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Joseph SmithH. B. Hall, unknown
"I the Lord . . .
called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake
unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments" (D&C
1:17).
Religious OrganizerDel Parson, 1980"You shall from thenceforth preside over the affairs of the church" (D&C 90:13).Joseph Smith, Jr.Danquart Weggeland, unknown
"The duty of the
President of the office of the High Priesthood is to
preside over the whole church . . . yea, to be a seer, a
revelator, a translator, and a prophet, having all the
gifts of God" (D&C 107:91–92).
In Nauvoo 1843–1844 (Joseph Smith and His Friends)William Major, 1844"His word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith" (D&C 21:5).Joseph Smith Office PlaqueVal Brinkerhoff, 2004"No one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this church excepting my servant Joseph Smith, Jun" (D&C 28:2).April 6, 1844, Conference in NauvooGeorge Lloyd (published by S. Brannan), pre-1889"I will raise up unto my people a man, who shall lead them like as Moses led the children of Israel" (D&C 103:16).Brigham Young, <i>Deseret Weekly News</i>, April 1853At the Salt Lake Temple cornerstone ceremony, Brigham Young related how the laying of the first cornersone applies to the keys of the apostleship Joseph Smith received from Peter, James, and John.
I speak thus to
show you the order of the Priesthood. We will now
commence with the Apostleship, where Joseph commenced.
Joseph was ordained an Apostl? that you can read and
understand. After he was ordained to this office, then
he had the right to organize and build up the kingdom
of God, for he had committed unto him the keys of the
Priesthood, which is after the order of Melchisedec the High
Priesthood, which is after the order of the Son of
God. And this, remember, by being ordained an Apostle.
Could he have
built up the Kingdom of God, without first being an
Apostle? No, he never could. The keys of the eternal
Priesthood, which is after the order of the Son of
God, are comprehended by being an Apostle. All the
Priesthood, all the keys, all the gifts, all the endowments,
and everything preparatory entering into the presence
of the Father and of the Son, are in, composed of,
circumscribed by, or I might say incorporated within
the circumference of, the Apostleship.
Now who do we
set, in the first place, to lay the Chief, the South East
Corner Stone; the corner from whence light emanates to
illuminate the whole fabric that is to be lighted? We
begin with the First Presidency, with the Apostleship,
for Joseph commenced, always, with the keys of the
Apostleship, and he, by the voice of the people, presiding
over the whole community of Latter Day Saints,
officiated in the Apostleship, as the first President.
What comes next
in the Church. I will now refer you directly to the
building up of the kingdom of God in the last days. What do
we see next? Joseph, as an apostle of the Lambe, with
the keys of the eternal Priesthood committed unto him
by Peter, James, and John. What for? To build up the
kingdom of God on the earth.
Prophet, Seer and Revelator Video
