Friday, 12.—Spent the day in reading Hebrew, and attending to the duties of my family, and the duties of the Church.
Remarks of the Prophet on Those Unworthy of the Ministry.
I met in company with the several quorums in the school room in the temple, at evening, to take into consideration the subject of ordination. I made some remarks upon the subject of our meeting, which were as follows: Many are desiring to be ordained to the ministry, who are not called, consequently the Lord is displeased. Secondly, many already have been ordained, who ought not to hold official stations in the Church, because they dishonor themselves and the Church, and bring persecution swiftly upon us, in consequence of their zeal without knowledge. I requested the quorums to take some measures to regulate the same. I proposed some resolutions, and remarked to the brethren that the subject was now before them, and open for discussion.
The subject was discussed by Presidents Sidney Rigdon and Oliver Cowdery, and Elder Martin Harris, and others, and resolutions were drafted by my scribe (who served as clerk on the occasion), read, and rejected. It was then proposed that I should indite resolutions, which I did as follows:
The Prophet's Draft of Resolutions.
First. Resolved—That no one be ordained to any office in the Church in this stake of Zion, at Kirtland, without the unanimous voice of the several bodies that constitute this quorum, who are appointed to do Church business in the name of said Church, viz., the Presidency of the Church; the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb; the twelve High Councilors of Kirtland; the twelve High Councilors of Zion; the Bishop of Kirtland and his counselors; the Bishop of Zion and his counselors; and the seven presidents of Seventies; until otherwise ordered by said quorums.
Second. And further Resolved—That no one be ordained in the branches of said Church abroad, unless they are recommended by the voice of the respective branches of the Church to which they belong, to a general conference appointed by the heads of the Church, and from that conference receive their ordination. The foregoing resolutions were concurred in by the presidents of the Seventies.
Saturday, 13.—Spent the day in reading Hebrew.
At noon I prepared a horse and sleigh for Professor Seixas to go to Hudson and see his family.
Action of the Twelve on the Resolutions Governing Ordinations.
At one o'clock p. m. the council of the Twelve Apostles met in the house of the Lord, and after prayer and consultation upon the nature and expediency of the preceding resolutions offered in council on the 12th instant, it was unanimously agreed to offer the following amendment to the second resolution, (perfectly acquiescing in the first) viz.: That none be ordained to any office in the branches to which they belong; but to be recommended to a general conference appointed by those, or under the direction of those, who are designated in the book of Doctrine and Covenants, as having authority to ordain and set in order all the officers of the Church abroad, and from that conference receive their ordination.
Thomas B. Marsh, Chairman.
Orson Hyde,
Wm. E. M'Lellin, Clerks.
Sunday, 14.—Attended to the ordinance of baptism before meeting.
The Faith and Confidence of Seventy.