took Angels to ordain a man like him. But we have no record that James
should appoint a man to fill his place. Yet we can tell our friends, who held the
highest Priesthood in the Church at the death of James.

Nov. 6, 1846, James J. Strang was commanded to go and anoint and ordain
Joseph Smith, the son of the martyr, to the same Priesthood his uncle Hiram
held. We have all the proof we want that James did obey God. And that left
the son of Joseph as one of the Presidents of the Church, and the Book of Rules
says in case of death of either of the 1st Presidents, the other shall preside until
the vacancy is filled. This was the situation of the church at the death of James.
So that by the virtue of the ordination Joseph obtain under the hands of James
and no other ordination. We hold him the legal President of the Church from
the death of James to this day.

Let those that want light on this last statement, get the Revelation of Nov.
6, 1846. That will tell on what young Joseph stands, and on what he don't
stand. Then I am questioned as to why I don't join the Gurley & Briggs Re-
form, handled now by young Joseph, my reply is: I was baptised in 1842, stood
by Joseph until death, then I accepted James, and stood by him until he was
shot; then when I learned that James did obey God and did anoint and ordain
the youth, I have identified him as the President and Patriarch as was Hyram
Smith, and I have nothing to join or disjoin. I stand in the same church that I
was baptised into in 1842. If this church will not save men and me, I fear that
one got up by men that accuse Joseph of lying and not doing as he promised,
will be no help to me.

I hold Mr. Smith as President of the Church, yet he don't hold the degrees
of Priesthood that Joseph did; he don't hold the keys of Mysteries; he don't
hold the Sceptre in his hand as did Strang, yet he will stand as President until
God removes him and sends another. But says one, "How can you hold him as
President, when he will not identify you in the Priesthood you obtained under
James?" What need I care how he holds me or don't hold me, when I know
what I have got and what he has. I am not a Republican, yet I will hold Har-
rison as President whether he pleases me or not, until his term is out. Yet I
will not endorse his veto or Bills he don't veto. I will stand back and say, Mr.
Harrison, go on, your time will run out! So I say of young Joseph, go ahead, I
will not adopt nor endorse your teachings. But I will say to all men, that he is
the President and only man in all the earth that holds Keys as did Hyram Smith.
I am just as well satisfied that young Joseph is doing the work, as that John the
Baptist, yet his people teach many things contrary to the order of God's
House.

I set my hand to this expecting to meet God and my fellows, wishing
all honest people well and no harm.

Truly and sincerely,

L. D. Hickey.
Coldwater, Mich., June 15, 1891.

took Angels to ordain a man like him. But we have no record that James should appoint a man to fill his place. Yet we can tell our friends, who held the highest Priesthood in the Church at the death of James.

Nov. 6, 1846, James J. Strang was commanded to go and anoint and ordain Joseph Smith, the son of the martyr, to the same Priesthood his uncle Hiram held. We have all the proof we want that James did obey God. And that left the son of Joseph as one of the Presidents of the Church, and the Book of Rules says in case of death of either of the 1st Presidents, the other shall preside until the vacancy is filled. This was the situation of the church at the death of James. So that by the virtue of the ordination Joseph obtain under the hands of James and no other ordination. We hold him the legal President of the Church from the death of James to this day.

Let those that want light on this last statement, get the Revelation of Nov. 6, 1846. That will tell on what young Joseph stands, and on what he don't stand. Then I am questioned as to why I don't join the Gurley & Briggs Reform, handled now by young Joseph, my reply is: I was baptised in 1842, stood by Joseph until death, then I accepted James, and stood by him until he was shot; then when I learned that James did obey God and did anoint and ordain the youth, I have identified him as the President and Patriarch as was Hyram Smith, and I have nothing to join or disjoin. I stand in the same church that I was baptised into in 1842. If the church will not save men and me, I fear that one got up by men that accuse Joseph of lying and not doing as he promised, will be no help to me.

I hold Mr. Smith as President of the Church, yet he don't hold the degrees of Priesthood that Joseph did; he don't hold the keys of Mysteries; he don't hold the Sceptre in his hand as did Strang, yet he will stand as President until God removes him and sends another. But says one, "How can you hold him as President, when he will not identify you in the Priesthood you obtained under James?" What need I care how he holds me or don't hold me, when I know what I have got and what he has. I am not a Republican, yet I will hold Harrison as President whether he pleases me or not, until his term is out. Yet I will not endorse his veto or Bills he don't veto. I will stand back and say, Mr. Harrison, go on, your time will run out! So I say of young Joseph, go ahead, I will not adopt nor endorse your teachings. But I will say to all men, that he is the President and only man in all the earth that holds Keys as did Hyram Smith. I am just as well satisfied that young Joseph is doing the work, as that John the Baptist, yet his people teach many things contrary to the order of God's House.

I set my hand to this expecting to meet God and my fellows, wishing all honest people well and no harm.

Truly and sincerely,

L. D. Hickey. Coldwater, Mich., June 15, 1891.