Historian Office,
Salt Lake City,
March 11th 1876.
To John Christensen
Dear Bro.—Yours of the 9th
inst. is received. You inquire whether it was the Angel Nephi or Moroni who
visited the Prophet on the night of the 21st & 22nd
Sept., 1823? As Moroni holds the keys of the Stick of Record of Ephraim, (See
B. of Cov. Pp. 201, 322,) we have reason to believe that Moroni was that angel.
The discrepancy in the history to which you refer may have occurred through the
ignorance or carelessness of the historian or transmission. It is true, that
the history reads as though the Prophet himself was writing: but the Prophet
was a slow and awkward writer; and many events recorded were written by his
scribes who undoubtedly trusted to much to their memories, and the items
probably were not sufficiently scanned by Bro. Joseph, before they got into
print. The prophet after received visits from Nephi, Moroni, Peter, James, John
(the beloved), John (the Baptist), Elijah, Moses, &c, &c, &c.
the three Nephites, etc. etc. In giving the instructions which these angels
imparted to him in a verbal manner, it would not be surprising that some of the
hearers should in<n>ocently confound and intermix the names of the
Angels.
You also inquire, when the
Melchisedek Priesthood was restored? I answer that the office of Apostles &
Elders was restored by Peter, James & John, before the rise of the
Church; this office includes all the powers of the Melchisedek Priesthood; but
when first restored, the Lord did not see proper to reveal it under the name of
the Melchisedec Priesthood. If the Compendium had stated that on the 6th
of June, 1831, the name of the Priesthood, together with a more full
description of its powers, were first given in the Conference assembled, it
would have <conveyed> a more correct idea of the event. (Orson
Pratt, Letter to John Christensen, March 11, 1876, pp. 1-2, CR 100 394,
Church History Library)
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