| 663 until the day of redemption and will be impossible to get it off. You will perceive by this prophesy, that all this has to come upon him. He will stumble and be cast into the mire; his family will stray away, &c. I think enough has been said to make the matter plain to the minds of the people. He has come and lied in the name of the Lord. He has told me two stories. He said he wanted to form an intimacy with the Twelve, but he has never taken one step to do it, but has in every instance, endeavored to shun them. The Devil has blinded his eyes, and he has endeavored to blind the minds of the people against those revelations that have been our guide since we came into this church. Those revelations that said we should build the temple, in order to save ourselves and our dead, and bring to pass those keys and blessings which will secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessing which all, since the days of Adam, had lived and died for. The Lord has said that the church would be able to judge those who were prophets and those who were not. The first thing Elder Rigdon endeavored to press upon the minds of the people, was the idea that it belonged to some person to rise up and build up the church to Joseph Smith, but there is no such thing written in the Bible, or the Book of Mormon, or the book of Doctrine and Covenants. This church has been built up to Jesus Christ, and Joseph Smith always taught us that there is no other name whereby we can be saved but in and through the name of Jesus Christ.
It is one part of the portion of this people to be tried to the centre [center,] and you will learn to judge men when they come before you. There will be men who cannot endure a celestial law, and consequently, they cannot obtain a celestial glory. Brother Sidney is endeavoring to draw off a party , and he will be like those who are spoken of in the vision: some for Paul, some for Apollos, some for Cephas, &c., and many will have to go to outer darkness and there tarry till they have paid the uttermost farthing. Is there one person here who wishes to barter away a certainty for an uncertainty and go to perdition? If any man come to you to lay on hands suddenly, dont [don't] suffer them to do it, lest you be deceived. Recollect this-"an apostle is an elder" and he has the authority to ordain elders, priests, &c. Be wise and lay hands suddenly on no man; neither suffer any one to lay hands suddenly on you. It takes a majority of any quorum, according to the order of God, as declared in the Doctrine and Covenan s, [Covenants] which I hold in my hand, and the common consent of the whole church, to make any act valid; every ordination, therefore made by Sidney Rigdon, he being one only out of a quorum of three, even if he had not otherwise transgressed, is illegal. I therefore, in the authority of the holy priesthood, and as one who cannot look upon sin with any degree of allowance, declare his late revelations, and his extraordinary ordinations of prophets, priests and kings among the gentiles, holding the keys of David,-of the devil; and let all the people say: Amen.
Elder Heber C. Kimball arose and said he was sick and could scarcely speak, but he could not forbear to offer his testimony on this subject. You have already had the testimony of my brethren, and I feel disposed to offer my testimony. I have been in all their councils since they returned home. I was with the brethren at Elder Rigdon's last Tuesday, but I don't know that I can do any thing more than confirm what they have said. They have related things as they transpired, as near as I can recollect, and I cannot do more than confirm their testimony. As to Elder Rigdon's course there is scarce any one that can give a relation of it. Elder Rigdon is a man I have always respected as a man, but I have not respected his course for more than five years past.-Brethren, I have known his course and was aware of it all the while. When I have gone abroad to preach and have returned again, I would not have the privilege of sleeping, before Brother Joseph would call us to council; and there is not a thing of importance which was ever done, but Brother Joseph counselled [counseled] with us. Elder Rigdon after he came from Pittsburg [Pittsburgh] never attended council only when he could not avoid it. He has no authority only what he receives from the church, if he was one with us, why was he not in our councils? He was not in the council pertaining to the High Priesthood until just before he started for Pittsburgh. Brother Phelps was the means of bringing him in, but he has not got the same authority as others; there are more than thirty men who have got higher authority than he has. Elder Rigdon has intimated that if we opposed him we should have a mob on us-Brethren, if I have to be martyred for the truth, amen to it! If I have to go as Joseph and Hyrum did, it will be a short work. Elder Rigdon has not been in good standing as a counsellor [counselor] to Brother Joseph for some years. Brother Joseph shook him off at the conference a year ago, he said he would carry him no more; if the church wanted to carry him they might, but he should not. Joseph said, he had no more authority in his office as a counsellor [counselor]. Elder
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