Where two are three are gathered together in My name, as touching one thing, behold, there will I be in the midst of them; DC 6:15b
Psalms 138:8

Are there essential building blocks missing today that are important to the church?
“I am a true son of a true father”
– Joseph Smith, III
Presidency of the High Priesthood
Lineage
Succession
1






The Joint Conference of Branches in April of 2006 asked that the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ be asked to consider the importance of prophetic succession.
This was then referred to the Conference of Elders for action.
In April of 2007, the CRE passed a resolution calling for the elders of the church to gather and meet in worship, study and prayer to consider Presidency of the High Priesthood, lineage, and succession and the relevancy to the church in our day.
The regional gatherings in February and March of 2008 is an opportunity to come together “touching upon these points of doctrine” and other matters upon the hearts of the people.
Similar gatherings are scheduled in additional locations.

Presentation Master for
Consideration by the Elders of the
Church of Jesus Christ
February, 2008

 Examine the scriptural evidence for presidents in the Church of Jesus Christ
 Purpose of presidents
 Examine the office of President of the High
Priesthood
 Calling
 Duties
 Is a president needed today?
 How to identify a president
4

The Question of Prophetic Succession
 The Doctrine and Covenants helps us to define the law of the church regarding prophetic succession.
 O hearken, ye elders of my church, and give ear to the words which I shall speak unto you: for, behold, verily, verily I say unto you, that ye have received a commandment for a law unto my church , through him whom I have appointed unto you, to receive commandments and revelations from my hand.
[ D & C 43:1 ]

Principle of Presidency
 God rules on the earth through Jesus
Christ
 Jesus Christ is the head of His Church
 Jesus Christ rules through stewards/agents
 Priesthood are His agents in the Church
 Jesus Christ commands and empowers
 1 Nephi 1:65 no commandment save God shall prepare a way for them to accomplish it

Principle of Presidency




Melchisedec priesthood holds right of presidency
(DC 104:3b)
Of necessity, there are presidents , or presiding offices, growing out of, or appointed of, or from among those who are ordained to the several offices in these two priesthoods . (DC 104:11a)
Why are presidents necessary?
A clue is found in DC 120:8


A. H. Smith called to be president of the 12
“ That [the Twelve] may be better prepared to act . . .”

Principle of Presidency


Gifts are given to presidents




Spirit of wisdom ( Section 120:2c )
To teach ( Section 104:41a )
To lead
To “better prepare” those he presides over
Presidents serve because it is wisdom in God
 Provides order



To lead by revelation
To preside over the whole church, and to be like unto
Moses.
Now, behold, this the Spirit of revelation; behold, this is the
Spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea . . . . ( Section 8:2a )

Principle of Presidency




Multiple examples of presidency in scripture
Adam
 Presided over the believers and high priests


Section 104:19-29
“I have set thee to be at the head . . .”
Enoch
 Presided over Zion
Moses
 Chosen to lead Israel from captivity to promised land
– [Exodus 3:9,10; Hebrews 11:24-27]

Principle of Presidency
 God used Judges
 e.g. Gideon
 e.g. Pahoran in the Book of Mormon
 God used Prophets
 e.g. Samuel
 Kings and Rulers
 Apostles

Possibly a “First Presidency” in New Testament
– Gal. 2:9 [James, Peter, and John] Gal. 1:18-
19 [Paul visits Peter, James the Lord’s brother]

Principle of Presidency




In the Restoration several levels of presidency exist
The Melchisdec priesthood holds the right of presidency ( Section 104:3b )
The presidency of the high priesthood have a right to officiate in all the offices of the church. ( Section 104:4 )
Presidents of:
 Branches ( Section 120:2 a, c )


Districts ( Section 120:1 b, c, d )
Stakes ( Section 125:10a; C.H., Vol. 3, pg. 231 )


Stake standing high councils ( Section 104:14 )
Priesthood Quorums ( Section 104:38-43 )

Principle of Presidency
 President of the High Priesthood
 It must needs be that one be appointed
 Presides over the priesthood of Church
 Section 104:31e
 Presides over the whole Church, like
Moses, to be a seer, a revelator, a translator, and a prophet.
 Section 104:42a.b
 Presides within the Quorum of the First
Presidency –
Section 99:6

Principle of Presidency
 The President of the High Priesthood
 Called by revelation ( DC 99:6a )
 Appointed
 Chosen by the body ( DC 104:11b )
 Ordained ( DC 17:17; 104:11b )
 Upheld by the body by their ( DC 104:11b )
 Confidence
 Faith
 The Prayer of Faith

The order of this priesthood [Melchisedec] was confirmed to be handed down from father to son, and rightly belongs to the literal descendants of the chosen seed, to whom the promises were made. This order was instituted in the days of Adam, and came down by lineage in the following manner : [Seth] previous to his (Adam’s) death, and received the promise of God by his father, that his posterity should be chosen of the Lord, ( Section
104:18, 19a )

 God has chosen families to carry certain blessings and promises
 Obtained by faith
 God keeps his covenants
 Promises follow from father to son
 Seen in

Adam’s family through Seth ( Section 104:19 )


Aaron and his sons ( Exodus 40:12-16; DC 83:3a )
Among the priesthood ( Section 84:3 )

 Doc. & Cov. 84:3 —“Therefore, thus saith the
Lord unto you, with whom the priesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers, for ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God : therefore your life and the priesthood hath remained, and must needs remain, through you and your lineage , until the restoration of all things spoken by the mouths of all the holy prophets since the world began.”
The Lord does not forget His promises.





The successor is appointed by revelation. [DC 87:2]
The successor must come in at the gate and be ordained . [See CH, Vol. 8, pg 360 – 5 steps of the law]


Doctrine & Covenants 43:1, 2 (27:2a; 87:2).
Doctrine & Covenants 99:6.
The revelation comes through the prophet by command of God.
 Doctrine & Covenants 127:8; 144.
The successor must be direct descendant of Joseph
Smith, Jr.
 Doctrine & Covenants 104:17-27.



Doctrine & Covenants 107:18b, c, d.
CH 3:200,347. (Seed of Joseph; Joseph’s posterity)
GCR #2, 3, 23, 38, 39.

Who is to be President of the High
Priesthood? [ A review ]



Every president of the high priesthood . . . Is to be ordained by the direction of a high council, or general conference. D & C 17:17 {Times & Seasons 3:298}
The president of the church, . . . . Is appointed by revelation, and acknowledged . . . By the voice of the church.
He should preside over the high council of the church; and it is his privilege to be assisted by two other presidents, appointed after the same manner that he himself was appointed. D & C 99:6a,b [February 17,
1834 – minutes of the organization of the High Council of the church.]

 Joseph Smith was then ordained President of the High
Priesthood of the Church, under the hands of Elders
Z.H. Gurley, Sen., of the Quorum of Twelve, and
William Marks, of the High Priests, according to the minutes of the conference of April 6, 1860 at Amboy,
Illinois.
 Joseph rejected the Utah church and came to the
Reorganization because he was enveloped and spoken to by the Spirit, saying: “ Because the light in which you stand is greater than theirs .”
History of the Church , Vol. 3, pgs. 250-251, 258

 “It should be observed here, perhaps, that
‘Revelations’ to a man personally, that he is called to be President of the Church, even when clear and definite, do not constitute him the President.
Something else is necessary . As observed elsewhere, not only must a man be called of God, but he must be accepted by the Church – ‘chosen by the body, appointed and ordained to that office, and upheld by the confidence, faith, and prayer of The
Church’” [Section 107:22 LDS; 104:11b RLDS ] –
Succession in the Presidency of the Church , B.H.
Roberts, 2nd edition, pg. 76.

Letter of Instruction, Joseph Smith III, RLDS Church
History , Vol. 6, pgs.557-588
 1. In the case of the death of a president of the church, or his removal from office for cause, what would be the position of his counselors?
 It would then seem clear that the members of the First
Presidency who would survive the death of the president would still hold the office of presiding high priests over the high priesthood and be authorized to act in such duties of the presidency in a similar manner that they may do during the life of the president, restricted only by the exceptions found in the law, the most important of these perhaps being the restriction as to the right of receiving revelations and presenting them to the church for the government and guidance thereof.

Letter of Instruction, Joseph Smith, III
March 4, 1912 (CH 6:557-558)


“The church is not at liberty to accept or to follow the precedent supposedly established by the action of the Quorum of Twelve in the fall of 1844, in the Twelve taking absolute charge of the administration of the affairs of the church which culminated in
1847 in the installing of a Presidency by taking three from the then nine adhering members of the Twelve existing at the death of the Prophet, and installing them in the Presidency of the church with Brigham Young as their chief, . . .”
“This precedent and those established by James J. Strang,
Lyman Wight, William Smith, and others, are of no value in directing the action of the church, other than they serve as warnings against deviating from the letter and the spirit of what had been given to the church prior to the death of Joseph and
Hyrum Smith.”

History of Joseph Smith, The Latter Days Saints
Millennial Star , Vol. 25, Pg. 231, 1863. Edited and published by George Q. Cannon, Liverpool.



Statement of Brigham Young, August 8, 1844
. “
You cannot fill the office of a Prophet, Seer and Revelator: God must do this. You are like children without a father and sheep without a shepherd.
You must not appoint any man at your head; if you should, the
Twelve must ordain him. You cannot appoint a man at our head; but if you do want any other man or men to lead you, take them and we will go our way to build up the kingdom in all the world.”
“You cannot call a man to be a Prophet; you cannot take Elder
Rigdon and place him above the Twelve; if so, he must be ordained of them .”
“I tell you there is an over anxiety to hurry matters here. You cannot take any man and put him at the head; you would scatter the
Saints to the four winds, you would sever the Priesthood . So long as we remain as we are, the heavenly Head is in constant cooperation with us; and if you go out of the course, God will have nothing to do with you
.” [
RLDS C.H., Vol. 3, pg. 17 ]
23

Conclusion of FIRST section
Built to Last
Mitla, Mexico – 2,000 year old Tula Tree (cypress)

The Application of Lineage in the Restoration/Reorganization
Presentation Master for consideration by the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ
February, 2008

Objectives



Understand what the scriptures teach about lineage
Understand the historical tradition relative to lineage
Understanding the correct application

Lineage
 How is priesthood transmitted?
 Same manner for all offices of priesthood
 Abraham from Melchisedec from the fathers back to Adam

 Section 83:2e,f
“Here it is plainly stated that the priesthood was transmitted the first two thousand years of earth’s history, from father to son. It seems to have so descended, as matter of course, none disputing . . .” A Word of Consolation

Lineage
 Abrahamic Covenant passed through fathers
 Abraham to Isaac
 Isaac to Jacob
 Jacob to his twelve sons
 From fathers of Israel to their sons
 Joseph to Manasseh and Ephraim
 Jacob through sons to David to Jesus

Lineage
 Priesthood of Aaron
 Aaron and his sons
 Continued through to John the Baptist
 Bishops
 Right to this office is first by direct lineage
 Section 68:2d-g and Section 104:32
No man has a legal right to this office . . . Except he be a literal descendant and the firstborn of Aaron
(Section 68:2d)

Lineage
 Observed in the Book of Mormon
 Lehi to Nephi
 Nephi to Joseph and Jacob
 Alma, Sr. to Alma, Jr.

Lineage
 Reaffirmed in the latter days
 Priesthood of this dispensation by lineage
Therefore, thus saith the Lord unto you, with whom the priesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers, for ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God: therefore your life and the priesthood hath remained, and must needs remain, through you and your lineage, until the restoration of all things spoken by the mouths of all the holy prophets since the world began. (Section
84:3a,b)

Lineage
 Role of fathers in the latter day work
 Section 26:2e-f, 3
 Section 105:12c
 Priesthood intended to be unchanging
 Same priesthood in beginning and end
 Genesis 6:7 I.V.
 Father to Son
 Section 104:17-27

Lineage – Presiding Patriarch


Joseph Smith, Sr. to Hyrum Smith (Son of J.
Smith, Sr.)
William Smith (Son of J. Smith, Sr.)
Note: Ordained
1845 in Nauvoo under Brigham Young. The office of presiding patriarch was not filled again in RLDS church until 4 years after the death of William Smith in 1893. Even though
William returned to the Reorganization, he was never recognized as a patriarch and no one else was called to occupy that office until Alexander was called in 1897. Did
God recognize his right of lineage?
 Alexander H. Smith (Son of J. Smith, Jr.)
1897
 Frederick A. Smith ( Son of Alexander H. Smith )
1913
Elbert A. Smith ( Son of David H. Smith ) 1938

Lineage

Lineage plus faithfulness.

The sons of my servants of the leading quorums of the church are admonished, that upon their fathers is laid a great and onerous burden, and they are called to engage in a great work, which shall bring them honor and glory, or shame, contempt and final great loss and destruction . . . and to their sons shall come honor, or shame, as they shall approve
or disapprove themselves to God. The sons of my servants are called, and if faithful shall in time be chosen to places whence their fathers [served] (D & C 124:7)

Lineage & Presidency – November, 1851
 Jason Briggs Revelation – The Messenger , pg. 21, printed 1876
“Therefore, let the elders whom I have ordained by the hand of my servant Joseph, or by the had of those ordained by him, resist not this authority, nor faint in the discharge of duty, which is to preach my gospel as revealed in the record of the Jews, and the Book of
Mormon, and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants; and cry repentance and remission of sins through obedience to the gospel, and I will sustain them, and give them my Spirit; and in mine own due time will I call upon the seed of Joseph Smith, and will bring one forth, and he shall be mighty and strong, and shall preside over the high priesthood of my church; and them shall the quorums assemble, and the pure in heart shall gather, and
Zion shall be reinhabited, as I have said unto my servant
Joseph Smith; after many days shall all these things be accomplished, saith the Spirit . [C.H., Vol. 3, page 200-201]

Revelation to Zenas H. Gurley, Sr. on
Lineage & Presidency - 1852


Lineage
 Section 127:8 —Joseph Smith III confirms the call of
Frederick Madison Smith to preside over the church
“in accordance with the revelations which have been hitherto given to the church concerning the priesthood ”
 Principle upheld through 1978
 Frederick M. Smith
 Israel A. Smith
 W. Wallace Smith
 Wallace B. Smith

Lineage
 These promises are conditional
 Require
 Faithfulness
 Preparation
 Revelation
 Common Consent of the body
 Promises can be lost by disobedience
 Saul
 Jeroboam
 William Smith (see Jason Briggs Revelation)
38

End of SECOND Section
When will it be Spring?

Presidential Succession in the Restoration /
Reorganization
Presentation Master for
Consideration by the Elders of the
Church of Jesus Christ
February, 2008

Objectives
 Understand the importance of succession in the government of the
Church
 Understand the historical precedents
 Understand the scriptures on the subject
 Be familiar with historical documents on the issue
 Develop unity in our prayers to God

The Question of Prophetic Succession


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, established on April 6, 1830, and reorganized on
April 6, 1860
 Law is the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants.
 All matters in the Church must be in harmony with the clear principles and laws revealed in these scriptures.
Prophetic Succession is of critical importance
 Reorganization only branch of the church to obey the scriptural laws regarding presidency, lineagesuccession

Principles of Succession



This point was a key factor in Reorganization
Unlawful succession marked factions
 Brigham Young
 J.J. Strange
 Alpheus Cutler
Joseph Smith, III clearly was the proper successor to the prophetic/presidential office
 Lineage
 Designation (Blessing)
 Revelation
 Voice of people
 Authoritative ordination by the laying on of hands

Issues with Succession


Multiple persons have claimed rights to the office of prophet /president over past years
“New” churches have been formed
 Form of godliness, lacking power
 Results of unlawful organization
 Scattered saints
 Shattered hopes
 Entered into forbidden paths
 Some may have been lost to the work

Principles of Succession
 Why ask the question of succession?
 Need for ministry of President/Prophet
 Upper quorums
 High Council(s)
 The need
 Prophetic guidance of the church
 Power to prosecute missionary work
 Settle doctrinal and other disputes
 Unify and purify the saints for Zion

1
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not; Ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain; ye fight and war; yet ye have not, because ye ask not .
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss , that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Principles of Succession
 Church is designed to be led by a President
 There is no common agreement on who this shall be
 We lack wisdom . . .
 Multiple opinions exist

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge”
Hosea 4:6
 We lack wisdom . . . “If any of you lack wisdom, let him [them] ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5)

Principles of Succession
 Examine the historical precedents
 Discover key elements
 Law of Lineage upheld
 Call of God by revelation
 Call through previous president
 Call upheld by Common Consent
 Ordained by the laying on of hands
 Chief example is Joseph Smith, III

First Missionary Tract of Reorganization





Concerning the Law of Succession, in the First
Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-
Saints.
And the Duty of the Saints and the Redemption of Zion.
“Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favor her, yea, the set time, is come.”— Psalms
102 —13.
“And Blessed are they who seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost.
— 1 Nephi 3:187
“And as your father’s were led at the first, even so shall the redemption of Zion be.”— Doc. and Cov., Sec.
100:3e

Principles of Succession
Joseph Smith III
 Called through lawful predecessor
 He was called by revelation
 Multiple blessings before father died
 J.W. Briggs revelation November 18, 1851


Zenos Gurley testimony
Young Joseph’s testimony
 Agreement with the Law of Lineage
 Received by the voice of the people
 Lawfully ordained

 Father designated and blessed Young
Joseph at least four times before death
1.
Liberty Jail 1838
2.
Brick Store in Nauvoo probably January
1844
3.
Public meeting in Nauvoo near Temple
3000 people present
4.
Mansion House in Nauvoo, June 24, 1844
[ Joseph, Jr. and Hyrum were killed June 27 ]

I lay my hand upon your head to bless you Your name is after the name of your father. You are Joseph the third
You shall live long upon the earth And after you are grown you shall [have] wisdom knowledge and understanding
And shall search into the mysteries of the Kingdom of God
Your heart shall be open to all men And your hand shall be open to relieve the wants of the poor. You shall be admired by all who behold you You shall be an honor to your Father and Mother —And a comfort to your mother you shall have power to carry out all that your Father shall leave undone when you become of age And you shall have power to wield the Sword of Laban. ( Italics added ) by Joseph Smith, Sr., December 1836, Launius, Roger, Joseph Smith III, Pragmatic Prophet , pg 7.

Principles of Succession
 While pondering in my heart the situation of the church, on the 18th day of November 1851,

“ and in mine own due time will I call upon the seed of Joseph Smith, and will bring one forth, and he shall be mighty and strong, and he shall preside over the high priesthood of my church ; …
 The Messenger , edited by Jason W. Briggs, pg.
21, published in 1876, 25 years after revelation was given. Also C.H., Vol. 3, pages 200-201.

Principles of Succession
 At a Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day-Saints, held at Beloit, Wis., on the
12th and 13th of June A. D. 1852, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted.
 1st. Resolved , That this Conference, regard the pretensions of Brigham Young, James J. Strang,
James Collon Brewster, and William Smith and
Joseph Wood’s joint claims to the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, as an assumption of power, in violation of the law of God; and consequently we disclaim all connection and fellowship with them.

Principles of Succession
 2nd. Resolved , That the successor of Joseph Smith,
Junior, as the Presiding High Priest in the Melchisedec
Priesthood, must of necessity be of the seed of Joseph
Smith, Jun., in fulfillment of the law and promises of
God.
 3rd. Resolved , That as the office of First President of the Church grows out of the authority of the Presiding
High Priest in the high priesthood, no person can legally lay claim to the office of First President of the Church, without a previous ordination to the presidency of the high priesthood.

Eighteenth Annual Conference of Reorganization:
Amboy, IL, April 6-9, 1860
 Joseph Smith III chosen as prophet, seer, and revelator of the church of Jesus Christ and the successor of his father on motion by Isaac Sheen. CH 3:247-253



April 6, 1860
Ordained under the hands of Z. H. Gurley, Sen.,
Samuel Powers, W. W. Blair, apostles, and William
Marks, high priest.
Church of that day consisted of 8 branches; 179 members, 25 or 30 priesthood members
 Eighteenth Annual Conference of the Reorganization
 Amboy, IL, April 6-9, 1860

Principles of Succession
Frederick M. Smith
 Called by lawful predecessor
 Called by revelation
 Section 127:8
 Agreement with the Law of Lineage
 Received by the voice of the people
 Lawfully ordained

Principles of Succession
Israel A. Smith
 Called by lawful predecessor
 Confirmed by Presiding Patriarch
 Called by revelation
 Word of mouth from F. M. Smith
 Through Patriarch
 Agreement with Law of Lineage
 Received by the voice of the people
 Lawfully ordained

Principles of Succession
W. Wallace Smith







Principles of Succession
Wallace B. Smith







Principles of Succession
 God can choose anyone He pleases.
 God honors the covenant; faithfulness.
 We must remain humble, repentant.
 Covenant promises may be lost when we are not faithful or obedient.
 I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise. (Section 81:3b)

Principles of Succession
 Many questions about the next Prophet/President
 Must he be a seed of Joseph Smith? (C.H. 3:200, 201,
347; GCR #2, #3, #23 – June 12, 1852, April 7,1855)
 Can Wallace B. Smith repent and name a successor?
(D&C 27:2d; 34:4f; 43:1-2; 127:8)
 Will it be a man like Moses? (D&C 100:3d; 104:42)

 Will it be one mighty and strong? (C.H. 1:260)
 One mighty among them, a descendant of Joseph?
(2 Nephi 44-50) A choice seer? (2 Nephi 2:6-30)
 Will it be Jesus Christ?
We have not come to prove one of these correct and the others wrong, but ask God for wisdom .
62