Meantime Joseph Smith who, according to his own autobiography, had failed as storekeeper, railroad contractor, in the study of law, in farming, and while keeping soul and body together by labor and from his fees as justice of the peace, was confronted with the question of his connection with his "father's work;" and in the winter of 1859, resolved to put himself in communication with the "reorganized church."[A]

[Footnote A: For the above acts see his autobiography in the Life of
Joseph, Josephite ed., pp. 743-773.]

He accordingly wrote to Mr. William Marks, informing him that he was "soon going to take his father's place at the head of the Mormon church," and requested him and others that he considered nearest him, to come to Nauvoo and confer with him.[A] Mr. Smith states as his reason for sending for Mr. Marks that he was president of the stake of Zion at Nauvoo at the death of Joseph, the prophet; that he had retained his faith in Mormonism as taught by Joseph and Hyrum; and hence his council would be valuable. Mr. Smith also announced his intention to his mother and step-father; the former approved his course, the latter took a speculative view of it and built fond schemes for obtaining wealth through the position to be taken by his step-son.

[Footnote A: William Marks, according to the statement of Joseph Smith in his autobiography, came in company with James J. Strang to Fulton City, where Emma Smith and her son Joseph lived during the winter of 1845-6, and had a brief interview with Joseph and his mother, promising to meet them again. Messrs. Marks and Strang held meetings in the neighborhood, but Mr. Smith says he did not see them again. It was claimed by Mr. Strang that he on this occasion ordained "young Joseph" to the same priesthood that his uncle Hyrum held, and it seems that he afterwards so reported to some of his followers. As late as June, 1891, Mr L. D. Hickey, a Strangite, wrote a tract entitled, "Who was the Successor of Joseph Smith?" in which the following occurs: "Nov. 6 1846, James J. Strang was commanded to go and anoint and ordain Joseph Smith, the son of the martyr, to the same priesthood his uncle Hyrum held. We have all the proof we want that James did obey God; and that left the son of Joseph as one of the Presidents of the church, and the Book of Rules says in case of the death of either of the First Presidents, the other shall preside until the vacancy is filled. This was the situation of the church at the dead of James [J. Strang]. So that by virtue of the ordination Joseph obtained under the hands of James and no other ordination, we [the Strangites] hold him the legal President of the Church from the death of James to this day."—(page 5.) Joseph Smith denies any such ordination having taken place unless it was done when he was unconscious and unknown to William Marks.—See Life of Joseph the Prophet, Josephite edition, p. 754.]

Soon after this, Mr. Marks, one Israel L. Rogers and William W. Blair, all interested in the "Reorganized church" movement, visited Mr. Smith at his mother's home in Nauvoo, and held an interview with them. It was finally decided that Mr. Smith and his mother should attend the ensuing April conference, called to assemble at Amboy, Lee county, Illinois, and the matter was to be laid before the church and a decision arrived at:

"For, said Elder Marks; we have had enough of man-made prophets, and we don't want any more of that sort. If God has called you, we want to know it. If he has, the Church is ready to sustain you; if not, we want nothing to do with you."[A]

[Footnote A: Life of Joseph the Prophet, Josephite edition p. 767.]

Messrs. Marks, Rogers and Blair, in 1860, seem not to have been so urgent as Messrs. Briggs and Gurley had been in 1856; the latter had commanded him to take the Presidency of the church, or refuse to do so at his peril; the former merely agreed to see about it, by presenting the matter to the church. Indeed for men who professed to have evidence that Mr. Smith had been called, blessed and anointed by Joseph the prophet to be the President of the church, and to possess the right to that position by virtue of lineage, the reply of Mr. Marks to Mr. Smith's proposition to take the Presidency of the Reorganized church seems unaccountably cold, and too much burdened with doubt and independence when addressing the only man who, on the theory of the "Reorganized church," could possibly succeed to the Presidency. Mr. Smith affects to have been made indignant at the urgency of Messrs. Briggs and Gurley, in 1856; the coldness and independence of Messrs. Marks, Rogers and Blair must have been a still greater source of annoyance.

Mr. Smith went to the conference at Amboy, and in the afternoon of the 6th of April, 1860, made a speech, at the conclusion of which it was moved that he be received as a prophet,—the successor of his father. The motion was carried by a unanimous vote, after which Mr. Gurley who, assisted by Mr. William Marks, presided at the conference, arose and said:

Brother Joseph, I present this Church to you in the name of Jesus
Christ!