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Source: Church History Vol. 3 Chapter 12 Page: 251 (~1860)

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251 was then ordained President of the High Priesthood of the Church, under the hands of Elders Z. H. Gurley, Sen., of the Quorum of Twelve, and William Marks, of the High Priests, according to the minutes of the conference. 3 This ordination was previously ordered by the unanimous vote of the conference.

The ordination of Joseph Smith has been considered irregular upon the assumption that it was a case where the lesser ordained the greater, but the defenders of this ordination reply by citing that in 1831 elders ordained high priests. (See this work, vol. 1, pp. 193, 194.) Again, the first President of the Church was ordained, as President of the High Priesthood, in a very similar manner to the ordination now under consideration. It was in a conference where no higher authority was present than that of high priest. (This work, vol. 1, p. 244.) In the case now in question, though the apostolic authority be denied, it cannot be denied that William Marks was a high priest in the days of the Martyr, and hence held the same authority by which Joseph the Martyr was ordained. The objector has replied that William Marks was expelled from the church, but the evidence of this expulsion has been and is challenged by the Reorganized Church. The vision of Joseph Smith is also cited as evidence that William Marks was to triumph and receive the approval of God. (See this work, vol. 2, p. 147.)

To prove that the lesser cannot ordain the greater, the objector sometimes uses the argument that a stream cannot rise higher than its fountain. It is answered, that to locate the fountain of the priesthood in the man ordaining, is a mistake, as he is only the channel through which the priesthood flows. The fountain is in God. A stream can be forced upward in a channel, providing the fountain is higher

3 Elder W. W. Blair, in his journal, under date of April 6, 1860, states: "Conference convened at Amboy in the Mechanics Hall. In the afternoon Joseph Smith claimed his right to the Presidency of the church stating in his address, which was delivered most of the time in tears that he had come to the conference by a higher power than that of man. He was ordained under the hands of Z. H. Gurley, [Sen.,] Samuel Powers, William W. Blair, apostles, and William Marks, high priest."

(page 251)

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