'One mighty and strong': 18 men claimed it

Contested

LDS scholars have a real answer here. Say so before your friend does.

The verse

D&C 85:7 promises that God will send "one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand," to set in order the house of God. Verse 8 goes with it.

What it produced

Claimants. A Dialogue survey documents about eighteen main ones.

By 1905 at least eight men had already declared themselves. Founders of fundamentalist sects have claimed the title, and so have violent figures, including the LeBaron family.

How it was settled

By press release. In November 1905 the First Presidency published a statement in the Deseret News.

It reinterpreted the verse. It was about Bishop Edward Partridge, and land inheritances in the 1830s.

And anyone claiming the title, it said, shows great ignorance of God and of the order of the church.

Their answer, at full strength

That the 1905 statement is right. The verse concerned the specific situation of Edward Partridge in 1832, and land in Zion.

It was likely mooted by Partridge's repentance. Church materials treat the matter as settled by that statement.

How strong is this argument?

Genuinely arguable, and this is a small one. Do not lead with it.

The interesting part is the 1905 statement itself. For 73 years the verse sat open and bred claimants, until the First Presidency closed a canonised prophecy by reinterpreting it in a newspaper.

That is an act of authority, not a reading members could have reached from the text. It is most useful when fundamentalist offshoots come up.

What to say

"Who is the one mighty and strong? Every splinter prophet has claimed that verse."

Markers on the Independence temple lot, the land inheritances that D&C 85 was addressing

Colorado City and Hildale, towns of fundamentalist groups whose founders claimed the title

Church headquarters in Salt Lake City, source of the 1905 First Presidency statement

How they answer this — at its strongest

The 1905 statement settles it: the verse was about Edward Partridge and land in 1832.

The 1905 First Presidency statement holds that the verse was about one situation in 1832.

It concerned Bishop Edward Partridge, and who would inherit land in Zion. It was likely mooted when Partridge repented.

And anyone who claims the title today 'manifests great ignorance' of God and of the order of the church.

Church materials treat the matter as settled by that statement.

The verdict

A small one: do not lead with it, but the 1905 press release is telling.

The 1905 statement is itself the interesting fact. For 73 years the verse sat open, and it bred claimants. A Dialogue survey documents about eighteen main ones, and at least eight had declared themselves by 1905.

Then the First Presidency closed a canonised prophecy by reinterpreting it in a newspaper. That is a move of authority, not a reading members could have reached from the text.

This is not a lead argument. Use it as backing, on how the canon handles a prophecy that did not come true. It is directly useful when fundamentalist offshoots come up, since nearly every splinter prophet has drafted this verse.

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