Lesson 148: Doctrine and Covenants 135–136

Succession in the Presidency

Chosen by the Lord to Lead the Church

Members of the Church in Joseph Smith’s time had never experienced the death of a prophet. Not only was the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum an emotionally challenging time but one of potential confusion and uncertainty of who would lead the Church. The Lord, however, had prepared a way for His Church to continue under prophetic leadership. This lesson is intended to help students increase their confidence that the Lord continues to direct His work even when a prophet dies.

Possible Learning Activities

A new Church leader

To begin class, consider sharing the following scenario.

Imagine you have a friend named Gabriel who recently joined the Church with his family. After leaving seminary one day, he asks you some questions about Church leadership. He is wondering what happens when the President of the Church dies and how a new prophet is chosen. He even wonders how we can be sure the right person is the prophet.

• On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being low and 5 being high, how confident do you feel about your ability to respond to Gabriel’s question?

• Why do you think it would be important to understand how leadership changes work in the Church?

You may want to encourage students to seek the help of the Holy Ghost in their learning as we study more about the pattern the Lord has established for selecting those who lead His Church. Invite them to seek revelation for why this is important for them to know right now in their lives.

Who would take Joseph Smith’s place?

It could be helpful for students to understand some of the context leading up to the first change of leadership in the Church. To do this, you could summarize or read the following:

At the time of Joseph Smith’s martyrdom, members of the Church had never experienced the death of a prophet. In addition to the immense grief at Joseph’s death, some were unsure how the Church would move forward. Most of the Apostles were in the eastern United States serving missions when they heard about the death of Joseph and Hyrum. Upon learning the sad news, they and other missionaries began traveling back to Nauvoo.

In the absence of the President of the Church, a few people put forth differing claims about what should happen with Church leadership.

Consider inviting three students to come to the front of the class. You could have each student read one of the following three paragraphs aloud. For your information, the first account below refers to Sidney Rigdon. The second account is Brigham Young. The third account is James Strang. Do not yet reveal the names to students.

The First Counselor in the First Presidency said he was told in a vision that no one could succeed Joseph. He proposed that he should be the “guardian” of the Church.

The President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said that Joseph Smith conferred the Savior’s authority to lead the Church on the Quorum of the Twelve.

A member who had been baptized four months before Joseph’s death presented a letter with Joseph Smith’s signature that designated him as Joseph’s successor.

• How do you think you would have reacted to these events if you had been a member of the Church during this time?

• What concerns might you have had about any of the claims?

A pattern established by the Lord

Consider inviting students to look for scriptures, statements from Church leaders, and other divinely appointed sources for how we can come to know that the prophet is the Lord’s chosen servant. As part of their study, invite students to use the following handout to learn how the Saints after Joseph Smith came to know who to follow:

Who to Follow after Joseph Smith

Before his death, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught the following to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

Brethren, … [s]ome important scene is near to take place. It may be that my enemies will kill me. And in case they should, and the keys and power which rest on me not be imparted to you, they will be lost from the earth. But if I can only succeed in placing them upon your heads, then let me fall a victim to murderous hands if God will suffer it, and I can go with all pleasure and satisfaction, knowing that my work is done, and the foundation laid on which the kingdom of God is to be reared in this dispensation of the fulness of times.

Upon the shoulders of the Twelve must the responsibility of leading this church henceforth rest until you shall appoint others to succeed you. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 533–34)

Joseph Smith also taught that the First Presidency is the only group over the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, but when the prophet dies, the First Presidency is dissolved (see History, 1838–1856 [Manuscript History of the Church], volume B-1, 691, josephsmithpapers.org).

• From what you learned, what would help you respond to the three claims made earlier?

• What pattern did the Lord establish for the continuation of leadership of His Church when the prophet dies?

When Brigham Young addressed the Saints in a large meeting, many recorded a miraculous experience and felt a confirmation of the Holy Ghost.

President George Q. Cannon (1827–1901), who later served in the First Presidency, shared:

Brigham Young … arose and addressed the people. … Who that was present on that occasion can ever forget the impression it made upon them! If Joseph had risen from the dead and again spoken in their hearing, the effect could not have been more startling than it was to many present at that meeting. It was the voice of Joseph himself; and not only was it the voice of Joseph which was heard; but it seemed in the eyes of the people as though it was the very person of Joseph which stood before them. A more wonderful and miraculous event than was wrought that day in the presence of that congregation we never heard of. The Lord gave His people a testimony that left no room for doubt as to who was the man He had chosen to lead them. They both saw and heard with their natural eyes and ears, and then the words which were uttered came, accompanied by the convincing power of God, to their hearts, and they were filled with the Spirit and with great joy. There had been gloom, and, in some hearts probably, doubt and uncertainty; but now it was plain to all that here was the man upon whom the Lord had bestowed the necessary authority to act in their midst in Joseph’s stead (George Q. Cannon, “Joseph Smith, the Prophet,” Juvenile Instructor, Oct. 1870, 174–75).

Emily Smith Hoyt, a member present when Brigham Young addressed the Saints, recorded this:

The manner of reasoning, the expression of the countenance, the sound of the voice thrilled my whole soul. My own eyes had beheld Joseph’s murdered body. My own hands, had felt death’s icy coldness on his once noble forehead. I knew that Joseph was dead. And yet I often startled and involuntarily looked at the stand to see if it was not Joseph. It was not, it was Brigham Young and if any one doubts the right of Brigham to manage affairs for the Saints, all I have to say to them is this. Get the spirit of God and know for yourselves. The Lord will provide for his own (Emily Smith Hoyt, in Lynne W. Jorgensen, “The Mantle of the Prophet Joseph Passes to Brother Brigham: A Collective Spiritual Witness,” BYU Studies, vol. 36, no. 4 [1996–97], 164).

• If you were there, how might this experience have impacted you?

• How might Moroni 10:5 relate to what you studied?

Invite students to share what they learned from their study. Be sure that students understand that when the President of the Church dies, the First Presidency is dissolved and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles leads the Church. Help students understand that Apostles serving in the First Presidency return to their place of seniority in the Quorum of the Twelve. Ensure that students also understand that the Apostle who has been serving the longest is the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and, consequently, becomes the next President of the Church.

Students could also identify that through the Holy Ghost, we can receive a witness that those who lead the Church have been called of God.

• What might we do, or what have you done, to gain a spiritual witness that our prophet was chosen by the Lord to lead His Church?

To conclude, consider allowing students to use what they have learned to respond to the scenario from the beginning of the lesson. One way to do this would be to have students role-play with partners. As part of their response, you could encourage students to include their own witness that the prophet is the Lord’s chosen leader.

Additional Resources

How did the spiritual witness come to the Saints when Brigham Young and the Twelve were chosen by the Lord to lead His Church?

Other Saints, like Benjamin F. Johnson, William C. Staines, and Wilford Woodruff, recorded hearing Joseph Smith’s voice or seeing Joseph as Brigham Young spoke (see Benjamin F. Johnson, My Life’s Review [1947], 104; History, 1838–1856 [Manuscript History of the Church], volume F-1, 300, josephsmithpapers.org).

For additional information about the response of Church members and leaders to the question about how Church leadership should proceed, see chapter 45 of Saints, volume 1 ([2018], 537–68).

Where can I learn more about succession in the First Presidency?

Following the death of President Thomas S. Monson, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared:

A Message from the First Presidency

A special worldwide broadcast introducing the new First Presidency on January 16, 2018.

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) taught:

God knows all things, the end from the beginning, and no man becomes president of the church of Jesus Christ by accident, or remains there by chance, or is called home by happenstance. (Ezra Taft Benson, “Jesus Christ—Gifts and Expectations,” New Era, May 1975, 16–17)

The following Church History Topic gives additional information on the events that took place following the Prophet Joseph Smith’s death concerning leadership of the Church: “Succession of Church Leadership,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org/study/history/topics.

How can I receive a spiritual witness that the new President of the Church is called of God?

Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared what his wife, Kathy, did to receive a witness that the calling of President Russell M. Nelson was from God:

The Prophet of God

Elder Andersen teaches that there is safety and peace in following the prophet, whose most important role is to point the way to the Savior.

We have the privilege as Latter-day Saints to receive a personal witness that President Nelson’s call is from God. While my wife, Kathy, has known President Nelson personally for nearly three decades and has no question about his divine mantle, upon his setting apart, she began reading all his general conference talks of the past 34 years, praying for an even deeper assurance of his prophetic role. I promise you that this greater witness will come to you as you humbly and worthily seek it. (Neil L. Andersen, “The Prophet of God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 25–26)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Brigham Young’s response to Joseph Smith’s death

To further illustrate the truth that the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles leads the Church after the death of the prophet, consider sharing Brigham Young’s experience upon reading the letter announcing Joseph Smith’s death. Brigham recorded the following:

When we got that letter, Orson Pratt and I were there and read the letter. I felt then as I never felt in my life. … My head felt so distressed [I] thought it would crack. … Is the Priesthood off the earth? Joseph and Hyrum are gone. [Then] it came like a clap of hands. It came to me like Revelation—the keys of the kingdom are here. (Brigham Young, in Historian’s Office General Church Minutes, Feb. 12, 1849, 2, Church History Library, Salt Lake City; spelling, punctuation, and grammar standardized)

• What gave Brigham Young comfort after he learned of Joseph Smith’s death?

Reorganizing the First Presidency

To help students understand what happened with the First Presidency after Joseph Smith’s death, you might want to explain that the First Presidency has not always been reorganized immediately after the death of a President of the Church.

You could ask students if they know how long after Joseph Smith’s death it was before the First Presidency was reorganized.

Depending on their understanding, you might share some or all of the following:

After the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles led the Church for three and a half years before the First Presidency was reorganized. Similarly, the Quorum of the Twelve led the Church for a little more than three years following the death of President Brigham Young and for nearly two years following the death of President John Taylor. However, when President Wilford Woodruff died on September 2, 1898, the Lord inspired Lorenzo Snow and other members of the Twelve to reorganize the First Presidency only 11 days later, on September 13 (see George Q. Cannon, “Remarks,” Deseret Weekly, Oct. 8, 1898, 514). Since that time, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has led the Church typically for only a brief period before a new President of the Church is set apart and the First Presidency is reorganized.

Who would be the next prophet today?

To give students an opportunity to summarize what they have learned, consider providing images of the current First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to 15 students. These students could stand at the front of the room and organize themselves as the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Ask students to demonstrate what would happen to the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, according to the Lord’s pattern, if the President of the Church died.