Scrap Book of Mormon Literature (Vol. 1 of 2) / Religious Tracts

by Unknown

II. LAW OF LINEAGE.

The second claim of the "Reorganization" is that the office of president of the church belongs to "young Joseph" by right of the law of lineage, that it is his by birthright.

To begin with, we will say that there are ONLY TWO offices in the church which descend by lineage from father to son—the office of Patriarch and the office of Bishop. It is evident that the Lord recognizes the family unit and makes provision for it in the priesthood, but to attempt to stretch the law to include all the offices of the Priesthood and thus create royal families is unjust and carries us back to the feudal state of the Dark Ages. Here in America, where so great an advance has been made in this line, one cannot but stand amazed at seeing men hunt about in crevices and nooks for some reason which will make the Lord an upholder of special privileges to the exclusion of equality in his work. Of the office of patriarch or evangelist, concerning which the misinterpretation arises (Reorganized Edition, sec. 125:3), we read the following:

"It is the duty of the Twelve, in all large branches of the church, to ordain evangelical ministers (i.e., Patriarchs), as they shall be designated unto them by revelation. The order of this Priesthood 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:—" (Doc. & Cov., sec. 107:39-41; Reorganized edition, sec. 104:17-18.)

These passages refer solely to the patriarchal or evangelical office, but our Reorganization friends would have you believe that they apply to the Presidency of the Church or the Melchisedek Priesthood. That a proper comparison may be made we quote from The Saints Herald, vol. 39, p. 337, the above passage with the words they insert in parentheses to bolster up their claims:

"The order (including offices) of this Priesthood 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 (not the Priesthood, but the offices therein) was instituted in the days of Adam, and came by lineage in the following manner:—From Adam to Seth" (Abel having been slain).

It can readily be observed that the Reorganization is not only guilty of misapplication of this passage, but also of perverting scripture by inserting words in a revelation of God to gain their stranded point. The revelation plainly states that the Patriarchal order of the priesthood was confirmed to be handed down from father to son, etc., and NOT THE OFFICES IN THE PRIESTHOOD, as asserted and assumed by the "Reorganization," and has nothing to do with the office of the President of the Church, which presidency according to Doctrine and Covenants, is chosen in the following manner: "Of the Melchisedek Priesthood, three Presiding High Priests, chosen by the body, appointed and ordained to that office, and upheld by the confidence, faith, and prayers of the Church, form a quorum of the Presidency of the Church." Secs. 107-122, Reorganized Edition, 104-111. The fact that the office of the Patriarch and the office of Bishop are the only ones named in the revelations which go by lineage from father to son, is reason enough to any fair minded person that the other offices (including President of the Church) do NOT so descend. If not, why does the Lord make this specification and name the two exceptions?

Again, they contend that the Prophet Joseph received by blessing from his father the birthright, and that "his blessing (the Prophet's) shall also be put upon the head of his posterity after him." (True Succession, p. 44.)

Therefore, they reason that "young Joseph" should be President of the Church. Let us see—the fact of the matter is: Hyrum Smith, the oldest living brother of the Prophet, obtained the birthright from his father. Joseph acknowledged that his brother Hyrum should receive the birthright, for "it was the right of patriarchal priesthood, even the evangelical priesthood, that was conferred upon the first born, and not the presidency of the church." Furthermore, in proof that Hyrum Smith received the birthright, we quote the following revelation:

"And again, verily I say unto you, Let my servant William be appointed, ordained, and anointed, as a counselor unto my servant Joseph, in the room of my servant Hyrum, that my servant Hyrum may take the office of Priesthood and Patriarch, which was appointed unto him by his father, by blessing and also BY RIGHT." (Doc. & Cov., sec. 124: 91; Reorganized edition, sec. 107:29.)

Furthermore, in Hyrum Smith's patriarchal blessing given by his father, we read: "I now ask my Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ to bless thee with the same blessings with which Jacob blessed his son Joseph," etc. In I Chronicles, chapter 5, we are told that Joseph (son of Jacob) received the birthright.

However, the fact that Hyrum Smith received the birthright from his father would in no wise make him president of the church; for the patriarchal priesthood and the presidency of the church are two different things, and further, the descendants of Joseph Smith and those of Hyrum Smith "stand before God, as do all other men, assured of honor or dishonor, exaltation or degradation, according to their individual works."

It is further claimed that the president of this organization was called to be president of the church by revelation in 1841, which reads as follows:

"And now I say unto you as pertaining to my boarding house which I have commanded you to build for the boarding of strangers, let it be built unto my name, and let my name be named upon it, and let my servant Joseph, and his house have place therein, from generation to generation; For this anointing have I put upon his head, that his blessing shall also be put upon the head of his posterity after him, And as I said unto Abraham concerning the kindreds of the earth, even so I say unto my servant Joseph, in thee and in thy seed shall the kindred of the earth be blessed." (Doc. & Cov., sec.125:56-59; Reorganized edition, sec. 107:18.)

It seems almost unnecessary for comment or explanation as to the meaning of this passage. The Lord gives commandment to build a house in which the Prophet and his family are to have a home, and his posterity after him from generation to generation. It was this anointing that the Lord put upon the Prophet's head, that he and his posterity should enjoy the blessing of a home in this house, known as the "Nauvoo House." An inheritance in this house is the subject of this passage, and not one word to indicate that the posterity of the Prophet should have the right to the Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

As a conclusion in respect to the law of lineage, we quote the following words of the Prophet Joseph Smith, which should silence all controversy on this subject:

"The Melchisedek Priesthood holds the right from Eternal God, and NOT BY DESCENT FROM FATHER AND MOTHER, and that Priesthood is eternal as God himself, having neither beginning of days or end of life." (Mil. Star, vol. 22, p. 55.)

Thinking, perhaps the Reorganization officials may question the authority of our quotation from the Millennial Star in 1860, we will verify the same by quoting the following passage from the inspired translation of "The Holy Scriptures" published by the Reorganized Church:

"For this Melchisedek was ordained a Priest after the order of the Son of God, which Order was without FATHER, without MOTHER, without DESCENT, having neither beginning of days or end of life. And ALL THOSE who are ordained unto this Priesthood are like unto the Son of God, abiding a Priest continually." (Heb. 7:3.)

There is only ONE way men receive the priesthood of God, and that is by the laying on of hands by one who had already the authority, therefore, "ALL THOSE who are ORDAINED UNTO this priesthood are made like unto the Son of God, abiding a priest continually." It thus becomes evident that even had the son of the Prophet been promised in the revelations that he should become President of the Church, he could not become such until he was ordained by one possessing the authority to ordain him.

Should we admit that he had the promise from his father of being president, would men who had joined one church after another and become divested of all authority, have priesthood enough to so ordain him? (See Corner-Stone tract.)