Without Disclosing My True Identity
With what these three “Nephite” disciples “saw and heard,” and with the
knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven they had, “they did go forth upon
the face of the land, and did minister unto all the people, uniting as many to the church as
would believe in their preaching; baptizing them, and as many as were baptized did
receive the Holy Ghost.”^181
Explaining the real truth to Oliver and Hyrum, convinced these men at the time to
accept the “stumbling block” that Joseph would eventually allow the men of the Church to
place before themselves regarding the Melchizedek (higher) Priesthood. As mentioned
above, Joseph explained the code name that he would use for the “Three Nephites”: Peter,
James, and John. Not until 1837, just before he was excommunicated, did Oliver ever
question Joseph and the purpose of his mission as the “American Latter-day Moses.” Until
that time, Oliver had supported Joseph as Aaron supported Moses.
Hyrum had a different view altogether. Although he promised his undying loyalty
to his brother—that he would never divulge to a living soul the things Joseph confided in
him—he did not want any part of the presentation of the stumbling blocks. For this reason,
as explained, Hyrum was never mentioned as one who received the “glorious visions”
given to other early LDS leaders. Hyrum never claimed to have these “visions,” because he
knew they were invented and acted upon in the minds of those who received them,
motivated by the mandate given to his younger brother to give the people what they
wanted, even that which they desired. And because he understood the reasoning, Hyrum
never allowed himself to be caught up in the stumbling blocks placed by his brother—which
were placed only because the people desired something they did not understand. Rather, he
supported Joseph and what Joseph had been asked to do by the advanced human beings
overseeing the work, even until the day he died by his brother’s side.
The Latter-day Twelve Apostles
Although Joseph had tried futilely to explain it, Oliver Cowdery never quite grasped
the principle of “priesthood authority” and the true meaning behind “the power of the Holy
Ghost.” Early on, he started to bother Joseph about organizing an actual, authoritative
priesthood tribunal to oversee its power and authority. David Whitmer, who knew even less
than Oliver, agreed with Cowdery. To quiet their pestering, Joseph “received a revelation
from God.”^182 Oliver and David believed that the proper way was to appoint twelve men as
Christ had done in Jerusalem and in the land of Bountiful.
Joseph kept this “High Priesthood” from becoming a reality in the Mormon faith as
long as he could. In his “revelation” to Cowdery and Whitmer, Joseph had mentioned the
choosing of twelve designated men to work within “the holy order of God” as emissaries to
preach repentance and baptize. However, it was not until February, 1835, that Joseph finally
submitted to the will of the people and gave them their own set of Twelve Apostles, fully
ordained as “High Priests”—and he wanted nothing to do with choosing them.
Unbeknownst to everyone except Hyrum, Joseph was distraught and greatly disturbed that
he had to suffer this to be.
As was the case with everything about the democratic church, Joseph allowed the
men to finalize their own understanding of what constituted the “high priesthood.”
Because Cowdery and Harris believed that they could do as the Lord had instructed,
and choose the right men to comprise the quorum, Joseph allowed them. He did not
want his own hand in something that he knew was contrary to the true “holy order of