28 July ^1860^
authority as the first A Bishop should have his councilers with him
on the trial of a case in order to make it Legal as it takes three to make
a Quorum. The High Priest could organize the Church in all its
parts if all other Authorities were dead for they have the Melchezedk
Priesthood out of which grow all of the Higher offices of the Church
An Apostle is the highest office in the Church & kingdom of God Joseph
Smith was a Prophet Seer & Revelator before he was baptized or
ordained, to the arAaronic Priesthood or had any Authority to adm-
inister in one of the ordinances of the house of the Lord He was afterw[ar]ds
ordained to the aAaronic Priesthood then to the Melchezedek priesthood
& Apostleship which is the highest office in the Church & kingdom
of God on Earth. when a man is ordained to the Apostleship &
keys thereoff if he dies in faith He will hold those keys to all Eternity
all the Prophets APatriarchs & Apostles who ever did or ever will
hold the keys of the Apostleship if faithful unto death will hold
them forever President Young was an Elder when he was ord[ai]ned
to be one of the Twelve Apostles some asked the Question how He
could officiate as an High Priest not having previsously been ord[ai]ned
a High Priest Joseph Said the Apostleship covered all the offices
of the High Priesthood, the same as a private member ord[ai]ned a
High Priest could officiate as a Deakon Teacher Priest or Elder
President Young said "I ordained most of the two or three first
Quorums of the Seventies and Joseph gave me vary particular
instructions to ordain them all High Priests which I did when
a man is ordained an High Priest Seventy or one of the Twelve He
can officiate in all the lesser offices of the Church whether He has been
ordained to that office or not. when I met with the Saints in
Nauvoo at the first meeting after Josephs death in defending
the true organization aga[in]st Sidney Rigdon I had it in my mind
all the time that there would have to be a presidency of three
Appointed but I knew the people could not bear it at the
time and on our return as the pioneers from the valley I
Broached the subject first to Brother Woodruff and afterwords
to the rest of the Quorum they received it & finally sustained it

I spent the afternoon in the office Journalizing

28 July 1860 authority as the first. A Bishop should have his councilers with him on the trial of a case in order to make it Legal as it takes three to make a Quorum. The High Priest could organize the Church in all its parts if all other Authorities were dead for they have the Melchezedek Priesthood out of which grow all of the Higher offices of the Church An Apostle is the highest office in the Church & kingdom of God Joseph Smith was a Prophet Seer & Revelator before he was baptized or ordained, to the Aaronic Priesthood or had any Authority to administer one of the ordinances of the house of the Lord. He was afterwards ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood then to the Melchezedek priesthood & Apostleship which is the highest office in the Church & kingdom of God on Earth. When a man is ordained to the Apostleship & keys thereoff if he dies in faith He will hold those keys to all Eternity all the Prophets Patriarchs & Apostles who ever did or ever will hold the keys of the Apostleship if faithful unto death will hold them forever. President Young was an Elder when he was ordained to be one of the Twelve Apostles some asked the Question how He could officiate as an High Priest not having previously been ordained a High Priest Joseph said the Apostleship covered all the offices of the High Priesthood, the same as a private member ordained a High Priest could officiate as a Deakon Teacher Priest or Elder President Young said "I ordained most of the two or three first Quorums of the Seventies and Joseph gave me vary particular instructions to ordain them all High Priests which I did when a man is ordained an High Priest Seventy or one of the Twelve He can officiate in all the lesser offices of the Church whether He has been ordained to that office or not. When I met with the Saints in Nauvoo at the first meeting after Josephs death in defending the true organization against Sidney Rigdon I had it in my mind all the time that there would have to be a Presidency of three Appointed but I knew the people could not bear it at the time and on our return as the pioneers from the valley I Broached the subject first to Brother Woodruff and afterwords to the rest of the Quorum they received it & finally sustained it

I spent the afternoon in the office Journalizing