The Church Historian’s Press has announced the release Council of Fifty, Minutes, March 1844–January 1846, the first and only volume in the Administrative Records series of The Joseph Smith Papers. This highly anticipated volume makes publicly available for the first time the complete minutes of the Council of Fifty, which Joseph Smith organized in March 1844.
The council was designed, according to Joseph Smith, “for the safety and salvation of the saints by protecting them in their religious rights and worship.” However, the council was considered separate from the Church; indeed, Joseph Smith and other council members viewed the council’s formation as the beginning of the political kingdom of God on earth. The minutes reveal how council members wrestled with what it meant to establish the kingdom of God and how that kingdom related to the church and to civil governments.
Within this volume, readers will learn about the Council of Fifty’s role in managing Joseph Smith’s presidential campaign, governing Nauvoo, and planning the church’s migration to the American West. The minutes, which begin in the months prior to Joseph Smith’s martyrdom and continue until just before the Saints’ western exodus, shed light on the development of Latter-day Saint beliefs and the history of Nauvoo and the church. The volume also presents new perspectives on American political culture, religious history, and western migration during the 1800s.
Council of Fifty, Minutes, was edited by Matthew J. Grow, Ronald K. Esplin, Mark Ashurst-McGee, Jeffrey D. Mahas, and Gerrit J. Dirkmaat. Visit our website for more information as well as videos about this volume.
In conjunction with the volume's publication, the Joseph Smith Papers will be holding a presentation and book signing on September 21 at Benchmark Books in Salt Lake City. During the one-hour presentation, the volume editors will provide information on the Council of Fifty and share insights from examining the organization's minutes. We invite all to attend this special event.
Details
Event: Presentation and Book Signing Date:Wednesday, September 21 Time: 6:00 p.m. Location: Benchmark Books, 3269 S. Main St., Ste. 250, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
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