Just+as+the+arch+crumbles+if+the+keystone+is+removed,+so+does+all+the+Church+stand+or+fall+with+the+truthfulness+of+the+Book+of+Mormon.
President Ezra Taft Benson explained, Just as the arch crumbles if the keystone is removed, so does all the Church stand or fall with the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon (in Conference Report, Oct. 1986, 5; or Ensign, Nov. 1986, 6).• Why does the Church stand or fall with the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon ? – Ezra Taft Benson.
The Renlunds ridicule those who struggle with the numerous difficult issues in church history. They share a story saying that those who have doubts because of church history are insisting to play "church history whack-a-mole"! church history whack-a-mole... Another term for "putting it on your shelf".
The conferring of priesthood upon Joseph Smith is another complicated church history issue which gives people pause because it was not mentioned until years after it was supposed to have happened. There was no mention of the priesthood in the church until the Kirtland Bank fiasco and many members were leaving. There is evidence to suggest that the priesthood was thought up at the time to reinforce the authority of the church leaders after they had just lost so much of the members money.