Show LIFE OF JOSEPH SMITH kirtland ki march h this thia afternoon the twelve met in in council and had a time of general confession on reviewing our past course coarse we are 8 satisfied atis fied and feel to confess also that w we e have not realized the importance of our calling to that degree that we ought we have bee beit light minded and vain and in many things done don wrong wrong for all these things we have asked the forgiveness of our heave heavenly idy father and wherein we have grieved or wounded the fT feelings elings of the Pre presidency y we wa ask their forgiveness gi veness the time when we are about to separate is near and when we shall m meet eat again sin god only knows we therefore feel to as ask it of him whom we have acknowledged to be our prophet and seer that he enquire of god for us and obtain a revelation if consistent that we may look upon it when we are separated that our hearts heart may mav be comforted durworth aar worth iness hat has 3 not inspired us to make this request but our unworthiness ineas we have hare unit eily asked god our oar heavenly father to grant unto us his seer a revelation of his mind and will concerning our duty the coming coming season even a i great revelation that will enlarge our oar hearts comfort us in adversity and brighten our hopes amidst the powers of darkness orson hyde wm win E mcfellin Mc Me Lellin clerks to president joseph smith jr kirtland ohio in compliance with the above request I 1 enquired of the lord and received for answer the I 1 I 1 following ollowa REg revelation ON priesthood 1 there are in the church two priest pr i esth hoods 00 ds namely the Melchi sedek and the including in the priesthood why the first is is called the Melchi sedek priesthood is ia because edek was such a great at high hi h t priest before I 1 his day dav it was called callear the tt hof holy priesthood I 1 after the order of the son of god bat out of I 1 respect or reverence to the name of the supreme being to avoid the too fre frequent repetition of his name they the church in ancient days called that priesthood after Melchi Malchi sedek or the Melchi sedek priesthood 2 all other authorities or offices in the i conteh aio zu dpn gen to tg thin thia minnit but bat there are two divisions or grand heads one is the Melchi edek sedek priesthood and tile the other is the or priesthood 1 3 the office of an elder comes under the priesthood of Melchi sedek the Melchi sedek priesthood holds the right of presidency and has power and authority over all the offices in the church in all a gee ages of the world to administer in spiritual things r 4 the presidency of the high priesthood after the order of Melchi sedek have a right to officiate in all the offices in the church charel 15 5 high priebus rs after the order of the mel chi sedek priesthood have a to officiate in their own standing under th the e nt direction of the presidency in administering spiritual things and also in the office of I 1 in an elder priest of le the order teacher deacon and member 6 an elder has a right to officiate in ia hia stead when the high priest is not present 7 the high hi 9 h priest riest and elder are to administer in spiritual things agreeably to the covenants ants and commandments and ants of the church and I 1 have a right to officiate in all these offices L church when there are no higher author seat ant 8 B second priesthood is called the priest hoa aaron ron because it was conferred upon ad d his hia seed throughout all their goner gener ati why it is called the lesser priesthood is it is an appendage to the greater or or the sedek priest priesthood hoot and hai haa po power in in ring I 1 ag outward ordinances the bish io he ae presidency denoy of this priesthood and a i keys or authority or of the same no I 1 has a legal ri right to this office to hold the ajo a of this priesthood iest except he be a literal descendant 0 of aaron but t as a high priest of the Melchi edek sedek priest priesthood has authority to officiate in all the lesser iowa offices he may officiate of I 1 in ox the office of bishop where no literal descendant of aaron can be found provided he is called t d and set get apart and ordained unto onto this power by the hands of the presidency of the mel ohi chi sedek priesthood 9 the power and authority of the higher or Melchi sedek ik priesthood is to hold the keys afi of all the spiritual blessings of the church to have the privilege of receiving the mysteries mysteries of the kingdom of I 1 heaven to have the heavens eavens opened unto them to commune with the general assembly and church of the first born and t to enjoy the communion and presence of god the father and aad jesus the mediator of the new covenant 10 the power and authority of the lesser or aatonio priesthood is to hold the keys of the ministering of angels and to administer in outward ordinances the letter of the gospel the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins ins agreeably to the covenants and commandments ants 11 I 1 1 of necessity there are presidents or presiding officers growing out of of or appointed ted of or bvm among to the several offices in these two priest hoods of the Melchi sedek priesthood three presiding high priests chosen by the body appointed and ordained to that office and upheld by the enoe faith and prayer of the church form a quorum of the presiding presidency deng of the church the twelve traveling counsel counsellors coun ors are called to be the twelve apostles or special witnesses of the name of christ in all the world thus differing from other officers in the church in the duties of their calling and they form a quorum equal in authority and power to the three presidents previously mentioned the savant seventy are also called to preach the gospel and to L be especial witnesses unto the gentiles in all the world thus di differing fering from other officers in the church iq in the duties of their calling and they form a quorum chorum equal in authority to that of the twelve especial eap ecial witnesses or apostles just named and every decision made by either of these quorums qu must be by the unanimous voice of the same that is evory member in each quorum must be agreed to its decisions in order to make their decisions of the same power or validity one with the other a majority may form a quorum when circumstances render it impossible to be otherwise unless this is the case their decisions are not entitled to the same alessino blessings a which the decision of a quorum of three pi presidents residents were anciently who were ordained after the order of Melchi sedek and were righteous and holy men the decisions of these quorums qu or elther either of them are to be made in all righteousness in holiness and lowliness of heart meekness and long suffering in faith in virtue and knowledge temperance pati patience encel godliness brotherly kindness and charity because the promise is if these things abound in them they shall not be unfruitful in the knowle knowledge doe of the lord and in case that any decision of these qu quorum 9 is is made in unrighteousness it way may be brought before a general assembly of the several quorums qu which constitute the spiritual authorities of the church otherwise there can be no a appeal al from their decision 12 th the twelve are a travelling tra velling presiding hd digh council to officiate in the na name ne of tho the Lor dunder under the direction of the presidency of the church agreeably to the institution of heaven eaven to build up the church and regulate all the affairs of the same in all nations first unto anto the gentiles i and secondly unto the jews 13 the th e seventy are to act in the name of the lord under the direction of the twelve or the traveling high council in building up the church and regulating all the a affairs of the same in all nations fi first unto the gentiles and then to the jews the twelve being sent out holding the keys to open the door by the proclamation la of the gospel of jesus christ and first unto anto the gentiles then unto the jews 14 the standing hish council at the stakes of zion form a quorum equal in authority in the affairs of the church in all their decisions to the quorum of the presidency or to the traveling high council 15 the high council in zion forms a quorum equal in authority in the affairs of the church in all their decisions to the councils of the twelve at the stakes of zion 16 it is s the duty of the traveling high council to call upon the seventy when they need assistance to fill the several calls for preaching and administering the gospel instead of any others 17 it is the duty of the twelve in all large branches of the church to ordain evangelical ministers as they shall be designated unto them by revelation 18 the order of this priesthood was confirmed to be handed down from father to son and rightly belongs to the literal descendants of the chosen seed to whom the promises were made this order was instituted in the days of adam and came down by lineage in the following manner 19 from adam to seth who was ordained by adam at the age of 69 years and was blessed b by him three years previous to his adams Adi ims dea death ll 11 and received the promise of god bod by his bis father that his posterity should be the chosen of the lord and that they should be preserved onto tho wad ona of tho avob av tb ho he seth was a perfect man and his likeness was the likeness or image of his fathers father 8 insomuch that he seemed to be like unto auto his father in all tl things and could be distinguished from him only by his age g 20 enos was ordained at the awe age of years and four months b by y the hand ol 01 of adam 21 god called upon cainan cain an in in the wilderness in the fortieth year of his age and he met adam in journeying to the place shepola mah he was eighty seven years old when he received ad his ordia ordination eion 22 Mabala leel was years and seven days old when he was ordained by the hand of adam who also blessed him 23 jared was years old when he was ordained under the hand of adam who also blessed him 34 24 enoch was 25 vears years old when he was ordained under the hand hana of adam and ho he was 65 when adam blessed him and he saw the lord and he walked with him and was before his bis face continually and he walked with god years years making him years old when he was t translated rang 25 methuselah was years old when he was ordained under the hand of adam 26 lamech was 32 years old when he was oda ordained ined under ander the hand of seth 27 noah was 10 years old when he was ordained under the hand of methuselah 28 three years previous to the death of adam he called seth enos cainan jared enoch and methuselah who were all al h high wl h priests with the residue of his posterity 1 who were righteous into the valley of adam ondi abman and there bestowed upon them his I 1 I 1 last ast blessing and the lord appeared unto I 1 them and they rose up and blessed adam and I 1 allied him michael mehael the prince the archangel and the lord administered comfort unto adam and said unto him I 1 have set thee to be at the head a multitude of nations shall come of thee and thou art a prince over them forever 29 and adam stood up in the midst of the congregation and notwithstanding he was bowed down with age being full of the holy ghost predicted whatsoever should becal his posterity unto the latest generation these things 0 were all written in the book of enoch and are to be testified of in due time 30 it is the duty of the twelve also to ordain and set in or order er all the other officers of the church agreeably to the revelation which says 31 to the church of christ in the land of zion in addition to the church laws respecting church business verily I 1 say unto you says the lord of hosts there must mast needs be presiding elders to preside over those who are of the office of an elder and also priests to preside over ever those who are of the office of a priest est and also teachers to preside over those who are of the office of a teacher in like manner and also the deacons wherefore from deacon to teacher and from teacher to priest and from priest to elder severally as they are appointed according to the covenants and commandments of the church then comes the high priesthood which is the greatest of all wherefore it must needs be that one be appointed of the high high priesthood to preside over the priesthood and he shall be called president of the high priesthood of the church or in other words th the presiding high priest over the high priesthood of the church from the same comes the administering in of ordinances and blessings upon the c church arch by the laying on of the hands 32 wh wherefore tire office of a bishop is not equal unto it for the office of a bishop is in administering all temporal things nevertheless a bishop must be chosen from the high priesthood unless he is a literal descendant of aaron for unless he is a literal descendant of aaron he be cannot hold the keys of that priesthood nevertheless th eless a high priest that is after the order of Melchi sedek may be set apart unto the ministering terin of temporal things 11 having a knowledge of tj them e in by the spirit of truth and also to b be a a judge in israel to do the business of the church to sit in judgment upon transgressors upon testimony as it shall be 1 laid before him according din r to the laws by the assistance of his coun el lors whom he has chosen or will choose among the elders of the church this is the duty of a bishop who is not a literal descendant of aaron but has been ordained to the high priesthood after the order of Melchi sedek 33 thus shall he be a judge even a common judge among among the inhabitants of zion or in a stake of zio diun n or in any branch of the church where he shall be set apart unto this ministry until the borders of zion are enlarged and it becomes necessary to have other li bishops or judges in zion or elsewhere and inasmuch as there theme are other bishops appointed they shall act in the same office 34 but a literal descendant of aaron has a legal I 1 right to the presidency of this priesthood to the keys of this ministry to act in the office of bishop indo independently without except in a case where the president of the high priesthood after the order of is is tried to sit as a judge judg e in israel and th the decision 8 of either of these councils agreeably to the commandment which says 35 again verily I 1 say unto you the most important tant business of the church and the most difficult it cases of the church inasmuch as there is not satisfaction upon the decision of the bishop or judges it shall be handed over and carried up unto the council of the church before the presidency of the high priesthood and the presidency r e sa of the council of the high priesthood boo X shall hall have power to call other hill high priests even twelve to assist as counsellors coun and thus the presidency of the high priesthood and its counsellors coun 11 shall have power to decide upon testimony m ony according to the laws of the church and af after ter the dechai decision on it shall be had in remembrance no more before the lord for this is the highest council of the church of god and a final decision upon controversies in spiritual matters 36 there is not any person belonging to the church who is exempt from this council of the church 37 and inasmuch as a president of the hi high ar priesthood shall transgress he shall be had in remembrance before the common council of the church who shall be assisted by twelve coun of the high priesthood and their decision upon his head shall be an end of controversy conce concerning rnino 15 him thus none shall be exempted from the justice and the laws of god that all things may he done in order and in solemnity bea before 0 re him according to truth and righteousness 38 and a again ain veri verily 1 y I 1 say |