180 years ago today - Jul 23, 1843

Joseph Smith "clarifies" his recent statement that he was resigning his prophet's mantle and giving it to his Brother Hyrum: "Last Monday morning certain brethren came to me and said they could hardly consent to receive Hyrum as a prophet, and for me to resign. But I told them, "I only said it to try your faith; and it is strange, brethren, that you have been in the Church so long, and not yet understand the Melchizedek Priesthood." Joseph's "resignation" was a temporary tactic to allow Hyrum to instruct the Saints to vote for a different candidate than the one to whom Joseph had previously committed his support. Joseph also states: "we learn in [the church about] a priesthood after the order of Melchizedek-Prophet, Priest and King, and I will advance from Prophet to Priest and then to King not to the kingdoms of this Earth but of the most High God."