“Sidney
Rigdon, First Counselor in the First Presidency, arrived [in Nauvoo] from
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on 3 August 1844. In the year before this time, he
had begun taking a course contrary to the counsel of the Prophet Joseph Smith
and had become estranged from the Church. He refused to meet with the three
members of the Twelve already in Nauvoo and instead spoke to a large group of
the Saints assembled for their Sunday worship service” (Our Heritage: A Brief
History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [1996], 66).
Sidney
Rigdon called for a special meeting to be held on Tuesday, August 6, so that
Church members could choose a guardian for the Church. It appeared as though
Sidney Rigdon tried to hold this meeting so Church members could ratify his
position as guardian of the Church before all of the Twelve Apostles would
return from their missions to the eastern United States. Some Church leaders
felt that Brother Rigdon might be plotting to “take advantage of the situation
of the saints” (History of the Church, 7:225). Fortunately, because of the
efforts of Elder Willard Richards and Elder Parley P. Pratt, the meeting
was moved to Thursday, August 8, 1844, by which time most of the Apostles had
returned to Nauvoo.
Sidney
Rigdon claimed that because he had previously been called and ordained as a
spokesman for Joseph Smith (see D&C 100:9), it was his responsibility to
“see that the church is governed in a proper manner” (History of the Church,
7:229). He also claimed that he should be “a guardian to the people” and that
in fulfilling this responsibility, he was doing what God had commanded him to
do (see History of the Church, 7:230).
James Strang, who had been baptized in February 1844, was
exploring a possible location for the Saints in Wisconsin in the spring of
1844. After the martyrdom, James Strang claimed to have received a letter from
Joseph Smith, stating that he had been appointed to be Joseph’s successor.
James Strang’s letter, which he showed to members of the Church, appeared to
have Joseph Smith’s signature. James Strang claimed to be the next prophet and
announced his position at a conference of the Church in Michigan on August 5, 1844.
Elders
John Taylor, Willard Richards, and Parley P. Pratt were already in Nauvoo
when Sidney Rigdon arrived. Most of the rest of the Apostles, including Brigham
Young, returned to Nauvoo on the evening of August 6, 1844. The next day,
August 7, the Apostles met in council at the home of John Taylor. Later that
afternoon, the Twelve Apostles, the high council, and the high priests met
together. President Young asked Sidney Rigdon to state his message to the
Saints. Sidney Rigdon boldly declared that he had seen a vision and that no man
could succeed Joseph Smith as President of the Church. He then proposed that he
be appointed as the guardian of the people.
After
Sidney Rigdon concluded his remarks, Brigham Young said:
“I
do not care who leads the church…but one thing I must know, and that is what
God says about it. I have the keys and the means of obtaining the mind of God
on the subject. …
“Joseph
conferred upon our heads [referring to the Quorum of the Twelve] all the keys
and powers belonging to the Apostleship which he himself held before he was
taken away. …
“How
often has Joseph said to the Twelve, ‘I have laid the foundation and you must
build thereon, for upon your shoulders the kingdom rests’” (in History of the
Church, 7:230).
On
August 8, 1844, the Saints in Nauvoo gathered at 10:00 a.m. to hear Sidney
Rigdon make his claims as guardian of the Church. Because the wind was blowing
toward the stand, Sidney Rigdon took his position in a wagon behind the
assembled congregation so the people could better hear his voice. The
congregation turned around so they could see Sidney Rigdon as he preached. He
spoke to the thousands of assembled Saints for an hour and a half, explaining
why he should be guardian of the Church. Several people described his speech as
uninspiring.
President
Brigham Young and other Church leaders came and sat on the stand opposite where
Sidney Rigdon was speaking. The wind had died down by this point. After Sidney
Rigdon had finished, President Brigham Young spoke. The audience turned around
to hear Brigham Young speak and turned their backs toward the wagon occupied by
Sidney Rigdon. (See George Q. Cannon, “Discourse,” Deseret News, Feb. 21,
1883, 67.) Brigham Young spoke briefly and said that he would have preferred to
come back to Nauvoo to mourn for the Prophet than to have to appoint a new
leader. He announced that an assembly of leaders and members would be held
later that day at 2:00 p.m. Several members of the Church later testified that
as Brigham Young spoke, they saw his appearance change and heard his voice
change, and he took on the appearance and voice of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
This miraculous event helped many of the Saints know that the Lord wanted
Brigham Young to lead the Church.
Benjamin F.
Johnson recalled, “As soon as he [Brigham Young] spoke I jumped upon my feet,
for in every possible degree it was Joseph’s voice, and his person, in look,
attitude, dress and appearance was Joseph himself, personified; and I knew in a
moment the spirit and mantle of Joseph was upon him” (My Life’s Review, 104, as
quoted in Church History in the Fulness of Times Student Manual, 2nd ed.
[Church Educational System manual, 2003], 291).
William C.
Staines described Brigham Young as speaking in a “voice like the voice of the
Prophet Joseph. I thought it was he, and so did thousands who heard it” (in
History of the Church, 7:236).
Wilford
Woodruff wrote, “If I had not seen him with my own eyes, there is no one that
could have convinced me that it was not Joseph Smith, and anyone can testify to
this who was acquainted with these two men” (in History of the Church, 7:236).
In addition to this miracle, the Saints also felt the Holy
Ghost witness to them that Brigham Young and the Quorum of the twelve were
called by God to lead the Church. At the conclusion of the this meeting, the
Saints in Nauvoo voted unanimously to sustain the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles, with Brigham Young at their head, to lead the church. However, not
all the members of the Church ultimately chose to follow the Apostles. Some of
the people chose instead to follow individuals such as Sidney Rigdon and James
Strang, who formed their own churches.
