When David made his last
start, he still claimed that it was his right to be President of the whole
church, and that he was ordained to that station by Joe Smith, before the name
of the church had been changed to "Latter Day Saints." David also received
the revelations of Joe Smith up to 1833 as valid; but upon later reflection, he
decided that both these positions <were> erroneous, and dropped them.
Since my personal acquaintance with him began, David has held that there should
not be any such office as President of the whole church; that there should be
no such office in the church as High Priest; that no man can ordain another to
be a Prophet, Seer, Revelator or <a> translator; that Church of Christ is
the name of the church, and that all other names for the church are false and
abominable; that there should not <be> a Bishop for the whole church;
that there should not be a Patriarch for the whole church. In short, he
repudiates all the offices in the Mormon church except Elders, Priests, and Teachers
as taught in the Book of Mormon, which he holds to be synonymous with Elders,
Bishops and Deacons, as taught by the New Testament. (John Logan Traughber,
"David Whitmer, 'The Last Witness' of the Book of Mormon," p. 21)