D&C Section Twenty-six

Joseph and Oliver were instructed by the Lord to ordain each other elders but were told they were to wait until they had the consent of the members of the church. This established the commandment that all things done in the church were to be done in the open and by the sustaining vote of the members. This protects the members from deception, the usurpation of the authority, and also places responsibility on the members. If the members had not sustained Joseph and Oliver, it would not have changed the fact of the first vision, the translation of the Book of Mormon, the visits by Moroni, John the Baptist, Peter, James and John and others, but it would more likely have closed the door of the gospel on those who rejected them. The Lord's word would have still moved forward. But that did not happen and the general membership of the church has always and overwhelmingly supported its leaders. If a leader were to fall, it would be known, such as in several of the cases in Joseph's time and like George P. Lee in our time.

I believe this is one reason why the church is sometimes perceived as being slow to move because the leaders are aware of the need for members to have time and preparation for major changes. Even though the technology was there, it was many years before the church changed the temple ordinances to include film presentation. And even though this made it possible for people to receive their endowments in a shorter and more concise format, saving them time, and allowing for temple work to be done for many more people in a shorter amount of time, there were many who complained about changing the ceremony. I believe the Lord is mindful of the members and does everything to protect them from deception and changes that would be rash and ill advised. He knows we will not be without mistakes, but the mistakes of the church are very few when you consider the difficult issues they face on a daily basis. And it is my feeling that when a mistake is made, the general authorities of the church are quick to acknowledge it and make the needed changes. Even at the local level, when you consider the number of wards and stakes now in the church, most run smoothly and are led by sincere and unselfish people. Unfortunately, some leaders at the local level are not always as wise and thoughtful as they should be, and members have to be careful to realize there is a different between the gospel and the building of the kingdom of God on earth and the misguided actions of am individual.