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  2. Church Officers in Nauvoo, Illinois, March–July 1843

Church Officers in Nauvoo, Illinois, March–July 1843

In 1839 a general conference of the church organized a in (later ), Illinois, and appointed a president, a high council, and three bishops. A January 1841 revelation designated the Nauvoo stake as a “corner stone of Zion.”
 
Presidency
In 1839 a general conference of the church appointed as president of the stake in (later ). On 30 March 1841, Marks informed the Nauvoo high council that he had chosen and as his counselors. Cowles and Rich were ordained the same day and served in those roles throughout the period covered in this volume.
March–July 1843
, president
, first counselor
, second counselor
 
High Council
In 1839 a general conference of the church appointed twelve men to serve as members of the in (later ). Though council members changed over the years, the membership remained the same throughout the period covered by this volume. When individual members could not attend, alternates (or members pro tempore) were appointed to participate in council meetings. These temporary appointments are not represented in this chart.
March–July 1843
 
Bishops
In 1839, a general conference of the church designated three men—, , and —as , assigning each to be responsible for a specific jurisdiction, or ward, in (later ). Partridge died in May 1840, and in January 1841 replaced him as bishop. During the next month, JS appointed as bishop of an unspecified ward. On 20 August 1842, the Nauvoo high council appointed as bishop to replace Vinson Knight, who had died weeks before. At the same meeting, the Nauvoo high council divided Nauvoo into ten ecclesiastical wards and the immediate surrounding area into three districts (one of which was also called a ward). Furthermore, it appointed nine new bishops, in addition to Samuel Smith, and assigned them to specific wards or districts. Seven of the newly appointed bishops were ordained the following day. Although Samuel Smith, , and were appointed, it is unclear whether they were ordained. Extant records do not indicate whether or when the high council called bishops for the remaining wards. Evidently the geographic boundaries of the various wards were vague. In November 1842, the Nauvoo stake high council appointed to “ascertain the boundrys of the ten different ward[s],” and on 4 December 1842 Stout reported on the boundaries. During that meeting, Whitney was assigned to be bishop of the Seventh Ward.
March–July 1843
(First Ward)
(Second Ward)
(Fourth Ward)
(Fifth Ward)
(Sixth Ward)
(Seventh Ward)
(Eighth Ward)
(Ninth Ward)
(Tenth Ward)
David Evans (Eleventh Ward)
(southeast district)
  1. 1

    Minutes and Discourses, 5–7 Oct. 1839; see also Minutes, 6 May 1839.

  2. 2

    Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:2].

  3. 3

    Minutes and Discourses, 5–7 Oct. 1839; see also Minutes, 6 May 1839.

  4. 4

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 30 Mar. 1841, 26–27.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

  5. 5

    Minutes and Discourses, 5–7 Oct. 1839.

  6. 6

    Nauvoo Stake High Council, Minutes, 25 Feb. 1843, 1.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

  7. 7

    See, for example, the pro tempore appointment of Elias Higbee to preside over the Nauvoo high council in Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 24 Oct. 1840, 22.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

  8. 8

    Minutes and Discourses, 5–7 Oct. 1839; see also Minutes, 6 May 1839.

  9. 9

    Obituary for Edward Partridge, Times and Seasons, June 1840, 1:127–128; Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:21].

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

  10. 10

    Isaac Higbee, Autobiographical Sketch, 24 May 1864, Obituary Notices and Biographies, CHL. Though Higbee’s reminiscent autobiographical sketch indicated that he had been appointed bishop of the Second Ward in February 1841, extant records show the ecclesiastical wards at that time were not yet numbered. In August 1842, the city was reorganized into ten ecclesiastical wards, with each one being assigned a number, at which point Higbee likely became the bishop of the Second Ward. However, minutes from the 29 October 1842 Nauvoo high council meeting note that Higbee functioned as bishop of the First, Second, and Third wards at that time. (Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 20 Aug. and 29 Oct. 1842, 7–8, 14.)

    Obituary Notices and Biographies, 1854–1877. CHL. MS 4760.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

  11. 11

    “Died,” Times and Seasons, 15 Aug. 1842, 3:894; Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 20 Aug. and 29 Oct. 1843, 7–8, 14.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

  12. 12

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 20 Aug. 1842, 7–8.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

  13. 13

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 21 Aug. 1842, 8.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

  14. 14

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 26 Nov. and 4 Dec. 1842, 17–18.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

  15. 15

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 4 Dec. 1842, 18.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

  16. 16

    Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:21].

  17. 17

    Isaac Higbee, Autobiographical Sketch, 24 May 1864, Obituary Notices and Biographies, CHL.

    Obituary Notices and Biographies, 1854–1877. CHL. MS 4760.

  18. 18

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 20 Aug. 1842, 8.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

  19. 19

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 20 Aug. 1842, 8.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

  20. 20

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 20 Aug. 1842, 8.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

  21. 21

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 4 Dec. 1842, 18.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

  22. 22

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 20 Aug. 1842, 8.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

  23. 23

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 20 Aug. 1842, 8.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

  24. 24

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 20 Aug. 1842, 8.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

  25. 25

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 20 Aug. 1842, 8.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

  26. 26

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 20 Aug. 1842, 8.

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

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