Since the early 1830s conferences and councils had been seen as a means to obtain the “mind of the Lord” on a given subject. This function was reinforced in JS’s 25 April 1844 revelation, which identified the Council of Fifty as the “spokesmen” of God. (Minutes, 1–2 Nov. 1831; Darowski, “Seeking After the Ancient Order,” 97–113; Council of Fifty, “Record,” 25 Apr. 1844.)
Darowski, Joseph F. “Seeking After the Ancient Order: Conferences and Councils in Early Church Governance, 1830–34.” In Brigham Young University Church History Symposium; A Firm Foundation: Church Organization and Administration, edited by David J. Whittaker and Arnold K. Garr, 97–113. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2011.