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
I stated that this blessing that was given to Oliver Cowdery was taken
from him and given to another. In the Doctrine and Covenants, section
124:94-95, this is found:
"And from this time forth I appoint unto him (that is Hyrum Smith)
that he may be a prophet, and a seer, and a revelator unto my
Church, as well as my servant Joseph.
"That he may act in concert also with my servant Joseph, and that
he shall receive counsel from my servant Joseph, who shall show
unto him the keys whereby he may ask and receive, and be crowned
with the same blessing, and glory, and honor, and Priesthood, and
gifts of the Priesthood, that once were put upon him that was my
servant Oliver Cowdery."
Here the blessings of Oliver Cowdery are transferred to the head
of Hyrum Smith, and, therefore, we can say with equal emphasis
that in the seed of Hyrum Smith, as well as in the seed of Joseph
Smith, all generations after him shall be blessed. For the Lord hath
spoken it! Now, the seed of Hyrum Smith are not connected with the
"Reorganization." However, in the words of another let me say:
"That the descendants of Joseph Smith, and those of Hyrum Smith,
stand before God as do all other men, assured of honor or dishonor,
exaltation or degradation, according to their individual works."
We are also referred to verses 56-58 of section 124, which, perhaps, is
a passage on which they lay the greatest stress of all. I shall read
beginning with the fifty-sixth verse, and ask you to follow me closely
and I will read it as clearly as I possibly can:
"And now I say unto you, as pertaining to my boarding house which I
have commanded you to build for the boarding of strangers, let it
be built unto my name, and let my name be named upon it, and let my
servant Joseph, and his house have place therein, from generation
to generation;
"For this anointing have I put upon his head, that his blessing
shall also be put upon the head of his posterity after him.
"And as I said unto Abraham concerning the kindreds of the earth,
even so I say unto my servant Joseph, in thee and in thy seed shall
the kindred of the earth be blessed."
You see it says, "this anointing have I put upon his head." What
anointing does this refer to? Notice that it says, "as pertaining to
my boarding house * * let my servant Joseph, and his house have place
therein, from generation to generation." That is the anointing the
term "this" refers to. It is the place in that boarding house, and has
nothing to do with the Presidency of the Church. I have already shown
to you that in the seed of Hyrum Smith as well as in the seed of Joseph
Smith the generations after them were to be blessed; there is nothing
in this promise indicating that the posterity of either of them shall
have right to the Presidency of the Church.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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