Outlines of Ecclesiastical History

by B. H. Roberts

2. En route for their field of labor—the western part of the State of Missouri—the elders of the Lamanite mission stopped at Kirtland, in the north-eastern part of Ohio. Here they found a society of reformed Baptists, sometimes called Campbellites, after Alexander Campbell, the chief founder of the new sect. Their pastor was Sidney Rigdon. Elder Parley P. Pratt had formerly been a member of this sect, and he presented to his former co-religionists the Book of Mormon, and with his associates preached the fullness of the gospel to them, which, finally Mr. Rigdon and nearly all his congregation accepted.

3. The Lamanite mission continued its journey westward, and in mid-winter reached the city of Independence, in the western borders of Missouri. Crossing the frontier, several meetings were held with the Delaware Indians, which had the effect of arousing the jealousy of the sectarian missionaries among them. Such was their influence with the Indian agents that they succeeded in getting the elders banished from the territory. Returning to Independence, they sent one of their number, Parley P. Pratt, to report their labors to the prophet.

4. The First Commandment to Gather.—In December, 1830, the Lord gave a revelation^[[41]] to the church in New York, requiring the Saints in that state to move into Ohio by the time Oliver Cowdery returned from his mission to the Lamanites. This is the first direct commandment to the church to gather. During the winter of 1830-31, the Saints obeyed this commandment, the most of them settling in Kirtland. The Prophet Joseph and his family arrived there about the first of February, 1831. Before the coming of the New York Saints there was a church at Kirtland of about one hundred members, most of whom had been drawn from the Campbellite sect.

5. The First Bishops of the Church.—On the 4th of February, 1831, the Lord by revelation^[[42]] commanded that Edward Partridge should be "appointed by the voice of the church, and ordained a bishop." Edward Partridge was a merchant in Kirtland, of whom the prophet said: "He was a pattern of piety, and one of the Lord's great men, known by his steadfastness and patient endurance to the end;" and of whom the Lord said, in the revelation appointing him bishop—"His heart is pure before me, for he is like unto Nathaniel of old, in whom there is no guile." He was required to give up his business of merchant, and devote all his time in the labors of the church. He was not to be the only bishop in the church, however, as in the November following (1831), the Lord said: "There remaineth * * * other bishops to be set apart unto the church, to minister even according to the first."^[[43]] In December of that year, Newel K. Whitney was appointed a bishop over the church in Kirtland and vicinity [see note 2, end of section]; while Edward Partridge was bishop in Zion and the regions round about.

6. The Bishopric.—Although nothing is said in the revelation which appointed Edward Partridge bishop about the rights and powers of his office in the church, yet here, doubtless, will be the most proper place to speak of bishops in respect to their rights and authority.

I. The bishopric is the presidency of the Aaronic Priesthood;^[[44]] and since that Priesthood has most to do with administering the "outward ordinances, the letter of the gospel,"^[[45]] the bishops will find their chief employment in the temporal affairs of the church. Indeed the Lord plainly says: "The office of a bishop is in administering all temporal things."^[[46]] By ministering in temporal things we mean attending to the tithing, caring for the poor, and when the law of consecration shall be observed by the church, the bishops will receive the consecrations, settle people on their possessions, divide their inheritances unto them,^[[47]] keep the Lord's store-house, etc. [See note 3, end of section].

II. The bishops are also to be judges among the people, to sit in judgment on trangressors, to hear testimony and give decisions according to the laws of the kingdom which are given by the prophets of God.^[[48]] The bishop's court is the first court of record in the church; that is, a record is kept of the trial and preserved; whereas in any investigation of difficulties that may be had before the teachers or others, no record is kept. An appeal lies from the bishop's courts to the high council having jurisdiction. For want of a better expression we may say there are several kinds of bishops; first, the general presiding bishop of the church; second, traveling Bishops; third, local or ward bishops.^[[49]]

III. Presiding Bishop of the Church:—This bishop is the president of the Aaronic Priesthood throughout the church; he has a jurisdiction over all other bishops, priests, teachers and deacons; and a general supervision of the temporal affairs of the church, subject, of course, to the counsel of the presidency of the Melchisedek Priesthood. Of right this bishop should be the first-born among the sons of Aaron; "For the first-born holds the right of the presidency over this [the Aaronic] priesthood, and the keys or authority of the same. No man has a legal right to this office, to hold the keys of this priesthood, except he be a literal descendant and the first-born of Aaron."^[[50]] But before the first-born among the literal descendants of Aaron can legally officiate in this calling, he must first be designated by the first presidency of the Melchisedek priesthood; second, he must be found worthy of the position, and that includes his capacity to fill the office with ability, honor and dignity; third, he must be ordained under the hands of the first presidency of the Melchisedek Priesthood.^[[51]] But by virtue of the decree concerning the right of the priesthood descending from father to son, the first-born of the sons of Aaron may claim their anointing, if at any time they can prove their lineage or do ascertain it by revelation from the Lord under the hands of the First Presidency.^[[52]] A literal descendant of Aaron when appointed as above described may act without counselors, except in a case where a president of the High priesthood after the order of Melchisedek is tried. In that event he is to be assisted by "twelve counselors of the High priesthood."^[[53]] But when no literal descendant of Aaron can be found, as a high priest of the Melchisedek priesthood has authority to officiate in all the lesser offices, he may officiate in the office of bishop; provided he is called, set apart and ordained unto that power under the hands of the first presidency of the Melchisedek priesthood, and is assisted by two other high priests as counselors.^[[54]] This bishop, whether a descendant of Aaron or a high priest appointed to officiate in that calling, cannot be tried or condemned for any crime save before the first presidency of the church. If he be found guilty on testimony that cannot be impeached, he is to be condemned.^[[55]] These are the powers, prerogatives and privileges of the presiding bishop of the church.

IV. Traveling Bishops:—These are bishops appointed to preside as such over large districts of country in which there are a number of branches of the church, and among which they would be expected to travel, to set in order temporal affairs and preside over those holding the Aaronic priesthood. Newel K. Whitney when called to preside over the church at Kirtland and the regions round about was a traveling bishop, and best illustrates this order of bishops. Some eight or ten months after his ordination he was called upon by the Lord to travel among all the churches of the east, searching after the poor, to administer to their wants by humbling the rich and the proud.^[[56]] He was also sent to the cities of New York, Albany and Boston, to warn the inhabitants thereof of judgments to come and to preach the gospel.

V. Local or Ward Bishops:—By local bishops we mean those ordained and set apart to preside over a single ward or branch of the church; and whose jurisdiction is strictly limited to that ward or branch. Both traveling and local bishops must either be high priests or literal descendants of Aaron. If the latter, then from among the first-born of the sons of Aaron.^[[57]] In the event of their being descendants of Aaron, they would possess the same privileges in their sphere as the presiding bishop does in his; that is, they could act without counselors but must be found worthy men designated and ordained by the first presidency of the church, or by their direction. If high priests appointed to act in these bishoprics, then they must be designated and set apart by the same authority as literal descendants of Aaron, and assisted by two counselors who are also high priests. They would form the presidency over the Aaronic priesthood in the districts over which they preside, have an oversight of all the temporal concerns thereof, and in addition to that act as the common judge in that ward or district assigned to them.