Saturday, April 6, 2024

Lorenzo Snow (January 7, 1898): Church Leaders, While Not Infallible or Impeccable, Have the Authority to Act in the Name of God

  

For instance, I can support an apostle in this Church; I can support the President of this Church; I can support his first counselor and I can support his second counselor, and yet know there were many weaknesses that pertain to those men which I did not feel to approve of, and yet I can fellowship them. I can fellowship the President of the Church if he does not know everything I know, or everything he ought to know, or if he does things which I may not think he ought to do. I saw Joseph Smith the Prophet do things which I did not think he ought to do, things which I thought the Lord would not approve of; and yet when I saw the weaknesses and imperfections in him I thank God that He would put upon a man who had these imperfections the power and authority which he placed upon him. I respected Joseph Smith and I was pleased to see those weaknesses for I knew I myself had weakness and I thought there was a chance for me. These weaknesses I knew were in Joseph Smith and these weaknesses I knew were in Heber C. Kimball but my knowing this did not impair them in my estimation. I thanked God I saw these imperfections. ("Remarks of Lorenzo Snow, President of the Twelve Apostles, in the Salt Lake Temple," in George Q. Cannon, Journal, January 7, 1898)

 

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