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Testimonies that Joseph Smith Jr. designated his son,
Joseph Smith III, to be the next leader of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Testimony of Joseph Smith III.
Joseph Smith III testified on several occasions of this event, as well as other times when his father, Joseph Smith Jr., designated him to be the successor to the Presidency of the church. The following was written on October 1, 1868:
"In Liberty jail the promise and blessing of a life of usefulness to the cause of truth was pronounced upon our head by lips tainted by dungeon damps, and by the Spirit confirmed through attesting witnesses. This blessing has by some been called an ordination, from the usual predilection to confound names and terms. The blessing which marked Moses as the deliverer from Egyptian bondage was not that which Jethro pronounced upon his head.
Subsequent to our baptism in 1843, upon two occasions was the same blessing confirmed by Joseph Smith, once in the council room in the brick store on the banks of the Mississippi, of which we have not a doubt there are witnesses who would confirm the present testimony; once, in the last interview Joseph Smith held with his family before he left Nauvoo to his death. A public attestation of the same blessing was made from the stand in the grove in Nauvoo, some time prior to the murder in Carthage." (Saints Herald 14:105, History of the RLDS Church, 3:506-507)
During the Temple Lot court case in the 1890’s Joseph Smith III testified under oath:
"About my selection by my father to be his successor in office, I remember of being called in his office, or into a room adjoining his office, and receiving the laying on of hands, and a prophetic blessing or setting apart, whatever it may be called. I remember that, and also remember that just before his departure for Carthage, with a number of others, I was called into a room in the Mansion House, and there again received the laying on of hands, and the blessing. I was also present at a meeting in the grove near the temple, and I remember my father laying his hands on my head, and saying to the people that this was his successor, or was to be his successor…
“No, sir, I did not state that I was ordained by my father; I did not make that statement. I was not ordained by my father as his successor; according to my understanding of the word ‘ordain’, I was not. I was blessed by him and designated, well in a sense chosen, and the word ‘ordain’ could not be applied in any other sense than by the act of pointing out or indicating only, and he indicated or designated me as his successor.” (Complainant’s Abstract, pp. 40, 41, 79)
Elder James Whitehead
Elder Whitehead served as one of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s personal secretaries from 1842 to Joseph’s death. In the Temple Lot suit, Mr. Whitehead testifed under oath:
"'I recollect a meeting that was held in the winter of 1843, at Nauvoo, Illinois, prior to Joseph Smith´s death, at which the appointment was made by him, Joseph Smith, of his successor. His son Joseph was selected as his successor. Joseph Smith did the talking. There were present Joseph and Hyrum Smith, John Taylor, and some others who also spoke on the subject; there were twenty-five I suppose at the meeting…
"'I became a member of the Reorganized Church at Alton, Illinois; … and the reason I became a member was because I knew that Joseph Smith was the right man to lead that church; I knew he had been ordained and set apart by his father as his successor in office…
"‘I did not become a member earlier, because Joseph Smith was a boy about twelve(12) years old when he was ordained, and he was not to take his place as the President of the Church until the Lord called him; and he did not become president until 1860…’ (Complainents Abstract of Pleading and Evidence, pp. 27, 28, 31, 33)
“Mr. Whitehead further testified to the fact that the church did take action as a body and agreed to the appointment of Joseph Smith III as the successor to his father without a negative vote being cast. He estimated that there were three thousand present on that occasion. He said a record was kept, but that it was taken to Salt Lake City.” (cited in “Succession in Presidency and Authority” by Russell Ralston)
home.earthlink.net/~jptandy/rlds/
Testimonies that Joseph Smith Jr. designated his son,
Joseph Smith III, to be the next leader of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Testimony of Joseph Smith III.
Joseph Smith III testified on several occasions of this event, as well as other times when his father, Joseph Smith Jr., designated him to be the successor to the Presidency of the church. The following was written on October 1, 1868:
"In Liberty jail the promise and blessing of a life of usefulness to the cause of truth was pronounced upon our head by lips tainted by dungeon damps, and by the Spirit confirmed through attesting witnesses. This blessing has by some been called an ordination, from the usual predilection to confound names and terms. The blessing which marked Moses as the deliverer from Egyptian bondage was not that which Jethro pronounced upon his head.
Subsequent to our baptism in 1843, upon two occasions was the same blessing confirmed by Joseph Smith, once in the council room in the brick store on the banks of the Mississippi, of which we have not a doubt there are witnesses who would confirm the present testimony; once, in the last interview Joseph Smith held with his family before he left Nauvoo to his death. A public attestation of the same blessing was made from the stand in the grove in Nauvoo, some time prior to the murder in Carthage." (Saints Herald 14:105, History of the RLDS Church, 3:506-507)
During the Temple Lot court case in the 1890’s Joseph Smith III testified under oath:
"About my selection by my father to be his successor in office, I remember of being called in his office, or into a room adjoining his office, and receiving the laying on of hands, and a prophetic blessing or setting apart, whatever it may be called. I remember that, and also remember that just before his departure for Carthage, with a number of others, I was called into a room in the Mansion House, and there again received the laying on of hands, and the blessing. I was also present at a meeting in the grove near the temple, and I remember my father laying his hands on my head, and saying to the people that this was his successor, or was to be his successor…
“No, sir, I did not state that I was ordained by my father; I did not make that statement. I was not ordained by my father as his successor; according to my understanding of the word ‘ordain’, I was not. I was blessed by him and designated, well in a sense chosen, and the word ‘ordain’ could not be applied in any other sense than by the act of pointing out or indicating only, and he indicated or designated me as his successor.” (Complainant’s Abstract, pp. 40, 41, 79)
Elder James Whitehead
Elder Whitehead served as one of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s personal secretaries from 1842 to Joseph’s death. In the Temple Lot suit, Mr. Whitehead testifed under oath:
"'I recollect a meeting that was held in the winter of 1843, at Nauvoo, Illinois, prior to Joseph Smith´s death, at which the appointment was made by him, Joseph Smith, of his successor. His son Joseph was selected as his successor. Joseph Smith did the talking. There were present Joseph and Hyrum Smith, John Taylor, and some others who also spoke on the subject; there were twenty-five I suppose at the meeting…
"'I became a member of the Reorganized Church at Alton, Illinois; … and the reason I became a member was because I knew that Joseph Smith was the right man to lead that church; I knew he had been ordained and set apart by his father as his successor in office…
"‘I did not become a member earlier, because Joseph Smith was a boy about twelve(12) years old when he was ordained, and he was not to take his place as the President of the Church until the Lord called him; and he did not become president until 1860…’ (Complainents Abstract of Pleading and Evidence, pp. 27, 28, 31, 33)
“Mr. Whitehead further testified to the fact that the church did take action as a body and agreed to the appointment of Joseph Smith III as the successor to his father without a negative vote being cast. He estimated that there were three thousand present on that occasion. He said a record was kept, but that it was taken to Salt Lake City.” (cited in “Succession in Presidency and Authority” by Russell Ralston)
home.earthlink.net/~jptandy/rlds/
