Talk:First Presidency

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Latter Day Saint movement High‑importance

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Moving paragraphs[edit]

I propose replacing the existing first two paragraphs with this substantially expanded and sourced passage as requested on the project talk page.

Among churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day branches of the LDS movement led by a First Presidency include The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the largest of the branches), as well as the Community of Christ, and the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

When the church was organized on 6 April 1830, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery led the church in their capacity as elders.^[1] Joseph Smith, Jr. established the inaugural First Presidency on March 8, 1832, with the ordinations of Jesse Gause and Sidney Rigdon as his counselors.^[2] The term “first presidency,” though used at least as early as 1834 did not become standard until 1838.^[3]. The presidency was to exercise authority over the entire church, whereas the jurisdictions of the Twelve Apostles and the Seventy were the outlying areas (excluding the gathering places where the church had been organized on a more permanent basis).^[4]

After the death of Joseph Smith, First Presidencies were reorganized by Brigham Young for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by Sidney Rigdon for the Rigdonites (now defunct), by Joseph Smith III for the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now Community of Christ), by James J. Strang for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite), and by William Bickerton for The Church of Jesus Christ, although the latter two organizations have not had a First Presidency for much of their history.

— Preceding unsigned comment added by R. Pfnaerker (talk • contribs) 21:01, 18 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

References

^ Revelation, April 6, 1830 in Doctrine and Covenants 46:1–3, 1835 ed. [D&C 21:1, 4, 10–12], The Joseph Smith Papers (accessed April 18, 2012)
^ Kirtland Revelation Book, pp. 10–11, The Joseph Smith Papers (accessed April 18, 2012)
^ [ http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835#105 Minutes, February 17, 1834], in Doctrine and Covenants 5:11, 14, 1835 ed. and Minute Book 2, 6 Apr. 1838, The Joseph Smith Papers (accessed April 18, 2012)
^ [ http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835#223 Revelation, March 8, 1833], in Doctrine and Covenants 84:5, 1835 ed.; Instruction on priesthood, ca. Apr. 1835, in Doctrine and Covenants 3:11–17, 1835 ed.; and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Record, 2 May 1835. All at The Joseph Smith Papers (accessed April 18, 2012).

[1] Revelation, April 6, 1830 in Doctrine and Covenants 46:1–3, 1835 ed. [D&C 21:1, 4, 10–12], The Joseph Smith Papers (accessed April 18, 2012)

[2] Kirtland Revelation Book, pp. 10–11, The Joseph Smith Papers (accessed April 18, 2012)

[3] [ http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835#105 Minutes, February 17, 1834], in Doctrine and Covenants 5:11, 14, 1835 ed. and Minute Book 2, 6 Apr. 1838, The Joseph Smith Papers (accessed April 18, 2012)

[4] [ http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835#223 Revelation, March 8, 1833], in Doctrine and Covenants 84:5, 1835 ed.; Instruction on priesthood, ca. Apr. 1835, in Doctrine and Covenants 3:11–17, 1835 ed.; and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Record, 2 May 1835. All at The Joseph Smith Papers (accessed April 18, 2012).

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