[Letter: William Smith to Brigham Young] [Regarding George J. Adams:] the mantle of the Prophet is upon him in his Place Joseph told me last Spring that Adams was ap[p]ointed in the place of Paul as one of the two witnesses raised up to do a great work in Jerusalem not however as one of the 12 but as the 13 apostle
[Source: Letter: William Smith to Brigham Young]
The number of the 12 MORTAL apostles of the Church of the 1st century A.D. remained and was maintained as follows:
ReplyDeleteMatthias replaced Judas Iscariot who fell (committed suicide by hanging). Acts1:23-26.
James the Lord's brother replaced James the brother of John - both sons of Zebedee and Salome. James was the apostle beheaded by Herod. See Gal.1:19 and Acts 12:1-2.
Paul and Barnabas were ordained apostles (Acts 14:14; Gal.2:9), BUT Barnabas later apostatized (Gal.2:13).
And of course John the Beloved Apostle was changed from mortality to immortality (exactly as the 3 Nephites were), so that leaves in the end 12 MORTAL Apostles, not 13 or 14 or 15 (as the LDS falsely have).