Interim Content
Presidency
Summary
An organized body of leaders over priesthood quorums and other ecclesiastical organizations. A November 1831 revelation first described the office of president over the high priesthood and the church as a whole. By 1832, JS and two counselors constituted the presidency of the high priesthood over the church. Oliver Cowdery, who had received priesthood keys along with JS, was added to the presidency in December 1834 and stood second to JS until he was demoted in September 1837; he was dropped from the presidency in November 1837. Hyrum Smith later assumed Cowdery’s role. In 1834, JS explained that leadership by presidency arose from biblical precedent, describing the apostle Peter as “the president of the council” with “two men appointed as counsellors with him.” Presidencies of individual stakes and priesthood quorums generally followed this same pattern of one president with two counselors. In March 1835, a revelation designated bishops and their counselors as presidencies of the Aaronic priesthood. In 1835 and 1836, the presidency over the church in Missouri joined JS and the presidency of the entire church, based in Ohio, to form a “council of the presidency.” The Female Relief Society of Nauvoo had a presidency with a president and two counselors. A single president presided over the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and seven presidents led the original Quorum of the Seventy. See also “.”
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papers
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- History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834]
- History Draft [6 August 1838–30 December 1839]
- Letter from Thomas Burdick, 28 August 1840
- Affidavit, 29 November 1841
- Appeal and Minutes, 21 June 1833
- Appendix 2: Letter to the Saints Scattered Abroad, June 1835
- Authorization for Hyrum Smith and Isaac Galland, 15 February 1841–B
- Authorization for Hyrum Smith and Isaac Galland, 15 February 1841–A, in handwriting of Howard Coray
- Authorization for Hyrum Smith and Isaac Galland, 15 February 1841–A
- Authorization for John P. Greene, circa 6 May 1839
- Authorization for Oliver Granger, 13 May 1839
- Benediction, 6 April 1841
- Bill of Damages, 4 June 1839
- Bill to Incorporate the Church, 14 December 1840
- Blessing from Joseph Smith Sr., 9 December 1834
- Blessing to Joseph Kingsbury, 23 March 1843
- Blessing to Joseph Young, 1 March 1835
- Blessing to Orson Pratt, 26 April 1835
- Blessing to Sarah Ann Whitney, 23 March 1843
- Charges against Almon Babbitt Preferred to Presidents of the High Council, circa 27–28 December 1835
- Charges against Wilkins Jenkins Salisbury and Charles Kelly Preferred to the Presidency of the High Council, 14 May 1836
- Deed from John and Alice Jacobs Johnson, 5 May 1834
- Discourse, 12 August 1838
- Discourse, 27 February 1835–B, as Recorded in Pratt, Notebook
- Discourse, 27 February 1835–B, as Reported by Oliver Cowdery
- Discourse, 29 July 1838
- Discourse, 30 July 1840, as Reported by John Smith
- Discourse, 6 May 1838
- Discourse, between 6 and 9 April 1841, as Reported by William P. McIntire
- Discourse, circa 21 March 1841, as Reported by William P. McIntire
- History Draft [21 June–8 August 1844]
- Instruction on Priesthood, between circa 1 March and circa 4 May 1835 [D&C 107]
- Instruction on Priesthood, between circa 1 March and circa 4 May 1835, as Recorded in Kimball, History [D&C 107]
- Instruction on Priesthood, circa 5 October 1840
- Journal, 1835–1836
- Journal, March–September 1838
- Land Survey, May–July 1838
- Letter and Revelation to Edward Partridge, 7 January 1838
- Letter from Abel Lamb and Others, circa 28 May 1837
- Letter from Almon Babbitt, 19 October 1841
- Letter from Brigham Young and Willard Richards, 5 September 1840
- Letter from Brigham Young, 29 April 1840
- Letter from Heber C. Kimball and Others, 25 May 1840
- Letter from Jacob W. Jenks, 31 December 1839
- Letter from John Taylor, 3 February 1841
- Letter from John E. Page, 1 September 1841
- Letter from Lester Brooks and Others, 16 November 1841
- Letter from Moses Martin, 7 November 1841
- Letter from Parley P. Pratt, 22 November 1839
- Letter from Thomas B. Marsh, 15 February 1838
- Letter from Wilford Woodruff and Others, 9 March 1838
- Letter from William W. Phelps, 7 July 1837
- Letter from William W. Phelps, with Appended Letter from Orson Hyde and John E. Page, 29 June 1840
- Letter from the Presidency of Elders, 29 January 1836
- Letter from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 28 March 1836
- Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson County, Missouri, 25 June 1833
- Letter to Crooked Creek, Illinois, Branch, circa 7 or 8 July 1840
- Letter to Emma Smith, 4 November 1838
- Letter to Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young, 16 January 1839
- Letter to Hyrum Smith and Nauvoo High Council, 5 December 1839
- Letter to John Corrill and the Church in Missouri, 4 September 1837
- Letter to John Whitmer, 9 April 1838
- Letter to Oliver Cowdery, circa 9 April 1836
- Letter to Oliver Granger, between circa 22 and circa 28 July 1840
- Letter to Quorum of the Twelve, 4 August 1835
- Letter to Seymour Brunson and Nauvoo High Council, 7 December 1839
- Letter to Seymour Brunson and Nauvoo High Council, 7 December 1839, Copy
- Letter to Vienna Jaques, 4 September 1833
- Letter to Vilate Murray Kimball, 2 March 1841
- Letter to Wilford Woodruff, circa 18 June 1838
- Letter to William Marks and Newel K. Whitney, 8 July 1838
- Letter to William Smith, circa 18 December 1835
- Letter to William W. Phelps, 22 July 1840
- Letter to William W. Phelps, 22 May 1839
- Letter to the Church and Edward Partridge, 20 March 1839
- Letter to the Church in Caldwell County, Missouri, 16 December 1838
- Letter to the Presidency in Kirtland, 29 March 1838
- Letter to the Saints Abroad, 24 May 1841
- Letter to the Saints in Kirtland, Ohio, 19 October 1840
- Letterbook 1
- Letterbook 2
- Letters to John Burk, Sally Waterman Phelps, and Almira Mack Scobey, 1–2 June 1835
- Minute Book 1
- Minutes and Blessings, 21 February 1835
- Minutes and Blessings, 28 February–1 March 1835
- Minutes and Discourse, 1–2 June 1839
- Minutes and Discourse, 1–5 October 1841
- Minutes and Discourse, 2 May 1835, as Reported by William E. McLellin–A
- Minutes and Discourse, 2 May 1835, as Reported by William E. McLellin–B
- Minutes and Discourse, 3–5 October 1840
- Minutes and Discourse, 6 March 1840
- Minutes and Discourse, 6–8 April 1840
- Minutes and Discourse, circa 7 July 1834
- Minutes and Discourses, 27 February 1835, as Recorded in Pratt, Notebook
- Minutes and Discourses, 27 February 1835, as Reported by Oliver Cowdery
- Minutes and Discourses, 5–7 October 1839
- Minutes and Prayer of Dedication, 27 March 1836 [D&C 109]
- Minutes, 12 April 1838
- Minutes, 12 February 1836
- Minutes, 13 April 1838
- Minutes, 13 January 1836
- Minutes, 14 April 1838
- Minutes, 14 July 1835
- Minutes, 15 January 1836
- Minutes, 15 March 1838
- Minutes, 16 January 1836
- Minutes, 16 June 1836
- Minutes, 16 May 1836
- Minutes, 16 September 1835
- Minutes, 16 August 1841
- Minutes, 17 August 1835
- Minutes, 17 August 1840
- Minutes, 18 January 1835
- Minutes, 19 March 1836
- Minutes, 19 September 1835
- Minutes, 1 March 1841, Copy
- Minutes, 2 April 1836
- Minutes, 2 January 1836
- Minutes, 2 May 1833
- Minutes, 21 April 1838
- Minutes, 22 December 1836
- Minutes, 22 February 1836
- Minutes, 22–23 January 1833
- Minutes, 23 June 1834
- Minutes, 28 April 1838, as Reported by Ebenezer Robinson
- Minutes, 28 April 1838, as Reported by George W. Robinson
- Minutes, 28 December 1834
- Minutes, 28 December 1835
- Minutes, 28 June 1838
- Minutes, 3 July 1834
- Minutes, 3 March 1836
- Minutes, 30 April 1832
- Minutes, 30 January 1836
- Minutes, 30 March 1836
- Minutes, 6 April 1838
- Minutes, 6 May 1839
- Minutes, 6 November 1837
- Minutes, 7 November 1837
- Minutes, 7–11 April 1841
- Minutes, 7–8 April 1838
- Minutes, 8 March 1840
- Minutes, 8 September 1834
- Minutes, Discourse, and Blessings, 1 March 1835
- Minutes, Discourse, and Blessings, 14–15 February 1835
- Motto, circa 16 or 17 March 1838
- Nauvoo Marriage Record, February 1842–January 1846
- Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book
- Note, circa 24 May 1839
- Plat of the City of Zion, circa Early June–25 June 1833
- Prospectus for Elders’ Journal, 30 April 1838
- Recommendation for Brigham Young, 3 June 1839
- Recommendation for Samuel Bent and George W. Harris, between circa 17 and circa 28 July 1840
- Record of the Twelve, 14 February–28 August 1835
- Report of Agents, circa 30 January 1841
- Report of the First Presidency to the Church, circa 7 April 1841
- Resolution, circa 8 April 1838
- Revelation Book 2
- Revelation, 2 August 1833–B [D&C 94]
- Revelation, 11 April 1838 [D&C 114]
- Revelation, 12 January 1838–A
- Revelation, 17 April 1838
- Revelation, 19 January 1841 [D&C 124]
- Revelation, 20 March 1841
- Revelation, 26 April 1838 [D&C 115]
- Revelation, 29 March 1836–A
- Revelation, 3 January 1833 [D&C 88:127–137]
- Revelation, 8 July 1838–A [D&C 118]
- Revelation, 8 July 1838–B
- Revelation, 8 July 1838–C [D&C 119]
- Revelation, 8 July 1838–D [D&C 120]
- Revelation, 8 July 1838–E [D&C 117]
- Revelation, 8 March 1833 [D&C 90]
- Revelation, 9 July 1841 [D&C 126]
- Revelation, circa Early March 1841 [D&C 125]
- Revised Plan of the House of the Lord, circa 10 August–circa 4 September 1833
- Visions, 21 January 1836 [D&C 137]