Actually Dwight, I don't think Bill's questions were answered adequately. You say he answered his own questions but I have to admit I don't know those answers either.
How can the church call these men apostles unless they Walked with and were taught by and interacted with Christ Jesus which, as was indicated by Bill, is the Biblical distinction of an Apostle?
What also are the Presidency as they appear from the chart to be above the Church's Apostles. I see one President and two Counselors. Are these, according to the LDS Church direct descendents of Joseph Smith. What I'm trying to ask is if they are analogous to Joseph Smith in the way that the Catholic Church sees the Pope in the lineage of the Apostle Peter? Is this Thomas S. Manson considered to be in the direct lineage of Joseph Smith? What is the relationship of President to Apostle? The Presidency is not direct lineage from Joseph. When the Joseph Smith was murdered by the mob, there was a splitting of the church. The split came because a group thought the leadership position should be handed down from father to son etc. That group is called the RLDS. They have a problem now though, the current leader has no sons!
Jesus Christ is the head of the church, The church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints. Thomas Monson is the President of the church and is the Prophet that receives revelation from Jesus Christ on how to run the Church then teaches the Apostles and assigns them their labors. , He has two counselors. The Apostles are, SPECIAL WITNESSES to Jesus Christ being ALIVE and REAL. When the Prophet dies, the first presidency is dissolved. The 12 Apostles have all the keys to watch over and run the church untill God reveals who will be the next Prophet. There is NO voting process like the Catholics have, God , through revelation to the Apostles, tells them who will be the next Prophet and leader of the church. All the Apostles then unamously ( spelling), sustain the new Prophet and he prays about who will be his two counselors and the church keeps moving forward.
Where is there any Scriptural justification or instruction from the Scriptures to justify this organizational structure? Do these men have the ability to create scripture and new instructions to the Church? The scriptural justification is all through the Bible. Follow as Jesus sets up HIS organization, This church is not man made, Joseph Smith didnt start this church, this is the RESTORATION of Jesus original organization and it was RESTORED to this earth one last time in the 1800s BY JESUS CHRIST THROUGH HIS PROPHET Joseph Smith. READ AMOS 3:7 about the Prophet and Gods dealings with them.
If there are any new instructions to the church these men do not have the power to make them up. All instructions for this church come DIRECT FROM JESUS CHRIST THROUGH HIS PROPHET Then it gets passed down through the Apostles to the world, ( if the world accepts them or not).
Now I know this will be hard for many to swollow and this is where people need to pray and ask GOD if it is true or a lie. You must have it verified by the HOLY GHOST who is the third person of the GODHEAD and HIS job is to wittness ALL TRUTH.
God WILL hear and answer your prayers on this matter. For how to pray read post 21 on my blog, For how to recognize Gods answers to your prayers read post 68 on the same blog.