4b All are not acceptable unto me as servants, nevertheless I will that all may be saved, but every man in his own order, and there are some who are chosen instruments to be ministers to their own race. Be ye content, I the Lord have spoken it.
DC 117 Intro: SECTION 117
As he approached the annual conference of 1873, President Smith was deeply concerned that he was again the only member of the First Presidency (Counselor William Marks had died in May 1872) and that the death of Apostle Samuel Powers in February 1873 had left the Quorum of Twelve with but five members. This concern was shared by the remaining members of the Twelve, and these were joined by a number of the Seventy in requesting that the prophet seek divine guidance.
In presenting the following revelation to the elders of the church, President Smith stated that it had been received "in answer to long and continued and earnest prayer to God upon the condition of the Quorums of the Church."
The revelation was approved by the available apostles and, on April 10, 1873, was endorsed by the conference. With the ordination of William Wallace Blair and David H. Smith, as provided for in this instruction, the quorum of the First Presidency was now complete for the first time since the reorganization of the church. This was also the first time in the Reorganization that members of the Twelve had been called by revelation through the President of the Church. Prior to this time, and on occasions in the early church, members of the Twelve had been selected by committees.
1 Hearken to the voice of the Spirit, O ye elders of my church; the prayers of my people have prevailed with me.
2 Behold, it is wisdom in me, and expedient in my church that the chief quorums should be more nearly filled, and their organization more nearly completed. Thus saith the Spirit.
3a Let my servants, William W. Blair and David H. Smith, be chosen and ordained to be counselors to my servant, the presiding elder of my church.
3b Let them be set apart to this office by the laying on of hands by my servants whose duty it is to ordain and set in order the officers of my church;
3c and let my servants, the president of the high priests' quorum and the president of the lesser priesthood, also lay their hands upon these their brethren who are to be counselors, but let my servants of the Twelve be the spokesmen.
4a Let my servants William H. Kelley, Thomas W. Smith, James Caffall, John H. Lake, Alexander H. Smith, Zenas H. Gurley, and Joseph R. Lambert, be chosen as especial witnesses, even of the Quorum of Twelve, for they are called thereunto, that they may take this ministry upon them.
4b Let them be ordained and set apart to this office by the laying on of the hands of my servants Joseph Smith, Jason W. Briggs, and William W. Blair.
5 Verily, I say unto you, If these my servants will henceforth magnify their calling in honor before me, they shall become men of power and excellent wisdom in the assemblies of my people.
6 Let the names of my servants Daniel B. Rasey and Reuben Newkirk be taken from the record of the Quorum of the Twelve and placed with the records of the names of the elders, and let them labor as elders, and their labors will be accepted by me.
