| 211 Of this conference, and the events following, Elder Briggs writes:-
"This closed the business of the conference, and after some desultory remarks and exhortations from Bro. Z. H. Gurley and others, it adjourned on the evening of June 13, after a session of two days, to meet at the Yellowstone branch of the church, in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, on the 6th of October following.
"The position taken by this conference was, it must be seen, an anomalous one. All similar assemblages or bodies convened and acted under the call of a leader or head; but this acknowledged none. Others were the results of a professed head. This was a preceding, or preparatory to an expected head; and the epithet of being 'a headless body' was freely cast at the brethren. Yet to them was visible the tokens of divine care, which, like the cloud of the size 'of a man's hand' to the ancient prophet, confirmed their faith, that what had been promised would surely be fulfilled, in 'the due time of the Lord.' And they were determined to wait and prepare for that 'time.'"-The Messenger, vol. 2, p. 9.
There was no intention at this time of organizing a new church, but these men were acting as members and officers of the original church, regulating and setting in order the church, according to the law, as they understood it, and in harmony with instruction given to them. Elder Jason W. Briggs in his testimony in Temple Lot suit stated:-
"There were quite a number of elders and members there, but just how many I could not say. There was no action taken at that conference looking towards the reorganization, further than to adopt resolutions declaring our rejection of the different leaders, and stating that we stood in the expectation of one of the sons of Joseph Smith assuming the leadership of the church at some time in the future, and that is the position [in which] the church would stand, accepting the leadership of no one.
"There were no steps taken looking towards the disciplining of members of the church who had been teaching false
(page 211) |
