[Brigham Young Sermon]
.... On Tuesday last, I heard that elder Rigdon had a meeting the night previous, and had ordained men to be prophets, priests and kings. I concluded to go and see elder Rigdon, and asked elder Hyde to go with me. We went into his house, and after the usual compliments, I set down directly opposite him, and took hold of his hand. I looked him right in the face and asked him if he had a meeting last night, here, in which men were ordained to be prophets, priests and kings? He replied no, we had no meeting here; had we brother Soby?
"Well, did you have a meeting anywhere, brother Rigdon, in which men were ordained to be prophets, priests and kings?"
"Well, I don't know; did we have a meeting last night, brother Soby? Yes, I believe there was one last night; wasn't there brother Soby, up at your house?"
I saw the disposition of elder Rigdon to conceal the truth and equivocate, and I determined to know the whole secret. I said to him again, "Elder Rigdon, did you not ordain those men at that meeting last night?"
He replied, "yes, I suppose I did."
I then asked brother Rigdon, by what authority he ordained prophets, priests and kings?
With a very significant air he replied "oh, I know all about that!"
I will not attempt to describe the feelings I had, nor the look of his countenance, but he equivocated very much. He said there was no meeting here last night, and then finally said, I believe there was a meeting at brother Soby's. I questioned him till he acknowledged that they ordained men to be prophets, priests and kings.
I then asked brother Rigdon; "do you not think, really, that you hold keys and authority above any man, or set of men in this church, even the Twelve?"
Says he, "I never taught any such doctrine, did I, brother Soby?"
Says I, "brother Rigdon, tell me the truth, do you not think so?"
He replied, "yes I do."
Says I, "that tells the whole story. Brother Joseph never undertook such important business as you are engaged in, without consulting his brethren, and especially the Twelve, if they were present." I felt delicate in asking elder Rigdon these questions, but I knew it was my duty to find out the secret of the whole matter. To evade answering the questions put to him, he finally said don't crowd upon my feelings too much; my feelings are tender, and I don't wish to be crowded. ...
President Young said further that the Twelve are to be regarded as witnesses in this trial, and not judges. We present ourselves before the High Council as witnesses, and we are prepared to bring other testimony forward if necessary. There may be some who will say that this is not a fair trial, because the opposite party are not here. They have had sufficient notice and time to make their objections, and if they don't appear to make their defence it will prove to me that they are guilty. Elder Rigdon has not conducted himself like a man of God, he has not conducted like a prophet of God, nor a counsellor to the first president, since he came here. We prefer these charges against him, and the High Council will be obliged to act. [Nauvoo, Illinois - T&S 5:647-649]
[Elden J. Watson, ed. Brigham Young Addresses, 1801-1877: A Chronological Compilation of Known Addresses of the Prophet Brigham Young, 6 vols. (Salt Lake City: Privately published, 1971)]
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