Of the deceased Prophet, President Young said: "You did not know whom you had amongst you. Joseph so loved this people that he gave his life for them. Hyrum loved his brother and this people unto death. Joseph and Hyrum have given their lives for the Church. Very few knew Joseph's character, who loved you unto death. He has now sealed his testimony with his blood. If the Twelve had been here, they would not have seen him given up. He should not have been given up. He was in your midst and you did not know him. He has been taken away, for the people are not worthy of him. I do not know whether my enemies will kill me or not. I would wish to be with the man I love."
The patriarch of the Church had been taken away and the office therefore left vacant. Of this matter President Young said: "We shall have a patriarch, and the right to this office is in the family of Joseph Smith. It belongs to some of his relations. Here is Uncle John. He has been ordained a patriarch. Brother Samuel would have received it, but he also has been taken away. The right is in Uncle John or in one of his brothers." The matter of selecting a patriarch was left to the Twelve for future action and for the purpose of learning the will of the Lord concerning it. At that time the Patriarch Hyrum's son, John, who now fills the office was only ten years of age. Uncle John, brother to Joseph's father, was finally chosen to fill the place which he did with honor and satisfaction during the rest of his life.
Since that memorable conference all therein said by President Young and his associates is confirmed by the position taken with respect to the authority or the leadership in the Church. Notwithstanding the predictions of a migration by the Saints to the valleys of the Rocky Mountains, the leaders adhered strictly to the divine command, admonishing them to complete the Temple. By the conscientious regard for the word of God which was manifested to them from day to day they accomplished the work at hand and trusted their future movements to the guidance of their Heavenly Father. They waited upon the Lord and were taught by Him the lessons of patience as well as the lessons of faith. The conference just closed was a notable landmark in the history of the Church. Its decisions have been faithfully kept and the wisdom of those decisions, time has justified.
CHAPTER 22.
SECOND CALL TO GREAT BRITAIN, 1844.
The New Leadership.—Second Call to Great Britain.—Warning Against Leading Companies from Nauvoo.—Instructions To Finish the Temple and To Build up the City.—W. W. Visits Emma Smith and Others.—Parting Address to the Saints.
The mid-summer days of 1844 were full of uncertainties, wonderment, some misgivings, many jealousies, and considerable resistance to the newly established authority and leadership in the Church.
Joseph Smith was a wonderful man, a man with a marvelous career. The full force of his prophetic mission had not fallen upon those who were his contemporaries. A person's relationship with him in those days was no doubt a favored opportunity. His magnetism, individual force, and the personal qualities of his life impressed those with whom he was most intimately associated, those who had sincerely accepted his divine calling. It is not true, however, that the highest and best understanding of his prophetic mission could be had by personal contact. The highest and best testimony that ever came to men and women in the world respecting the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith came to them through the gift of the Holy Ghost. By that spirit men who never saw him, never felt the magnetism of his personality, were among the most devoted in their adherence to his teachings.