Biography

The Kirtland High Council was the chief judicial and legislative body of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, led by the Joseph Smith, from 1834 to 1838.

On February 17, 1834, Joseph Smith, the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, created the church's first high council at church headquarters in Kirtland, Ohio. This body consisted of twelve men and was under 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 the Kirtland high council became subordinate. The president of this high council was the Joseph Smith.

The original members of the standing high council in Kirtland were: Joseph Smith, Sr., John Smith, Joseph Coe, John Johnson, Martin Harris, John S. Carter, Jared Carter, Oliver Cowdery, Samuel H. Smith, Orson Hyde, Sylvester Smith, and Luke S. Johnson.

Citation:

Wikipedia article on "Presiding High Council," via WWW, Jan. 6, 2017 (On February 17, 1834, Joseph Smith, the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, created the church's first high council at church headquarters in Kirtland, Ohio. This body consisted of twelve men and was under 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 the Kirtland high council became subordinate. The president of this high council was the Joseph Smith. The original members of the standing high council in Kirtland were: Joseph Smith, Sr., John Smith, Joseph Coe, John Johnson, Martin Harris, John S. Carter, Jared Carter, Oliver Cowdery, Samuel H. Smith, Orson Hyde, Sylvester Smith, and Luke S. Johnson)