| 791 the earth, which contained all the highest authorities of the church. As you will readily see, that had not the fifty constituted the highest authorities, it would have been a species; of weakness to have ordained all the highest authorities into that number. The fifties assembled should have called on all the authorities of the church down to the laymembers from all the face of the earth, as much as was convenient, and after having taken sweet counsel together, in prayer and supplication before God, acknowledged our sins and transgressions which had caused our head to be taken from our midst; and then have called on young Joseph, and held him up before the congregation of Israel to take his father's place in the flesh! Then should he have received intelligence of our forgiveness of our sins and transgressions, and we had then went on and finished the temple according to revelations of God, and the words of his servants-then should we so have done-then should the fifty have sallied forth unto all the world, and built up according to the pattern which Bro. Joseph had given; the Twelve to have acted in two capacities, one in opening the gospel in all the world, and organizing churches; and then what would have been still greater, to have counseled in the Grand Council of heaven, in gathering in the house of Israel and establishing Zion to be thrown down no more forever. In this way the church might have moved smoothly on, and onward, until the final redemption of Zion, and the building of the great temple therein."
Elder Wight died March 30, 1858, near San Antonio, Texas.
He maintained the views herein expressed unto the end. 1
1 As further evidence that Elder Wight previously taught the same, we quote from Gospel Herald (Strang's organ) published at Voree, Wisconsin, August 31, 1848:-
"Lyman Wight seems to cherish the idea that is ignorantly held out by some others, that Joseph, the Prophet's son, will yet come up and take his father's original place in the church, as the prophet to the church: whereas there is not one single word in all the Book of Doctrine and Covenants to warrant the idea."-Prophetic Controversy, No. 2, p. 17.
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