2. That it is his right by appointment of his father.
3. That he was properly ordained by those holding the authority to preach and administer in the ordinances of the gospel.
We shall take these questions up and consider them and will refer to the passages in the Doctrine and Covenants that are used by these people, together with other passages that they do not use, and we will see just how much there is in them in support of their position.
We will first consider the statement that the Prophet was to choose his successor. The passages referred to in support of this are in the Doctrine and Covenants as follows: Sections 28:6-7, 35:18, and 43:2-5. These I shall read to you. I cannot stop now to explain the circumstances under which these revelations were given, and take it for granted that you will consider that matter for yourselves. The first of these was given to Oliver Cowdery and I read, beginning with the 4th verse:
"And if thou art led at any time by the Comforter, to speak or teach, or at all times by the way of commandment unto the Church, thou mayest do it. But thou shalt not write by way of commandment, but by wisdom; and thou shalt not command him who is at thy head, and at the head of the Church, for I have given him the keys of the mysteries, and the revelations which are sealed, until I shall appoint unto them another in his stead."
You see, the Lord was to appoint another.
The passage in section 35 is as follows:
"And I have sent forth the fulnesss of my Gospel by the hand of my servant Joseph; and in weakness have I blessed him, and I have given unto him the keys of the mystery of those things which have been sealed, even things which were from the foundation of the world, and the things which shall come from this time until the time of my coming, IF HE ABIDE IN ME, AND IF NOT, ANOTHER WILL I PLANT IN HIS STEAD. Wherefore, watch over him that his faith fail not, and it shall be given by the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, that knoweth all things."
The third passage is as follows, beginning with the first verse:
"O hearken, ye Elders of my Church, and give an ear to the word which I shall speak unto you; for behold verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye have received a commandment for a law unto my Church, through him whom I have appointed unto you, to receive commandments and revelations from my hand.
"And this ye shall know assuredly that there is none other appointed unto you to receive commandments and revelations until he be taken, if he abide in me. But verily, verily, I say unto you, that none else shall be appointed unto this gift except it be through him, FOR IF IT BE TAKEN FROM HIM, he shall not have power except to appoint another in his stead; and this shall be a law unto you, that ye receive not the teachings of any that shall come before you as revelations or commandments; and this I give unto you that you may not be deceived, that you may know they are not of me."