474 "From your brethren and fellow-laborers in the kingdom of God, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
"J. W. BRIGGS, President of the Twelve.
"I. L. ROGERS, Presiding Bishop."
"We, the Quorum of the Twelve, in view of the wants of the cause in which we are engaged, after careful, protracted, and prayerful deliberation touching the same, and the law under which such wants can only be supplied, and to answer our consciences towards God, and towards the church, have adopted the following resolution:-
"Resolved that we regard the law of consecration and tithing as a means of fully establishing equality among the saints in the building up of Zion, as the kingdom of God, to which we look for the coming of the Lord Jesus to reign a thousand years upon the earth. But the scattered condition of the church precludes the carrying out of the law in its fullness. Yet the present necessities of the work do require a portion of tithing and consecrations, and we believe that the tithing now required is one tenth of the properties of all who possess a surplus; afterward, one tenth of their annual interest annually. Others not having more than supplies their necessities, are expected to bring their freewill offerings, as the widow brought her mite.
"By order of the Quorum of Twelve,
JASON W. BRIGGS, President.
"NAUVOO, April 8, 1867."
-The Saints' Herald, vol. 11, pp. 145-147.
In April the Quorum of Twelve met at Nauvoo, Illinois, and passed resolutions on the marriage covenant and other important subjects. 3
3 Resolved that while we recognize the validity of the marriage contract entered into before coming into the church, we also recognize the validity of divorces by the courts, touching those same contracts, except in the case pointed out in paragraph 20 of section 42, Doctrine and Covenants, wherein the parties who are the cause of the separation are the offenders: and further, that while the injured party remains unmarried, the offender is not entitled to baptism.
Resolved that no conference has power or authority to send a traveling ministry beyond its own jurisdiction
Resolved that the whole traveling ministry are under the direction of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve.
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