By Jon Tandy, 7/31/98
This article discusses the law of prophetic succession in the Church of Jesus Christ. It attempts to show that the RLDS Church is the only church on the face of the earth which has followed church law and the word of the Lord on this issue, and the only church which has continuing authority in church leadership from 1830 to the present.
In this article, the term "Prophetic Office" refers to the President of the high priesthood, or the Prophet, Seer, and Revelator to the Church. "Prophetic succession" refers to the process by which a new prophet/president is selected and ordained to office.
The opinions expressed in this article are my own, based on my understanding of the
scriptures, church law, and several prophecies on the subject. Please feel free to write me with any comments or corrections if you feel I
am in error.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, established on April 6, 1830, and
reorganized on April 6, 1860, has for its law the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and
Covenants. All matters of importance to the Church must be conducted in harmony with the
clear principles and laws revealed in these scriptures.
The issue of Prophetic Succession is of critical importance to the Reorganized Church,
both at its inception and today. The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints is the only branch or faction of the original church organized in 1830 that
has followed church law regarding succession to the Prophetic Office.
The Doctrine and Covenants tells the law of the church regarding prophetic succession.
O hearken, ye elders of my church, and give ear to the words which I shall speak unto you: for, behold, verily, verily I say unto you, that ye have received a commandment for a law unto my church, through him whom I have appointed unto you, to receive commandments and revelations from my hand.
And this ye shall know assuredly, that there is none other appointed unto you to receive commandments and revelations until he be taken, if he abide in me.
But verily, verily I say unto you, that none else shall be appointed unto this gift except it be through him, for if it [the gift of receiving commandments and revelations] be taken from him he shall not have power, except to appoint another in his stead;
and this shall be a law unto you, that ye receive not the teachings of any that shall come before you as revelations, or commandments; and this I give unto you, that you may not be deceived, that you may know they are not of me.
For verily I say unto you, that he that is ordained of me, shall come in at the gate and be ordained as I have told you before, to teach those revelations which you have received, and shall receive through him whom I have appointed. (RLDS D&C 43:1-2; LDS D&C 43:1-7)
neither shall anything be appointed unto any of this church contrary to the church covenants, for all things must be done in order and by common consent in the church, by the prayer of faith. ( RLDS D&C 27:4c; LDS D&C 28:12-13)
From these scriptures we find several significant points:
We can show that the RLDS Church is the only organization which has fulfilled
the law of the church in regards to prophetic succession. We can also show, although this
is a subject for other articles, that the RLDS Church is the only church which has
preserved the original doctrines as were taught in the original church restored in 1830.
Joseph Smith Jr. was appointed by the Lord to be the first prophet in this
dispensation. He was ordained an elder at the organization of the church on April 6, 1830,
and was ordained President of the High Priesthood on January 25, 1832
(Times and
Seasons, Vol. 3 page 944-945; Vol. 5 page 624).
On at least three different occasions prior to his death, Joseph publicly named his
son, Joseph Smith III, to be his successor. The last of these occasions was in 1844, just
before Joseph went to Carthage where he was killed by a mob (The True Latter Day
Saints' Herald, Vol. 14 page 105).
This naming of Joseph Smith III was done in fulfillment of Section 43 quoted above.
This fact alone dispenses with the claims to successorship of all the other factions that
arose from the 1844 division, including the Utah Mormons and the Church of Christ--Temple
Lot.
In addition to his being named by his father as the successor to the Prophetic Office,
many other testimonies confirm that Joseph Smith III was ordained of heaven to take his
father's place. In Jason W. Briggs' revelation in 1851, which became the starting point of
the Reorganization, the Lord stated, "in mine own due time will I call upon the seed
of Joseph Smith [Joseph Smith III], and will bring one forth, and he shall be mighty and
strong, and he shall preside over the high priesthood of my Church..."
(RLDS
Church History, vol. 3, p. 200-201).
Joseph Smith came to the conference in April 1860, stating, "I came not here of
myself, but by the influence of the Spirit. For some time past I have received
manifestations pointing to the position which I am about to assume". He was chosen by
the voice of the people as "Prophet, Seer, and Revelator of the Church of Jesus
Christ, and the successor of his father;" and was ordained President of the High
Priesthood of the Church (
RLDS Church History, vol. 3, p. 247-251).
In harmony with the same precedent of church law Frederick M. Smith, son of Joseph
Smith III, was named by the Lord to be his successor upon Joseph's death.
"Inasmuch as misunderstanding has occurred in regard to the meaning of a
revelation (Section 43) hitherto given through my servant Joseph Smith in regard to who
should be called to preside in case my servant should be taken away or fall by
transgression, it is now declared that in case of the removal of my servant now presiding
over the church by death or transgression, my servant Frederick M. Smith, if he
remain faithful and steadfast, should be chosen, in accordance with the revelations which
have been hitherto given to the church concerning the priesthood." Independence,
Missouri, April 14, 1906 (
RLDS D&C 127:8, emphasis added)
"President Joseph Smith died at Independence, Missouri, December 10, 1914. His
oldest living son, Frederick Madison Smith, had been designated as his successor and was
accepted by the church in this capacity. He was set apart as President of the Church and
the High Priesthood at the Stone Church in Independence on May 5, 1915."
(Introduction to Section 132,
RLDS D&C)
Frederick M. Smith designated his brother Israel A. Smith to be his successor. Again
this is in harmony with the law of the church already quoted.
"I presented the names of Brethren Israel A. Smith and Lemuel F. P. Curry to fill
the vacancies in the First Presidency, these selections being unanimously approved by the
Quorum of Twelve." (
RLDS D&C 138:1b)
"President Frederick Madison Smith died March 20, 1946, and was succeeded as
prophet, seer, and revelator by his brother, Elder Israel A. Smith."
(Introduction to
Section 139, RLDS D&C)
"On May 28, 1952, President Israel A. Smith prepared and signed the following
statement and placed it in the hands of his counselor, Elder F. Henry Edwards. After the
death of President Smith on June 14, 1958, this document [Section 144] was brought to the
attention of the Council of Twelve and other general church officers, and at the World
Conference of 1958 it was unanimously approved by the quorums and orders of the priesthood
and by the Conference assembly. The Conference ordered its insertion in the Doctrine and
Covenants.
"Elder William Wallace Smith was ordained as President of the High Priesthood and
prophet, seer, and revelator to the church at the Auditorium at Independence, Missouri, on
October 6, 1958." (
Introduction to Section 144, RLDS D&C)
Notice that W. Wallace Smith was called and ordained in proper order according to
church law. His position as President of the High Priesthood was valid, whether we
consider him a true prophet or not. Most Restoration Branch members do not accept the
revelations given by W. Wallace Smith, because many of them contain teachings at variance
with the scriptures. We believe that he became a fallen prophet and lost his prophetic
gift because of giving in to the liberal influence that was changing the doctrines of the
church.
The law already given in Section 43 anticipated this situation of a prophet losing his
prophetic gift. "If [the prophetic gift] be taken from him he shall not have power,
except to appoint another in his stead"
(RLDS D&C 43:2a). If W.
Wallace Smith truly did lose his gift, he would still have power to authoritatively name
his successor. In this context, it is interesting to examine how W. Wallace actually did
name his successor, his son Wallace B. Smith.
"Provisions in the document submitted to the 1976 World Conference set a new
precedent in the procedures for presidential succession in the church. In respect to
this matter President W. Wallace Smith wrote in his transmittal letter as follows: 'In
spite of the precedent which up to now has seen the president of the church remain in
office until his death, the time has come for me to name my successor and also to
designate the time for him to succeed me as the presiding officer of the church, to serve
as Prophet, Seer, and Revelator and President of the High Priesthood and the church,
subject to the will of the Conference (Doctrine and Covenants 43:2a).' "
(
Introduction to Section 152, RLDS D&C, emphasis added)
Notice that W. Wallace referred to the exact verse in the Doctrine and Covenants
which tells the law of the church in case of a Prophet losing his gift! This is a
clear admission by the Prophet that he had lost his gift, which at least in part validates
the position taken by the fundamental RLDS saints that W. Wallace was not a true prophet!
We continue to quote: "The document names Wallace Bunnell Smith as prophet and
president designate and provides for the retirement of W. Wallace Smith after
approximately two years of 'spiritual preparation and study' by his successor."
(
Introduction to Section 152, RLDS D&C)
Wallace B. Smith was ordained two years later. "Acting on the requirements of
Section 152:1a, b, President W. Wallace Smith read a statement of resignation and
instruction to the World Conference on April 3, 1978 (see
Appendix F.)
By this he enabled the orderly transmittal of prophetic and presidential leadership to his son,
Wallace B. Smith, who was ordained on April 5."
(Introduction to
Section 153, RLDS D&C)
Whether or not Wallace B. Smith is a true prophet or a false one, his claim to the office
of President of the Church is valid.
Some in the Restoration Movement have assumed that since W. Wallace Smith lost his
gift, the calling and ordination of Wallace B. Smith was not a legitimate action. Bob
Baker made such a claim in the 1980's, and a faction developed which accepted Mr. Baker as
the next prophet of the church. Others have made similar claims in the years following.
One wonders why people would accept the claims of such would-be prophets in the light of
the true facts of history and church law.
"Many spiritual manifestations have been had. Some of these have been false, and
under the operation of the law which I gave many, many years ago, those who make these
false presentations are not to be feared among my people. They are not justified in
permitting their human sympathies to overcome that which has been written in my
Scriptures. The spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets."
(RLDS D&C 125:15d-e)
Since 1984 many people including this author have looked for Wallace B. Smith to repent
or to at least confess his transgression and name a true prophet as successor. This would
be the "seventh prophet", or the "one mighty and strong" who will lead
the church on to the fulfillment of the Lord's work in this dispensation. This hope is
based on numerous testimonies and spiritual experiences, as well as the scriptures
regarding a last days prophet.
Wallace B. Smith, in a pastoral letter read to church leaders on September 19, 1995,
named his successor to be W. Grant McMurray (The Kansas City Star, Sept. 20, 1995).
Mr. McMurray was ordained as the President of the High Priesthood at the 1996 World
Conference, on April 15. There were five who laid hands on him and ordained him to this
office; Pierre Gerard Berard, Bryce A. Taylor, President Wallace B. Smith (spokesman), A.
Alex Kahtava, and Barbara F. Howard (Saints Herald, June 1996, pages 15,23).
There are some fundamental RLDS who believe that Wallace B. Smith is a legitimate
successor to the Prophetic Office, but that Grant McMurray's calling and ordination is not
valid. Some reasons behind this position include: 1) Those who ordained Mr. McMurray have
transgressed and departed from the true teachings of the gospel; 2) One of those who
ordained him included a woman (Barbara F. Howard), whose priesthood is not accepted by
fundamental RLDS; 3) Grant McMurray has made little or no claim to be a
"Prophet", but seems to be functioning simply as an administrator in his office;
4) He is not in the lineage of Joseph Smith, which many believe to be an important
qualification as the leader of the Church.
Notwithstanding the implications listed above, there are several reasons why
fundamental RLDS should consider that W. Grant McMurray is a legitimate successor to the
Presidency of the RLDS Church, although he may not be a true "Prophet": 1) His
predecessor did have valid authority in that office, as documented above; 2) His being
named as successor to the Presidency follows church law as outlined in this paper; 3)
Although we may believe that the current Liberal hierarchy in the RLDS church is in
transgression, they still hold some degree of authority according to church law (this will
be documented in a separate paper); 4) The Lord has not revealed that there is authority
in any other church or fragment to name a true Prophet other than in the RLDS Church; and,
5) If the line of succession (as recognized by the Lord) has truly been broken in the RLDS
Church, there will have to be another church brought forth to "restore" or
"reorganize" the remnant again. The Lord has said this will not happen, but that
the RLDS church will remain His church until the end (see testimonies that the RLDS Church will never fall).
Whether or not one accepts the authority and ordination of Grant McMurray, most
fundamental RLDS members still look for a true prophet to come forth and take leadership
of the RLDS Church and to reunite all true believers in the Restoration/Reorganization
movement. This author does not claim to have any personal revelation as to how this will
transpire, beyond discerning truth in various spiritual experiences people have received
on the subject.
Many scenarios are possible, but I believe that one of three situations will transpire:
1. If Mr. McMurray's ordination was not valid, then Wallace B. Smith is still the one
who is authorized to name a valid successor to leadership of the Lord's church. He will be
moved upon by the Spirit of the Lord and the personal presence of Jesus Christ to name a
Prophet who will act according to the Lord's will. Numerous visions and dreams have been
received which have shown this scenario taking place.
When this happens, the Lord will remove the false Apostles and other leaders currently
in the RLDS liberal hierarchy, and set the RLDS Church in order again upon the principles
of His word. As long as Wallace B. Smith remains alive, this should be considered a viable
option.
2. If Mr. McMurray's ordination is recognized by the Lord as valid, then the same
scenario as above will transpire but with Mr. McMurray naming the true prophet.
3. A third option may be that the true Prophet has already been designated through a Prophet of the RLDS church prior to Wallace B. Smith. This man, still living, could be accepted by the faithful Saints by common consent through revelation. The power of God may be exercised in a dramatic way to cause this Prophet to assume leadership of the RLDS church and return it to its original principles.
This last option may sound highly speculative, but this author knows of testimonies that a man was designated by Israel A. Smith before his death. He is in the lineage of Joseph Smith, Jr, and he is not pushing his claim to leadership but waiting on the Lord's timing. Several have testified that they believe his calling is valid. He is still living, and could come forth to take leadership when the time comes. Of course, if the Lord moves in this way, it would still have to follow the law of common consent in his ordination.
In any case, several facts I believe to be certain: 1) The RLDS church will never fall,
meaning that the Lord will not replace it with a new organization of His church (see
testimonies on RLDS Resource Page); 2) The setting in
order of the RLDS Church cannot happen by the work of man, but only by a dramatic
outpouring of the Holy Spirit; 3) A Prophet will be named who will lead the Church on to
the completion of the Lord's work in this dispensation; 4) Once this happens, the Land of
Zion will be cleansed so that only sanctified saints can occupy it.
It is my sincere hope that the fundamental portion of the RLDS membership and
priesthood will continue to "hold on to the rod of iron" until the Lord sets His
church in order.
© 1998, Tandyland
This page last updated on September 21, 2000