3b to comfort the Saints; to be a father to the church; to give counsel and advice to individuals who may seek for such; to lay on hands for the conferment of spiritual blessing, and if so led, to point out the lineage of the one who is blessed.
4a He is to be free from responsibility--ministerial--as a traveling minister, and from the care of the local branch or church and district affairs.
4b When traveling and preaching, holding revival meetings, he is to labor in connection with the branch and district officers, not subject to the ministerial control of the missionary in charge, except he should transcend his bounds and teach false doctrine or be found in transgression.
4c He is not to meddle with branch affairs or district affairs.
4d He is not to listen to complaints made by individuals to him, but if persons insist upon presenting their troubles, he is to request them and require them to make them in writing, signing the name, giving time, place, and character of the trouble, with the witnesses, which it will be his duty to present to the branch or district officers, as the case may require.
4e He is not to be put in charge of either branch or district. These are the privileges which attach to the office of patriarch and evangelical minister.
5a The Presiding Patriarch is to be considered the first, and when patriarchs meet in council, is to preside.
5b Besides these duties, the patriarch may meet with quorums in their quorum meetings, where he may be asked for counsel, but will not have either voice or vote, except by courtesy, having no direct control of quorums.
6a Other evangelical ministers beside the Presiding Patriarch have similar duties in the districts where they are appointed.
6b Revelations have been given, as my people know, that these men should receive ordination, but hitherto those upon whom this burden has lain have neglected, for the reason that they did not understand the duties and prerogatives that attach to the office. Let my servants take heed and hesitate no longer.
7a My servant was directed to present to the church rules of representation, and he so stated to the body at different times that he was so led; but the conferences of my people saw proper to change these articles and rules of representation, and propositions are pending that they be still further changed.
