism

Post by _grindael »

Bumping this... more coming soon...
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_grindael
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Re: A History of Jo's Spiritual Wifeism

Post by _grindael »

Here is the outline of things to come. Ohio: Part III is almost finished! Bear with me folks, I had to kind of plan the rest of it out so I didn't present a confusing narrative....

Part I: Out of the Frying Pan [Continued]

(Ohio: Part III): The Priesthood Restoration
(Missouri: Part I): Gathering to Zion ( Zion, Part II)
(Ohio: Part IV): The Endowment of Power & The Girl Business
(Ohio: Part VI): Speculation & Apostasy
(Missouri: Part II) The War For Zion (Zion, Part III) & Licking Wounds & Another Affair

Part II: Into the Fire

(Commerce): A New Vision of Zion (Nauvoo the Beautiful)
(Nauvoo: Part I): Baptism for the Dead & The Development of the Sealing Power
(Nauvoo: Part II): Spiritual Wives (Part I): Frigging Other Men’s Wives (1840-1841)
(Nauvoo: Part III): The Second Endowment of Power
(Nauvoo: Part IV): Spiritual Wives (Part II): If A Man Marry a Virgin (The Single Women) (1842-1843)
(Nauvoo: Part V): The Temporal Kingdom of God
(Nauvoo: Part VI): Handshakes, Lawsuits & Assassination
(Nauvoo: Part VII): Spiritual Wives (Part III): Struggle For the Sealing Power & Divvying Up the Cast Offs
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Re: A History of Jo's Spiritual Wifeism

Post by _grindael »

Sorry, wasn't ready... hit submit by accident.
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Re: A History of Jo's Spiritual Wifeism

Post by _Philo Sofee »

This is incredible of you to do thank you for sharing all your research.
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Re: A History of Jo's Spiritual Wifeism

Post by _grindael »

Part I: Out of the Frying Pan [Continued]
(Ohio: Part III): The Priesthood “Restoration”


There are some concepts in Mormonism that evolved over time, like the Priesthood. This is important to understand in relation to later events, because if one doesn’t understand the doctrinal progression of these concepts, it is easy to misinterpret later events.

For example, the claimed visit of Elijah to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in 1836. This claimed visit was recorded in 1836 by Warren Cowdery, but it was never published in Joseph’s lifetime, and there is no evidence that he ever referred to it subsequent to it being written down. According to later descriptions, this is what happened when Elijah supposedly visited Joseph and Oliver in the Kirtland Temple:

“What was the nature of this restoration? It was the conferring upon men in this dispensation of the sealing power of the priesthood, by which all things are bound in heaven as well as on earth. It gave the authority to Joseph Smith to perform in the temple of God all the ordinances essential to salvation for both the living and the dead.

Through the power of this priesthood which Elijah bestowed, husband and wife may be sealed, or married for eternity; children may be sealed to their parents for eternity; thus the family is made eternal, and death does not separate the members. This is the great principle that will save the world from utter destruction.

“Vicariously the dead may obtain the blessings of the gospel—baptism, confirmation, ordination, and the higher blessings, which are sealed upon them in the temples of the Lord, by virtue of the authority restored by Elijah. Through the restoration of these keys, the work of the Lord is fully inaugurated before the coming of Jesus Christ in glory.

“These keys of the binding, or sealing power, which were given to Peter, James, and John in their dispensation, are keys which make valid all the ordinances of the gospel. They pertain more especially to the work in the temples, both for the living and for the dead. They are the authorities which prepare men to enter the celestial kingdom and to be crowned as sons and heirs of God.

“These keys hold the power to seal husbands and wives for eternity as well as for time. They hold the power to seal children to parents, the key of adoption, by which the family organization is made intact forever. This is the power which will save the obedient from the curse in the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Through these keys the hearts of the children have turned to their fathers.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:118–19.)https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-student-manual/section-110-121/section-110-messengers-with-keys?lang=eng


But this isn’t what happened, Elijah did not restore any priesthood in 1836, or any sealing power. And if those "keys" they later describe are necessary to allow all ordinances to be performed with validity, why was there a need for Elijah at all since Peter, James & John had the very same keys? This (that Elijah didn't restore any priesthood in 1836) is affirmed by Joseph’s own statements made later in Nauvoo. So what did happen? Let’s go back to the beginning and see. On September 4, 1830 Joseph Smith wrote up this “revelation”:

1. A Commandment to the church of Christ, given in Harmony, Pennsylvania, September 4, 1830,

Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Lord, your God and your Redeemer, whose word is quick and powerful.
2. For behold I say unto you, that it mattereth not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, when ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory;
3. Remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins:
4. Wherefore a commandment I give unto you, that you shall not purchase wine, neither strong drink of your enemies:
5. Wherefore you shall partake of none, except it is made new among you, yea, in this my Father's kingdom which shall be built up on the earth.
6. Behold this is wisdom in me, wherefore marvel not, for the hour cometh that I will drink of the fruit of the vine with you, on the earth, and with all those whom my Father hath given me out of the world:
7. Wherefore lift up your hearts and rejoice, and gird up your loins and be faithful until I come:--even so. Amen. [A Book of Commandments, Chapter XXVIII).

Pretty simple, it's about what to eat and drink for the sacrament. but no mention of any priesthood, or priesthood restoration. Noting this, let’s get back to the priesthood. As David Whitmer explains:

After the translation of the Book of Mormon was finished, early in the spring of 1830, before April 6th, Joseph gave the stone to Oliver Cowdery and told me as well as the rest that he was through with it, and he did not use the stone any more. He said he was through the work that God had given him the gift to perform, except to preach the gospel. He told us that we would all have to depend on the Holy Ghost hereafter to be guided into truth and obtain the will of the Lord. (An Address To All Believers In Christ, Richmond, Missouri, 1887, page 32)

After this, in June of 1830, Joseph wrote what was to be called the “Articles and Covenants of the church of Christ. This describes how the newly formed church was to operate, including its offices:

1 The Articles and Covenants of the church of Christ, given in Fayette, New-York, June, 1830:
THE rise of the church of Christ in these last days, being one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the coming of our Lord and Sav ior Jesus Christ, in the flesh; [p. 47] 2 It being regularly organized and established agreeable to the laws of our country, by the will and commandments of God in the fourth month and on the sixth day of the month, which is called April:
3 Which commandments were given to Joseph, who was called of God and ordained an apostle of Jesus Christ, an elder of this church;
4 And also to Oliver [Cowdery], who was called of God an apostle of Jesus Christ, an elder of this church, and ordained under his hand:
5 And this according to the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
, to whom be all glory both now and forever. Amen.
6 For, after that it truly was manifested unto this first elder, that he had received a remission of his sins, he was entangled again in the vanities of the world;
7 But after truly repenting, God ministered unto him by an holy angel, whose countenance was as lightning, and whose garments were pure and white above all whiteness, and gave unto him commandments which inspired him from on high, and gave unto him power, by the means which were before prepared, that he should translate a book;
8 Which book contained a record of a fallen people, and also the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles;
9 And also to the Jews, proving unto them, that the holy scriptures are true;
10 And also, that God doth inspire men and call them to his holy work, in these last days as well as in days of old, that he might be the same God forever. Amen.
11 Which book was given by inspiration, and is called the Book of Mormon, and is confirmed to [p. 48]others by the ministering of angels, and declared unto the world by them:
12 Wherefore having so great witnesses, by them shall the world be judged, even as many as shall hereafter receive this work, either to faith and righteousness, or to the hardness of heart in unbelief, to their own condemnation, for the Lord God hath spoken it, for we, the elders of the church, have heard and bear witness to the words of the glorious Majesty on high; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
13 Wherefore, by these things we know that there is a God in heaven, who is infinite and eternal, from everlasting to everlasting, the same unchangeable God, the maker of heaven and earth and all things that in them is, and that he created man male and female, and after his own image, and in his own likeness created he them;
14 And that he gave unto the children of men commandments, that they should love and serve him the only being whom they should worship, but by the transgression of these holy laws, man became sensual and devilish, and became fallen man.
15 Wherefore, the Almighty God gave his only begotton Son, as it is written in those scriptures, which have been given of him, that he suffered temptations, but gave no heed unto them;
16 That he was crucified, died, and rose again the third day, and that he ascended into heaven to sit down on the right hand of the Father, to reign with Almighty power according to the will of the Father.
17 Therefore, as many as would believe and were baptized in his holy name, and endured in faith to the end, should be saved; [p. 49]18 Yea, even as many as were before he came in the flesh, from the beginning, who believed in the words of the holy prophets, who were inspired by the gift of the Holy Ghost, which truly testified of him in all things, as well as those who should come after, who should believe in the gifts and callings of God, by the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of the Father and of the Son, which Father and Son and Holy Ghost, is one God, infinite and eternal, without end. Amen.
19 And we know, that all men must repent and believe on the name of Jesus Christ, and worship the Father in his name, and endure in faith on his name to the end, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.
20 And we know, that justification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is just and true;
21 And we know, also, that sanctification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is just and true, to all those who love and serve God with all their mights, minds, and strength, but there is a possibility that men may fall from grace and depart from the living God.
22 Therefore, let the church take heed and pray always, lest they fall into temptation;
23 Yea, and even he that is sanctified also.
24 And we know, that these things are true and agreeable to the revelation of John, neither adding to, nor diminishing from the prophecy of his book;
25 Neither to the holy scriptures;
26 Neither to the revelations of God which shall come hereafter, by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost;
27 Neither by the voice of God; [p. 50]
28 Neither by the ministering of angels, and the Lord God hath spoken it; and honor, power, and glory, be rendered to his holy name both now and ever. Amen.
29 And again, by way of commandment to the church, concerning the matter of baptism;
30 Behold whosoever humbleth himself before God and desireth to be baptized, and comes forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnesseth unto the church, that they have truly repented of all their sins and are willing to take upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him unto the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, then shall they be received unto baptism into the church of Christ.
31 The duty of the elders, priests, teachers, deacons and members of the church of Christ.
32 An apostle is an elder, and it is his calling to baptize and to ordain other elders, priests, teachers and deacons, and to administer the flesh and blood of Christ according to the scriptures;
33 And to teach, expound, exhort, baptize, and watch over the church;
34 And to confirm the church by the laying on of the hands, and the giving of the Holy Ghost, and to take the lead of all meetings.
35 The elders are to conduct the meetings as they are led by the Holy Ghost.
36 The priest’s duty is to preach, teach, expound, exhort and baptize, and administer the sacrament, and visit the house of each member, and exhort them to pray vocally and in secret, and also to attend to all family duties;
37 And ordain other priests, teachers and deacons, [p. 51]and take the lead of meetings; but none of these offices is he to do when there is an elder present, but in all cases is to assist the elder.
38 The teacher’s duty is to watch over the church always, and be with them, and strengthen them, and see that there is no iniquity in the church, neither hardness with each other, neither lying nor backbiting, nor evil speaking;
39 And see that the church meet together often, and also see that all members do their duty;
40 And he is to take the lead of meetings in the abscence of the elder or priest, and is to be assisted always, and in all his duties in the church by the deacons;
41 But neither the teachers nor deacons have authority to baptize nor administer the sacrament, but are to warn, expound, exhort and teach, and invite all to come unto Christ.
42 Every elder, priest, teacher or deacon, is to be ordained according to the gifts and callings of God unto him, by the power of the Holy Ghost which is in the one who ordains him.

43 The several elders composing this church of Christ, are to meet in conference once in three months, or from time to time as they shall direct or appoint, to do church business whatsoever is necessary.
44 And each priest or teacher, who is ordained by a priest, is to take a certificate from him at the time, which when presented to an elder, he is to give him a license, which shall authorize him to perform the duty of his calling.
45 The duty of the members after they are received by baptism.
46 The elders or priests are to have a sufficient [p. 52]time to expound all things concerning this church of Christ to their understanding, previous to their partaking of the sacrament, and being confirmed by the laying on of the hands of the elders;
47 So that all things may be done in order.
48 And the members shall manifest before the church, and also before the elders, by a godly walk and conversation, that they are worthy of it, that there may be works and faith agreeable to the holy scriptures, walking in holiness before the Lord.
49 Every member of this church of Christ having children, is to bring them unto the elders before the church, who are to lay their hands upon them in the name of the Lord, and bless them in the name of Christ.
50 There can not any one be received into this church of Christ, who has not arrived to the years of accountability before God, and is not capable of repentance.
51 And baptism is to be administered in the following manner unto all those who repent:
52 Whosoever being called of God and having authority given them of Jesus Christ, shall go down into the water with them, and shall say, calling them by name:
53 Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
54 Then shall he immerse them in the water, and come forth again out of the water.
55 And it is expedient that the church meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus;
56 And the elder or the priest shall administer it, and after this manner shall he do, he shall kneel with [p. 53]the church, and call upon the Father in mighty prayer, saying:
57 O God the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee O God the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given them, that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
58 The matter of administering the wine:
59 Behold they shall take the cup and say, O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them, that they may witness unto thee, O God the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
60 Any member of this church of Christ, transgressing or being overtaken in a fault, shall be dealt with according as the scriptures direct.
61 It shall be the duty of the several churches, composing this church of Christ, to send one or more of their teachers to attend the several conferences, held by the elders of this church, with a list of the names of the several members, uniting themselves to the church since the last conference, or send by the hand of some priest, so that there can be kept a regular list of all the names of the members of the whole church, in a book kept by one of the elders; [p. 54]62 Whomsoever the other elders shall appoint from time to time:
63 And also, if any have been expelled from the church, so that their names may be blotted out of the general church record of names.
64 Any member removing from the church where he resides, if going to a church where he is not known, may take a letter certifying that he is a regular member and in good standing;
65 Which certificate may be signd by any elder or priest, if the member receiving the letter is personally acquainted with the elder or priest, or it may be signed by the teachers or deacons of the church.


Notice that the church was to be comprised of Elders, Priests, Teachers and Deacons and that was all. An “apostle” was an elder, not a High Priest. And how were they to be “ordained”? “…by the power of the Holy Ghost which is in the one who ordains him.” This is all the authority that they needed.

As Gregory Prince writes:

Visions surrounding the gold plates of the Book of Mormon provided the earliest confirmation of Joseph Smith’s divine calling. Within weeks of Smith’s obtaining the plates in September 1827, neighbor Martin Harris “became convinced of the visions and gave [Smith] fifty Dollars to bare my expences and because of his faith and the righteous deed the Lord appeared unto him in a vision and showed unto him his marvilous work which he was about to do.” A similar manifestation in 1829 converted a man whose role in Latter-day Saint priesthood would be second only to Smith’s: “[The] Lord appeared unto a young man by the name of Oliver Cowdry and shewed unto him the plates in a vision and also the truth of the work and what the Lord was about to do through me his unworthy servant therefore he was desirous to come and write for me to translate.”

While it was apparent that Smith had a calling, the basis of his authority was implicit in his work, not the result of any “hands-on” ordination. Prior to 1829 neither Smith nor his followers claimed to have received the type of divine authorization which ultimately would become known as “priesthood.

Smith’s primary concerns during this time were his own status with God and the translation of the gold plates. He expressed no intent to organize a church or to confer authority or ordinances on others. Three revelations date from this period, none of which addressed these issues. In the first, from July 1828, Smith was chastised for having lost part of the Book of Mormon manuscript and was told that he would be allowed to resume translating, but no authority was mentioned. In the second, dated February 1829, a ministry extending beyond publication of the Book of Mormon was implied. The qualifications for that ministry were listed: “Faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God” (BC III:1). Formal authority evidently was not required. The third revelation, given to Joseph Smith one month later in behalf of Harris, described for the first time the establishment of a church, “like unto the church which was taught by my disciples in the days of old” (BC IV:5), but stipulated no prerequisites (Gregory A. Prince, Power From On High, Ch.1, p.3)


From the Painesville Telegraph (December 7, 1830):

THE BOOK OF Mormon

Those who are the friends and advocates of this wonderful book, state that Mr. Oliver Cowdry has his commission directly from the God of Heaven, and that he has credentials, written and signed by the hand of Jesus Christ, with whom he has personally conversed, and as such, said Cowdry claims that he and his associates are the only persons on earth who are qualified to administer in his name. By this authority, they proclaim to the world, that all who do not believe their testimony, and be baptized by them for the remission of sins, and come under the imposition of their hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and stand in readiness to go to some unknown region, where God will provide a place of refuge for his people, called the “New Jerusalem,” must be forever miserable, let their life have been what it may. If these things are true, God has certainly changed his order of commission. When Jesus sent his disciples to preach, he gave them power against all unclean spirits, to cast them out, to heal all manner of diseases, and to raise the dead. But these newly commissioned disciples have totally failed thus far in their attempts to heal, and as far as can be ascertained, their prophecies have also failed. Jesus Christ has forewarned us not to believe them: “There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect behold — I have told you before, we give too much credit to these men.” — Let us follow the example of the church at Ephesus: “Thou hast tried them which say they are Apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.” We ought to believe God, though it should prove all men to be liars.


As this “revelation” from June of 1829 explains:

26 . . . behold, there are others who are called to declare my gospel, both unto Gentile and unto Jew; 27 Yea, even twelve; and the Twelve shall be my disciples, and they shall take upon them my name; and the Twelve are they who shall desire to take upon them my name with full purpose of heart. 28 And if they desire to take upon them my name with full purpose of heart, they are called to go into all the world to preach my gospel unto every creature. 29 And they are they who are ordained of me to baptize in my name, according to that which is written . . .31 And now I speak unto you, the Twelve—Behold, my grace is sufficient for you; you must walk uprightly before me and sin not. 32 And, behold, you are they who are ordained of me to ordain priests and teachers; to declare my gospel, according to the power of the Holy Ghost which is in you, and according to the callings and gifts of God unto men; 33 And I, Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, have spoken it . . .37 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; 38 And by their desires and their works you shall know them. 39 And when you have found them you shall show these things unto them. (Revelation, Book of Commandments, 1833, Chapter XV)


As David Whitmer later explained,

When Christ came into the world upon this land, Nephi was a great High Priest who had done many mighty works. Now Nephi had to lay down his robe of a High Priest just outside the door and come into the Church of Christ by baptism, to the office of an Elder, and not once after that is Nephi called a High Priest. At this time the Church of Christ was established upon this land. Christ comes into the world and preaches to them as he had to those at Jerusalem, giving them instructions concerning his Church and the New Covenant which he made with them, as he had with those on the eastern continent, telling them they were no longer under the old law of Moses, but from that time were under him. He chooses twelve disciples who were called Elders, [Moroni III, p. 575] to minister unto that people, and after giving them full instructions concerning the establishing of his church, he ascends into heaven. Elders, Priests and Teachers were ordained in his church, [p. 575] and full instructions given concerning their duties. Christ told his disciples to write his teachings, for they were to be hid up to come down to us as his teachings to us. Now this being the case, why are not some instructions given in the new covenant of that book concerning the office of High Priests? Of course there was no such an office in the Church of Christ upon this land, nor in the Church of Christ upon the eastern continent, nor should there be such an office in the Church to-day. It is a grievous sin to have such an office in the church. As well might you add to the teachings of Christ–circumcision–offering up the sacrifice of animals–or break the ordinances of Christ in any other way by going back to the old law of Moses. (An Address, 63).


Greg Prince (again):

The office of high priest is unique, for it is the only office mentioned in the Book of Mormon not incorporated in the church at its inception. Within the “pre-Christian” portion of the Book of Mormon high priest was an important and benevolent figure: “And now, Alma was their high priest, he being the founder of their church. And it came to pass that none received authority to preach or to teach except it were by him, from God. Therefore he consecrated all their priests and all their teachers; and none were consecrated except they were just men” (BM, LDS, Mosiah 23:16-17).

In the Christian portion of the Book of Mormon, the office of high priest had degenerated to the point where its holders became antagonists of those who spoke of Christ: “Now there were many of the people who were exceeding angry because of those who testified of these things; and those who were angry were chiefly the chief judges, and they who had been high priests and lawyers” (BM, LDS, 3 Ne. 6:21).

Whether Joseph Smith’s initial failure to ordain high priests was due to this passage, or to a desire to emulate the organization described in the Christian portion of the book, is not clear. What is clear, however, is that one of Smith’s closest associates credited Sidney Rigdon with successfully proposing to Smith that high priests be added in 1831:

As you know, the teachings of Christ are the same at Jerusalem and upon this land; but on account of the plain and precious things being taken from the Bible, there is room therein for disputation on some points; but the teachings of Christ in the Book of Mormon are pure, plain, simple, and full. Christ chose “twelve” and called them disciples, or Elders,–not apostles, and the “twelve” ordained elders, priests, and teachers. These are all the spiritual offices in the Church of Christ, and their duties are plainly given. . . .

But they did not rely upon the Book of Mormon in building up the church; but Joseph “went on in the persuasion of men,” as he did while translating, and heeded Rigdon who expounded the old scriptures to him and showed him that high priests and other offices should be added to “elders, priests and teachers.”

While Smith’s and Rigdon’s silence on the subject disallows verification of David Whitmer’s assertions, they are consistent with the historical record, for there was no known mention of high priests prior to Rigdon’s arrival in New York, and the first Restoration document mentioning the office was Smith’s revision of Genesis written late in the winter of 1830-31, for which Rigdon served as scribe. (Gregory A. Prince, Power From On High, Ch.2, p.70-71)


In 1832, Smith began working on a history that supposedly was

Joseph Smith wrote:“ an account of his marvilous experience and of all the mighty acts which he doeth in the name of Jesus Christ the son of the living God of whom he beareth record and also an account of the rise of the church of Christ in the eve of time according as the Lord brought forth and established by his hand firstly he receiving the testamony from on high seccondly the ministering of Angels thirdly the reception of the holy Priesthood by the ministring of—Aangels to adminster the letter of the Gospel— —the Law and commandments as they were given unto him— and the ordinencs, forthly a confirmation and reception of the high Priesthood after the holy order of the son of the living God power and ordinence from on high to preach the Gospel in the administration and demonstration of the spirit the Kees of the Kingdom of God confered upon him and the continuation of the blessings of God to him &c——


Here Smith claims that “the Kees of the Kingdom of God” had been “confered upon him,” and that there was some kind of “reception of the holy Priesthood by the ministring of Angels,” (Exactly how Cowdery describes the visit of John the Baptist) and then a “reception of the high Priesthood after the holy order of the son of the living God.” (Which would be the events of June 1831) What is also important to note here is that Smith claims in the summer of 1832 that he already had received the "priesthood" so that they could "administer the letter of the Gospel - the Law and commandments as they were given him - AND THE ORDINANCES. So why exactly, were the sealing keys needed to validate those ordinances? And Smith here claims that he had "the Kees of the Kingdom of God confered upon him". Smith/Cowdery in 1834 wrote,

…after we had called upon him in a fer vent manner, aside from the abodes of men, condescended to manifest to us his will. On a sudden, as from the midst of eternity, the voice of the redeemer spake peace to us, while the vail was parted and the angel of God came down clothed with glory, and delivered the anxiously looked for message, and the keys of the gospel of repentance!—

What Joy! what wonder! what amazement! while the world were wracked and distracted—while millions were grouping [groping] as the blind for the wall, and while all men were resting upon uncertainty, as a general mass, our eyes beheld—our ears heard. As in the “blaze of day;” yes more—above the glitter of the may sun beam, which then shed its brilliancy over the face of nature! Then his voice, though mild, pierced to the center, and his words, [“]I am thy fellow servant,” dispelled every fear. We listened—we gazed—we admired! Twas the voice of the angel from glory—twas a message from the Most High! and as we heard we rejoiced, while his love enkindled upon our souls, and we were rapt in the vision of the Almighty! Where was room for doubt? No where: uncertainty had fled, doubt had sunk, no more to rise, while fiction and deception had fled forever!

But, dear brother think further think for a moment, what Joy filled our hearts, and with what surprise we must have bowed, (for who would not have bowed the knee for such a blessing?) when we received under his hand the holy priesthood, as he said, [“]upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer this priesthood, and this authority, which shall remain upon earth, that the sons of Levi may yet offer an offering into the Lord in righteousness!” http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper- ... 34-1836/51


In the above account there is no mention of Peter, James & John or another Priesthood. Dan Vogel writes,

[This] History was begun in the midst of challenges to Smith's authority, primarily initiated by Bishop Edward Partridge in Missouri, which evoked Smith's introduction of the office of president of the high priesthood (Vogel 1988, 113-16). It is therefore not simply an autobiographical sketch, but an apology setting forth Smith's credentials as leader of the church. The History therefore contains the earliest account of what is known as his "first vision" and earliest mention of angelic priesthood ordinations. (Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, p. 26)

John Farkas writes,

After the high priesthood comes elders, priests, teachers, and deacons. Now the offices are separate, for the edification and benefit of the whole church, and, though the elders and bishops are appendages to the high priesthood, & the teachers and deacons are appendages to the lesser priesthood, yet these offices are important to their places, and regular in their gradation: from deacon to teacher, from teacher to priest, from priest to elder, from elder to high priest. (W. W. Phelps, March, 1833, E&M Star, page 74)

While not directly named, this is the first apparent mention together of the two LDS priesthoods in an official Mormon publication. The Book of Mormon, in the book of Alma, does mention the “high priesthood,” but the “lesser priesthood” is not mentioned at all in the Book of Mormon.

Phelps’ article does require the reader to know the meaning of “high priesthood” and “lesser priesthood.” The priesthood revelations from God were allegedly received in 1823, 1829, 1830, 1831 and September 1832. The Evening and Morning Star was first published June 1832, so there was a nine-month opportunity to mention all of them sooner than Phelps’ article. https://beggarsbread.org/2012/10/06/fab ... or-by-man/


Here is Phelps Article from the Star:

As before said, Christ is the head of his church, and from him comes every good and perfect gift. And for the perfecting of the saints and so forth, he has bestowed offices and ordinances, with order, for the benefit of the whole church. The high priesthood, of which order is he, the Son of God, or this priesthood being a type of his order, is set forth as follows, by Alma:

"And again: my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time which the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children; and I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people; and those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.

And this is the manner after which they were ordained, being called and prepared from the foundation of the world, according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceeding great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with and according to a preparatory redemption for such:

And thus they having been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this, they might had as great privilege as their brethren.

Or in fine: in the first place they were on the same standing with their brethren, thus this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the only begotten Son, which was prepared:

And thus being called with this holy calling, and ordained unto the high priest hood of the holy order of God, to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest, this high priest-hood being after the order of his Son, which order was from the foundation of the world; or in other words, being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from all eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things. Now they were ordained after this manner: being called with a holy calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance, and taking upon them the high priesthood of the holy order, which calling, and ordinance, and high priesthood, is without beginning or end; thus they become high priests forever, after the order of the Son, the only begotten of the Father, which is without beginning of days or end of years, which is full of grace, equity and truth. And thus it is. Amen.

Now as I said concerning the holy order of this high priesthood: there were many which were ordained and became high priests of God; and it was on account of the exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness, rather than to perish; therefore they were called after his holy order, and were sanctified, and their garments were washed white, through the blood of the Lamb.

Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin, save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceeding great many, which were made pure, and entered into the rest were many, exceeding great many, which were made pure, and entered into the rest of the Lord their God.

And now, my brethren, I would that ye should humble yourselves before god, and bring forth fruit mete for repentance, that ye may also enter into that rest; yea, humble yourselves even as the people in the days of Melchizedek, who was also a high priest after this same order which I have spoken, who also took upon him the high priest hood forever.

And it was this same Melchizedek to whom Abraham paid tithes; yea, even our father Abraham paid tithes of one tenth part of all he possessed.

Now these ordinances were given after this manner, that thereby the people might look forward on the Son of God, it being a type of his order, or it being his order; and this, that they might look forward to him for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord.

Now this Melchizedek was a king over the land of Salem; and his people had waxed strong in iniquity and abominations; yea, they had all gone astray: they were full of all manner of wickedness; but Melchizedek having exercised mighty faith, and received the office of the high priesthood, according to the holy order of God, did preach repentance unto his people.

And behold, they did repent; and Melchizedek did establish peace in the land in his days; was called the Prince of Peace, for he was the king of Salem; and he did reign under his father. Now there were many before him, and also there were many afterwards, but none were greater; therefore of him they have more particularly made mention. Now I need not rehearse the matter; what I have said may suffice.

Behold the scriptures are before you; if ye will arrest them, it shall be to your own destruction."

After the high priesthood comes elders, priests, teachers, and deacons. Now the offices are separate, for the edification and benefit of the whole church, and, though the elders and bishops are appendages to the high priesthood, & the teachers and deacons are appendages to the lesser priesthood, yet these offices are important to their places, and regular in their gradation: from deacon to teacher, from teacher to priest, from priest to elder, from elder to high priest.


The terms and concepts of “Aaronic Priesthood” and “Melchizedek Priesthood,” universally used by the LDS and Community of Christ [formerly RLDS] churches today, were not adopted until 1835 and underwent significant changes as late as 1844, the year of Smith’s death.

Three offices—elder, priest, and teacher—were present within the Restoration by August 1829, as were the ordinances of baptism, confirmation, and ordination, but the word “priesthood” in reference to these offices and ordinances did not occur for another three years, and the office of "high priest" was not being used until 1833.

Finally, while important steps in this developmental process were early associated with divine or angelic visitations, specific roles for John the Baptist and Peter, Joseph, and John were first identified only several years later.

Though today still associated with the restoration of Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods, during Smith’s lifetime they became completely overshadowed by the Old Testament prophet Elijah. Indeed, after 1840 Smith never associated John the Baptist or Peter, James, and John with the concept of priesthood, opting instead to emphasize the primacy of Elijah. (Prince, op. cited)


This is because of Smith's Baptism for the Dead doctrine, which Smith did not develop until the fall of 1840. He links this doctrine to Elijah, and then invents the "sealing" doctrine which is in turn (in 1842) applied to the marriage covenant. Some claim that this passage written by W. W. Phelps speaks of eternal marriage, but it is pretty ambiguous and could be describing something else:

A new idea, sally, If you and I continue faithful to the end, we are certain of being one in the Lord throughout eternity. This is one of the most glorious consolations we can have in [page 3] the flesh. W. W. Phelps May 26, 1835


Like this from 1832:

Beloved, there was a time so perfect, and the union so pure, that the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy! and we do beseech you, to purify yourselves that your names may be written in heaven, for the company of angels to look upon, that they may come down and teach us to purify ourselves for the presence of Jesus, that he may dwell with us, while his glory covers the heavens, and the earth is full of his praise, that we may be one with all the redeemed of the Lamb, and them that are changed in the twinkling of an eye as the heaven and the earth are made now, that the tabernacle of God may be with men, and he with them, that we may hear the sons of Zion from all the creations he hath made, shouting glory and power and honor, to God and the Lamb throughout eternity. (The Evening and the Morning Star, Vol.1, No.4, p.25)


JAMES GRAY and the THREE PRIESTHOODS

In 1810, James Gray, D. D. (1770–1824), published a small book with a very long title positing the existence of three priesthoods—the priesthoods of Aaron, Melchizedec, and Jesus Christ. (Joseph Smith's Three Priesthoods were the (1)"Aaronic", the (2)"Abrahamic" or "Patriarchal" and the (3)"Melchizedek" Priesthoods. We will discuss these three below, since an understanding of them is essential to understanding Smith's Spiritual Wifeism. Fawn Brodie refers to the book as follows:

“It seems likely that Joseph's concept of dual priesthood came directly from James Gray's A Dissertation, on the Coincidence Between the Priesthoods of Jesus Christ & Melchisedec (Philadelphia, 1810, Online here, https://books.google.com/books?id=zQE3A ... &q&f=false). Joseph was familiar with Gray's works. His own signed copy of Gray's Mediatorial Reign of the Son of God (Baltimore, 1821) may be seen in the library of the Reorganized Church. (No Man Knows My History, 111)


According to H. Michael Marquardt, "Brodie may have mistaken this book for the one that was owned by Samuel Harrison Smith "which is now in Special Collections at BYU. This copy has "Samuel Smith's Book February 20th 1830" on the title page. (For Books owned by Smith & his family see, http://www.xmission.com/~research/about/books.htm )

Indeed, the similarities of the two men's views are striking. But there are stark differences as well, which, to my thinking strengthens the hypothesis that Smith/Rigdon used Gray's ideas to frame their own concept of priesthood.

NO ANGELIC VISITATIONS DOCUMENTED

Dan Vogel in his book ‘Early Mormon Documents’, tells us that there are no Church documents that describe this ‘angelic restoration’ until 1834:

“The first time that any mention of angelic messengers is documented was in 1834 at a meeting of the Kirtland High Council. Soon after, Cowdery also started to talk about angels. In 1835, he said, “[Smith] was ordained by the angel John, unto the lesser or Aaronic priesthood, in company with myself… After this we received the high and holy priesthood …” (Early Mormon Documents 2:452-453).


Cowdery would later describe this ‘restoration’ in a speech before the saints in 1848:

"I was present with Joseph when an holy angel from God came down from heaven and conferred on us, or restored, the lesser or Aaronic Priesthood, and said to us, at the same time, that it should remain upon the earth while the earth stands. I was also present with Joseph when the higher or Melchizedek Priesthood was conferred by the holy angel from on high. This Priesthood, we then conferred on each other by the will and commandment of God." (Oliver Cowdery, at Kanesville, Iowa, in the fall of 1848 , see History of the Church, Vol. 1, p. 40 footnote)


DAVID WHITMER

In his Address to all Belivers in Christ, David Whitmer states that the idea of the Melchizedek Priesthood originated with Sidney Rigdon, and that the first High Priests were ordained in Kirtland in 1831:

“In no place in the word of God does it say that an Elder is after the order of Melchisedec, or after the order of the Melchisedec Priesthood… This matter of ‘priesthood,’ since the days of Sydney Rigdon, has been the great hobby and stumbling-block of the Latter Day Saints… Authority is the word we used for the first two years in the church—until Sydney Rigdon’s days in Ohio. This matter of the two orders of priesthood in the church of Christ, and lineal priesthood of the older law being in the church, all originated in the mind of Sydney Rigdon. He explained these things to Brother Joseph in his way, out of the old Scriptures, and got Brother Joseph to inquire, etc… This is the way the High Priests and the ‘priesthood’ as you have it, was introduced into the Church of Christ almost two years after its beginning—and after we had baptized and confirmed about two thousand souls into the church… In Kirtland, Ohio, in June, 1831, at a conference of the church, the first High Priests were ordained into the church”—An Address to All Believers in Christ, David Whitmer, 1887, p. 64.


1831 GENERAL CONFERENCE & The "High Priesthood"

At a general conference held at the home of Sirenes Burnett “Br. Joseph Smith jr. said that the order of the High priesthood is that they have power given them to seal up the [21] Saints unto eternal life. And said it was the privilege of every Elder present to be ordained to the High priesthood”. [from Minutes]

October 25 morning: The High Priesthood is the power to seal the Saints unto eternal life §. Brethren declare their willingness to give all to God. Greatest blessings for those who support the Prophet's family while he continues to work on the scriptures. Joseph declines to describe Book of Mormon translation process. Support missionary families.

October 25 evening: Fund-raising missionaries called. Ordinations to the High Priesthood, ordination of elders and priests.

October 26: Sidney rebukes brethren for not taking ordination to the High Priesthood seriously. Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer instructed regarding the selection of the Twelve.They are to be ordained and sent forth from Zion. (But this was not done until 1835, see below)

Date:October 25–26, 1831

Location: Orange, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, home of Sirenes Burnett
Description:… a general Conference …

[Moderator]:[Joseph Smith] Clerk Oliver Cowdery

Present :Names of those ordained to the High Priesthood:

Joseph Smith Jr.
Oliver Cowdery
John Whitmer
Hyrum Smith
Sidney Rigdon
Samuel H. Smith
Simeon Carter
Reynolds Cahoon
Martin Harris
Joseph Smith Sr.
Wheeler Baldwin
John Smith (license taken) (not of the Prophet's lineage)

(See, http://www.boap.org/LDS/Parallel/1830-33/25Oct31.html )


BOOK OF COMMANDMENTS CHANGED

“A Revelation on Church Government… Doctrine and Covenants, section xx… Verses 65, 66 and 67 were added by the Prophet some time after the rest of the revelation was given.” —History of the Church, vol. 1, pp. 64, 68, notes

B. H. ROBERTS & THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH

This statement by George A. Smith is in agreement with the above minutes of the ‘general conference’ of Oct. 1831 (cited above).

“Among the early baptisms in Northern Ohio, was a Methodist minister by the name of Ezra Booth. He was present when the Elders first received the ordination of the High Priesthood. They met together in June, 1831. …While they were there, the manifestation of the power of God being on Joseph, he set apart some of the Elders to the High Priesthood. …The Priesthood was conferred on a number of the Elders.”— George A. Smith, Journal of Discourses, vol. 11, p. 4


This statement is also backed up by one made by William McLellin:

“I joined the church in 1831. For years I never heard of John the Baptist ordaining Joseph and Oliver. I heard not of James, Peter, and John doing so… I never heard of it in the church for years…” – William McLellin (An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins, pp.224-25).


Here is the B. H. Roberts ‘explanation’ of the above:

“A misapprehension has arisen in the minds of some respecting the statement—‘The authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood was manifested and conferred for the first time upon several of the Elders.’ It has been supposed that this passage meant that the higher or Melchizedek Priesthood was now for the first time conferred upon men in this dispensation. This of course is an error, since even before the Church was organized, the Apostleship, the highest authority in the Melchizedek Priesthood, was conferred upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, and very probably upon David Whitmer also.

…RESTORATION OF THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD. – The promise to confer upon Joseph and Oliver the Melchizedek Priesthood was fulfilled; but as there is no definite account of the event in the history of the Prophet Joseph, or, for matter of that, in any of our annals, the evidence of the fact of their ordination to the higher or Melchizedek Priesthood… are presented now. …The Prophet Joseph, in a communication to the Church, under date of September 6, 1842,makes undoubted allusion to the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood… (Doctrine and Covenants, sec. cxxviii: 20.) In one of the early revelations given to the Prophet Joseph, the Lord makes most direct reference to the restoration of the higher Priesthood… (Doctrine and Covenants, sec. xxvii). This revelation was given some time early in August, 1830, but only the first four verses were written at that time. The rest of it was written in September of that year. …These two allusions—the one by the Prophet and the other by the Lord—to the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood not only make clear the fact that the Melchizedek Priesthood was restored in accordance with the promise of John the Baptist when conferring the Aaronic Priesthood, but they make it possible to fix upon the place where, and approximately the time when, the event occurred.”—History of the Church, pp. 176, 40 notes


Roberts is wrong here. Tradition holds that although Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer were charged with "searching out the Twelve" in June 1829 (D&C 18:37), they didn't get around to the task until February 1835 and that earlier usages of apostle denote messenger, not an office. Take this ‘revelation’ given by Smith & written by Oliver Cowdery in June,1830:

… for behold I command all men every where to repent & I speak unto you [Oliver] even as unto Paul mine apostle for ye are called even with that same calling with which he was called.

“An apostle is an elder, and it is his calling to baptize and to ordain other elders, priests, teachers and deacons, and to administer the flesh and blood of Christ according to the scriptures, and to teach, expound, and exhort, and to baptize and watch over the church, and to confirm the church by the laying on of hands and the giving of the Holy Ghost, and to take the lead of all meetings, &c. (Cowdery, 1830; cf. D&C 18:9, D&C 20:38)


Dan Vogel writes,

The first major step toward stratification of church authority came at a conference in June 1831 in Kirtland when Smith introduced and ordained several men to the "high priesthood." Prior to June 1831 the only major division of authority was between elders--the charismatic leaders--and all others (see D&C 20:1-12, 38-45; 21:1-12; also chap. 6), nor did members recognize two priesthoods within the church. In 1832 Smith called these two priesthoods "the holy Priesthood"--the offices of deacon, teacher, priest, and elder--and "the high Priesthood" (sometimes called the Melchizedek Priesthood)--the office of high priest. At this point there was not yet a notion of "Aaronic" priesthood, and the offices of elder and high priest were conceived as offices within two different priesthoods. (Not until 22 September 1832 would the office of elder be included in the high priesthood [D&C 84].) Also there was not yet a concept that angelic ordination was needed to initiate the authority to ordain others to the high priesthood. Rather, on 6 December 1832, Smith dictated a revelation in which he was told that "the [high] priesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers--for ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God--therefore your life and the priesthood have remained, and must needs remain through you and your lineage" (D&C 86:8-10) https://user.xmission.com/~research/central/respri5.htm


The Office of the Quorum of the Twelve was not filled and sent out until 1835, although it was discussed in the 1831 General Conference. Here are excerpts of the minutes of the Kirtland Council, Feb 14th, 1835:

Joseph announces the three witnesses ofthe Book of Mormon will pray, then choose "twelve men from the Church as Apostles to go to all nations, Kindred tongue and people." Are blessed, choose twelve. Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris pray, the presidency blesses them by the laying on of the hands. Then the three witnesses name the Twelve:

The Twelve Apostles

Lyman E. Johnson (h)
Brigham Young
Heber C. Kimball
Orson Hyde (h)
David W. Patten (h)
Luke S. Johnson (h)
William E. McLellin (h)
John F. Boynton (h)
Orson Pratt (h1)
William Smith
Thomas B. Marsh (h)
Parley P. Pratt (h)


It is interesting to note that the minutes of this meeting record that Smith said on February 14, 1835:

… God had not designed all this for nothing, but he had it in remembrance yet, and those who went to Zion, with a determination to lay down their lives, if necessary, it was the Will of God, that they should be ordained to the ministry and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last times, or the coming of the Lord which was nigh, even fifty six years, should wind up the scene.” http://www.boap.org/LDS/Parallel/1834-38/14Feb35.html


Where in Doctrine and Covenants 128:20 (the first statement B.H. Roberts provides) is there any evidence that Joseph Smith received Melchizedek Priesthood authority BEFORE he organized the Church and that he conferred this priesthood upon the elders BEFORE 1831?

How can D&C 128:20 prove that Joseph Smith received the priesthood BEFORE he organized the LDS Church when this revelation itself is dated 12 years AFTER the organization of the LDS Church, makes NO mention of Joseph Smith receiving the priesthood from “Peter, James, and John,” nor does it give a DATE for this event? How can D&C 27 (the other revelation B.H. Roberts provides as evidence against the 1831 date) prove that Joseph Smith received the Melchizedek Priesthood BEFORE the LDS Church was organized in April 1830? (It was later changed and all that information added).

Even B.H. Roberts admits that “only the first four verses of this revelation,” were written in August 1830. He claims that the rest of the revelation was written in September of 1830, yet when one views it, only seven verses of this revelation appear under the date September 4, 1830 and NONE of these verses make any reference whatsoever to priesthood authority!

It appears that sometime between the 1833 edition of Book of Commandments and the 1835 edition of Doctrine and Covenants somebody ADDED all of the verses dealing with the administration of priesthood authority and the ordination of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to the text. (see, http://www.utlm.org/images/newsletters/102p12.gif )

So again, we must ask how this revelation could possibly prove that Joseph Smith and other LDS leaders possessed the proper priesthood authority to organize the LDS Church when ALL reference to this authority was COMPLETELY missing from church records and revelations of the time? In writing to LDS, David Whitmer warned:

“You have changed the revelations from the way they were first given and as they are to-day in the Book of Commandments, to support the error of Brother Joseph in taking upon himself the office of Seer to the church. You have changed the revelations to support the error of high priests. You have changed the revelations to support the error of a President of the high priesthood, high counselors, etc. You have altered the revelations to support you in going beyond the plain teachings of Christ in the new covenant part of the Book of Mormon.”—An Address to All Believers in Christ, David Whitmer, 1887, p. 49


Also, D&C 13, the revelation about the conferring of the Aaronic Priesthood to Joseph and Oliver, is completely missing from The Book of Commandments, and it is not in the revelation books where they copied such things.

Why was the original version of D&C 20 published in the 1833 Book of Commandments changed to add the words “High Priesthood” into later versions at verse 67?

Why were ALL the verses in Doctrine and Covenants 27 that contain the story of Smith receiving the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood, missing as from the ORIGINAL version of that revelation published in the 1833?

Do statements of any Church leaders or Church Records reflect the 1831 date as put forth by David Whitmer?

"It was the privilege of every Elder present to be ordained to the High Priesthood." (Far West Record, 25 Oct. 1931 - more than two years after the "High Priesthood" was supposedly restored.


If they were Elders already … then why would they need to be ordained to the ‘High Priesthood’? Because all of this had not been worked out yet.

The Melchizedek priesthood was then (June 4, 1831) for the first time introduced, and conferred on several of the elders." (John Corrill, Brief History of the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1839, Chapter 10)


Lyman Wight, baptized by Cowdery in 1830 states in his Letterbook:

"On the 4th of June 1831, a conference was held at Kirtland, represented by all the above named [named] branches; Joseph Smith our modern Prophet presided; and here I again saw the visible manifestations of the power of God as plain as could have been on the day of pentecost and here for the first time I saw the Melchisedec [High] priesthood introduced into the church of Jesus Christ as anciently; whereunto I was ordained under the hands of Joseph Smith, and I then ordainded Joseph and Sidney and sixteen others such as he chose unto the same priesthood. The spirit of God was made manifest to the heeling of the sick, cast out devils, speaking in unknown tongues, discerning of spirits, and prophesying [6] with mighty power, After the two days the conference broke up receiving the revelation which appointed 28 elders their Mission to Missouri”


Parley P. Pratt in his autobiography tells us:

"On the sixth of June, 1831, a general conference was convened at Kirtland, consisting of all the Elders, far and near, who could be got together. In this conference much instruction was given by President Smith, who spake in great power, as he was moved by the Holy Ghost; and the spirit of power and of testimony rested down upon the Elders in a marvelous manner. Here also were some strange manifestations of false spirits, which were immediately rebuked.

Several were then selected by revelation, through President Smith, and ordained to the High Priesthood after the order of the Son of God, which is after the order of Melchizedek. This was the first occasion in which this priesthood had been revealed and conferred upon the Elders in this dispensation, although the office of an Elder is the same in a certain degree, but not in the fullness. On this occasion I was ordained to this holy ordinance and calling by President Smith." (Apostle Parley P. Pratt in Chapter 10 of his autobiography)


What is interesting is this statement Pratt made about the revelations given to Smith & published in the Doctrine & Covenants:

Each sentence," says he, "was uttered slowly and very distinctly, and with a pause between each, sufficiently long for it to be recorded by an ordinary writer in long hand. This was the manner in which all his written revelations were dictated and written. There was never any hesitation, reviewing, or reading back, in order to keep the run of the subject; neither did any of these communications undergo revisions, interlinings or corrections. As he dictated them so they stood, so far as I have witnessed;..." (footnote on page 173 of Vol. 1 of the History of the Church)


We know this is a lie. Here is Widstoe telling the world the same thing:

“Within a few years after its organization, the Church had received practically all necessary supplementary laws and regulations. These also have remained unchanged. There has been no tampering with God's word.... the whole body of Church laws forms a harmonious unit, which does not anywhere contradict itself nor has it been found necessary to alter any part of it. (Joseph Smith—Seeker After Truth, pages 119 and 122)


Another lie. Joseph Fielding Smith made this comment concerning his grand-uncle’s revelations:

“Inspiration is discovered in the fact that each part, as it was revealed, dovetailed perfectly with what had come before. There was no need for eliminating, changing, or adjusting any part to make it fit; but each new revelation on doctrine and priesthood fitted in its place perfectly to complete the whole structure, as it had been prepared by the Master Builder.” (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol, 1, page 170)


Yes, he continues the great lie. If this is ‘inspiration’ one wonders where it came from? This statement by Gregory Prince sheds some light on the matter:

"Although the new order derived its name from Melchizedek, the term 'Melchizedek Priesthood' was not yet used, in spite of what Smith, Corrill, Lyman Wight, and Newel Knight later wrote. The term was first used in 1835 when it became an umbrella encompassing all prior component terms. All accounts of the 1831 conference referring to 'Melchizedek Priesthood' were written after 1835, while contemporary accounts of the conference mentioned only 'High Priesthood' or 'Order of Melchizedek.'" -Gregory Prince, ‘Power from on High: The Development of Mormon Priesthood’


D. Michael Quinn’s research showed:

"No mention of angelic ordinations can be found in original documents until 1834-35. Thereafter accounts of the visit of Peter, James, and John by Cowdery and Smith remained vague and contradictory." -- D. Michael Quinn, Mormon Hierarchy:Origins of Power, page 15


Walmart. McLellin, one of Smith’s original Apostles, had this to say:

"I never heard one word of John the baptist, or of Peter, James, and John's visit and ordination till I was told some year afterward in Ohio."


Quinn, again:

"Cowdery's 1834 history puzzles modern Mormons for two reasons. First, he says John the Baptist restored 'the Holy Priesthood,' when modern Mormons have been taught that he conferred the Aaronic priesthood not the 'Holy Priesthood' of Melchizedek. Second, Cowdery in 1834 does not refer to restoration of a second priesthood." -- D. Michael Quinn, ibid., page 281 fn73.


Another historian, Grant Palmer points out that:

“...by degrees, the accounts [of LDS priesthood restoration] became more detailed and more miraculous.… Details usually become blurred over time; in this case, they multiplied and sharpened.… The most plausible explanation is that they were retrofitted to an 1829-30 time period to give the impression that an impressive and unique authority had existed in the church from the beginning” (An Insider’s View,pp.228-230).


An interesting conundrum:

“…the Prophet Joseph Smith… was of the lineage of Joseph through the loins of Ephraim.”—Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, p. 247

According to Genesis 41:45, 50-52, who was Ephraim’s mother?

“And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. … And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him. And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh… And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”—Genesis 41:45, 50-52

In the POGP it states:

Now this king of Egypt was a descendant from the loins of Ham, and was a partaker of the blood of the Canaanites by birth. From this descent sprang all the Egyptians, and thus the blood of the Canaanites was preserved in the land. … Pharaoh, being a righteous man, established his kingdom and judged his people wisely and justly all his days, seeking earnestly to imitate that order established by the fathers …and also of Noah, his father, who blessed him with the blessings of the earth, and with the blessings of wisdom, but cursed him as pertaining to the Priesthood. Now, Pharaoh being of that lineage by which he could not have the right of Priesthood, notwithstanding the Pharaohs would fain claim it from Noah, through Ham, therefore my father was led away by their idolatry.”—Abraham 1:21-22, 26-27

Since the descendants of Ephriam are of ‘tainted blood’ how can anyone [even myself whose Patriarchal Blessing stated I was from that tribe] have held the Melchizedek Priesthood before the ban was lifted in 1978, including Smith? (I myself was ordained an Elder shortly before the ban was lifted).


And then we have this conundrum:

“And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the Priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh; For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.”—Doctrine and Covenants 84:21-22


How could Smith then, see the Father as he claimed in 1820 without the priesthood? Jos. Fielding Smith had this answer:

“No doubt today men must hold the priesthood to see God, but prior to the restoration of the Priesthood, this was not necessarily so. At the time of the First Vision, what was required to see God was humility, faith, and the spirit of God.” -Answers to Gospel Questions, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1966) Vol. 5., pp. 84-85.


Are you kidding me?

On June 4th 1831, a Conference was held in Kirtland, in which many significant events happened. In this conference Smith would prophecy that “John the Revelator was then among the ten tribes of Israel who had been lead away by Salmanaser King of Israel, to prepare them for their return, from their Long dispersion, to again possess the land of their fathers.” After prophesying many ‘other things’, according to Apostle Lyman Wight, the “Melchisedec [HIGH] priesthood [was] introduced into the church of Jesus Christ as anciently” by Smith “for the first time” at this conference, “whereunto I was ordained under the hands of Joseph Smith, and I then ordainded Joseph and Sidney and sixteen others such as he chose unto the same priesthood.” Lyman Wight sketch, 5–6.August 1857

Then according to John Whitmer, “the Spirit …fell upon Lyman, and he prophecied concerning the coming of Christ, [and] he said that there were some in this congregation that should live until the Savior shoud decend from heaven, with a Shout, with all the holy angels with him. The Book of John Whitmer Kept by Commandment, pages 69-70 http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/JW ... story.html

Joseph Smith wrote in 1838:

On the 6th of June, the elders from the various parts of the country where they were laboring, came in and the conference before appointed, convened in Kirtland, and the Lord displayed his power <to the most perfect satisfaction, of the saints> in a manner that could not be mistaken. The man of sin was revealed, and the authority of the melechisedec <priesthood> was manifested and <I> conferred, <the high priesthood> for the first time, upon several of the elders. It was clearly evidint that the Lord gave us power in proportion to the work to be done and strength according to the race set before us; and grace and help as our needs required. Great har mony prevailed. Several were ordained; Faith was strengthened; and humility, so necessary for the blessing of God to follow prayer, characterized the saints. “ Manuscript History of the Church, page 118 (1838) http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper- ... t-1834/124


The Minutes of the June 9, 1831 Conference read:

Conference opened by br. Joseph Smith jr. in exhortation & prayer, Prayer by br. Sidney Rigdon & exhortation by the same. Exhortation by most of the Elders present. Brs. Lyman Wight John Murdock Reynolds Cahoon Harvey Whitlock & Hyrum Smith were ordained to the high Priesthood under the hand of br. Joseph Smith jr.

Exhortation by brs. Lyman Wight & Harvey Whitlock Brs. Parley P. Pratt Thomas B. Marsh Isaac Morley Edward Partridge Joseph Wakefield Martin Harris Ezra Thayer Ezra Booth, (denied the faith) John Corrill Samuel H. Smith Solomon Hancock Simeon Carter Wheeler Baldwin Jacob Scott, (denied the faith) Joseph Smith [Sr.] John Whitmer Joseph Smith jr. & Sidney Rigdon were ordained to the High Priesthood under the hand of br. Lyman Wight; The Bishop, (Edward Partridge) then blessed those who were ordained in the name of Christ according to commandment br. John Corrill & Isaac Morley were ordained assistants to the Bishop under the hand of Lyman Wight.

Exhortation by br. Sidney Rigdon & Joseph Smith jr. Closed by prayer by br. Sidney Rigdon John Whitmer Clerk [Far West Record, p. 4]


Oliver Cowdery wasn't even at this Conference. All of the accounts that refer to this Priesthood as "Melchizedek" were written long after this Conference. This Priesthood was referred to as the "High" Priesthood. It was first introduced on this day and that is when Joseph Smith was ordained, not by any angels, but by Lyman Wight. The actual record does not use the word "Melchizedek".

The Mission of Elijah - Was it Initially about "Sealing"?

When Joseph composed his history in June of 1839[..] he claimed that the angel Moroni had told him in 1823:

Behold I will reveal unto you the Priesthood by the hand of Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.


These words were then later added to the Doctrine and Covenants with this header:

Words spoken by an angel, to Joseph Smith, while in his father’s house, in Manchester, Ontario County, New York, on the evening of the 21st of September, 1823. (D&C 1879 Edition, https://archive.org/stream/doctrineandc ... 0/mode/2up)


Notice that they do not tell you that they were first written by Joseph in 1838. (Editions after 1981 confirm that they were taken from Joseph Smith's History, but they do not give a date either). At the time that Joseph dictated these words for his history, he made some remarks about the priesthood:

I testify of these things, & that the coming of the Son of Man is nigh even at your doors.—If our Souls & our bodies are not looking forth for the coming of the Son of Man, & after we are dead if we are not looking forth, &c we shall be among those who are calling for the rocks to fall upon us &c —The hearts of the children will have to be turned to the fathers, & the fathers to the children living or dead to prepare them for the coming of the Son of Man. If Elijah did not come the whole earth would be smitten.


Joseph had taught up to this time that the focus of the power of Elijah would be the hearts of the children being turned to the fathers and the fathers to their children. The way that this would be accomplished was by the preaching of the Gospel. He teaches here that even “after we are dead if we are not looking forth” we shall be “among those calling for the rocks to fall upon us”. If Elijah did not come, the whole earth would be smitten or wasted. Joseph also taught another crucial concept at this time in relation to being sealed up to eternal life:

I will pray the Father & he shall send you another Comforter. There is one Comforter [i.e. the Holy Ghost] & another Comforter to abide with you forever, reach to things within the vail, know that you are Sealed. If you get it, it will stand by you forever. How is it obtained? Keep my commandments & I will pray &c.— [verse 17] It is a privilege to view the Son of Man himself, he dwelleth with you & shall be in you, his spirit shall be in you. [verse 18] I will not have you comfortless, I will come to you, abide with you forever, Seal you up to Eternal life. [verse 19] Yet a little while & you shall see me no more, but ye see me.— [verse 21] He that hath my commandments & keepeth them, he it is that loveth me &c.—I will manifest myself to him. if he does not he has not told the truth. I will put promises in your hearts, that will not leave you that will Seal you up. …Come to God weary him until he blesses you &c—we are entitled to the same blessings, Jesus, revelations, Just Men &—Angels &c. &c. not Laying again the doctrine of Christ go on unto perfection. Obtain that holy Spirit of promise—Then you can be sealed to Eternal Life. [..]—Before 8 August 1839


Joseph explained that this sealing up to eternal life was Jesus appearing to an individual and guaranteeing them their exaltation. They would know they were sealed. Jesus would “put promises in your hearts, that will not leave you that will Seal you up.” This was the “holy Spirit of promise” that would “abide with you forever”. Obtaining this enables one to be “sealed to Eternal Life.” It was not a "power" granted to certain men to dispel as they saw fit, it was up to the Lord to give each person this opportunity. Joseph, would later become as god to the people by usurping this power. This will become obvious as we go along.

In 1833 Joseph had explained the necessity of turning the hearts of the children to their fathers:

…be not afraid of your enemies, for I have decreed in my heart, saith the Lord, that I will prove you in all things, whether you will abide in my covenant, even unto death, that you may be found worthy. For if ye will not abide in my covenant ye are not worthy of me. Therefore, renounce war and proclaim peace, and seek diligently to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children; And again, the hearts of the Jews unto the prophets, and the prophets unto the Jews; lest I come and smite the whole earth with a curse, and all flesh be consumed before me. (D&C 98:14-17)

In a letter written two years later, Joseph elaborated on this concept:

their teachings [the Elders] should be such as are calculated to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers. … therefore, first teach the parents, and then, with their consent, let him persuade the children to embrace the gospel also. (The Latter-day Saints' Messenger and Advocate, Vol.2, No.2, p.211
).

This aligns closely with the Biblical account about the mission of John the Baptist:

And he [John] will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” [..](Luke 1:12-17, NIV)


Elijah returning, would not be literal, it would be a person or persons raised up who preached with “the spirit and power of Elijah.” Joseph would later claim that John the Baptist had the “spirit of Elias”, but in 1832 the Evening and Morning Star it was reported that Elijah and Elias were the same person and hinted at a literal return of the Old Testament prophet:

Elijah was translated to paradise in a chariot of fire, and Malachi says he shall return before the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

[Mal. 4:6] and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers. Now the Savior said he is come already, but the Jews knew it not, so he did not turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the following extract from Ecclesiasticus, chap. 48th, shows that Elijah, as he is called in Hebrew, and Elias in Greek, will yet come and restore the tribes of Jacob.[..] The Evening and the Morning Star, Vol.1, No.5, p.34, October 1832


There is no concept of "sealing" or "welding" people together into dispensations that go back to Adam. That was all invented later. Claiming that Elias was John the Baptist reflects Joseph’s retranslation of the New Testament, for when he came to the transfiguration of Jesus in Mark, Chapter 9, he changed it to read:

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, and James, and John, who asked him many questions concerning his sayings; and Jesus leadeth them up into a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white, as snow; so white as no fuller on earth could whiten them. And there appeared unto them Elias [Elijah] with Moses, or in other words, John the Baptist and Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.


Remember that very first "revelation" I quoted above that spoke of what to eat and drink during the sacrament? Well, In the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants, Joseph added this text about Moroni, Elijah and Elias to that "revelation" he had first given in 1830:

Behold this is wisdom in me: wherefore marvel not for the hour cometh that I will drink of the fruit of the vine with you on the earth, and with Moroni, whom I have sent unto you to reveal the Book of Mormon, containing the fulness of my everlasting gospel; to whom I have committed the keys of the record of the stick of Ephraim; and also with Elias, to whom I have committed the keys of bringing to pass the restoration of all things, or the restorer of all things spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began, concerning the last days: and also John the son of Zacharias, which Zacharias he (Elias) visited and gave promise that he should have a son, and his name should be John, and he should be filled with the spirit of Elias; which John I have sent unto you, my servants, Joseph Smith, jr. and Oliver Cowdery, to ordain you unto this first priesthood which you have received, that you might be called and ordained even as Aaron: and also Elijah, unto whom I have committed the keys of the power of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers, that the whole earth may not be smitten with a curse: and also, with Joseph, and Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham your fathers; by whom the promises remain; and also with Michael, or Adam, the father of all, the prince of all, the ancient of days. (1835 D&C, Section L:2, See here, for a picture of those changes, http://www.utlm.org/images/changingther ... s_p157.gif)


Aside from how dishonest this is, Elijah now holds “keys” that needed to be literally restored by Elijah himself. And again, there is nothing about sealing keys, only to restore the "keys" to give power to do what was being described above, which was done through TEACHING the Gospel.

This illustrates how Joseph was now separating Elias and Elijah into two persons and therefore they both would now literally return. This explains why Joseph wrote in 1839 that Moroni told him that Elijah would appear to reveal to him “the priesthood”. John the Baptist now becomes “filled with the spirit of Elias” who revealed to them the lesser priesthood; while Elijah holds the keys of the power of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children. Joseph then claims that Elias is the angel Gabriel who “held the keys of bringing to pass the restoration of all things.”

A year after Joseph wrote the letter above about how the Elders would turn the hearts of the children to their fathers through their teachings, he and Oliver Cowdery claimed to have a vision in the newly completed temple at Kirtland. In that vision, they claimed that,

…Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed. After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said: Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.


Once again we see Elias and Elijah as separate characters,[..] Elias? and that Elijah was only committed with the keys of the power of turning the hearts of the children of men, while Elias (Gabriel or Noah) committed to them “the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham”.
Joseph Smith has now become an Elias of the last days, with the spirit and power of Elijah that would enable him to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children.

**It seems that the invention of another person was necessary because of the claimed restoration of two priesthoods, Elias (John the Baptist) as forerunner to the Aaronic Priesthood, and Elijah as forerunner to the Melchizedek Priesthood.

The Three Orders of the Priesthood

Later in Nauvoo, Joseph would complicate matters with the invention of a third order of the priesthood which he would call the Patriarchal, or Abrahamic Priesthood. This would retroactively supplant the then current Melchizedek Priesthood, which was then referred to as the “highest order” or “fullness” of the priesthood.

Joseph would claim in 1843 that more would be revealed about this [Melchizedek] priesthood when the temple was completed:
"Go to and finish the [Nauvoo] temple, and God will fill it with power, and you will then receive more knowledge concerning this priesthood" (TPJS, p. 323, cf. D&C 107:18, 20).

But before Joseph designated Elijah as possessing the keys to the “fullness” of the Melchizedek Priesthood, he was teaching that,

There are two Priesthoods spoken of in the Scriptures, viz the Melchisadeck and the Aaronic or Levitical Altho there are two Priesthoods, yet the Melchisadeck Priesthood comprehends the Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood and is the Grand head, and holds the highest Authority which pertains to the Priesthood the keys of the Kingdom of God in all ages of the world to the latest posterity on the earth and is the channel through which all knowledge, doctrine, the plan of salvation and every important matter is revealed from heaven. … See which ordinances will be continued when the priesthood is restored with all its authority power and blessings. Elijah was the last prophet that held the keys of this priesthood, and who will, before the last dispensation, restore the authority and delive[r] the Keys of this priesthood in order that [size=150]all the ordinances may be attended to in righteousness.
[/size]
It is true that the Savior had authoritity and power to bestow this blessing but the Sons of Levi were too predjudi[ced] And I will send Elijah the Prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord &c &c. Why send Elijah because he holds the Keys of the Authority to administer in all the ordinances of the priesthood and without the authority is given the ordinances could not be administered in righteousness. (Joseph Smith, discourse, October… 1840)


According to this, Elijah had not yet been sent to do this. (There is more evidence that confirms this that will be posted in the Nauvoo part of the series). And what about the ordinances that were performed BEFORE Elijah supposedly came? Of course, in 1840 Joseph was (again) reinventing the mission of Elijah and was applying this to Baptism for the Dead. (More on that later).

Peter, James and John?

Joseph is still claiming in this discourse that Elijah was to be sent and the priesthood needed to be restored, even though he supposedly appeared to him in the Kirtland Temple four years earlier.

Elijah, he now taught, was the last prophet to hold the keys to all of the ordinances before the dispensation of the meridian of time, Doctrine and Covenants 20:26; 39:3, Moses 5:57; 6:57, 62; 7:46 including the Law of Sacrifice, and so he was to be sent to restore those keys so that “all the ordinances may be attended to in righteousness.” (Manuscript in CHL, October 5, 1840, as cited in Ehat and Cook, Words of Joseph Smith, 43. See LDS D&C 124:39). keys=knowledge, messengers are sent to give knowledge to those on earth.

Later in Nauvoo, the Priesthood would undergo another radical transformation... but this lays the groundwork to understand how it initially developed and that the later changes (the so called "sealing power") were ad hoc to compensate for the new doctrine of Baptism for the Dead.

What happened with Peter, James & John? Did they not have the "sealing" keys? But then, if they did, how would Joseph explain the prophecy in Malachi? So, in typical Smith fashion, he simply ignores this conundrum.
Riding on a speeding train; trapped inside a revolving door;
Lost in the riddle of a quatrain; Stuck in an elevator between floors.
One focal point in a random world can change your direction:
One step where events converge may alter your perception.
_grindael
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Re: A History of Jo's Spiritual Wifeism

Post by _grindael »

Just informing everyone that I've put this off in lieu of finishing my book, "Spiritual Wives: The Beginnings of Mormon Polygamy", which I'm hoping to have finished by years end. The book will be divided into two parts, "Before Nauvoo" and "The City of Joseph" and will chronicle the development of Joseph's teachings on the "sealing power" and his Spiritual Wifeism. The story will be told chronologically, so it will be easy to follow and understand.

I will also have my paper finished on Emma Smith & The 1869 Utah Affidavits and submitted by years end.

So with that, I'll be busy writing and so you may not hear from me for a while. I do enjoy sharing things here though and so when I can, I'll post things and probably still comment on other subjects when I take a break from writing.

I sincerely appreciate all the interest in my research and hope I can deliver a great book on this subject for any interested.

Thanks,

Johnny
Riding on a speeding train; trapped inside a revolving door;
Lost in the riddle of a quatrain; Stuck in an elevator between floors.
One focal point in a random world can change your direction:
One step where events converge may alter your perception.
_Doctor CamNC4Me
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Re: A History of Jo's Spiritual Wifeism

Post by _Doctor CamNC4Me »

I read everything you post and spread the information, where appropriate, across the WWW. Thanks for doing what you do.

- Doc
In the face of madness, rationality has no power - Xiao Wang, US historiographer, 2287 AD.

Every record...falsified, every book rewritten...every statue...has been renamed or torn down, every date...altered...the process is continuing...minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Ideology is always right.
_grindael
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Re: A History of Jo's Spiritual Wifeism

Post by _grindael »

Bumping this in the light of the new "Saints" History. I have some interesting stuff on Fanny Alger that I will try and get posted here as soon as Pt. II of "Irrational World" is published.
Riding on a speeding train; trapped inside a revolving door;
Lost in the riddle of a quatrain; Stuck in an elevator between floors.
One focal point in a random world can change your direction:
One step where events converge may alter your perception.
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