The Nauvoo City Council rough minutes are contained in five bound gatherings and three loose bifolia. The rough minutes for 3 February through 18 December 1841 consist of two loose bifolia and one bound gathering of pages. The first bifolium measures 12¼ × 7⅝ inches (31 × 19 cm), and each page is ruled with thirty-seven printed lines, now faded, and includes header space. The second bifolium measures 12 × 7⅝ inches (30 × 19 cm), and each page is ruled with thirty-eight printed lines, now faded, with no header space. Each page of the bound gathering measures 12¼ × 8 inches (31 × 20 cm) and is ruled with thirty-seven printed lines, now faded, and includes header space. The gathering was bound with string and contained twenty-eight leaves (fifty-six pages), twenty-two of which are extant. Six leaves were apparently removed from the bound gathering; stubs of these pages are visible in the binding after the final inscribed page. Together, the bifolium and gathering contain fifty-two extant pages, fifty of which are inscribed. inscribed the minutes in blue and brown ink; use marks were later made in graphite. Sloan numbered the two loose bifolia pages 1–4 and 5–8, respectively, and he numbered pages in the bound gathering 9–48, indicating that the records collectively composed the first city council rough minute book. The final two inscribed pages of the gathering are not paginated, and the last leaf is blank. The right bottom corner of the first page of the first bifolium is missing due to a significant tear resulting in some loss of text. All three documents have undergone conservation for separation or tears along folds, edges, and binding.

The next set of rough minutes consists of a bound gathering with minutes dated from 1 January to 26 November 1842. This gathering measures 12¼ × 7¾ inches (31 × 20 cm); each page is ruled with thirty-seven printed lines, now faded, and includes header space. The gathering was bound with string and contains twenty-four leaves (forty-eight pages). Unlike the other rough minute books, this book contains a cover page of thicker, unlined tan paper titled “City Council Rough Book, | Commencing | January 1st.1842. | Nauvoo City, Illinois.” It is probable that the other bound gatherings included similar cover pages that are no longer extant. paginated and inscribed all forty-eight pages in blue and black ink. Use marks were later made in graphite. Titles and numbers appear in the margins of the minutes and were apparently written contemporaneously in Sloan’s handwriting.

The third rough minute book consists of a bound gathering with minutes dated from 26 November 1842 to 16 January 1844. The first page is titled “1842.— Continued from last Book.— November 26th.”, notifying the reader that this minute book begins with a continuation of the 26 November 1842 minutes that conclude the second rough minute book. The gathering measures 12½ × 8 inches (32 × 20 cm), and each page is ruled with thirty-five printed lines, now faded, and header space. The upper left corner of the first page features an embossed rectangle enclosing a five-point star surrounded by lines representing rays of light. Text above the star reads “D & J. AMES”; below the star is “SPRINGFIELD”. The gathering was bound with string and contains twenty-four leaves, or forty-eight pages, forty-six of which are inscribed. Pages 1–19 were paginated by ; pages 20–46 were paginated by a later scribe in the Church Historian’s Office. The minutes were inscribed in brown and black ink, with later use marks made in graphite. Sloan was the initial scribe; replaced him as recorder beginning with minutes dated 12 August 1843. An ink spill on the last page—perhaps from an inkwell being knocked over—resulted in significant staining.

The next set contains rough minutes dated from 10 February 1844 to 13 January 1845 and consists of a gathering with an inserted leaf and an inserted bifolium. The bound gathering measures 12¾ × 8 inches (32 × 20 cm), and each page is ruled with thirty-seven printed lines, now faded, and includes header space. The gathering was bound with string and contains twenty-eight leaves, or fifty-six pages, fifty-five of which are inscribed. The first page is titled “City council Rough book, commencing Feb 10— 1844.” recorded minutes from February through June 1844. A single loose leaf containing minutes apparently taken during the 10 June 1844 meeting and measuring 10¾ × 7½ inches (27 × 19 cm) was interfiled with Richards’s copy of the 10 June minutes between pages [22] and [23]. John McEwan, Richards, and then alternately recorded minutes until Bullock took over as recorder in October 1844. The minutes from 11 and 13 January 1845 are almost completely contained in a bifolium measuring 12½ × 7⅝ inches (32 × 19 cm) that was inserted after page [54] of the gathering. Each page of the bifolium is ruled with thirty-five printed lines, now faded, and includes header space. All four pages of the bifolium are inscribed in black and blue ink. The minutes from 13 January 1845 end on page [55], the final inscribed page of the gathering. The first nineteen pages were paginated contemporaneously in ink; pages [20]–[55] were later paginated in graphite. The minutes were inscribed in ink, with later use marks made in graphite.

The final gathering contains minutes dated from 8 February to 8 March 1845. The gathering measures 12⅝ × 7¾ inches (32 × 20 cm); each page is ruled with thirty-five printed lines, now faded, and includes header space. The minutes were inscribed with the gathering upside down, so the header space is at the bottom of each page, and the lower right corner of the last page is embossed with a decorative rectangle enclosing a ring of leaves surrounding the word “AMES”. The gathering contains six leaves, or twelve pages, six of which are inscribed. The center fold of the gathering contains small holes that suggest it was bound with string at some point. This gathering was not paginated. The rough minutes were kept by Bullock, who inscribed them in black ink; later use marks were made in graphite. The gathering is titled “City Council Rough Book commencing February 8, 1845.”

Between 1841 and 1845, , , and successively served as city recorder and inscribed minutes into the rough minute books. Sloan appears to have kept minutes on loose leaves—some of which are still extant—and then copied them into the rough minute books. He then inscribed a fair copy of the minutes into the Nauvoo City Council Minute Book. By 1842 the more detailed city council minutes were entered in the rough minute book; proceedings such as council decisions and ordinances were recorded primarily in the official minute book. Richards and Bullock appear to have followed Sloan’s practice, taking their initial minutes on loose paper before transferring their record to the minute book.

The warping of the spines of the rough minute books suggests they were stacked together. They were presumably kept among city records. In 1845 the city of Nauvoo was disincorporated. The city council rough minute books were listed in an inventory that was produced by the Church Historian’s Office (now CHL) in 1846, when they were packed up with church records that were transported to the Salt Lake Valley. The listing of the books in subsequent inventories of church records in Salt Lake City indicates continuous institutional custody.