Essentials in Church History: A History of the Church from the Birth of Joseph Smith to the Present Time (1922), with Introductory Chapters on the Antiquity of the Gospel and the "Falling Away"Smith, Joseph Fielding
History
Essentials in Church History: A History of the Church from the Birth of Joseph Smith to the Present Time (1922), with Introductory Chapters on the Antiquity of the Gospel and the "Falling Away"
Smith, Joseph Fielding
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- History
On the 14th of February, 1835, Brigham Young and his brother Joseph
came to the house of President Joseph Smith and sang for him. While
they were visiting with the Prophet on this occasion he told them
that he desired to call together all those who were members of Zion's
Camp, for he had a blessing for them. At this meeting he conversed
with these two brethren on the scenes of their memorable journey and
said: "Brethren, I have seen those men who died of the cholera in our
camp; and the Lord knows, if I get a mansion as bright as theirs, I ask
no more." At this he wept and could not speak for some time. He then
said the Lord had called Brigham Young to be one of the twelve special
witnesses, and Joseph Young to be a president of the seventies.
A meeting was called for the 14th of February, and on that day all
the members of Zion's Camp that could be called together assembled to
receive such blessings as the Lord had promised them. President Joseph
Smith then stated that the object of the meeting was to choose men for
important positions in the ministry to go forth and prune the vineyard
for the last time. He had been commanded by the Lord to prepare for
the calling of Twelve Apostles, in fulfilment of the revelation given
before the organization of the Church (Doc. and Cov. Sec. 18). These
twelve men were to be chosen from among those who went up in Zion's
Camp, and the three special witnesses to the Book of Mormon were
to select and ordain them. After the usual opening exercises and
appropriate instructions a recess was taken for one hour. When the
meeting was later called to order the three witnesses were blessed by
the laying on of hands by the presidency; they then united in prayer
and proceeded to make choice of the Twelve Apostles. Their names in the
order in which they were chosen are as follows:[2]
Lyman E. Johnson Brigham Young Heber C. Kimball Orson Hyde David W.
Patten Luke S. Johnson William E. McLellin John F. Boynton Orson Pratt
William Smith Thomas B. Marsh Parley P. Pratt
The witnesses then proceeded to ordain these brethren, and the first
three were ordained at that meeting. The following day all the others
except Parley P. Pratt, who was absent, Thomas B. Marsh and Orson
Pratt, who were on a mission, were ordained. Parley P. Pratt was
ordained February 21; Thomas B. Marsh on April 25 and Orson Pratt the
following day.
A charge was given to these brethren by President Oliver Cowdery, and
items of valuable instruction were imparted by President Joseph Smith.
In this way another important step in the development of the Priesthood
and the organization of the Church was accomplished.
The Seventy
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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