| Greater Things > Chiasms > General Conference > Elder Faust: Keys Chiasm |
Elder James E. Faust
Oct. 2, 1994, General Conference
Never Rust
A Woe to those who contrive
B to hide their schemes from the Lord!
C They work in the dark, thinking,
C Who will see us?
B Who will know?
A What a contradiction you are!
--Isaiah 29:15,16 (Avraham Gileadi Translation)
See Newsletter #18 announcement for this post.
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Elder Faust's Entire Talk in Sequence
| Part I
. . A few month ago, |
|
. . A into the fascinating
. . . . B old city
. . . . B of Jerusalem [Matt. 23:37,38; D&C 112:25,26.]
. . . . . . C to look for the door [2 Ne. 9:41; JST-Mark
9:44-48;. . Isa. 66:24; 3 Ne. 14:22-23.]
. . . . . . C with the name of Hyde carved on it. [
. . . . B The enchanting smells of the open containers of spices
. . . . B and the sounds of men selling their wares
. . A were exhilarating. [Rev. 18:3; Ezk. 22:25-29; Matt. 23:28.]
. . . . A As we entered St. Savior's Monastery,
. . . . . . B-1 looking for the door,
. . . . . . B-2 we entered into old passageways
. . . . . . B-3 surrounded by stone walls.
. . . . . . B-4 We were told that some parts of the walls
. . . . . . B-5 went back to the time of the Crusaders.
. . . . . . . . C On one wall hung an assortment
. . . . . . . . . . D of ancient rusted keys.
. . . . . . . . . . . . E Some of these keys
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . F were huge.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G All
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . F were larger than
. . . . . . . . . . . . E the keys
. . . . . . . . . . D we use today.
. . . . . . . . C Many of them were very ornate.
. . . . . . B-1 Many of the doors
. . . . . . B-2 the keys were made to open
. . . . . . B-3 no longer exist,
. . . . . . B-4 or if they do, the keys and the locks
. . . . . . B-5 would be too rusty
. . . . A to open them.
. . a Today I speak
. . . . b of keys other than those of metal.
. . . . . . c The keys I speak of never rust.
. . . . . . . . d These are the keys of life
. . . . . . . . . . e and salvation in the kingdom of God.
. . a The Prophet Joseph Smith said,
. . . . b "I will give you a key
. . . . . . c that will never rust,
. . . . . . . . d if you will stay with the majority of the Twelve Apostles, and the records of the Church,
. . . . . . . . . . e you will never be led astray." (Quoted in Young Woman's Journal, Dec. 1906, p. 543.)
. . . . The Prophet also stated: "The Priesthood is everlasting.
. . . . a The Savior, Moses, and Elias,
. . . . . . b gave
. . . . . . . . c the keys to Peter,
James, and John, on the mount, when they were transfigured before
him." (TPJS, p. 158.)
. . . . a Peter, James, and John
. . . . . . b conferred
. . . . . . . . 1c the keys of the kingdom of God upon the Prophet
Joseph
. . . . . . . . 2c and ordained him to be an Apostle
. . . . . . . . 3c and a special witness of the name of the
Savior [See note 2]
. . . . . . . . 4c and to bear the keys of this ministry. (See
D&C 27:12-13.)
. . . . . . . . 5c Keys that pertain to the gathering of Israel,
. . . . . . . . 6c the dispensation of Abraham,
. . . . . . . . 7c and, indispensably, the keys of sealing
. . . . . . b were conferred upon the Prophet
. . . . a by Moses, Elias, and Elijah in
1836. (See D&C 110.)
. . . . . . a-1 Prior to the Martyrdom, no doubt with a
sense of foreboding, the Prophet Joseph prepared for his death.
. . . . . . a-2 President Joseph Fielding Smith states:
. . . . . . a-3 "The Prophet declared that he knew not why, but the Lord commanded
him to endow the Twelve with these keys and priesthood,
. . . . . . a-4 and after it was done,
. . . . . . a-5 he rejoiced very much,
. . . . . . a-6 saying in substance,
. . . . . . a-7 'Now, if they kill me, you have all the keys and all the
ordinances
. . . . . . . . b and you can confer them
. . . . . . . . . . c upon others,
. . . . . . . . . . . . d-1 and the powers of Satan
. . . . . . . . . . . . d-2 will not be able
. . . . . . . . . . . . d-3 to tear down
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . e . . the kingdom
. . . . . . . . . . . . d-1 as fast as you
. . . . . . . . . . . . d-2 will be able
. . . . . . . . . . . . d-3 to build it up,
. . . . . . . . . . c and upon your shoulders
. . . . . . . . b will the responsibility of leading this people rest.'"
(Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:259.)
. . . . . . a-1 After learning of the deaths of the Prophet Joseph
and the Patriarch Hyrum,
. . . . . . a-2 Wilford Woodruff reports his meeting with
Brigham Young,
. . . . . . a-3 who was then the President of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles, as follows:
. . . . . . a-4 "I met Brigham Young in the streets of Boston, he having just
returned, opposite to Sister Voce's house.
. . . . . . a-5 We reached out our hands, but neither of us was able to speak a word....
After we had done weeping we began to converse....
. . . . . . a-6 In the course of the conversation, he [Brigham Young] smote his
hand upon his thigh and said,
. . . . . . a-7 'Thank God, the keys of the kingdom are here.'" (Millennial
Star, 2 Sept. 1889, p. 546.)
. . . . . . D-1 . . a When Brigham Young returned to Nauvoo, Sidney
Rigdon, who had been a Counselor to Joseph Smith,
. . . . . . D-2 . . . . b challenged
. . . . . . D-3 . . . . . . the leadership of the Brigham Young and the Apostles.
. . . . . . D-4 . . . . . . c-1 Said Brigham Young to the Saints in meeting assembled,
"If the people want
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . c-2 President Rigdon to lead them
they may have him;
. . . . . . D-5 . . . . . . . . d-1 but I say unto you
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . d-2 that the Quorum
of the Twelve have the keys of the
kingdom of God
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . e in all the world."
. . . . . . D-6 . . . . . . d-1 He continued:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . d-2 "I know where the keys of the kingdom are, and where they will eternally
be.
. . . . . . D-7 . . . . c-1 You cannot call
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . c-2 a man to ba a prophet;
. . . . . . D-8 . . b you cannot take Elder Rigdon and place him above the Twelve;
. . . . . . . . . . a if so, he must be ordained by them." (History of the
Church, 7:233.)
. . . . . . . . . . . . a Brigham Young, as the President of the Quorum
of the Twelve,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . b subsequently became the President of the Church,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . c following
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . d the Prophet Joseph Smith.
. . . . . . . . . . . . a So it was
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . b with President Howard W. Hunter
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . c following
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . d the death of President Ezra Taft Benson.
. . . . . . D-1 As President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote:
. . . . . . D-2 "There is no mystery
. . . . . . D-3 about the choosing of the successor to the President
of the Church.
. . . . . . D-4 The Lord settled this a long time ago,
. . . . . . D-5 and the senior apostle automatically becomes the presiding officer of
the Church, and he is so sustained by the Council
of the Twelve
. . . . . . D-6 which becomes the presiding body of the Church
when there is no First Presidency.
. . . . . . D-7 The president is not elected,
. . . . . . D-8 but he has to be sustained both by his brethren of the Council and
by the members of the Church." (Doctrines of Salvation, 3:156.)
. . . . . . a On the fifth of June, 1994, the Quorum of the Twelve,
of which President Hunter was then President,
. . . . . . . . b-1 collectively
. . . . . . . . b-2 holding
. . . . . . . . b-3 all of the keys of the
kingdom, convened in the Salk Lake Temple.
. . . . . . . . . . c-1 President Howard W.
Hunter
. . . . . . . . . . c-2 was then ordained and set apart by the
Twelve,
. . . . . . . . . . c-3 with President Gordon B. Hinckley as voice for the Twelve.
. . . . . . . . . . c-1 President Hunter
. . . . . . . . . . c-2 thus became the President
. . . . . . . . . . c-3 and legal administrator of the Church,
. . . . . . . . b-1 and the only man
. . . . . . . . b-2 authorized to dispense, oversee, and exercise
. . . . . . . . b-3 all of the keys of the kingdom
of God on earth.
. . . . . . a He also became the successor to the keys held by Joseph Smith,
Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, Joseph F. Smith, Heber J.
Grant, George Albert Smith, David O. McKay, Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee, Spencer
W. Kimball, and Ezra Taft Benson.
. . . . a The keys given by the Savior
. . . . . . b to Peter, James, and John,
. . . . a and given by them
. . . . . . b to the Prophet Joseph,
have not rusted.
A-1 They will open all
spiritual doors of the dispensation of the fullness of times.
A-2 They are now exercised by
A-3 President Howard W. Hunter,
A-4 his Counselors in the First Presidency,
A-5 and the Quorum of the Twelve, who serve
under the direction of the First Presidency.
. . . . B How long will these keys last?
. . . . . . C-1 President Wilford
Woodruff stated:
. . . . . . C-2 "When the Lord gave the keys of the
kingdom of God,
. . . . . . C-2 the keys of the
Melchizedek Priesthood,
. . . . . . C-2 of the apostleship,
. . . . . . C-3 and sealed them upon the head of Joseph Smith, [note 3]
. . . . . . C-3 He sealed them upon his head
. . . . . . C-4 to stay here upon the
earth
. . . . . . C-5 until the coming of the Son of Man....
[See note 4]
. . . . . . C-6 They were with him
. . . . . . C-7 to the day of this death.
. . . . . . C-8 They then rested
. . . . . . C-9 upon the head of
another man....
. . . . . . C-10 He held those keys to the hour of his death.
. . . . . . C-11 They then fell by turn,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D or in the providence of God,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D upon Wilford Woodruff. [Journal Notes 50:33.]
. . . . . . C-1 "I say to the
Latter day Saints
. . . . . . C-2
. . . . . . C-3 are here,
. . . . . . C-4 and they are going to stay here, too,
. . . . . . C-5 until the coming of the Son of Man. [See note 4]
[Omission] Let all Israel understand that. [See note after "B" below.]
. . . . . . C-6 They may not rest upon my head
. . . . . . C-7 but a short time,
. . . . . . C-8 but they will then rest
. . . . . . C-9 on the head of another apostle,
. . . . . . C-10 and another after him,
. . . . . . C-11 and so continue
. . . . B until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds of heaven to reward every man according to the deeds done in the body.'" (Millennial Star, 2 Sept. 1889, p. 574.) [Note 4; Dan. 7:13,14; D&C 116:1; 3 Ne. 21:24-26; Rev. 20:12; JS-Hist. 1:69.]
A-1 There is only one head
of this church, [D&C 10:65-69 = Isa. 55:1,2 = Rev. 22:17 = 2 Ne.
26:25-28 = 9:45,50,51; Matt. 23:37; Ezek. 34:11,12.]
A-1 and he is the Lord Jesus Christ. [John
15:15.]
A-1 He is the head of all. [John 15:15; Prov. 27:17; D&C 84:63,77.]
A-2 Under him stands
A-3 President Howard W. Hunter, the man whom the Lord has selected to stand at the head of the Church, [See Isa. 66:1-15 & II Thes. 2 Parallel: #6,16,17; by Sterling D. Allan,
4/6/95]
A-4 with his Counselors in
the First Presidency
A-5 and the Quorum of
the Twelve.
A All other organizations in the Church
. . B are subordinate
. . . . C to those who have these keys.
. . . . . . D Why are these spiritual keys so important?
. . . . . . . . E-1 These spiritual keys hold "the right
. . . . . . . . E-2 to enjoy the blessing of communication with the heavens,
[Ezk. 34:2; Alma 32:5,10,12; 2 Ne. 8:12,23-25 = D&C 113:7-10;
See note 5a,b]
. . . . . . . . E-1 and the privilege and authority
. . . . . . . . E-2 to administer in the ordinances of the gospel of Jesus
Christ,
. . . . . . . . E-2 to preach the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion
for the remission of sins." (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed., p.
142.)
. . . . . . . . . . F-1 Keys of the ministering of angels are the right of
the Aaronic Priesthood. (See D&C 27:12-13.)
. . . . . . . . . . F-2 The higher Melchizedek Priesthood "holdeth the key of the mysteries
of the kingdom,
. . . . . . . . . . F-3 even the key of the knowledge of God."
(D&C 84:19.) [Luke 11:52; Matt. 23:13; Luke 1:77,79.]
. . . . . . . . . . . . G To be efficacious and valid, [Gileadi-Isaiah
32:6; 59:3,4.]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . H every act in the Church
. . . . . . . . . . . . G must be performed under the authority of the keys [Ezk. 34:10; JST-Matt. 23:55; Luke 1:74,75; D&C 10:67,68.]
. . . . . . . . . . F-1 at the appropriate time and place, [Msh. 18:9; 3 Ne. 27:21; John 14:12; Alma 29:8; Moroni 7:29,30,36,37.]
. . . . . . . . . . F-2 and in the proper manner [1
Ne. 10:19; Alma 26:22; 12:9.]
. . . . . . . . . . F-3 and order. [John 17:3; Alma
13:2,3,11; D&C 77:11; Jer. 31:34.]
. . . . . . . . E-1 The authority and power to direct [D&C 121:36-41.]
. . . . . . . . E-2 all of the labors of the kingdom of God on earth
. . . . . . D constitute the keys of the priesthood.
. . . . C Those who possess them
. . B have the right to preside over and direct
A the affairs of the Church in their jurisdiction.
A-1 Why
A-2 is it so necessary
A-3 to follow
A-4 those who have the keys of the priesthood?
. . B-1 That principles has
guided this church and its people
. . B-2 . . since the beginning
. . B-3 . . and it is a principle of revelation.
. . . . C-1 Among the members of the Church
. . . . C-2 have been the living oracles of God,
. . . . C-3 who have held the keys to direct this holy work.
. . . . C-4 Without prophets, seers, and
revelators,
. . . . C-5 the Church and the kingdom of God cannot grow and prosper.
. . . . C-6 Valdesius, a citizen of Lyons, France, recognized the need for apostolic
direction in the year 1170.
. . . . C-7 A rich man, he abandoned his wealth so that he could live the simple life
of a follower of Christ's Apostles.
. . . . C-8 He worked primarily among the poor in and around Lyons
. . . . C-9 and had parts of the Bible translated into their
language.
. . . . C-10 He and his followers traveled two by two, teaching the simple truths of
the Bible.
. . . . C-11 Some crossed the high mountains of the Alps to live in
the Piedmont Valleys of Italy. (See Giorgio Tourn, The Waldensians: The First 800 Years,
trans. Camillo P. Merlino (Torino: Claudiana, 1980), pp. 3-4.)
. . . . C-12 This valiant band, who came to be known as Valdensians or Vaudois,
were viewed by their contemporaries as dangerous dissenters.
. . . . . . . . . . D-1 Over the
centuries, they were "burned at the stake, buried alive, stoned,... hanged, herded
into...disease-laden dungeons,
. . . . . . . . . . D-2 [and] pursued...over rocks and crags and icy mountains."
(Archibald F. Bennet, "The Vaudois Revisited," Improvement Era, Jan.
1948, p. 12.)
. . . . . . . . . . D-3 Yet they clung on tenaciously,
. . . . . . . . . . D-4 turning back
. . . . . . . . . . D-5 whole armies of tyrants,
. . . . . . . . . . D-6 to preserved their precious heritage of faith
. . . . . . . . . . D-7 in the early Apostles,
. . . . . . . . . . D-8 who held the keys
that never rust.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1
In 1655 their overlord, the Duke of Savoy, issued an edict that they were to renounce
or be massacred. [1 Ne. 22:17; 14:14; 2 Ne. 31:17; Isa.
43:2.]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-2 The ensuing slaughter [Alma 26:25; Rev. 14:13; 16:5; John 16:2,3]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-1
at last awakened the conscience of some of their neighbors,
one of whom was John Milton, the great English poet.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-2 Repulsed
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-3 by this evil deed,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-4 he penned
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-5 his sonnet "On the Late
Massacre in Piedmont":
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-6 Avenge, O Lord, thy slaughtered saints,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-7 whose bones Lie scatter'd
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-8 on the Alpine mountains cold. (Ibid.)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-1 In 1850, Elder Lorenzo Snow of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ascended a very high mountain near
LaTour to visit the Vaudois of the Piedmont.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-2 He and his two companions stood on a bold
projecting rock where he proclaimed to them that Joseph Smith has seen the
Father and the Son and had restored the gospel in its fullness and completeness.
[See note 6]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-1 He testified that the keys of the
holy Apostleship had been restored.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-2 He further testified that there were indeed living Apostles and prophets upon the earth.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-1 Many
believed his startling message and joined the Church. [Alma 24:24-27.]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-2 Moved
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-3 by his experience with the
Vaudois living in the Alpine mountain valleys,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-4 President Snow cited
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-5 the stirring words:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-6 For the strength of the hills we bless thee, Our
God, our father's God:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-7 Thou hast made thy children mighty
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-8 By the touch of the mountain sod (Hymns, 1985, no. 35. Original text
was a poem by Felicia D. Hemans, entitled "Hymn of the Vaudois Mountaineers in Times
of Persecution.")
. . . . . . . . . . . . E-1 John Daniel Malan
was the first of the Vaudois to be baptized on October 27, 1950, [Note 8]
. . . . . . . . . . . . E-2 followed by the families of the Cardons,
Stalles, Beuses, Pons, Malans, Gaudins, Chatelains, and many others.
. . . . . . . . . . D-1 Some were in the first
handcart companies
. . . . . . . . . . D-2 to come to the Salt Lake Valley in the early 1950s.
. . . . . . . . . . D-3 These families intermarried into other well-known
families in the western United States, including the Larsons, Maughans, Crocketts, Miners,
Budges, Thatchers, Steeds, and Parkinsons. (Archigbald F. Bennet, "The Vaudois of the
Alpine Valleys in Their Contribution to Utah and Latter-day Saint History.")
. . . . . . . . . . D-4 Drawing from their roots in the Vaudois mountain
sod,
. . . . . . . . . . D-5 many of their descendants tended the vineyards of the newly
restored Church and today are making singular contributions to the worldwide
Church,
. . . . . . . . . . D-6 believing, as did their forebears,
. . . . . . . . . . D-7 that Apostles
. . . . . . . . . . D-8 hold the keys
that never rust. [JST-Matt. 23:15.]
. . . . . . C-1 I strongly counsel all who have membership in this church
. . . . . . C-2 to follow the teachings and counsel
. . . . . . C-3 of those who now have the
keys
. . . . . . C-4 as prophets, seers, and
revelators.
. . . . . . C-5 They are the ones who will inspire us to deal with the
vicissitudes of our time.
. . . . . . C-6 I plead with all not to try
. . . . . . C-7 to selectively invoke
. . . . . . C-8 gospel principles
. . . . . . C-9 or scripture
. . . . . . C-10 to wrongly justify spiritual disobedience,
. . . . . . C-11 or to separate themselves from the responsibilities
of covenants and ordinances
. . . . . . C-12 contrary to the counsel of those who have the prophetic
voice in the Church. [Matt. 23:29-36 JST-Mark 9:44-48 = Isa. 66:24; John
15:7; 2 Ne. 8:7-16; D&C 113:7-10; 133:66-73; 2 Cor. 10:4,5.]
. . B-1 The scriptures and doctrines of
the Church are not,
. . B-2 . . as Peter warned,
. . B-3 . . "of any private interpretation." (2 Pet. 1:20.) [JST 2 Pet. 1:20,21; 1 Cor. 2:10,15.]
A-1 Great temporal and spiritual
strength
A-2 flows from
A-3 following
A-4 those who have the keys of the kingdom of God in our time.
A-1 Personal strength and power
A-2 result from
A-3 obedience to eternal principles
A-4 taught by the living legates of the Lord.
A-1 May the Spirit of God
A-2 rest upon us
A-3 as we follow
A-4 the living oracles. [See note 7]
. . A As we conclude this historic conference,
. . . . B-1 I am
pleased to testify to
the world of a very significant matter.
. . . . B-2 As a special witness
. . . . B-3 of the
Lord Jesus Christ,
. . . . . . C I verify that among those who hold the keys
. . . . . . . . D of the kingdom of God on earth, [See
note 8]
. . . . . . . . . . E there is complete
unity
. . . . . . . . . . . . F and love and respect for each other.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-1 We totally sustain and uphold [D&C
20:65; 26:2; .]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-2 President Howard W. Hunter, President Gordon B. Hinckley,
and President Thomas S. Monson as the First
Presidency.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H-1 This feeling
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H-2 of complete unity
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H-3 and support of the First Presidency was expressed last Thursday in
the Salt Lake Temple
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H-4 in a proclamation by President Byod K. Packer on behalf of
the Twelve.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I This was joined in by President Rex D. Pinegar,
representing the Seventies,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I and Bishop Merrill J. Bateman for the Presiding
Bishopric.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I All of the General Authorities [Rev. 2:2; D&C 64:37-40; 50:4-8; 112:25,26; 114:2.]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H-1 then voted
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H-2 to fully sustain
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H-3 the expressions
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H-4 of President Packer
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-1 of full support
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-2 for the
First Presidency
. . . . . . . . . . . . F and for each other.
. . . . . . . . . . E In this unity,
. . . . . . . . D the gates of hell
. . . . . . C will not prevail against us. [Isa. 28:18,19.]
. . . . B-1 I so
testify
. . . . B-2 and witness
. . . . B-3 in the
name of Jesus Christ,
. . A amen.
--end of talk--
Chiasm formatting by Sterling D. Allan; Tucson, Arizona; April 18 1995
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But the noble are of noble intent,
. . and stand up for what is virtuous
---Isaiah 32:8 (Avraham Gileadi Translation)
 | All text is quoted precisely as reported in the Ensign, Nov. 1994, pp.
72-74. See original text for complete footnotes -- most are abbreviated
here.
|
Note 1: When assembled at Orson Hyde's home, at Hyde Park, Iowa, the following manifestation came to the Quorum of the Twelve, approximately three and one half years after Joseph Smith's martyrdom:
. . "The 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 Brigham step forth and receive the full power of the presiding Priesthood in my Church and kingdom." (Journal of Discourses 8:234.)
Note 2: Oliver Cowdery charged the Apostles:
"Never cease striving until you have seen God face to face.... Your ordi-nation is not full and complete till God has laid his hand upon you. We require as much to qualify us as did those who have gone before us; God is the same." (History of the Church 2:195,196)
Note 3: Parley P. Pratt received the following revelation when grieving the death of Joseph Smith:
the keys of my kingdom in this dispensation, and he shall stand in due time on the earth, in the flesh, and fulfil that to which he is appointed...." (Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt.) [See also D&C 112:15; 103:21.] Joseph Smith taught that:. . "Lift up your head and rejoice, for behold! it is well with my servants Joseph and Hyrum. My servant Joseph still holds
Heber J. Grant conceded: "John Taylor gave but one revelation during his presidency: and his successors promulgated no new revelations." (Conf. Report, Apr. 1921, p. 220-1.) The closing statement of the April, 1995 Ensign article feature the new Presidency asserted: "The prayers and thoughts of members everywhere now go with President Hinckley and his counselors as they guide the affairs of the Church through the inspiration of the Lord Jesus Christ...." The Prophet Joseph Smith taught:"...The Ancient of Days (Adam)...will call his children together and hold a council with them to prepare them for the coming of the Son of Man. ...All that have had the keys must stand before him in this grand council." (TPJS, p. 157.)
. . . . "Moses sought to bring the children of Israel into the presence of God; through the power of the Priesthood, but he could not. In the first ages of the world they tried to establish the same thing; and there were Eliases raised up who tried to restore these very glories, but did not obtain them (Enoch did for himself and for those that were with Him, but not for the world. J.T.); but they prophesied of a day when this glory would be revealed." (TPJS, p. 159; and The Words of Joseph Smith, p. 10.)
Note 7: The Prophet Joseph Smith taught:
. . "What constitutes the kingdom of God? Where there is a prophet, a priest, or a righteous man unto whom God gives His oracles, there is the kingdom of God; and where the oracles of God are not, there the kingdom of God is not."
Joseph Smith stated:. . "...The plea of many in this day is, that we have not right to receive revelations; but if we do not get revelations, we do not have the oracles of God; and if they have not the oracles of God, they are not the people of God." (TPJS, p.271,2.)
keys of this Priesthood consisted in obtaining the voice of Jehovah that He talked with him [Noah] in a familiar and friendly manner, that He continued to him the keys, the covenants, the power and the glory, with which He blessed Adam at the beginning; and the offering of sacrifice, which also shall be continued at the last time; for all the ordinances and duties that ever have been required by the Priesthood, under the directions and commandments of the Almighty in any of the dispensations, shall all be had in the last dispensation, therefore all things had under the authority of the Priesthood at any former period, shall be had again, bringing to pass the restoration spoken of by the mouse of all the Holy Prophets; then shall the sons of Levi offer and acceptable offering to the Lord." (TPJS, p. 172.). . "Thus we behold the
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