Origin of the 'Reorganized' Church and the Question of Succession

by Joseph Fielding Smith

The Doctrines of Joseph Smith.

One of the charges made by the "Reorganized" Church against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is that when the Apostles assumed their place as the presiding quorum following the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, they departed from the pure Gospel as it was revealed in the Bible, Book of Mormon, and the revelations and teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and in the stead thereof introduced false doctrines that were never entertained by the Prophet and were foreign to the revelations given to the Church. This proves, they declare, the "apostasy" of the Church and its "rejection" and the few scattered members who refused to follow the leadership of the Apostles into forbidden paths, and to accept these "false doctrines" retained the Spirit of the Lord and were directed by Him to "re-organize" the "faithful" members into what was then called a "New Organization of the Church," the name subsequently having been changed to the "Re-organized" Church. They inform us—though it is most likely with some misgivings and doubts—that these "faithful" few who refused to follow after "false gods," or "bow the knee to Baal," still retained the Priesthood they had received from the "Original" Church and were "not rejected as individuals" although the "Church was rejected with its dead." Therefore, when these "faithful" souls tired of wandering around in the apostate organizations of James J. Strang, Sidney Rigdon, William Smith, Charles B. Thompson, and others, as sheep that knew not the Master's voice, and therefore followed strangers, receiving from these self-appointed leaders "ordinations" and honors, and after having testified that these false teachers were inspired of God and their organizations the work of the Lord—after all this, when they came together and formed the "New Organization" they were still the "faithful" who had not followed after "false gods" or "bowed the knee to Baal," and had retained power to "re-organize" the Church according to the original pattern, although the Prophet had not commissioned them.

In an address to these scattered "faithful" written shortly after the "New Organization of the Church" was formed, the declaration was made "that we believe that the Church of Christ organized on the 6th day of April, A. D. 1830, exists as on that day, wherever six or more Saints are organized to the pattern in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants." And, of course, they are the Saints "organized according to the pattern"—if their word can be taken for the fact.

The president of their church states it this way: "The individuals who kept this covenant (the new and everlasting covenant of the Gospel) were accepted of Him and were not rejected, nor their standing before God put in jeopardy by the departure of others from the faith. Whatever office in the priesthood each held, under the ordinations ordered by the call of God and vote of the Church, would remain valid. They could as elders, priests, teachers, etc., pursue the duties of warning, expounding, and inviting all to come to Christ, and by command of God, could build up the Church from any single branch, which, like themselves, had not bowed the knee to Baal, or departed from the faith of the Church as founded in the standard works of the body at the death of Joseph and Hyrum Smith."—(Saints' Herald, Feb. 17, 1904).

In their attempt to prove that the Apostles led the Church astray and introduced false doctrines, they have one standard by which the Church and the Apostles are measured; but in proving that they are the "faithful who have kept the new and everlasting covenant" and have remained in harmony with "the pattern" their standard of measurement is quite another thing. The Church is to be judged by all the unauthorized sayings and doings of any or all of its members or ministers. Their church is to be judged "by its authorized doctrines and deeds, and not by the unauthorized sayings or doings of some or many of its members or ministers." (See Blood Atonement and Origin of Plural Marriage, page 44).

They even go so far in their own defense as to reject the teachings and revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith, wherein they are in conflict with their expressed views and have not been received by them by vote of their church as doctrine; but they deny to us the privilege of being tried by our "authorized doctrines and deeds," and would force upon us, as a body, teachings of any member of the Church wherein they think they could make a point to their advantage; and this they have done in the courts of the land. We grant unto them the right to be tried by that rule laid down by the president of their organization, and claim the right to be tried by the same kind of standard. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not responsible for the sayings or doings of any individual in conflict with that which has been received as a standard by which the Church is to be governed. We are to be judged by our authorized doctrines and deeds not by the whims or notions of men. But the ministers of the "Reorganization" have not been willing from the beginning to permit us to stand on this platform, but insist that we stand on the platform they have prepared for us.

The Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, including the Articles of Faith, have been received by the vote of the Church in general conference assembled as the standard works of the Church. On this platform we stand. The Church is not responsible for the remarks made by any Elder or for the numerous books that have been written. The authors of the words or books must be responsible for their own utterances. It is not to be supposed from this that all that has been written outside of the standard works of the Church is discarded and rejected, for these things are profitable as helps in the government of the Church, and to promote faith in the members. The point is this, if in these books mistakes are found, "they are the mistakes of men," and the Church as an organization is not to be held accountable for them, but for that which is received from time to time by vote of the Church, as it comes through the President of the High Priesthood. When the Lord reveals his mind and will it is to be received, "whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same," but we are not to be judged by "unauthorized sayings or deeds."

The ministers of the "Reorganization" tell us that the Church has departed from the teachings received from 1830-1844 in many principles of vital importance, viz., the Godhead, marriage, the atonement, the location of Zion, Temple building and the ceremonies therein, and other things, in which they have strictly adhered to the original faith. We will take these subjects up one by one and see which organization it is that is following the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the doctrines of "the Original Church." First as to the Godhead.