Church Officers in Zion (Missouri), October 1835–January 1838
The following charts list local ecclesiastical leadership
of the Church of the Latter Day Saints in northwestern , or Zion, between October 1835 and January 1838.
During the period covered by this chronology, the presiding officers of
the church in Missouri moved from to . Many of the charts reflect important changes to
these organizations during this
period.
Presidency of the High Council
In July 1834, a meeting of high priests organized a high council in , designating , , and as the presidency
of that council and twelve men as counselors. The president of
the high council, David Whitmer, was also designated the “President of
the Church in Zion.” The
composition of the presidency remained the same until 1838. In January
1838, the high council members expressed concern with the actions of the
presidency and ultimately determined that they could “no longer recieve
them as presidents.” During meetings of a general assembly held
between 5 and 9 February, the presidency was rejected; a body composed
of the high council and bishop’s council then appointed apostles and as presidents pro
tempore.
| 3 July 1834 | 10 February 1838 |
| , president | , president pro tempore |
| , assistant president | , president pro tempore |
| , assistant president |
High Council
The high council was organized in July 1834. Patterned
after the high council, the high council in Missouri was
specifically responsible for the regulation of “all the affairs of
Zion.” On 6 January 1836,
men were appointed to the council to replace , who had died, and those who had been
ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, including , , , and .
was apparently made a president over the council
sometime before 3 March 1836. On 1 August 1837, replaced , who had been cut off from the high council
the previous May; was also appointed to the
council following the death of The members of the high council were presented at
a church conference in in November 1837, and all were approved to retain
their position.
| 3 July 1834 | circa 6 January 1836 | 7 November 1837 |
Patriarch
was ordained patriarch in on 7 November 1837.
| 7 November 1837 |
Bishopric
was appointed as the church’s first bishop
in February 1831, and and were ordained
assistants to the bishop in June 1831. After relocating to in summer 1831, all three members of the Missouri
bishopric remained in their positions until late spring 1837. On 22 May 1837, John Corrill was nominated as
“an agent to the Church and Keeper of the Lords’, store House.” On 1
August 1837, the Missouri presidency and high council voted “unanimously
that be a Bishop’s Counsellor
instead of John Corrill.” During a November 1837 reorganization of the
church in Missouri, Partridge, Morley, and Billings were unanimously
approved.
| Summer 1831 | 7 November 1837 |
| , bishop | , bishop |
Quorum of High Priests and Quorum of
Elders
Though the offices of elder and high priest had existed in the church
since the early 1830s, it appears that the quorum of the elders and the
quorum of the high priests were not officially organized in until August 1837. During a 1
August meeting, the Missouri presidency “appointed the 15th inst. for the High Priests and Elders to
meet and choose their respective Presidents.” Sometime before 20 August 1837, was “duly elected a
president of the High priesthood in Zion and was ordained to that office
under the hand of and presidents.”
During the same meeting, Harvey Green was elected “to
the presidency of Elders in
Mo.” The high priests and elders quorums were organized
shortly after that date. Both Rich and Green remained as the heads of
their respective quorums through the end of the time period covered in
this volume.
| Presidency of Quorum of High Priests |
| Before 20 August 1837 |
| , president |
| Presidency of Quorum of Elders |
| Before 20 August 1837 |
| Harvey Green, president |