In late February 1844 JS assigned the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to oversee an expedition that would explore California and Oregon as possible sites of settlement. An objective in organizing the Council of Fifty was “to look to some place where we can go and establish a Theocracy either in Texas or Oregon or somewhere in California &c.” (JS, Journal, 20 Feb. 1844; Council of Fifty, “Record,” 11 Mar. 1844.)