| 542 "'Sunday, February 15, the congregation again assembled.
"'President Cowdery made some observations upon the nature of the meetings, calling upon the Lord for his assistance....
"'President Cowdery then called forward Orson Hyde, David W. Patten, and Luke Johnson, and proceeded to their ordinations and blessings. [Also those of McLellin, Boynton, and William Smith.] . . .
"'Kirtland, February 21, 1835. Pursuant to adjournment, a meeting of the church was held; and, after prayer by President David Whitmer, and a short address by President Oliver Cowdery to the congregation, Elder Parley P. Pratt was called to the stand, and ordained one of the Twelve, by President Joseph Smith, Jr., David Whitmer, and Oliver Cowdery. . . .
"'Thomas B. Marsh and Orson Pratt were absent on a mission.
"'Elder Marsh returned to Kirtland on the 25th of April, and Elder Pratt on the 26th, and received their ordinations and blessing....
"'The following charge was given to the Twelve by President O. Cowdery: Dear brethren, previous to delivering the charge, I shall read a part of a revelation. It is known to you that previous to the organizing of this church in 1830 the Lord gave revelations, or the church could not have been organized. The people of this church were weak in faith compared with the ancients. Those who embarked in this cause were desirous to know how the work was to be conducted. They read many things in the Book of Mormon, concerning their duty, and the way the great work ought to be done; but the minds of men are so constructed that they will not believe without a testimony of seeing or hearing. The Lord gave us a revelation that in process of time, there should be twelve men chosen to preach his gospel to Jew and Gentile. Our minds have been on a constant stretch, to find who these twelve were: when the time should come we could not tell; but we sought the Lord by fasting and prayer, to have our lives prolonged to see this
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