Hi I'm Hannah and this is Firm
Foundations.  Thanks for watching! In this
series we're learning how to separate
the facts from the fiction and LDS
history and doctrine so today we're
talking succession.
I know succession is confusing when it
comes to Elizabethan England or Game of
Thrones but the early Latter day Saints
it was even more important to figure out
who could possibly fill the shoes of
founding Prophet Joseph Smith. Today when
one prophet dies it's a foregone
conclusion who the Lord's next prophet
will be the president of the quorum of
the Twelve Apostles but that was not
obvious to the latter-day saints in the
days following Joseph Smith's murder in
June of 1844 and the stakes were
extremely high to complicate things the
simplified story told in primary and
Sunday school about Brigham Young being
transfigured into Joseph Smith as he
spoke to the Saints on August 8 1844 is
well more complicated than we usually
tell it to articles written in the 1990s
call it into question their caution was
wise but instead of making everyone
well-informed these articles caused an
equal and opposite reaction where the
primary story overplayed the miraculous
response to the academic articles has
led many people to totally dismiss the
miraculous the historical records
themselves offer ample evidence that
there was a miracle
it just wasn't observed by everyone and
it was to confirm to some saints that
Brigham was the Lord choice but it was
only a part of a series of crucial but
little-known events that made Brigham
Young a prophet plus it was actually
several years between the famous story
and Brigham sustaining is the new
prophet seer Revelator and president of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day
Saints between 1834 and his death in
1844 Joseph did or said things that made
it seem like his proper successor could
be any number of people
no wonder the Saints in general were
confused when he died Oliver Cowdery
would have been an obvious choice for
many people had he not denounced the
church in Joseph Smith several years
before but Oliver had been there from
the beginning
who was the first person to be baptized
and had experienced many visions and
received many priesthood keys
side-by-side
Joseph years later Oliver was rebaptised
under Brigham Young's authority whom
Oliver recognized as the new and correct
leader of the church based on priesthood
authority and personal revelation David
Whitmer was also a former contender as
he had been blessed by Joseph to be his
successor if he remained faithful and
Joseph did not however David too had
already left the church and been driven
from the county informed his own church
a reformed LDS sect known at the time as
the Whitmer i'ts Hyrum Smith could also
have been a contender but the brothers
died together leaving an enormous void
as Joseph prophet and president of the
LDS Church and Hyrum assistant president
and presiding patriarch were martyred by
the same mob within minutes of each
other
some Saints believed that their leader
was a matter of lineage and since Joseph
and Hyrum were both dead they placed
their faith in Joseph's young son Joseph
Smith the third the obvious choice to
many was Sidney Rigdon Joseph's second
counselor a powerful orator and the only
living member of the First Presidency in
August of 1844 rigdon returned to Nauvoo
and announced that he had received a
revelation appointing him guardian of
the church
three days later Brigham Young also
appeared on the scene and proposed that
the quorum of twelve apostles leave the
church until such time as a new prophet
could be chosen for much of Joseph's
last year's he had not included the
Apostles in the central leadership of
the church they had been sent on
missions but in the last two years of
his life Joseph gave nine of the Twelve
Apostles all the temple ordinances and
just weeks before his death he gathered
them and committed to them the
priesthood Keys he had received from
angels and charged them to carry on the
work after him in other words when
Joseph died nine of the Twelve Apostles
knew very well that they were the only
quorum of priesthood having the
knowledge authority and power to
officiate in the highest ordinances of
the church that Joseph Smith deemed
essential for the exaltation both of man
and woman living and dead only the
Apostles held the keys and knew the
temple ordinances and were responsible
to lead the church but when Joseph died
most of the members of the church did
not know that the miracle story is about
how they
- no Joseph gave the temple ordinances
to Brigham Young and others and charged
Brigham who was president of the quorum
of 12 apostles to finish giving the
ordinances to eight other apostles then
Joseph gathered them just a few weeks
before he was murdered and said as
documented in Saints chapter 42 it may
be that my enemies will kill me he said
and in case they should and the keys and
power which rest on me not be imparted
to you they will be lost from the earth
he said he felt compelled to confer upon
the 12 apostles all priesthood keys so
he could rest assured that the work of
the Lord would continue upon the
shoulders of the twelve must the
responsibility of leading this church
henceforth rest until you shall appoint
others to succeed you he said to the
Apostles thus can this power and these
keys be perpetuated in the earth the way
ahead would not be easy
Joseph warn them if you are called to
lay down your lives die like men he said
after they have killed you they can harm
you no more should you have to walk
right into danger and the jaws of death
fear no evil Jesus Christ has died for
you Joseph sealed on the heads of the
apostles all the priesthood keys they
needed to carry on the Lord's work
without him including the sacred keys of
sealing power I rolled a burden and
responsibility of leading this church
off from my shoulders and on to yours he
said now round up your shoulders and
stand under it like men for the Lord is
going to let me rest for a while Joseph
no longer appeared weighed down his face
was clear and full of power I feel as
light as a cork I feel that I am free he
told the man I thank my god for this
deliverance after Joseph's death Brigham
Young and Sidney Rigdon faced off at a
conference and the saints voted by
common consent overwhelmingly approving
Brigham Young's proposal that the
Apostles lead the church for the time
being this was the conference at which
many Saints reportedly saw Joseph
manifest in some way as Brigham Young
spoke some heard and Brigham's voice
others in his face or body language
these acts of personal revelation helped
the Saints to know what to do and who to
believe in this confusing time Brigham
Young was the man who held all the keys
and responsibilities for running the
but this was not common knowledge just
yet Sydney and a man named James Strang
both tried to undermine brigham and both
pulled some followers away from the
primary church and in separate sects of
their own but the majority of members
continue to follow the Apostles it was
three years later in 1847 that Brigham
Young president of the quorum of the
Twelve Apostles formed a new First
Presidency and Brigham Young became the
official president of the LDS Church he
was confirmed into that office by all
the other apostles and also confirmed by
the members of the church by a vote in
solemn assembly this set the precedent
for how prophetic succession works today
when the Prophet dies the First
Presidency dissolves and the Apostles
confirm the President of the Twelve
Apostles as the new president of the
church with the authority and access to
administer all restored priesthood keys
and receive revelation for and direct
the entire church the new prophet seer
and Revelator is also confirmed by
calling consent at a solemn assembly by
church members today this usually
happens at General Conference
so now we know how succession works
thank you for watching today firm
foundations is created by me Hannah with
special assistants this episode by dr.
Steve Harper don't forget to subscribe
and we'll catch you next time
you
