"I recollect a meeting that was held in the winter of 1843, at Nauvoo, Ill., prior to Joseph Smith's death, at which the appointment was made by him, Joseph Smith, of his successor. His son Joseph was selected as his successor. Joseph Smith did the talking. There were present Joseph and Hyrum Smith, John Taylor, and some others who also spoke on the subject; there were 25 I suppose at the meeting. At that meeting Joseph Smith, the present presiding officer of the complainant church, was selected by his father as his successor. He was ordained and anointed at that meeting. Hyrum Smith, the Patriarch, anointed him, and Joseph, his father, blessed him and ordained him and Newel K. Whitney poured the oil on his head, and he was set apart to be his father's successor in office, holding all the powers that his father held. I cannot tell all the persons that were present, there was a good many there. John Taylor and Willard Richards, they were two of the Twelve, Ebenezer Robinson was present, and George J. Adams, Alpheus Cutler, and Reynolds Cahoon. I cannot tell them all; I was there too." Newel K. Whitney, John Taylor, Willard Richards and Reynolds Cahoon all remained with the Church and came with the Twelve to Utah. Their entire lives protest against this falsehood of James Whitehead. They deny that any such ordination ever took place. Ebenezer Robinson also denies it and after the martyrdom, he followed Sidney Rigdon, and later joined the Whitmerites. If George J. Adams was present on such an occasion, he soon forgot it, for after the martyrdom, he followed James J. Strang and acknowledged him as the legal successor to the Prophet Joseph Smith, and was the very man who crowned Strang "king" on Beaver Island. Alpheus Cutler also denied that any such thing as this occurred. I shall read his testimony. This is the statement of Abraham Kimball, his grandson: Father Cutler said: