(g) "Joseph Smith was taken away dying a martyr, of which death he was conscious and made preparation before it occurred. He was not accused of the Lord of transgression and the gift that had been conferred upon him taken from him; nor was there a command given him to appoint another in his stead because he had been unworthy and the Lord proposed to depose him from his office. It was only in the event of the gift being taken from him that he was to so appoint another. This event did not occur. * * *
"If Joseph Smith had been adjudged unworthy to longer bear the "keys" and exercise the "gift," which had been conferred upon him, he was under obligation to declare it, at the command of God, and to designate who the Lord had ordained to act in his stead. The fact that no such declaration was made, is strong proof that no command came from God, and no one was so designated to act in his stead while he was still living. This proof is made stronger still by the declaration made by Joseph Smith just before his death: "I go as a lamb to the slaughter."
(h) "If Joseph Smith continued to abide in Christ, which all must admit that he did, in that case the gift conferred was to continue with him; not only in the present world, the life of the flesh, but the keys were to remain with him in the world to come. But that no harm could come to the Church, and the elders be put in possession of a key to the situation in case Joseph Smith should be taken, they were told that there was no one other than he appointed until he was taken, and that when this should occur the oracles should be given to the Church.
(k) "The command, 'Nevertheless through you shall the oracles be given unto the Church,' is equivalent to the saying, Until Joseph Smith be taken he shall continue to act in the office unto which he is called, and shall continue to exercise the gifts conferred upon him; but when he is taken, then the oracles and the power conferred in them are lodged with, or in the Church, to be exercised and observed in accordance with the revelations and commandments given to and accepted by the Church, from God through him, up to the time he should be taken."
The writer then quotes sec. 87, paragraph 5, Reorganite Doctrine and Covenants, and continues:
(n) "This commandment was given to Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams. The latter died before Joseph Smith did; and whatever may have been the rights of Sidney Rigdon at the death of Joseph Smith, he was not permitted to stand in Joseph's stead nor act as his successor. This confirms the thought that Joseph was to continue in the exercise of the gift conferred upon him, during his life, and was not to be compelled to appoint another in his stead." (My italics throughout.)
We concur.
[2.] Of this the "defense" says: "Our friend's idea is that 'the order of this priesthood;' refers to the office of evangelist in particular rather than to the Melchizedek priesthood in general, although the latter is under consideration not only on the page from which the quotation is taken, but also on the following page and on the two preceding."
It does refer to the priesthood of the evangelist, and only by a deliberate twisting of the Scriptures can it be made to apply to the Melchizedek Priesthood in general; it does not read that way. In the verses preceding the offices of the priesthood have been defined also the duties of the officers. The paragraphs immediately preceding speak of the High Councils.
Verse 38 declares that the traveling High Council shall call upon the Seventy when they need assistance, then verse 39 says it is the duty of the Twelve to ordain evangelical ministers. From and including verse 40 to 57, is parenthetical and is explanatory of the office of the Evangelist. Verse 58 continues: "It is the duty of the Twelve, also to ordain and set in order all other officers in the Church. Only by misconstruing the revelation can this be given the appearance of applying to the Melchizedek Priesthood.