Prophet Infallibility - Mormon Doctrine

I think that the statement by President Wilford Woodruff is largely responsible for what I call the Mormon doctrine of infallibility, but I don't think that the problem is really what President Woodruff actually said so much as it is the way that it has been misinterpreted:

"The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the programme. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place, and so He will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty." (Sixty-first Semiannual General Conference of the Church, Monday, October 6, 1890, Salt Lake City, Utah. Reported in Deseret Evening News, October 11, 1890, p. 2.)

Please note that when President Woodruff explains why the Prophet could never lead the Church astray, he explains that it is because if he were to attempt it, then the Lord would remove him from his place. Here is the question: what does that mean? I think that many, if not most, members of the Church assume that what he meant was that if he were to attempt to lead the Church astray, then the Lord would give him an automatic transfer to the spirit world. But I don't think that's what he meant.

The key to what he really meant to say is found in the last phrase, which reads: "and so He will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty." The word "so" means that the Lord would do the same thing to any man who were to attempt to lead the Church astray, not just the Prophet. So, let's ask this question. How does the Lord remove apostates from their place in the Church? Does He give them an automatic transfer to the spirit world? Obviously not. What He does is He acts through His authorized representatives in the priesthood to remove them from their place in the Church, not from their place in the world. So, that tells us what President Woodruff meant when the said that "the Lord would remove me out of my place"--i.e., He would act through His authorized representatives in the priesthood to remove him from his place in the Church. That's why the Lord revealed to us, in the Doctrine and Covenants, how to try a President of the Church for his membership.

"But a literal descendant of Aaron has a legal right to the presidency of this priesthood, to the keys of this ministry, to act in the office of bishop independently, without counselors, except in a case where a President of the High Priesthood, after the order of Melchizedek, is tried, to sit as a judge in Israel." (D&C 107:76)

"And inasmuch as a President of the High Priesthood shall transgress, he shall be had in remembrance before the common council of the church, who shall be assisted by twelve counselors of the High Priesthood;"
"And their decision upon his head shall be an end of controversy concerning him.
"Thus, none shall be exempted from the justice and the laws of God, that all things may be done in order and in solemnity before him, according to truth and righteousness." (D&C 107:82-84)

The President of the High Priesthood is the President of the Church. Why would the Lord give us instructions on how to try the President of the Church for his membership if there were no possibility that he would ever go astray? The answer is, He wouldn't. He isn't saying that the President of the Church ever will go astray, but He is covering all His bases. Just in case the President of the Church should ever go astray, here is what to do.

But here is the problem: if the general authorities have all grown up being brainwashed with the idea that the President of the Church would never lead the Church astray, because if he were to attempt it the Lord would give him an automatic transfer to the spirit world, then if the President of the Church ever did go astray and try to lead the Church astray, could we count on them to do their duty and try him for his membership in the Church? This is at least doubtful.