So the video clearly shows the simultaneous ordination, while arguably being a bit squeamish about showing John with his hands on both.

Interestingly, the verbiage used by John was once recommended when ordaining brethren to the Aaronic Priesthood. Joseph F. Smith’s Gospel Doctrine includes a quotation from the Improvement Era (4:394, March 1901) stating the following:

In ordaining those who have not yet received the Aaronic Priesthood, to any office therein, the words of John the Baptist to Joseph Smith, Jr., and Oliver Cowdery, would be appropriate to immediately precede the act of ordination. They are:

“Upon you my fellow servants [servant], in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron.”

Of course, it would not necessarily follow that these exact words should be used, but the language should be consistent with the act of conferring the Aaronic Priesthood.

(The bracketed material is in Gospel Doctrine; I can’t say if it’s also in the Improvement Era original.)

At the end of Gospel Doctrine, there is an Addendum by the First Presidency (Grant, Lund, Penrose) indicating that

In reference to the form of procedure mentioned on page 136, and that set forth in this addendum as adopted by the leading authorities of the Church from the beginning, our beloved and departed President, Joseph F. Smith, when questioned concerning them, decided, as of record, “It is a distinction without a difference,” and “either will do.”

Persons, therefore, who have been ordained in either way hold the right to officiate in all the duties of their respective offices in the Priesthood.

Brandon, when I see your Dallin piece posted on Beehive Achive, I’ll link to it here. More people need to discover your blog. The same kinds of stories appeal to both of us, so Beehive Archive should appeal to Keepa readers.

(There’s a link in Keepa’s sideblog, for readers who may not yet have discovered the Beehive.)

Great piece.

I find Fairbanks fascinating. He’s the faithful Mormon foil to Cyrus Dallin, also a Utahn (from Springville) whose family separated from the LDS Church while he was still young. Dallin, of course, crafted the Angel Moroni that sits atop the SL Temple and the statue of Brigham Young at the intersection of Main and South Temple.

I did a story on Dallin for the Beehive Archive. Maybe it’s time to post the script on my blog.

Brandon

My father-in-law wrote on the back of the painting (abt 10×13) “This oil painting, done by John B Fairbanks, was given to John and Enid Ward because they let a younger Fairbanks use the garage or at least park his car on Whitlock Avenue during the winters.”

The painting is of the lane looking down toward the Fairbanks homestead, apparently a spring scene as there are blossoms on some of the trees. On the back of the painting is also written, “Our winter sledding hill.”