LDS Priesthood Unveiled Appendix 1God.” Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris were assigned to pick the
first Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.^183 Joseph suffered
them to have what they wanted by their own hand.
When he could see that his arguments were futile, Joseph agreed to support the
choosing of twelve men as apostles. There was some discussion and argument about how
the choosing process would take place. “After making many remarks on the subject of
choosing the Twelve, [Joseph] wanted an expression from the brethren, if they would be
satisfied to have the Spirit of the Lord dictate in the choice of the Elders to be Apostles;
whereupon the Elders present expressed their anxious desire to have it so.”^184
Joseph adjourned the meeting so that he could go receive the “will of the Lord”
through another “revelation.” He took Hyrum with him and, once alone, the two lamented
greatly on what was about to take place. Neither man wanted to make a decision that each
knew was contrary to the true “holy order of God.” Hyrum strengthened Joseph and offered
his support in whatever Joseph thought was best. Hyrum knew that the men of the Church
would not settle down (quell their “anxious desire”) until they had their Twelve Apostles
and were given the “power to give the Holy Ghost.”
Hyrum reminded Joseph of an earlier “revelation” in which “the Lord” designated
Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer to “search out the Twelve, who shall have the desires
of which I have spoken.”^185 Joseph had forgotten what he said nearly six years previously in
June of 1829. He found his way out of personally having anything to do with choosing and
ordaining the Twelve. “Let them designate the men and ordain them as they so choose,” he
said. The Three Witnesses to the gold plates would make the decision and ordain the men.^186
Joseph had nothing to do with it at the time, except in fulfilling the mandate given him to
suffer them the desires of their hearts.
None of the Three Witnesses was ever part of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
When Cowdery, Whitmer, and Harris handpicked the men, they assumed that they would
be allowed a significant role in mandating what the quorum would do with their new “high
priesthood” authority. They soon found out that this was definitely not the case. After just a
few years of the Twelve exercising their new power and authority, the Three Witnesses
turned against the very men they chose as Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ and denounced
them all as evil men.
The modern LDS history has the events of February 14, 1835 recorded according to
their own warped spin, which coincides with what Mormons would have preferred to have
taken place. However, there are enough clues in their own history to leave one questioning
what really happened, and also to provide some sound evidence of what truly did.
The people wanted their Twelve Apostles. Joseph attempted to explain to the people
that this group of men was not needed to live the gospel, pointing out that the Church had
flourished “in spirit” for almost 5 years without a selected group of men set apart in the
“higher priesthood,” and that designating twelve men to more authority was not necessarily
needed. The men took out their Book of Mormon and showed that the Twelve must be given
“the power to give the Holy Ghost.” They expressed their concerns that, without the “high
priesthood,” the people could not properly receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Oliver Cowdery gave a “general charge” to the newly ordained Twelve. He
emphasized (ironically using the same words Christ used to describe the people before he
suffered them to organize a church among themselves^187 ) that “the people of this Church were
weak in faith compared with the ancients.” Oliver explained why “revelations from God”