Age Of Presidency

[Cobalt-70]

I believe the church is still under apostolic administration to this day, which it was not when Joseph was alive. The same pattern is followed ie. a presidency of three etc, but this is an entirely apostolic affair with only members of the Quorum of Twelve being considered for the presidency.

I don't have access to the cite with me, but after reorganizing the presidency of three apostles, Brigham Young said that Joseph Smith would always be the only true First Presidency of the church. Plus, in Joseph Smith's day, members of the First Presidency, including counselors, were "ordained." (http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperDetails/note-8-march-1832?dm=image-and-text&zm=zoom-inner&tm=expanded&p=1&s=&sm=none: ordination of Jesse Gauss and Sidney Rigdon to the First Presidency) For a long time after Smith's death, however, members of the First Presidency were not ordained, but were apostles (or sometimes high priests) who were "set apart" to the First Presidency. At some point, the President started to be routinely "ordained," but even now, the counselors are still merely "set apart." I think this all stems from Brigham Young's understanding that the reconstituted "First Presidency" did not stand in the same shoes as the original First Presidency that existed in Smith's lifetime.

[Alan]

Cobalt-70, in my view you are absolutely right. As I said earler, there is no record of the president of the church being ordained to that office until after 1914. I think that is significant because JSIII was still alive until then.

Succession in the presidency is one of my pet subjects but I confess that others may not see why. What I find fascinating is that the current system was not Joseph's preferred option at all. In fact, I believe he didn't even considered it as either possible or likely.

A number of people have commented on this thread that the current system serves us well, and I agree. But are there any flaws in it and if so what?

Edited March 30, 2012 by Alan

[thesometimesaint]

I don't know of any flaws persay, but it has lead to some physically sick leaderships. Age has a habit of doing that to us.