[1] P.M. Law and prophets were until John & 16 Luke 16 v. Joseph preached introduction. It has gone abroad that I was no longer a prophet.—I said it Ironically. I supposed you would all understand. I[t] was not that I would renounce the idea of being a prophet. but that I would renounce the idea of proclaiming myself such. and saying that I bear the testimony of Jesus [2]

No greater love than that a man lay down his life for his friends. [3] I discover 100s & 1000s—ready to do it for me.

In the midst of business. & find the spirit willing but the flesh is weak [4] subject to like passions with other men. [5]—

although I am under the necessity of bearing the infirmities of other men, &c.—on the other hand the same characters when they discover a weakness in brother Joseph. blast his character &c—all that law &c through him to the church.—he cannot be borne with a moment. men mouth my troubles when I have trouble they forget it all I believe in a principle of reciprosiprocity—if we live in a devilish world—&c—

I see no faults in the church.—Let me be resurrected with the saints whether to heaven or hell or any other good place—good society. what do we care if the society is good? [6] dont care what a character is if he's my friend.—a friend a true friend. & I will be a friend to him friendship is the grand fundamental principle of Mormonism, to revolution civilize the world.—pour forth love. friendship like Bro Turley [7] Blacksmith Shop. I do not dwell upon your faults. you shall not upon mine. after you have covered up all the faults among you the prettyest thing is have no faults at all.— meek, quiet, &c.—Presbyterians any truth. embrace that. Baptist. Methodist &c. get all the good in the world. come out a pure Mormon.

Last Monday morning certain men came to me.—Bro Joseph Hyrum is no prophet he cant lead the church. you must lead the Church—if you resign I felt curious—& said—here we learn in a priesthood after the order of Melchisedeck—Prophet priest & king. & I will advance from prophet to priest & then to King [8] not to the kingdoms of this earth but of the most high god.

If I should would there be a great many disappointed in Mo? Law & prophets &c. Suffereth violence & the violent taketh it by force [9]—heaven and earth shall pass away. [10] &c says Christ. he was the rock &c. [11]—gave the law [12] 30 Ex. 30.31. and thou shalt anoint Aron &c. last Chap Ex 15. and thou shalt anoint them &c. [13]—a tittle of law which must be fulfilled. [14]—forever hereditary.—fixed on the head of aron. down to Zachariah—the father of John. Zachariah had no child had not God gave him a son? Sent his angel to declare a son Name John. with the keys. [15]—John King and lawgiver

The Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence & The kingdom of heaven continueth in authority. beareth suffereth violence until John. the authority taketh it by absolute power.. John having the power.—take the kingdom by authority. [16]—

How do you know all this gr[eat] knowledge? by the gift of the H.G. arrested the kingdom from the Jews of these stony Gentils [17] these dogs to raise up children unto Abraham

John I must be baptized by you. why to answer my decrees John refuses—Jesus had no legal administrator before John. [18] No salvation between the two lids of the bible without a legal administrator

Tis contrary to a governors oath to send a man to Mo. where he is prescribed in his religious opinions.—

Jesus was then the legal administrator.—& ordained his apostles. [19]

I will resume the subject at some future time.—

James Burgess Notebook

Luke 16 chap 16 verse. The Law and the Prophets were untill John since then the Kingdom of Heaven is preached and all men press into it. We will go back to Mount Scinia where Jesus gave the Law to Moses Exodus 30 chap 30 verse also the last chap 15 verse. [20] The preisthood was given to Aron and his posterity throughout all generations We can trace the leanage down to Zachariah he being the only lawfull administrator in his day and the jews knew it well for they always acknowledge the priesthood. and Zachariah having no children. knew that the promise of God must fail, consequently he went into the Temple to wrestle with God according to the order of the preisthood [21] to obtain a promise of a son, and when the Angel told him that his promise was granted he because of unbelief was struck dumb. [22] And when the set time was come John came forth and when he took up his preisthood, he came bounding out of the wilderness saying repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. [23] he having received the holy anointing was the only lawful administrator and the jews all knew it for the law and the prophets was untill John since then the kingdom of heaven is preached and all men press into it! [24] Why! Why John because John was the only lawful administrator and they the Jews well knew it. consequently the only alternative was for them to yeild obedience to mandates of this wild man of the woods, namely John or be damned. For all Jerusalem and all Judea came out to be babtised of John, [25] sadusees, pharasees, Essenees &c For untill John was the law and the prophets, since then the kingdom of heaven is preached and all men press into it. [26] The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by forse. [27] Now I will translate a little, the kingdom of heaven hath power and authority and by that they take or enter legally and lawfully the kingdom of heaven.

J S Prophet

Franklin D. Richards "Scriptural Items"

July 23 Joseph said after reading Matt 11-12 & Luke 16-16 Heaven & Earth might pass but not a jot or tittle of the Law should read Exodus 40-15 Anointing of Aaron & his sons and shewed that all the Power & Authority & Anointing descended upon the head of John the Baptist or "The Government shall be upon his shoulders" [28] This was virtually acknowledged by all Judea & they of Jersualem coming out to be baptised of him [29] & the rendering the Texts is "The Kingdom continueth in authority or Law & the Authority or legality (which belonged to John) took it by force or wrested it from the Jews to be delivered to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.["] [30]

Levi Richards Diary

23 July warm & dry … P.M. J Smith spoke 1 hour & 25 Minutes—Text, Luke 16-16.

Willard Richards Diary

Meeting Hyrum—Joseph.

—23 July 1843

Notes

[1] See History of the Church, 5:516-18, and Teachings, pp. 314-17. The original source for these reports is the Joseph Smith Diary, by Willard Richards. The accounts of this discourse by James Burgess, Franklin D. Richards, Levi Richards, and Willard Richards (personal diary) are here published for the first time. Another version of this discourse, based on the Joseph Smith Diary, was prepared by unknown author and included by Joseph Fielding Smith in Teachings, pp. 318-19.

[2] Revelation 19:10.

[3] John 15:13.

[4] Matthew 26:41.

[5] James 5:17. See also Acts 14:15 (11-15).

[6] The humorous hyperbole the Church historians created from this terse statement apparently was familiar to and not taken so lightly by William Law, the Prophet's first counselor in the First Presidency. In the Nauvoo Expositor (7 June 1844), p. 2, Law says, "He often [said] that we [the Saints] would all go to Hell together, and convert it into a heaven, by casting the Devil out" (cf. History of the Church, 5:517, or Teachings, p. 316).

[7] Theodore Turley (1801-71) joined the Church in Upper Canada. He operated a gunsmith shop in Nauvoo.

[8] See 16 July 1843 (2), note 15.

[9] JST Luke 16:16-23. See Luke 16:16 and Matthew 11:12-13.

[10] Luke 16:17. See also D&C 1:38.

[11] 1 Corinthians 10:4 (1-4).

[12] 3 Nephi 15:15.

[13] Exodus 40:15.

[14] Matthew 5:18; Luke 16:17.

[15] Luke 1:11-17 (5-17); D&C 84:18, 25-28.

[16] Matthew 11:12.

[17] The JST Luke 3:13* conveys the idea that the promises of Abraham could be extended beyond the house of Israel. Here, however, Joseph Smith goes beyond the manuscripts of the Inspired Version of the Bible identifies the "stones" mentioned in Luke 3:8 as "gentiles." Regarding Joseph's reference to "dogs" as "gentiles," see Jesus' comments to the Greek woman in Mark 7:27 (24-30). Cf. Matthew 15:26 (21-28).

[18] That is, Jesus had no "legal administrator" of priesthood ordinances to turn to for his baptism other than John the Baptist. See Matthew 3:13-17; 11:7-19; Luke 7:26-28 [24-35]; 1 Nephi 11:27; D&C 84:27-28.

[19] Matthew 10:1; John 15:16.

[20] Exodus 40:15.

[21] Luke 1:8-11. While the Melchizedek Priesthood keys would enable direct intercourse with God, Zacharias holding the Aaronic Priesthood had the keys of access to the ministering of angels (see D&C 84:19-26; 107:18-20). See 21 March 1841, note 26.

[22] Luke 1:13, 18, 20 (11-20).

[23] Matthew 3:1-2.

[24] There is no passage of scripture indicating that John received this anointing. However, D&C 84:28 states that John "was ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight days old unto this power, to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews, and to make straight the way of the Lord" (Luke 16:16).

[25] Matthew 3:1, 4-6 (1-6).

[26] Luke 16:16.

[27] Matthew 11:12. See JST Luke 16:16-23.

[28] Isaiah 9:6. According to the Willard Richards version of this discourse, Joseph Smith said that "John [was] King and lawgiver." When John's mission was complete, Jesus became "King and lawgiver," to fulfill the Messianic prophecy.

[29] Matthew 3:5-6 (1-6).

[30] Matthew 11:12; 21:43.