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Show 120 DOCTRINE OF THE different branches of the hierarchy, which consists of the following : I. The Presidency. This consists of three individuals, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball and Daniel H. Wells ( the latter also Mayor of Salt Lake City, Secretary of State of the State of Deseret, and Lieutenant- General of the mi litia of the territory, the act of Congress abolishing such office to the contrary notwithstanding). They are known respectively as the ist, 2d and 3d presidents, and constitute the supreme power among the Mormons, both in temporal matters and ecclesiastical. Brigham Young is the power that controls the presidency, and the presidency controls the peo ple. They claim divine authority for all their acts, but are elected by the people, the masses of whom regard the first president as unsurpassed in wisdom by any save the Omni scient. His mandate, or, rather, a simple expression of his wishes, without making it a command, is undisputed au thority, and is obeyed implicitly. As policy on the part of this autocracy, it is nominally made to be responsible to the twelve apostles ; but so implicit is the faith of the apostle, that their judgment and conscience would yield at once if they presumed for a moment to question the wisdom of their seer. II. The Patriarch. This official is one who administers solely in spiritual matters, and his duties consist in bestow ing patriarchal blessings upon the faithful who desire them, and are willing to pay for them. He will lay his reverend hands upon the head of a saint, and bless him with houses, and lands, and wives ( number specified), and children, and heirship to eternal glory iffaithful. These blessings are written out and signed by the Patriarch, and are highly prized by the ignorant. Of course, if the holder of the certificate fails to realize all that is promised therein, there is a saving clause for the Patriarch at the conclusion of the blessing, by which the failure is always satisfactorily ex plained. John Smith, a nephew of the first prophet, now fills this office, and, making occasional tours through the territory, |