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Show I Smith was sixth F. President Gecrge Albert Smith. was first president. Continued from Page High in His appointment. 9 (Then the account says), (Voice from the stand: That is, Vox Dei, vox populi.) Yes, the voice of God was the voice of the people. Brtgham went right ahead, silently, to do the work of the Lord, and to feed His sheep, and take care of them like a faithful shepherd, leaving all vain aspirants to quarrel and contend about lineal descent, right, power, and authority. (Journal of Discourses, voi. 8, pp. That is what transpired the first time that the Council of the Twelve met to reorganize the First Presidency of the church. And in essence, thought content, and certainly in spirit, precisely the same thing occurred on the 30th day of December last Each member of the Council in turn, specifically and pointedly, expressed himself to the effect that now was the time to reorganize the First Presidency of the church; that there should not be further delay; that the effective and proper operation of this great organization that we have from the Lord needed this administrative arrangement. Each one In turn expressed himself that President Spencer W. Kimball was the man whom the Lord wanted to preside over the church; there was no question whatever about that. There was total and complete unity and harmony. this dispensation. These words ! now read were spoken by Elder Orson Hyde of the Council of the Twelve as he told of the first meeting: In the month of February, 1848, the Twelve Apostles met at Hyde Park, Pottawatamie County, Iowa, where a small branch of the church was We were in prayer and council, established communing together; and what took place on that occasion? Tht voice of God came from on high, and spake to the council. Every latent feeling was aroused, and every heart melted. What did it say unto us? Let my servant Bngham step forth and receive the full power of the presiding priesthood in my church and kingdom. This was the voice of the Almighty unto us at Council Bluffs, before I removed to what was called Kanesville. ... 233-234- .) by some that Brigham was appointed by the people, and ,ot by the voice of God. ! do not know that this testimony has often, if ever, been given to the masses of the people before; but I am one that was present, and there are others here that were also present on that occasion, and did hear and feel the It had been said voice from heaven, and we were filled with the power of God. This is my testimony; these are my declarations unto the Saints unto the members of the kingdom of God in the last days and to all people . . .Men, women, and children came running together where we were, and asked us what was the matter. They said that their houses shook, and the ground trembled, and that they did not know but that there was an earthquake. The prayer that was In the heart of every person present was: Lord, show unto thy servants whom thou hast chosen to be president of the church. We did not want to do anything other than what the Lord wanted done. We told them that there was nothing the matter not to be alarmed, the Lord was only whispering to us a little, and He was' probably not very far off We felt no 'Shaking of the earth or of the house, but were filled with the exceeding power and goodness of God. We knew and realized that we had the testimony of God within us. On the, sixth day of April following at our (I might say that on the coming sixth day of April at our annual conference well do precisely what they did here) held in the log Tabernacle at Kanesville. the propriety of choosing a man to preside over the church was investigated. In a very few minutes it was agreed to, and Brigham Young was chosen to fill that place without a dissenting voice, the people not knowing that there had been any revelation touching the matter. They ignorantly seconded the voice of the Lord from on annual-conferenc- e President Young is quoted as having said, following the death of the Prophet, I dont care who presides in the church. All I want to know is what the Lord thinks about it. The Lord made manifest His will on that day, and thats all we wanted to know for our day. And when we met for this most recent reorganization, the Lord made manifest His will to us. It was as though the voice of God had said to each one of us individually, and to all of us collectively: Let my servant, Spencer, step forth and receive the full power of the presiding priesthood in my church and kingdom. And so after there had been full expression and consideration, Elder Ezra Taft Benson, the next one in seniority to President Kimball, made the formal motion that the First Presidency of the church be reorganized; that President Spencer W. Kimball be sustained, or dained, and set apart as the president of the church; as the prophet, seer and revelator to the church; and as the trustee in trust. This motion was adopted unanimously. a speech of acceptance a very sweet, humble, appropriate expression. In the course of our meeting he had explained as he did at President Lees funeral, that no man had At this point, President Kimball made prayed more sincerely and devoutly, with more feeling and desire, for the life, vigor, health and continued spiritual and physical prosperity of President Lee than he had done. But President Kimball was willing to accept the will of the Lord and the mantle of leadership that had fallen upon him. At this point he chose his first counselor, President N. Eldon Tanner, who responded appropriately and sweetly; he Don chose President Marion G. Romney to be the second, who similarly responded. Following these appointments, Brother Benson was sustained as the president of the Council of toe Twelve. And then all those present placed their hands upon the head of President Kimball, and he was ordained and set apart, with President Benson being mouth, to serve as president of the church, and as the prophet, seer and revelator for this time and this season. Now President Lee has passed away. He was a great spiritual giant, a prince in Israel, someone to whom we looked with unbounded admiration, Few men have lived in our day who have had more direct contact with the Lord, who have felt the Spirit of Inspiration, and who have been able to convey the mind and will of the Lord to His people as well as President Lee has done. We had supposed, not knowing the providences of the Lord, that President Lee would be with us for a long time. But there are two things we should note in his call to go elsewhere. One is that the Lord has another wo-for him to do, and it is a greater and more extensive work than what he was presently assigned to do. The Lord, in His infinite wisdom and goodness, knows what ought to be done with His servants. The other thing to note is that when the Lord calls a new prophet He does it because He has a work and a labor and a mission for the new man to perform. I can suppose that when the Prophet Joseph Smith was taken from this life the Saints felt themselves In the dpths of despair. To think that a leader of such spiritual magnitude had been taken from them! Our revelation says, Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for toe salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it (D & C. 133:3.) We do not have language or capacity or ability to extol the greatness and toe glory of the ministry and mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith And yet when he was taken, the Lord had Bngham Young. Bngham Young stepped forth and wore the mante of leadership. With all respect and admiration, and every accoiade of praise resting upon the Prophet Joseph, still Brigham Young came forward and did things that then had to thj done in a better way than the Prophet Joseph himself could have done them. Now, no one can say too emphatically or too strongly or praise too highly the leadership of President Lee, but this is a forward-lookinchurch. We do not look backward. We do not do other than go forward and onward Our destiny is to proclaim the everlasting gospel into every ear. This church will roll on until the knowledge of God covers toe earth as the waters cover the sea And so we look to the future. g We now look to a new prophet who will wear the mantle of leadership and who will, with dignity and honor and inspiration, and with the of heaven, guidance for his time and his season done. The Lord's hand is in the work, and Spencer Kimball is the prophet of God, the mouthpiece of the Almighty for the time and the season tnat is appointed ahead. God grant that it may be extensive and long and that we may continue to get the inspiration and guidance that comes through His neMv appointed servant. do things that are appointed that no one else could have Now this is the pattern; this is the system. Succesin the Presidency happens In an orderly and systematized way, because the Lord has comerred upon the members of toe Council of the Twelve all of the keys and powers and authorities that have ever been hold in any dispensation or any age of the past. Every key is given to each apostle who is set apart a member of the Council of toe Twelve. But because keys are the riht of presidency, they Ue dormant, as it were, In each man unless and until he becomes the senior apostle and Is thus in a position of presidency to direct the labors sion Pres. Joseph fielding Smith was called at 93. and the work of all others. Therefore succession occurs, as it were, automatically. Now let me turn again to feel, as I read, tne spirit of that great prophet and toe message he gave: " We had had our endowments; we had had all the blessings sealed upon our heads that were ever given to the apostles or prophets on the face of the earth. On that occasion toe Prophet Joseph rose up and said to us: Brethren, I have desired to live to see this temple built. ! shall not live to see it, but you will. I have sealed upon your heads all the keys of the kingdom of God. I have sealed upon you every key, power, principle, that the God of heaven has revealed to me. Now no matter, where I may go or what I may do, the kingdom rests upon you. . . . But, he said, after having done this, ye apostles of toe Lamb of God, my brethren, upon your shoulders this kingdom rests; now you have got to round up your shoulders and bear off the kingdom. And he also made this very strange remark, If you do not do it you will be damned. When the Lord gave toe keys of the kingdom of God, the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood, of the apostleslup, and sealed them upon the head of Joseph Smith, he sealed them upon his head to stay here upon the earth until the coming of the Son of Man. Well might Brigham Young say, The keys of the kingdom of God are here. They were with him to the day of his death. PresThey then rested upon the head of another man ident John Taylor. He held those keys till the hour of his death. Then they fell by turn, or in the providence of God, upon Wilford Woodruff. say to the Latter-da- y the kingdom of God and lead toe people astray. (Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, pp. 4 ) And that conclusion of President Woodruff Is implicit In the eternal decree that the gospel is to roll forth, that the church is to remain, that this time there will never be apostasy, but that we are preparing a people for the second coming of the Son of Man. Let me read you the words that toe Lord said to Joshua when Moses was taken: There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all toe days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor orsake thee. Be strong and of good courage. (Joshua 1 ) Now, in effect, the Lord has said that to Spencer W. Kimball. And as the Lord was with President Harold B. Lee so he will be with his newly called servant that humble and sweet and gracious and wonderful man, President Spencer W. Kimball. The problem is not one of what happens where the church is concerned. The destiny of the church is guaranteed and assured The only problem that ever can anse is with individuals whether individuals will walk in the light and do the things that they must do to be in harmony with the church and to reap and inherit its blessings. I have attempted very simply and Informally to recite to you what took place, and to recount and set forth the principle that is involved. What I have said is true and accurate. It is proper and it is appropriate that these things should be known to us. Now I think every one of us needs to know in his heart of the truth and divinity of the woik, and have a testimony and assurance that wnat has gone forward is right, and is the mmd and will of the Lord. All of the Twelve have that. That is the beginning. It spreads forth from them to all Israel I bear testimony because the Holy Spirit of God has revealed it to my soul that President Spencer W Kimball Is the Lords anointed for toe time and season ahead. And because God is no respecter of persons, everyone in the church who will get on his knees and ask the Lord for guidance and direction will receive identically that same knowledge, that same assurance, and that same understanding. And those who have this assurance will have a foundation for continued righteousness and devotion and for that course of conduct which brings peace in this life and eternal life in toe world to come, which may Gcd grant for all of us. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Amen. 72-7- Wilford Woodruff, who spoke so eloquently and accurately on this, and let you I Pres. Spencer W. Kimball is present church leader. Saints, the keys of the kingdom of God are here. And they are going to stay here, too, until the coming of the Son of Man. Let all Israel understand that. They may not rest upon my head but a short time, but they will then rest on the head of another apostle and another after him, and so continue until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds of heaven to reward every man according to toe deeds done in the body. I say to all Israel at this day, I say to the whole world, that the God of Israel who organized this church and kingdom, never ordained any president or presidency to lead it astray. Hear it, ye Israel, no man who has ever breathed the breath of life can hold these keys of 5-- 6 |