President Cannon, made another important prophesy that has been fulfilled, when he said: “The day will come when men’s Priesthood and authority will be called into question, and you will find out that there will be hundreds who have no Priesthood, but believe they hold it, they holding only an office in the Church.”(1) His remarks it seems followed on from the prediction of President Taylor (which Brother Cannon would have heard firsthand, he also being at the meeting at which he spoke), “I would be surprised if ten percent of those who claim to hold the Melchizedek Priesthood will remain true and faithful to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, at that time of the seventh President, and there would be thousands that think they hold the Priesthood at that time, but would not have it properly conferred upon them.”(2) It is interesting that he said that these things would happen in the time of the seventh President of the Church, who of course was Heber J. Grant.
What might cause the Priesthood to cease amongst so many men, or could change so drastically as to prevent it being passed on? Certainly the attitude of members against Celestial Plural Marriage qualifies as one of those areas in which many might lose God’s favor and even bring the authority of some who fought against it into question. As an editorial from the Church’s own newspaper warned, “The entire Church and all of its Priesthood, with the Presidency at the head of it might motion and vote against this principle until doomsday with just one effect, (namely) to vote themselves away from the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, from the possession of their Priesthood.”(3) As has been pointed out, such a vote did take place, and it was not without consequence.
In the same year Brother Cannon warned the Saints about losing the Priesthood, President Joseph F. Smith reaffirmed the method ordinations to the Priesthood should follow, and how, “the conferring of the Priesthood should precede and accompany ordination to an office, unless it is possessed by previous bestowal and ordination.”(4) Just as Brigham Young had instructed regarding ordinations, “Do not forget to confer the High Priesthood upon them.”(5)
However, Charles W. Penrose, Counselor to President Smith, must have disagreed with him on this point, and said shortly after his death, “We have been making a mistake in ordinations. We have been conferring the Priesthood, and it ought not to be done…. We should ordain directly to the office in the Priesthood.”(6) Instead of correcting Penrose, Heber J. Grant implemented his views, and on the 23rd of April 1921 the First Presidency announced a new form of ordinations in which the words “confer upon you the Melchizedek Priesthood” were removed.
36 years later the Church returned to it’s original form of ordination, but the years in between in which they departed from President Smith’s strict instructions cannot be easily explained away. If we are to believe Joseph F. Smith, then during that period all the ordinations were invalid, as well as all the ordinances since by those ordained during that time, for he stated, “Surely a man cannot possess an appendage to the Priesthood without possessing the Priesthood itself, which he cannot obtain unless it be authoritatively conferred upon him.” As Brigham Young said, “No being can give that which he does not possess; consequently, no man can confer the Priesthood on another, if he has not himself first received it.”(7) However surprisingly President McKay made no effort to ordering the re-conferral of the Priesthood on everyone ordained during that time, and the re-performance of every ordinance by anyone ordained during that time, and so the situation has probably worsened considerably.
The removal of Priesthood conferral in ordination is only one area in which John Taylor’s prophecy has been fulfilled. The revocation or alteration of any other ordinance can cause the withdrawal of Priesthood (or at least produces questions over its effectiveness) from those who sustain such changes or participate in such an altered Gospel. As an early Church publication put it, “the priesthood can not continue when the gospel is perverted;”(8) Whilst specific examples are beyond the scope of this particular treatment, yet many books and magazine articles have been written outlining such changes, and it remains up to us as faithful Latter-day Saints to personally receive and perpetuate the ordinances of God has He has given them, because as Joseph stated, “that the ordinances must be kept in the very way God has appointed; otherwise their Priesthood will prove a cursing instead of a blessing.”(9)
The fulfillment of these last prophecies of President John Taylor in so literal a manner is another testimony that John Taylor did indeed fulfill a special purpose in setting in motion the manner through which the laws of God would continue, and that those set apart by him and who were present and testified of these events were both honest and accurate in their accounts. The Bible sets this as a sure test of truthfulness, but there is yet another test which leaves us with even greater certainty that God’s hand is in the work to keep the fullness of the Gospel alive, that is the Spirit of God. May that Spirit witness the truthfulness of the Priesthood authority that acts on His behalf, and the laws which he has not revoked, nor will He!
This concludes this series
1. 1901, Draper, Utah, as related by Daniel R. Bateman.
2. Woolley affidavit.
3. Deseret News, Editorial, 1 April 1885.
4. March 1901, Improvement Era 4:394.
5. Deseret News, 6 June 1877.
6. Stake Quarterly Conference, Utah Stake, Provo, Utah, 1919, as recollected by Daniel R. Peay.
7. History of the Church 4:257.
8. Times and Seasons, Nov. 15, 1841.
9. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p 169.
The Last Prophecies of John Taylor – 6
Filed under: Thoughts & Commentary |
Prophecy Six
President Cannon, made another important prophesy that has been fulfilled, when he said: “The day will come when men’s Priesthood and authority will be called into question, and you will find out that there will be hundreds who have no Priesthood, but believe they hold it, they holding only an office in the Church.”(1) His remarks it seems followed on from the prediction of President Taylor (which Brother Cannon would have heard firsthand, he also being at the meeting at which he spoke), “I would be surprised if ten percent of those who claim to hold the Melchizedek Priesthood will remain true and faithful to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, at that time of the seventh President, and there would be thousands that think they hold the Priesthood at that time, but would not have it properly conferred upon them.”(2) It is interesting that he said that these things would happen in the time of the seventh President of the Church, who of course was Heber J. Grant.
What might cause the Priesthood to cease amongst so many men, or could change so drastically as to prevent it being passed on? Certainly the attitude of members against Celestial Plural Marriage qualifies as one of those areas in which many might lose God’s favor and even bring the authority of some who fought against it into question. As an editorial from the Church’s own newspaper warned, “The entire Church and all of its Priesthood, with the Presidency at the head of it might motion and vote against this principle until doomsday with just one effect, (namely) to vote themselves away from the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, from the possession of their Priesthood.”(3) As has been pointed out, such a vote did take place, and it was not without consequence.
In the same year Brother Cannon warned the Saints about losing the Priesthood, President Joseph F. Smith reaffirmed the method ordinations to the Priesthood should follow, and how, “the conferring of the Priesthood should precede and accompany ordination to an office, unless it is possessed by previous bestowal and ordination.”(4) Just as Brigham Young had instructed regarding ordinations, “Do not forget to confer the High Priesthood upon them.”(5)
However, Charles W. Penrose, Counselor to President Smith, must have disagreed with him on this point, and said shortly after his death, “We have been making a mistake in ordinations. We have been conferring the Priesthood, and it ought not to be done…. We should ordain directly to the office in the Priesthood.”(6) Instead of correcting Penrose, Heber J. Grant implemented his views, and on the 23rd of April 1921 the First Presidency announced a new form of ordinations in which the words “confer upon you the Melchizedek Priesthood” were removed.
36 years later the Church returned to it’s original form of ordination, but the years in between in which they departed from President Smith’s strict instructions cannot be easily explained away. If we are to believe Joseph F. Smith, then during that period all the ordinations were invalid, as well as all the ordinances since by those ordained during that time, for he stated, “Surely a man cannot possess an appendage to the Priesthood without possessing the Priesthood itself, which he cannot obtain unless it be authoritatively conferred upon him.” As Brigham Young said, “No being can give that which he does not possess; consequently, no man can confer the Priesthood on another, if he has not himself first received it.”(7) However surprisingly President McKay made no effort to ordering the re-conferral of the Priesthood on everyone ordained during that time, and the re-performance of every ordinance by anyone ordained during that time, and so the situation has probably worsened considerably.
The removal of Priesthood conferral in ordination is only one area in which John Taylor’s prophecy has been fulfilled. The revocation or alteration of any other ordinance can cause the withdrawal of Priesthood (or at least produces questions over its effectiveness) from those who sustain such changes or participate in such an altered Gospel. As an early Church publication put it, “the priesthood can not continue when the gospel is perverted;”(8) Whilst specific examples are beyond the scope of this particular treatment, yet many books and magazine articles have been written outlining such changes, and it remains up to us as faithful Latter-day Saints to personally receive and perpetuate the ordinances of God has He has given them, because as Joseph stated, “that the ordinances must be kept in the very way God has appointed; otherwise their Priesthood will prove a cursing instead of a blessing.”(9)
The fulfillment of these last prophecies of President John Taylor in so literal a manner is another testimony that John Taylor did indeed fulfill a special purpose in setting in motion the manner through which the laws of God would continue, and that those set apart by him and who were present and testified of these events were both honest and accurate in their accounts. The Bible sets this as a sure test of truthfulness, but there is yet another test which leaves us with even greater certainty that God’s hand is in the work to keep the fullness of the Gospel alive, that is the Spirit of God. May that Spirit witness the truthfulness of the Priesthood authority that acts on His behalf, and the laws which he has not revoked, nor will He!
This concludes this series
1. 1901, Draper, Utah, as related by Daniel R. Bateman.
2. Woolley affidavit.
3. Deseret News, Editorial, 1 April 1885.
4. March 1901, Improvement Era 4:394.
5. Deseret News, 6 June 1877.
6. Stake Quarterly Conference, Utah Stake, Provo, Utah, 1919, as recollected by Daniel R. Peay.
7. History of the Church 4:257.
8. Times and Seasons, Nov. 15, 1841.
9. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p 169.