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PRIESTHOOD, 1877
1877: Few Elders quorums before 1877.
“Few elders quorums were organized before 1877.” (William G. Hartley, “Ordained and Acting Teachers in the Lesser Priesthood, 1851-1883,” BYU Studies 16(3):380, Spring, 1976)
11 Jan.: Rebaptism into United Order.
“[St. George] This date one baptism into the United Order, Roseinia Sylvester took place. Elder Chas. L. Walker, baptizer.” (JH 11 Jan., 1877)
20 Jan.: Brigham contemplates priesthood reorganization.
“Records do not tell us when President Young first contemplated the large-scale reorganization. But as early as 20 January 1877, he had in mind at least a few changes. That day he wrote to Presiding Elder A. K. Thurber in Richfield, responding to Elder Thurber’s lament that in all of Sevier County ‘there is no permanent organization in the Stake except the High Council.’ Brigham replied that ‘in all the settlements’ in that county there would be ‘ordained Bishops as soon as we can get to it.’ Meanwhile, he said, appoint local leaders temporarily ’till we direct otherwise.'” (William G. Hartley, “The Priesthood Reorganization of 1877: Brigham Young’s Last Achievement,” BYU Studies 20(1):11, Fall, 1979; quoting Brigham Young to A. K. Thurber, 20 Jan., 1877, BY Letterbook 16)
31 Jan.: Regular 70s meetings.
“The general meetings of the Seventies are held at the Council House in this City on the first and third Wednesday evenings in each month, consequently the next meeting will be next Wednesday, Feb. 7th.” (Reprint of report of 31 Jan.; DN 26(1):1, 7 Feb., 1877)
16 Feb.: Excommunication by request.
“Excommunicated.–Jos. J. Hawkini and his wife Mary Ann, of this city, were, according to their written request, cut off from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on Dec. 1, 1876, by Bishop Alexander McRae and council, which action was sustained by the High Council on the 3rd inst.
Also, James M. Smith, of this city, was cut off from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by Bishop Alexander McRae and council, for unchristianlike conduct, which action was sustained by the High Council on the 7th inst.
Geo. F. Gibbs,
Clerk of High Council.”
(Reprint of report of 16 Feb.; DN 26(3):40, 21 Feb., 1877)
23 Feb.: Notification of bishopric changes to PBO.
“To all Presiding Bishops throughout the Territory:
Whatever changes take place in the Bishopric or Presidency over each ward or settlement, occasioned by missions, death, or removal from any other cause, you are respectfully requested to forward the same to the General Tithing Store, whenever such changes occur, and oblige
Edwd. Hunter.
General Tithing Store,
Salt Lake City,
February 23, 1877.”
(DN 26(4):56, 28 Feb., 1877)
15 Mar.: Excommunications.
5 listed: 4 for “apostasy,” 1 “in compliance with his own request.” (Reprint of report of 15 Mar.; DN 26(7):97, 21 Mar., 1877)
30 Mar.: Reorganization plan launched.
“By the time of the St. George Temple dedication during April conference, the reorganization plan was ready and launched. First, on 30 March and again on 4 April the prophet explained the plan to the Twelve and instructed them ‘to travel and organize stakes of Zion in all the vallies of the mountains.’ To start the movement, he personally presided over the reorganization of St. George Stake on 4 and 5 April. Then on 7 April he surprised Fillmorite Francis M. Lyman by privately telling him to ‘get ready’ to move to and preside as stake president over eithe Davis or Tooele counties–two areas not then stakes. Thus, without fanfare and without announcement that all stakes would be reorganized, the movement had quickly commenced.” (William G. Hartley, “The Priesthood Reorganization of 1877: Brigham Young’s Last Achievement,” BYU Studies 20(1):11-13, Fall, 1979; references Franklin D. Richards diary, 30 March and 4 April, 1877, microfilm, HDC; Francis M. Lyman Diary, Book 8, 7 April, 1877)
3 Apr.: Rebaptism into United Order.
“Bishop Nathaniel Ashby of St. George baptized 11 persons into the United Order; namely Alice Schmutz, James Cragun, Elizabeth Lehman Schmutz, John Moyes, Jos. E. Hanson, Jacob Beacham, Harriet Rundle Beacham, Richard W. Beacham, Peter John Lundberg, Wm. Hendry and Christina Beckstrom.” (JH 3 Apr., 1877)
4 Apr.: Restoration of keys.
“Jno Taylor spoke of the Temples of old and the very limited power as to their blessings and powers of their ordinances. Spoke of the Keys of the different dispensations that had been commited to Joseph Smith the Prophet. First God and his Son Jesus Christ manifested themselves to him, God saying to Joseph (and at the same time pointing to Jesus) ‘This is my beloved Son. Hear ye him.’ Then Moroni giving him the plates containing the Book of Mormon. Then the Apostle John giving him the keys and Powers of the Aaronic Priesthood. Then Peter, James and John Giving him the keys and Powers of the Holy Melchesidec Priesthood. Then Elias giving him the Keys of turning the hearts of the children to the Fathers and Fathers to the children. Then Moses Giving him the Keys of the Gathering of the House of Israel and the Ten Lost Tribes from the North.” (Charles L. Walker diary, 4 Apr., 1877)
4 Apr.: AP officiated in Jerusalem temple.
“God had conferred on us the priesthood and taught us to officiate therein, for the living and the dead. The children of Israel had a tabernacle in the wilderness and the Temple in Jerusalem, but we were living in a time that embraced all dispensations that had existed among men. The Temple at Jerusalem was officiated in principally by the Aaronic Priesthood. Enoch had the Melchizedec Priesthood, and we had every reason to believe he built temples in Zion, and that dispensation had to gather the people from the nations of the earth, as we had to do in this dispensation. We had a Zion to build up, and hundreds and thousands of temples.” (John Taylor, “Two days’ meetings at St. George,” 4 Apr., 1877; DN 26(10):156, 11 Apr., 1877)
25 Apr.: Excommunication–sustained by congregation.
“Excommunicated.
Editor Deseret News:
Please insert in the NEWS as follows–
In the Bishop’s Court held in Springville Ward, April 14th, 1877, Bishop Wm. Bringhurst presiding, the following persons were excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for apostacy, viz., Rachel Blowers, Lydia Caroline Chadwick, and Evans P. Brinton.
The foregoing names were presented before the branch, at the regular Sunday meeting, April 18, at which time the decision of the Bishop’s Court was unanimously sustained.
J. M. Pierce, Clerk of Meeting.
Springville, Utah Co.,
April 20th, 1877.”
(Reprint of report of 25 Apr., DN 26(13):198, 2 May, 1877)
30 Apr.: Bishops don’t act as justices of the peace.
“Correspondent–In this southern country do the Bishops exercise the functions of Justices of the Peace?
Brigham Young–I do not know that any of them do; and if any do it is not because they are bishops, but because they are elected justices according to the laws of the land.” (New York Herald interview with Brigham Young, 30 Apr., 1877; DN 26(16):242, 23 May, 1877)
30 Apr.: Bishops’ courts.
“Correspondent–What of the alleged order of Danites?
Brigham Young–That is all folly.
Correspondent–Then, as to the extent of the temporal power of the Church?
Brigham Young–It extends only as far as membership is concerned. I may, however, advise a man how to build or improve his garden or field, and if he chooses to he may either receive it or reject it without involving his fellowship.
Correspondent–Does not the temporal government of the Church, in extreme cases, assume the functions of courts?
Brigham Young–We have what we call bishops’ courts, which amount to referees in ordinary cases of business, and in cases of disagreement between members or immoral conduct. From these courts cases may be appealed to our High Council, which consists of a president, two councillors and twelve members. Their power extends no further than membership in the Church is concerned.
Correspondent–How far does the authority of the Church go in dealing with cases of apostacy?
Brigham Young–We have nothing to do with them; we let them seriously alone. They say the Church authorities injure them. They lie. We have no dealings at all with such men, for their acts prove their unworthiness of membership in our Church.” (New York Herald interview with Brigham Young, 30 Apr., 1877; DN 26(16):242, 23 May, 1877)
Apr.: Voted down as president of stake.
“I also attended the general conference in the temple at St. George April 6, 1877. Pres. Young in his remarks censured a number of persons very severely. On his way north at Parowan he called a meeting with a view of reorganizing our stake. Nominations were called for president of the stake. Paul Smith nominated William H. Dame, but it was not put to vote. Pres. D. H. Wells nominated me, whereupon William C. McGregor arose and made objections, stating that I was arbitrary in my disposition, and that during the absence of Bro. Dame in prison, I had tyrranized over the people. I knew this last to be a lie but nobody rectified it. The vote was put and lost, the actual vote for and against being perhaps nearly even, but many not voting at all. I felt much hurt but had not the opportunity to say a word in my own behalf. Pres. Young afterwards said at Bro. Dame’s house, as reported to me by Bishop Lunt of Cedar City that all those who voted against me would apostatize. I could not blame any for voting against me, but I felt hurt that false statements should be made about me before President Young, and for them to go unchallanged.” (Apr., 1877; The Journal of Jesse Nathaniel Smith, Provo, Jesse N. Smith Family Organization, 1970; p. 219)
3 May: Home missionary report.
“Home Missionary Labors.–Last evening Elder Orson Pratt and Bishop Samuel Roskelly arrived from the south. From the latter we obtained the following information concerning Elder Taylor and company–
Elder John Taylor and company arrived at Orderville, Long Valley, on Thursday evening, April 19th, and were met by Bishop H. O. Spencer, in his usual hospitable style.
The people at Orderville met at 10 a.m. on that day, in their meeting house, and were addressed by Elder John Taylor, on the principles of the United Order. He remarked that the President had instructed the Twelve to preach to the Saints the necessity of a greater union in their temporal as well as their spiritual affairs. He referred to the attempts that had been made in various ages of the world’s history, to establish a union among the people, quoting largely from the Bible and Book of Mormon.
Elder Erastus Snow followed on the same subject. He said he had been exercised much with regard to the method adopted by the people of Orderville. He did not think the Lord was particular how we made the garments with which we were clothed, or as to the manner in which we prepared our food; neither did he think the Lord cared much about whether we sat down to one or many tables. God had called us out of Babylon to be a peculiar people unto himself, and if we carried out the counsels of his servants he would direct us in unity. Every custom which appealed to selfishness and pride, and made distinctions of classes, should be avoided.
2 p.m.
Elder Orson Pratt, after commending the Saints at Orderville for the progress they had made towards establishing the United Order, according to the revealed plan, delivered a lengthy discourse upon the principle of the United Order, as revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith and contained in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants and Book of Mormon.
Elder Lorenzo Snow followed. He commended the Saints on the spiritual union they had achieved, and suggested that they enter more largely into home industries, with a view to self-sustenance.
The company left Orderville on the morning of Saturday, April 21, and arrived in Panguitch at 7 o’clock p.m. At that place four meetings were held on Sunday and Monday, 22nd and 23rd. The subjects chiefly spoken upon were unity and self-sustenance.
A stake of Zion was organized on the Monday, the following named persons being elected officers–
James Henrie, President; Geo. W. Sevy, First Counselor, and Jesse W. Crosby, Jr., Second Counselor.
. . . . [Lists officers of High Council, priesthood quorums.]
Elder Taylor instructed the officers relative to their duties. A good spirit was manifested and an enjoyable time was spent. The meetings were crowded to overflowing.
The company left Panguitch on the Tuesday morning following, travelling to Circle Valley, where they found brother Thomas R. King, late of Fillmore, with his numerous family, endeavoring to organize themselves in a family united order. The day following the party reached Monroe, where they stayed over night and held two meetings on Thursday, April 26th.
The same day they drove to Richfield, and on Friday two meetings were held; the morning meeting was addressed by Elders John Taylor and Lorenzo Snow, after which they proceeded to Salina, where they held a meeting, leaving Brothers Pratt and Erastus Snow to preach during the afternoon meeting at Richfield.
Elder Erastus Snow separated from Elder Pratt at Richfield, intending to overtake Elders Taylor and Lorenzo Snow at Manti, and accompany them through Sanpete, leaving Elder Pratt and Bishop Roskelly, who traveled to Gunnison, where, on Sunday, the 29th, two meetings were held.
Leaving Gunnison the two Elders last named reached Fayette on the same evening, in time to hold a meeting, commencing at seven o’clock.
The next day, Monday, they drove to Levan, and preached in the evening to a crowded house.
On Tuesday Elders Pratt and Roskelly drove to Mona, and held a meeting in the evening, and yesterday came to this city by Utah Southern Railroad.” (Reprint of report of 3 May; DN 26(14):209, 9 May, 1877)
12/13 May: ALL stakes to be reorganized.
“Only when Salt Lake Stake was reorganized in mid-May was public announcement made that all stakes would be visited and put in order, including Cache and Weber on the next two weekends.” (William G. Hartley, “The Priesthood Reorganization of 1877: Brigham Young’s Last Achievement,” BYU Studies 20(1):13, Fall, 1979)
13 May: Relationship of AP and MP.
“From the passages I have read [D&C 84:18-26], we learn that God, in all ages of the world, has had a Priesthood on the earth, that is, a Priesthood after the order of his Son, sometimes called the Priesthood after the order of Melchisedec; and that connected with this Priesthood, in all dispensations, there is a lesser Priesthood, called sometimes the Priesthood after the order of Aaron, or the Aaronic Priesthood, which is merely an appendage to the higher Priesthood of Melchisedec; in other words, it is included in the Priesthood of Melchisedec. It is more especially called the lesser Priesthood, because those holding it, and being in possession of no higher authority, can only obtain a certain portion or measure of the blessings that the Lord has in store for his people; it can proceed so far and no farther; it is limited in its nature, its power, its ordinances and its ministry. But when combined with the higher Priesthood after the order of Melchisedec, it then can receive all the blessings that are ordained of the Almighty to be bestowed upon his people in any dispensation. Like unto the Melchisedec Priesthood, it is everlasting in its nature, not given for time alone, to be exercised here for a few years upon the earth and then cease, but it continues forever, with the Priesthood which is after the holiest order of God.
The higher Priesthood after the order of the Son of God, we are told, in a modern revelation, holds the power to commune with the Church of the First-born that are in heaven, and that too not in a spiritual sense alone; or, as some would infer, to commune with them without receiving any revelation, to commune with them without beholding their personages; but in the literal sense, even the same as one man communes with another. It holds not only the power of the ministration of holy angels to be seen personally, but also the power of beholding the face of God the Father, that through the power and manifestations of the spirit of God and of his angels we may be prepared to enter into the presence of God the Father in the world to come, and enjoy continual communion with him, and be crowned with the glory of the celestial kingdom, to stand in our place and calling to all eternity, in connection with all those who hold the Priesthood in the eternal worlds.
The Priesthood of Aaron, being an appendage to the higher Priesthood, has power to administer in temporal ordinances, such as that of baptism for remission of sins, the administration of the Lord’s Supper, and in attending to temporal things for the benefit of the people of God. Among the privileges that are granted to this lesser Priesthood is to hold communion with holy angels that may be sent down from heaven.
In the early days of this Church the Lord, through a revelation, set forth the various appendages of the higher Priesthood, the duties of its several offices and their callings; also how they should officiate, and what ordinances they were permitted to administer, and what was not permitted to be administered by those holding it.
It seems that since these revelations were given, the Church, during its history, has pased through a variety of circumstances, wherein a perfect organization according to the rules and laws, as laid down by modern revelation, has not been entered into. Circumstances always did more or less to alter the condition of the people. Some, by virtue of their Priesthood have officiated, without being set apart, in certain callings that pertain to those who should be selected and set apart for that purpose. Let me here say, for the benefit of those who have not studied the Doctrine and Covenants of the Church, that if we have literal descendants of Aaron, they have the birthright, through their obedience to the Gospel of the Son of God, to the bishoprick, which pertains to the lesser Priesthood. It is the presiding authority over the lesser Priesthood; they have the right to claim it, and to all the keys and powers pertaining to it, they have the right to be ordained and set apart to that calling and to officiate therein, and that too without the aid of two counsellors. That is what we are taught in modern revelation. But as we have none at present, to our knowledge, that belong to the seed of Aaron, that has the right to this by lineage, the Lord has pointed out that those who are ordained to the higher Priesthood have the right, by virtue of this higher authority, to administer, when set apart by the First Presidency, or under their direction and according to their instruction, as Bishops to officiate in the Presidency of the lower Priesthood. This order has been followed ever since the Lord revealed these things to this Church. A Bishop must be ordained to the high Priesthood, and by authority of that Priesthood he may be set apart as a Bishop to preside over the lesser Priesthood, to exercise the functions thereof, with the exception of one condition, that is, he must have two counsellors ordained from among the high Priests of the Church. These three persons must officiate in relation to all the ordinances that pertain to the lesser Priesthood, and to administer in temporal things, having a knowledge of them by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, as we are taught in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants.
Now what I wish to say in relation to this matter is this–In some portions of our Territory, instead of this organization having been carried out in all its perfection, we have acted, in some few instances, for the time being, by appointing a person to take that position, when he had not been previously set apart to that special calling. We might refer to persons in some few of our settlements, both north and south, who have acted as Bishops by virtue of appointment only, and not ordination.
I understand now that the Spirit of the Lord has manifested unto the President of the Church, who is the proper authority, for the Twelve to go forth and set in order and organize more perfectly the various Branches that are located throughout all the Territory, and in the adjoining Territories. And no doubt those few who are acting in the Bishoprick without being ordained will receive their ordination, and there may be many changes, in order to introduce, in all its perfection, as far as we have knowledge and understanding, a more perfect organization throughout the Church in these mountains.
The object of this perfect organization is that we may be entitled to greater blessings therefrom; that we may be entitled to a greater fullness of the Holy Spirit; that everything may be dictated according to the mind and will of God, not only in spiritual things, but also in regard to our temporal matters; and also that every person may know his place, that his duties may be assigned to him, and by knowing what is required, that all may the more diligently seek after the Holy Ghost to direct them in their positions and callings, and have more faith, more assurance before God, to obtain confidence before the heavens, and before the brethren, in order that their ministry may benefit the people. You are well aware that we have been taught, for these many years, the great necessity of establishing a union in the midst of this people. Although we are the most united people upon the face of the earth, of which we have any knowledge, yet we are far from that perfection of unity which should characterize the Saints of the Most High God.
I can see, in this order which the President has laid before us, a beauty, a consistency, a plan which the Lord has revealed that will entitle the Latter-day Saints to greater blessings and privileges through which that union will be brought about which we have so long desired in our hearts.” (Orson Pratt, 13 May, 1877; JD 18:363-365)
“In the early days of this church, the Lord, through a revelation, set forth the various appendages of the higher priesthood, the duties of its several offices and their callings; also how they should officiate, and what ordinances they were permitted to administer, and what was not permitted to be administered by those holding it.
It seems that since these revelations were given, the church, during its history, has passed through a variety of circumstances, wherein a perfect organization according to the rules and laws, as laid down by modern revelation, has not been entered into. Circumstances always did more or less to alter the condition of the people. Some, by virtue of their priesthood have officiated, without being set apart, in certain callings that pertain to those who should be selected and set apart for that purpose. Let me here say, for the benefit of those who have not studied the Doctrine and Covenants of the Church, that if we have literal descendants of Aaron, they have the birthright, through their obedience to the gospel of the Son of God, to the bishoprick, which pertains to the lesser priesthood. It is the presiding authority over the lesser priesthood; they have the right to claim it, and to all the keys and powers pertaining to it, they have the right to be ordained and set apart to that calling and to officiate therein, and that twoo without the aid of two counsellors. That is what we are taught in modern revelation. But as we have none at present, to our knowledge, that belong to the seed of Aaron, that has the right to this by lineage, the Lord has pointed out that those who are ordained to the higher priesthood have the right, by virtue of this higher authority, to administer, when set apart by the First Presidency or under their direction and according to their instrution, as bishops to officiate in the presidency of the lower priesthood. This order has been followed ever since the Lord revealed these to this Church. A bishop must be ordained to the high priesthood, and by authority of that priesthood he may be set apart as a bishop to preside over the lesser priesthood, to exercise the functions thereof, with the exception of one condition, that is, he must have two counsellors ordained from among the high priests of the Church. These three persons must officiate in relation to all the ordinances that pertain to the lesser priesthood, and to administer in temporal things, having a knowledge of them by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, as we are taught in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants.
Now what I wish to say in relation to this matter is this–In some portions of our Territory, instead of this organization having been carried out in all its perfection, we have acted, in some few instances, for the time being, by appointing a person to take that position, when he had not been previously set apart to that special calling. We might refer to persons in some few of our settlements, both north and south, who have acted as bishops by virtue of appointment only, and not ordination.
I understand now that the Spirit of the Lord has manifested unto the President of the Church, who is the proper authority, for the Twelve to go forth and set in order and organize more perfectly the various branches that are located throughout all the Territory, and in the adjoining territories. And no doubt these few who are acting in the bishoprick without being ordained will receive their ordination, and there may be may changes, in order to introduce, in all its perfection, as far as we have knowledge and understanding, a more perfect organization throughout the Church in these mountains.
The object of this perfect organization is that we may be entitled to greater blessings therefrom; that we may be entitled to a greater fulness of the Holy Spirit; that everything may be dictated according to the mind and will of God, not only in spiritual things, but also in regard to our temporal matters; and also that every person may know his place, that his duties may be asigned to him, and by knowing what is required, that all may the more diligently seek after the Holy Ghost to direct them in their positions and callings, and have more faith, more assurance before God, to obtain confidence before the heavens, and before the brethren, in order that their ministry may benefit the people. You are well aware that we have been taught, for these many years, the great necessity of establishing a union in the midst of this people. Although we are the most united people upon the face of the earth, of which we have any knowledge, kyet we are far from that perfection of unity which should characterize the Saints of the Most High God.
I can see, in this order which the President has laid before us, a beauty, a consistency, a plan which the Lord has revealed that will entitle the Latter-day Saints to greater blessings and privileges through which that union will be brought about which we have so long desired in our hearts.
We preach and declare to all people that God has raised up a kingdom to prepare the way before the coming of Christ. We declare to all men, wherever our missionaries go, that this is the grand preparation for the coming of our Lord and Saviour to reign on the earth. When he does come, that part of the prayer which he taught us to utter will be fulfilled, namely, ‘Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.’ Were we permitted to have the veil removed, according to the hymn just sung, namely, that ‘the veil should be rent in twain,’ and were we to behold the order that exists in yonder heavens in the midst of the celestial hosts, we should there see a perfect union–no dissensions, no bitterness of feelings, no difference of ideas or opinions in regard to their duties, but all understanding as one, and all moving as one body to fulfill and accomplish the purposes of Jehovah.
Now, his will must be done on the earth as it is done in heaven, in order that that prayer which has been offered up by his people ever since it was revealed, may be fulfilled to the very letter. Hence the great necessity of the Latter-day Saints preparing themselves by being united, even as the hosts of heaven are. For remember that the Apostle Paul says, ‘That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on the earth; even in him.’ If then the General Assembly and Church of the First-born are to come down out of heaven to dwell on the earth, how important it is that the Latter-day Saints should be prepared to join this grand company, being united as they are, having no feeling of dissension, no division in their midst, no evil or corruption of any nature; no covetousness, no feeling of individuality in regard to wealth, but having all upon the altar ready to subserve the purposes of the Most High in building up his kingdom upon the earth.
This, therefore, is the purpose of this more perfect organization which is being introduced among the Branches throughout the Territory of Utah; it is to entitle us to these great blessings promised in the word of God. It is not only to build a temple, but many temples as the case may require. This is not the only duty of the Latter-day Saints, althought his duty is one of great importance.” (Orson Pratt, 13 May, 1877; DN 26(17):258, 30 May, 1877)
13 May: Full blessings of priesthood not yet enjoyed.
“The Melchisedec priesthood held the power and privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, and enjoying the communion and presence of God the Father and his Son. The lesser, or Aaronic priesthood, was simply an appendage to the Melchisedec, and ministered in the temporal ordinances of the gospel, such as baptism, &c. Since the introduction of these two priesthoods, the Church had passed through many modifications, and the full blessings of the priesthood had not yet been entered into and enjoyed up to the present time.” (Orson Pratt, Minutes of a Special Conference in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, 13 May, 1877; DN 26(15):236, 16 May, 1877)
13 May: Priesthood reorganization.
“Whenever a literal descendant of Aaron could be found he could act without counsellors, but in his absence it required a high priest to be set apart and ordained to act as a bishop to administer in all the ordinances of the lesser priesthood, and to render his authority complete he must have two counsellors, high priests, although in many of our wards and settlements this order had not been strictly carried out. God had now revealed to his servant Brigham that the time had come to send forth the Twelve Apostles throughout the land to set those things in order and introduce the more perfect system of the Aaronic priesthood, as is revealed in the Doctrine and Covenants. This more perfect organization, with many other changes that would be brought about, was intended to prepare us as a people for the coming of the Son of God.” (Orson Pratt, Minutes of a Special Conference in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, 13 May, 1877; DN 26(15):236, 16 May, 1877)
13 May: Duties of Aaronic Priesthood.
“I spoke on the duties of young men read revelation on Priesthood & duties of lesser Priesthood called on all who desired to be ordained to seat themselves with the Quorum they wished to belong to come forward to join the Teachers Quorum & 18 to the Deacons Quorum – Geo. Wadair Jnr on account of having to be away at our next meeting was ordained a Deacon. . . . appointed Saturday At 6 P.M. as the regular meeting time.” (L. John Nuttall diary, 13 May, 1877)
17 May: Meeting with Deacons & Teachers.
“Thur 17 . . .at 7 P.M. met with young men who had given their names to join the Deacons & Teacher Quorums – a good attendance.” (L. John Nuttall diary, 17 May, 1877)
20 May: Church organization will never be complete.
“To say that there will be a stated time, in the history of this Church, during its imperfections and weaknesses, when the organization will be perfect, and that there will be no further extension or addition to the organization, would be a mistake. Organization is to go on, step after step, from one degree to another, just as the people increase and grow in the knowledge of the principles and laws of the Kingdom of God, and as their borders shall extend.” (Orson Pratt, 20 May, 1877; in Deseret News Weekly, 18 Jul., 1877)
“Brother Erastus Snow spoke to us very plainly, last evening, in relation to all the officers, from the commencement of the Church down to the present time. When we have done all we can do, towards organizing as far as possible, according to the written law of God, as given to us, in our weakness, have we completed the organization? By no means. The organization is only perfect as far as the people are prepared to receive it, and no further. To say that there will be a stated time, in the history of this Church, during its imperfections and weakness, when the organization will be perfect, and that there will be no further extension or addition to the organization, would be a mistake. Organization is to go on, step after step, from one degree to another, just as the peole increase and grown in the knowledge of the principles and laws of the kingdom of God, and as their borders shall extend. For instance, to illustrate my ideas more fully upon this point. We read, in the Scriptures of truth, concerning the latter-day Zion; we read that Zion is to become a great people, ‘a small one to become a strong nation.’ We also read that out of Zion shall go forth the law. We also read that Zion is to become so glorious, in times to come, that the nations that are afar will say to one another, ‘Surely Zion is the City of our God, for the Lord is there; his power is there, his glory is there,’ etc. Now if there be a time, in the history of the latter-day Zion, that the power of God will be made manifest in their midst, so as to stir up the nations afar off, causing them to exclaim that Zion is truly the City of God; her laws are divine; let us become subject to her laws; do you suppose that we, with our present organization, after perfecting it as much as we can expect to, could be ready and prepared to send forth laws to foreign nations for their government? No. There would then be persons ordained and set apart for various purposes, not to bestow any new Priesthood, for it is all included in the everlasting and eternal Priesthood, after the order of the Son of God; but to set apart persons already holding the Priesthood in the great organization; to receive divine laws; or, in other words, to regulate the nations, according to the laws of Zion; that they may understand her laws, and know what the divine government is, by which they are to be governed; in other words, ministers or plenipotentiaries are to be sent forth to transact business among all nations and peoples who willingly shall become subject to the laws of Zion. As to the rebellious nations, there will be none left alive. As it is written, ‘that nation or kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish.’ ‘Those nations shall be utterly wasted away;’ consequently, the nations left, who are not totally destroyed will be anxious to be governed by the laws of Zion. Hence there will be an organization before the winding-up scene that will control the nations politically, giving them the privilege of remaining in their own land if they choose to do so, but subject to the laws of Zion.
I will not, however, confine the future organizations of the Church of God to the political matters of the nations. There is to be a more perfect organization between the living and the dead of all former dispensations, which organization is just as necessary as that which exists among the living, on this side of the grave. This organization will be fully completed, at a certain period, pointed to by the Prophet Daniel, who says, that he saw in a night vision, and beheld until the Ancient of Days came; and he describes his great and glorious appearance: his face was like a flaming fire, and the hair of his head was white as wool; his chariots were like unto chariots of fire, and thousand thousands ministered unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; and the books were opened. And many things are to be accomplished when this great general assembly of immortal beings come from heaven, communicating with those who are mortal here upon the earth. In other words, evey man in that immortal host, among those that shall come down from heaven, and every man among the mortal host, will understand his place and calling in this great, grand organization of the Ancient of Days; and you will find no unbroken links there. The Ancient of Days is the father of all; he is our first progenitor, and when he shall reveal himself, to set in order all of his righteous sons and daughters, he will not forget those who have already passed through former dispensations. Dvery dispensation will be connected; and the last dispensation of the fullness of times will have given to them the keys and powers, knowledge, and understanding, and revelations to know how to weld every link, in order that the entire chain may be completed and made perfect.” (Orson Pratt, 20 May, 1877; JD 19:12-13)
20 May: Privileges of the two priesthoods.
“[The Lord] has told us also the privileges of these two Priesthoods. The privilege of the lesser Priesthood is to see angels. How should they seek after this blessing? By merely praying, and acting dishonestly, full of covetousness, and all manner of evils clinging about us because of our traditions? Is this the way to seek for so great blessings? It is by giving heed to the instructions and laws that pertain to the teaching of this lesser Priesthood; and when this is done, we may claim the ministrations of holy angels.
Again, what are the promises made to the high Priesthood of the order of the Son of God? We are told, in the revelation given on the 22d and 23d days of September, 1832, that without the ordinances of this high Priesthood the power of godliness could not be made manifest to men in the flesh. For, says the revelation, ‘Without this Priesthood, no man can behold the face of God the Father and live.’ Again, says the revelation, ‘This Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people, that they might behold the face of God. But they hardened their hearts, and could not endure his presence.’
Here then we perceive that one blessing of this high Priesthood is to behold the face of God the Father and live. And this blessing is, not merely for the persons holding the Priesthood, not merely for those who have been ordained, after the order of the Son of God; but every one that keeps ‘my commandments and obeys my voice,’ etc. This is the privilege of the whole Church; it is the privilege of all the people of God, to sanctify themselves, to be obedient to his laws, and to behold his face, not only the face of Jesus, but of God the Father, and still live.
What means, says one, that passage in the Book of Moses, where the Lord, speaking to Moses, says, ‘Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me and live,’ etc. This very passage is explained by new revelation. The Lord at that time became angry with the children of Israel, and he decreed that no man of that whole congregation should behold his face at that time. Hence the Lord said to Moses, ‘Thou shalt not behold my face as at other times.’ How plain that little sentence of new revelation is, showing that Moses had, at other times, enjoyed that privilege, and that it was the privilege of the Children of Israel to become sanctified, and to behold the face of God; but at that time, in consequence of their wickedness, he in his anger, forbade them that privilege. Soon after, he made a decree that all that congregation should be left without this privilege, and he took his presence away from them, because of their transgressions and rebellions, that, had not the Lord withdrawn his presence from them, they might have been totally destroyed.” (Orson Pratt, 20 May, 1877; JD 19:17)
23 May: All members to be accounted for, visited.
“Another matter needing attention was the large number of Saints not officially enrolled in any ward. Saints migrating out from settlements in search of work cut themselves off from ward participation. Brigham called them ‘the scattering sheep of Israel in these mountains who acknowledge no particular fold.’ He wanted all members enrolled in a ward, accounted for, visited, labored with, and their religious conduct monitored.” (William G. Hartley, “The Priesthood Reorganization of 1877: Brigham Young’s Last Achievement,” BYU Studies 20(1):8, Fall, 1979; quoting Brigham Young to Willard Young, 23 May, 1877, Brigham Young Letterbook 14, typescript, HDC)
23 May: Why the reorganizings.
“If anyone asks why the reorganizings, he [Brigham] wrote to his son Willard:
We will answer, to more completely carry out the purposes of Jehovah, to give greater compactness to the labors of the priesthood, to unite the Saints, to care for the scattering sheep of Israel in these mountains who acknowledge no particular fold, to be in a position to understand the standing of everyone calling himself a Latter-day Saint, and to consolidate the interests, feelings, and lives of the members of the Church. There are some of the reasons why we are now more fully than heretofore organizing the holy Priesthood after the pattern given us of our Father in Heaven.”
(William G. Hartley, “The Priesthood Reorganization of 1877: Brigham Young’s Last Achievement,” BYU Studies 20(1):10-11, Fall, 1979; quoting Brigham Young to Willard Young, 23 May, 1877, Brigham Young Letterbook 14, typescript, HDC)
24 May: Take pains in selection of Teachers.
“The bishops should be very choice in the selection of teachers, taking the greatest pains to get the best men they could find in their wards, men that sought after God themselves and who were filled with his Spirit; at the same time they should be possessed of good judgment, and capable of giving good advice.” (John Taylor, 24 May, 1877; DN 6 Jun., 1877; quoted in Hartley, “Ordained and Acting Teachers in the Lesser Priesthood, 1851-1883,” BYU Studies 16(3):387, Spring, 1976)
24 May: Priesthood reorganization in Ogden Stake.
“SPECIAL CONFERENCE AT OGDEN.
The Special Conference held at Ogden for the purpose of more completely organizing the Stake of Zion at that place, commenced on Saturday, May 24th, at 10 o’clock a.m.
On the stand were Presidents Brigham Young, John W. Young, and D. H. Wells, of the First Presidency; Elders John Taylor, Orson Pratt, Lorenzo Snow, Erastus Snow, R. D. Richards and Geo. Q. Cannon, of the Twelve Apostles; also Bishop Farr, of Ogden, and President Moses Thatcher, of Logan.
The meeting was called to order by President F. D. Richards. . . .
Elder John Taylor occupied the remainder of the time. He referred to the more perfect organization which was about to be effected in this Stake of Zion, and the increased facilities it would afford in the better government of this branch of the church according to the pattern given of the Lord. In former years if a man got drunk, broke the Sabbath, or otherwise did wrong, he was required to acknowledge the same in the spirit of repentance, or be dealt with according to the laws of the church. Things had been going on quite loosely for a length of time, and in too many instances broken covenants had been allowed to pass unnoticed. It had been said that the merciful should obtain mercy, but while this was perfectly true, justice could not be overlooked; and therefore it became necessary, in order that the laws of God might be obeyed, that every member of the church be held accountable for his acts, and his transgressions dealt with on the just and equitable principles of the gospel. Unless this was done we became partakers of other men’s sins, which we were expressly forbidden to do. The speaker enumerated the various offices in the Church, from that of the First Presidency down to the deacon, speaking on the duties of each, dwelling perhaps more particularly on that of a teacher. He said the bishops should be very choice in the selection of teachers, taking the greatest pains to get the best men they could find in their wards, men that sought after God themselves and who were filled with his Spirit; at the same time they should be possessed of good judgment, and capable of giving advice and counsel. We were living in an important age of the world, when the wicked raged and the people imagined vain things. The word of the Lord to this people was unity–man uniting to man, sister to sister, friend to friend, and man to God. The ungodly trampled under foot his holy commandments, and they found fault with us for not doing as they did. We were the friends of God and he was on our side; if we were not his friends, he had none on the face of this earth.
The Choir sang the anthem–
Holy is the Lord.
Elder C. W. Penrose offered the closing prayer.
2 o’clock p.m.
After the usual opening exercises Elder Orson Pratt, referring to the object of the Conference, namely, to more completely organize the priesthood in that Stake of Zion, pointed out the facilities that this change would afford its central officers in the discharge of their several duties. The Lord intended to raise up in the latter-days a kingdom of priests, and it was doubtless the will of God to bestow the high priesthood, which was after the order of the Son of God and of endless lives. The fact of this being done would not do away with the appendages of the lesser priesthood, for men holding the higher priesthood could be appointed to officiate in any of the lesser callings. There were some who claimed membership in this Church who were addicted to absenting themselves from the meeting, who spoke evil of their neighbors, who broke the Sabbath and otherwise committed sin, which persons heretofore had not been dealt with according to the laws of the Church, as revealed and contained in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. In ancient times the anger of the Lord was enkindled against the whole congregation of Israel if transgressors were permitted to go unpunished. This was strikingly manifested in the case of Achan whom the Scriptures inform us stole a Babylonish garment and a wedge of gold. Although this act of theft was performed secretly, the whold people were severely chastened until the transgressor was found out and dealt with. But while ancient Israel had the power to execute the penalties of broken laws, both civil and religious, we, according to a revelation given in Feb., 1831, dealt with transgressors only so far as their Church membership was concerned. The organization of the priesthood, in its more perfected state, would have a tendency to correct any existing evils, as it was expected that the laws of the Church would be more strictly enforced than heretofore.” (DN 26(18):285, 6 Jun., 1877)
25 May: 70’s, High Priesthood and Apostleship.
“The Seventies are Apostles; and they stand next in authority to the Twelve. The First Presidency organize and regulate the affairs of the Church wherever they can go, or they instruct others to do it. When the First Presidency are not here, and the Twelve are here, they then attend to these matters, and their authority, by a unanimous feeling and faith in the gospel, is the same as that of the First Presidency, and their decisions and doings are equal to those of the First Presidency.
Next in order to them stand the Seventies. If through the providences of God the First Presidency and the Twelve were taken away, then it would be the duty of the Seventies to preach the gospel, build up the Church, and ordain every officer requisite in order to establish the Church; to ordain High Priests, bishops, high counselors, patriarchs, and set in order the whole church in all the world. This is according to the revelations given to us. This dissension has come between the Seventies and the High Priests in consequence of some poor, miserable, beggarly whiners who craved after power, and who did not know what to di with the authority they already possessed. Some of these high priests would go to Joseph saying: ‘Brother Joseph the Seventies, are they ordained to as high authority and power as the High Priests? Are the Seventies equal to the High Priests? Brother Joseph, it cannot be so, it must not be; the High Priests must be the greater, and they are first.’ Now, even to this day there is contention, and I do not know but even among the first Elders of Israel, there may be argument as to which should come next–if anything were to happen to the First Presidency and the Twelve, the High Priests or the Seventies. Is the Apostleship an outgrowth of the High Priesthood, or is the High Priesthood an outgrowth of the Apostleship? Or, in other words, which is the highest office in the Church? The office of an Apostle. The Apostleship is the highest authority that can be imposed upon man upon the earth. I recollect when Brother Don Carlos Smith was ordained president of the High Priests’ Quorum, he got up a genealogical tree, and written along the trunk of this tree were the words, ‘The High Priests.’ A little distance up the trunk a limb shot out away off, which represented the Twelve Apostles. This is not according to the revelations which have been given to us. When a man is ordained an Apostle, he is ordained to every calling pertaining to the High Priesthood, a man on the earth can hold; but when he is ordained a High Priest, he is ordained a priest after the order of Melchizedek; it is then his right to officiate in all the offices below him. I suppose I ordained hundreds of Seventies in early days. Brother Joseph Smith has come to us many times, saying, ‘Brethren, you are going to ordain Seventies, do not forget to confer the High Priesthood upon them. Ordain each of them to the High Priesthood, and to be one of the Seventy Apostles.’ That was my language in the ordination of the Seventies, and that is the way I ordain them now.
Whether in doing so I mention the High Priesthood or not, that is included. In consequence of this a little inquiry arose among the High Priests respecting the High Priesthood and the Apostleship. The Twelve Apostles had been ordained, and every one of them happened to be High Priests except Brother Heber C. Kimball and myself; we were elders. The fact that we were not High Priests and had never been ordained to the High Priesthood was taken to Brother Joseph. These cavilers wanted him to take some action about it. They wanted to know if we should not be ordained High Priests. Such a suggestion made Joseph righteously angry. Said he, ‘My brethren, with as much as I have taught you, and as many revelations as have been given on the subject of the Priesthood, that you should ask such a question? It would be an insult to the Priesthood of the Son of God to ordain a man a High Priest after he had been ordained an Apostle; for the Apostleship holds all the keys of the Priesthood upon the face of the earth, to build up the kingdom of heaven, to sanctify the people and prepare them to enter into the presence of God the Father. Now, to say that such a man, holding this Priesthood, should be ordained a High Priest is an insult, and I want to hear no more about it.’ But this agitation about the High Priesthood has ever since been a matter of speculation with a few.
I say that a man that craves for office and authority does not know enough to magnify the office of a deacon; for, if he did, he would not say a word about authority, he would ask for wisdom that he might know how to magnify the Priesthood placed upon him. With regard to the authority of the Church and Kingdom of God upon the earth in its organization, read the Book of Doctrine and Covenants for yourselves. We have a new edition, you can read it. Acquaint yourselves with the powers and authority of the Priesthood and learn how the Church is organized. I have spoken of these things before, and yet some will say, ‘I want to know if the Seventies have as much authority as the High Priests?’ I say unto you, Latter-day Saints, that the Seventies follow the Twelve Apostles, and the Twelve Apostles follow in the wake of the First Presidency, and the First Presidency follow in the wake of Peter, James and John; but for the Seventies and the Twelve to have equal authority in their decisions with the First Presidency they must be unanimous, as it written in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. The Priesthood which Peter, James and John held while in the flesh was the highest ever bestowed upon the children of men, and it was conferred upon Joseph and Oliver, and without it they never could have built up the Kingdom. Then after this, came along the High Priesthood. I have been told since I came here that Sidney Rigdon ordained Joseph a High Priest. I would ask, Who ordained Sidney Rigdon? What Priesthood he had he got from Joseph; and then he turned around and ordained Joseph to an office, the authority to hold which he had received from Joseph? It would be unwise. If Sidney had done this, I think I would have heard of it. You can read how Joseph and Oliver got this Apostleship. Then after the Conference in Kirtland, in 1831, Joseph received a revelation to ordain High Priests, which he did. As far as his being ordained a High Priest, it would be as proper to call for a Priest, teacher or deacon to ordain me a High Priest. The Lord sent his messengers, Peter, James and John, to ordain him to the highest authority that could be given. I trust that these remarks will put a stop to such foolish and absurd questions. Read the revelations and understand them.
* * *
There is authority and there are degrees of authority, and there is a difference in degrees, callings and the authority of the Priesthood. If there should be one Apostle left on the earth, he can regulate and set in order the whole of the Church and Kingdom of God. If there is one Seventy left he could do so. This order is not my getting up, it is the Lord’s doings; High Priests may mourn over it, the Lord has said it and I have no right to say it is not so; it is so. I know some of you might say, ‘Did not Brother Joseph take High Priests out of the quorum of Seventies and place them in the High Priests Quorum and put others in their places? Yes, but what did he do this for? I can tell you–it was to satisfy the continual teasing of ignorant men who did not know what to di with authority when they got it, and I think most of those High Preists who were so anxious upon this subject afterwards apostatized. You have my word for it, I believe there were none of the whisperings of the spirit suggesting that movement, and I will give you my reasons for thinking so. They set their watch for Joseph whenever he preached on the subject. They invited him to preach at their quorum meetings on the difference between a High Priest and a Seventy. There had been caviling and bickering in relation to this subject; he condescended to try to do something for them. He preached upon this subject, and I say he stooped to the level of those whiners to try to do something for them. When he got through with his sermon I thought I never heard less brought forth. I could not discern that he brought forth any light and it was the only time in my life that I ever heard Brother Joseph speak without bringing forth light and knowledge but I could not discern anything in this.
* * *
In the first calling of the Seventies the Prophet Joseph ordered that every one of them be set apart to the High Priesthood, which is the highest Priesthood except the Apostleship, and to ordain each as one of the seventy Apostles. If there are those present who had my hands laid upon their heads in the Kirtland Temple they can testify that I am telling it just as it was. Some will treasure up these things in their hearts and will remember then just as I have done. From the first time I saw the Prophet Joseph I never lost a word that came from him concerning the kingdom. And this is the key of knowledge that I have today, that I did hearken to the words of Joseph, and treasured them up in my heart, laid them away, asking my Father in the name of His Son Jesus to bring them to my mind when needed. I treasured up the things of God, and this is the key that I hold today. I was anxious to learn from Joseph and the spirit of God. The spirit of revelation that was given to me has revealed to me many tings which have been done. If you, my brethren, are quick to comprehend, and if you love the truth, you will treasure up these things and ponder them in your hearts, and when you are asked with regard to them they will be revealed to you. In my doctrinal teachings I have taught many things not written in any book, ancient or modern, and yet, notwithstanding the many things I have told the people, I have never looked into the Bible, the Book of Mormon, or the Doctrine and Covenants, or any of our Church works to see whether they agreed with them or not. When I have spoken by the power of God and the Holy Ghost, it is truth, it is scripture, and I have no fears but that it will agree with all that has been revealed in every particular.
I will say to these three brethren, selected for the Presidency of this stake [Logan] of Zion, that it will be their duty, just as quick as they can attend to it, to go to every ward and see that it is regularly organized; and ordain those who are to be bishops to the High Priesthood and then set them apart to the bishopric, each bishop with two counselors and then see that the several quorums of Elders, Priests, Teachers and Deacons are organized and also to see that every person is brought within the jurisdiction of a ward; not a family or an individual to be left out, no matter of the live ten miles off, they must be enrolled in the ward, and the proper persons must know what they are doing, as well as to know that the Seventies, the High Priests and Elders and all are doing. They must see whether all these are doing their duty, living their holy religion, or whether they are breaking the Sabbath by hunting their stock, or chopping wood in the canyon, fishing or hunting, or whether they indulge in drinking intoxicating drinks, or whether they steal, lie, speak evil of their neighbor, or do anything which violates the principles of our religion.
* * *
And the Seventies, let them be diligent, help to build this temple and do all they can to strengthen and support their brethren who preside, acting as any other members of this Stake of Zion should, in being obedient to the bishops. If they were scattered over the whole world, they could be notified to come together when it is necessary to do business in the capacity of their calling.
When temples are built you will not see seats provided for the Twelve, not in this temple at any rate. The upper seat on the stand in the east end of the building will be for the First Presidency; the next seat below will be for the presidency of the Stake of Zion, the next seat below will be for the presidency of the High Priests’ Quorum. The upper stand at the west end of the temple will be for those holding the Bishopric; the next will be for the presidents of the Quorums of Priests after the order of Aaron; the next below for the presidents of the Quorums of Teachers; and the next for the presidents of the quorum of Deacons. What, says one, no seat is provided for the Twelve, is not this their home? No, their homes are all over the earth, preaching the Gospel, building up the Kingdom, regulating the affairs of the Kingdom of God upon the earth; and we take them in as visitors. Are there places to be provided for the Seventies? No, the temples have seats provided for the First Presidency and the local authorities and not for the traveling ministry. The Twelve and the Seventies are traveling quorums to all the inhabitants of the earth. In the Stakes of Zion the Seventies should be willing to labor as directed by the bishops and the presidency of the Stake. They may meet with the High Priests or with the Elders as they may choose and they will always be welcome if the High Priests and Elders feel as they should do.” (Brigham Young, 25 May, 1877; LDS Archives, Pq M251.3 B855 195-?; see DN 6 Jun., 1877) REFER TO DESERET NEWS FOR ENTIRE TEXT.
“When I have asked my counsellors or any of the brethren of the Twelve with regard to the selection of the presidency of this Stake of Zion, the reply has been, ‘Make your own choice, Brother Brigham, and we will vote for them.’ This is correct and the proper method of nominating such officers. We will give you the liberty of voting as you blease, but as for the appointment that is with us to say. This is so ordered, it is so revealed and so written, and we must abide by it. The Lord in founding this work did not ask the opinion of the world as to what they thought of this, that, or the other. Suppose the prophet Joseph had sought the opinion of the orthodox world with regard to his right to receive revelations from God, how long do you think he would have waited before they sanctioned his appointment, or acknowledged that the Lord had the right and that it was his privilege to appoint whomsoever he would? The appointment of Joseph was from God, and it was in the authority of the priesthood of the Son of God that Joseph was called, ordained and set apart as an apostle, prophet and elder in Israel, and if it had been referred to the Christian world for their approval and sanction, I think the Lord would have waited until this time. They would have got up here, there and everywhere, saying, ‘I oppose it.’
I shall nominate, as President of this Stake of Zion, Moses Thatcher. {Carried unanimously.} It is Brother Thatcher’s privilege to choose his counsellors if he wishes so to do, and it is our right and privilege to give them to him. I shall, therefore, nominate William B. Preston as his first counsellor. {Unanimously carried.} And Milton D. Hammond, who is now Bishop at Providence, as his second counsellor. I am not intimately acquainted with Brother Hammond; but I understand he is a man of good, sound judgment, a man who lives his religion and who is capable of giving counsel in almost all matters pertaining to the building up of the kingdom of God upon the earth. This is what I learn respecting him. What do you think, brethren and sisters, of this nomination? {It was seconded and carried unanimously.}
We will now present the names of the High Council for this Stake of Zion. {The names were read and they were voted for by the Conference.} When we organize a Stake of Zion we set apart a High Priest to preside over the High Priests in that Stake. He either selects his two counsellors, or we give them to him. There is but one quorum of High Priests in any Stake of Zion. For the Elders we also appoint a President and two counsellors to preside over them. When they number ninety-six, there will be a full quorum; but it is not so with the High Priests. It matters not whether they number fifty, five hundred or five thousand, or more, in a Stake of Zion, there can only be one quorum and one president; they thus differ from the Elders. Then if there should be a sufficient number of Elders to make two quorums, we would select two presidents with their counsellors; but if there were more than enough to form one quorum, and not sufficient to make two, they could meet with the first quorum until there should be enough to form a second quorum.
Forty-eight Priests form a quorum. We will have a president set apart for the Priests’ quorum, who will also have two counsellors. And when there are forty-eight Priests more it will then be time to organize another quorum. The teachers and deacons will be organized too. Twenty-four form a quorum of teachers, and twelve a quorum of deacons. The Seventies are scattered all through our settlements; we do not organize them; they are already organized in their several quorums. As for mass quorums, I do not acknowledge such organizations. In consequence of operations carried on under that name I have felt disposed to change it and, instead of calling them mass quorums, name them ‘muss’ quorums. At almost every place where they have met together;, there has been quarrelling between the Seventies and the Bishop. This was first brought to my notice, by learning that when bishops gave out notice for the people to come together at a certain time, it was not an unfrequent thing for the presidents of the mass quorums of the same wards to give out their appointments for the Seventies to meet at the same hour. This would be done for the purpose of showing what great authority they had and to get up a quarrel. A president acting in this manner ought to be cut off from the Church. The Seventies are Apostles; and they stand next in authority to the Twelve. The First Presidency organize and regulate the affairs of the Church wherever they can go, or they instruct others to do it. When the First Presidency are not here, and the Twelve are here, they then attend to these matters, and their authority, by a unanimous feeling and faith in the gospel, is the same as that of the First Presidency, their decisions and doings are equal to those of the First Presidency. Next in order of them stand the Seventies. If through the providences of God the First Presidency and the Twelve were taken away, then it would be the duty of the Seventies to preach the gospel, build up the Church, and ordain every officer requisite in order to establish the Church; to ordain high priests, bishops, high counsellors, patriarchs, and set in order the whole church in all the world. This is according to the revelations given to us. This dissension has come between the seventies and the High Priests in consequence of some poor, miserable, beggarly whiners who craved after power, and who did not know what to do with the authority they already possessed. Some of these high priests would go to Joseph saying: ‘Brother Joseph, do you think the Twelve have any more power than we have?’ ‘Brother Joseph the Seventies, are they ordained to as high authority and power as the High Priests? Are the Seventies equal to the High Priests? Brother Joseph, it cannot be so, it must not be; the High Priests must be the greater, and they are first.’ Now, even to this day, there is contention, and I do not know but even among the first elders of Israel there may be argument as to which should come next–if anything were to happen to the First Presidency and the Twelve–the High Priests or the Seventies. Is the apostleship an outgrowth of the high priesthood, or is the high priesthood an outgrowth of the apostleship? Or, in other words, which is the highest office in the church? The office of an apostle. The apostleship is the highest authority that can be imposed upon man upon the earth. I recollect when Brother Don Carlos Smith was ordained president of the high priests’ quorum, he got up a genealogical tree, and written along the trunk of this tree were the words, ‘The High Priests.’ A little distance up the trunk a limb shot out away off, which represented ‘The Twelve Apostles.’ This is not according to the revelations which have been given to us. When a man is ordained an apostle, he is ordained to every calling pertaining to the holy priesthood, a man on the earth can hold; but when he is ordained a high priest, he is ordained a priest after the order of Melchisedek; it is then his right to officiate in all the offices below him. I suppose I ordained hundreds of Seventies in early days. Brother Joseph Smith has come to us many times, saying, ‘Brethren, you are going to ordain Seventies. Do not forget to confer the high priesthood upon them. Ordain each of them to the high priesthood, and to be one of the seventy apostles.’ That was my language in the ordination of the Seventies, and that is the way I ordain them now. Whether in doing so I mention the high priesthood or not, that is included. In consequence of this a little inquiry arose among the high priests respecting the high priesthood and the apostleship. The Twelve Apostles had been ordained, and every one of them happened to be high priests excepting Brother Heber C. Kimball and myself; we were elders. The fact that we were not high priests and had never been ordained to the high priesthood was taken to Brother Joseph. These cavilers wanted him to take some action about it. They wanted to know if we should not be ordained high priests. Such a suggestion made Joseph righteously angry. Said he, ‘My brethren, with as much as I have taught you, and as many revelations as have been given on the subject of the priesthood, that you should ask such a question! It would be an insult to the priesthood of the Son of God to ordain a man a high priest after he had been ordained an apostle; for the apostleship holds all the keys of the priesthood upon the face of the earth, to build up the kingdom of heaven, to sanctify the people and prepare them to enter into the presence of God the Father. Now, to say that such a man, holding this priesthood, should be ordained a high priest is an insult, and I want to hear no more about it.’ But this agitation about the high priesthood has ever since been a matter of speculation with a few.
I say that a man that craves for office and authority does not know enough to magnify the office of a deacon; for, if he did, he would not say a word about authority, he would ask for wisdom that he might know how to magnify the priesthood placed upon him. With regard to the authority of the Church and Kingdom of God uopn the earth in its organization, read the Book of Doctrine and Covenants for yourselves. We have a new edition, you can read it. Acquaint yourselves with the powers and authority of the priesthood and learn how the Church is organized. I have spoken of these things before, and yet some will say, ‘I want to know if the Seventies have as much authority as the High Priests.’ I say unto you, Latter-day Saints, that the Seventies follow the Twelve Apostles, and the Twelve Apostles follow in the wake of the First Presidency, and the First Presidency follow in the wake of Peter, James, and John. But for the Seventies and the Twelve to have equal authority in their decisions with the First Presidency they must be unanimous, as is written in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. The priesthood which Peter, James and John held while in the flesh was the highest ever bestowed upon the children of men, and it was conferred upon Joseph and Oliver, and without it they never could have built up the Kingdom. Then after this came along the high priesthood. I have been told since I came here that Sidney Rigdon ordained Joseph a high priest. I would ask, who ordained Sidney Rigdon? What priesthood he had he got from Joseph; and then he turned around and ordained Joseph to an office, the authority to hold which he had received from Joseph! It would be unwise. If Sidney had done this, I think I would have heard of it. You can read how Joseph and Oliver got this apostleship. Then after the Conference in Kirtland, in 1831, Joseph received a revelation to ordain high priests, which he did. As far as his being ordained a high priest, it would be as proper to call for a priest, teacher or deacon to ordain me a high priest. The Lord sent his messengers, Peter, James and John, to ordain him to the highest authority that could be given. I trust that these remarks will put a stop to such foolish and absurd questions. Read the revelations and understand them.
{At this point Elder Geo. L. Farrell was elected President of the High Priests’ Quorum, and Elders Charles O. Card and Thomas C. Ricks were elected as his counselors.}
The presidency of the Stake can complete this organization. They can select presidents for the Elders’ Quorum, Priests’, Teachers’, and Deacons’ Quorums, and organize everything properly in the entire Stake, and then it is done. I have been showing you how to organize a Stake of Zion. There is no need of delay or of adjourning over from one meeting till another. If you want to make presidents of quorums, select your men and organize them. But, you may say, ‘We may get some one who is not worth anything.’ Then he has a chance to prove himself, and if he is not suitable you can put another in his place at the next quarterly conference.
With regard to the authority in a Stake of Zion, all the members are amenable to the High Council with their president at their head. Suppose one of the Twelve were living here who should be guilty of lying, swearing, drinking, or purloining his neighbor’s goods. He would be amenable to this High Council, and he should be dealt with. Now a question arises–can you try him and deal with him as with a lay member? No; you can try him, prove his guilt, place it upon record, and then by the united voice of the people of this Stake of Zion, you could withdraw your fellowship from him; but you could not cut him off from the Church. In one of my discourses it is stated that one of the Twelve could be cut off from the church by the local authorities of the branch or ward where he might be residing when dealth with; but it shouild have been stated that this action on the case would be only so far as that branch or ward was concerned. But, on the other hand, let the members of this High Council, or the presidency of this Stake get out of the way, begin to drink, swear, lie or steal, the apostles could cut any one of the off from the church, send them adrift and appoint others in their places. That is the difference between the authority of the Twelve Apostles and the authority of the High Priesthood. There is authority and there are degrees of authority, and there is a difference in degrees, callings and the authority of the priesthood. If there should be one apostle left on the earth, he can regulate and set in order the whole of the church and kingdom of God. If there is one seventy left he could do so. This order is not my getting up, it is the Lord’s doings; high priests may mourn over it, the Lord has said it, and I have no right to say it is not so; it is so. I know some of you might say, ‘Did not Brother Joseph take high priests out of the quorum of seventies and place them in the high priests’ quorum and put others in their places?’ Yes; buit what did he do this for? I can tell you–it was to satisfy the continual teasing of ignorant men who did not know what to do with authority when they got it, and I think most of those high priests who were so anxious upon this subject afterwards apostatized. You have my word for it, I believe there were none of the whisperings of the spirit suggesting that movement, and I will give you my reasons for thinking so. They set their watch for Joseph whenever he preached on the subject. They invited him to preach at their quorum meetings on the difference between a high priest and a seventy. There had been cavilling and bickering in relation to this subject; he condescended to try to do something for them. He preached upon this subject, and I say he stooped to the level of those whiners to try to do something for them. When he got through with his sermon I thought I never heard less brought forth. I could not discern that he brought forth any light, and it was the only time in my life that I ever heard Brother Joseph speak without bringing forth light and knowledge; but I could not discern anything in this. If we enquire of the Lord, if there is one man upon the face of the earth that can get to the ears of the Lord and can get him to hearken to him, he would know how it is; for there is nothing in the Doctrine and Covenants upon which an idea can be based that the High Priests have precedence over the seventies.
In the first calling of the Seventies the Prophet Joseph ordered that every one of them be set apart to the high priesthood, which is the highest priesthood except the apostleship, and to ordain each as one of the seventy appostles. If there are those present who had my hands laid upon their heads in the Kirtland Temple, they can testify that I am telling it just as it was. Some will treasure up these things in their heart, and will remember them just as I have done. From the first time I saw the Prophet Joseph I never lost a word that came from him concerning the kingdom. And this is the key of knowledge that I have to-day, that I did hearken to the words of Joseph, and treasured them up in my heart, laid them away, asking my Father in the name of his Son Jesus to bring them to my mind when needed. I treasured up the things of God, and this is the key that I hold to-day. I was anxious to learn from Joseph and the spirit of God. The spirit of revelation that was given to me has revealed to me many things which have been done. If you, my brethren, are quick to comprehend, and if you love the truth, you will treasure up these things and ponder upon them in your hearts, and when you are asked with regard to them they will be revealed to you. In my doctrinal teachings I have taught many things not written in any book, ancient or modern, and yet, notwithstanding the many things I have told the people, I have never looked into the Bible, the Book of Mormon, or the Doctrine and Covenants, or any of our church works to see whether they agreed with them or not. When I have spoken by the power of God and the Holy Ghost, it is truth, it is scripture, and I have no fears but that it will agree with all that has been revealed in every particular.
I will say to these three brethren, selected for the presidency of this Stake of Zion, that it will be their duty, just as quick as they can attend to it, to go to every ward and see that it is regularly organized; and ordain those who are to be bishops to the high priesthood and then set them apart to the bishopric, each bishop with two counselors, and then see that the several quorums of elders, priests, teachers and deacons are organized, and also to see that every person is brought within the jurisdiction of a ward; not a family or an individual to be left out; no matter if they live ten miles off, they must be enrolled in the ward, and the proper persons must know what they are doing, as well as to know what the Seventies, the High Priests and Elders and all are doing. They must see whether all these are doing their duty, living their holy religion, or whether they are breaking the Sabbath by hunting their stock or chopping wood in the canyon, fishing or hunting, or whether they indulge in drinking intoxicating drinks, or whether they steal, lie, speak evil of their neighbor, or do anything which violates the principels of our religion.
There are many persons who, if they were asked, Do you know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God? Do you believe in the doctrines he taught? they would testify that they do, using the strongest language at their command. Will they run horses or in any way break the Sabbath? Yes, but they swear they know ‘Mormonism’ is true. Such men must be brought into line, or we will sever them from our fellowship. It is the duty of these presidents to see that every ward in this Stake is thoroughly organized. And the Seventies, let them be diligent, help to build this temple and do all they can to strengthen and support their brethren who preside, acting as any other members of this Stake of Zion should, in being obedient to the bishops. If they were scattered over the whole world, they could be notified to come together when it is necessary to do business in the capacity of their calling.
When temples are built you will not see seats provided for the Twelve, not in this temple at any rate. The upper seat on the stand in the east end of the building will be for the First Presidency; the next seat below will be for the presidency of the Stake of Zion; the next seat below will be for the presidency of the High Priests’ Quorum. The upper stand at the west end of the temple will be for those holding the Bishopric; the next will be for the presidents of the Quorum of Priests after the order of Aaron; the next below for the presidents of the Quorum of Teachers; and the next for the presidents of the Quorum of Deacons. What, says one, no seats provided for the Twelve, is not this their home? No, their homes are all over the earth, preaching the Gospel, building up the kingdom, regulating the affairs of the kingdom of God upon the earth; and we take them in as visitors. Are there places to be provided for the Seventies? No; the temples have seats provided for the First Presidency and the local authorities and not for the traveling ministry. The Twelve and the Seventies are traveling quorums to all the inhabitants of the earth. In the Stakes of Zion the Seventies should be willing to labor as directed by the bishops and the presidency of the Stake. They may meet with the high priests or with the elders as they may choose and they will always be welcome if the high priests and elders feel as they should do.
We desire Elder Thatcher and his counselors–Elders William B. Preston and Milton D. Hammond–to give expression to their feelings before the congregation respecting the appointments they have received.
{Brother Thatcher said, in substance, he would do the best he could under the direction of his brethren, the Lord helping him, to magnify the office and calling which had been given him; and Brothers Preston and Hammond expressed themselves similarly.}
{President Young resumed.}
We will now ordain and set these brethren apart to preside over this Stake of Zion.
{Elder Thatcher was then ordained a high priest and set apart to preside, and Elders Preston and Hammond being already ordained high priests, were set apart as his counselors.}
You have heard the ceremony that I have used in ordaining and setting these brethren apart to preside over this Stake of Zion; but the most of our Elders in laying their hands upon the heads of persons to confirm them members of the church, after they have been baptized, will seal all the blessings upon them that a patriarch would in giving them their patriarchal blessing, and wander off to subjects that have no relevancy to the ordinance they are attending to. When we commenced work in the Temple at St. George, I had this stopped. I took the ceremony that belongs to baptising and the ceremony that belongs to confirming, and had them written out for the brethren to commit and use when officiating in these ordinances. If you notice I did not use any superfluous language in ordaining and setting apart these brethren. This is the proper way to do.
Some elders, who appear to think they do not preach enough at other times, when asked to open a meeting with prayer, will not forget to preach a pretty good sermon before they stop praying. They will pray for everything on and above the earth as though they offered their secret prayers in public.
Brother Joseph once asked Brother George A. Smith to close a meeting, Brother George A. said, ‘My prayers are too short.’ Said Joseph, ‘That is the reason I ask you.’ Let your prayers and sermons always be short, right to the point.
It is now time to close our meeting. We leave Brother Thatcher and his counselors to complete the organization of this Stake of Zion. In doing this they may confer with the brethren of the Twelve if they choose.
I would be pleased if time would permit to hear the sentiments of my brethren, the Twelve, on these topics on which I have touched; but I think they will all agree with me. As I remarked yesterday, we differ in our words more than we differ in our sentiments. There are no two men who can preach the same sermon, with the same words. We are all alike respecting our faith in the Gospel and the building up of the kingdom.
With regard to this Temple ground, I will pass my judgment upon the soil on which we intend to build the Temple, and say to all, that unless it is disturbed by some unseen hand, it is just as good as foundation as I could wish for, unless we had solid rock. I do not think we could have it better. We want the brethren to take hold. The presidency of the Stake will call for a certain number of men from the various wards. I trust they will be on hand, ready to be organized for all this work. When men get accustomed to the work, I would suggest that they be kept on in preferance to changing them for raw hands. Let the people sustain these hands and their families, so that they can be kept steadily at work at the Temple. We have called Bro. Charles O. Card to superintend the work on the Temple for the present, and told him what to do and how it should be done. The first thing to be done is to get the lime ready, pile up the sand, get away the dirt before you haul any rock; then have your roads prepared for the drawing of the rock. Let from twenty to fifty masons be kept constantly at work until the building shall be completed. I pray our Father in Heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ, to bless you all. Amen.” (Brigham Young, “At Logan, Cache County, on Monday Morning, May 25, 1877, at the Priesthood Meeting, held for the purpose of organizing a Stake of Zion,” DN 26(18):274-275, 6 Jun., 1877)
2 Jun.: Priesthood reorganization in Provo Stake.
“SPECIAL CONFERENCE AT PROVO.
The special Conference called at Provo for the purpose of more completely organizing the Stake of Zion at that place convened at 10 o’clock on Saturday morning, June 2.
On the stand were President John W. Young, Elders John Taylor, Erastus Snow, Franklin D. Richards and George Q. Cannon, also Bishop Smoot and many of the Bishops of Utah County. . . .
[Sunday, 3 Jun.] President B. Young was present.
Most of the time was taken up by Elder Erastus Snow;, discoursing on the subjects of union and self-sustenance.
The discourse preached by President B. Young at the priesthood meeting at Logan, on Monday morning, the 25th ult., and which was published in Saturday’s News, was read to the congregation by Brother George Q. Cannon. . . .
On Monday, the 4th, a priesthood meeting was held, having for its object the perfecting of the Stake organization. At this meeting the following nominations were unanimously sustained:
. . . .
Elder Geo. Q. Cannon, after putting these motions, said it was intended to hold Quarterly Conferences throughout every Stake of Zion, after the organizations were completed, also that in future, neither presidents of Seventies’ nor High Priests’ Quorums would be permitted to choose men from other quorums, as had been done, ordaining them Seventies or High Priests, without consulting with and obtaining the sanction of the First Presidency or the Twelve.” (DN 26(19):303, 13 Jun., 1877)
3 Jun.: Duties of Ordained Teachers.
“I required him to bring forth the proof if he has it or retract within ten days from date. of I would ask the Saints to withdraw the hand of fellowship from him – also that he cease from his labors as a teacher until he makes this matter satisfactory.- I also called up the indifference & lithargy of the Teachers and they not settling difficulties existing between themselves and others of the Saints.” (L. John Nuttall diary, 3 Jun., 1877)
5 Jun.: Excommunication notice.
“Excommunicated.–At a meeting of the High Council, held on the 26th ult., Anders Aaron Forsburg and Nathaniel Cummings, either residents or having resided at Grantsville, Tooele County, were, by unanimous vote, cut off the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for unchristian-like conduct.
At the same meeting the action of Bishop Sheets and council, of the Eighth Ward of this city, was unanimously sustained, wherein Benjamin F. Dewey was cut off the Church for the same offense.
Geo. F. Gibbs,
Clerk of High Council.”
(Reprint of report of 5 Jun., 1877; DN 26(19):291, 13 Jun., 1877)
11 Jun.: Notice of general Priesthood reorganization.
“Organizing.–The Presidency of this Stake, under the direction of the First Presidency and Twelve Apostles, are visiting the several Wards of this City, and the county generally, and affecting a more complete organization of the local priesthood.” (Reprint of report of 11 Jun.; DN 26(19):300, 13 Jun., 1877)
12 Jun.: Priesthood watch care the duty of Teachers.
“Priesthood watch care was then considered a responsibility of the lesser priesthood. ‘It was not the calling of the Twelve Apostles to do this,’ taught President [George Q.] Cannon, ‘the Lord had placed proper officers, teachers, to do this work.'” (Sixth Ward, Salt Lake Stake, Record Book, October 1869-April 1880, entry for 12 Jun., 1877; in Hartley, “Ordained and Acting Teachers in the Lesser Priesthood, 1851-1883,” BYU Studies 16(3):382, Spring, 1976)
17 Jun.: Details of priesthood reorganization.
“The following passage is found in the Doctrine and Covenants, page 266, new edition–
Which Priesthood continueth in the Church of God in all generations, and is without beginning of days or end of years. And the Lord confirmed a Priesthood also upon Aaron and his seed throughout all their generations;–which Priesthood also continueth and abideth for ever, with the Priesthood which is after the holiest order of God. And this greater Priesthood administereth the Gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God; Therefore in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest; and without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the Priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh. For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.
There are some ideas associated with these principles which I will briefly refer to. We have assembled here to more perfectly organize the Church of God in this place; to establish a Stake; to select, appoint and set apart the necessary officers there for. Our President has been moved upon to call upon the Twelve to go through the Territory and attend to these matters, in accordance with a revelation which makes it the duty of the Twelve ‘to ordain and set in order all the officers of the Church;’ to see that the Church is ‘righted up’ in all its various departments, and in the organization of its various quorums; where it is necessary that Stakes should be organized organize them; and to see that all the quorums and officers be placed in their proper position so that they will work harmoniously and according to the revelations and order of God. The growth of the Church and the changes continually taking place render it necessary that this work to which we have been called be attended to. It is very desirable and necessary, too, that every man shold understand his true position in the Church; that he may the better magnify his calling, and attend to every duty devolving upon him. In the organization of a Stake of Zion, as revealed, there should be a President with two Counselors, to preside over all the officers, authorities and people of that Stake. There should also be a High Council consisting of Twelve Councilors presided over by the President of the Stake and his two Counselors. There should also be a High Priests’ Quorum with a President and two Counsellros to preside over all the High Priests in the Stake.
The Elders’ Quorum should be composed of ninety-six Elders, presided over by a President and two Counselors, and when more than ninety-six, others quorums should be organized.
The Priests’ Quorum should be composed of forty-eight, presided over by a Bishop. The Teachers’ Quorum should be composed of twenty-four, and the Deacons of twelve, each with their respective Presidents and Counselors. The Bishop necessarily presides over the whole of the lesser Priesthood in his Ward, and they are under his special guidance and direction, while he is presided over by the Presidency of the Stake, and the Presidents of the Stakes, in their turn are presided over by the First Presidency and the Twelve; thus all are amenable to proper authority in their various organizations and there is no schism in the body. All Bishops should be properly ordained with their Counselors, in order to be qualified to act efficiently in their offices, and to be qualified to sit as common judges in Israel.
We have frequently heard that ‘Order is heaven’s first law.’ In no earthly government is there so much order evinced as in the Church and kingdom of God, and for that we are indebted to the revelations of God. The office of the Priesthood is really to rule and govern in that government which is recognized as the Lord’s, whether it be in heaven or on the earth. And as the Lord has restored the everlasting Gospel and the keys of the everlasting Priesthood which administers in time and eternity, when we elect officers to fill positions in this Church we choose men whose authority through their faithfulness will hold good not only on this earth, but in the heavens, and not only now but hereafter. And when these things are carried out to their fullest extent, then will ‘the will of God be done on earth as in heaven,’ and the meek will rejoice in the administration of his rule.
If I had time I might refer to accounts given of various men who stood at the head of the Priesthood in the different ages of the world, showing how it has been handed down from one to another, agreeably to the will of God, for the accomplishment of his purposes and the benefit of the human family. He has given unto us a very good and perfect organization; quite as perfect I think, and I am prepared to say, as any organization that ever existed upon the face of the earth. And it is indeed reasonable that such an organization should now exist, for we are living in what is called the dispensation of the fullness of times; and it embraces all other dispensations that ever did exist on the earth. It embraces also all the powers and privileges, rights, keys and Priesthoods ever known to man.
In relation to organizations, there has been a great deal of carelessness exhibited in many instances; we have failed to sense the importance of the serious responsibilities that attaches itself to this Priesthood, this delegated power of heaven. We have found more or less confusion among the churches wherever we have gone; and hence the wisdom manifested by the President in requesting a more perfect organization seems the more to be appreciated, because of the necessity that exists for improvement. Says the Lord, ‘Without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the Priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto man in the flesh; for without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.’ The Lord having given unto us this divine law and revealed certain principles unto us, he expects us to govern ourselves accordingly; that every ordinance in connection with the Priesthood may be administered properly and in accordance with his law. We find many departures however from this law. In the bishopric we find many irregularities. In some instances we have found that a Bishop has no Counselors, in others he has had one Counselor perhaps, and sometimes we have found the Bishop with two Counselors, but he himself not ordained to the office, but had only been appointed, and in some instances we have found that the Counselors have not been properly authorized and qualified to act in their calling. Whereas there is a law regulating these things which we hope to comply with, every Bishop should be first ordained a High Priest, and then set apart to the Bishopric by the proper authority; and the Bishop’s Counselors, if not already ordained to the High Priesthood, should be, and then set apart to act in their capacity, as first and second Counselors to the Bishop. These three then form a quorum, and a court and are qualified to sit in judgment upon all matters that may come before the Bishop, as a common judge in Israel which pertains to his Ward. They are then properly authorized to act in this capacity, and they ought to be upheld and sustained in the position they occupy, and in all of their doings, inasmuch as they are characterized by righteousness and sound judgment, and as the Scriptures say, with humility and faith, and longsuffering and wisdom, and according to the principles laid down in the book of Doctrine and Covenants, which the Spirit of God would dictate to men occupying such a position.
And then if there is an appeal from this court it goes to the High Council which is also composed of High Priests, set apart to this office, by the First Presidency or the Twelve, to be presided over by the Presidency of the Stake. For the lack of this more perfect organization all kinds of confusion has prevailed among the brethren in many instances; all kinds of little differences are taken to the High Council, which ought to be taken to the Bishop’s court. People sometimes quarrel about little things, very trivial affairs that do not represent more than ten or twenty dollars in monetary matters, and they are not satisfied unless the High Council try such cases. And what is the result? Instead of having these little matters settled by the Teachers or Bishops in their own Wards, they occupy the time of the fifteen men composing the Council, besides their own and that of the witnesses, who generally number from five to fifteen. But these men work for nothing and board themselves, and therefore it costs the disputants nothing for the adjudication of their differences, whereas in such cases the High Council would prefer to put their hands in their pockets and pay the amount in dispute rather than listen to their nonsence. And it would seem that some men are so inconsiderate, that they would impose upon them, because they are willing to give their time.
Such cases should not come before the High Council; they more properly belong to the lesser Priesthood, to the Priests and Teachers and to the Bishop’s court.
Such men do not realize their position before God and their brethren. If men have differences they should try to settle them amicably among themselves. But if they cannot do this, let them take the first steps as directed in the Church Covenants, let them then come together as brethren having a claim upon the Spirit and power of God which would attend them if they lived their religion, and then, provided the Priests and Teachers did their duty and were filled with wisdom and the spirit of their office and calling, ninety-nine cases out of every hundred might be satisfactorily settled without either troubling the Bishop’s court or the High Council. But because these duties of the lesser Priesthood are not faithfully performed or sufficiently estimated, they are not carried out according to the laws laid down for our government and thus many of these differences and difficulties exist in our midst.
When the Church is organized in all its various departments with the President at the head, the Twelve in their place, the High Priests, Seventies and Elders in theirs, together with the Bishops and lesser Priesthood, the local aids and governments each acting in their appointed sphere and calling, and all operated upon and influenced by the Holy Spirit, then the whole becomes as the body of a man, sound and complete in all its members, and everything moves harmoniously and pleasantly along. For the body, we are told, as not one member but many: ‘And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you;’ but every man in his place acting in his office and calling. And there is as much devolving upon the Priests, the Teachers and Deacons and those of the lesser Priesthood as there is upon any other members of the Church. When they do not fulfill their duties, what is the result? People go to the Twelve, or to the First Presidency, they pass the more immediate authorities, and confusion and disorder exist, and valuable time is occupied almost needlessly, and those who will work may work until they are broken down ready to cease their earthly labors, and all this for the want of men’s knowing their duties and doing them.
But while we are contending over little things what becomes of us? We are losing sight of our callings, we forget that this kingdom was established upon the earth for the purpose of introducing righteousness and the laws and principles of truth, the laws of heaven upon the earth, and of blessing mankind and of saving the living and the dead. We forget what we are here for, and what the kingdom of God is established for. It is not for you or for me or anybody else alone; it is the interests of the world and the salvation of mankind. We are expected, every one of us, to perform the various duties and responsibilities devolving upon us. If we neglect them are we not guilty before God? Whence come the difficulties that we have in our midst? Because as I have said in many instances the Priesthood do not perform their duties, are not vigilant and faithful. The Teachers sometimes come to visit us and sometimes they do not. I do not know how it is with you, but they rarely visit me. When they do come, am I pleased to see them? Yes. I call my family together, and then addressing the Teachers I say to them; ‘Brethren, we are all very glad to see you, we are ready to listen to you and if you have any instructions for us we shall be happy to hear you.’ These are my feelings with regard to men who act as Teachers. And are they prepared to teach me? Yes. If I have been negligent or careless, they will enquire into it; and the same with the members of my family. Or are there ill feelings existing among any of the members of the household; or between them and our neighbors. If so, they should find out. It is their business to know whether I and my family are living our religion or not; and the same with everybody else’s family in the Church. But how is it now? They come perhaps once in three months, or nine months as the case may be. And when they do come they have a few words and questions which, to say the least, are very formal. Is that the spirit and calling of a Teacher? No! They should be full of the light and revelation of God, quick to discover everything and know everybody and their standing in their jurisdiction. And they would too if they performed their duties and were faithful to the welfare of the people. What is the result? The wards are not attended to. What follows? We have drinking in our midst. Yes, Elders and High Priests and Seventies are tempted to drink and humiliate themselves before God and the people. We have others that break the Sabbath, and others that swear and blaspheme the name of God. We have others that lie and cheat. And who pays any attention to it? Some think it would not be polite to attend to some of these matters; but I tell you God will take hold of them by and by, and they will know whether he will be polite or not. If a man does wrong, let him be held accountable for that wrong, no matter who he may be. If he cheats, bring him up; if he lies, let him be treated as a liar; if he breaks the Sabbath bring him to an account for it; let the proper officers of the Church see that they do their duty, or God will not hold them guiltless. Let all the Elders, the Priests, Teachers and Deacons and other officers thoroughly and faithfully perform their duties, and then we will see whether there is any power in the Priesthood or not; then we will know whether the blessings of the Lord attend the ordinances or not; then we will know that God rules in Israel, and that the honest in heart, the truthful and those who love righteousness are in reality his people, and that they will maintain the right and purge the Church from evil of every kind. We do not want to become partakers of other men’s sins; the First Presidency will not, neither will the Twelve; the Bishops should not, for God will require it at their hands.
God intends to build up a Church here after the pattern of the one that exists in heaven; and to come down and associate himself with man upon the earth. Are we prepared? No. Shall we be by the course we are going? Never, while the world stands. Therefore we are going forth and wherever we find things disorganized, we organize them, and then call upon the various organizations to perform their duties in fidelity, honesty and faithfulness, that every man may be felt after to the utmost extremity of the Territory, that it may be known what they are doing, whether they are for God and the principles of truth or not. We do not want any more ‘Good Lord and good devil;’ the line will be drawn and we will know who is for the kingdom and who is not. If we do not those things which are required at our hands, what is the use of our profession? Why should men who do not want to do right, who break the Sabbath, who steal, defraud and impose upon their neighbors, why should they court the fellowship of the Saints? Do you think they will get into the kingdom of God? No. We read of ten virgins, five of whom were wise and five were foolish; and I think both the wise and the foolish ones got into rather a bad condition–they went to sleep. By and by, at midnight, the cry was heard, ‘Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.’ Then they all awakened, rubbed their eyes a little, I suppose, looked around for their lamps, some of which contained oil and some were empty. Those who had no oil in their lamps went to those who had, requesting them to give them of their oil, for their lamps had gone out. But those who had oil had none to spare, and the foolish were told to go to those who sold oil and buy. When the bridegroom came those who were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the others did not, and–that’s all. We might as well look at these things squarely and see how we stand, and what our position is before the Lord. ‘Be not deceived. God is not mocked; that which a man sows he will reap; if we sow to the flesh, we shall of the flesh reap corruption; if we sow to the spirit, we shall reap life everlasting.’
Why should men who do not want to do right stop in our midst? If I did not want to be a Latter-day Saint, I would say, Gentlemen, I will leave you, success to you.’ But then I do not know what I might do or might not do were I in such a condition. At any rate, why do men palm themselves upon the community as Latter-day Saints, when they are not? And we hear of them grumbling and growling about the Priesthood. If the Priesthood are such rascals, why do they not leave them, and seek more congenial society?
When these organizations are completed there will be a President with two Counselors, and they will preside over all other Councils in the Stake. And it will be expected that all the others under their presidency will listen to their counsels; and it will be expected that they will listen to the instructions of President Young and the Twelve. And it is then expected that the Priests, Teachers and Deacons will hearken to and obey the counsel of their Bishop; and it will be expected that the people will listen to the voice of their Priests and Teachers and those whose business it is to look after their interest and welfare. We are now approaching a very important stage in the history of this latter-day work; we may try to dig around our duties and responsibilities, but we have to meet them. We have got to walk according to the laws of God, or abide by the result for not doing it. God expects these things at our hands, and they are things which we have a right to expect from one another; it is expected that we all will do our duty, and God the Father of Jesus, and all the eternal Priesthood in the heavens expect the Presidency, the Twelve, the Presidents of Stakes, the High Priests, High Councils, the Seventies and Elders, the Bishops, Priests, Teachers and Deacons and all the Priesthood and all the people to be governed by the law of God, and to help faithfully to build Zion and establish the kingdom of God that we may be one in all things temporal and spiritual; that we may be welded and united together on earth and not only on the earth but in the heavens also. This is what the whole thing points to, that the Priesthood on the earth should operate and co-operate with the Priesthood of heaven in the accomplishment of the purposes of God. We are building Temples that we may labor therein for ourselves and also become saviors on Mount Zion. How can we operate with the Priesthood of heaven unless we are governed by the Preisthood God has given us on the earth? We cannot do it; we must be governed by the laws and principles he has revealed for our guidance, and for our salvation. And that God may help us to do his will and perform the work given us to do, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.” (John Taylor, Farmington Stake, Sunday morning, 17 Jun., 1877; JD 19:51-57)
“The Wards will be organized hereafter; Bishops will be placed over them, with their two Counselors, all of whom will be ordained High Priests, if not already so ordained, and then be set apart to act in their several offices. They then will form a court; and then all the other quorums of Priesthood will be set in order. For what? Paul says, ‘For the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.’ But whether this will be the result here I do not know. All I know is that it should be so, and if every one does his duty and lives his religion, it will be so. (The brethren chosen and elected to fill the several offices herein named, were then set apart to act therein. The President then continued–)
Just a few words to the Presidency of this Stake of Zion. It is now their duty to see that the officers within their jurisdiction perform their several duties, it is sufficient work for them too if they will attend to it. The High Council I hope will not have much business to do. I am told that there have only been three cases during the last twenty-three years, that have gone for trial before the High Council from Farmington. That is doing very well. To the now acting Bishops, who will be ordained Bishops, as well as to brother Hess, who I believe is the only ordained Bishop in the county, I will say that you will now be required to look after your several Wards more assiduously than heretofore; see that Teachers are diligent in the performance of their duties, and that all difficulties that may arise among the brethren of the Ward be settled, if possible, by the Teachers; and also see that all who claim membership in this Church observe the moral law of our religion. We shall not expect to hear of people breaking the Sabbath, and a hundred other things all of which are inconsistent with our holy callings, and opposed to the accomplishment of the work that the Father has given us to do. You are called upon now to make yourselves familiar with the revelations and commandments that have been given us of the Lord for our perfection, for our sanctification preparatory to our exaltation, and so live that our acts and conversations may conform to the same. We expect to see a radical change, a reformation, in the midst of this people, so that, when the proper authorities shall call upon you to do thus and so, every one may be found willing and ready to respond, placing himself, with all he commands, for the up-building of the kingdom of God. This is in accordance with a revelation given to this Church before the law of Tithing was revealed; but in consequence of unbelief and imperfection on the part of the people it was not observed, and hence a law more adapted to their condition was given, namely, that of Tithing. You are called upon now to improve your ways, to seek with all earnestness for an increase of faith that you may live according to the higher laws, which is your privilege to do, and which is so necessary for our peace and comfort and for the good order of society and for the salvation of the Latter-day Saints. We shall look for this change, and I do not think we shall be disappointed; if at all, I believe it will prove a happy disappointment to all Israel, because of the great reformation that will be effected among the Latter-day Saints.” (Brigham Young, Farmington Stake, Sunday afternoon, 17 Jun., 1877; JD 19:43-44)
18 Jun.: Excommunication notice.
“Excommunicated.
Mendon, Cache Co.,
June 18th, 1877.
Editor Deseret News:
Please publish the following–
To all whom it may concern. On Sunday, June 17th, 1877, Lars Larsen and Soren Mortensen were cut off the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for apostasy.
Henry Hughes, Bishop.
John Donaldson, Clerk.”
(Reprint of report of 21 Jun.; DN 26(21):329, 27 Jun., 1877)
19 Jun.: Resolution of difficulties w/in Teachers quorum.
“Bro Jas Lewis preferred a charge against Bro John Oakley for unchristian like conduct – Bro Oakley also requested to have a hearing of differences between him & Bro Lewis before the Teachers.” (L. John Nuttall diary, 19 Jun., 1877)
24 Jun.: Duties of Ordained Teachers.
“at 4 P.M. attended Teachers Meeting heard reports – & called Thos Dobson – my son Leonard. Brigham G Baird. . & Z K Judd Jr to act & officiate as Teachers. – instructed the Quorum in their duties to teache. Tithing. to cease back biting evil speaking. to define the manner the Saints should sustain the Priesthood – to look after those who come into our midst to see they come recommended if they claim fellowship – also to see after delinquent members as to their meetings.” (L. John Nuttall diary, 24 Jun., 1877)
1/8 Jul.: Adjudication by Teachers Quorum.
“at 4. P.M. attended High Priests Meeting. had a reference again to the feelings between Bros J Lewis & John Oakley. the Teacher’s having decided between them & required Bro Oakley to acknowledge his fault & sign a document drawn by them. to be read in the public meeting. which he had signed, but did not feel quite satisfied with the matter – which was again talked over both parties stating they were willing to have peace upon which I asked them separatly as to their desires for peace & to settle the differences between them. they both expressed their willingness when I told them in the presence of the quorum to manifest it by acknowledging their wrongs asking forgiveness & shaking hands as token of sincerity, they both did so – yet Bro O said there was another matter he wanted to talk to Bro Lewis about – Bro L said he did not Know what it could be about but he was willing to ask forgiveness and have a clean sheet – but Bro O said he would rather not be hasty but would lioke to talk with him upon which nothing further was said only to have the decision of the Teachers & the statement of Bro Oakley read at next sundays meeting Bro O. expressing his desire to have it read.”
“Sun 8 . . . had Bro Bunting read the decision of teachers & the acknowledgment of Bro John Oakley in the case between him & Bro Jas Lewis as to the Ellsworth Estate. whereupon I referred to the matter and asked the Saints to forgive Bro Oakley which they did by raising the hand in token.” (L. John Nuttall diary, 1 Jul., 1877)
5 Jul.: Adjudication by Teachers Quorum.
“at 4 P.M. listened to an investigation before Bros Bunting & Solomon as Teachers to hear the differences between Bro W Mace & Jared Young – after the decision of the Teacher by request I spoke a short time.” (L. John Nuttall diary, 5 Jul., 1877)
11 Jul.: Priesthood reorganization.
“Beloved Saints:
As we are now organizing the Stakes of Zion in these mountains and setting in order the quorums of the priesthood, we think it proper to give some general instructions to secure uniformity and concert of action in the church.
Under the direction of the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles the presidency of the various Stakes will have the general supervision of all matters pertaining to the church within the limits of their Stakes; and every one of the seventies, of the high priests, the elders and the lesser priesthood, as well as the members, within those limits should be governed in all righteousness by that presidency. It is the duty of those who preside over Stakes to seek for and receive counsel from the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles, and, under their direction, to see that every Ward is thoroughly organized with a bishop and two counselors–who must be high priests and set apart to preside as the bishop and counselors–and with the priests, teachers and deacons assigned their duties by the bishops as ministers to the Wards; also, that every family, no matter how far removed from settlements, is recognized and numbered with the people of the nearest Ward. It is expected that every member of the church will have his name enrolled in the church record of the Ward and Stake in which he lives, or else he will not be recognized as a member of the church. Many persons have claimed fellowship in the church who have not lived according to the requirements of the gospel; but this should no longer be permitted. The laws of the Lord must be more strictly enforced, and such persons must repent and being forth the fruits of righteousness in their lives, or be severed from the church. If persons professing to be members of the church be guilty of lying, drunkenness, sabbath-breaking, profanity, defrauding or backbiting their neighbors, or any other kind of wickedness or unrightous dealing, they should be visited by the teachers of the Ward in which they reside, and their wrongs be pointed out to them in the spirit of meekness and brotherly kindness, and they be exhorted to repent. If they should persist in their wrong-doing, then their cases should be brought before the bishop and his counselors, and they should be cited to appear to answer the charges made against them. If, upon proper and sufficient testimony, it should appear that they have been guilty of acts which are in violation of the law of God, and they will not repent, then they should be expelled from the church, and their names be no longer numbered among the Saints. If teachers, priests and bishops, or other officers, suffer iniquity to exist in the church, in districts where they preside, without taking action against it, they become partakers of other men’s sins and they are unworthy of their positions. If an officer of the church wil not perform his duty faithfully, he should be removed and another be appointed in his stead.
There are small settlements where only a few families reside–too few to be organized as a Ward. For such a settlement the bishop, to whose Ward it belongs, should appoint a priest to preside, if there is one; if there is not, a teacher can be appointed to take charge of the church affairs in the settlement. But if there is neither a priest nor a teacher, and there should be a high priest or seventy who is suitable he can be called upon to act for the time being in the capacity of a priest. In every settlement, however small, meetings and Sunday schools should be strictly maintained.
In organizing the various Stakes, there will be a president and two counselors selected in each Stake to preside over the high priests who reside there. There is no limit to the number that shall compose a quorum of high priests. They may number but a few, or they may number thousands; therefore one presidency in a Stake is sufficient for them, and in holding quorum meetings they should meet in a Stake capacity and not in Wards.
The seventies can meet with the high priests, or with the elders, as they may choose, they being a traveling ministry; but when it is necessary for the transaction of business of a missionary character, they can meet in the capacity of a quorum, otherwise they are like any other elders or members of the church, and are under the direction of their bishops.
The elders should be organized in quorums each numbering ninety-six, and where there are more than enough for one quorum and not enough for two they can continue to meet as one quorum until the necessary number to organize another quorum are ordained.
When forty-eight priests are ordained they should be organized as a quorum; twenty-four teachers constitute a quorum, and twelve deacons. Should there be an excess of these numbers in any place, and yet not sufficient to form another quorum, they will meet, as in the case of the elders, with their brethren as one quorum until there are enough to form another quorum.
In the work of organizing, the Stakes and Wards should first receive attention. After their general presiding officers have been selected and ordained, and the lists of the various officers in the Stake have been collected and the number of each kind in each Ward is known, then the quorums should be organized. In organizing them, if there should not be a sufficient number for a quorum in one Ward, then they should be taken from others contiguous to it and most convenient for communication and meetings. The officers who are designed to form a quorum should be called together and the most suitable men should be selected for presidents and counselors. In organizing a quorum of priests a bishop is the proper person to preside over them. In organizing quorums of teachers and deacons the presidents and their counselors should be selected from their own number. Seventies, high priests and elders who are called to act in the offices of the lesser priesthood should not be numbered in the quorums of that priesthood; but their names should be recorded in their own quorums, though when called upon by the bishops they should be willing to act in the offices of the lesser priesthood until priests, teachers and deacons of the necessary experience are found. When priests and teachers visit the Saints, according to the instructions in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, the experienced priest or teacher should have as a companion a young man, so that the latter may have the opportunity of learning the duties of his calling, and becoming thoroughly wise and efficient in the discharge thereof.
Once in every three months a conference of the officers and members of each Stake will be held, and it will be the duty of the Apostles to atttend these as often as practicable. The Twelve have been relieved from presiding over districts, and they will devote themselves to traveling and preaching the gospel to the people, and see that the officers in the several Stakes do their duty. To prevent loss of time, and to save unnecessary labor in traveling, the dates upon which conferences will be held should be so arranged that one will succeed another in a manner most convenient for visiting, which will be attended to in due time. At these quarterly conferences reports should be made, giving the number of members and officers, with the offices the latter hold, the number of families, the number of ordinations, of baptisms, of excommunications and births and deaths, with the sex and age of both the latter, and a report of the condition and ability, with regard to temporal affairs, of the members of the Ward, and the percentage or amount of tithing which they pay, and such other information as shall make the record of each Stake a complete one. In each Ward a record of all these matters must be kept, and before the holding of each quarterly conference, a transcript of these records should be handed to the president of the Stake, whose duty it will be to compile the same for record. A report from each quarterly conference should be made by the president of each Stake to the First Presidency.
In each Ward there should be kept a record of all cases brought before the bishop’s court for trial and adjudication, with a copy of the complaint and the decision. The proceedings of each case as recorded should be read by the clerk, after the trial, to the bishop and his counselors, so that they may be satisfied of their correctness. Should an appeal be taken from the bishop’s court to the High Council, a transcript of the proceedings can be sent to that council.
No member who moves from one Ward to another should be received into fellowship and be recognized as a member in good standing in the Ward to which he moves, without he brings with him a letter of recommendation from the presiding authorities in the Ward where he has resided.
It has been the practice in many places for the presidents of high priests and seventies to take members of other quorums, and sometimes persons who held no priesthood, and ordain them into their quorums, and this too very frequently without consulting any one in authority, not even the presidents of the quorums to which these persons rightfully belonged. Because of this practice it has been a difficult thing to keep young men in the elders’ quorum or in any of the quorums of the lesser priesthood; and when deacons, teachers and priests have been wanted it has generally been the case that seventies and high priests have had to be taken to act in those offices. It would be excellent training for the young men if they had the opportunity of acting in the offices of the lesser priesthood. They would thereby obtain very valuable experience, and when they obtain the Melchisedec priesthood they would be likely to place a higher value upon it. We desire to be distinctly understood, therefore, that hereafter when seventies and high priests are to be ordained, it must be under the direction of the First Presidency or the Twelve. Whenever it may be deemed proper to ordain men to these offices the proper authority can be consulted respecting their ordination. The presidents will see that this counsel is observed in their respective Stakes.
In consequence of it having been though more convenient in some of the Stakes for the tithing to be concentrated in one place, and for one bishop to receive reports from others and keep charge of the tithing, &c., the idea has grown up that such a bishop is a presiding bishop, and in many places he has been so regarded. This idea is an incorrect one. Brother Edward Hunter is the only one who acts as presiding bishop in the church. . . .
In order that children may have the opportunity to partake of the sacrament, and be taught the value and importance of that ordinance, we desire the bishops and their counselors in the various Wards to administer the sacrament every Sunday morning in the Sunday Schools. In settlements where there are Meetings Houses sufficiently spacious to admit of children attending the public meetings on Sunday afternoon, we suggest that they be encouraged to go there. . . .
Finally, the presidents of the different Stakes should make arrangements to travel and visit as frequently as possible the various Wards under their jurisdiction, and elders, sound in doctrine and full of the Spirit of the Lord, should be appointed to preach from time to time, that our meetings may be more interesting and instructive.” (First Presidency Circular Letter, 11 Jul., 1877. In Clark, Messages of the First Presidency 2:283-294)
19 Jul.: First Stake Relief Society organized.
“Sunday, the 19th of July, 1877 the first Stake Relief Society was organized. The occasion was a gathering of the women of Weber county in the Ogden Tabernacle to listen to counsel from President Brigham Young to the mothers concerning not only home and charity work, but home industry. President Young and a large party of brethren and sisters from Salt Lake, including Eliza R. Snow, President Daniel H. Wells and wife, Emmeline B. Wells, Elders John Taylor and Albert Carrington of the Council of the Twelve, and others, visited Ogden to attend this conference. Elder Franklin D. Richards and family were at that time living in Ogden, the former presiding over the organizations in the Weber stake as it was customary at that time to have one of the Council of the Twelve preside in the different sections of the Territory.
President Young on that occasion–and it is believed to have been the last official act before his death, as he passed away the following month–organized all the women of Weber county into a stake organization of the Relief Society.” (Annie Wells Cannon, “Two Notable Meetings,” UGHM 5:183, Oct., 1914)
28 Jul.: Rebaptisms at Millard Stake.
“At Fillmore, at 10 a.m. [28 Jul.], a two days’ conference of the Saints of Millard County opened in the State House.
. . . .
The saints were counseled by Elders [Wilford] Woodruff and [Erastus] Snow to renew their covenants by baptism.” (DN 26(26):409, 1 Aug., 1877)
29 Jul.: Priesthood given to bring us to Celestial.
“There was a degree or design of God in relation to the human family from the commencement, to save all that were capable of it, in the celestial glory. All that were not capable of this, in a terrest[r]ial glory, and all that were not capable of receiving that, or prepared for it, in a telestial glory. It was necessary, according to certain unchangeable and eternal laws, that existed with Christ in the eternal world, that man possessing any of these glories should be prepared to receive them, or they could not inherit them, therefore, it was necessary that man should be placed in a state of trial or probation, having to contend with evil that he might, through the power of God, and the strength that he would give to him, if he was sought unto, that he might, through that power, overcome and inherit a celestial glory, and dwell with God in his celestial kingdom. For this purpose, he gave the Priesthood, which is spoken of as being after the order of Melchisedeck, after the order of the Son of God, and after the powers of endless life; which is the power that exists in the heavens, and the wisdom and intelligence that dwell with the Gods; and is the principle by which the Gods in the heavens and men who are under its influence upon the earth are governed. It is called in the Scriptures, the ‘everlasting priesthood, without beginning of days or end of years,’ and that those who have it, administer not only in this world, but in the world which is to come; and it is the privilege of those who have it, to come, as the Scriptures say, ‘to the general assembly and Church of the first born, which are written in heaven, to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, unto Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel.’ It is the principle spoken of in the Scriptures that brings life and immortality to light, that enables mankind, when living according to its laws, to overcome the powers of darkness, to combat successfully with the errors of the world, to triumph over evil of every kind, to subdue the world, the flesh and the devil, through the aid, guidance, power and spirit of God; to come out triumphant and obtain an inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in the heavens for those that are obedient thereto, and live according to its requirements. It is in view of this, and of the strength and power and communication with God that the Priesthood is imparted to man, and it is that which, according to the Scriptures, ‘brings life and immortality to light;’ and men in the possession of these principles know and understand their relationship to God, unto the eternities that were and unto the eternities that are to come, bringing life and immortality to light; it chasteth away darkness, confusion, mystery and doubt and uncertainty; it draws aside the veil of the eternal world, enabling men, who are in possession of it to comprehend their standing and relationship to God, to each other, to the past, present and future, and to all intelligent beings that ever have existed, that now exist, or that will exist; hence this principle is given to men to lead them in the paths of life, to instruct and prepare them for that celestial glory where God the Father dwells, and Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and those of the holy Priesthood who have lived before in different ages, who exist now and who will exist throughout the eternities that are to come. It places us in relationship to all these beings, and we feel that we are one with God, one with Jesus, one with the ancient Apostles, Prophets and Patriarchs, one with the men of God that have had the holy Priesthood in the different ages of time, and expect to be one with them in the eternal worlds.” (John Taylor, 29 Jul., 1877; JD 19:78-79)
29 Jul.: Priesthood reorganization after heavenly pattern
“We have been organizing Stakes of Zion for a length of time, and placing things in order under the direction of President Young and Council. What order is that? The order given by the revelations of God for the guidance of his people, not of man nor by men, but by the will of God: a pattern of things in the heavenly world. That is the thing that is now being introduced here among the Saints.” (John Taylor, 29 Jul., 1877; JD 19:81)
5 Aug.: Local Priesthood organization/duties of 70s.
“Prest. Snow spoke 70 mints on the organization of Stakes of Zion since leaving the South last April. also on the duties of those holding the Melchezedick & Aaronic Priesthoods. &c. I followed on the duties of the Seventies qualifying themselves to travel & preach the 1st principles of the Gospel to the youth of this people – At 1. P.M. the Priesthood met & selected persons to fill appointments as Bp & High Councilors & other officers.” (L. John Nuttall diary, 5 Aug., 1877)
11 Aug.: Linkage of priesthood reorg., temples, U.O.
“In consequence of tradition and the weakness of our human nature, we could not bring our feelings to obey this holy requirement [Order of Enoch]. The Spirit had prompted him [Brigham] to see if the brethren would do anything by way of an approach to it, and hence we had commenced to build Temples, which was a very necessary work and which was centering the feelings of the people for a still further union of effort. . . . He said that after something had been done towards Temple-building, the same Spirit whispered to perfect the organization of the Priesthood.” (Salt Lake Stake Historical Record Book, 11 Aug., 1877, HDC; in William G. Hartley, “The Priesthood Reorganization of 1877: Brigham Young’s Last Achievement,” BYU Studies 20(1):10, Fall, 1979)
11 Aug.: Priesthood reorganization explained in Catechism
“Catechism.–A new edition of the Catechism for Children, by Elder John Jaques has just been published at this office. It has been thoroughly revised, and the quotations from the Doctrine and Covenants arranged to conform to the new edition of that work as well as the old. The late organization of the priesthood in the various Stakes of Zion is explained in the Catechism, and the whole forms a valuable compendium of the prominent doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, worthy the consideration of the old as well as the young.” (Reprint of report of 11 Aug.; DN 26(27):444, 15 Aug., 1877)
11 Aug.: Monthly priesthood meetings urged.
“Priesthood Meeting.–The Priesthood meeting, at the New Tabernacle, to-day [11 Aug.], was well attended, every Ward in the Salt Lake Stake of Zion being represented, excepting two. There were on the stand, of the First Presidency, Brigham Young and D. H. Wells. . . .
The reports from the various Wards showed they were in a fairly satisfactory condition, with a general spirit of improvement increasing among the members of the Church.
It was announced that hereafter similar meetings would be held regularly every month, a report being requested, at each meeting, from the presiding officers of the several wards. . . .
President Brigham Young announced, as the wisk of the First Presidency, that hereafter priesthood meetings of this and the other Stakes will be held at 11 o’clock a.m. on the first Saturday of every month. The October priesthood meeting will be held in this Stake on Thursday, the 3rd, so that reports may be obtained for the General Conference.
Among other matters presented by President Young to the meeting, the propriety of taking down the Old Tabernacle and erecting a new building on its site was suggested. His idea is to put up a building capable of seating three thousand persons, and which can be warmed and made comfortable in the winter season. He suggested that it should be about thirty feet between the joists and have a gallery. As he remarked, for holding such priesthood meetings, as are now contemplated, every month, a suitable building in which to convene the people is needed, especially in the winter. It was unanimously voted that we erect such a building, and that President Young select a committee of five to take the necessary steps for its erection, and after a plan shall have been adopted, and the probable cost ascertained, to apportion to each Ward in the Stake its proportion of labor and cash materials, such as nails, paint, glass, locks and fastenings that it will have to furnish.” (Reprint of report of 11 Aug.; DN 26(27):444, 15 Aug., 1877)
“A Priesthood meeting of the Salt Lake Stake of Zion was held in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City at 11 a.m. Presidents Brigham Young & Daniel H. Wells, Elders John Taylor, Geo. Q. Cannon, and Brigham Young jun., also Seventies, Bishops and High Priests, Elders etc. as well as the Presidency of the Stake were present. Reports of the various wards were given in. President Brigham Young addressed the meeting. He proposed to pull down the old Tabernacle and build a new one with galleries, to hold about 3,000, the people of the Stake to build it on shares. The audience voted to do it, President Young to appoint committees. The President spoke against supporting our enemies, also on simplicity and aptness of words in prayer and suggested that in all organized Stakes priesthood meetings be held on the first Saturday in each month.” (JH 11 Aug., 1877)
11 Aug.: Excommunication notice.
“Excommunicated–This is to certify that Jehu Blackburn, formerly of Minersville and later doing business in St. George, was this day cut off the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for refusing to comply with the decision made by the HIgh Council of St. George Stake of Zion, March 11, 1876, in the case of John Pymm and Benj. H. Paddock, vs. Jehu Blackburn.
By order of the High Council of St. George Stake of Zion.
Joseph Orton, Clerk.
St. George, Aug. 11, 1877.”
(Reprint of report of 16 Aug.; DN 26(28):449, 22 Aug., 1877)
18 Aug.: Devil seeks for the priesthood.
“There is a warfare, but who institutes it? The Devil; he is against the authority of the holy Priesthood, seeking to trample it from off the face of the earth. What do the Latter-day Saints do? Nothing, only stand in their own defence, contending inch by inch for the right. The Adversary is found all the day long seeking to overthrow us, his agents are continually making their insiduous [sic] approaches to undermine the faith of the Saints, and destroy the authority of the holy Priesthood, their aim and object being to drive it from the earth as they did anciently.” (Daniel H. Wells, 18 Aug., 1877; JD 19:88)
23 Aug.: Duty of Presiding Bishop/HT visits weekly.
“A Bishops’ meeting was held in the Council House, Salt Lake City in the evening. President Brigham Young said it was the duty of the Presiding Bishop to visit all other Bishops and see that they and the lesser priesthood did their duty, although this was not expected of Presiding Bishop Edward Hunter in consequence of his great age. Members were not to be held in fellowship who neglected prayers, tithing and other duties. Teachers should visit their districts weekly, make short visits and not change from one district to another. At the close of the meeting President Young said to George Goddard, Thomas Taylor, Edward Brain and William Asper, ‘I want you to act as a committee in the building of the new Tabernacle.'” (JH 23 Aug., 1877)
27 Aug.: Aaronic Priesthood seems to be overstepped.
“Stated how the Aaronic Priesthood seemed to be overstepped by members being advanced at once to the higher or Melchizedek Priesthood, and that there did not seem to be enough in the Church who did not possess this higher priesthood to fill up the quorums of the lesser, hence it became necessary to appoint Elders and Seventies to act as Priests, Teachers, and Deacons. . . . No stake organization would be complete without them.” (Bear Lake Stake Historical Record, 27 Aug., 1877, quoting Franklin D. Richards; in William G. Hartley, “The Priesthood Reorganization of 1877: Brigham Young’s Last Achievement,” BYU Studies 20(1):8, Fall, 1979)
29 Aug.: Teachers responsible if anything is wrong.
[Teachers Meeting] “Bp. Sheets requested the Teachers to endevor to attend the Bp. Meeting that they may keep themselves informed in regard to what is expected of them. Said that President Young had thrown the responsibility of the Blocks upon the Teachers and if anything was wrong they were responsible.” (8th Ward Minutes, 29 Aug., 1877)
2 Sep.: Priesthood reorganization Brigham’s last concern.
“It is only a few weeks ago, when conversing with one of the Twelve, I remarked that I would be afraid, if it were not for one thing, that President Young was not going to remain long with us. He was so hurried, was so urged in his feelings concerning the organization of the people; pressing matters forward, anxious to get the Priesthood organized and the Stakes everywhere set in order. He released all of the Twelve from presiding over local places: Brother C. C. rich, Brother Brigham, Junr., Brother Lorenzo Snow and Brother Franklin D. Richards in the North; Brother Orson Hyde and Brother Erastus Snow in the South; all were released from presiding over the Stakes of Zion, and were told by the President that their mission had a larger field than a Stake of Zion. He set the Priesthood in order as it has never before been since the first organization of the Church upon the earth. He defined the duties of the Apostles, he defined the duties of the Seventies, he defined the duties of the High Priests, the duties of the Elders and those of the lesser Priesthood, with plainness and distinction and power–the power of God–in a way that it is left on record in such unmistakable language that no one need err who has the spirit of God resting down upon him. And when contemplating the organization of the Church as it is, we can testify to the goodness of our God, and we can feel to accord to him all praise for giving unto us so great and so good and exalted a character as our beloved Brother Brigham, whose remains now lie before us.” (George Q. Cannon, remarks at Brigham’s funeral, 2 Sep., 1877; DN 26(31):493, 5 Sep., 1877)
2 Sep.: Dedication of Brigham’s grave.
“The following Dedicatory prayer was offered by Elder Wilford Woodruff:
O God, our Eternal Father, we present ourselves before thee, in the name of Jesus Christ, to say that we have committed to this tomb the tabernacle of thy servant President Brigham Young, and before closing our labors and services and duties towards him, we wish to dedicate unto thee this vault, with all its contents and surroundings. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by authority of the holy priesthood and apostleship, we dedicate this ground and this vault with all the materials of which it is composed, that it may be holy unto the Lord our God. We dedicate this coffin, and the box which contains it, that it may be holy unto the Lord our God. We also dedicate the body itself, the tabernacle of thy servant, unto the Lord our God, that it may be holy unto thee. And we pray in the name of Jesus Christ that this body may sleep here in peace a few days, until the time shall come when by the power of God and the keys of the resurrection, it shall come forth clothed with glory, immortality and eternal lives, with crowns, kingdoms, principalities and powers, as they have been and will be appointed unto him. Yes, our Father, this same tabernacle, which has borne the burden and heat of the day, which ahs borne testimony through its life of the establishment of the kingdom of God, preached the gospel of Christ and performed its work faithfully, thjis mortal body which has suffered pain and sickness, persecution and death, may then arise in glory and power to attain to its throne, clothed in glory and immortality, in connection with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the propehts, and all the holy men who shall then judge the inhabitants of the earth, even those who have lived in his day and generation, to whom he has been faithful in bearing testimony of thy word and work. . . .” (DN 26(31):496, 5 Sep., 1877)
3 Sep.: Assessment of Brigham’s Priesthood Reorganization
“He set the Priesthood in order as it has never before been since the first organization of the Church upon the earth. He defined the duties of the Apostles, he defined the duties of the Seventies, he defined the duties of the High Priests, the duties of the Elders and those of the lesser Priesthood, with plainness and distinction and power–the power of God–in a way that it is left on record in such unmistakable language that no one need err who has the spirit of God resting down upon him.” (Deseret News Weekly, 3 Sep., 1877; in Hartley article)
“Using Elder Cannon’s statement as the frame for judging President Young’s last achievement, we now examine each priesthood office in terms of how the 1877 reorganization affected it.
The Twelve. Six of the Twelve were released as stake presidents because Brigham felt they now must work ‘in a wider and more extended sphere,’ in ‘a larger field than a Stake of Zion.’ He gave them an ‘increase of responsibility and jurisdiction’ for which they would be held to ‘a stricter accountability’ than before.
He expected the movement to give the Twelve a spiritual shot in the arm; in starting the movement he said, ‘The Twelve must take a different course–that is some of them–or they would lose the crown and others would take what they might have had.’ Table 1 shows much involvement by the Twelve in the stake reorganizing conferences. They conducted meetings, interviewed, ordained and set apart, preached, met members, and gave private counsel. These were tasks which built them up spiritually, if Elder Franklin D. Richards’ diary is representative. He recorded there, as mentioned, how he felt the Spirit confirmed the choices of Tooele Stake’s officers. Then in late July he recorded how John Taylor and he spent time ‘in searching revelations and sayings of Joseph Smith in Church history on the subject of Priesthood.’ For part of another day he ‘read diligently in revelations and history of Joseph Smith.’ After his Brigham City sermon on priesthood duties, he recorded his spiritual feelings: ‘I thank Thee O lord for the measure of thy Spirit to aid me in my labors in the ministry and for increasing my knowledge in the Gospel of the Holy Priesthood.
A new and major assignment given the Twelve was to visit quarterly stake conferences, something they started doing that fall. Elder Taylor, aware that the Twelve’s duties now more than ever made it impossible for the to ‘pay any attention to their own private affairs,’ won approval in October conference for the Twelve to receive for the first time ‘a reasonable recompense for their services’ from Church funds.
The Seventies. Unlike the Twelve, the First Council of the Seventy gained no new responsibilities. Rather, they and their six dozen quorums generally lost importance. Seventies needed reorganizing to put their quorums on a strict geographic basis rather than struggling to retain the no-matter-where-you-live-you-belong-to-your-original-quorum situation. That change came six years later, initiated by a revelation to John Taylor. But, as James N. Baumgarten noted, ‘It seems strange that more definite steps for organization were not taken’ during the Brigham Young era. Perhaps strong positions taken by Brigham and by Joseph Young regarding the authority and status of seventies required both of their deaths before change could come; we need to know much more about the relationship between these Young brothers. But 1877 clearly added to or created situations which made the 1883 changes necessary.
The reorganization set the seventies back in a number of ways. First, if Joseph Young said in 1876 that seventies could ordain high priests and bishops, 1877 realities shattered that theory. The First Council played no meaningful role in the movement, and all seventies called to presiding positions in wards and stakes were first ordained as high priests and then set apart to particular positions–their seventies’ authority was not sufficient.
Second, like a reaping machine in a grainfield, the movement took seventies by the hundreds–Joseph Young said almost a thousand total–and made them high priests to preside in wards and stakes. Seventies quorums were emptied. Said Brigham to Joseph at Logan, ‘Your quorums are depleted, but no matter, when the Lord has new positions, take them and you will be destined to enjoy all the blessings. It will make no difference whether we are deacons or elders if we are doing our duty.’
Third, the depleted ranks were not soon filled. Ending the seventies’ practice of freely recruiting new members, Brigham ordered that no more seventies would be ordained without First Presidency permission, a position taken specifically to reduce the number of new seventies. Even men called on missions that October were not ordained as seventies as had been customary.
Fourth, seventies were told not to meet as quorums unless they had specific missionary business to conduct; otherwise they should meet with elders or high priests.
Fifth, seventies vigorously responded in 1876 to the call to provide men and to pay them to work on the temples, feeling that assignment gave their quorums needed meaning in Zion; but 1877 instructions took away the fund-raising task and gave it to the bishops.
Slight solace came from the fact that, despite losing men and purpose, seventies in a few cases were called upon by stake presidents to serve as home missionaries.
Stakes and stake presidents. In early Utah, Salt Lake Stake played a vital role, much like its predecessors in Kirtland, Missouri, and Nauvoo. Salt Lake Stake, because of its size–one-fourth of the Church members in 1877–and the heavy concentration of General Authorities living there, served as the main stake, like a center stake of Zion. But as more and more stakes were born, the general role of stakes in church government needed to be clearly identified. The most important product of 1877 was making stakes meaningful governing units between the wards and the General Authorities. This was done by creating new stakes, calling new officers in almost every stake, and giving them more responsibility. Statistically, 1877 did this:
Old stakes reorganized 13
New stakes created 7
New stake presidents 16
New stake counselors 18 sets
New presidency members 53 out of 60
Presidents were made responsible for every person and every program, except seventies’ work, within their stake boundaries. Diarist Jens Weibye noted new duties given stake presidents in 1877 that impressed him: ‘to preside wherever they go in Sanpete Stake, also in High counsils, Relief society, Quorum Meeting, Sabbath School, etc. One of the Presidency of the Stake should be present, in every High Council Meeting, when there is any Busines.’ Ended in 1877 was a practice, at times common, to have a high council president who was not the stake president. Stake presidents participating in the second phase of the reorganizings benefited from having to preach, instruct, meet members, and seek spiritual guidance. One counselor, after visiting many wards, ‘was satisfied that the Lord approved of it, for, while engaged in that labor, he realized the power and Spirit of God to a remarkable degree.’ Such experiences now could happen to these men regularly because of their new assignments to develop quarterly conferences, to conduct monthly priesthood meetings, to visit and speak regularly in the wards, and to keep all their wards properly organized and staffed.
Most stakes created new high councils, bringing more than a hundred new men into those positions. Stakes also established many new Melchizedek Priesthood quorums. They sent home missionaries to wards to speak in and hopefully improve sacrament meetings. They eliminated the office of local presiding bishops; new bishops agents served instead. The 1877 movement also introduced the Church’s ‘first uniform system for keeping records,’ involving among other things a ward ‘Long Book’ for members’ records and a new ‘Stake Quarterly Report’ book. These were ‘the first formal instruments used by the Church to measure enrollment and ordinance data,’ and they continued in use until 1900. The 1877 program called for reliable monthly and quarterly reports and statistics from the wards; it also started quorum records books and other historical records. Researchers using the Church Archives today know that for many Church units, regular records date from 1877, even for many units organized well before then.
Salt Lake Stake’s reorganizing included building the Assembly Hall for stake priesthood meetings. Other stakes, evidently, undertook similar building projects too. During the next seven years tabernacles were begun in each city which in 1877 hosted a stake reorganizing conference in a bowery (Morgan, Coalville, Manti, Richfield, and Paris–Brigham City began its tabernacle probably before the reorganizings) and in Cedar City, Provo, Moroni, Panguitch, Wellsville, and Smithfield.
High Priests. Seventies reaped by the 1877 movement were bundled into the high priests quorum, vastly expanding the high priests population. But, like the seventies, high priests had to swallow a humility pill. If 1877 was their report card, they failed. Their units, theoretically schools for preparing future leaders, produced very few of the leaders called in 1877, a fact which bothered Elder Taylor, who noted
how little prepared the High Priests were to take upon themselves the duties of their office, in presiding over Stakes, Wards, etc. We have had to take hundreds from the Quorums of Seventies and Elders. . . . If the High Priests had understood and performed their duties, we should not have been in the position we were and compelled to go outside these quorums to find men suitable for presiding. [JD 19:140-141]
High priests were reminded that theirs was a stake quorum, so no ward level meeting should be held. They would continue to have their own president, someone other than the stake president. They could not freely recruit new members as they had in the past.
Elders. Elders units, previous to 1877, lacked organization and purpose. That year they at least multiplied dramatically and were properly organized and officered. No new duties were identified other than holding regular meetings and answering all calls made by their ward bishop.
Bishops and wards. Like a train exiting a tunnel with more cars than it entered with, the Church in 1877 added three new wards for each two it already had and added four new bishops for each one that continued in office:
Old wards 101
New wards 140
Old bishops retained 56
New bishops called 100
Acting bishops or presiding
elders called as new bishops 85
Total newly ordained or set apart 185 out of 241
Although incomplete, records show that well over half of the 482 counselors were newly ordained or set apart. Thos new leaders had to learn to function with their ward members, and the members with them. New wards were either former branches or parts split off from existing wards. Branches that became wards had the advantage in most cases of their branch president becoming their bishop and of keeping their same meeting place and meeting schedule, with the addition of quorum and perhaps auxiliary meetings. Wards taken from other wards had the harder adjustment: new leaders, new meeting location, and new organizations to staff. Often they had to construct new meetinghouses.
Bishops, old or new, assumed new duties. They were expected to strictly account for their ward members, keep Aaronic units in their ward or their section of the stake staffed, attend weekly Aaronic Priesthood meetings, attend monthly priesthood meetings, operate an effective ward teaching program, conduct the sacrament in Sunday School, turn in monthly and quarterly reports, keep accurate trial records, take over from the priesthood quorums the task of supporting temple laborers, and hold proper Sabbath meetings. Virtually all new bishoprics were properly ordained as high priests and set apart to their callings, thus qualifying as proper Church tribunals.
Priests, teachers, and deacons. The 1877 changes revolutionized Aaronic Priesthood work by stipulating that all youth receive some priesthood instead of just a few youth having that privilege. Youth were the solution to the long-standing dilemma of how to keep lesser priesthood quorums staffed when capable men were recruited away from them to the higher quorums. The new policy was for experienced teachers to take youths with them while ward teaching. The second phase created scores of new Aaronic Priesthood units, most filled with boys. Some boys became deacons at age eleven. Weber Stake ordained ‘all the boys above fourteen years not already ordained.’ Reactions to this new youth priesthood were strongly favorable. An October report from Ogden noted the ‘great good that had already resulted from organizing the Lesser Priesthood, the young men responding to the call they received in such a manner as enkindled new life and spirit in the hearts of their parents and older members of the Church generally.’ A Cache bishop said that ‘a source of strength had been opened up through the organization of the Aaronic Priesthood, the young men acquitting themselves creditably.’ The Salt Lake Stake presidency ‘felt expecially blessed in ordaining the young to positions in the Priesthood.’
The duties of priests and teachers to ward teach, and deacons to care for meetinghouses, were not new. But with more and better supervised quorums, the work was accomplished more effectively. And it was done by youths, giving them some priesthood training before adulthood so that, presumably, they would make better Melchizedek Priesthood bearers.
Members. The movement did cause a reformation among many Saints. Published epistles and sermons, better stake and ward organizations, closer apostolic supervision, more visiting by acting and ordained Aaronic Priesthood bearers, and clearer instructions and expectations helped members toe the line a little better. Probably more than a thousand members received new ward and stake positions through which to grow and serve. Wards lacking Sunday Schools, Mutuals, and Relief Societies organized them to aid and bless their members. Many men had priesthood meetings to attend now that they did not have before. Members not previously part of any ward or branch were now enrolled and at least noticed by some authorities. Sunday School children started to receive the sacrament weekly. Despite strong talk of ‘lopping off the dead branches,’ records show no notable increase in Church trials or excommunications. The reorganization movement ‘has had the influence of Waking Some up that were way off the line of their duty,’ noted a bishop’s counselor in a tiny ward, who then added: ‘Nearly all the Branch has been rebaptized.’ Rebaptisms gave members opportunities to repent and reorder their living patterns.
The 1877 reordering was the single most important priesthood analysis and redirecting since the priesthood restorations of forty-eight years earlier. Church history records but few major retoolings of priesthood operations. Those identified include the calling of the first ward bishops in Nauvoo in 1839, the multiplying of seventies units in 1844, the structuring of wards and quorum work in Salt Lake City in 1849, the systematizing of quorum work in 1908, the correlation effort of 1928, and modern correlation programs commenced in 1961. Only the last one compares with the comprehensiveness and magnitude of the 1877 changes.
The reorganization of 1877 was a final testament by Brigham Young, who sought all his life to follow accurately Joseph Smith’s teachings as to how priesthood ought to function in the Church. ‘The Church is more perfectly organized than ever before, perhaps with the exception of the general assembly at Kirtland, but in some things now we are more stable and complete than we were even then,’ observed John Taylor that September. The semi-gothic Assembly Hall, built 1877-1880, still stands on Temple Square as an impressive granite-and-wood memorial of President Young’s 1877 priesthood reorganization, his last major achievement as a prophet on earth.” (William G. Hartley, “The Priesthood Reorganization of 1877: Brigham Young’s Last Achievement,” BYU Studies 20(1):26-36, Fall, 1979)
ca. 4 Sep.: Aaronic priesthood to meet weekly.
“The Bishops in all the Stakes of Zion should make arrangements to have a meeting of the lesser Priesthood in their Wards once every week. These meetings they should attend personally with their counselors, so as to give necessary instruction and counsel, and also that they may learn the true condition of the flock over which they are called to preside. At 11 o’clock, a.m., on the first Saturday in every month there should be held in each Stake a general Priesthood meeting of all the officers of the Church. These meetings should be held at the place in each Stake most convenient for the purpose; and full reports of the condition of the various Wards should be made in these meetings by the Bishops. Instruction and counsel can then be given that will have the effect to produce concert of action in all matters of a public character in the different Stakes, and that will result in the spread of the principles of the Gospel among the people and the more perfect development of the Church.” (Epistle of the Twelve Apostles and Counselors, between 4 Sep. and 1 Oct., 1877. In Clark, Messages of the First Presidency 2:301)
6 Sep.: Necessity of better visits by Teachers & Priests.
“His [Brigham’s] great anxiety seemed to rest on the necessity of a more thorough Visitation of every member of the Church by the Priests and Teachers.” (George Q. Cannon, Bishops Meetings with Presiding Bishopric, Minutes, 6 Sep., 1877; in Hartley, “Ordained and Acting Teachers in the Lesser Priesthood, 1851-1883,” BYU Studies 16(3):382, Spring, 1976)
6 Sep.: Compassion in dealing with transgressors.
“A Bishops’ Meeting was held in the evening at 7 o’clock in the council house. The twelve except those in England, and the Presidency of the Bishopric present. . . .
Elder George Q. Cannon spoke of one of his last conversations with President Young, who said the offending members should be carefully looked after and attended to but not dealt rashly with.” (JH 6 Sep., 1877)
8 Sep.: Rebaptism as part of Priesthood Reorganization.
“Many Saints had been rebaptized in 1874-1875 during the United Order movements, but many had not. So both types were given a second chance to be rebaptized in 1877, and hundreds of Saints were rebaptized. Elder [Franklin D.] Richards, installing a new bishopric in Davis Stake, had them ‘rebaptized, reconfirmed, and ordained and set apart.’ South Bountiful Ward reported on 8 September that 117 of its 400 members had been rebaptized.” (William G. Hartley, “The Priesthood Reorganization of 1877: Brigham Young’s Last Achievement,” BYU Studies 20(1):25, Fall, 1979)
8 Sep.: 70s not to refill quorums yet.
“Notice to the Seventies in General.
Dear Brethren–The recent new organizations of the Stakes of Zion has taken many Presidents and members of the Quorums, thereby depleting their numbers. You will pleaes to take notice, that we are instructed from the Council of the Church, that you are to fill none of those vacancies until you are further advised.
We are your brethren and fellow laborers in the bonds of peace.
Joseph Young, Senr.,
A. P. Rockwood,
Horace S. Eldredge,
John Van Cott.
Robert Campbell, Clerk,
Salt Lake City, Sep. 8th, 1877.”
(DN 26(32):508, 12 Sep., 1877)
12 Sep.: Priesthood reorganization.
“Once more the necessity for the Twelve Apostles to step forward and take the Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has arisen. The same spirit which rested upon the prophet Joseph before his martyrdom, in instructing the Twelve Apostles as to their duties and responsibilities and the necessity of their bearing off the kingdom, has rested upon the Prophet Brigham during this past spring and summer. He released all of the Twelve who were presiding over Stakes, from those duties, selected others to fill those positions, and taught the Church that the Twelve Apostles were called by their priesthood to act in a wider and more extended sphere than to be presidents of stakes. All his teachings and counsels plainly indicated that there would be an increase of responsibility and jurisdiction resting upon them, and that they would be held to a stricter accountability than they had been. We can now understand and attach an importance and significance to these teachings and counsels which we could not at the time they were given.” (“Epistle of the Twelve Apostles and Counselors to the Chruch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in All the World,” DN 26(32):504, 12 Sep., 1877)
12 Sep.: Counselors to the Twelve.
“On Tuesday last, September 4th, the two counselors of President Young and ten of the Twelve Apostles,–two of the Twelve, Brothers Orson Pratt and Joseph F. Smith, being absent in England,–held a meeting, and waited upon the Lord. With humble, contrite and saddened hearts we earnestly sought to learn His mind and will concerning us and His Church. The Lord blessed us with the spirit of union and condescended to reveal to us what steps we should take. Elder John Taylor, the senior Apostle, and who has acted as the President of the Twelve, was unanimously sustained in that position. With the same unanimity also it was voted that the quorum of the Twelve Apostles is the presiding quorum and authority in the Church.
These things are so plainly indicated by the revelations and in the past history of the Church that they could not be ignored, either by the Twelve Apostles or by the President’s Counselors. Hence, again, as a similar course was adopted on the death of the Prophet Joseph, the two Counselors of President Young–Presidents John W. Young and Daniel H. Wells–were unanimously sustained as one with, counselors to and associated in action with the Twelve Apostles.” (“Epistle of the Twelve Apostles and Counselors to the Chruch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in All the World,” DN 26(32):504, 12 Sep., 1877)
12 Sep.: Bishops to meet with AP weekly.
“The Bishops in all the Stakes of Zion should make arrangements to have a meeting of the lesser priesthood in their Wards once every week. These meetins they should attend personally with their counselors, so as to give necessary instruction and counsel, and also that they may learn the true condition of the flock over which they are called to preside. At 11 o’clock a.m. on the first Saturday in every month there should be held in each Stake a general priesthood meeting of all the officers of the church. These meetings should be held at the place in each Stake most convenient for this purpose; and full reports of the condition of the various Wards should be made to these meetings by the Bishops. Instruction and counsel can then be given that will have the effect to produce concert of action in all matters of a public character in the different Stakes, and that will result in the spread of the principles of the gospel among the people and the more perfect development of the Church.” (“Epistle of the Twelve Apostles and Counselors to the Chruch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in All the World,” DN 26(32):504, 12 Sep., 1877)
16 Sep.: 1830 Church “agreed precisely” with NT Church.
“Through this boy, inexperienced and unlearned as he was, the Lord organized this Church on the 6th day of April, 1830, with only six members; and it can be said of him as of no other man in Christendom, that he was the instrument in the hands of God of presenting to the world a system of religion, a Church organization complete with all the keys and powers of the Holy Priesthood, and that through him has been imparted to the religious world more light and knowledge than all the professors of religion combined, with all their boasted intelligence and learning. And when he published to the world this new yet old doctrine, even the everlasting Gospel, it was found to agree precisely with that taught by the Savior, and the Church organization was after the same pattern as the one instituted by Him, although the Gospel had not been preached since it was driven away from the earth by the iron hand of persecution.” (Wilford Woodruff, 16 Sep., 1877; JD 19:225)
16 Sep.: Joseph’s conferral of all keys to the Twelve.
“The Prophet Joseph was moved upon by divine inspiration in the establishment of this Church. And before his death he called the Twelve Apostles together, whom he had called to the ministry by revelation, intimating that he was going to leave them, that he would shortly be called home to rest. And he talked with them and instructed them for weeks and months in the ordinances and laws of of the Gospel; and he sealed upon their heads all the Priesthood, keys and powers that had been conferred upon him by the angels of God. And then, in addressing them he said, ‘Brethren, no matter what becomes of me, or what my fate may be, you have got to round up your shoulders and bear of[f?] this kingdom; the God of heaven requires it at your hands. I have desired,’ said he, ‘to see the Temple completed, but I shall not be spared to see it, but you will.’ Althoug he spoke so plainly to us, intimating that his end drew near, we could no more get it into our hearts that he was going to be martyred, any more than the Apostles could comprehend the meaning of the Savior when he told them he was going away, and that if he did not leave them, the Comforter could not come.” (Wilford Woodruff, 16 Sep., 1877; JD 19:226)
26 Sep.: Church officers not paid by the Church.
“H.G.: What is done with the proceedings of this tithing?
B.Y.: Part of it is devoted to building temples and other places of worship; part to helping the poor and needy converts on their way to this county; and the largest portion to the support of the poor among the Saints.
H.G.: Is none of it paid to Bishops and other dignitaries of the church?
B.Y.: Not one penny. No Bishop, no Elder, no Deacon, or other church officer, receives any compensation for his official services. A Bishop is often required to put his hand into his own pocket, and provide therefrom for the poor of his charge; but he never receives anything for his services.
H.G.: How, then, do your ministers live?
B.Y.: By the labor of their own hands, like the first Apostles. Every Bishop, every Elder, may be daily seen at work in the field or the shop, like his neighbors; every minister of the church has his proper calling, by which he earns the bread of his family, he who can not or will not do the church’s work for nothing is not wanted in her service. Even our lawyers {pointing to General Ferguson and another present, who are the regular lawyers of the church} are paid nothing for their services; I am the only person in the church who has not a regular calling apart from the church’s service, and I never received one farthing from the treasury; if I obtain anything from the tithing house, I am charged with and pay for it, just as any one else would; the clerks in the tithing store are paid like any other clerks, but no one is ever paid for any service pertaining to the ministry. We think a man who cannot make his living aside from the ministry of Christ unsuited to that office. I am called rich, and consider myself worth $250,000; but no dollar of it was ever paid me by the church, or for any service as a minister of the everlasting gospel. I lost nearly all I had when we were broken up in Missouri and driven from that State. I was nearly stripped again when Joseph Smith was murdered, and we were driven from Illinois; but nothing was ever made up to me by the church, nor by any one. I believe I know how to acquire property, and how to take care of it.” (Horace Greeley interview with Brigham Young, 1859; DN 26(34):538, 26 Sep., 1877)
26 Sep.: Only married men may be Bishops.
“H.G.: Does not the Apostle Paul say that a bishop should be husband of one wife?
B.Y.: So we hold. We do not regard any but a married man as fitted for the office of Bishop. But the Apostle does not forbid a Bishop having more wives than one.” (Horace Greeley interview with Brigham Young, 1859; DN 26(34):538, 26 Sep., 1877)
26 Sep.: Excommunication notice.
“Excommunicated.–This is to certify that Thomas and Sara Barrett were cut off the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of the 2nd Ward, Provo Branch, Utah County Stake, on Sunday, September 23d, 1877, for apostacy.
James H. Loveless, Bishop.
James Hardy, Clerk.”
(Reprint of report of 26 Sep.; DN 26(35):545, 3 Oct., 1877)
4 Oct.: AP now to be sustained and ordained at ward level
“Priesthood Meeting.–A meeting of the priesthood of the Salt Lake Stake of Zion, a large number of the priesthood from other portions of the Territory being also present, was held at the Tabernacle to-day, commencing at 10 a.m. . . .
President A. M. Cannon gave some general instructions pertaining to the making up of the reports, some of those presented not being as correctly drawn as desirable. He also invited the brethren to furnish means and masons to push forward the work on the New Tabernacle. He was about to present several names from the 12th Ward, of parties who had been suggested by Bishop A. C. Pyper, for ordination as deacons; whereupon Elder Geo. Q. Cannon made the following motion which was unanimously sustained–That the names of those suggested to be ordained to the lesser priesthood, as priests, teachers and deacons, be hereafter presented and acted upon in the Wards in which they are to act, that they be ordained by the Bishops and their counselors, and that such action should in no case be taken until consultation be had with the Presidency of the Stake.” (Reprint of report of 4 Oct.; DN 26(36):561, 10 Oct., 1877)
“At a Priesthood meeting (held in the Tabernacle) of the Salt Lake Stake instructions were given concerning statistical reports. The brethren were invited to furnish men and means to put up the new Tabernacle (Assembly Hall). A vote was taken to the effect that ordinations to the lesser priesthood should be left to the Wards to be ordained by the Bishop and his counselors, subject to consultation with the presidency of the Stake.” (JH 4 Oct., 1877)
5 Oct.: Priesthood to continue in the next life.
“The Priesthood is not a delegated authority from heaven to be merely exercised in this life; it is a divine authority intended to be exercised in the next life, as well as this: its exercise here is only the beginning.” (Orson Pratt, 5 Oct., 1877; JD 19:111-112)
5 Oct.: Relationship of counselors to their presidents.
“There is another subject, while dwelling on the Priesthood, which I wish to speak of; I refer to the Counsellors that may be left, when the President, the First President of the Church is taken away from our midst. We are informed that the Counsellors that existed in the day of Joseph could not act as Counsellors to Joseph after he was taken away; to be Counsellors to him would be impossible, unless they themselves should go to the other side of the veil. Hence when the President was taken away their duties as Counsellors to the Prophet, the First President, ceased. Just the same with a Bishop’s Council under the same circumstances. Supposing the Bishop were to die, his two Counsellors could not legitimately step forward claiming to be Bishops themselves; and furthermore their duties as Counsellors to the deceased Bishop would at his death cease. And so it would be if the Bishop, instead of dying, were called to some other location or should be cut off the Church. So it was considered, in the days of the loss of our Prophet and Seer, Joseph Smith. The two Counsellors that then existed had the privilege, if they chose to do so, of being associated with the Council of the Twelve to assist us in the work of the bearing off the kingdom; not as members of the Twelve, but acting with and assisting them. The same order has again been carried out; and it is just as I believed it would be, when I was in Liverpool, after learning of the death of President Young. The question came up there, and I took the liberty of instructing the Saints making the inquiries. I told them, that when the First Presidency left, the Twelve would lead forth the Church, until such times as the Spirit of God, and the desires of the people, universally, should be to select and set apart and sustain by their prayers and faith, a First Presidency again. Furthermore, it was published in the papers, particularly in America, and also in England, and there seemed to be a great anxiety on the part of our enemies, to know who was going to lead the Church. They seemed to have far more anxiety than you upon this subject. For the Saints generally have been instructed on this matter, and have, in a measure understood it. We knew that President Brigham Young, and his two Counsellors, received no new office, by being taken from the Quorum of the Twelve, and appointed to other duties. The same as brother Joseph F. Smith has been appointed and set apart not to a new office, but to go to Great Britain and preside over the European Mission. That did not devolve upon brother Richards, nor brother Rich, nor any other member of the Twelve; he alone can perform this duty. It is not a new office, but merely a new duty required of him. So in relation to the First Presidency. They carry no new office, but new duties are required at their hands, when they are chosen by the Priesthood and set apart, not ordained to a new office, but set apart to preside.” (Orson Pratt, 5 Oct., 1877; JD 19:115)
5 Oct.: Comparison of ancient and modern apostles.
“I wish also to speak a few words, in regard to the ancient Priesthood. I find, from the Book of Mormon, concerning the ancient Twelve–the twelve Nephites of this land; that Jesus chose them, and called them by name, and set them apart and ordained them. Prior to this time, before his death, he chose twelve in the land of Jerusalem. These officers, the Twelve on the Eastern, and the Twelve on the Western continent, did not lose their office by death; but as was clearly stated by brother Snow this morning, and as is plainly set forth in the revelation, they retained their office. For instance, we will take the Book of Mormon; and in the vision and prophecy of Nephi, given almost 600 years before Christ, the Lord showed to that Prophet, that there would be Twelve Apostles in some five or six hundred years after his day. And instead of the Lord pointing out what should be the duties of these Apostles, while here in this temporal existence, he pointed out the more important duties that would devolve upon them in the next state. The simple duties of this life were nothing compared to those of the world to come. Hence the angel said to Nephi that these Twelve Apostles should judge the twelve tribes of Israel. What a great work! Then he showed him the twelve Nephite disciples, all descendants of Nephi and his brethren. Said he, these twelve disciples of the Lamb shall be judged by the Twelve Apostles that shall be chosen in the land of Jerusalem. Here then was another and most important duty assigned to that particular Council of Apostles, after this mortal life. First, it is said, they shall judge the whole House of Israel; secondly, they shall judge ‘the twelve ministers of thy seed.’ Also from the language of the text I have read, we learn that the Twelve Nephite Apostles had a knowledge of some other, future duties to be performed in the world to come. ‘Know ye, that you shall be judges of this people. What manner of men ought ye to be. Verily I say unto you, even as I am.’ In other words, If you are to be judges of all this people, to whom you are administering; if you are to sit in judgment in the great and coming day, and if the words which are written in the books which you keep, and which are also written by the Father, are to be the records out of which the people are to be judged, sure enough, you should be as pure and holy as Jesus himself. We are told too that it should not depend upon their weak judgment, but they should judge according to the judgment which the Lord their God should give unto them. In other words, after they leave this present life, and the time comes for them to sit in council in the midst of the Nephites, that instead of judging according to human wisdom and imperfect knowledge, that God would give them the spirit of judgment, or the spirit of inspiration more abundantly than what they were in possession of in this life; and in order that they may be entitled to judge all people, they were required to be pure and holy.
Let me say a few words in regard to another revelation that the Lord gave in the year 1830, on this same subject. He says, ‘The decree has gone forth from the Father that mine Apostles, they who were with me in my ministry in the land of Jerusalem, shall, at the time of my coming, sit upon twelve thrones, glothed in glory, even as I am, to judge the whole House of Israel, they that have loved me and kept my commandments, and none else.’ Again, we will appeal to the New Testament, ‘You that have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of Man comes in his glory, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, and shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel; and shall eat and drink at my table.’
Here, then, we have a number of evidences and witnesses from the Book of Mormon, from the Doctrine and Covenants, and from the New Testament, concerning the future duties of the servants of God, in the world to come. In relation to the Twelve Jewish Apostles, have they a First Presidency independent of the Twelve, a separate body? They have not. Why were there twelve Apostles chosen instead of nine, or thirteen, or any other number? Why that particular number? Because it so happened in the economy of the Most High, that a certain servant of God had power to prevail with him, and by four wives he had power to beget twelve sons, and the Lord ordained that through them the twelve tribes should spring up in the earth, and he would have regard for them. He intended that they should not only be organized as tribes in this life, but also in the world to come. And in order that all may have judges, twelve were chosen to perform the work, instead of any other number. Had these Twelve Apostles, in ancient days, that had no separate First Presidency, so far as we have any record, power to preside over the Church? They had. If they had no power there was none upon the earth.
Again, these twelve men among the Nephites, that were to sit in judgment, had a great many successors, probably sixty or seventy in number. Had these successors all equal power on this earth? I think they had, so far as apostleship, or discipleship was concerned, they held equal power with those who preceded them. But in the next world, can these sixty or seventy successors stand in the position of the first chosen? No. So it is in regard to the latter-day Apostles. In this Church we have had ordained to the Council of the Twelve Apostles, twenty-eight persons. Six of the original Twelve Apostles apostatized, making nine apostates that once had hands laid upon them, ordaining them to the Apostleship. These apostates are mostly dead. We cannot suppose that they can hold an office in eternity which they have forfeited. We are told to the contrary in the Doctrine and Covenants; the Lord saying, through a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph in Missouri, that his servants John E. Page, Wilford Woodruff and Willard Richards should take the place of those who had apostatized. And Oliver Cowdery, although never one of the Twelve, had his place filled up; and the keys and the glories and the promises conferred upon and made to Oliver Cowdery were taken from him and bestowed upon brother Hyrum Smith. But there are nineteen Apostles that have not apostatized. Out of this number there are seven dead and twelve living. If the Lord, in the world to come, should follow the examples given in regard to the former Twelve, suppose these nineteen should remain faithful and obtain their crowns, yet there would be only twelve, I think, that would be placed in certain positions, the same as the Twelve at Jerusalem, and the ancient Twelve on this American land. This is something, however, not revealed, not made manifest to any of us in the latter days, what the future of the Twelve will be, as it is in regard to the ancient ones who have gone.
In the year 1829, the Lord told David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdery to search out the Twelve, and pointed out how they should be known, etc. In the same revelation he speaks of their duties, and also informs them how great was the trust and blessing conferred upon them, if they prove faithful in all things; that the blessing upon them was above all. How far this extended I do not know; that is all which is revealed, so far as I know, in all of the revelations of God, in regard to the future of the Twelve Apostles in the last days.
Now we hope these nineteen Apostles will be faithful. Thomas B. Marsh, the oldest of the original Twelve, chosen in 1838 [1834?], and who stood at the head, apostatized, and left the Church. David W. Patten was the next in age, and the Lord took him to himself, as we are informed in the revelation given on the 19th of January, 1841. The Lord says: ‘My servant David W. Patten, who is with me at this time.’ The Lord accepted of him. He died in the faith–a martyr in Missouri. ‘I have taken him to myself.’ Yet, says the Lord, ‘another may be appointed to the same calling;’ and further says that ‘my servant Lyman Wight is appointed to succeed him.’ Did that give Lyman Wight power to preside over the Twelve Apostles? No. David W. Patten died in the faith, and so far as we know holds the keys of the Presidency of the Twelve, in the world to come. But there may be changes in that world. The original Twelve, first chosen, were all made equal, by the Prophet Joseph Smith. And he said to them in the basement of the Temple as they were to be sent as a Council on their first mission, that the oldest should preside in the first Conference, in the following Conferences, the next in seniority, and so on, until all had taken their turns in presiding. And you shall be equal, showing respect to the oldest. They were arranged according to their ages, while all their successors were arranged, according to the date of their respective ordinations.
I have given you some of these items in relation to the Priesthood, in relation to the Twelve at Jerusalem, and the Twelve Nephite disciples, and the Twelve of these latter times; and now let me say in regard to the various authorities and Councils of the Priesthood, there has not been a time since the rise of this Church, when the people have been so completely and fully organized as at the present time. Go where we will, through all these mountain valleys, and wherever we see a family, or wherever we can find a small Branch of the Church, if you make inquiry, you will find it is included in a regular Stake of Zion; it belongs to some Stake, and you will find, too, that they are looked after, if the officers are doing their duties, for they are considered a part and portion of the great family of God. I feel to congratulate the Latter-day Saints, on this occasion, in regard to the perfect organization, as it were, that exists in all our mountain region, and hope that every man will strive to learn his duty, and faithfully and honorably perform the same.” (Orson Pratt, 5 Oct., 1877; JD 19:115-118)
7 Oct.: Apostles to receive salary.
“There is another subject that I wish to present, one which pertains more particularly to my brethren of the Twelve. I suppose that most of you know that they have traveled and labored for a very long period, some of them for forty years and upwards, without purse or scrip, while almost everybody else has been paid for his services. It does seem proper to me that they should be placed, at least, on an equal footing with other people, particularly as their labors necessarily increase. In consequence of our present organizations, necessitating their frequent visits to our quarterly Conferences, in addition to other duties accumulating upon them, rendering it impossible for them to pay any attention to their own private affairs [sic]. My proposition, and I know it will meet with the hearty response of the brethren generally, is that they have a reasonable recompense for their services, and that the Trustee-in-Trust be authorized to arrange this matter. I would wish these same remarks to apply also to the Counselors of the Twelve. (The motion was put and unanimously sustained.)” (John Taylor, 7 Oct., 1877; JD 19:122)
“Attended two more meetings [of General Conference] at which several missionaries were called, and President [John] Taylor proposed and it was unanimously voted by the people that the 12 Apostles should be remunerated for their labors, by the Trustee in Trust, which office is at present filled by President John Taylor. Conference then adjourned to April 6th 1878.” (Platte D. Lyman diary, 7 Oct., 1877; LC Collection)
7 Oct.: Priesthood reorgnization by heavenly pattern.
“As has been referred to, the President was operated upon to organize the Church throughout the Territory more completely; the Twelve were called upon to visit every part of the Territory and organize it, which they have done. There are now twenty different Stakes fully organized with their Presidents and Counselors, with their High Councils, with Bishops and their Counselors, who operate as common judges in Israel, and with High Priests, Seventies, Elders, and the lesser Priesthood, that they may administer in all things in their several Stakes under the direction of the Twelve. As was remarked this morning, the Church never since the day of its organization was so perfectly organized as it is to-day. What has this been done for? Is it to place some men in positions of honor or emolument? No, but it is to organize the Church and Kingdom of God according to the pattern that exists in the heavens, that we may be prepared to comply in all things with the ordinances of God, for, as we are told ‘In the ordinances, the power of godliness is manifest, and without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the Priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh; for without this no man can se the face of God, even the Father, and live.'” (John Taylor, 7 Oct., 1877; JD 19:124-125)
7 Oct.: Priesthood reorganization.
“Elder George Q. Cannon spoke . . .
Some months before the decease of President Young he seemed to be anxious and restless until he had thoroughly organized the Church, and the speaker was satisfied that the remarkable work he had accomplished in that direction added greatly to the satisfaction that he, President Young, now felt.
Not only had the duties of the Twelve been defined, but also those of every grade of the priesthood. If we were diligent in the performance of the labors devolving upon us, the Lord would be with us as he had been with him during his whole life. The word, under his direction, had gone forth with such power that it had become apparent to those even who were not Saints that there was an efficacy about ‘Mormonism’ that existed in no other system.” (General Conference Minutes, 7 Oct., 1877; DN 26(36):572, 10 Oct., 1877)
7 Oct.: 1 surviving apostle can reconstitute Church.
“Elder George Q. Cannon spoke . . .
If every Apostle was slain but one, that one had the right and authority to organize the church, and ordain other apostles and a First Presidency to build up the kingdom of God.” (General Conference Minutes, 7 Oct., 1877; DN 26(36):572, 10 Oct., 1877)
7 Oct.: 1st Pres. not to be reorganized yet.
“Elder George Q. Cannon spoke . . .
Some had been much exercised about a First Presidency being organized. He wished the Saints distinctly to understand that whenever God commanded a First Presidency to be appointed, it would not be revealed through any one but his servant who was now God’s mouthpiece.” (General Conference Minutes, 7 Oct., 1877; DN 26(36):572, 10 Oct., 1877)
7 Oct.: New Home Missionaries for SL Stake sustained.
[36 Home Missionaries sustained for the Salt Lake Stake.] (General Conference Minutes, 7 Oct., 1877; DN 26(36):572, 10 Oct., 1877)
7 Oct.: 12 as Prophets, Seers, Revel. began in Kirtland.
“[John Taylor speaking.] One matter voted upon was that the Twelve be sustained as Prophets, Seers and Revelators. The same thing was introduced by Joseph Smith in the Temple at Kirtland.” (General Conference Minutes, 7 Oct., 1877; DN 26(36):572, 10 Oct., 1877)
7 Oct.: Church organization in heaven.
“[John Taylor speaking.] Every man who held the priesthood of the Son of God should endeavor to magnify his high and holy calling. There were in this Territory twenty different Stakes, oragnized with Presidents and Counselors, Bishops and Counselors, and lesser priesthood and High Councils. All this had been done to correspond with the order that existed in the heavens, that the ordinances of the gospel might be administered to so as to bring down the blessings that God had provided for those who attended to these things.” (General Conference Minutes, 7 Oct., 1877; DN 26(36):572, 10 Oct., 1877)
8 Oct.: Missionaries not ordained 70s.
“Minutes of a meeting held in the Council House, Oct. 8th 1877, for the purpose of setting apart Foreign and Home missionaries.
Singing of ‘Come all ye sons of God.’
Prayer was offered by Apostle Orson Pratt.
There were present of the Quorum of the Twelve, Wilford Woodruff, Orson Pratt, Orson Hyde, Chas. C. Rich, Lorenzo Snow, Erastus Snow, and Joseph F. Smith (after Franklin D. Richards).
It was moved by Apostle Erastus Snow and seconded by Apostle Jos. F. Smith that the customary practice on such occasions of ordaining Elders to the office of a seventy be omitted on this occasion. Carried unanimously.” (JH 8 Oct., 1877)
10 Oct.: Don’t fill 70s quorums yet.
“A general meeting of Seventies was held in the Council House at 7 o’clock p.m. Instructions were given not to fill up the depleted quorums of seventy’s at present.” (JH 10 Oct., 1877)
11 Oct.: Home missionary labors.
“Notice.–The home missionaries of this Stake of Zion will preach in all the Wards of this City, Sunday evening, October 14th, except the Fifth and Twenty-first Wards.
It is desired that all the Bishops in this Stake will furnish the Presidency thereof, as early as practicable information as to the time meetings are held in their respective Wards.
Home Missionary Labors.–At the meeting of home missionaries for this Stake, called at the late Conference, held last evening, it was decided to make the appointments of the brethren known to them by hanging a list at the President’s office. By means of this list the missionaries can learn on the Friday or Saturday previous the Wards they are appointed to preach in the following Sunday.
It was also decided that the missionaries, as a commencement ot their labors, should preach next Sunday in the Wards in which they reside.”
(Reprint of report of 11 Oct.; DN 26(37):577, 17 Oct., 1877)
12 Oct.: Salaries of Apostles established.
“I spent most of the day in Council. It was voted to give the Twelve $1,500 a year Except Orson Pratt was to have $3,600 a year.” (Wilford Woodruff diary, 12 Oct., 1877)
13 Oct.: Stake Conferences to be held regularly now.
“The Lord in his revelation to the Prophet Joseph, forty-seven years ago, required the Elders to meet together in Conference once in three months, or from time to time as appointed, for the purpose of transacting necessary business connected with the work, and for giving and receiving instructions in relation to the duties of the Priesthood. This commandment has been published in the book of Doctrine and Covenants, and is a standing revelation which has not been generally observed. We have had General Conferences of all the people–Priesthood and laymen–twice a year since our settlement in these valleys, which only a small portion of the people and a few of the general authorities of the Church have been able to attend. We have had occasional Conferences in some places in the Territory, and in various places abroad. It is time now that Stakes of Zion are organized, to hold our Conferences with more regularity and in their order, for the Saints to come together to be instructed, that reports may be heard from the various Wards, and the Elders enter into counsel and learn their duties. The last summer’s labors of our late President, Brigham Young, and of the Twelve Apostles, were mainly devoted to this worki–organizing the Stakes and the Priesthood therein, and arranging a system of reports with a view of holding the people to closer responsibilities, to awaken them to a better understanding and appreciation of their obligations. At the same time this rendering an account of stewardship in the various districts, Wards and Stakes of Zion, is calculated to encourage those who are doing right, and reprove such, if there be any, as do evil.” (Erastus Snow, 13 Oct., 1877; JD 19:130)
13 Oct.: Necessity of record keeping by organizations.
“We have been instructed by the revelations of God to keep records of our organizations and councils, of everything brought before the Priesthood in their respective Quorums, of the attendance of members, who are speakers, what they say, and all things pertaining to the business and general welfare of the Quorums. Our various organizations should keep clerks, whose duty it should be to record the acts of its members, whether or not those members are living up to their requirements, and whether, instead of attending their meetings, they are engaged in fishing, hunting, freighting, gold-seeking, or anything else that is contrary to what is expected from them as laborers in the Church and kingdom of God.” (Erastus Snow, 13 Oct., 1877; JD 19:131)
13 Oct.: Duties of Bishops and Teachers towards iniquity.
“It is the duty of the Teachers to report to their Bishops the relative standing of those under their supervision–whether their houses are houses of order–whether the wife is good to the husband, and the husband is good to his wife–whether the children are obedient to their parents, and whether the parents are training their children in the way they should waok,–if there is strife where there should be peace, if there are jealousy and discord where love and unity should exist,–whether the mother poisons the mind of her daughter instead of teaching her correct principles; in short–whether the house is what it should be–a house of God.
A Bishop should necessarily be a man of sound judgment, full of the Holy Ghost and capable of adjusting matters in a manner that will work the least injury possible and for the accomplishment of the greatest good. There are matters of a delicate nature which sometimes arise in families, and which should be properly understood by the Bishop and his Counsel before heralding them abroad. It might not be necessary to publish them among the people to the detriment and injury of the parties interested, but be considered in a proper spirit and not reported in a general sense, to the ward. At the same time, nothing that may have a bearing on the union and fellowship of the Saints, should escape the notice of the teachers; and no Bishop should ever betray the confidence and trust imposed in him through a knowledge of these tender and delicate matters, but manifest that fatherly love, tenderness and anxiety that parents feel for their offspring.” (Erastus Snow, 13 Oct., 1877; JD 19:131)
13 Oct.: Purpose of conferences and reports.
“The object of our Conferences, Priesthood meetings and reports, is, not only to ascertain how we stand according to statistics, but that we may be able to learn what our individual condition is as members of the Church, to see ourselves in a glass, as it were, and find out wherein we need improving; and that men who have the charge and general oversight of the people may see at a glance the condition of the people in the different Wards. They may by this means form correct ideas of the feelings, faith and works of the Saints, how far the laws of God are observed, and whether the members are keeping their covenants, attending to home duties, paying their tithes and are engaged in all the laudable works required at their hands, so that if the Lord commands any service at our hands, there will be a unity of purpose and a concert of action, on the part of the people, in carrying it out.” (Erastus Snow, 13 Oct., 1877; JD 19:132)
13 Oct.: Only use of Priesthood is to perform ordinances.
“Every key relating to this dispensation was given to the Prophet Joseph, and they remain with the Priesthood to-day. We have no right to walk in the dark. The burden is now resting upon us, and, holding the Priesthood, our aim should be the building up of the kingdom of God. We hold the Priesthood for that purpose, and we have no business to use it for anything else but to officiate in the ordinances of the house of God.” (Wilford Woodruff, 13 Oct., 1877; JD 19:135-136)
13 Oct.: Home missionaries in Utah Stake.
“After the Sacrament had been administered the clerk read the names of twenty-four Elders for home missionaries in Utah Stake, who were sustained by the unanimous vote of the congregation as follows: . . .” (Minutes of quarterly conference of Utah Stake, 13 Oct., 1877; DN 26(38):595, 24 Oct., 1877)
14 Oct.: Combined efforts of Priesthood here and there.
“The Priesthood we have received on the earth is everlasting, it administers in time and eternity, and to that Priesthood we are indebted for the revelations of God’s will to man; for with the introduction of the Priesthood to men on the earth came the development of the principles of truth and, by that means, light, knowledge and intelligence were communicated to this people. We cannot do anything of ourselves, unless aided by the spirit of the Lord. We are in communion with not only the Prophets and Apostles who lived anciently, but with brother Joseph, brother Brigham, brother Heber C. Kimball, brother Geo. A. Smith and others who held the holy Priesthood and have passed away, and are operating with them in behalf of fallen humanity, in behalf of the people who live now on the earth and the myriads of dead who have left us. We are engaged in a work that nothing but the combined action of the Priesthood on the earth and in the heavens can bring about. It is not in the power alone of any one man, whether it be brother Brigham, brother Joseph or any that exist, to accomplish the redemption of the human family, unless aided by the Almighty. We are not only working in our own interests, but in the interests of mankind, and we should seek that light, intelligence and knowledge necessary in the carrying out of the designs of Jehovah, and associate ourselves with that grand combination and union between heaven and earth for the accomplishment of His purposes.” (John Taylor, 14 Oct., 1877; JD 19:137-138)
14 Oct.: Reorganization: we don’t yet have it perfect.
“We have lately been organizing ourselves according to the revelations of the Almighty. Our organization is not entirely perfect, but we shall continue to approach nearer to that condition until every man is placed in his right position and we are properly organized, whereby all matters connected with the work of God can be placed in their proper working order, all of which will be accomplished if we follow the directions of our late venerated President. By continuing in this good work we shall go on from intelligence to intelligence, and from knowledge to knowledge, until we shall see as we are seen and know as we are known. These organizations of Stakes and Wards are not made for the purpose of putting men in positions, neither are positions in the Priesthood given to men to enable them to strut about and lord it over their fellows, but in all their administrations, men should have the fear of God, understand His mind and realize their responsibility to Him for their acts and doings. Men holding the Priesthood should not be governed by personal ambition, but feel full of the love of God, the Holy Ghost, light, revelation, mercy, kindness and long-suffering toward all with whom they are associated. These are the kind of feelings that ought to be expressed and manifested by all those holding the Priesthood. We are not to act as lords over God’s heritage, but ought to act in the fear of the Almighty, aided by the Holy Spirit, in seeking to carry out the various duties devolving upon us, for little or insignificant as these things appear to us, they are of the greatest importance. God understands better the wants of the people that we do, for he has had experience that we have not yet acquired. In all his operations He is governed by love, and he desires to see those who hold his authority here on the earth exercise it for the welfare of the human family, and to act as he would, with the same parental solicitude. For this purpose He has delegated his authority to man, as described in the Scriptures, ‘first, Apostles, secondarily Prophets,’ etc., that the Saints might be perfected, ‘until we all come to the unity of the faith.’ This was said in former times for the organization of the former-day Saints, and is applicable to the case of the Latter-day Saints. Through these ordinances come the blessings of the Gospel, and without them the power of God cannot be made manifest to man in the flesh. Now there is more in this than is apparent to the superficial observer.” (John Taylor, 14 Oct., 1877; JD 19:138)
14 Oct.: Common consent.
“You will recollect that about the 19th of January, 1841, a revelation was given defining the various positions of men called to act in the Priesthood. First, the Lord gave to the Church Hyrum Smith to be Patriarch, then Joseph Smith, Jun., to be Prophet, Seer and Revelator to the people, and Sidney Rigdon and William Law for his Counselors, Brigham Young as President of the Twelve, which Twelve he called by name–then the High Priests, Seventies and Elders–then again the Bishops and lesser Priesthood. Now, says he, at the next General Conference present this organization to the Conference for its acceptance or rejection. At the next Conference the various quorums were presented in that form and the people voted as quorums and with uplifted hands. Some of these men that the Lord had named, however, were rejected: One man named Hicks, and another Bishop Ripley. John E. Page, one of the quorum of the Twelve, was also rejected, but after a hearing was afterwards restored. The Prophet Joseph told the people to vote in that manner, as the majority of the several quorums would form a quorum or authority that would be decisive. This manner of voting was observed at Far West also; and even after Joseph’s death this same rule was observed, though not with the same unanimity as at our General Conference. There is no log-rolling–no seeking for office, but our idea is that the voice of God should dictate and then the voice of the people. He respects our rights, as he did the rights of the people thousands of years ago, when the congregations of ancient Israel stood up and said Amen to the voice of God through his Prophets. There is no compulsion–no forcing the human mind–no driving; but every one should have a full, frank, free and unfettered opportunity of expressing his wish for or against, but we alsays ought to consent to that which is right. I never saw more unanimity on the part of the people than was displayed at the General Conference two weeks ago; there could not possibly be more. The Twelve stand as they did after the Prophet Joseph was taken away. I and others of the Twelve, now living, were with them. Now a second time it devolves upon the Twelve to take the presidency of the Church. Will there be anything else? I cannot say; there may be, when the Lord deems it necessary. We should feel as Jesus did when he exclaimed, ‘Lord, not my will, but thine be done.’ It devolves upon the Twelve to attend to the duties the Lord has placed upon them, but they need the faith and confidence of the Saints and the sustenance of the Almighty, for they will not be able to do anything of themselves.” (John Taylor, 14 Oct., 1877; JD 19:139-140)
14 Oct.: High Priests have failed in their duties.
“I would like to have been at the High Priests’ meeting held here last evening, but could not attend in consequence of ill-health. There is a quorum of High Priests in this Stake, and it is proper that they should fully understand the duties of their office and calling, which the Book of Doctrine and Covenants plainly states. It is an ordinance, as therin shown, that has been instituted for the purpose of qualifying men for Presidents of the different Stakes scattered abroad. Many circumstances have occurred since the commencement of our recent organizations which show how little prepared the High Priests were to take upon themselves the duties of their office, in presiding over Stakes, Wards, etc. We have had to take hundreds from the Quorums of Seventies and Elders and ordain them High Priests and make Bishops, Bishops’ Counselors, Presidents of Stakes and High Councilors of them. Now it seems to me that if the High Priests had understood and performed their duties, we should not have been in the position we were and compelled to go outside of these quorums to find men suitable for presiding. I draw their attention to this matter; and you Presidents of High Priests should instruct your quorums on the principles of Presidency, that when called upon they can be used in positions of that character. Let us not be negligent in time to come. I say, get your people together, instruct them in the duties of their calling, have them seek after light, knowledge and intelligence as to the requirements of their exalted positions, that when we want qualified and capable men we may know where to find them. Now, then, is it wrong to take others? If one, who by the Priesthood he holds has a priority of claim in a case of this kind, is other wise unqualified, we must select the wisest and the best, whether he be a Seventy or an Elder, to fill such position and to administer correctly in the things of God.” (John Taylor, 14 Oct., 1877; JD 19:140-141)
14 Oct.: Which is higher–Seventy or High Priest?
“Now let us go on to the Seventies. There are large numbers of them, and there has been a great desire to push men into quorums, without regard sometimes to their worth and fitness. Now what is their duty? Why, to go abroad and preach the Gospel to all nations. How many do this? Very few. Well, say some, we go when called upon. That is all true; the Seventies have, as a rule, been on hand to go forth and preach; but I am speaking more particularly, of the nature of the Priesthood they hold and the duties which devolve upon them. They should be always ready, a kind of minute men under the immediate direction of the Twelve, to go forth as the messengers of life and salvation to all nations on the earth. Are you Seventies preparing yourselves for this? Are you prepared to stand forth as men of God, clothed upon by the power of the Holy Ghost, to go into the world to warn the people, calling them to repentance? A great deal has been accomplished for the salvation of the human family, but we are only starting in. We have sent a few here and there, and although we think we have done a great work, there is but a small handful of people to show for it. There will be great and wonderful changes on the earth; war, bloodshed and desolation will stalk through the land, and we have got to pursue our work and seek after the light of revelation to guide us. We talk about and wonder who the biggest man is–the Seventy or the High Priest? Let us seek to know who of us is living nearer to God and acting in such a manner as to call down upon us the power of God, and angels will administer to us. We cannot tell which member of the body is most useful to us, which we can best afford to spare–the leg or the arm, the eye or the nose. All are necessary to render the body perfect.” (John Taylor, 14 Oct., 1877; JD 19:141)
14 Oct.: Duties of Stake Presidents.
“The Presidents of Stakes have important positions; they preside over all the interests of the Church where they are placed, and they should feel like acting for God, and they and their counsel should have continually with them the light of revelation, be full of the Holy Ghost, and quick to discern. There is no officer in the Church, who acts with a single eye to the glory of God but what will have wisdom given him according to his capacity. The President of the Stake presides over the High Council, a set of men appointed and ordained to adjudicate all matters in dispute that may come before them, and they should act in all meekness, humility and wisdom, seeking intelligence from the Foundation of Light, so that they can act in righteousness and give righteous judgment.” (John Taylor, 14 Oct., 1877; JD 19:142)
14 Oct.: Duty of Bishops.
“Then the Bishop is a common judge in Israel, acting in the interests of the people; his duty is to put down evil and root out iniquity.” (John Taylor, 14 Oct., 1877; JD 19:142)
14 Oct.: Duties of Priests, Teachers; what about Deacons?
“What is the duty of the Priests? Only to hold office? No; it is to visit the members of the various Wards, and to see that there are no hard feelings, troubles or difficulty among the people, to anticipate the occurrence of anything of that sort, put things right and see that the ordinances of the Church are carried out. Then the Teachers, who are helps to the Priests, whose duty it is to go among the people and talk to them on their duties–not like so many parrots, but full of the spirit of God. And where there may be difficulties to settle, and it is not within the power of the Teachers to satisfactorily adjust them, report them to the Bishop, who sits as a common judge in Israel, and to adjudicate all such matters. If thy brother offend thee, go and say to him, ‘Brother, you have done so and so,’ and if he will not listen to you nor ask forgiveness for the offense he has given you, take another man with you–one whom you think has influence with him, and one whom you think he will listen to–and let him talk, and if the offending person will not listen to him, report him, to be dealt with according to the order of the Church, and if he continues obdurate and stubborn, then he does not belong to us. Let us always feel like operating together for the good of each other and for the kingdom we are identified with.” (John Taylor, 14 Oct., 1877; JD 19:142)
14 Oct.: “Silent” reformation.
“[St. George] In the afternoon meeting, Elder Samuel j. Adams, who had been to S. L. City, said that a silent reformation appeared to be working among the members of the Church; while at Nephi, he witnessed the baptism of 116 for the renewal of their covenants and just a week before 168 had done the same thing at Nephi. He reported a similar spirit of renewed diligence in the work of the Lord as prevailing at Fillmore and at other points of his travel from Salt Lake City to St. George.” (JH 14 Oct., 1877)
15 Oct.: Seventies placed before High Priests.
“I see by the Deseret News that the People have had a glorious time together in Conference. John Taylor, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was unanimously Sustained as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, each Quorum voting on him by turn, first the Twelve then the Seventies, then the High Priests, then the Elders, then the Quorums of the Aaronic Priesthood.” (Charles L. Walker diary, 15 Oct., 1877)
18 Oct.: Request for list of bishops.
“To Presidents of Stakes.
Presidents of Stakes–Will you please furnish a corrected list of all the Bishops in your respective stakes, with the name of each ward or settlement they preside over, at the earliest possible date.
And oblige your brethren,
E. Hunter, Presiding Bishop.
L. W. Hardy,
R. T. Burton, Counselors.”
(Reprint of report of 18 Oct.; DN 26(38):593, 24 Oct., 1877)
18 Oct.: Don’t gather the poor who have incurable disease
“A Bishop’s meeting was held in the Council House, Salt Lake City, commencing at 7 o’clock p.m. Bishop Edward Hunter presented the subject of emigration of the poor, and the indebtedness to the P.E. Fund, questioned the propriety of the elders bringing poor people afflicted with incurable diseases, and some were not members of the Church.” (JH 18 Oct., 1877)
18 Oct.: Sunday meetings to begin at 6 p.m.
“A Bishop’s meeting was held in the Council House, Salt Lake City, commencing at 7 o’clock p.m. . . .
It was voted unanimously that the Sunday evening meetings throughout the city in the various wards should begin uniformly at six o’clock.” (JH 18 Oct., 1877)
20 Oct.: Wards and quorums in Weber Stake.
13 wards, 6 EQ, 6 PQ, 12 TQ, 12 DQ. (Minutes of Weber Stake quarterly conference, 20 Oct., 1877; DN 26(38):600, 24 Oct., 1877)
20 Oct.: High Councilors sustained as Home Missionaries.
“[Elder C. W. Penrose] presented the authorities of the Weber Stake, who were all unanimously sustained as follows:
. . . .
The High Council as Home Missionaries in Weber Stake of Zion.”
(Minutes of Weber Stake quarterly conference, 20 Oct., 1877; DN 26(38):600, 24 Oct., 1877)
21 Oct.: Concerning the recent Priesthood reorganization.
“We have had a Conference here to-day, and you are more perfectly organized than before. The Lord some time ago wrought on the mind of President Young to have a more complete organization in the Church, and the Twelve were called on to visit the settlements and explain the order of the Priesthood, etc.; to organize the Stakes with all the officers–President and Counsel, the High Council and [High] Priests under the President and the Counsel over the Stake–Bishops, Elders, the the Lesser Priesthood, and all those called local authorities in their several places, and have everything in order; the Twelve went through the Territory, and assisted by the Presidency, the work was accomplished, and has been for some time. The quorums before you to-day are the result of their work. What did he know of this only as God revealed it? Nothing. Did Brigham Young or Joseph Smith know it? No, only as God revealed it. But the necessary information has been given, and to-day the Church is more perfectly organized than ever before, perhaps with the exception of the general assembly at Kirtland, but in some things now we are more stable and complete than they were even then. It is proper at the present time to refer to such things for instruction, though brother Richards is well posted in respect to these matters, and has taught you much in relation to them.
In Kirtland, Ohio, we had many things revealed through the Prophet Joseph; we had the First Presidency over the High Council, and another in Missouri. Joseph Smith and his Counsel presided over that in Kirtland; hence some things at times took place that were peculiar to some people; when they were at a loss to find out anything pertaining to the principles and doctrines, the Presidency inquired of the Lord, and would get the desired information. Now, I would make a remark in regard to these things here. All the High Councils and all those holding the Priesthood, the Presidents and all the Bishops and their Counsel, and all holding positions in the Church and kingdom of God that are faithful, honest, diligent and upright, if they seek unto God they will have wisdom imparted to them under all circumstances and on all occasions, as to what course they should pursue, and it is the order of God that all should have His Spirit in proportion to their integrity and faith; and if one does not have it is because he is not diligent in seeking after such things. As brother Joseph F. said this morning he could have revelation for himself, though not to regulate the Church; it would be the privilege of the President of the Twelve to regulate all things in relation to Zion; but the other principle extends to all grades and all men in the Church and kingdom of God, each in his place, if he lives his religion and is faithful and prepared to receive the truths from God so that he can instruct the children of men. There appears at times to be a discrepancy among all of us, for we are all weak and infirm; and God made it so on purpose, that man might not glory in himself but in the God of Israel.
I will say something in relation to High Priests, and what their place is in the Church. They came conspicuously before us in the late organizations. The speaker again read from the Doctrine and Covenants, ‘And, again, I give unto you John C. Smith,’ etc. What are they organized for? The purpose is set forth in the Doctrine and Covenants. They are a sort of normal school to prepare the people to preside; they have hardly fulfilled this; perhaps if they had been more active, and become acquainted with principles for which they are organized, we should not have to ordain so many High Priests from the Elders’ Quorum to make Presidents of Stakes, Bishops, High Councils, etc.; but as it was we had to pick up the material where we could, and I hope we will have better material next time.
I hear a great deal said about which is the ‘biggest’ man. The ‘biggest’ man makes no difference whatever. I think that the man who can be most like a little child will be the greatest in the kingdom of God. Greatness does not consist of talking of things, but in doing them. We are now just beginning to move; Zion is stretching forth and lengthening out her cords; we want no more baby’s play, but let us have wisdom, light, revelation, and let the power of the Priesthood of God burn in the hearts of the people to waken them to a knowledge of truth; then when other Stakes are to be organized we can apply to this normal school and get men prepared. We have got a great number of Seventies, and the question has often arisen, Which is the biggest, they or the High Priests? I say I don’t think
it makes much difference as to which is the greater or smaller. I think the body of Christ was not one member, but composed of many parts. Now which member of your body would you like to be without? An arm or a leg? No, you want both. So does the Church. But which is the most useful? If you can tell me which of those members is most useful to you, I will let you know which is the most useful to the Church, the High Priests or Seventies. We ought to magnify the Priesthood we hold, and be satisfied with the positions we hold. We have sent a number of Elders on missions, whose duty it is to preach to the people of the earth. They go when they are called, but it is often hard work; they make a great many excuses–they have debts to settle, families to support, etc. In meeting they will talk about who is the ‘biggest,’ and when they are gone for a while they get home sick and want to return; they say ‘there is no place like home.’ They meet difficulties among the people, who don’t believe much that is told them. Did they ever? Not much. We don’t expect to gather all, we will take one of a city and two of a family, and bring them to Zion; and if our Elders abroad would be more particular, and realize that they are messengers of the Lord–exhibit more of the Apostolic power, and have the light of the Spirit of God, they would realize that they are sent to teach, not to be taught; they would measurably control circumstances, not be controled by them altogether. Here are the Lamanites to attend to; when we are through with them, then the Jews, then the Ten Tribes, and then the earth is to be redeemed and the power of God prevail, and we must take a part, for we are not here to look so much after our own affairs as to build up Zion. The Elders ought to reflect and say, ‘What can I do to help on the work? God inspire my heart and mind and soul, that I may help to build up the kingdom of God.’ That is the way to feel. Then to the High Councils of Stakes and to the Presidents of Stakes I would say, you ought to feel that you are servants of the living God, that the eye of the great Jehovah is over you, and be working in the interest of the Gospel. We are not here to build up ourselves, but to build up Zion and the kingdom of God on the earth, that we may magnify our calling and honor our God. As brother Joseph F. said, we should not allow ourselves to be bartered or sold, but work for the interests of Israel.
The Bishops of the various Wards have their place; it is their duty to attend to the interests of their Wards, to look after the temporal affairs principally, not for their own benefit, but that of the people. They should set patterns of all that is good and praiseworthy; their duty is to do justice and adjudicate in all matters pertaining to a Bishop’s court, as a common court in Israel, and they ought to judge in all righteousness, fidelity, and truth. The Priests ought to be full of the Holy Ghost, and should be full of intelligence to act as watchmen over the people, trying to stop ill feelings, evil actions, etc. The Teachers ought to assist them, and visit from house to house, and see that no iniquity prevails. The Deacons should assist the Bishops in temporal affairs, and be faithful in their calling.
Let us act together as a family in the interst of the Church and kingdom of God, for thereby come the blessings promised. We are now operating for these things, and these organizations are for that purpose. The Deacon who honors his calling is more honorable than the Apostle who does not. Can we find High Priests, Seventies, and Elders who don’t pray? Yes, I am afraid so. And further, in relation to the Teachers, I will tell you my rule. When they come to me, I call in my family and ask them to instruct us and impart such information as is their duty. That is the way I feel towards the men who come in that capacity. They have a perfect right to do it, it is their duty, and they are always at liberty to visit my household.
We all have a great Priesthood if we magnify it, and there is no little Priesthood. In relation to the young men, I would say that in their associations a good spirit is growing–they are waking up. The Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations and other organizations of our young men are very praiseworthy. Young men, the burden of the kingdom will yet roll on your shoulders, and you must prepare for it. If you will go to God and ask for wisdom, he will give it to you. Get the best books, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and read our own publications, you will find such intelligence as you never dreamed of. Ask God for faith. Get all the sciences, arts, and useful learning you can from schools; get nothing false, but the things pertaining to earth and the elements, and how to use them; when you meet let it be in the fear of God, and he will bless you.” (John Taylor, 21 Oct., 1877; JD 19:146-148; this report was from the Ogden Junction; the report below was by Geo. F. Gibbs.)
“We talk about the organization of our Church, and about a First Presidency, and about Apostles, and Patriarchs, and High Priests, and Seventies, and Elders, etc.; but who knew anything about any of these offices, their rights and privileges, etc., until God revealed it? Nobody. And this is not only so with regard to the several offices of the Melchizedek or higher Priesthood, but it is also the case with those of the Aaronic or lesser Priesthood. These are things that were not originated by man, they came to us through revelation from God, and hence we are indebted to the Lord for them, and also for all the knowledge we possess in relation to them.” (John Taylor, 21 Oct., 1877; JD 19:238-239)
“In Kirtland, Ohio, a great many things were revealed through the Prophet. There was then a First Presidency that presided over the High Council, in Kirtland; and that High Council and another which was in MIssouri, were the only High Councils in existence. As I have said, the High Council in Kirtland was presided over by Joseph Smith and his Counselors; and hence there were some things associated with this that were quite peculiar in themselves. It is stated that when they were at a loss to find out anything pertaining to any principles that might come before them in their councils, that the presidency were to inquire of the Lord and get revelation on those subjects that were difficult for them to comprehend. And I would make a remark here in relation to these things, that all High Councils, and all Presidents of Stakes and Bishops, and in fact all men holding the Priesthood, who are humble and faithful and diligent and honest and true to the principles of our religion, if they seek unto God with that faith that he requires of us, he will give them wisdom under all circumstances and on all occasions, and the Holy Spirit will never fail to indicate the path they should pursue. This is the order of God in relation to these matters, that every man holding any position in the Church, through his faithfulness, shall have his Spirit commensurate to the duties devolving upon them, to enable them to magnify their calling to the acceptance of God and their brethren. And if such men do not enjoy this blessing, this divine assistance, it is because they do not ‘live godly in Christ,’ because they do not seek unto him in humility and lowliness of heartn, making it their daily study to observe the laws of God and the rights of their fellow-men. It is true, we all of us have certain infirmities and foibles, and as you heard this morning, God has placed them upon us that man should not glory in himself, but that he might depend upon and glory in the God of Israel; but it is our duty to overcome them, and learn to subject our will to that of our Heavenly Father, and continue on in the way to perfection.
There is a matter that has of late become a subject of a good deal of conversation, and it occurs to my mind to refer to it, namely that of the High Priesthood, or the place and calling of a High Priest. In the revelation on this subject I find these words: ‘And again, I give unto you Don C. Smith, to be a President over the Quorum of High Priests, which ordination is instituted for the purpose of qualifying those who shall be appionted standing presidents or servants over the different Stakes scattered abroad.’ What are they organized for? It is instituted for the purpose of qualifying those who shall be appointed standing presidents over the different Stakes scattered abroad. A sort of a normal school, if you please, to prepare men to preside, to be fathers of the people. Have they fulfilled this? Hardly; perhaps many of them have not thought about it; but if they had reflected more upon these things, and humbled themselves before God, and met together often to talk over the principles of the Gospel, manifesting an eager desire to become acquainted with doctrine, and using due diligence in seeking for wisdom from the test of books and every available source, I do not think we should have taken so many men from among the Seventies and Elders to make of them Presidents and Bishops and Councilors, as we have obliged to do. But instead of the High Priests pursuing this course, many of them have indulged in much unnecessary talk about which was the biggest, a High Priest or a Seventy. I can answer that question for you, by brethren: If you will take a little child among you, and on comparing yourselves with it, can find the one most like unto it–the one who is the most honest, truthful and childlike, such a man should be classed among the greatest in the kingdom of God. It is not talking about these things that qualifies men for positions, but doing them.
We are only just starting in on the great work before us. Zion is bound to spread and grow; her cords will be lengthened and her stakes will be strengthened; but we must be energetic and alive to the duties devolving upon us, always keeping in mind the object to be accomplished, and in order to facilitate things and to meet the mind and will of God, and that his work may be cut short in righteousness, we must operate together. And not, what? ‘Lullaby baby on the tree top, when the wind blows the cradle will rock.’ We have had enough of that; let us now begin more earnestly to seek after the wisdom and power of God and the light of revelation, so that the love of God may burn in the herats of the people, and awaken them up to an understanding of the principles of eternal truth. This is what we want. And if they do this, magnifying their calling, then when other Stakes are to be organized and other changes made, all we will have to do will be to go to the High Priests for such persons to fill such offices that rightly belong to the High Priesthood. And the question that has agitated the minds of the Seventies and High Priests will no longer trouble them, for all will then more clearly perceive that Church or body of Christ is as the body of man, composed not of one member, but many. For instance, there is the head, there are the eyes, there is the nose, the mouth, there are the ears, the arms and hands the legs and feet, all of which are members of the human body; which of these would you like to be without? Supposing you had to part with one of your legs, or one of your arms, you would of course want to retain the most useful of the two; but if you will tell me which of the two is the most useful to the human body, then I will tell you which is the most useful to the body of Christ, the High Priests or the Seventies. I do not think, however, we need discuss this question; but rather let us magnify the Priesthood we hold, seeking to acquire a proper fitness for the positions we occupy.
Now, I will tell you something I have noticed lately. We call upon Seventies, and sometimes upon High Priests to perform missions abroad, but how is it with them? They generally go, but it is often a hard squeak. One man has a roof to put on a house, another is perhaps building a new house, or his business is in such a flourishing condition as to need his personal superintendence; another has perhaps ‘bought five yoke of oxen,’ and he must needs ‘go to prove them[‘]; and another has perhaps ‘married a wife, and therefore’ would like to be excused. And still such men generally have quite an opinion of themselves, and they are ofttimes anxious to know which is the biggest, they or somebody else. And when such men do go upon missions, they are of very little account, they are ready to find excuses not to go, and just as ready to find excuses to return, and are soon reconciled to the fact that ‘there is no place like home,’ and that ‘Jordan is a hard road to travel;’ they have all kinds of difficulties to encounter, meeting with lions in their way, etc. Did you ever remember the time when the Elders felt a desire to preach the Gospel, and men were ready with open arms to receive those who proclaimed it? I believe the Scripture to be true to-day which says, ‘I will take you one of a city and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.’ We profess to be Apostles of the Lord bearing his Gospel message to the nations of the earth; then let us exhibit a little more of the apostolic power and zeal whem we go out among our fellow-men, realizing that we have got the light and life and power of God with us; and that we are sent to teach and not to be taught of men, to control circumstances, in a great measure, by the power of the Priesthood, instead of allowing ourselves to be controlled so much. We have not got through with the work, we have only just commenced it. Here are our fallen brethren, the Lamanites. What an extensive work opens up among them, which must yet be done, but which will not fairly commence until we approximate to the comsummation of our mission to the Gentile world. And when we shall have introduced more fully the Gospel, and developed the purposes of the Almighty to this Branch of Israel, the Jews will be ready to receive the servants of God and the Gospel, which will then be proclaimed to them. And when we get through with Israel, there will remain the ten tribes to be restored, the earth to be redeemed and the kingdom of God to be established thereon; all of which must be done in order that the Scriptures may be fulfilled, and the designs of God consummated. Our work is mapped out before us, it is all designed and planned by him who rules above, and it is time that every Elder in Israel fully understood this fact that the Latter-day Saints have got to take a part in all this work, and that we are not here to attend to our own personal affairs merely, but, we are called to look after the interests of God, to build up his Zion and establish his kingdom on this his earth.
There is another class of men–the Elders of Israel–that play a most important part. They are very numerous, and it is time that they commenced to feel after God, and to think and reason and reflect: ‘What can I do to help to build up the kingdom of God temporally and spiritually. O God, inspire my heart with light and revelation, that I may magnify my calling, honor my position, teach the principles of righteousness, and help to build up thy kingdom on the earth.’ This is the way they should feel.
And I might refer to Presidents of Stakes and to our High Councils; how ought they to feel? That we are the servants of the living God; that the eye of the great Jehovah is over us, and that we are operating in the interests of Zion and for her welfare in all things pertaining to time and eternity. If they do not do this, God will be after them, and they will feel his hand upon them. For as I have said, we are not here to build up ourselves, but to build up Zion and establish the principles of righteousness upon the earth. That is our calling, that is what the Priesthood is conferred upon us for, and it behooves us to magnify it and honor our God. Be governed by integrity and truthfulness, and never allow yourselves to be bartered or sold in the interests of anybody, but operate for Israel, doing justice before God and the angels and all good men.
And then we have our Bishops; they have their place in our midst, to attend to the interests of their several Wards, to look more particularly after the temporal affairs of the people, and act and counsel them as fathers for their good; and not in their own interests, but for the good and benefit of the whole. And then, in the capacity of High Priests, to take charge of meetings, and instruct and counsel those of their wards, always setting a pattern in all that is upright, good and noble, saying to the people, Follow me, as I follow Christ. And as common judges in Israel, they shouild be jealous of the people’s rights, adjudicating all matters that may come before them in all righteousness.
Then we come to our Priests, and what are they to do? I do not think I need tell you, for I have heard brother Richards tell you. They should visit from house to house, and see that there are no hard feelings existing in those households, or between the inhabitants of different households; and such men ought to be full of the Holy Ghost, standing as watchmen over the flock committed to their care, trying to put things right, and to keep them right. The Teachers should be their assistants, whose duty it is to see that there is no iniquity of any kind, and that righteousness and truth prevail among the people. And then, the Deacons should be active in their place and calling, standing side by side with the Bishops, assisting them in all their temporal duties, operating together as one family. And then everything will move on harmoniously and pleasantly, for through these ordinances come the blessings, we are told in the revelation; and without them the power of godliness is not manifested to men in the flesh. God placed in the Church, Apostles, Prophet, etc., for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; that we may all grow together to a perfect man, to the full measure of the stature of Christ. This Priesthood and our Church organization are introduced for this purpose, not to make big men of some, and little men of others; for I tell you, I would rather see a Deacon magnify his calling, than an Apostle who treats his indifferently. We must seek to magnify our offices, and not expect our offices to magnify us.” (John Taylor, 21 Oct., 1877; JD 19:241-245)
24 Oct.: High Councils.
“Allusions are frequently made in the public prints to the ‘Mormon High Council,’ as if it were some mysterious tribunal armed with terrible powers and clothed with dreaded authority. Some explanations in regard to this matter may be of benefit to persons unfamiliar with our Church government, and will do no harm to the Latter-day Saints, many of whom are not as thoroughly acquainted as they might be with the order of the Priesthood, as revealed through the Prophet Joseph many years ago and published in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants.
In every properly organized Stake of Zion there is a High Council. A Stake of Zion is an organization composed of a number of contiguous Wards, each of which is under the watchcare of a Bishop. The Stake is directed by a President and two Counselors. The High Council is composed of twelve High Priests, selected and set apart for this purpose, and sustained in that position by the people of the Stake for which they act, at the regular quarterly conference, at which all members, male and female have an equal vote. In its deliberations the High Council is presided over by the Presidency of the Stake. In the absence of his Counselors the President can preside, alone. Should any of the High Councilors be absent, if seven or more are present the places of the absentees can be temporarily filled by other High Priests, selected by the voice of the Council.
The duty of these Councils is to adjudicate upon important cases of difficulty which may arise among the members of the Church in the Stakes to which they belong. Cases of lesser importance are to be taken before the Bishops, who, with their Counselors, each form a lower court, appeals from which can be taken to the High Councils. Appeals from the latter can be taken to the Presidency of the Church, but not from one High Council to another, as each High Council stands on an equal footing, as to authority and power, with any other standing High Council.
In trying any case presented, six Councilors sit on one side of the Council room and six on the other, facing each other, with the Presidency at the head, a clerk also being at hand. From ne half of the Council speakers act for the accuser, and from the other half those for the accused. In simple cases one speaker on each side is sufficient; in difficult cases two on each side being required, but in no case more than six speakers are permitted. The Councilors take turns as speakers by rotation.
A case is presented by a written accusation, which is read by the clerk, when the accused may enter his plea. The evidence is then presented and witnesses heard; the counter evidence and witnesses follow; next the Councilors on each side speak for or against the case, and the accuser and accused then have the privilege of speaking personally. Legal technicalities are not considered; facts, justice and equity being desired, and the Councilors being required to contend for truth and righteousness and avoid partiality and personal favor. The speakers for the accuser are not required to lean toward his view of the case; neither are those for the accused expected to defend him by taking advantage of anything wrong to screen or unduly assist him. Pettifogging is not in order. The Council is not a court of law but of equity; and light is sought for, so that the case may be seen as it is in truth, and as viewed by God and angels.
After all the evidences are in and the speakers and principals have been heard, the President gives his decision, calling upon the Council to sustain it. If they do so by their unanimous or majority vote, it stands. If any Councilor perceives an error in the decision the case can be reviewed, and if additional light is presented, showing a necessity for a change in the decision, it can be altered accordingly, otherwise it remains as enunciated.
The High Council has power to enforce its decrees, which must be made in all righteousness, meekness, patience, forbearance and justice, by excommunication of the offender from the Church, but claims no right or power to inflict any physical or material punishment or penalty.
None of the members or presidents of these Councils receive pay for their services, nor any fees from parties to suits before them. Their services are entirely gratuitous. These Councils are of vast benefit to the Latter-day Saints. They save the expense, acrimony, strife, and dissatisfaction that attend all law suits before secular courts. They offer the best of opportunities that can be afforded for the thorough investigation and arbitration of cases in dispute. They are composed of men who are disinterested and unbiased, and, acting in the fear of God as His servants, they have the highest motives to render a just judgment. It is rare that their decisions are rejected, for the general sentiment is, that a conclusion arrived at by a body of disinterested men like those of which these Councils are composed, ought to be acquiesced in by all persons immediately concerned.
When it is considered that every High Council trial involves the absence from business of fifteen men, besides the parties to the suit and their witnesses, it will be clearly perceived that trivial and unimportant cases should never be brought before such a tribunal.
The secret and mysterious nature and power of High Councils is, like a great many other popular notions of ‘Mormon’ polity, a mere figment of a disordered imagination. They form the most incorruptible, inexpensive, equitable and satisfactory courts or boards of arbitration in the world, and their constitution, authority, procedure, influence and effects afford one very important evidence of the Divine origin of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” (DN 26(38):600, 24 Oct., 1877)
27 Oct.: Wards and quorums in Box Elder Stake.
16 Wards, 5 EQ, 1 PQ. (Box Elder Stake quarterly conference minutes, 27 Oct., 1877; DN 26(40):684, 7 Nov., 1877)
31 Oct.: Ordination of infant boys.
“The following communication is copied from a document on file in the Historians’ office:
President John Taylor.
Dear Brother:
You would oblige by answering the following questions which has arisen among a few of the brethren here:
If a boy is ordained to the priesthood in infancy (in the view of a speedy death, should he recover) can he hold that priesthood after arriving at the age of eight years; if he neglects to be baptized? should he be baptized? Is it necessary to re-ordain him?
Respectfully,
Your Brother etc,
Francis Sharp.
Answering to the above Elder Orson Pratt wrote as follows:
Salt Lake City, Utah
Oct. 31, 1877.
To Francis Sharp.
Dear Brother: Elder Taylor requested me to answer your letter to him of the 27th inst.
First there is no revelation, authorizing the servants of God, to ordain a boy, under eight years of age, and before he is baptized.
Second, in case a child has been thus ordained and refuses to be baptized, when at a proper age, this refusal deprives him of membership, and still more so, of any priesthood, which he is supposed to have held.
Third, After a boy is baptized, he can hold no priesthood, by virtue of a prior ordination, but must be re-ordained, as Joseph and Oliver were, after their ordination by the Angel and Baptism.
From your brother in Christ,
Orson Pratt Sen.”
(JH 31 Oct., 1877)
3 Nov.: Excommunication notice.
“Excommunicated.
At the monthly priesthood meeting for St. George Stake of Zion, convened in the St. George Tabernacle, at St. George, this 3rd day of November, 1877, Henry J. Eccles was cut off the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a general swindler, for lying and obtaining property under false pretenses. And all Saints are cautioned to beware of him.
David H. Cannon, Bishop 4th Ward St. George.
John D. T. McAllister,
Thomas J. Jones,
Henry Eyring,
Presidency of St. George Stake.
Erastus Snow.
James G. Bleak, Clerk, St. George Stake.
St. George, Nov. 3d, 1877.”
(Reprint of report of 17 Nov.; DN 26(42):665, 21 Nov., 1877)
4 Nov.: High Council to act as Home Missionaries.
“On motion of President Hatch, the members of the High Council were chosen to be home missionaries with others who might from time to time be designated to act with them.” (Minutes of Wasatch Stake Conference, 4 Nov., 1877; DN 26(41):649, 14 Nov., 1877)
4 Nov.: Home Missionaries sustained in Cache Valley Stake
“President M. Thatcher then presented the following names, which were sustained without a dissenting vote:
. . . .
Also the following as Home Missionaries. [22 men sustained.]”
(Minutes of Cache Valley Stake conference, 4 Nov., 1877; DN 26(41):653, 14 Nov., 1877)
10 Nov.: 4/5 of Woodruff Ward re-baptized.
“The bishops were called upon to report the condition of their wards.
. . . .
Woodruff–W. H. Lee, bishop. 26 families, 336 souls; four-fifths had been rebaptized; good tithing paid; donations for Temple $450; an effort was being made in favor of co-op. farming.”
(Minutes of Bear Lake Stake Conference, 10 Nov., 1877; DN 26(42):668-669, 21 Nov., 1877)
11 Nov.: Wards and quorums in Summit Stake.
10 Wards, 2 EQ, 1 PQ. (Minutes of Summit Stake Conference, 11 Nov., 1877; DN 26(42):657, 21 Nov., 1877)
11 Nov.: High Council to act as Home Missionaries.
“The names of the following home missionaries were presented to the conference and sustained unanimously: George H. Peterson, J. J. Thayne, James Wolstenholme and Alexander Calderwood; also the High Council to act as home missionaries.” (Minutes of Summit Stake Conference, 11 Nov., 1877; DN 26(42):657, 21 Nov., 1877)
12 Nov.: Elders quorum involved as Home Missionaries.
“The meeting house at Kaysville is being improved and repaired. . . . The Ward, as a whole, is in good condition, Bishop Barton and his counselors being very active. The young men are thoroughly organized, and those belonging to the Elders Quorum are engaged in home missionary labors in the settlement, visiting the various districts in that capacity in parties of four.
The policy of having the priesthood generally of the settlement actively engaged in discharging the duties of their callings is being carried out, with excellent results.” (Reprint of report of 12 Nov.; DN 26(41):649, 14 Nov., 1877)
14 Nov.: Priesthood promised as early as 21 Sep., 1823.
“But when the Lord manifested himself to Joseph Smith, presenting to him his Son who was there also, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, hear ye him;’ he then knew that God lived; and he was not dependent upon anybody else for that knowledge. He saw him and heard his voice, and he knew for himself that there was a God, and of this he testified, sealing his testimony with his blood. The evidence of the existence of God that he received, none but God could impart. Well, what was the result? He told him how others might obtain the same knowledge of him and of his laws; and he made him acquainted with a medium through which he could obtain a knowledge of these things. And how did he do it? By communicating unto him a knowledge of the everlasting Priesthood, and sending that Priesthood to reveal unto him the laws and the ordinances thereof. Hence, as early as September 21st, 1823, an angel said to Joseph Smith, ‘Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood.’ He was informed there had to be a certain ordinance attended to, viz., baptism. And as John the Baptist had held the keys of that Priesthood, in generations gone and past, he was sent to confer upon him and upon Oliver Cowdery what is known as the Aaronic Priesthood, which authorized them to baptize each other for the remission of sins. And this heavenly messenger did come and did so ordain them, on May 15th, 1829, saying–‘Upon you, my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the Gospel of repentance, and of baptism for the remission of sins; and this shall never again be taken from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.’ (D&C, page 100.) And what next? It was necessary then that other institutions should be introduced and other principles developed; and consequently the Apostles Peter, James and John appeared, bringing, and conferring on their heads the Melchisedek Priesthood, which holds the keys of the mysteries and revelations of God, and by which they could lay their hands upon men for the reception of the Holy Ghost. And when they received this gift, it ‘brought things past to their remembrance, led them into all truth and showed them things to come;’ it opened up communication between the heavens and the earth, whereby others, as well as Joseph Smith, could know that God lived, and obtain for themselves through the administration of the ordinances, a knowledge of their acceptance with him, and of their relationship to him, and also obtain a knowledge of heavenly as well as earthly things. So that first, Joseph Smith having received this knowledge that God lived, and others through the medium that God ordained were accorded the same privilege. Thus there was opened up a communication with the heavens; not only with Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, and those immediately associated with them, but with those also who received the Gospel; and as the Scriptures say, ‘But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name; which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.’ And they receive that Spirit whereby they were able to comprehend the principles of trhtu/’ and as the Apostle John says, ‘But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.'” (John Taylor, 14 Nov., 1877; JD 19:152-153)
17 Nov.: Numerical breakdown of Sanpete Stake.
“The following statistical report was read:
The Sanpete Stake consists of 18 wards, 1,623 families, 304 seventies, 326 high priests, 791 elders, 155 priests, 148 teachers, 153 deacons, 4,038 lay members, 2,845 children under eight years. . . . The total number of souls is 8,760.” (Sanpete Stake Conference minutes, 17 Nov., 1877; DN 26(44):694, 5 Dec., 1877)
18 Nov.: No PQ or TQ yet in Morgan Stake.
“Priests’ and Teachers’ quorums not yet organized.” (Morgan County Stake Conference minutes, 18 Nov., 1877; DN 26(43):684, 28 Nov., 1877)
22 Nov.: Only 1 PQ, 2 TQ in Salt Lake Stake.
“The Presidency of the [Salt Lake] Stake met with the Elders, Priests, Teachers and Deacons of the Fifteenth and Brighton Wards, last evening, when the following brethren were unanimously sustained in the positions named . . .
This completes the organization of the Elders and Deacon’s Quorums in this City, with the exception of a few who were not prepared; as soon as the organization of these quorums, not now organized, is report up the names of the presidency thereof will be published in the News.
There will not be more than enough ordained Priests in this city to fill one quorum, and only about enough Teachers (ordained) to fill two. They will be duly notified, through the News, when and where to meet when their organization will be effected.” (Reprint of report of 23 Nov.; DN 26(43):680, 28 Nov., 1877)
25 Nov.: Vote against a bishop.
“All of the above (bishoprics) were unanimously sustained except one, whose objections to sustaining Bishop Polson of the Richfield First Ward were delivered on the stand, but proved untenable, and without effect.” (Richfield Stake Conference minutes, 25 Nov., 1877; DN 26(46):727, 19 Dec., 1877)
29 Nov.: Give young men the priesthood early.
“A Bishops meeting was held in the Council House in the evening, Bishop Edward Hunter presiding. . . . Counselor Joseph E. Taylor reported of the visits of the Presidency of the Stake to the various Wards of the City, to organize the Elders, priests, teachers and deacons, and of giving young men the priesthood early, thus making them familiar with responsibility and preparing them for the higher priesthood.” (JH 29 Nov., 1877)
1 Dec.: Temples made for priesthood, not vice versa.
“The regular monthly priesthood meeting of this [Salt Lake] Stake met on Saturday morning, in the Fourteenth Ward Assembly Rooms. . . .
President John Taylor instructed the brethren in the nature and power of the priesthood. It was essential that the Saints should use every exertion to forward the construction of temples, that they might receive the blessings and ordinances thereof. Not that the power of the priesthood depended upon temples, for ‘temples are made for the priesthood and not the priesthood for temples.'” (Reprint of report of 3 Dec.; DN 26(44):697, 5 Dec., 1877)
2 Dec.: Members of Elders Quorum rebaptized.
“After a few words of exhortation by Prest. Murdock, the reports of the several bishos and of the presidents of quorums were read by Elder Richard S. Horne, which are here but very briefly recorded. . . .
Elders’ Quorum, John Robinson President. Several of the members had been re-baptized.”
(Beaver Stake Conference Minutes, 2 Dec., 1877; DN 26(46):722, 19 Dec., 1877)
2 Dec.: Beaver Stake priesthood numbers.
“The statistical report of Beaver Stake of Zion since its reorganization was as follows–275 families, 25 seventies, 75 high priests, 139 elders, 21 priests, 6 teachers, 29 deacons, 772 lay members, 523 children under eight years of age . . .” (Beaver Stake Conference Minutes, 2 Dec., 1877; DN 26(46):722, 19 Dec., 1877)
2 Dec.: Home missionaries sustained.
“A list of home missionaries was then read, the conference voting unanimously to sustain those who were thus called.” (Beaver Stake Conference Minutes, 2 Dec., 1877; DN 26(46):722, 19 Dec., 1877)
3 Dec.: Only 1 ward in SL Stake has complete AP.
“Bishop Stewart and his counselors preside over the Priests’ Quorum in the South Willow Creek Ward, by virtue of their position, the Bishop being, according to the Doctrine and Covenants, the President of the Priests’ Quorum. This is the only ward in this [Salt Lake] stake which has the lesser priesthood quorums fully organized.” (Reprint of report of 3 Dec.; DN 26(44):697, 5 Dec., 1877)
13 Dec.: 3 deacons quorums in 1 ward.
“Of the Deacons of Mill Creek Ward, First Quorum, Charles H. Spencer, Jr., president; Orson Calder and William Winder counselors.
Second Quorum, John H. Bowden president; William F. Murphy and George Lunn counselors.
Third Quorum, Allen Park president; George Hanson, Jr., and Francis P. Carlisle counselors.” (Reprint of report of 13 Dec.; DN 26(46):728, 19 Dec., 1877)
16 Dec.: Propriety of ordaining youth to AP.
“President McAllister said more labor is needed to continue the grading around the Temple block, and called for shade trees to plant around the block. He submitted to the bishops the propriety of ordaining our young men as priests, teachers and deacons in their respective wards.” (St. George Stake Conference minutes, 16 Dec., 1877; DN 26(48):766, 2 Jan., 1878)
17 Dec.: Excommunication notices.
“Excommunicated.
Springville Ward,
Dec. 14th, 1877.
Editors Deseret News:
John Blackett, his wife Elizabeth Blackett, Matilda Houtz, and J. W. Streeper were cut off the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on the 12th inst., for unchristianlike conduct.
Wm. Bringhurst, Bishop,
J. M. Peirce, Clerk.
—–
This is to certify that Samuel Jackson was cut off from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for unchristianlike conduct.
Wm. A. Bills, Bishop,
Jesse Vincent, Clerk.
South Jordan Ward,
Salt Lake County,
December 8th, 1877.
(Reprint of report of 17 Dec.; DN 26(46):729, 19 Dec., 1877)
19 Dec.: Excommunication notice.
“Excommunicated.
Editors Deseret News:
This is to certify that Albert Staton and his wife, Elizabeth Staton, Enoch Clark, Thomas Sawyer and Sarah A. Wing, have been cut off the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Wm. Bringhurst, Bishop,
J. M. Pierce, Clerk.
Springville Ward, Dec. 19, 1877.”
(Reprint of report of 22 Dec.; DN 26(47):745, 26 Dec., 1877)
19 Dec.: 70s over 45 excused.
“A general meeting of the seventies met in the Council House at half past six p.m. The business of the evening was to call over the names of the Seventies and ascertain who among them were eligible to go on missions, morally, financially, etc., and those over forty five years of age, were not to be included.” (JH 19 Dec., 1877)
20 Dec.: 70s meeting to consider mission calls.
“Seventies’ Meeting.–The general meeting of the Seventies in the Council House was well attended last evening. The principal business was calling over the rolls of the quorums, to ascertain who were eligible, morally, religiously, financially, etc., to go on missions. Those who had recently returned from missions, and those over forty-five years of age were not accepted as eligible. The rolls were called over to and including the Eighth Quorum, when the meeting was adjourned for a fortnight. Meeting commences at half past six p.m., same place.” (Reprint of report of 20 Dec.; DN 26(47):737, 26 Dec., 1877)
21 Dec.: Assignments for SL Home Missionaries.
“Home Mission.–Home missionaries are expected to preach in all the Wards of this City [SL], excepting the Eighteenth, Sunday evening, Dec. 23d, at six o’clock.
The brethren, in calling at the President’s Office to get their appiontments will please enquire for a book containing the names of persons and their sureties indebted to the P. E. Fund Company; which they are requested to hand to the Bishops of the Wards to which they are appointed.” (Reprint of report of 21 Dec.; DN 26(47):745, 26 Dec., 1877)
23 Dec.: Excommunication notice.
“Excommunicated.
Spring Lake Ward,
Utah Co., Dec. 23d, 1877.
Editors Deseret News:
This is to certify that Jacob S. Spainhowr, was cut off the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nov. 18th, 1877, for apostacy.
Also Thomas Parks was cut off the Church on the 16th inst. for unchristianlike conduct.
B. F. Johnson, Bishop,
D. T. LeBaron, jun., Clerk.”
(Reprint of report of 28 Dec.; DN 26(48):761, 2 Jan., 1878)
23 Dec.: Excommunication notice.
“Excommunication.
Granite Ward, Dec. 23, 1877.
Editors Deseret News:
By the unanimous voice of this ward, James Hunter and wife were cut off from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for apostacy.
S. J. Despain, bishop.
D. Archibald, Clerk.”
(Reprint of report of 26 Dec.; DN 26(48):762, 2 Jan., 1878)
24 Dec.: Home missionaries meet monthly.
“Home Missionaries.–In consequence of many of the home missionaries having other appointments at 6.30 p.m., the regular monthly meeting of the home missionaries on Wednesday evening, will be held at half-past seven, sharp, instead of the time heretofore appointed.” (Reprint of report of 24 Dec.; DN 26(47):748, 26 Dec., 1877)
28 Dec.: Elders quorums comprising Salt Lake Stake.
“Elders’ Quorums.–The Elders’ Quorums of the Salt Lake Stake of Zion, have been numbered as follows:
The Elders’ Quorum composed of the Elders in the Fourteenth and Seventeenth Wards, presided over by Edward W. Davis, will be known as the First Quorum of Elders of the Salt Lake Stake of Zion.
That of the First, Tenth and Sugar House Wards, presided over by James E. Malin, will be known as the Second.
That of Second, Third, Eighth and Ninth Wards, presided over by Thomas Gerrard, the Third.
That of the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Farmer’s Wards, presided over by Robert R. Irvine, the Fourth.
That of the Fifteenth and Brighton Wards, presided over by James W. Ure, the Fifth.
That of the Sixteenth Ward, presided over by Francis Cope, the Sixth.
That of the Nineteenth Ward, Presided over by Robert Haslam, the Seventh.
That of the Thirteenth and Eighteenth Wards, presided over by Henry A. Woolley, the Eighth.
That of the Eleventh and Twelfth Wards, presided over by John Coulam, the Ninth.
That of the Twentieth Ward, presided over by Levi W. Richards, the Tenth.
That of the Twenty-First Ward, presided over by William P. Affleck, the Eleventh.
That of the four Jordan Wards, presided over by John A. Egbert, Twelfth.
That of the two Cottonwood Wards, presided over by George Smith, the Fourteenth.
And that of the South Willow Creek, Granite and Union Wards, presided over by Charles M. Peterson, will be known as the Fifteenth Elders’ Quorum of the Salt Lake Stake of Zion.” (Reprint of report of 28 Dec.; DN 26(48):761, 2 Jan., 1878)
31 Dec.: Appeal of High Council Court.
“the 12 held a council to day & considered the right of appeal from High councils decided that an Appeal can be had to the first presidency wherein an unrighteous decision is given, and then only as to the decision not as to hearing the case – if the case has to be heard again the 1st president decides, who shall hear it. whether the same high council with 1 or 2 of the 12 present, or by arbitration – or by the Church in Conference assembled and Stake with all the priesthood of the Stake – or by the general Conference assembled.” (L. John Nuttall diary, 21 Dec., 1877)
31 Dec.: 1 TQ for 4 wards.
“David O. Calder and Joseph E. Taylor, of the Presidency of the [SL] Stake, met with the Priests and Teachers of this city on Monday evening, Dec. 31st, 1877, when the following brethren were unanimously sustained in the positions named:
. . . .
James Yates, President of the Teachers’ Quorum, composed of the Teachers in the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, Seventeenth and Nineteenth Wards; George Tall, Jr., First Counselor.”
(DN 26(49):775, 9 Jan., 1878)
31 Dec.: Presidency of Priests’ Quorum (more than 1 Ward)
“David O. Calder and Joseph E. Taylor, of the Presidency of the [SL] Stake, met with the Priests and Teachers of this city on Monday evening, Dec. 31st, 1877, when the following brethren were unanimously sustained in the positions named:
. . . .
The Bishopric being the presidency of the Priests’ Quorum, Bishop Burt and Counselors simply required the appointment to act as the Presidency of the Priests’ Quorum, for the city [only 1 quorum for the entire city?], being already the Presidency of the Priests in the Ward over which they preside. They only preside over the Priests (other than in their own Ward) in a quorum capacity, each Bishop presiding over the Priests, as he does over the members in his Ward of every other quorum, when not acting in a quorum capacity.”
(DN 26(49):775, 9 Jan., 1878)