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119-458: Both presiding high councils function as second presidencies to the church, the apostles overseeing the mission field, and the standing high council overseeing the stakes of Zion (or areas where the church has been organized into sustained units). Historically, the standing high council had oversight over all other high councils within the stakes of Zion and was equal in authority to the Quorum of

238-662: A High Council , a body consisting of twelve men, headed by the First Presidency. The High Council took on the role of chief judicial and legislative body of the church, handling such matters as excommunication trials and approval of all church spending. Several months later, on July 3, 1834, the High Council of Zion was organized in Far West , Missouri . This council is also known as the Presiding High Council , for it

357-440: A World Conference . Major advisory decisions include its 1982 statement on homosexuality. The Church Administrator's Handbook 2005 states: The Standing High Council meets at the request of the First Presidency to consider questions of moral and ethical significance, to provide general advice and counsel to the First Presidency, and to consider appeals from courts of field jurisdictions. The Standing High Council may also advice

476-427: A mission president . New stakes are also frequently formed by dividing an existing stake (or by creating three stakes from two existing stakes, etc.). In addition to the size and number of local congregations, the creation of a new stake also requires sufficient Melchizedek priesthood holders to fill the required leadership positions. At times the absence of available leadership constrains the creation of new stakes and

595-561: A prophet called by God. When he was mortally wounded by assassins in 1856, he refused to name a successor, leaving the matter in God's hands. When no prophet appeared, the bulk of his church dissolved, though a few loyal congregations remain today. Many of the Latter Day Saints who remained in the Midwest, including Strang, believed that one or more of Joseph Smith's sons would eventually lead

714-511: A "Grand Council," perhaps an adaptation of the Council of Fifty . Also at the conference, the new church organization formally returned its name to the 1830 church's original name, the " Church of Christ ." After this group disorganized, William Bickerton re-organized the church today known as The Church of Jesus Christ . The majority of Latter Day Saints in the Nauvoo area accepted the leadership of

833-465: A church stake. The leader of a district is the mission president , who selects a local district president as his agent. The district president may choose two men to assist him; the three together form the district presidency. The Community of Christ (previously the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) eliminated the designation of "stake" as an administrative unit. The church

952-449: A leader or a prophet to this Church, which (ordination) was on condition that he (J. Smith) did not live to God himself". Upon forming the High Council, Smith stated "if he should be taken away that he had accomplished the great work which the Lord had laid before him, and that which he had desired of the Lord, and that he now had done his duty in organizing the High Council, through which Council

1071-516: A list of nominees to the Salt Lake Stake.” Of this arrangement, the manual states that “the function of stake organizations … had not been adequately defined for the maximum strength of the overall Church organization.” Toward the end of his life, Brigham Young began an extensive reformation of the various priesthood quorums, standardizing their jurisdiction and function. Minutes from an October 19, 1876 Bishops Meeting quote Young as saying, "So with

1190-616: A month after Joseph and Hyrum were murdered. The last of Joseph Smith's surviving brothers, William Smith , initially claimed the right to succeed his brothers only as Presiding Patriarch. Much later, after breaking with several Latter Day Saint factions, he exercised his own claim to the presidency of the church, with little result. William alleged that Samuel was poisoned at the behest of Young. Young, however, denied any involvement, noting that he did not even know of Joseph's death for three or four weeks afterwards, some time after Samuel's. No physical evidence exists that suggests that Samuel

1309-634: A new Mormon prophet to succeed Smith. Strang claimed to commune with angels and that he found and translated supposedly ancient records engraved upon metal plates , just as Smith had. Some prominent Latter Day Saints believed in the Letter of Appointment and accepted Strang as the church's second "Prophet, Seer, Revelator, and Translator." One such follower was William Smith, Joseph's last surviving brother; he had asked to be ordained Presiding Patriarch in May 1845 and subsequently claimed that his ordination meant he should be

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1428-401: A physical metamorphosis of Brigham Young into the form and voice of Joseph Smith" and that "[w]hen 8 August 1844 is stripped of emotional overlay, there is not a shred of irrefutable contemporary evidence to support the occurrence of a mystical event either in the morning or afternoon gatherings of that day." Esplin, on the other hand, argues that "[t]hough there is no contemporary diary account,

1547-490: A power not my own, and shall be dictated by the power that sent me. Joseph Smith's widow Emma, as well as Joseph III's two brothers, affiliated with this organization. A decade later the group added the word Reorganized to the official church name to distinguish it from the much larger group in Utah. For a time until the start of the twentieth century, leaders of both this group and the Utah group were Smith first cousins. The church

1666-510: A quorum equal in authority in the affairs of the church, in all their decisions, to the councils of the Twelve at the stakes of Zion." The two presiding high councils, when combined, are equal in authority to the First Presidency . At the same time, both are subject to the First Presidency, which has undivided authority over all the church. In addition to these two presiding councils, each of

1785-484: A recess of two and a half hours. When the conference resumed, Young spoke, emphasizing the idea that no man could ever replace Smith. However, he stated that the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles had all the "keys of the priesthood" that Smith had held. He answered Rigdon’s proposal to be named "guardian" by claiming that Rigdon and Smith had become estranged in recent years. Rather than a single guardian, Young proposed that

1904-530: A semi-regular basis. Area and regional conferences had been organized attempts to counteract this situation. A format has developed in the church such that groups of stakes are designated to receive a satellite broadcast from Salt Lake City. Using the recording studio at the Conference Center , general authorities deliver sermons that are broadcast to each designated stake. Each stake conducts its own opening hymns and prayers and conducts its own business before

2023-585: A separate sect of the church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , which excommunicated Young and most of the Twelve. At the General Conference of October 6–7, 1844, the Quorum of the Twelve presided as the church's highest authority for the first time; Young was sustained as "the president of the quorum of the Twelve, as one of the Twelve and first presidency of the church." The saints did not sustain Marks as president of

2142-409: A son who was to be named "David" and would "make his mark in the world". There are reports a patriarchal blessing given to Joseph Smith III, naming the young Joseph as Smith's successor. Cowdery had been the "Second Elder" of the church after Smith, and until the time of his excommunication held the keys of the dispensation with Joseph. In addition, he was with Smith at all the important events of

2261-414: A stake conference. Some stakes are geographically large enough that multiple sessions of stake conference may held at different locations to accommodate those who live in distant areas. The multi-site stake conference has become more common in the current stake conference structure. As the number of stakes continued to grow, it became more difficult for general authorities to visit stake conferences, even on

2380-472: A stake must be composed of at least five wards. A stake may have up to a total of 16 congregations. Most stakes are composed of five to ten wards. In the United States and Canada, a minimum of 3,000 members is required to create a stake; elsewhere, a minimum of 1,900 members is required. For a stake to be created, there must be at least 99 active, full- tithe -paying Melchizedek priesthood holders living in

2499-423: A stake, a district is formed to oversee the congregations. The presiding officer in a district is called the district president. The district president may or may not have counselors, depending on the number of members in the district. A district council of up to twelve individuals may also be formed. Duties which would be carried out by a stake presidency within a stake are shared between the district presidency and

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2618-580: A statement allegedly signed by William Smith; Joseph Smith's mother, Lucy Mack Smith ; and three of Joseph's sisters, certifying that "the Smith family do believe in the appointment of J. J. Strang." However, Smith's mother addressed the saints at the October 1844 General Conference and stated that she hoped all her children would accompany the saints to the West, and if they did she would go. Young then said: "We have extended

2737-442: Is assisted in turn by a twelve-member body, called the stake high council . The members of the stake presidency and stake high council hold the priesthood office of high priest . The stake presidency and the high council handle the administrative and judicial business of the stake. The three members of the stake presidency are given the honorific title " president ". In an area where there are insufficient congregations to form

2856-518: Is disagreement as to whether his clothes changed, his face changed, his voice changed, or whether he just seemed like Smith in mannerism. There is disagreement between the accounts as to whether Young started talking with Smith's voice or whether his voice changed during the speech. There is disagreement as to whether everyone saw the transformation, or whether only a few people saw it. There is also disagreement as to whether this change happened directly after Rigdon's morning speech, or whether it happened in

2975-709: Is now organized into "mission centers". Historically, the Strangites maintained stakes in Voree, Wisconsin ; Kirtland, Ohio ; and on Beaver Island, Michigan , but today the church has only a single stake in Voree. Succession crisis (Mormonism) The succession crisis in the Latter Day Saint movement occurred after the killing of the movement's founder , Joseph Smith , on June 27, 1844. For roughly six months after Smith's death, several people competed to take over his role,

3094-599: Is sometimes referred to as a stake of Zion . The first Latter Day Saint stake was organized at church headquarters in Kirtland, Ohio , on February 17, 1834, with Joseph Smith as its president. The second stake was organized in Clay County, Missouri , later that year on July 3, with David Whitmer as president. The Missouri stake was relocated to Far West, Missouri , in 1836, and the Kirtland Stake dissolved in 1838. A stake

3213-504: Is the head; thus there would be no schism or jarring. But the Twelve would attend to their duties in the world and not meddle with the government of the church at home[,] and the High Council in Zion and the first Presidency would attend to their business in the same place." However, Marks supported the claims of Rigdon. The Quorum of the Twelve were originally ordained to be traveling ministers and had been delegated leadership of outlying areas of

3332-582: Is to give revelations, I will tell you. It is I". While these events were going on in Nauvoo, another successor of Smith began to exercise his claim in the church's outlying branches in Illinois, Michigan , Indiana and Wisconsin . Although he was a recent convert (baptized in February 1844), James J. Strang posed a strong, determined, and initially quite successful challenge to the claims of Young and Rigdon. Strang

3451-530: The Book of Isaiah 's imagery of Zion as a tent (Isaiah 54:2), the church leadership is found at the center pole of the tent, with the stakes of Zion providing support and balance to the center place. The standing presiding high council in Zion acts with the First Presidency as a second presidency to the church. The traveling presiding high council acts to govern the church outside of the organized stakes. One of Smith's revelations states that "the high council in Zion form

3570-499: The Community of Christ ). Prior to the death of Joseph Smith, the First Presidency had made nearly all the major decisions and led the church both naturally and spiritually. On June 1, 1841, Sidney Rigdon had been ordained by Joseph Smith as a "Prophet, Seer and Revelator" —which was one of the same ecclesiastical titles held by Smith. The Church of Jesus Christ maintains that as First Counselor to Smith, Rigdon should naturally have been

3689-438: The First Presidency , with Brigham Young as President , sent out a letter to the church for the purpose of "setting in order the quorums of priesthood"; regarding the situation of the Salt Lake Stake having a "center place" supervisory role, the letter stated that “under the direction of the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles the presidency of the various Stakes will have the general supervision of all matters pertaining to

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3808-673: The Great Basin in what is now Utah . In 1847, Brigham Young and the other Apostles formed a new First Presidency . Young, who had already been sustained as the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles , thus became the president of what is now known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), the largest sect of Mormonism by a factor of fifty (with 16,118,169 members worldwide, as of December 31, 2017). His two counselors were Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards ,

3927-526: The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles , either immediately or within the following two decades. In 1846, this group was forced to leave their homes and the newly built Mormon temple in Nauvoo because of mounting conflict and persecutions (the temple was destroyed two years later, in October 1848). The saints began to migrate west, though slowly at first because of the harsh winters; the wagon trains halted at Winter Quarters, Nebraska before eventually leaving to settle in

4046-457: The Salt Lake Valley and could not have known of the proceedings. This left just seven present, a majority of one meaning Young would have to vote for himself in order to gain a majority quorum vote in favor of his leadership. Young chose two of the other apostles, Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards , as his counselors in the First Presidency. This left only four members of the Quorum of

4165-523: The mission presidency in a district. In addition to the presidency and high council, stake auxiliary leaders are called to oversee the operation of the various auxiliary organizations of the stake. The stake auxiliaries correspond to the ward-level auxiliaries, and include the Stake Relief Society (the church's women's organization), the Stake Primary (for children under 12 years of age),

4284-475: The 1840s in Smith's absence. Another possibility for succession was the Council of Fifty , a group of trusted men, some of them non-Mormon, who campaigned for Smith's 1844 run for president, and sought the establishment of a theocratic government. Rigdon had moved to Pennsylvania in order to legally run as vice president. In a meeting of the Council of Fifty in the spring of 1844, Smith told those with him, “I roll

4403-539: The 3,000th stake in Freetown, Sierra Leone . At the end of 2015, there were 3,174 stakes in the LDS Church. As of December 31, 2019, the LDS Church reported 3,437 stakes. The stake is an intermediate level in the organizational hierarchy of the LDS Church. The lowest level, consisting of a single congregation, is known as a ward or branch . Stakes are organized from a group of contiguous wards or branches. To be created,

4522-580: The Church and under serious persecution, Rigdon returned to Pennsylvania. The actual authority of the Common Council of the Church to execute this action is a controversial topic between many organizations within the Latter Day Saint movement . Rigdon had been stationed in Pennsylvania in order to run for vice president along with Joseph Smith. Rigdon toured the eastern branches of the church in late 1844 and early 1845, gathering leaders to his cause. He

4641-460: The Church , who at all relevant times was Smith. Originally, the standing high council, under the direction of the First Presidency , was in a de facto supervisory role over the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles , which was a traveling high council with jurisdiction only outside of Zion or its stakes. For example, in 1838, when vacancies arose in the traveling high council, it was the standing high council at Far West, Missouri , that voted on and filled

4760-413: The Church of Christ was that of " elder ", and church elders were sometimes called " apostles ". Smith's initial title in the church was "First Elder", while his friend and associate, Oliver Cowdery , was given the title "Second Elder". In March 1832, Smith created a quorum of three presidents known as the First Presidency . He became president of the First Presidency, a title which became associated with

4879-626: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on April 6. Smith III stated at that conference in Amboy, Illinois : I would say to you, brethren, as I hope you may be, and in faith I trust you are, as a people that God has promised his blessings upon, I came not here of myself, but by the influence of the Spirit. For some time past I have received manifestations pointing to the position which I am about to assume. I wish to say that I have come here not to be dictated by any men or set of men. I have come in obedience to

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4998-491: The First Presidency, the (Presiding) Nauvoo High Council was the church's chief non-travelling legislative and judicial council. Originally, the Council outranked the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, at least at the organized stakes. Marks, president of the Nauvoo Stake , was also president of the High Council at the time of Smith's death. Emma Hale Smith urged Marks to succeed her late husband as President and Trustee-in-Trust of

5117-520: The High Councils of outlying stakes, under the direction of the First Presidency. Latter Day Saint scripture finalized in 1835 indicated that the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve, and Standing Presiding High Council were equal in authority, though remaining subordinate "under the direction of the Presidency of the Church." This coequality would become a driving force for the succession of Marks to

5236-508: The High Councils, their jurisdiction extends only to the Stakes in which they are organized. Some have entertained the idea that the High Council in this Stake of Zion had jurisdiction over all other stakes. This is not so. The High Council of Weber Co[unty], or of any other stake would have just as much right to call in question the decisions of the High Council of this Stake of Zion, as this High council theirs, both are equal in authority." In 1877,

5355-450: The Kirtland high council became subordinate. Later, when other high councils were established in newly formed stakes of the church, the high council of Zion took on the role of "presiding" over the lesser high councils. For example, cases tried in the high councils of outlying stakes were regularly appealed to the presiding high council. The president of this high council was the President of

5474-518: The Latter Day Saints to gather there. He and his hierarchy were excommunicated by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in Nauvoo and vice versa. By 1850, Strang and most of his followers had relocated to Beaver Island, Michigan , where Strang was shot by dissenters on June 16, 1856, and died shortly thereafter. Most of his followers then joined with Joseph Smith III and the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church; now called

5593-463: The Lord had now accepted his labors and sacrifices, and did not require him any longer to carry the responsibilities and burden and bearing off of this kingdom, and turning to those around him, including the 12, he said, 'And in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I now place it upon you my brethren of the council (of 50) and I shake my skirts clear from all responsibility from this time forth.'" At

5712-558: The Midwest coalesced behind the leadership of Jason W. Briggs , Zenas H. Gurley , William Marks and others. In the late 1850s, they proposed a more solid church structure, sometimes referred to in contemporary sources as the New Organization, and like other Latter Day Saint groups asked Joseph Smith III to be their president. Smith III refused to lead any church unless he felt inspired to do so. By 1860, he reported that he had received such inspiration and became Prophet/President of

5831-505: The Nauvoo Stake, sustaining John Smith in his place. At this conference, Young also addressed the issue of revelation . More specifically, did revelations cease with Smith's death, or, if not, who would receive and publish them? He indicated his own uncertainty concerning the subject, concluding, "Every member has the right of receiving revelations for themselves, both male and female." Then he elaborated: "If you don't know whose right it

5950-406: The Nauvoo church. Many of Young's followers would later reminisce that while Young spoke he looked and sounded similar to Smith, which they attributed to the power of God. Jorgensen establishes 101 written testimonies of people who say a transformation or spiritual manifestation occurred, some of whom were not in Nauvoo at the time. The exact details vary from one account to the next. There

6069-539: The President of the Church, because of Hyrum Smith's position as both Presiding Patriarch and Associate President. Others included Book of Mormon witness Martin Harris, former Nauvoo Stake President William Marks, Second Bishop of the Church and church trustee-in-trust George Miller, Apostle John E. Page , former Apostle William E. M'Lellin , and John C. Bennett (excommunicated by Joseph Smith). Strang's newspaper printed

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6188-634: The Presiding Bishopric when requested by the First Presidency. The members of the Standing High Council as of 2012 were: Stake (Latter Day Saints) A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in certain denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement . The name "stake" derives from the Book of Isaiah : "enlarge the place of thy tent; stretch forth the curtains of thine habitation; spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes" ( Isaiah 54:2). A stake

6307-415: The Quorum of Twelve. Young tried diligently to persuade the people that he alone held the rights to lead the church. He even went so far as to ride through the streets on Smith's favorite horse, which was named Joe Duncan. At the conference on August 8, Rigdon spoke first to the assembled, asking the saints to confirm his role as "guardian." To back his claim, he cited his long relationship with Smith and

6426-431: The Quorum of the Twelve be named the church's leadership. Rigdon declined an offer to rebut Young, asking W. W. Phelps to speak for him. Instead, Phelps spoke in favor of Young's proposal. The assembled church members then voted by common consent on whether or not to accept the Twelve as the new leaders over the church. The majority voted in favor of the Twelve. Those who opposed the vote were all later excommunicated from

6545-586: The Stake Young Men Organization and Young Women Organization (for youth 12 to 18 years of age), and the Stake Sunday School organizations. Typically, the stake-level auxiliary leadership consists of a presidency (made up of a president and two counselors), a secretary, and perhaps additional assistants or board members with specific responsibilities within the organization. The stake auxiliary leaders provide oversight, advice and counsel for

6664-543: The Stakes. Initially, the Quorum was subordinate to the High Council of Zion; for example, in 1838, when vacancies arose in the quorum, it was the Standing Presiding High Council at Far West that filled the vacancies. When the High Council in Zion was dissolved after the church was expelled from Missouri , the headquarters of the church were moved to Nauvoo , Illinois , There, Smith formed a new Presiding High Council, led by William Marks , which supervised

6783-569: The Twelve Apostles consisted of: William E. M'Lellin , George W. Robinson , Benjamin Winchester , James Blakeslee, Josiah Ells, Hugh Herringshaw, David L. Lathrop, Jeremiah Hatch Jr., E.R. Swackhammer, William Small, Samuel Bennett. Carvel Rigdon became Presiding Patriarch , and a Standing High Council , Quorum of the Seventy , Presiding Bishopric , and other quorum presidencies were established. In addition, Rigdon called seventy-three men and boys to

6902-484: The Twelve Apostles and did not consider himself amenable to their counsel". The Twelve then disfellowshipped Rigdon, on grounds of "Making a Division in the Church [by] ordaining Prophet, Priests & Kings contrary to the Say [way?] of God". He was excommunicated in absentia by the Common Council of the Church on September 8. Rigdon, claiming that Young's supporters had threatened his life, fled from Nauvoo and established

7021-462: The Twelve a greater role in governing the church, charging them with running the organization's "temporal business" and elevating their role and status far beyond the what was established in the Doctrine and Covenants. In particular, at an August 16, 1841 conference, he stated that "the time had come when the twelve should be called upon to stand in their place next to the first presidency , and attend to

7140-416: The Twelve present to vote in favor of creation of the new First Presidency: Orson Hyde , Wilford Woodruff , George A. Smith , and Orson Pratt . The Church of Jesus Christ views this action as a violation of church law compromising the authority of Sidney Rigdon without a majority quorum vote. The LDS Church actively opposes this view of the proceedings. After his excommunication by the Common Council of

7259-403: The Twelve returned to Nauvoo; the next day, they met with Rigdon, who repeated his claim to become the guardian of the Church. Young responded by claiming Smith had conferred the right of succession (priesthood keys) upon himself and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles . So while historically the First Presidency had previously led the Church, Young proposed an ad hoc Presidency of the Church in

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7378-462: The Twelve. Because the standing high council oversaw stake high councils, the Quorum of the Twelve had oversight over the Seventy . In the revelations of Joseph Smith , at least three types of high council are mentioned: The standing presiding high council was intended to be located at the "center place" of Zion, or church headquarters. The center place itself is not considered a stake. Building upon

7497-401: The affairs of the late Trustee-in-Trust, Joseph Smith, and be prepared to enter upon the duties as Trustees of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ." Meanwhile, Rigdon did not abandon his claims and began organizing supporters in Nauvoo. The Twelve Apostles discovered that Rigdon was undermining their authority; on September 3, 1844, Rigdon claimed "he had power and authority above

7616-522: The afternoon after the recess. The earliest reference, provided by Quinn, is the 15 November 1844 Henry and Catharine Brooke statement referring generally to Young bearing the greatest resemblance to Smith. However, Jorgensen concedes, “why were none of the accounts that record the miracle written on the day of the manifestation or shortly thereafter? It is a question that unfortunately cannot be answered definitively." Van Wagoner argues there are no known contemporary records of "an explicit transfiguration,

7735-418: The appointment and sustaining of stake officers) and to disseminate counsel and guidance from the stake presidency. Speakers at stake conferences generally include the three members of the stake presidency and other stake members, called upon by the stake presidency, to speak on assigned topics. When a general authority or area seventy presides, he is the featured speaker. The general session (for all members of

7854-428: The boundaries of the stake. The stake center is where functions of the stake such as stake conferences, stake meetings, and stake activities are usually held. There are usually offices for conducting stake business in the stake center. During the mid-to-late 19th and early-20th century, in areas with larger LDS populations, stake tabernacles were used for most of the larger activities now performed at stake centers, while

7973-415: The broadcast begins. Another advantage of this format is that in stakes that are geographically large it is easier to hold stake conference in more than one location. In each stake, one of the meetinghouses is designated the stake center . This building is usually the largest meetinghouse in the stake, but where stakes are large in area the stake center may be chosen because it is more centrally-located in

8092-493: The burthen [burden] and responsibility of leading this Church off from my shoulders on to yours ... Now, round up your shoulders and stand under it like men; for the Lord is going to let me rest a while”. Benjamin F. Johnson , a member of the Fifty but not the Twelve, recalled that Smith rose and spoke "in the presence of the Quorum of the Twelve and others who were encircled about him." According to Wilford Woodruff , Joseph "said that

8211-478: The church within the limits of their Stakes." With that, any remaining vestiges of a separate standing presiding high council within the LDS Church disappeared, its role subsumed into the functions of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Community of Christ , formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church), has a functioning standing high council. Composed of twelve members, it retains some (but not all) of

8330-413: The church, and articulated her argument thusly: "Now as the Twelve have no power with regard to the government of the Church in the Stakes of Zion, but the High Council have all power, so it follows that on removal of the first President, the office would devolve upon the President of the High Council in Zion, as the first President always resides there, and that is the proper place for the quorum of which he

8449-425: The church, overseeing appeals from high councils in outlying stakes. The original members of the standing high council in Kirtland were: In 1841, still during Smith's lifetime, the role of Traveling Presiding High Council of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was elevated, apparently above that of the Standing Presiding High Council. Meanwhile, after the 1844 succession crisis , high councils developed differently in

8568-432: The church. Prior to the formal establishment of the Church of Christ, Smith held the title of " Prophet, Seer, and Revelator ", a title unanimously supported by the other founding members of the church. However, as the church was "organized" rather than legally " incorporated ", its property needed to be held in trust by a trustee; Smith became the church's Trustee-in-Trust. Initially, the highest leadership position in

8687-431: The church. The church had published a revelation in 1841 stating "I say unto my servant Joseph, In thee, and in thy seed, shall the kindred of the earth be blessed", and this was widely interpreted as endorsing the concept of Lineal Succession . Accounts written after Smith's death indicate that Smith set apart his son as his successor at certain private meetings and public gatherings, including Liberty and Nauvoo. Within

8806-427: The direction of the First Presidency . This high council took on the role of chief judicial and legislative body of the church, except in areas where the church was not organized, and handled such things as excommunication trials and approval of all church spending. When church headquarters moved to Jackson County, Missouri , the newly formed Missouri high council took on a presiding role as the high council of Zion, and

8925-424: The direction of the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles . The stake president presides at these conferences, unless a general authority or area seventy is assigned to the conference. The stake president is responsible for organizing the conferences or assist in doing so under the direction of the general authority or area seventy as directed. The conferences are used to conduct stake business (primarily

9044-486: The duties detailed in Smith's original priesthood structure. One major difference is that its members are not general officers that are equal to the Council of Twelve Apostles . As such, the standing high council is not part of the World Church Leadership Council . The high council does, however, functions in an advisory role for the First Presidency . Its decisions may be overturned only through action of

9163-495: The early church's doctrines of continuing revelation through the mouth of a living prophet. In the August 8, 1844, conference, Young had emphasized that no single man could replace Smith as prophet. Young subsequently used the Times and Seasons newspaper to announce to the church, "You no longer have a prophet, but you have apostles ." Strang, by contrast, announced that there was, indeed,

9282-474: The early church. Like Hyrum later, Joseph had ordained Cowdery as the Assistant President of the Church and had given him authority "to assist in presiding over the whole Church and to officiate in the absence of the President". However, Cowdery was excommunicated on April 12, 1838. David Whitmer had been ordained President of the High Council of Zion, and Joseph had blessed him on July 7, 1834, "to be

9401-572: The existing stakes, including the Nauvoo Stake, were discontinued as a result of the exodus of the majority of the Latter Day Saints to the Salt Lake Valley . The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement. After the death of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young assumed the leadership of the church and led its members to the Salt Lake Valley. The first stake established there

9520-401: The fact that he was the only surviving member of the First Presidency, arguing that Smith had sent him to Pennsylvania to prevent the entire presidency from being killed in the ongoing conflict. The move to Pennsylvania also occurred so Rigdon could be Smith's running mate for president, as the vice president cannot run from the same state. After Rigdon spoke for ninety minutes, Young called for

9639-522: The first time, the Twelve now took a leadership role within the organized stakes, "superintending the affairs of the church" as a whole, and standing "next to the first presidency." Beyond this, Smith admitted many of the Twelve to the Council of Fifty , his closest body of political advisers, and the Anointed Quorum , his closest body of theological advisers. Young, in particular, became one of Smith's closest confidants, and occasionally took charge during

9758-404: The general area as well. This is especially common of youth dances, and occasionally of youth conferences. All stake leaders are lay members who serve without remuneration. Today, stake presidents generally serve for seven to eleven years. In the past, lengths of tenure have varied, with some stake presidents serving for many decades. Each stake will hold a stake conference twice a year under

9877-508: The helping hand to Mother Smith. She has the best carriage in the city, and, while she lives, shall ride in it when and where she pleases". Whether she shifted her support from Young to Strang in the year following that October Conference is a matter of debate; what is certain is that she never made it to Utah , staying instead with her daughter-in-law, Emma, in Nauvoo until her death in the summer of 1856. Strang established his separate church organization in Voree, Wisconsin , and called upon

9996-412: The last surviving members after the deaths of the Smith brothers. As early as April 19, 1834, Joseph Smith and Cowdery had "laid hands upon bro. Sidney [Rigdon] and confirmed upon him the blessings of wisdom and knowledge to preside over the Church in the absence of brother Joseph". In the spring of 1844, Smith had begun running a third-party candidacy to be elected president of the United States . Rigdon

10115-413: The latter of whom was present when Joseph Smith was killed . Young's succession became a precedent without exception within the sect based in Utah; with the death of each president, the First Presidency is dissolved and one member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles becomes the new president. Members of the LDS Church are asked to sustain the new prophet and his counselors at a solemn assembly during

10234-431: The leader of the church after Smith's death. With this understanding, The Church of Jesus Christ actively opposes the opinion that the Quorum of Twelve had the right to lead the church. The position of The Church of Jesus Christ is that Rigdon should have been allowed to be what he claimed to be—a "guardian" over the church until proper proceedings could decide the next church president. The Church of Jesus Christ maintains

10353-488: The leading contenders being Sidney Rigdon , Brigham Young , and James Strang . The majority of the Latter Day Saint movement elected to follow Young's leadership, which eventually resulted in the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), but several smaller Latter Day Saint churches emerged from the succession crisis. This significant event in early Latter Day Saint history precipitated several permanent schisms . The Church of Christ

10472-411: The next General Conference . Sidney Rigdon 's church dissolved a few years after its organization, but it was reorganized as The Church of Jesus Christ in 1862, which still exists. They view Young's assumption of power as a violation of church law compromising the authority of Sidney Rigdon without a majority quorum vote. James J. Strang 's leadership was based predominantly on his own claim to be

10591-431: The number of congregations within a stake can be much larger than normal. The geographical area encompassed by a stake varies between countries and regions based on membership density. In Utah, a stake might encompass a few square miles in area. In contrast, a stake in another part of the world might require thousands of square miles to comprise a sufficient number of members. In December 2012, Jeffrey R. Holland organized

10710-438: The number of later retellings, many in remarkable detail argues for the reality of some such experience." Sidney Rigdon denied such a metamorphosis took place, and accused Young of lying about it. With the support of the majority of adherents, Young assumed leadership of the church. He met with the Twelve and members of the Anointed Quorum on August 9; Bishops Newel K. Whitney and George Miller "were appointed to settle

10829-426: The office of apostle , and appointed to oversee the missionary work of the church—meaning that their presiding role was outside of the Stakes of Zion. Thomas B. Marsh was set apart as their president. In practice, while both this group and the High Council in Zion were Presiding High Councils, their jurisdictions were divided with one as “standing” ministers over the Stakes of Zion, and the other “traveling” outside of

10948-515: The office of " President of the Church ", with Sidney Rigdon and Jesse Gause serving as his counselors in the First Presidency. On December 18, 1833, Smith created the office of " Patriarch over the Church " and ordained his father, Joseph Smith Sr. , to fill the role. The "Presiding Patriarch", as the office came to be called, often presided over church meetings and was sometimes sustained at church conferences ahead of all other church officers. Two months later, in Kirtland , Ohio , Smith created

11067-419: The presidency, as espoused by Smith's widow, Emma Hale Smith , as well as in modern times by historian D. Michael Quinn. At the time of his death, Smith thus held several roles: "Prophet, Seer, Revelator, and Translator", "President of the Church", "President of the First Presidency", and "Trustee-in-Trust" of the church. It was unclear if all of these offices should be held together by any one successor and it

11186-464: The proceedings which decided Brigham Young to lead the church were a violation of proper proceedings of the church. On December 27, 1847, when Young organized a new First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve only had seven of its twelve members present to represent a council to decide the presidency. William Smith , John E. Page , and Lyman Wight had previously denounced the proceedings and were not present. John Taylor and Parley P. Pratt were in

11305-434: The settling of emegrants [sic] and the business of the church at the stakes , and assist to bear off the kingdom victorious to the nations.” Furthermore, Smith stated that "the twelve should be authorized to assist in managing the affairs of th[e] kingdom in this place [Nauvoo]", followed by the church membership sustaining the Twelve "in regulating and superintending the affairs <of the Church.> " In other words, for

11424-461: The several standing high councils in the stakes of Zion, when combined, are deemed to be equal in authority to standing high council in Zion. As such, the combined stake high councils potentially form a third-tier presidency of the church. On February 17, 1834, Joseph Smith , the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement , created the church's first high council at church headquarters in Kirtland, Ohio . This body consisted of twelve men and were under

11543-426: The stake boundaries. In late 2023, the First Presidency announced plans to standardize requirements for becoming a ward which would take effect in 2024. Stakes may be compared to dioceses in other episcopal Christian denominations. The presiding officer in a stake is known as the stake president . The president is assisted by two counselors and the three together form a stake presidency. The stake presidency

11662-409: The stake offices were located in what was known as a stake house . In areas with fewer members and no stake tabernacle, a stake house was used like a modern stake center for both meetings and offices. A church district is a geographical, administrative unit composed of a number of congregations called branches. A district is a subdivision of a mission of the church and in many ways is analogous to

11781-421: The stake) is usually held on Sunday. This general session may be held in a local tabernacle if available. If held in the stake center , the general session may be divided into multiple sessions, by ward, so that all stake members may be accommodated in the building. A session for all adult members is generally held on the preceding Saturday evening. A priesthood leadership session is also held in conjunction with

11900-460: The standing High Councils at the Stakes of Zion. On February 14, 1835, nearly one year after the High Council in Kirtland was organized, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles , "or special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world", was formed as a "Traveling Presiding High Council." This council consisted of twelve men, called and ordained by the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon to

12019-445: The standing high council was established in a limited capacity as part of the central Salt Lake Stake, but it only served as a ratifying body for priesthood quorums in other stakes. An LDS Church Sunday School manual from 1980 states: “The Salt Lake Stake functioned more or less as a center stake that gave direction and guidance and had jurisdiction over other stakes. When quorum leaders in outlying areas needed new officers they sent

12138-407: The time of Smith's death, Rigdon, Young, and many other church leaders were out of the state on evangelical missions for the church. Rigdon returned to Nauvoo first (August 3) and the next day announced at a public meeting that he had received a revelation appointing him "Guardian of the Church." William Marks called for a conference on August 8 to decide the issue. On August 6, Young and the rest of

12257-418: The vacancies. Later, as the traveling high council evolved and began to be known as the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles , it acquired equal status with the standing high council. When the standing high council was dissolved after church members were expelled from Missouri, the high council organized at the new church headquarters in Nauvoo, Illinois , where it continued to function as the presiding high council of

12376-425: The various denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement , with its role often decreasing. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was composed of those who recognized Brigham Young and the apostles as the rightful successor to Smith, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gained ascendancy and the standing high council diminished in authority, eventually disappearing completely. Post- exodus to Utah ,

12495-491: The ward-level auxiliary leaders and organize stake-wide activities. Other stake specialists may be called to organize activities—typically sports or drama programs—which are more suitable for the larger numbers of people available to a stake and might be difficult for a ward to carry out on its own. Stake auxiliary leaders, especially in the Young Men and Young Women organizations, may also coordinate activities with other stakes in

12614-480: The will of the Lord might be known". Whitmer, however, separated from the church in June 1838. Smith's death left a number of important church leaders, councils, and quorums – many of which had overlapping and/or evolving functions – without guidance. The claims of each of these quorums came into play at some point after Smith's death. The highest executive council in the church was the First Presidency, of which Rigdon as

12733-552: The world in which no "stakes" — local congregations — were established. By revelation, the Twelve, as a body, had authority equal to the First Presidency, the Presiding High Council, and the Quorum of Seventy. However, as stated by Smith at a May 2, 1835 conference, "the twelve apostles have no right to go into Zion or any of its stakes where there is a regular high council established, to regulate any matter pertaining thereto." In later years, however, Smith had given

12852-529: The years following Smith's murder, Brigham Young apparently made earnest entreaties to his sons, Joseph Smith III and David Hyrum Smith , to join his church's hierarchy in Utah , which may represent some recognition by Young of the patrilineal right of succession for Smith’s sons. Both Smiths, however, were profoundly opposed to a number of practices of the church in Utah, especially plural marriage , and refused to join with them. Eventually, many Latter Day Saints in

12971-635: Was an elder in the church, charged with establishing a stake in Wisconsin should the Latter Day Saints be forced to abandon their headquarters in Nauvoo. He possessed a letter, known as the Letter of Appointment , purportedly written by Smith the month of his death and appointing Strang to be Smith's successor as church president. Strang also claimed that at the moment of Smith's death, he was visited by angels who ordained him as Smith's successor. Strang's claim appealed to many Latter Day Saints who had been attracted to

13090-400: Was designated to preside over the council established in Kirtland, as well as all future High Councils at the various Stakes of Zion. Cases tried in the standing High Councils of outlying stakes were regularly appealed to the High Council of Zion, it being the penultimate court standing only second to the First Presidency. The Presiding High Council also provided clearance for ordinations in

13209-481: Was joined by former members of the First Presidency , John C. Bennett and William Law and also by former Apostle William E. M'Lellin . On April 6, 1845 — fifteen years after the original organization of the church — Rigdon presided over a General Conference of Rigdonite Latter Day Saints in Pittsburgh, establishing a new hierarchy. He himself was sustained as President of the Church. The new Quorum of

13328-488: Was killed in Carthage, Illinois , alongside Joseph. Regarding Hyrum, Brigham Young stated: Following the principle of lineal succession , Smith's younger brother, Samuel Harrison Smith , was the next potential candidate in line. Sometime between June 23 and June 27, 1844, Smith reportedly stated that "if he and Hyrum were taken away, Samuel H. Smith would be his successor". However, Samuel died suddenly on July 30, 1844, just

13447-453: Was less than explicit who such a successor should be. However, a revelation of Smith in the Doctrine and Covenants , written in 1831 and published in 1835, designates that "three Presiding High Priests ... form a quorum of the Presidency of the Church" and "the Twelve Apostles...form a quorum, equal in authority and power to the three presidents previously mentioned." Following Smith's murder, it

13566-534: Was nominated as Smith's vice presidential running mate and had moved to Pennsylvania to establish legal residency there (the United States Constitution dictates that electors must vote for candidates for president and vice president from separate states). Upon receiving word of Smith's death, Rigdon claimed to receive a revelation calling him to succeed Smith as "guardian" of the church, and he hurriedly returned to Nauvoo to exercise his claim. After

13685-404: Was not immediately clear to the Latter Day Saints who would lead the church going forward. Contemporary statements by church leaders indicate that had the prophet's brother, Hyrum Smith , survived, he would have been the successor. Hyrum had been ordained Assistant President and Presiding Patriarch of the church, and the successor of Oliver Cowdery, who had been excommunicated. Hyrum, however,

13804-475: Was organized at Adam-ondi-Ahman in 1838 and abandoned later that year due to the events of the Mormon War . In 1839, the church's central stake was established at Nauvoo, Illinois , with William Marks as its president. Additional stakes were established in the area around Nauvoo in 1840. Immediately after the death of Joseph Smith in 1844, there was a schism in the Latter Day Saint movement . In 1846, all of

13923-420: Was organized by a small group of men led by Joseph Smith on April 6, 1830. Between that time and Smith's death in 1844, the administrative and ecclesiastical organization of the new church evolved from an egalitarian group of believers into an institution based on hierarchy of priesthood offices. This gradual change was driven by both the growth in church membership and the evolution of Smith's role as leader of

14042-461: Was the Salt Lake Stake, established October 3, 1847, with John Smith as president. At the time of Young's death in 1877, there were 20 stakes in operation with a total of approximately 250 wards . New stakes are created when the congregations in existing stakes or districts have grown sufficiently to support a stake. Districts may be elevated to stakes and are then no longer presided over by

14161-494: Was the victim of foul play . Smith also seemed to have given indications that one of his sons would succeed him. Several church leaders later stated that on August 27, 1834, and April 22, 1839, Smith indicated his eldest son, Joseph Smith III , would be his successor. At the time of his father's death, Joseph Smith III was eleven years old. Similarly, in April 1844, the elder Smith had reportedly prophesied his unborn child would be

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