False Prophecies of Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith, III to Succeed Father for Prophet

History of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, pg 789; “Now, Mr. Editor, if you had been present when Joseph called on me shortly after we came out of jail [Liberty jail, Missouri, Ed.] to lay hands with him on the head of a youth and heard him cry aloud, ‘You are my successor when I depart,’ and heard the blessings poured on his head,-I say had you heard all this, and seen the tears streaming from his eyes-you would not have been led by blind fanaticism, or a zeal without knowledge. . . .” – LDS Apostle Lyman Wight

http://www.centerplace.org/history/ch/v2ch35.htm 

There are many testimonies and evidences showing that Joseph Smith, Jr. did in fact bless his eldest son Joseph Smith III to take his place if/when he died.  The following list is just a microcosm of the testimonies, excerpts from private journals and letters to newspaper editors from various people testifying to a number of times Smith publicly announced his intentions of who should run the Church. 

This first link below provided copies of no less than eight different statements testifying that JS III was supposed to fill his father’s shoes. 

http://home.earthlink.net/~jptandy/rlds/js3.htm

http://www.centerplace.org/hs/dc/rdc-043.htm

http://restorationbookstore.org/articles/heritage/articles/josephsmithsuccessor.htm

http://archive.org/stream/mormonismunveile00leej#page/154/mode/2up/search/Joseph+Smith+III+ (Mormonism Unveiled, pg 155, John D. Lee)

No Man Knows My History, pg 381-382, Fawn Brodie

Also see:

Law of Prophetic Succession

http://home.earthlink.net/~jptandy/rlds/index.htm