--- title: Times and Seasons description: Issues of 1845 to 1846. authors: - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints editors: - Ebenezer Robinson - Don Carlos Smith - Smith, Joseph, Jr. - Taylor, John collections: - periodicals tags: - newspaper - times-and-seasons - nauvoo - nineteenth-century periodical: Times and Seasons volume: 6 number: 9 published: 1845-05-15 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "“Patriarchal,” *Times and Seasons* 6, no. 9 (May 15, 1845): 904–906." printed_title: PATRIARCHAL. source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1845-05-15_6_9 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v6n09.htm), with its page breaks; this Internet Archive scan is the reference copy (its OCR was used only as a witness for OCR repair) identifier: per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1845-05-15_6_9 start_page: 904 end_page: 906 curator_note: A Mormon newspaper published by the church in Nauvoo; included for historical study. Inclusion does not imply endorsement. rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1845 (Nauvoo, Illinois); published before 1931, so public domain in the United States source: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1845-05-15_6_9 publication_year: 1845 --- # Patriarchal Only fifteen years have passed away since the organization of the church of God in the last days: but, those years have been as ages (in suffering) to the hapless family, who were its founders. Forced to flee from their homes, they settled in Ohio; driven from thence, they founded a city in Missouri; and, banished from the land of freedom, they have, at last, built up a beautiful city, upon the banks of the majestic Mississippi, under the banners of Illinois; but, again have they been deceived, in this boasted land of liberty; and they have now paid the last penalty of their adherence to the commands of God. Through all these scenes the great object of their lives has continued to roll onward; cities have been built up: countries have been settled; the wilderness has been converted into a fruitful field; the desert has been made to blossom as the rose; the church has increased from six, till it now numbers two hundred thousand members; and, though all but one have sealed their testimony with their blood, yet, their works remain as a monument of their indomitable perseverance, their faith, their wisdom and their greatness. After having myself passed through all these scenes of affliction, and seen my father and brothers laid beneath the cold sod, in consequence of the unhallowed persecutions of an inhuman mob; after having been beaten, driven, and persecuted for a long series of years; after having been compelled, so many times, by mobs, to sacrifice all this world's goods-though fifteen years of my life have been spent in the service of my fellow-men, and in the building up of the kingdom of God; though reduced to poverty and distress; and though I have suffered the loss of all I hold dear, yet, I do not complain; my trust is in the God of Israel, who will make all things work together for the good of his Saints. Brethren, I have now settled among you-the last of the family. Shall I be sustained by this community? My health, my strength, my time and my talents have been freely spent in your service; and I am ready to do the same again, if required. Having passed the last two or three years among the eastern churches, in setting them in order, and organizing them according to the pattern laid down; and after having labored diligently in teaching them the true principles of virtue and morality, and building them up in the most holy faith, I have now returned to this city, and intend to take up my abode in your midst. As to my presidency over the eastern churches, I am confident that my precept and example have been unexceptionable in the eyes of all good Saints; my counsel both to elders and members, will, if followed out, lead them to the most exalted glory in the kingdom of God, and no individual, whether he be prophet, priest, of Pharisee, can in truth say aught [ought] to the contrary. My advice to all, without respect of persons, is the same now that it was then. Support and uphold the proper authorities of the church-when I say authorities, I mean the whole, and not a part; the Twelve, and not one, two, six, eight, ten, or eleven, but the whole Twelve;-follow me as I follow Christ, God being our judge. It was in accordance with the counsel and advice of my brethren, and in obedience to the calls of my old friends, that I have now settled among you. It is for you to say, whether base intriguers and vile slanderers shall deprive me of my home, my friends, and my city: it is to you I look for protection, and it is by you that I expect to be sustained. The cause of Zion, for which my brethren died, lies near my heart; its prosperity is my glory and my theme; and would to God I could see Zion arise, put on her beautiful garments, and become the glory of the earth. My residence is on Water street, in the house formerly occupied by Mr. William Marks, where I am ready to receive the calls of the Saints, and bestow upon them their patriarchal blessings according to the order of the priesthood. W. M. SMITH. (->) The office of Patriarch over the whole church is to be a father to the church, and to confer blessings on its members, according to the order handed down from the first of Patriarchs to the present. By some of these, great and most marvellous [marvelous] events have been predicted, which have received their fulfilment [fulfillment] after many generations have passed away: for instance: Jacob blessing his son Joseph. Moses blessing the tribes of Israel, &c., &c. Father Smith, the first Patriarch and Hyrum his successor conferred many blessings upon the Saints that made their hearts glad. But they, in the wisdom of God, have been called away, and William the son and brother succeeds them. How many, now will say, I wish I had my patriarchal blessing? This has been the lamentation of many since the death of Joseph and Hyrum. William is the last of the family, and truly inherits the blood and spirit of his father's house, as well as the priesthood and patriarchal office from his father and brother, legally, and by hereditary descent. It may not be amiss to give the readers of the Times and Seasons, a few ideas relative to the office of a patriarch. The sectarian world without a priesthood, are, of course, with a patriarch just as they are without the power to administer in spiritual blessing; but in all churches holding the keys of the everlasting priesthood, a patriarch is set apart to bless the people; and his descent, according to right of lineage, by blood and birthright, is from father to son. Every well regulated family of the chosen seed, according to the scriptures which says:- "Now the sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel, (for he was the first-born; but, for as much as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright, For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's)",- Acknowledges the father of that family the head, prince, or patriarch; and if that father keeps the commandments of God, and is humble, he will be governed by the spirit of the living God and possess the power to bless his own offspring. But in order to carry out the pattern of scripture, one of the chosen seed, and he the eldest, is set apart to bless all and such as have not a father living to do it. He is called the patriarch of the whole church: such was our father Adam; such was Abraham; such was Jacob; such was Joseph Smith, sen.; such was Hyrum Smith, and such is William Smith now-inheriting the right by lineage. This power and authority appears in the scriptures as follows: "And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face; and, lo, God hath showed me also thy seed. And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand, toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manassehs' head guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the first-born. And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. And Joseph said unto his father, not so, my father: for this is the first-born; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. And he blessed them that day, saying, in thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim, and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh." In the forty ninth chapter of Genesis, it will be seen that Jacob blessed all of his own children, and told them what should befal [befall] them in the last days. The practice of blessing the heirs of the chosen seed, can be seen from the earliest ages.-When Seth was born, his name appears to have been called so, because God had appointed another "seed" in the place of Abel, whom Cain slew. Let the world say what it may, as to this piece of intelligence, it must have been copied from his patriarchal blessing, and leave the people to judge for themselves: "And Lamech begat a son, and he called his name Noah, saying, this same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed." When Rebecca was about to be sent to Isaac for a wife, her parents must have done something and kept a record of it, for it is thus written: "And they blessed Rebecca, and said unto her, thou art our sister; be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them." The Book of Doctrine and Covenants makes the subject plain; and the revelations by Joseph Smith in that book, renewed the order for the first time since the apostles fell asleep.-Evangelical ministers, or patriarchs, as designated by revelation, are to be set apart in all the various branches of the church, if the saints desire it. Who can read the account of good old Simeon, in Luke, and not feel his heart burn with gratitude-that God, whenever he had a church that he acknowledged to be his, had patriarchs to bless? Of Simeon it is said, "And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." But enough is said: no Latter-day Saint, having the spirit of God, will go to the world of spirits, before he receives his patriarchal blessing, if he lives within reach of the patriarch. A blessing is a great thing: even as Esau said, "bless me also, O my father!" The blessings of good men compose an important portion of the sacred writings, and if it were in our power, to bring out the records of the patriarchs, containing the blessings of the saints from the children of Adam down what a catalogue of things past, present, and to come, would they exhibit? and another thing, ye blessed, if we only had the blessings of the spirits before they leave the Lord, we could glory. [ED.