Citizendia
Your Ad Here

The Council of Fifty (also known as the Living Constitution, the Kingdom of God, or its name by revelation, The Kingdom of God and His Laws with the Keys and Power thereof, and Judgment in the Hands of His Servants, Ahman Christ[1]) was a Latter Day Saint organization established by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1844 to symbolize and represent a future theocratic or theodemocratic "Kingdom of God" on the earth (Quinn 1980, p. A Latter In the Latter Day Saint movement, a quorum is a group of people ordained or endowed with priesthood authority and organized to act together as a body Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Theocracy is a form of government in which a god or deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler Theodemocracy is a political system theorized by Joseph Smith Jr  165). Smith and his successor Brigham Young hoped to create this Kingdom in preparation for the Millennium and the Second Coming of Jesus. Brigham Young (June 1 1801 &ndash August 29 1877 was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. This is an article on sociological Millennialism You may be looking for the article on Christian Premillennialism. In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic Latter-day Saint theology holds that the Second Coming will be a time of great violence and natural disasters in which the governments of the world will collapse into universal anarchy. Anarchy (from αναρχία anarchía, "without ruler " may refer to any of the following "Absence of government a state of lawlessness The political Kingdom of God, organized around the Council of Fifty, was meant to be a force of peace and order in the midst of this chaos. According to Mormon teachings, while Jesus himself would be king of this new world government, its structure was in fact to be quasi-republican and multi-denominational; therefore, the early Council of Fifty included both Mormons and non-Mormons (Ehat 1980, pp. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE)  256–57). Although the Council played a significant role during the last few months of Joseph Smith's life, particularly in his campaign for President of the United States, the Council's role was mostly symbolic throughout the 19th century within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known This was largely because the Council was primarily meant for a time when secular governments had ceased to function. Regular meetings of the Council ended in 1884, after the church abandoned its theocratic aspirations. The organization was technically extinguished when its last member, Heber J. Grant, died in 1945 (Quinn 1980, p. Heber Jeddy Grant ( November 22, 1856 &ndash May 14, 1945) was the seventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day  185).

Contents

Establishment

In early Mormonism, God's Kingdom was thought of as an amalgation between two distinct yet intimately related parts. Mormonism is a term used to describe the religious, ideological and cultural elements of certain branches of the Latter Day Saint movement The first is the Spiritual Kingdom of God which is represented on earth by the Church of Christ. See also Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (disambiguation The Church of Christ, later called Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was the This, Mormons believe, was described in the Book of Daniel 2:44–45 as the stone "cut out of the mountain without hands" that will roll forth to fill the whole earth. The Book of Daniel (דניאל, originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic, is a Book in both the Hebrew Bible ( Tanakh) and the Christian In Daniel, this kingdom was never to "be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. " Daniel 2:44. The Book of Daniel (דניאל, originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic, is a Book in both the Hebrew Bible ( Tanakh) and the Christian However, in conjunction with this Spiritual Kingdom, Joseph Smith, Jr. and other early Latter Day Saint leaders believed that Jesus would establish a Political Kingdom of God in the turbulent times leading up to His second coming. A Latter Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic See J.D. 1:202–3, 2:189, and 17:156–7. The Journal of Discourses (often abbreviated JD) is a 26-volume collection of public sermons by early leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day God's Political Kingdom was to be centered around the Council of Fifty.

While little is known about the Council, records indicate that its organization was to be based upon the principles extant in the United States Constitution, and in theory God's Political Kingdom was to be a modified republic. The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its In fact, as mentioned below, evidence suggests that membership in the Council was not meant to be exclusive to Mormons. Thus, while many use the term "theocracy" to describe Latter-day Saint theories of a perfect millennial government, perhaps more accurate is the concept of "THEODEMOCRACY," a term coined by Joseph Smith. Theocracy is a form of government in which a god or deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler He described Theodemocracy as a system wherein God and the people held the power to rule in righteousness. Theodemocracy is a political system theorized by Joseph Smith Jr This reflects the deeply held LDS belief in moral agency, which on a theological and philosophical level requires earthly governments to allow for individual decision making processes. Agency (also referred to as free agency or moral agency) in Latter-day Saint theology, is "the privilege of choice which was introduced by God In essence, the existence of choice is a moral requirement and a religious tyranny would be antithetical to Mormon beliefs. Yet this concept also reflects God's divine right to rule His people as "king of kings" and "lord of lords. "

Like many Restorationists in the mid-19th century, the Mormons believed that the second coming of Jesus was imminent, and would be attended by great destruction. For other usages see Restoration (general disambiguation Apokatastasis (universal restoration Christian Zionism (restoration of Israel and After this destruction occurred, some structure would be necessary to politically organize the survivors. Joseph Smith received a revelation on April 7, 1842 calling for the establishment of an organization called the Living Constitution, or later the Council of Fifty. Events 529 - First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in Jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Year 1842 ( MDCCCXLII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common This would serve as the foundation for the establishment of Christ's Millennial government. This is an article on sociological Millennialism You may be looking for the article on Christian Premillennialism. The organization was formally established by Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, Illinois on March 11, 1844. There is also a Nauvoo Alabama, and a Nauvoo Pennsylvania Nauvoo ( is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The "clerk of the Kingdom", William Clayton, recorded that exactly one month later, Joseph Smith was "chosen as our Prophet, Priest, and King by Hosannas" (Clayton 1844–1846, pp.  265, 267), and then an ordinance was performed in which Smith was "ordained to be a king, to reign over the house of Israel forever" (Quinn 1994, pp.  124, 643). However hyberbolic and misstated rumors associated with this occurrence likely contributed to Joseph Smith's assassination in June of 1844.

According to John D. Lee, the official scribe of the Council, the organization was meant to be the "Municipal department of the Kingdom of God set upon the earth, and from which all law emanates, for the rule, government & controle of all Nations Kingdoms & toungs and People under the whole Heavens. John Doyle Lee ( September 12, 1812 &ndash March 23, 1877) was a prominent early Latter-day Saint (LDS or Mormon) "

Composition and organization

Unlike other purely religious organizations formed by Joseph Smith, members of the Council of Fifty were not necessarily Latter Day Saints. A Latter At its formation, there were three non-Mormon members - Marenus G. Eaton,who had revealed a conspiracy against Joseph Smith by Nauvoo dissenters, Edward Bonney, whose brother was a Mormon but who later acted as prosecutor against Joseph Smith for his role in the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor and Uriah Brown. Edward Bonney ( August 26, 1807 - February 4, 1864) was a 19th century adventurer private detective and later author The Nauvoo Expositor was a Newspaper in Nauvoo, Illinois that published only one issue which was dated June 7, 1844 Their admittance reflected Mormon teachings that the Millennial theocracy would be multi-denominational, though Jesus himself would be king. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) [2] Although Brigham Young did not admit non-Mormons to the Council during his administration, he invited both Mormons and non-Mormons to be part of the theocracy (Clayton 1846–1847, p.  196), and even part of the theocratic government.

Smith served as the president of the Council during his lifetime, after which Brigham Young presided, and then John Taylor. Brigham Young (June 1 1801 &ndash August 29 1877 was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. John Taylor ( November 1, 1808 &ndash July 25, 1887) was the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who each were members of the Council, had a special leadership role. In the Latter Day Saint movement, the quorum of the Twelve (also known as the council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council However, all actions by the body were officially to be taken only after unanimous vote. During Smith's lifetime, meetings of the Council were held in secret.

Alpheus Cutler referred to an executive council within the Council of Fifty, which he termed the Quorum of the Seven. Alpheus Cutler ( February 29, 1784 – August 10, 1864) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and organizer of the Willard Richards served as historian/recorder from 1844 to his death in 1854. Willard Richards ( June 24, 1804 &ndash March 11, 1854) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served as Second George Q. Cannon was the final recorder for the Council and served from 1867 to his death in 1901. George Quayle Cannon ( January 11, 1827 &ndash April 12, 1901) was an early member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The William Clayton served as clerk of the Kingom from 1844-1879. William Clayton (1814&ndash1879 was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and acted as a clerk and scribe to the Mormon religious leader Joseph Smith Jr In 1880, He was followed in office by L. John Nuttall. Leonard John Nuttall ( July 6, 1834 – February 25, 1905) was a private secretary for Brigham Young, John Taylor, and John Taylor's son, William Whittaker Taylor was assistant clerk from 1880-1884. John Taylor ( November 1, 1808 &ndash July 25, 1887) was the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints William Whitaker Taylor ( September 11, 1853 – August 1, 1884) was a member of the Utah Territorial Legislature member of the

There are forty-six known members of the pre-martyrdom Council of Fifty. It included all members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the time in which it was active both in Nauvoo and in Utah. In the Latter Day Saint movement, the quorum of the Twelve (also known as the council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council Notably, it did not include the two counselors to the First Presidency in Nauvoo, Sidney Rigdon and William Law. Sidney Rigdon ( 19 February 1793 – 14 July 1876) was an important figure in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement. William Law (1686 &ndash April 9, 1761) English divine was born at Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire. Other members included:

Role of the Council in Joseph Smith's administration

Many historians assert that the Council of Fifty had little practical power during its existence. John Milton Bernhisel ( June 23, 1799 - September 28, 1881) was an American physician politician and early member of the Church of Jesus William Clayton (1814&ndash1879 was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and acted as a clerk and scribe to the Mormon religious leader Joseph Smith Jr Alpheus Cutler ( February 29, 1784 – August 10, 1864) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and organizer of the David Fullmer ( July 7, 1803 – October 21, 1879) was an American politician and farmer born in Chillisquaque, Pennsylvania Benjamin Franklin Johnson ( July 28, 1818 – 1905 was a prominent early member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a member of the John Doyle Lee ( September 12, 1812 &ndash March 23, 1877) was a prominent early Latter-day Saint (LDS or Mormon) Cornelius Peter Lott (1798 - 1850 was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement, father of one of Joseph Smith 's plural wives a member of the Council William Marks ( November 15, 1792 &ndash May 22, 1872) was a leader in the early days of the Latter Day Saint movement and was a member Isaac Morley ( March 11, 1786 – June 24, 1865) was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement and a contemporary of both John Edward Page ( February 25, 1799 – 14 October 1867) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. William Wines Phelps ( February 17[[ 792]] — March 7[[ 872]] was an important early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement. Charles Coulson Rich (August 21 1809 &ndash November 17 1883 was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served as an apostle of The Church Rather, it functioned as a "government in exile. " The Mormons believed that in the build-up to the Millennium that earthly governments would essentially destroy themselves as a result of their own wickedness. The Council was designed to be the organization which could step into the political vacuum and pick up the pieces of a ruined world. It was not meant to dominate, but it was believed that the system would be freely chosen by all (Mormons and non-Mormons alike) who survived the calamities heaped upon the world. However, the Council did perform some actual duties.

One duty of the Council was to assist in Joseph Smith's 1844 campaign for President of the United States. Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by Smith ran on a platform among church members of bringing restitution for land and property lost in Missouri, eliminating slavery, compensating slave-owners with the sale of private lands, reducing the salaries of members of Congress, eliminating debt imprisonment, etc. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Members of the Council campaigned throughout the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Besides sending out hundreds of political missionaries to campaign for Smith throughout the U. S. , they also appointed fellow members of the Fifty as political ambassadors to Russia, the Republic of Texas, Washington D. The Republic of Texas was a sovereign Nation in North America between the United States and Mexico that existed from 1836 to C. , England, and France. However, Smith was murdered by a large mob in the midst of his presidential campaign. [4] The campaign was meant to bring greater notoriety the plight of the Mormons who had received no state or federal restitution for hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of property lost to mob violence in relation to the Mormon War. However, Smith's Presidential campaign, the Nauvoo Expositor incident, and even hyperbolic and innacurate rumors about the Council of Fifty helped create the local unrest that led to his assassination. The Nauvoo Expositor was a Newspaper in Nauvoo, Illinois that published only one issue which was dated June 7, 1844

Role of the Council in the Utah Territory and state of Utah

After Smith's death, the Council anointed Brigham Young its leader, and as the "king and pres[iden]t" of the Kingdom of God. In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church [5] Under Young, however, the Council continued to have relatively little power Quinn 1997, p.  238–39.

However, the Council assisted in the exodus from Nauvoo, Illinois and the eventual migration to the Great Basin area of what is now Utah. The Mormon pioneers were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Latter-day Saints, who migrated across the United There is also a Nauvoo Alabama, and a Nauvoo Pennsylvania Nauvoo ( is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois The Great Basin is a large arid region of the western United States. The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. Young relied upon the results of scouting missions by members of the Council in choosing the Great Basin as a destination for their exodus from Nauvoo, over several alternate possibilities including Texas, California, and Oregon. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

The council was to act as a legislative body in the Kingdom of God (Melville 1960, p.  33), and in Utah, the Council became a provisional legislative body in the government. The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. This continued until September 1850 when Congress organized the Territory of Utah upon petition by the church. For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link See State of Deseret; Territory of Utah. The State of Deseret was a provisional state of the United States, proposed in 1849 by Mormon settlers in Salt Lake City. After Utah became a territory, the Constitutional requirements of separation between church and state sharply diminished the Council's official role in government. The Council then suspended meetings in October 1851. 1851 ( MDCCCLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year The council met again on October 9, 1868 and voted for the establishment of Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI). Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. Year 1868 ( MDCCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution was founded in 1868 and was the first Department store in the United States.

Briefly, the Council resurfaced during the administration of John Taylor, in an advisory role on the issue of polygamy. John Taylor ( November 1, 1808 &ndash July 25, 1887) was the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Council's last recorded meeting was in 1884. Year 1884 ( MDCCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Quinn 1980, p. The Confederate Nations of Israel is a hybrid church–political organization with roots in Mormon fundamentalism that was organized in 1977 by Alex Joseph.  167; Ehat 1980, p.  256.
  2. ^ Millennial Star 10:81-88
  3. ^ Quinn, D. Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star (usually shorted to Millennial Star) was the longest continuously published periodical of The Church of Jesus Michael. Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power (Salt Lake City: Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, 1994).
  4. ^ Quinn, Origins of Power, pp. 132–141.
  5. ^ See minutes of meeting of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 12 February 1849, p. 3 [LDS Archives], cited in Quinn 1997, p.  238.

References

  1. Andrus, Hyrum L. , Joseph Smith and World Government, (Salt Lake City 1958).
  2. Clayton, William (1844–1846), Excerpts from the Journals of William Clayton, in Ehat, Andrew F. William Clayton (1814&ndash1879 was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and acted as a clerk and scribe to the Mormon religious leader Joseph Smith Jr , “It Seems Like Heaven Began on Earth: Joseph Smith and the Constitution of the Kingdom of God”, BYU Studies 20: 253–79, <http://byustudies.byu.edu/shop/pdfSRC/20.3Ehat.pdf> .
  3. Clayton, William (1846–1847), William Clayton's Journal: A Daily Record of the Journey of the Original Company of "Mormon" Pioneers from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake, Salt Lake City: Deseret News (published 1921), <http://books.google.com/books?id=RTgFAAAAMAAJ> . William Clayton (1814&ndash1879 was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and acted as a clerk and scribe to the Mormon religious leader Joseph Smith Jr
  4. Ehat, Andrew F. (1980), “It Seems Like Heaven Began on Earth: Joseph Smith and the Constitution of the Kingdom of God”, BYU Studies 20: 253–79, <http://byustudies.byu.edu/shop/pdfSRC/20.3Ehat.pdf> .
  5. Firmage, Edwin Brown and Mangrum, Richard Collin, Zion in the Courts: A Legal History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-1900. (University of Illinois Press 1988).
  6. Godfrey, Kenneth W. , "Council of Fifty", Encyclopedia of Mormonism (Macmillan Publishing Co. 1992).
  7. Hansen, Klaus J. , Quest for Empire, (East Lansing, Mich. , 1967).
  8. Quinn, D. Michael (1980), “The Council of Fifty and Its Members, 1844 to 1945”, BYU Studies 20 (2): 163–98, <http://byustudies.byu.edu/shop/pdfSRC/20.2Quinn.pdf> . Dennis Michael Quinn (born in 1944) is a historian who has focused on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  9. Melville, J. Keith (1960), “Theory and Practice of Church and State During the Brigham Young Era”, BYU Studies 3 (1): 33–55, <https://byustudies.byu.edu/shop/PDFSRC/3.1Melville.pdf> .
  10. Quinn, D. Michael (1994), The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of, Salt Lake City: Signature Books, ISBN 1-56085-056-6 . Dennis Michael Quinn (born in 1944) is a historian who has focused on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  11. Quinn, D. Michael (1997), The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, Salt Lake City: Signature Books, ISBN 1-56085-060-4 . Dennis Michael Quinn (born in 1944) is a historian who has focused on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic