Doctrine and CovenantsMormonism / Latter-day SaintsModern Religious TextEnglishShareDoctrine and Covenants 102LDS Documentation Project - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableLDS Documentation ProjectLanguageEnglishEspañol‹Doctrine and Covenants 1Doctrine and Covenants 2Doctrine and Covenants 3Doctrine and Covenants 4Doctrine and Covenants 5Doctrine and Covenants 6Doctrine and Covenants 7Doctrine and Covenants 8Doctrine and Covenants 9Doctrine and Covenants 10Doctrine and Covenants 11Doctrine and Covenants 12Doctrine and Covenants 13Doctrine and Covenants 14Doctrine and Covenants 15Doctrine and Covenants 16Doctrine and Covenants 17Doctrine and Covenants 18Doctrine and Covenants 19Doctrine and Covenants 20Doctrine and Covenants 21Doctrine and Covenants 22Doctrine and Covenants 23Doctrine and Covenants 24Doctrine and Covenants 25Doctrine and Covenants 26Doctrine and Covenants 27Doctrine and Covenants 28Doctrine and Covenants 29Doctrine and Covenants 30Doctrine and Covenants 31Doctrine and Covenants 32Doctrine and Covenants 33Doctrine and Covenants 34Doctrine and Covenants 35Doctrine and Covenants 36Doctrine and Covenants 37Doctrine and Covenants 38Doctrine and Covenants 39Doctrine and Covenants 40Doctrine and Covenants 41Doctrine and Covenants 42Doctrine and Covenants 43Doctrine and Covenants 44Doctrine and Covenants 45Doctrine and Covenants 46Doctrine and Covenants 47Doctrine and Covenants 48Doctrine and Covenants 49Doctrine and Covenants 50Doctrine and Covenants 51Doctrine and Covenants 52Doctrine and Covenants 53Doctrine and Covenants 54Doctrine and Covenants 55Doctrine and Covenants 56Doctrine and Covenants 57Doctrine and Covenants 58Doctrine and Covenants 59Doctrine and Covenants 60Doctrine and Covenants 61Doctrine and Covenants 62Doctrine and Covenants 63Doctrine and Covenants 64Doctrine and Covenants 65Doctrine and Covenants 66Doctrine and Covenants 67Doctrine and Covenants 68Doctrine and Covenants 69Doctrine and Covenants 70Doctrine and Covenants 71Doctrine and Covenants 72Doctrine and Covenants 73Doctrine and Covenants 74Doctrine and Covenants 75Doctrine and Covenants 76Doctrine and Covenants 77Doctrine and Covenants 78Doctrine and Covenants 79Doctrine and Covenants 80Doctrine and Covenants 81Doctrine and Covenants 82Doctrine and Covenants 83Doctrine and Covenants 84Doctrine and Covenants 85Doctrine and Covenants 86Doctrine and Covenants 87Doctrine and Covenants 88Doctrine and Covenants 89Doctrine and Covenants 90Doctrine and Covenants 91Doctrine and Covenants 92Doctrine and Covenants 93Doctrine and Covenants 94Doctrine and Covenants 95Doctrine and Covenants 96Doctrine and Covenants 97Doctrine and Covenants 98Doctrine and Covenants 99Doctrine and Covenants 100Doctrine and Covenants 101Doctrine and Covenants 102Doctrine and Covenants 103Doctrine and Covenants 104Doctrine and Covenants 105Doctrine and Covenants 106Doctrine and Covenants 107Doctrine and Covenants 108Doctrine and Covenants 109Doctrine and Covenants 110Doctrine and Covenants 111Doctrine and Covenants 112Doctrine and Covenants 113Doctrine and Covenants 114Doctrine and Covenants 115Doctrine and Covenants 116Doctrine and Covenants 117Doctrine and Covenants 118Doctrine and Covenants 119Doctrine and Covenants 120Doctrine and Covenants 121Doctrine and Covenants 122Doctrine and Covenants 123Doctrine and Covenants 124Doctrine and Covenants 125Doctrine and Covenants 126Doctrine and Covenants 127Doctrine and Covenants 128Doctrine and Covenants 129Doctrine and Covenants 130Doctrine and Covenants 131Doctrine and Covenants 132Doctrine and Covenants 133Doctrine and Covenants 134Doctrine and Covenants 135Doctrine and Covenants 136Doctrine and Covenants 137Doctrine and Covenants 138›Doctrine and Covenants 102Doctrine and Covenants 102ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1This day a general council of twenty-four high priests assembled at the house of Joseph Smith, Jun., by revelation, and proceeded to organize the high council of the church of Christ, which was to consist of twelve high priests, and one or three presidents as the case might require. 2The high council was appointed by revelation for the purpose of settling important difficulties which might arise in the church, which could not be settled by the church or the bishop's council to the satisfaction of the parties. 3Joseph Smith, Jun., Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams were acknowledged presidents by the voice of the council; and Joseph Smith, Sen., John Smith, Joseph Coe, John Johnson, Martin Harris, John S. Carter, Jared Carter, Oliver Cowdery, Samuel H. Smith, Orson Hyde, Sylvester Smith, and Luke Johnson, high priests, were chosen to be a standing council for the church, by the unanimous voice of the council. 4The above-named councilors were then asked whether they accepted their appointments, and whether they would act in that office according to the law of heaven, to which they all answered that they accepted their appointments, and would fill their offices according to the grace of God bestowed upon them. 5The number composing the council, who voted in the name and for the church in appointing the above-named councilors were forty-three, as follows: nine high priests, seventeen elders, four priests, and thirteen members. 6Voted: that the high council cannot have power to act without seven of the above-named councilors, or their regularly appointed successors are present. 7These seven shall have power to appoint other high priests, whom they may consider worthy and capable to act in the place of absent councilors. 8Voted: that whenever any vacancy shall occur by the death, removal from office for transgression, or removal from the bounds of this church government, of any one of the above-named councilors, it shall be filled by the nomination of the president or presidents, and sanctioned by the voice of a general council of high priests, convened for that purpose, to act in the name of the church. 9The president of the church, who is also the president of the council, is appointed by revelation, and acknowledged in his administration by the voice of the church. 10And it is according to the dignity of his office that he should preside over the council of the church; and it is his privilege to be assisted by two other presidents, appointed after the same manner that he himself was appointed. 11And in case of the absence of one or both of those who are appointed to assist him, he has power to preside over the council without an assistant; and in case he himself is absent, the other presidents have power to preside in his stead, both or either of them. 12Whenever a high council of the church of Christ is regularly organized, according to the foregoing pattern, it shall be the duty of the twelve councilors to cast lots by numbers, and thereby ascertain who of the twelve shall speak first, commencing with number one and so in succession to number twelve. 13Whenever this council convenes to act upon any case, the twelve councilors shall consider whether it is a difficult one or not; if it is not, two only of the councilors shall speak upon it, according to the form above written. 14But if it is thought to be difficult, four shall be appointed; and if more difficult, six; but in no case shall more than six be appointed to speak. 15The accused, in all cases, has a right to one-half of the council, to prevent insult or injustice. 16And the councilors appointed to speak before the council are to present the case, after the evidence is examined, in its true light before the council; and every man is to speak according to equity and justice. 17Those councilors who draw even numbers, that is, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12, are the individuals who are to stand up in behalf of the accused, and prevent insult and injustice. 18In all cases the accuser and the accused shall have a privilege of speaking for themselves before the council, after the evidences are heard and the councilors who are appointed to speak on the case have finished their remarks. 19After the evidences are heard, the councilors, accuser and accused have spoken, the president shall give a decision according to the understanding which he shall have of the case, and call upon the twelve councilors to sanction the same by their vote. 20But should the remaining councilors, who have not spoken, or any one of them, after hearing the evidences and pleadings impartially, discover an error in the decision of the president, they can manifest it, and the case shall have a re-hearing. 21And if, after a careful re-hearing, any additional light is shown upon the case, the decision shall be altered accordingly. 22But in case no additional light is given, the first decision shall stand, the majority of the council having power to determine the same. 23In case of difficulty respecting doctrine or principle, if there is not a sufficiency written to make the case clear to the minds of the council, the president may inquire and obtain the mind of the Lord by revelation. 24The high priests, when abroad, have power to call and organize a council after the manner of the foregoing, to settle difficulties, when the parties or either of them shall request it. 25And the said council of high priests shall have power to appoint one of their own number to preside over such council for the time being. 26It shall be the duty of said council to transmit, immediately, a copy of their proceedings, with a full statement of the testimony accompanying their decision, to the high council of the seat of the First Presidency of the Church. 27Should the parties or either of them be dissatisfied with the decision of said council, they may appeal to the high council of the seat of the First Presidency of the Church, and have a re-hearing, which case shall there be conducted, according to the former pattern written, as though no such decision had been made. 28This council of high priests abroad is only to be called on the most difficult cases of church matters; and no common or ordinary case is to be sufficient to call such council. 29The traveling or located high priests abroad have power to say whether it is necessary to call such a council or not. 30There is a distinction between the high council or traveling high priests abroad, and the traveling high council composed of the twelve apostles, in their decisions. 31From the decision of the former there can be an appeal; but from the decision of the latter there cannot. 32The latter can only be called in question by the general authorities of the church in case of transgression. 33Resolved: that the president or presidents of the seat of the First Presidency of the Church shall have power to determine whether any such case, as may be appealed, is justly entitled to a re-hearing, after examining the appeal and the evidences and statements accompanying it. 34The twelve councilors then proceeded to cast lots or ballot, to ascertain who should speak first, and the following was the result, namely: 1, Oliver Cowdery; 2, Joseph Coe; 3, Samuel H. Smith; 4, Luke Johnson; 5, John S. Carter; 6, Sylvester Smith; 7, John Johnson; 8, Orson Hyde; 9, Jared Carter; 10, Joseph Smith, Sen.; 11, John Smith; 12, Martin Harris. After prayer the conference adjourned. Oliver Cowdery, Orson Hyde, Clerks ‹Previous chapterDoctrine and Covenants 101Next chapterDoctrine and Covenants 103›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public-domain LDS Documentation Project scripture export