[Brigham Young] --11-- Spent the day in the council of fifty, we had an interesting time, and closed the council with shouts of hosanna. (1)
[Council of Fifty Members] Cutler, Alpheus (1784-1864). Attended provisional meeting on 10 March 1844. Admitted 11 March 1844. Possibly dropped in 18481849 period. (2)
[Council of Fifty Members] Haws, Peter (1796). Admitted 11 March 1844. Dropped sometime after 13 November 1846. (2)
[Council of Fifty Members] Miller, George (1794-1856). Attended provisional meeting on 10 March 1844. Admitted 11 March 1844. Dropped after 26 December 1846. (2)
[Council of Fifty Members] Phelps, John (1800). Attended provisional meeting on 10 March 1844 but not admitted to Council once formal meetings began on 11 March 1844. (2)
[Council of Fifty Members] Richards, Willard (1804-1854). Attended provisional meeting on 10 March 1844 and appointed chairman. Admitted officially 11 March 1844. Released as provisional chairman and made recorder on 13 March 1844. (2)
[Council of Fifty Members] Smith, Joseph, Jr. (1805-1844). Attended provisional meeting on 10 March 1844. Admitted 11 March 1844. Appointed standing chairman 13 March 1844. Ordained and anointed Prophet, Priest, and King over Israel on Earth on 11 April 1844. (2)
[Council of Fifty Members] Wasson, Lorenzo D. (1819-1857). Attended provisional meeting on 10 March 1844. Admitted 11 March 1844. Dropped 4 February 1845. (2)
Erastus Snow: Member of Council of Fifty 11 March 1844. Nine children: Nephi, Mary Minerva, Willard, Hyrum Smith, Levi, Erastus White, Susan, Louisa White, and Alden. (3)
Joseph Smith organizes the Council of Fifty (also called "Kindom of God" or " Council of the Kingdom"); members are sworn to secrecy under penalty of death. Brigham Young writes that several members were not members of the Church and that they discussed government issues. (4)
Heber C Kimball: Council of Fifty 11 Mar. 1844 q(3)
Joseph Smith Jr.: Organized Council of Fifty 11 Mar. 1844, as standing chairman! Mar. 13 q(3)
Newel K Whitney: Council of Fifty 11 Mar. 1844 q(3)
Willard Richards: Council of Fifty 11 Mar. 1844, and its recorder (1844-54) q(3)
The secret, theocratic Council of Fifty is organized. Joseph Smith is president, William Clayton is clerk and Willard Richards is "historian of the Council." The Council continues to function until the death of President Brigham Young in 1877; then it is revived in the 1880's to combat the polygamy prosecutions. In time, it again ceases to function. (6)
Joseph meets in the lodge room over Henry Miller's house with 23 brethren "whom I organized into a special council" to consider the recent letters by Lyman Wight concerning a place in the West where the Saints might establish a permanent home. This council continues to meet at intervals, and comes to be known as the Council of Fifty, because of its approximate number. Its name and purpose, however, are kept secret, and one member writes the letters backwardsâ€"YTFIFâ€"in an attempt to camouflage the name. Although most of the leading brethren of the Church attend (some such as Rigdon, Law, and Marks are not invited at first), it is not primarily a Church council. Set up to have nonmembers also participate, it is formed for the purpose of setting up and controlling the political kingdom of God on earth. The immediate purpose of the council is to help elect Joseph Smith as U. S. president, but if that fails it will help organize the reestablishment of the Saints in the West, wh
ere theymight be safe from their enemies and have a government of their own. However, the council's ultimate goal is to politically rule the world in preparation for Christ's return and reign on earth. Reports eventually spread that Joseph has been ordained a king and the Saints are planning a political as well as a religious takeover. Hostility against the Saints from nearby areas begins to increase rapidly. (7)
Footnotes:
1 - Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1801-1844, ed. Elden Jay Watson (Salt Lake City: Smith Secretarial Service, 1968).
2 - Quinn, D. Michael, Council of Fifty Members, 1844-1945, BYU Studies 20, #2 (1980)
3 - Cook, Lyndon W., The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, Seventy's Mission Bookstore, Provo UT, 1985, http://amzn.to/RevelationsofJosephSmith
4 - Tidd, N. R., "Mormon Chronology"
5 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Appendix 6, Biographical Sketches of General Officers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-47, http://amzn.to/origins-power
6 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com
7 - Conklin, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology
LDS History Timeline
About this site: http://bit.ly/mhist
No comments:
Post a Comment