ended, the ceremony of excavating was commenced by the Governor, who was succeeded by the twelve apostles, each throwing up a small quantity of earth; after which the assembly was dismissed. The ceremonies were imposing, and there was an evident manifestation of the tremendous power of religious enthusiasm under the direction of a single will. I am but little learned in scientific phrenology, but I think the ready eye of one of our Fowlers would have detected the organs of veneration and marvelousness prominently developed, while the heads of the multitude were uncovered during the prayer.

It is not to be supposed that such a ceremony could pass without something of the marvelous. A gold dollar was found by the prophet-Governor while engaged in the work, which was, of course, seen by one of the twelve to drop from the clouds, and was interpreted to mean that the Saints were to be amply supplied with funds for this glorious work.

CHAPTER X.

GOVERNMENT.

Priesthoods.—The President is Prophet and Seer: his Power.-Tithing. Individual cases.-Tithing-office.

THE government of the Mormon Church, like its doctrines, has been a matter of after-thought. At first it was simple enough, consisting of the prophet as the supreme head, and the leading men as priests under him, without division into particular orders. As the tide of success, however, began to elevate him upon its swelling flood, and visions of ambition and power floated through his brain, his ideas of government rapidly swelled and expanded, like an anaconda in swallowing a captive tiger. As multitudes gathered into the new Zion and its numerous stakes, they could not be moulded to the prophet's will and controlled without a regular system. This has given rise to a very singular machinery of Church government, part of which is apparent, and part, consisting of secret initiatory ceremonies, is sedulously guarded from profane curiosity.

That which is open to observation has been duly established by revelation, and consists of complicated and imposing machinery; and there is probably no government in the world so well calculated to concentrate despotic power in the hands of a few. There are two priesthoods in the Church-the Melchisedek and

the Aaronic (which latter includes the Levitical). All other authorities are appendages to one or the other of these priesthoods. Each priesthood holds the keys of the peculiar mysteries which it has in charge. The key is an important emblem in Mormon symbolics. All heavenly mysteries are duly locked up, and can not be opened except by the agent who is authorized to hold and use the key.

The Melchisedek is the superior priesthood, and consists of high priests and elders; the Aaronic is inferior, and made up of bishops, priests, teachers, and deacons. The Melchisedek priesthood is clustered about with holy sanctions and sublime mysteries, which strike awe into the minds of the simple-minded believers:

"And the sons of Moses, according to the holy priesthood which he received under the hand of his fatherin-law Jethro, and Jethro received it under the hand of Caleb, and Caleb received it under the hand of Elihu, and Elihu under the hand of Jeremy, and Jeremy under the hand of God, and God under the hand of Esaias, and Esaias received it under the hand of God; Esaias also lived in the days of Abraham, and was blessed of him; which Abraham received the priesthood from Melchisedek, who received it through the lineage of his fathers, even till Noah; and from Noah till Enoch, through the lineage of their fathers; and from Enoch to Abel, who was slain by the conspiracy of his brother, who received the priesthood, by the commandments of God, by the hand of his father Adam, who was the first man; which priesthood continueth in the Church of God in all generations, and is without beginning of days or end of years."

"The power and authority of the Melchisedek priesthood is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the Church, to have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus Christ the Mediator of the new covenant." (Doctrines and Covenants, p. 101.)

"The power and authority of the lesser, or Aaronic priesthood, is to hold the keys of the ministering of angels, and to administer in outward ordinances-the letter of the Gospel-the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, agreeably to the covenants and commandments.” (P. 102.)

These priesthoods have their presidencies, which control them and all below them. The bishopric is the presidency of the Aaronic priesthood, and hold the keys of the same.

The very apex of the pyramid is the presidency of the Melchisedek priesthood, and consequently of the whole Church. This is the quorum of three, and is commonly called the first presidency, which is the highest authority for the final decision of all questions, and to whom all persons in the Church are subject.

There are also twelve apostles, called also a quorum, who are, in theory, equal in power to the presidency of three; though this is by no means the case in practice. Their decisions, to be of equal weight, must be unanimous, and of the whole body; and as it is their more especial business to go into all the world and preach, under the direction of the first presidency, it is very seldom that they can exercise much effective power.

There are also quorums of seventies, who, in theory, may decide matters for the Church, under the same qualification of unanimity. These seventies are traveling quorums for preaching under the direction of the twelve, as the latter are under the direction of the three. A general assembly of all the quorums consti- . tute the spiritual authorities of the Church.

In extraordinary cases, a high council is convened. This tribunal was organized in 1834 by revelation, as follows:

"1. This day a general council of twenty-four high priests assembled at the house of Joseph Smith, Jr., by revelation, and proceeded to organize the high council of the Church of Christ, which was to consist of twelve high priests, and one or three presidents, as the case might require. The high council was appointed by revelation for the purpose of settling important difficulties which might arise in the Church, which could not be settled by the Church or the bishop's council to the satisfaction of the parties.

"2. Joseph Smith, Jr., Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams, were acknowledged presidents by the voice of the council; and Joseph Smith, Sen., John Smith, Joseph Coe, John Johnson, Martin Harris, John S. Carter, Jared Carter, Oliver Cowdry, Samuel H. Smith, Orson Hyde, Sylvester Smith, and Luke Johnson, high priests, were chosen to be a standing council for the Church, by the unanimous voice of the council."

Each quorum has its president; and the president of the quorum of three is the president of the high council, and over all the Church, from whom "comes the administration of ordinances and blessings upon