SIDNEY SPERRY’S STATEMENT For years Church leaders had been receiving and hearing reports from apostates, Fundamentalists, and questioning members about the “setting in order of the house of God.” These rumblings were disturbing and often created an embarrassment since they inferred that the One Mighty and Strong was to come to set the Church in order because it was out of order. This matter was often referred to religion professors and other religious scholars in order to rebuff this unsavory publicity.

This explains why Dr. Sidney B. Sperry, BYU professor, attempted to interpret these questionable verses in the 85th section. In his Compendium he explained:

A little knowledge of Church history and a prayerful reading of the revelation should produce the answers. The reader will recall that on at least two previous occasions the Lord had reason to chastise Bishop Edward Partridge. (See 50:39 and 64:17 ) Despite the good qualities of Elder Partridge, he seems to have had a stubborn streak in him, and on occasions the natural practical bent of the man seems to have been in conflict with some of the directions given by the Lord to govern the Church. In July, 1831, the Almighty gave directions (57:7) that Brother Partridge should “stand in the office to which I have appointed him, and divide unto the saints their inheritance, even as I have commanded.” And in the revelation we are now dealing with, inheritances are [36] being considered, and the Saints we are told receive them “legally from the Bishop,” meaning, of course, from Bishop Partridge (vs. 1).