Origin of the 'Reorganized' Church and the Question of SuccessionSmith, Joseph Fielding
History
Origin of the 'Reorganized' Church and the Question of Succession
Smith, Joseph Fielding
Latter Day Saint churches -- Government; Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints -- Government
Another charge is that the Presidents of the Church have not
received the revelations of the Lord which have been given to the
"Reorganization" through their president. The charge is false. The
Presidents of the Church from the Prophet Joseph until now have
received revelations from the Lord for the guidance of His people.
While all these revelations have not been placed in the Doctrine and
Covenants, they are none the less true. Not all the revelations given
to Joseph the Seer were placed in the Doctrine and Covenants in his
day, we have added many of his revelations to that volume since his
death; and there are others that have not been placed in it. Some of
them were for the Church and _not for the world_, and, therefore, are
given only to the Saints. But many revelations have been given to
the Church since the death of Joseph Smith, some of these have been
published, some have not. It has been my privilege to read and handle
a number of them that are still in the manuscript and have not as yet
been given to the world for a wise purpose in the Lord. But they are on
file and will be preserved.
A short time ago a number of Elders visited Lamoni and held meetings
there. The following issue of the Saints' Herald contained an
editorial, not very dignified, ridiculing them. It was written by the
associate editor. In part he said:
"It may be urged that these are young and inexperienced men. But
the dearth of spiritual power is not confined to these young men.
Joseph F. Smith, who is supposed to be a 'Prophet, seer, and
revelator,' when before the Senate Committee was asked by Senator
Dubois, 'Have you received any individual revelations yourself,
since you became president of the Church under your own definition,
even, of a revelation?'
"To this he replied, 'I cannot say that I have.'
"A moment later he added, 'Well, I can say this: That if I live as
I should in the line of my duties, I am susceptible, I think, of
the impressions of the Spirit of the Lord upon my mind at any time,
_just as any good Methodist or any other church member might be_.'
"This seems to be in line with the experiences of his predecessors,
Snow, Woodruff, Taylor, and Young, who also posed as 'revelators,'
for during a period of over sixty years they have received nothing
professing to be a revelation, that was thought worthy of a place
in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants." (Elbert A. Smith, _Saints'
Herald_, 56:681).
This slurring presumption counts for naught, for the editor of the
_Herald_ knows nothing pertaining to the revelations we have received,
or what we think of them. Nor is he fair to President Joseph F. Smith
in this quotation from the record of the investigation, for it does not
convey the belief or knowledge, or the true expression of President
Smith, and was purposely misapplied, which a careful reading of his
testimony will show.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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