APOSTLES AND PROPHETS.
Another "objectionable feature" with some is the organization of the Church with apostles and prophets. They cannot deny that the ancient Church was organized in this manner with an inspired priesthood and led by men "having authority," being commissioned of Jesus Christ to administer in the ordinances of the Gospel; and they cannot dispute that unless so authorized their acts were not recognized by the Lord, nor did they receive the seal of the spirit. In fact, the very foundation of the Church was this organization. Paul says, "it is built on apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner-stone." He even calls Christ an "apostle," and others call Him a "prophet," showing that He did not "take this honor unto Himself," but was "ordained of God" to officiate and acted by Heavenly authority in all His ministry. "As the Father hath sent me, even so now send I you."
Were it not for the "darkness" which was predicted should cover the minds of the people in the last days, we would be inclined to marvel at the blindness of intelligent people to these things. That apostles and prophets should have been deemed requisite for the "work of the ministry" in the ancient Church, and yet be objects of Christian ridicule in the last days, is certainly very peculiar! As though worldly learning had by right taken the place of inspiration, and a college education legally assumed the throne of divine appointment. The nineteenth century is nothing if not inconsistent! And no age has been marked with more flagrant outrages upon common sense in religious theories and practice, than the one in which we criticise the Pharisaical Jews for rejecting the Savior, and the Catholics for assuming a power never delegated to them by the Ancient Church. For while these are denounced—the one for inconsistency and prejudice, the other for bigotry and usurpation, the modern "Pharisees"—professedly the followers of Christ, wag their heads at inspiration and apostleship, and "sit in high places" and occupy "the chief seats in the synagogues," assuming themselves to teach the people, without even presenting or possessing a semblance of authority for so doing. They scorn any descent of authority from the Romish priesthood as corrupt, hence lay no claim to a "chain of power" from the Ancient Church; and if they did, it would be a futile attempt, for the Romish Church, through which came even what semblance of authority they have, cut off long ago all her Protestant daughters from fellowship, and severed them from all rights and claims to the power she held.
Now, when the Latter-day Saints declare a new revelation of the apostleship, and the re-delegation to man of that sacred power of the Church, these "learned" gentlemen with collegiate prefixes and affixes, turn up their theological noses at the words "apostle" and "prophet," and deem the introduction of such inspired "non-essentials" as a sacrilegious innovation on the rights of the "modern school" of theology. Thus we find the world in the anomalous position of "Christians" fighting Christianity; professed believers of the Bible making war upon the Bible, religion, and in fact, on the Bible itself; believers in Christ discarding His doctrines, and parties placing their hope of salvation in an original form of faith, whose fundamental principles they ignore and despise! It is for the "faith once delivered to the Saints" we are called in question! And we may here say, because we believe in the correctness of the original organization of Christ's Church, that "investigation into our doctrines is impeded" (?). This is another of the "objectionable features," which keep, forsooth, the "intelligent" classes from examining our claims to public attention, and is deemed a barrier to their embracing the Gospel!