THE QUORUM OF APOSTLES NOT THE PERMANENT PRESIDING QUORUM OF THE CHURCH—FIRST PRESIDENCY CHOSEN—A GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF QUORUMS—THE VOTING—VOX DEI ET VOX POPULI—DIGNITY OF PRESIDENCY—CHARACTER OF GOVERNMENT—ONE OF THE NOBLE ONES.

While it is a well established rule that the quorum of Twelve Apostles become the presiding quorum at the death or removal of the President of the Church, it is not in accordance with the order of the Priesthood that the Twelve should become the permanent presidency of the Church. The Lord has said^[1] that three Presiding High Priests, chosen by the body, appointed and ordained to that office, and upheld by the confidence, faith and prayer of the Church, form a quorum of the presidency of the Church. Therefore it must follow that the presidency of the Twelve Apostles over the Church can only be temporary. But as they stand next, and form a quorum equal in authority to the First Presidency, they have the power and of right preside when for any cause the First Presidency becomes disorganized.

For more than three years the quorum of Twelve Apostles had presided over the Church, from the death of President Young in August, 1877, to October, 1880. The Lord then inspired His servants to organize the First Presidency. For President there was but one choice—John Taylor. The spirit of revelation indicated that he was the man; and he received the unanimous vote of his fellow Apostles for that high office. He named George Q. Cannon as his first counselor, and Joseph F. Smith, the son of Hyrum Smith, for his second. These brethren were also unanimously sustained by their fellow Apostles. But it is not enough that they be sustained by that quorum alone. All the other quorums of the Priesthood have a voice in these important transactions, as also have all the members of the Church.

It was presenting this action of the Apostles for the approval of the various quorums of the Priesthood and the members of the Church, which constituted the leading feature of the Semi-Annual Conference of October, 1880.

Nothing can be more solemn and impressive than the voting of the quorums of the Priesthood, when they meet to act as a general assembly of quorums. The States-General of France, assembled in the Salle des Menus just before the French Revolution, in all the glory of raised platforms for Throne, Court and Blood-royal; with space for six hundred Commons Deputies in front; with three hundred clergy on the right of the throne and as many noblesse on the left; with lofty galleries filled with two thousand spectators, dames of honor, foreign deplomacies, "and other gilt-edge and white-frilled individuals," though constituting the most remarkable assembly the world ever saw, is not equal in imposing grandeur to the assembly and action of the quorums of the Priesthood.

On the present occasion the Apostles occupied the stand set apart for their use in the great Tabernacle, the second one in the tier of three. The space south of the stand was occupied by the Patriarchs, Presidents of Stakes and their Counselors, and the High Councils of the various Stakes. North of the stands the Bishops and their Counselors were seated, with Presiding Bishop Hunter and his Counselors in front. The High Priests occupied the north center of the body of the great hall, with their Presidents in front. The Seventies were seated in the south half of the body of the hall, with the First Seven Presidents in front. The space immediately back of the High Priests was reserved for the Elders, while the north side of the house, under the gallery was set apart for the quorums of the Lesser Priesthood, the Priests, Teachers and Deacons. The gallery, capable of seating three thousand people, was reserved for the use of the members of the Church.

Apostle Orson Pratt, with hair and full beard, made gloriously white by the frosts of sixty-nine winters, presented the several motions to be acted upon. The manner of voting was for the proposition to be presented to each quorum severally, except in the case of the Priests, Teachers and Deacons, who voted all together as the Lesser Priesthood; the members of each quorum rose to their feet as the question was presented and raised the right hand in token of assent, or, if any were opposed to the proposition, they could make it manifest in the same way after the affirmative vote had been taken.

The order in which the quorums voted was as follows:

First, the Twelve Apostles;

Second, the Patriarchs, Presidents of Stakes, their Counselors, and the High Councils;

Third, the High Priests;

Fourth, the Seventies;

Fifth, the Elders;

Sixth, the Bishops and their Counselors;

Seventh, the Lesser Priesthood.

After this the Presidents of the quorums voted on the question and it was then put to the entire assembly which arose en masse and voted in the same manner.

It was a remarkable scene. There was not a dissenting vote in all that vast assembly; and there were probably thirteen thousand people crowded into the great Tabernacle. Perfect unanimity prevailed; and as the several quorums registered their votes and the entire assembly arose and with uplifted hands sanctioned what they had done, the scene was indescribably grand and impressive, carrying with it a power and influence that can only come from a righteous people giving their unrestrained assent to that which God has appointed. It was an influence born of a union of vox dei et vox populi. It was a Spirit identical with that which in a larger degree pervades the councils of the Gods.

John Taylor was now invested with the highest office and honors which God gives to man on the earth. He was placed on a par with Melchisedek, Moses, Peter, Joseph and Brigham: for by the action of this conference he was made President of the High Priesthood, whose duty it is to preside over the whole Church, to be like Moses, a seer, a revelator, a translator, a prophet, having all the gifts of God which He bestows upon the head of the Church.^[2]

The Lord in describing the power and authority of the Higher or Melchisedek Priesthood, says: It holds the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the Church. It has the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; of having the heavens opened to it; the right to commune with the general assembly and church of the first born; and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant.^[3]

These are the privileges of the High Priesthood, and John Taylor was called to preside over it, with a right to all the gifts and powers associated therewith. What higher authority can man possess? What honor greater can be given him? True, in the ceremonies which invested him with these high dignities, there was no long drawn out pomp, no tapers, processions, chantings, or clouds of incense; no vestures red or white, gold-laced or furred; no sceptre or tiara; no peal of bells, no cannon's roar, no formal, solemn Te deum! Yet what office created by man—pontifical, princely, kingly—how graced so ever with the formal pomp and show in the bestowal of it, can equal that conferred on John Taylor, by the voice of God and the common consent of his brethren?

There is no man-created office but what is insignificant in comparison with it. Monarchs with powers usurped, the fruits of conquest, or inherited from a long line of princely ancestors, at the best held by the sufferance of those they rule—monarchs who fret and strut out their brief hour upon this world's troubled stage, who come, and see, and conquer and then vanish, are but fools in power compared with him who attains to the God-created office of President of the High Priesthood.

The power of earthly potentates is limited to the earth, often to an insignificant portion of it; and in duration to a few brief years, then they perish, together with their power and glory; while the power of him who attains to the office of President of the High Priesthood, enters within the vail and has effect both in time and in eternity. He binds on earth and it is bound in heaven; he looses on earth and it is loosed in heaven.^[4] He hath become a prince to that government to the increase and dominion of which there is no end, and whose sceptre is an unchanging sceptre of righteousness.

The princes of this world win and sustain their dominion by the sword; he by the preaching of peace on earth, good will to man; they trust to force—to armies and navies—for the perpetuation of their power; he to love unfeigned, persuasion, long suffering, gentleness, meekness, kindness and pure knowledge—reproving with sharpness at times, it is true, but afterwards showing forth a double portion of love towards those reproved, lest reproof be taken for enmity.^[5] Moreover, the princes of this world exercise dominion over their subjects, and they that are great, exercise authority upon them—arbitrary, often cruel, authority—and, as one of their own poets hath said, "Play such fantastic tricks before high heaven, as make the angels weep." The Lord hath decreed that it shall not be so in His government; but he that would be chief in it, let him be the servant of all, even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.^[6] Jesus spake truly when he said: "My kingdom is not of this world."

Such was the office, then, to which President Taylor succeeded; and such the spirit in which its powers are to be exercised. Both his native disposition and experience qualified him for the place. From his earliest youth arrayed on the side of liberty as against arbitrary authority, so pronounced in sentiment in that controversy, so fearless in maintaining it, that he won the proud title of "Champion of Liberty"—it was natural for him in his administration to pay due regard to the principle of common consent, by which all things are to be done in the Church.

With him as President there could be no arbitrary government among the Saints. Teach men correct principles and let them govern themselves, was a doctrine he learned in his early manhood from the Prophet Joseph. He made it a leading principle in his career. He adopted it in his family government, in his presidency of churches, conferences and missions in the eastern states and in foreign lands. It was a prominent characteristic of his administration while President of the Twelve Apostles; it continued to be his motto during his more direct Presidency of the Church. Yet while he respected the principle of common consent, he blended with that respect a native dignity of character and bearing which prevented in his administration that severely democratic principle of government descending into factious opposition: and on occasion could make those with whom he came in contact feel that vox Dei as he felt it within his own inspired soul had a right to be heard in the administration of Church affairs, as well as vox populi.

President Taylor's accession to the Presidency of the Church reveals another thing in connection with his history which must not be overlooked. It raises the corner of the veil which separates the natural and spiritual worlds, and permits us to form an idea of his career and character in his first estate, when as a spirit he associated with the Gods in the eternal worlds. It is recorded of Abraham that the Lord showed unto him the intelligences that were organized before the world was; "and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; and God saw these souls that they were good and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said, * * * Abraham, thou art one of them, thou wast chosen before thou wast born."^[7]

So with John Taylor. The high place as one of God's rulers which he had now attained proclaimed that he, too, was one of the "noble and great ones;" and like Jesus,^[8] Abraham, Jeremiah,^[9] and other prophets, he was chosen before he was born.

Footnotes

1. Doc. and Cov. Sec. 107:22.2. Doc. and Cov. Sec. 107: 91, 92.3. Ibid, 18, 19.4. Matt. xvi.5. Doc. and Cov. Sec. 121.6. Matt. xx.7. Book of Abraham.8. Heb. i: 1, 2.9. Jeremiah i: 5.