They Were All Body Guards to the Prophet Joseph

 

How many body guards did Joseph Smith have through his life time?

a.      12

b.      1

c.       6

d.      16

Yesterday’s answer:

D)   The Temple

The following is an account of Brigham Young both sounding and appearing like Joseph Smith. All are familiar with this conference; however, what is interesting is Joseph Smith’s appearance to W. W. Phelps:

On Thursday, August the 8th [1844], I attended a special conference in Nauvoo. Elder Rigdon addressed the assembly in the forenoon. Elder Rigdon sought, as he expressed it, the guardianship of the Church, but it was plainly manifest that the Spirit of the Lord had withdrawn from him, and that he sought that which did not belong to him. From the time the saints were driven from Missouri he had evidently been on the background, and had not walked up to his station, and on one occasion I heard Joseph Smith say that he had carried Elder Rigdon on his back long enough, and then turning to the Twelve said that if they did not help him at that time in shaking him off, the time would come when they would have it to do, and that without his, Joseph's assistance. And on Thursday, the 8th of August, was this saying of the Prophet brought home with weight to my mind.

In the afternoon President Brigham Young came upon the stand and addressed the vast multitude of anxious listeners as follows: "For the first time the Twelve walk up to the stand in their place, we have walked by sight and not by faith. The Church had had the privilege of coming to Joseph and of receiving, but now he has stepped to the other side of the veil. He loved the Church even unto death, and laid down his life for it." President Young then asked the following questions: "Do you want to choose a person to lead you into the Kingdom, if so manifest it." All were silent. "If there is any person present that wishes to draw away party after them let them rise." But no one rose. "I have wanted," said President Young, "to fast thirty days, and to clothe my house in mourning, but it seems that the saints are determined to drive business. They are not willing to wait and let everything come in its place, but business must be driven, and as it falls to my lot to speak, I shall speak in plainness. Do you want President Rigdon to take Joseph's place, if so take him. Here are the Twelve. Have my knees ever faltered, have these hands ever slackened?" "No," and "No," said voices from all directions. "The Twelve hold the keys and are in authority equal with the First President when the first is absent. Do you want to choose a trustee in trust to take Joseph's place, if so the Twelve must ordain him, for the power rests in them, and in them alone, the Church cannot do it."

"The Almighty with all his train are working in cooperation with us. Then," said he. "Let us pursue a proper course. Joseph has laid an almighty foundation, and we will rear thereupon an almighty building." The President remarked that the Devil had to work faster than he ever had done to kill Saints faster than we would make them. He then showed the propriety of having a bishop to stand in his place as he never had done, and take charge of all the financial concerns, while the Apostles and Elders attend to ministering the word, etc. And then [he, Brigham Young] said that if Elder Rigdon wanted to be a spokesman for Joseph, let him go to the other side of the veil. "Who" said he, "ever heard of such a thing as a person on one side of the veil acting as a spokesman for a person on the other side." The President further stated that no person could stand between Joseph and the Twelve. And then turning to the people, said it was their place to rise up and help roll on the Kingdom. "But let us not undertake anything new, let us follow the law and not undertake to divide the priesthood one hair."
Elders P. P. Pratt and Amasa Lyman made some very appropriate remarks, confirming what President Young had said. Elder Lyman said that he had as good a right to lay claim to Joseph's place as had Elder Rigdon but that the thought had never entered his heart. His desires and determinations were to stand by the Twelve.

Elder W. W. Phelps also made some very comforting remarks. Said that Joseph was not in a situation that he could not visit the Saints. He then related a dream. Said that he saw Joseph the second night after his death, and that he looked as natural as life, and bore the same self-commanding look. Elder Phelps thought the kingdom appeared to be on wheels, and Joseph asked him why he did not speak to the drivers and have them go ahead with it. He asked Joseph if the kingdom was on wheels, and he said "yes", and told him to drive ahead. Elder Phelps then spoke to the drivers and they drove ahead. He saw the kingdom move around the temple. Joseph spoke to him as they came round and said, "You see it moves and receives no harm. Now drive across the river into Iowa." Brother Phelps replied that if they did that they would be obliged to cross Devil Creek. "Never mind Devil Creek," said Joseph, "drive ahead."

President Young again arose and spoke concerning the endowments of the elders. Said that if they did not get them in the temple, they should have them if they had to receive them in the wilderness, for the devil could not cheat them out of them. He then called upon the Saints to know if they would receive the Twelve and let them stand in their place as the First Presidency of the Church in the absence of Joseph. The vote was unanimous in the affirmative. On this day it was plainly manifest that the mantle of Joseph had rested upon President Young. The voice of the same spirit by which he, Joseph, spake was this day sounded in our ears, so much so that I once, unthoughtedly, raised my head to see if it was not actually Joseph addressing the assembly. The assembly was dismissed by President Young after being blessed in the name of the Lord.

Private Journal of William Hyde, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University; http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/WHyde.html