The council met on 4 March 1845 in two sessions in the upper room of the . The first session began at 10:00 a.m.; after an hour adjournment, the council reconvened at 2:20 p.m. In the absence of , who was sick, (the next most senior apostle) presided as chairman. Four new members were accepted in the morning session. Kimball then introduced the business that Young had instructed him to attend to, explaining that the council should discuss the timing of the “Western Mission”; whether to petition state governors “to see if they will do any thing towards maintaining our rights,” and specifically for , “whether the State will buy us out, or sell to us”; and whether Young and Kimball should travel to Europe during the Western Mission to “prepare matters and have things moving there to meet the same object.”

While discussion of rules and procedures occupied much of the morning session, council members in the afternoon discussed the purposes and timing of the Western Mission. They concurred that the mission would include attempting to proselytize among and form alliances with American Indians as well as exploring possible areas of settlement. Council members also agreed that the mission should go ahead as quickly as possible and appointed a committee to help outfit the expedition. The council also appointed a committee to prepare letters to the governor of each state to set forth the Latter-day Saints’ grievances in and in . Finally, the council appointed another committee to consider a response to the loss of the charter, which the Illinois legislature had revoked in January. The minutes record no further discussion of the possible travel of and to Europe.