And sent also his angels to ordain him to the priesthood which they also had before held.

D& C 26: 2-3, or 27: 2-12

 

3rd Pastoral Letter of James                                                                CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

to the Saints of Great Britain and Ireland                                                            Divisions 741-770

 

concerning ordination of the prophets

SECTION (19)

741.

When Moses failed to make Israel a nation of priests unto God,

And brought them in under the law of curse,

Making one tribe only priests to all the rest,

And God saw fit to take away the most holy priesthood.

742.

Moses, by revelation of God, ordained Joshua to an inferior species of priesthood.

743.

So too Christ, when he was rejected as the Messiah, the king of the Jews,

And the offer of deliverance to Israel was withdrawn,

Conferred on Peter the keys of the dispensation,

With the power of binding and loosing both on earth and in heaven,

And of remitting and retaining sins.

744.

In each of these cases the authority conferred was less than that of him who conferred it.

745.

Two persons could not stand at the same time

Having the authority that God conferred on Moses.

746.

Consequently Moses could not ordain anyone to it.

747.

Yet he put part of his honor on Joshua.

748.

Two persons could not stand at the same time

Having the authority of Christ as king of Israel and head of the gospel dispensation.

749.

Consequently Christ did not ordain Peter to the same authority that he held, yet to a less.

John 21: 15-17

750.

Likewise, two persons cannot stand at the head of the dispensation of the fullness of times,

Holding the keys of mysteries, revelations, and commandments,

and consequently Joseph Smith could not in any way ordain or bring any one into his authority,

Yet the act of God is necessary to consummate such priesthood.

751.

In other words,

It requires the same power and the same ordinances

to confer that priesthood on the successor to Joseph Smith

as it required to confer it on Joseph Smith.

752.

And as Joseph Smith was called by revelation, and ordained by angels,       D& C 99: 6, or 102: 9

so must his successor be.                                                                                 D& C 34: 4 or 35: 18

D& C 43: 1-2 or 43: 4-7

D& C 26: 2-3 or 27: 8-12

D& C 27: 2 or 28: 2-7

753.

And, as Joseph was established as the Prophet, Seer and Revelator,

It was necessary that the revelation appointing his successor should come through him,

Because the church are forbidden to receive revelations and commandments from others.

754.

And, as this is established as a positive law, no instances are necessary to justify it;

Yet if any were wanting, they might be found in the case of Samuel and Elisha.

755.

Samuel succeeded Eli, who fell by wickedness,

And the Lord revealed to Eli, and then to Samuel,

that Samuel should stand as prophet in his stead.                                                     1st Samuel 3

756.

Elisha succeeded Elijah as a prophet.

757.

Elijah abode faithful to God in all things,

Yet many years before he was translated, God had, through him,

chosen Elisha to be his successor.                                                                         1st Kings 19: 16

758.

Yet, after he was translated to the chariot of the Lord,

And ceased to be of the earth, he conferred that priesthood on Elisha,

that he alone held while he ministered among men.                                           2nd Kings 2: 9-15

 

759.

Joseph, if he had abided in God in all things,

Would have stood on the earth and at the head of the dispensation at the coming of Christ.

760.

When Christ sent forth the fullness of the gospel by him,

It was with promise that if Joseph abided in him,

The keys of mysteries and revelations (that pertain to earth and not to heaven)

Should not be taken from him till Christ came.

 

761.

In February, 1831, a new promise was made

That if Joseph did not stand, whether taken away or being rejected,

He should appoint another in his stead;

Yet with this distinction:

762.

That if his priesthood was taken from him he should only have power to appoint another;

Yet if God took him (which he did June 27th, 1844),

There was no limit or cutting short of his priesthood while he remained.

 

763.

In 1833, as Joseph had not abided in Christ perfectly, yet had committed sin,

God said he should give the oracles to another,

To the end that they might remain in the church as before.

764.

Yet as Joseph had repented of his sins, God also accepted his offering,

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