On the location of the place of the ordination of Joseph and Oliver by Peter, James, and John:
The precise date and place of the ordination of Joseph Smith and
Oliver Cowdery, under the hands of Peter, James, and John, are not published in
the History. It may have been in the chamber of Mr. Whitmer, or it may have
been in the wilderness near the banks of the Susquehanna river. Whether they appeared
to them more than once is not stated. (Orson Pratt, “Restoration
of the Aaronic and Melchisedek Priesthoods,” The Latter-day Saints’ Millennial
Star 19, no. 17 [April 25, 1857]: 259)
On the issue of “the
chamber of Mr. Whitmer,” see:
Michael Hubbard MacKay,
“Event
or Process? How ‘the Chamber of Old Father Whitmer’ Helps Us Understand
Priesthood Restoration,” BYU Studies 60, no. 1 (2021): 73-101
On the “line upon
line” process of the development of priesthood offices, etc:
It will be perceive that the Lord did not restore the full authority of
the Melchisedek Priesthood at once, but conferred little by little: first, the
Aaronic Priesthood which is only an appendage of the Melchisedek; secondly, the
office of Elder and Apostle; thirdly, the office of Bishop; fourthly, the Melchisedek
Priesthood; fifthly, the President of that Priesthood; sixthly, the
organization of the first Presidency of three, and standing High Council of
Twelve; seventhly, the organization of the Council of the Twelve Apostles; and eighthly,
the organization of the Councils of Seventies. (Orson Pratt, “Restoration
of the Aaronic and Melchisedek Priesthoods,” The Latter-day Saints’ Millennial
Star 19, no. 17 [April 25, 1857]: 259-60)
On changes to the
revelations:
Joseph, the Prophet, in selecting the revelations from the
Manuscripts, and arranging them for publication, did not arrange them according
to the order of the date in which they were given, neither did he think it
necessary to publish them all in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, but left
them to be published more fully in his History. Hence, paragraphs taken from
the revelations of a later date, are, in a few instances, incorporated with
those of an earlier date. Indeed, at the time of compilation, the Prophet was
inspired in several instances to write additional sentences and paragraphs to
the earlier revelations. In this manner the Lord did truly give ‘line upon
line, here a little and there a little,’ the same as He did to a revelation
that Jeremiah received. And even though this revelation was burned by the
wicked king of Israel, the Lord revealed the central message again with great
numbers of additional content. (See Jeremiah xxxvi. 32.) (Orson Pratt, “Restoration
of the Aaronic and Melchisedek Priesthoods,” The Latter-day Saints’ Millennial
Star 19, no. 17 [April 25, 1857]: 260)
For more on this,
see:
Biblical
Prophets Changing Their Words and the Words of Previous Prophets
