The following discourse is taken from the Millennial Star, a Mormon publication in England that accompanied missionary work in that country at the beginning of the work. In 1852 this article was published giving excellent instruction relative to the bounds and capacity of priesthood authority. The editor at the time who authored the discourse was Samuel W. Richards, the then-president of the European Mission headquartered in Liverpool, England. He was also the brother of Franklin D. Richards, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1849 to 1898.
The article is simply entitled, "Priesthood":
"According to examples which are recorded in sacred writ, and which have actually been witnessed by many of the Saints of the present dispensation, men are called to receive the priesthood—and in virtue of it perform a certain work for which they seem adapted—[but] afterwards they are suffered to dishonor that priesthood by using the influence which they have gained to lead others astray, and thereby [both] dishonor and reproach have at times been brought upon those who considered it a duty to listen to their counsel. By being enabled thus to accomplish their covetous, lustful, and unlawful ends, they have brought disgrace and suffering upon others, incurred the wrath of God and [the] disapprobation of His people upon themselves, and the power of the priesthood has altogether departed from them—for its virtue will not abide with those who violate its laws.
"Because of these facts, and the apparent imperfections of men on whom God confers authority, the question is sometimes asked: to what extent is obedience to those who hold the priesthood required? This a very important question, and one which should be understood by all Saints. In attempting to answer this question, we would repeat—in short—what we have already written: that willing obedience to the laws of God, administered by the priesthood, is indispensable to salvation; but we would further add, that a proper [limit] to this power exists for the benefit of all, and none are required to tamely and blindly submit to a man because he has a portion of the priesthood.
"We have heard men who hold the priesthood remark, that they would do anything they were told to do by those who presided over them, if they knew it was wrong: but such obedience as this is worse than folly to us—it is slavery in the extreme—and the man who would thus willingly degrade himself should not claim a rank among intelligent beings, until he turns from his folly. A man of God, who seeks for the redemption of his fellows, would despise the idea of seeing another become his slave, who had an equal right with himself to the favor of God; he would rather see him stand by his side, a sworn enemy to wrong, as long as there was place found for it among men. Others, in the extreme exercise of their almighty (!) authority, have taught that such obedience was necessary, and that no matter what the Saints were told to do by their presidents, they should do it without asking any questions.
"When the Elders of Israel will so far indulge in these extreme notions of obedience, as to teach them to the people, it is generally because they have it in their hearts to do wrong themselves, and wish to pave the way to accomplish that wrong or else because they have done wrong, and wish to use the cloak of their authority to cover it, lest it should be discovered by their superiors, who would require an atonement at their hands" (Samuel Whitney Richards, "Priesthood," The Latter-day Saint's Millennial Star, No. 38 Vol 14, 13 Nov 1852, pp. 594 – 595).
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