After we returned from Missouri, my brother Joseph Young and myself
had been singing after preaching in a meeting; and when the meeting
was dismissed, Brother Joseph Smith, said, "Come, go down to my house
with me." We went and sung to him a long time, and talked with him.
He then opened the subject of the Twelve and Seventies for the first
time I ever thought of it. He said, "Brethren, I am going to call out
Twelve Apostles. I think we will get together, by-and-by, and select
Twelve Apostles, and select a Quorum of Seventies from those who have
been up to Zion, out of the camp boys." In 1835 the last of January
or in February, or about that time, we held our meetings from day to
day, and Brother Joseph called out Twelve Apostles at that time. He had
a revelation when we were singing to him. Those who were acquainted
with him knew when the Spirit of Revelation was on him, for his
countenance wore an expression peculiar to himself while under {220}
that influence. He preached by the Spirit of Revelation, and taught
in his council by it, and those who were acquainted with him could
discover it at once, for at such times there was a peculiar clearness
and transparency in his face. He followed up that revelation until he
organized the Church, and so along until the baptism for the dead was
revealed. 9:89.
How came these Apostles, these Seventies, these High Priests, and all
this organization we now enjoy? It came by revelation. Father Cahoon,
who lately died in your neighborhood, was one of the first ordained to
the office of High Priest in this Kingdom. In the year 1831 the Prophet
Joseph went to Ohio. He left the State of New York on the last of
April, if my memory serves me, and arrived in Kirtland sometime in May.
They held a General Conference, which was the first General Conference
ever called or held in Ohio. Joseph then received a revelation, and
ordained High Priests. You read in the book of Doctrine and Covenants
how he received the Priesthood in the first place. It is there stated
how Joseph received the Aaronic Priesthood. John the Baptist came to
Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. When a person passes behind the veil,
he can only officiate in the spirit-world; but when he is resurrected
he officiates as a resurrected being, and not as a mortal being. You
read in the revelation that Joseph was ordained, as it is written. When
he received the Melchizedek Priesthood, he had another revelation.
Peter, James, and John came to him. You can read the revelation at
your leisure. When he received this revelation in Kirtland, the Lord
revealed to him that he should begin and ordain High Priests; and he
then ordained quite a number, all whose names I do not now recollect;
but Lyman {271} Wight was one; Fathers Cahoon and Morley, John Murdock,
Sidney Rigdon, and others were also then ordained. These were the first
that were ordained to this office in the Church. I relate this to show
you how Joseph proceeded step by step in organizing the Church.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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