Succession in the Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

by B. H. Roberts

First, I wish to say a few words regarding Priesthood. There is no mistake about the Priesthood of God Almighty. The God of heaven himself has created and redeemed this world by the power of that Priesthood; and no being that ever dwelt on this earth ever has been or ever will be able to do or perform any work pertaining to salvation unless it is by that eternal and everlasting Priesthood. And where that Priesthood of Almighty God is manifest, the power of that Priesthood is with the people, no matter what age or generation they have lived in. And I wish to say that there has been no generation, no dispensation, any greater than the one in which Joseph Smith was raised up. He laid the foundation of this great work, under God, and He established the Church upon the face of the whole earth, in fulfillment of revelation and prophecy, from Father Adam down to our day; and the Lord has made, and will make no mistake in regard to calling a people or giving them the Priesthood.

As I have said, Joseph Smith organized the Church. He lived but a short time with us—though longer than the Savior did after He entered the ministry. The Savior lived about three and a half years from the time He commenced His ministrations among the people until He was crucified. Joseph Smith lived some fourteen years, if I mistake not, after he organized this Church. He also was slain. But before he died, he organized the Church with Apostles, Patriarchs, Pastors, Teachers, and the whole government of the Church of God; and that Priesthood he organized or laid the foundations of remained with the people after his death, as Brother Roberts has said tonight. The Twelve Apostles stood next to the First Presidency of the Church; and I am a living witness myself to this work. I am a living witness to the testimony that he gave to the Twelve Apostles when all of us received our endowments under his hands. I remember the last speech that he ever gave us before his death. It was before we started upon our mission to the East. He stood upon his feet some three hours. The room was filled as with consuming fire, his face was as clear as amber, and he was clothed upon by the power of God. He laid before us our duty. He laid before us the fullness of this great work of God; and in his remarks to us he said: "I have had sealed upon my head every key, every power, every principle of life and salvation that God has ever given to any man who ever lived upon the face of the earth. And these principles and this Priesthood and power belong to this great and last dispensation which the God of Heaven has set His hand to establish in the earth." "Now," said he addressing the Twelve, "I have sealed upon your heads every key, every power, and every principle which the Lord has sealed upon my head." Continuing, he said, "I have lived so long—up to the present time—I have been in the midst of this people, and in the great work and labor of redemption. I have desired to live to see this Temple [at Nauvoo] built. But I shall never live to see it completed; but you will." Now, we didn't suppose but what he would live. We didn't comprehend what he meant. Neither did the Twelve in the days of the Savior comprehend what He meant when He said, "I am going away from you; if I go not the Comforter will not come unto you." And so we did not understand Joseph when he said he would not live to see that Temple completed; it was not given us to realize it at that time.

After addressing us in this manner he said: "I tell you the burden of this kingdom now rests upon your shoulders; you have got to bear it off in all the world, and if you don't do it you will be damned." That was pretty strong language, but it was full of meaning, it was full of significance. Joseph was trained in the Priesthood before he came to this planet. He understood the Priesthood perfectly before he came here. He understood its work and its lineage, so far as lineage applies to offices in the priesthood. He also understood that he was going away from this earth; but we did not know it until after he was put to death. I was in Boston with President Young the very hour he and his brother Hyrum were slain. And at that moment there was a power of darkness surrounded us, a feeling of heaviness that I never felt before. I had never seen President Young feel so bad in my life before as he did that hour.

Nearly all the quorum of the Twelve were on missions in the eastern States when the terrible tragedy at Carthage took place; and we did not hear of it for some time afterwards. We returned to Nauvoo. It has been repeated to you here tonight what was done in the conference in Nauvoo. I do not know whether there is anyone present here tonight but myself who was at that conference—there are but few living who were present on that occasion. Brigham stepped forth as a leader of Israel, as has been said here tonight by Brother Roberts, and Sidney Rigdon also tried to get the presidency; but when his name was put to a vote before the conference of the Latter-day Saints, and they were asked if they wanted him as their guardian, to guide them in the Celestial Kingdom, Brigham said: "All who do, raise your right hand," and I did not see a hand raised in his favor in that congregation.

Brigham then asked if they wanted the Twelve Apostles to step forth and magnify their calling and build up the Church and establish the Kingdom of God in all the earth. "All who do, raise your right hand," and almost every soul in that congregation voted; and when Brigham Young arose and commenced speaking, if I had not seen him with my own eyes, there is no one that could have convinced me that it was not Joseph Smith speaking. It was as the voice and face of Joseph Smith; as anyone can testify who was there and acquainted with these two men.

Several men have claimed authority to lead the Church, but the Prophet Joseph never conferred any such authority upon any of them. The keys of the Presidency after his death were held by the Twelve Apostles, and by them only, until the Council of the First Presidency was reorganized.

I name these things to show that the Lord has put his mark of approval upon the acts of the Apostles who followed the Prophet Joseph Smith in the establishment of this great work upon the earth; and the Priesthood will continue here and the work increase until Jesus Christ shall come in the clouds of heaven.

I wish here to ask a question. How has every man who has gone on his own authority and left the Church, and undertaken to build up a Church to himself, succeeded? How has he prospered? What has he done? Why, just as they did who tried to establish "Strangism," and "Rigdonism" and every other "ism" that has ever arisen? They have gone overboard. The power and influence of God have not been with them; the Priesthood has not been with them; the Lord has not called them to do the work they tried to do, and the result has been a failure—a complete failure every time.

On the other hand, how has He prospered and blessed those who have gone forth to the nations of the earth and declared the Gospel of Christ to the millions upon millions of their fellow men? Why, He has prospered and blessed them richly, and opened their way to success. Who are they who have gone forth to the nations of the earth and who have visited the islands of the sea, and have accomplished this great work of gathering, built cities and reclaimed the desert? Not those who tried to lead different factions from the Church, not those who were ambitious to lead the people of God; but it has been the Elders of Israel, those who have received the Priesthood from the hands of Joseph Smith and his followers, or through the authority which God gave them. Who are they who came here to these valleys of the mountains whose coming had been pointed out by the finger of God? Who are they who have built these Temples and erected edifices to the great Jehovah? Why, it is the same class of men that was true to Joseph, those who have been true to God and the covenants they made. Has God made any mistake? Read the revelations of the Almighty; they speak for themselves. The Lord has appointed this people to come to this land; this is a great work; we are living in a great dispensation—the dispensation of the last days. The Lord has not deceived any one in this matter; He will deceive no man in regard to this work. This people have traveled from place to place ever since the organization of this Church, until today they are settled here in the valleys of these mountains and have prospered and increased marvelously; and they will continue to grow and increase in strength and power until Christ comes upon the earth.

A man cannot leave this Church without the power of God leaves him. It has been the power of the Priesthood that made men great; and no man can handle it only according to the order of God. If they do they will fall, as has been stated in the revelations of God, read by Brother Roberts this evening. I want to say to the young men of Israel, go and do what is right; you need have no fears regarding the authority of this work. The Lord has called the weak things of this earth. He has called them from the plow, from the plane the workshop and the hammer—He has taken the illiterate men of the world and sent them forth to preach the Gospel to the inhabitants of the earth. Even the Lord Jesus Christ was born in a stable and cradled in a manger. He came forth and fulfilled the prophecies. His whole life was one of poverty and affliction. He was scorned and hated by the world of mankind. His Apostles were selected from among the poor and the humble of the earth. So it is with the men who have led the Church in these days. They have been called from various vocations. They have been men who were humble, and God has been with them. God has established His work, and He has sent ministers to the different nations of the earth.