Further Offices Than Church from Book of Mormon

by Art Bulla

Tue, Apr 3, 2012

One evidence still further that Joseph Smith is a true prophet is found from the Book of Mormon, which parallels the revelation which I received that there are further offices in the Priesthood which are superior to those found in the Church described in D&C 107.

1 AND now it came to pass that the persecutions which were inflicted on the church by the unbelievers became so great that the church began to murmur, and complain to their leaders concerning the matter; and they did complain to Alma. And Alma laid the case before their king, Mosiah. And Mosiah consulted with his priests. (Book of Mormon | Mosiah 27:1)

This shows a Council of Priesthood existed independently of the Church, if one believes the Book of Mormon, which Mr. Hale has said that he does not, but I know that it is true literally. This of course has to do with the Political Kingdom of God, which Joseph Smith organized just prior to his martyrdom in 1844. Brigham Young said regarding the function of the King:

"This (Church) is what we are in the habit of calling the Kingdomof God. But there are further organizations. The Prophet gave a full and complete organization of this kingdom the spring before he was killed. . . . The Kingdom of God will protect every person, every sect and all people upon the face of the whole earth in their legal rights;"

Joseph Smith and World Government

Hyrum L. Andrus

Deseret Book Company

Salt Lake City, Utah

Preface

For some time I have had a deep interest in the social, economic and political aspects of Joseph Smith's thought. That interest prompted me in large measure to organize my graduate studies at Brigham Young University and at Syracuse University around the Prophet and the historical picture of his day. Thus, my major academic interest has been in the religious, social, economic and political picture in America between the time of the founding of our Constitution and the American Civil War, and to study the rise and development of the Church in this historical background. My master's thesis and my doctoral dissertation were both written on the Prophet Joseph Smith and his effort to set the mold of a new socio-religious, economic and political system that would eventually rise to world-wide power and influence.

Since completing my doctoral studies in 1955, my interest in the above studies has continued. This volume is in large part the result of research since that time. It is, however, based in many ways upon my previous research and includes many of my former findings.

The material here presented is a part of a larger study I have had underway for several years-that of producing a work that will adequately define Joseph Smith's social, economic and political concepts in their religious setting, while placing the Prophet in context with the historical picture of his age. But because of the importance and nature of the information contained in the present volume, it seems proper to publish it at this time. I take full responsibility for the views herein set forth.

I wish to acknowledge the assistance of those who have aided me in my studies over the past years. They include the members of my graduate committee at Brigham Young University and at Syracuse University. Grateful acknowledgment is also made to the Church Historian's Office for important material that has gone into this volume; to Jacob Heinerman, of the Cottage Book Store, Provo, for assistance in locating pertinent information; and to my wife, parents, students and friends for the encouragement they have given to me along the way. I also wish to thank Dean B. Farnsworth and Soren F. Cox of the Brigham Young University faculty for checking the manuscript for grammatical errors and others of the faculty for reading parts of the manuscript and offering helpful suggestions.

-THE AUTHOR

Introduction

This book is the first work published in modern times which sets forth the concept of the government of God which was revealed through Joseph Smith and shows the significance of that concept in the westward move of the Latter-day Saints from Illinois, and the colonization of the West under Brigham Young. It is also the first work written to show that Joseph Smith actually organized the nucleus of that divine political system on earth, in the form of the General Council or, as it was nicknamed, the Council of Fifty.

During the first half of the twentieth century the knowledge of the General Council was virtually lost to the world, and it was only after the publication of A Mormon Chronicle: The Diaries of John D. Lee, 1848-1876, in 1955, that substantial progress was made in bringing the knowledge of this political body to light in recent times. In the fall of 1955, J. Keith Melville and I were on the faculty of Ricks College, in Rexburg, Idaho, where I taught a class that academic year on the social, economic, and political thought of Joseph Smith. Melville had written his master's thesis, in 1949, on "The Political Philosophy of Brigham Young," and was then working on his doctoral dissertation (which he completed in 1956), entitled "The Political Ideas of Brigham Young." In 1952, I wrote my master's thesis on the subject "World Government as Envisioned in the Latter-day Saint 'City of Zion,'" and in the summer of 1955 I completed my doctoral dissertation entitled "Joseph Smith, Social Philosopher, Theorist and Prophet."

Until the publication of Lee's diaries, neither Melville or I realized that the government of God was more than an ideal in early Latter-day Saint thought-that there had been an actual political organ started by Joseph Smith. During the fall quarter at Ricks College, 1955, Melville called my attention to a statement in Lee's diary which indicated that the political organ of the kingdom had been a practical and functional thing. The editors of his diaries, however, apparently had little correct understanding of it. But with our background, we could see the significance of Lee's disclosures.

Beginning at that time, I started to gather and relate information on the role of the Council of Fifty among the Latter-day Saints. In the fall of 1956, I accepted a position on the faculty of the Brigham Young University where I continued my research and probed the subject further at the Church Historian's Library in Salt Lake City. I also gave lectures and conducted discussions both on and off campus on the subject of the government of God, at which faculty members from the departments of religions, history and political science were present, with interested students. As a result, there was much interest created in the subject, and from that interest further research has been done by myself and others. In the spring of 1958, this volume came from the press as the first published analysis of the government of God and its role in Latter-day Saint history in recent times, giving the results of my research on the activities of the General Council to that time.

Hyrum L. Andrus

Chapter I

The Kingdom of God

A MIGHTY vision filled the mind of Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet: "I intend to lay a foundation that will revolutionize the whole world," he emphatically declared. "It will not be by sword or gun that this kingdom will roll on; the power of truth is such that all nations will be under the necessity of obeying the gospel."

Joseph Smith did not limit his concept of the Gospel program to the religious sphere of life. To him, it extended into the area of the social, where it pointed out correct doctrine an philosophy relative to such matters as education, recreation, and marriage; it gave to the world a divine system of economics, known as the Law of Consecration and Stewardship; and, finally, it gave promise of a political law that would emanate from the Priesthood, to govern the world in righteousness. So important was the latter program that the Prophet argued that the establishment of Zion's political program "is the only thing that can bring about the 'restitution of all things spoken of by all the holy Prophets since the world was'-'the dispensation of the fulness of times, when God shall gather together all things in one'" In anticipation of this future era, he wrote to Henry Clay: "I long for a day of righteousness, when 'He whose right it is to reign shall judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth'; and I pray God, who hath given our Fathers a promise of a perfect government in the last days, to purify the hearts of the people and hasten the welcome day."

It is an assumption within Mormon thought that Joseph Smith was privileged to lay the foundation of the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times mentioned above, in which the expected restoration of all things must eventually be brought about. By this own reasoning, then, the Prophet would not have completed his mission in life had he confined himself to the realm of the religious-had he not given by revelation the basic political principles and philosophy of the millennial government for which he sought.

On March 11, 1844, Joseph Smith organized a body of men as the nucleus of the new government. During the period of its existence, this political group was referred to by several names. At the time of its organization and immediately thereafter, the Prophet spoke of it as a "Special Council." Later, he termed it the "General Council"; and after his death this appellation was reduced to the "Council."

A popular name used to designate this body of men was the "Council of Fifty." This name is derived from the number of men composing the initial organization during the lifetime of Joseph Smith. George Miller, a prominent bishop in the Church at that time, noted that "up to the number of fifty three" men were given membership in the group. Miller's testimony is partially supported by Brigham Young, who said: "The Council was composed of about fifty members." Benjamin F. Johnson, another member of the group, although not as specific as Miller, later wrote that the Council "at times would exceed fifty in number." It should be noted that available sources nowhere indicate that this body was to be specifically made up of fifty men. There is some evidence that Brigham Young added considerably to its number. This being true, the name Council of Fifty could be somewhat misleading.

Since the council was considered as the nucleus of God's future government on earth, it was also termed the "Council of the Kingdom." This name may have originated from an unpublished revelation to Joseph Smith on the subject of the political aspects of the Kingdom of God. By this name, it stated, ye shall be known: "The Kingdom of God and His laws, with the keys and powers thereof and judgment in the hands of his servants." When viewed in this light, the term Kingdom of God had a broader meaning than is usually applied to it when it is used to denote the Church of God. Brigham Young explained by first referring to the various organizations that make up the Church and then stating:

This is what we are in the habit of calling the Kingdom of God. But there are further organizations. The Prophet gave a full and complete organization of this kingdom the spring before he was killed. . . . The Kingdom of God will protect every person, every sect and all people upon the face of the whole earth in their legal rights; I shall not tell you the names of the members of this kingdom, neither shall I read to you its constitution, but the constitution was given by revelation. The day will come when it will be organized in strength and power.

Another member of this body made a similar explanation. To quote:

This council alluded to is the municipal department of the Kingdom of God set up on the earth, from which all law emanates, for the rule, government and control of all nations, kingdoms, and tongues and people under the whole heavens, but not to control the Priesthood, but to council, deliberate and plan for the general good and upbuilding of the Kingdom of God on the earth.

From the above statements it can be seen that the term Kingdom of God had reference to the complete program to be administered eventually by the powers of the priesthood. That program envisioned the development of both a Church and a State. Said John Taylor:

Was the kingdom that the Prophets talked about, that should be set up in the latter times, going to be a Church? Yes. And a state? Yes, it was going to be both Church and State. . . .

The foundation of the Kingdom of God rests in the priesthood. Joseph Smith explained that the Kingdom of God had been on the earth "whenever there has been a righteous man on earth unto whom God revealed His word and gave power and authority to administer in His name, and where there is a priest of God-a minister who has power and authority from God to administer in the ordinances of the gospel and officiate in the priesthood of God." As the basis of the kingdom of God, the priesthood was considered as having two functionaries to administer its law and carry out its program in the earth. The first of these organizations is the Church. As an instrument of the priesthood, it is dependent upon the priesthood for its power to officiate in the religious sphere of life. The second organizational tool of the priesthood is the Government of God, which functions in the political sphere of society.

As an instrument of the priesthood, the Church was to play an important role in producing the Government of God. Said Brigham Young:

The Church of Jesus Christ will produce this government, and cause it to grow and spread, and it will be a shield round about the Church. And under the influence and power of the Kingdom of God, the Church of God will rest secure and dwell in safety, without taking the trouble of governing and controlling the whole earth. The Kingdom of God will do this, it will control the kingdoms of the world.

Were the Church to fulfil its responsibility in establishing the Government of God all things would then be under the jurisdiction of the priesthood. Said John Taylor on this subject:

When the will of God is done on earth as it is in heaven, the priesthood will be the only legitimate ruling power under the whole heavens; for every other power and influence will be subject to it. When the millennium . . . is introduced all potentates, powers, and authorities-every man, woman, and child will be in subjection to the Kingdom of God; they will be under the power and dominion of the priesthood of God; then the will of God will be done on the earth as it is done in heaven.

Since the Church was to play an important role in establishing the Government of God on the earth, the organization of the Church has been considered as the beginning of the latter organization. Orson Pratt viewed matters in this light, and in 1872 declared:

Forty-two years ago, on the 6th day of April, the Prophet Joseph Smith was commanded by the Lord Almighty to organize the Kingdom of God on the earth for the last time-to set up and make a beginning-to form the nucleus of a Government that never should be destroyed from the earth, or, in other words, that should stand forever. . . . There is now organized on the earth a Government which never will be broken as former Governments have been. This will stand forever. It began very small-only six members were organized in this Government on Tuesday the 6th day of April, 1830. . . .

Brigham Young has already been quoted as stating that the constitution of the Government of God was given to Joseph Smith through revelation. Evidently that revelation clarified the principles upon which the new government was to rest, and how it was to be associated with the Church in the full program of the Kingdom of God. President Young and others referred on more than one occasion to the latter question, stating that the political organ "grows out of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but it is not the Church," The separate nature of the two organizations implied in his statement is amply attested; for instance, it has already been noted that, while the political kingdom had been established for governmental purposes, it was not to control the priesthood.

When the nucleus of the Government of God was first organized by the Prophet, Brigham Young reported that it had as members "several" men who "were not members of the Church." This fact of itself would indicate that the political organ was not to be identical with the Church. That this was right and proper Brigham Young explained:

. . . A man may be a legislator in that body which will issue laws to sustain the inhabitants of the earth in their individual rights and still not belong to the Church of Jesus Christ at all. And further though a man may not even believe in any religion it would be perfectly right, when necessary, to give him the privilege of holding a seat among that body which will make laws to govern all the nations of the earth and control those who make no profession of religion at all; for that body would be governed, controlled and dictated to acknowledge others in those rights which they wish to enjoy themselves.

Among others who understood Joseph Smith's views on this subject and expressed them from time to time was George Q. Cannon, who said:

We are asked, Is the Church of God, and the Kingdom of God the same organization? and we are informed that some of the brethren hold that they are separate.

This is the correct view to take. The Kingdom of God is a separate organization from the Church of God. There may be men acting as officers in the Kingdom of God who will not be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On this point the Prophet Joseph gave particular instructions before his death, and gave an example, which he asked the younger elders who were present to always remember. It was to the effect that men might be chosen to officiate as members of the Kingdom of God who had no standing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Kingdom of God when established will not be for the protection of the Church of Jesus Christ alone, but for the protection of all men, whatever their religious views or opinions may be. Under its rule, no one will be permitted to overstep the proper bounds or to interfere with the rights of others.

This concept of separation of Church and State was also emphasized when, following the death of Joseph Smith, George Miller and Alex Badlam wanted "to call together the Council of Fifty and organize the Church." In reply, "They were told that the Council of Fifty was not a Church organization, but was composed of members irrespective of their religious faith and organized for the purpose of consulting on the best manner of obtaining redress of grievances from our enemies, and to devise means to find and locate in some place where we could live in peace; and that the organization of the Church belonged to the Priesthood alone."

It should further be noted that, even though Joseph Smith and the Quorum of the Twelve were members of the General Council, those who were members, said Benjamin F. Johnson, did not include "all of the constituted authorities of the Church, for Presidents [Sidney] Rigdon, [William] Law or [William] Marks, the High Council, or presidents of quorums were not members of that council." The Council of Fifty was not merely a body of the leading authorities in the Church. Rigdon and Law were Joseph's Counselors in the First Presidency of the Church, and Marks was then president of the Nauvoo Stake.

According to Benjamin F. Johnson, the Prophet's "last charge" to the Quorum of the Twelve was made at a meeting of the General Council. At that time Joseph Smith indicated that the Church and the political kingdom were two separate bodies. Said Johnson of the Prophet:

. . . He stood before that association of his select friends, including all of the Twelve, and with great feeling and animation he graphically reviewed his life of persecution, labor and sacrifice for the church and the Kingdom of God, both of which he declared were now organized upon the earth, the burden of which had become too great for him longer to carry, that he was weary and tired with the weight he had so long borne, and he then said, with great vehemence: "And in the name of the Lord, I now shake from my shoulders the responsibility of bearing off the Kingdom of God to all the world, and here and now I place that responsibility, with all the keys, powers and privileges pertaining thereto, upon the shoulders of you the Twelve Apostles, in connection with this council; and if you will accept this, to do it, God shall bless you mightily and shall open your way; and if you do it not you will be damned.

Though the Church and the political government were held to be separate bodies, the fact that the latter was considered as growing "out of the Church" implies some sort of union between the two organizations. On the subject a prominent Mormon scholar wrote that "the Church must be regarded as part" of the political organization; "an essential indeed, for it is the germ from which the kingdom is to be developed, and the very heart of the organization." John Taylor also explained:

We talk sometimes about the church of God, and why? We talk about the Kingdom of God [i.e., the envisioned system with worldwide political authority], and why? Because, before there could be a kingdom of God, there must be a church of God, and hence the first principles of the gospel were needed to be preached to all nations, as they were formerly when the Lord Jesus Christ and others made their appearance on the earth. And why so? Because of the impossibility of introducing the law of God among a people who would not be subject to and be guided by the spirit of revelation. Hence the world have generally made great mistakes upon these points. They have started various projects to try to unite and cement the people together without God; but they could not do it. Fourierism, communism-another branch of the same thing-and many other principles of the same kind have been introduced to try and cement the human family together. And then we have had peace societies, based upon the same principles. But all these things have failed, and they will fail, because, however philanthropic, humanitarian, benevolent, or cosmopolitan our ideas, it is impossible to produce a true and correct union without the Spirit of the living God and the Spirit can only be imparted through the ordinances of the gospel. Hence Jesus told his disciples to go and preach the gospel to every creature. . . . It was by this cementing, uniting spirit, that true sympathetic, fraternal relations could be introduced and enjoyed.

A study of Mormon thought in light of the above church and state relationship indicates that several factors were held to be important in bringing about the development of the political kingdom, as it was to grow out of the Church. First, the Church was not accepted as merely a religious body, but as a society with a socio-religious and economic program similar to the ancient Zion of Enoch where the people were said to be of "one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness," and had "no poor among them." To develop such a system of brotherhood and union, the cementing faith and uniting powers of the gospel were held to be important. Individual faith sufficiently strong to release the power of God's Spirit into the lives of the people was accepted as the initial step in developing the necessary union. Repentance was necessary to reconcile the individual to God, that he might be at peace with his neighbor. Baptism, with its holy covenant to serve both God and men, was important to dedicate the people to brotherhood. And, finally, reception of spiritual light and truth through the gift of the Holy Ghost, as bestowed upon each individual through the powers of a living priesthood, was accepted as a vital key in developing each person toward a knowledge of all truth and the realization of full and mature brotherly union.

Thus united through the assistance of religious and spiritual forces, the society of Zion was expected to develop the new social and economic principles revealed through Joseph Smith. The successful achievement of this task may be said to be the second preliminary factor in developing the Church to the point where the political program of the kingdom might be developed. In achieving this goal, the society of Zion was expected to become "independent of every incumbrance beneath the celestial kingdom, by bonds and covenants of mutual friendship and mutual love." A revelation to Joseph Smith stated the need for Zion to attain such a condition of independence, that she might properly fulfil her political responsibilities. After speaking of the economic principles of the system, it said:

Behold, this is the preparation wherewith I prepare you, and the foundation, and the ensample which I give unto you whereby you may accomplish the commandments which are given you;

That through my providence, notwithstanding the tribulation which shall descend upon you, that the church may stand independent above all other creatures beneath the celestial world;

That you may come up unto the crown prepared for you and be made rulers over many kingdoms.

Thus united as a body of free men, the society of Zion was to become a standard of correct social organization. Centered at the focal point of interest in the newly developed world order, the Saints could, by the force of example, command the attention of all men, urging them to emulate the example that Zion set. Mormon literature is filled with statements to the effect that one day the wise and learned of the earth will come to Zion to learn of her ways that they might walk in her paths. One of the crying needs of the world is for such a standard as the Prophet envisioned to be developed fully and recognized by all men for its ability to cope with the social and economic problems of society without turning to the state and socializing its functions. The use of Zion's covenant system as such a standard must be recognized as a paramount feature in Joseph Smith's concept of a new world government based upon an unsocialized theory of government.

Finally, by developing the society of Zion as above indicated, there would be a stable and united body capable of initiating the political program of the kingdom on a theocratic basis. God could then dictate, through revelation, the affairs of His kingdom on earth. Only by a sufficient number of people acquiring a knowledge of the necessary spiritual truths and applying them in their lives could the Government of God be established upon the proper basis, under a true relationship with God.

The Latter-day Saint concept of a theocratic government was said to have little relationship to many theocracies of the past. Brigham Young explained as follows:

What do the world understand theocracy to be? A poor, rotten government of man, that would say, without the shadow of provocation or just cause, "Cut that man's head off; put that one on the racl, arrest another, and retain him in unlawful and unjust dress while you plunder his property and pollute his wife and daughters; massacre here and there." The Lord Almighty does nothing of that kind, neither does any man who is controlled by his Spirit.

The theocratic government organized by Joseph Smith was held to be a perfect instrument. Said Orson Pratt of the newly organized political organ:

There is a nucleus of a government, forme

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