Heywood was a merchant from Quincy, Illinois, who had joined the church about three years earlier. In summer 1844 Heywood visited Brigham Young, who was on a mission to the East; Young wrote that Heywood was “a faithful witness for Br Joseph and the principles of rightiousness.” Likely because of Heywood’s financial background, church leaders often assigned him tasks related to financial matters, beginning with his October 1844 appointment as bishop over the church in Quincy. In October 1845 he was appointed a member of the committee to help the Saints dispose of their property in Nauvoo; a month prior to this meeting of the council, Heywood assisted in the negotiations with Catholic representatives for the sale of the Nauvoo temple. Although Heywood likely attended some of the January 1846 meetings of the council after this appointment, he was not formally added to the Council of Fifty until 6 December 1848. (Brigham Young, Salem, MA, to Willard Richards, Nauvoo, IL, 8 July 1844, Willard Richards, Papers, CHL; “October Conference Minutes,” Times and Seasons, 1 Nov. 1844, 5:696; “List of Committees,” in Circular, to the Whole Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints [Nauvoo, IL: Oct. 1845], copy at CHL; Clayton, Journal, 10 Dec. 1845; Minutes, 6 Dec. 1848, Council of Fifty, Papers, 1844–1885, CHL.)
Richards, Willard. Journals and Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Circular, to the Whole Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. [Nauvoo, IL]: Oct. 1845. Copy at CHL.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
Council of Fifty. Papers, 1844–1885. CHL.
A public meeting was held this day in the second story of the temple. (Hosea Stout, Reminiscences and Journal, 11 Jan. 1846.)
Stout, Hosea. Reminiscences and Journals, 1845–1869. Microfilm. CHL. Originals at Utah State Historical Society, Salt Lake City. Also available as On the Mormon Frontier: The Diary of Hosea Stout, 1844–1861, edited by Juanita Brooks, 2 vols. (1964. Reprint, Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press; Salt Lake City: Utah State Historical Society, 1982).