JS and the met on 21 April 1838 to address many of the needs of the growing church in , Missouri. After JS arrived in the previous month, he participated in the effort to remove dissenters from positions of leadership and, if necessary, from the church. This effort included the excommunications of and in the council meetings held 12 and 13 April. With the church in Zion largely reorganized and major dissenters cut off, the high council was now able to shift its attention to building up the church in Far West.

The meeting of 21 April probably began at 9:00 a.m., as determined during the previous high council meeting. As indicated in the minutes, the meeting was held in a in and began with a prayer by JS. Council meetings in Far West often began with a prayer by the presiding officer, suggesting that JS was conducting the meeting. The council passed measures to improve the schoolhouse in which the council was meeting, to build one or more in which to keep goods, and to build houses for JS and . The council also passed several measures related to reestablishing a church print shop and newspaper, having purchased a printing press and necessary supplies on 17 April. Minutes of the meeting were taken by . They were later copied into Minute Book 2 by .