Monday, June 28, 2021

Lynn A. McKinlay (and Charles W. Nibley) on the Administrative Changes to the Church Over the Ages

 

 

. . . I’d like to emphasize this all-important principle: We, the people living today, could not receive anything in this world in the way of ordinances, in the way of God’s laws, in the way of sealings, if we did not have legal administration continuously in the Church to authorize and perform these works. Charles W. Penrose, as a member of the First Presidency, has summed up this matter very nicely for us in the October Conference Report of 1917, p. 20, “. . . no matter what may have been taught in olden times in regard to the policy of the Church of God, no matter that commandments have been given in regard to the administration of its affairs at other times, we are today under the direction of the living oracles. The living word of God comes to us through the man that stands at the head, in preference to anything that has been written aforetime, or spoken in our own days. Circumstances change, and a change of instruction becomes necessary. As the different circumstances arise, different policies leads out in any direction in regard to these matters, we will be perfectly safe in following him . . . when we have a man as we have now, and as we have had from the Prophet Joseph down, to lead us and direct us, that is the thing to do, never mind whether it was done aforetime . . . the Church is organized today by the gift and power of God, by revelations direct from on high, not taken out of books. And the power and authority are here, and we should follow our leader, and what he says is right; he does not vary from the things that God has revealed . . . this Church is sui generis. It has something to impart its own age and all that we want for our guidance and direction in it will come through living oracles. Their teachings and philosophy and things contained in the Old Testament and in the New; but in regard to the policies we have to change, because circumstances change, that is another thing entirely. We live in the present and receive instructions suited to the present.”

 

In analyzing the seeming inconsistencies that arise from time to time on our contemplations of Church affairs, we’ll find, upon examining the matter closely, that it is a difference in administration and not in principle; the principles remain the same and have done since the days of Adam. But the differences in administration change from one period to another, and they have a perfect right to change; for the man who is placed at the head has all the powers necessary to change them and represents the Lod Himself. The President holds all the keys and powers of the Kingdom, including the fulness of the sealing power, and is distinctly called The Lord’s Anointed, The Presiding High Priest, and inherent in his office is the right and privilege, even duty, when expedient, of conversing with the Lord face to face. If we could get that fact lodged securely in our heads, we would never find ourselves guilty of criticizing the authorities of this Church, particularly the Prophet; for without living prophets and apostles in the church it would be dead indeed and lacking the power to seal on earth and in heaven. (Lynn A. McKinlay, Life Eternal [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1950, 1954], 91-92)