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  2. General Church Officers, September 1839–January 1841

General Church Officers, September 1839–January 1841

The following charts identify the general leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between September 1839 and January 1841. Several of the charts reflect important changes to these organizations during the period covered in this volume.
 
First Presidency
Membership in the remained consistent throughout most of the period between September 1839 and January 1841. JS served as president and and served as his counselors for almost all of the period. However, a 19 January 1841 revelation appointed as a counselor to JS so that Hyrum Smith could assume “the office of priesthood and patriarch, which was appointed unto him by his by blessing and also by right.” The revelation also expanded Hyrum’s responsibilities to include “the blessing and glory, and honor and priesthood and gifts of the priesthood, that once were put upon . . . Oliver Cowdery.” had received the keys of the priesthood in connection with JS, had been sustained as “Second Elder of the Church” on 6 April 1830, and had served in the church’s presidency from December 1834 to April 1838 under the titles “assistant president” and “assistant Councillor.” Later church historians who knew Hyrum and were familiar with his role in church leadership applied the term “associate president” to Hyrum Smith’s unusual office, but that term was not used during his lifetime.
President Associate President Counselors
Joseph Smith (6 Apr. 1830–27 June 1844) (19 Jan. 1841–27 June 1844) (8 Mar. 1832–27 June 1844)
(7 Nov. 1837–19 Jan. 1841)
(19 Jan. 1841–before 8 Jan. 1844)
 
Patriarch
was appointed as the of the church in December 1834 and served in that position until his death on 14 September 1840. On 19 January 1841, was designated by revelation to take “the office of priesthood and patriarch, which was appointed unto him by his father by blessing and also by right.” That same revelation appointed him, as patriarch, to hold the sealing power and to be “a prophet and a Seer and a revelator unto my church as well as my servant Joseph that he may act in concert also, with my servant Joseph . . . and be crowned with the same blessings . . . and glory, and honor and priesthood and gifts of the priesthood, that once were put upon him that was my servant .”
1 September 1839 31 January 1841
 
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Between 1 September 1839 and 31 January 1841, the continued to rebuild its membership after six members of the quorum died or disaffected during the turmoil in both and in 1837 and 1838. In late 1838 and early 1839, four new apostles were ordained, bringing the membership total to ten. In April 1840, while serving a mission with the Quorum of the Twelve in , , who had been appointed as an apostle in July 1838, was ordained to that office, becoming the eleventh member of the quorum.
1 September 1839 31 January 1841
 
Presidents of the Seventy
From September 1839 through January 1841, there were apparently three quorums of the in the , as there is no record of the dissolution of the quorums established in 1835. In 1837, however, the record book of the Seventy started referring to the quorums of the Seventy as a singular quorum, and many men ordained to that office in the United States and Great Britain in 1839 and 1840 were not assigned to a specific quorum. Unlike most other quorums in the church, which were presided over by one president and two counselors, the quorums of the Seventy were led by seven presidents. Throughout this period, the same seven men served as presidents of the Seventy, positions that were reaffirmed in a 19 January 1841 revelation. The order in which the presidents are listed below is based on the order in which they were listed in that revelation and is not necessarily based on seniority.
1 September 1839–31 January 1841
  1. 1

    Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841; “Ecclesiastical Officers and Church Appointees, 1839–1844.”

  2. 2

    Oliver Cowdery, Note, in Patriarchal Blessing Book 1, pp. 8–9.

    Patriarchal Blessings, 1833–. CHL. CR 500 2.

  3. 3

    Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:91].

  4. 4

    John F. Boynton was excommunicated in September 1837, Luke Johnson in late December 1837, and Lyman Johnson on 13 April 1838. Thomas B. Marsh withdrew from the church in October 1838 and was excommunicated in absentia on 17 March 1839. William E. McLellin was “found in transgression” on 11 May 1838 and was apparently removed from office at or by that time. (Letter to John Corrill and the Church in Missouri, 4 September 1837; John Smith and Clarissa Smith, Kirtland, OH, to George A. Smith, 1 Jan. 1838, George A. Smith Papers, CHL; Luke Johnson, Autobiography, 1857–1858, 8–9, Historian’s Office, Histories of the Twelve, 1856–1858, CHL; Minute Book 2, 13 Apr. 1838; Thomas B. Marsh and Orson Hyde, Affidavit, Richmond, MO, 24 Oct. 1838, copy, Mormon War Papers, Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City; Thomas B. Marsh and Orson Hyde to Lewis Abbot and Ann Marsh Abbott, 25–30 Oct. 1838, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 18–19; JS, Journal, 11 May 1838.)

    Smith, George Albert. Papers, 1834–1877. CHL. MS 1322.

    Historian’s Office. Histories of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861. CHL. CR 100 93.

    Mormon War Papers, 1838–1841. MSA.

  5. 5

    John E. Page and John Taylor were ordained apostles on 19 December 1838. Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith were ordained apostles on 26 April 1839. (Minute Book 2, 19 Dec. 1838; Minutes, 26 Apr. 1839, General Church Minutes, CHL.)

  6. 6

    Minutes, 26 Apr. 1839, General Church Minutes, CHL; JS, Journal, 8 July 1838; Woodruff, Journal, 14 Apr. 1840; Times and Seasons, June 1840, 1:119.

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  7. 7

    Seventies Record, bk. A.

    Record of Seventies / First Council of the Seventy. “Book of Records,” 1837–1843. Bk. A. In First Council of the Seventy, Records, 1837–1885. CHL. CR 3 51, box 1, fd. 1.

  8. 8

    “Ecclesiastical Officers and Church Appointees, 1839–1844.”

  9. 9

    Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:138].

  10. 10

    Seventies Record, bk. A, 6 Mar. 1838, 44–46.

    Record of Seventies / First Council of the Seventy. “Book of Records,” 1837–1843. Bk. A. In First Council of the Seventy, Records, 1837–1885. CHL. CR 3 51, box 1, fd. 1.

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