Conference
Summary
A meeting where ecclesiastical officers and other church members could conduct church business. The “Articles and Covenants” of the church directed the elders to hold conferences to perform “Church business.” The first of these conferences was held on 9 June 1830. By 1831, a revision to the Articles and Covenants instructed the elders to hold these conferences quarterly. Tasks performed at conferences included conducting church business, performing ordinations, recording membership growth, and preaching sermons. Lay members attended these conferences in order to hear sermons and ratify decisions according to the law of “Common consent.” In addition, “special conferences”—sometimes referred to as councils—were held to resolve church disputes, appoint individuals to missions, and discipline individual church members. Individual branches of the church also held conferences locally. While a regional conference might be referred to as a general conference, by 1839, the term general conference usually referred to semiannual meetings where business was transacted for the entire church. JS announced in October 1841 that no further general conferences would be held until the Nauvoo temple was completed; although large “special conferences” continued to be held in April and October of each year, the next gathering termed a general conference was held in October 1845 on the floor of the nearly completed temple. Beginning in 1835, the term conferencewas also used to describe geographical areas defined for administrative purposes.
Links
- History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834]
- Letter from Oliver Cowdery, 8 April 1831
- Letter from Thomas Burdick, 28 August 1840
- Elders’ Journal, November 1837
- Elders’ Journal, October 1837
- Account with the Church of Christ, circa 11–29 August 1834
- Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo, 16 December 1840
- Agreement with Mead & Betts, 2 August 1839
- Answers to Questions, between circa 4 and circa 20 March 1832 [D&C 77]
- Appendix 3: “Articles of the Church of Christ,” June 1829
- Appendix: Report of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 4 March 1840
- Articles and Covenants, circa April 1830 [D&C 20]
- Articles and Covenants, circa April 1830, as Recorded in Coltrin, Diary [D&C 20]
- Articles and Covenants, circa April 1830, as Recorded in Gilbert, Notebook [D&C 20]
- Articles and Covenants, circa April 1830, as Recorded in Hyde and Smith, Notebook [D&C 20]
- Authorization for Almon Babbitt and Others, circa 4 May 1839
- Authorization for John P. Greene, circa 6 May 1839
- Authorization for Oliver Granger, 13 May 1839
- Authorization for Oliver Granger, 6 May 1839
- Bill to Incorporate the Church, 14 December 1840
- Blessing to James Ivins, 7 January 1840
- Blessing to Joseph Young, 1 March 1835
- Charges against Missouri Conference Preferred to Joseph Smith, circa March 1832
- Deed from John and Alice Jacobs Johnson, 5 May 1834
- Discourse, 2 May 1835, as Reported by William E. McLellin–A
- Discourse, 2 May 1835, as Reported by William E. McLellin–B
- Discourse, 7 April 1840
- Discourse, 8 April 1840, as Reported by Times and Seasons
- Discourse, December 1840, as Reported by William Clayton
- Discourse, circa 19 July 1840, as Reported by Martha Jane Knowlton Coray–A
- Discourse, circa 19 July 1840, as Reported by Martha Jane Knowlton Coray–B
- Instruction on Priesthood, between circa 1 March and circa 4 May 1835 [D&C 107]
- Instruction on Priesthood, circa 5 October 1840
- Journal, 1832–1834
- Journal, 1835–1836
- Journal, 1839
- Journal, December 1842–June 1844; Book 1, 21 December 1842–10 March 1843
- Journal, March–September 1838
- Letter from Brigham Young and Willard Richards, 5 September 1840
- Letter from Brigham Young, 29 April 1840
- Letter from Brigham Young, 7 May 1840
- Letter from Emma Smith, 6 December 1839
- Letter from Harvey Whitlock, 28 September 1835
- Letter from Heber C. Kimball and Others, 25 May 1840
- Letter from Heber C. Kimball, 9 July 1840
- Letter from Jacob W. Jenks, 31 December 1839
- Letter from John C. Bennett, 27 July 1840
- Letter from John E. Page, 23 September 1840
- Letter from Oliver Cowdery, 28 January 1832
- Letter from Orson Hyde and John E. Page, 1 May 1840
- Letter from Orson Hyde, 28 September 1840
- Letter from Parley P. Pratt, 22 November 1839
- Letter from Robert D. Foster, 24 December 1839
- Letter from Samuel Bent and George W. Harris, 23 September 1840
- Letter from Sidney Rigdon, 3 April 1840
- Letter from Thomas B. Marsh, 15 February 1838
- Letter from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 28 March 1836
- Letter of Introduction from Sidney Rigdon, 9 November 1839
- Letter to Edward Partridge and Others, 14 January 1833
- Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson County, Missouri, 21 April 1833
- Letter to Church Leaders in Eugene, Indiana, 2 July 1833
- Letter to Church Leaders in Geneseo, New York, 23 November 1833
- Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson County, Missouri, 18 August 1833
- Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson County, Missouri, 2 July 1833
- Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson County, Missouri, 25 June 1833
- Letter to Crooked Creek, Illinois, Branch, circa 7 or 8 July 1840
- Letter to Editor, 22 January 1840
- Letter to Edward Partridge and the Church, circa 22 March 1839
- Letter to Father Bigler, 27 May 1839
- Letter to Hyrum Smith and Nauvoo High Council, 5 December 1839
- Letter to Jacob Stollings, 27–28 June 1839
- Letter to John Smith, 2 July 1833
- Letter to John Corrill and the Church in Missouri, 4 September 1837
- Letter to John S. Carter, 13 April 1833
- Letter to Newel K. Whitney, 24 May 1839
- Letter to Oliver Granger, 26 January 1841
- Letter to Oliver Granger, between circa 22 and circa 28 July 1840
- Letter to Orson Hyde and John E. Page, 14 May 1840
- Letter to Orson Hyde, 7 April 1834
- Letter to Quorum of the Twelve, 4 August 1835
- Letter to Quorum of the Twelve, 15 December 1840
- Letter to Robert B. Thompson, 25 May 1839
- Letter to Robert D. Foster, 11 March 1840
- Letter to Saints Scattered Abroad, September 1840
- Letter to Vienna Jaques, 4 September 1833
- Letter to William W. Phelps, 31 July 1832
- Letter to William W. Phelps, 22 May 1839
- Letter to the Church and Edward Partridge, 20 March 1839
- Letter to the Church in Thompson, Ohio, 6 February 1833
- Letter to the Editors, 17 May 1839
- Letter to the Saints in Kirtland, Ohio, 19 October 1840
- Letterbook 1
- Letterbook 2
- License for Evan Greene, 29 June 1835
- License for Parley P. Pratt, 26 April 1835
- License for Christian Whitmer, 9 June 1830
- License for Frederick G. Williams, 20 March 1833
- License for Frederick G. Williams, 25 February 1834
- License for Frederick G. Williams, 27 April 1835
- License for Gardner Snow, 19 January 1839
- License for Hosea Stout, 20 April 1840
- License for Howard Coray, 3 September 1840
- License for John Whitmer, 9 June 1830
- License for John P. Greene, 25 February 1834
- License for Jonathan H. Hale, 26 January 1839
- License for Joseph Smith Sr., 9 June 1830
- License for William Smith, 5 October 1831
- License, 21 March 1836
- Memorial to Nauvoo High Council, 18 June 1840
- Minutes and Blessings, 21 February 1835
- Minutes and Discourse, 13 January 1840
- Minutes and Discourse, 2 May 1835, as Reported by William E. McLellin–A
- Minutes and Discourse, 2 May 1835, as Reported by William E. McLellin–B
- Minutes and Discourse, 21 April 1834
- Minutes and Discourse, 3–5 October 1840
- Minutes and Discourse, 6 March 1840
- Minutes and Discourse, 6–8 April 1840
- Minutes and Discourses, 27 February 1835, as Reported by William E. McLellin
- Minutes and Discourses, 5–7 October 1839
- Minutes, 1 October 1831
- Minutes, 1 September 1831
- Minutes, 11 November 1831
- Minutes, 11 October 1831
- Minutes, 11 September 1833
- Minutes, 12 April 1840
- Minutes, 12 February 1834
- Minutes, 12 March 1835
- Minutes, 12 November 1831
- Minutes, 12 September 1831
- Minutes, 13–14 January 1833
- Minutes, 14 February 1835
- Minutes, 15 February 1833
- Minutes, 16 January 1836
- Minutes, 16 November 1832
- Minutes, 17 August 1835
- Minutes, 17 August 1840
- Minutes, 17 February 1833
- Minutes, 17 February 1834
- Minutes, 17 March 1834
- Minutes, 17 September 1837–B
- Minutes, 18 January 1835
- Minutes, 18 March 1833
- Minutes, 19 September 1835
- Minutes, 1–2 November 1831
- Minutes, 2 May 1833
- Minutes, 20 February 1834
- Minutes, 20 June 1840
- Minutes, 21 October 1831
- Minutes, 22 December 1836
- Minutes, 22 February 1836
- Minutes, 22–23 January 1833
- Minutes, 23 June 1834
- Minutes, 23 March 1833–B
- Minutes, 24 February 1834
- Minutes, 25–26 October 1831
- Minutes, 26 September 1830
- Minutes, 26 September 1835
- Minutes, 26–27 April 1832
- Minutes, 27 October 1839
- Minutes, 27–28 December 1832
- Minutes, 28 December 1834
- Minutes, 28–29 September 1835
- Minutes, 3 December 1832
- Minutes, 3 March 1836
- Minutes, 3 May 1834
- Minutes, 3 September 1837
- Minutes, 30 April 1832
- Minutes, 30 April 1833
- Minutes, 4 August 1831
- Minutes, 4 June 1833
- Minutes, 4 May 1833
- Minutes, 4–5 May 1839
- Minutes, 5 December 1832
- Minutes, 6 June 1833
- Minutes, 6 May 1839
- Minutes, 6 September 1831
- Minutes, 8 March 1840
- Minutes, 8 November 1831
- Minutes, 8 September 1834
- Minutes, 9 February 1834
- Minutes, 9 June 1830
- Minutes, 9 November 1831
- Minutes, Discourse, and Blessings, 1 March 1835
- Minutes, Discourse, and Blessings, 14–15 February 1835
- Minutes, circa 1 June 1833
- Minutes, circa 1 May 1832
- Minutes, circa 3–4 June 1831
- Note on Ordinations, circa 16 June 1831
- Note, 16 September 1835
- Note, circa 24 May 1839
- Order from Newel K. Whitney, 18 April 1834
- Ordination and Blessing of Cyrus Smalling, 30 June 1835
- Pay Order to Newel K. Whitney for George Miller, 18 September 1840
- Plan of the House of the Lord in Kirtland, Ohio (Fragments), circa June 1833
- Proclamation, 15 January 1841
- Recommendation for George A. Smith, 21 September 1839
- Recommendation for Heber C. Kimball, between 2 and 13 June 1837
- Recommendation for Oliver Granger, 1 November 1839
- Recommendation for Orson Hyde, 6 April 1840
- Recommendation for Willard Richards, between 11 and 13 June 1837
- Recommendation from Nauvoo High Council, 27 October 1839
- Record of the Twelve, 14 February–28 August 1835
- Report of Agents, circa 30 January 1841
- Report of the First Presidency, 4 October 1840
- Resolution, circa 8 April 1838
- Resolutions, circa 23 August 1834
- Revelation Book 1
- Revelation, 27 February 1833 [D&C 89]
- Revelation, September 1830–B [D&C 28]
- Revelation, September 1830–C [D&C 30:1–4]
- Revelation, September 1830–D [D&C 30:5–8]
- Revelation, September 1830–E [D&C 30:9–11]
- Revelation, 1 December 1831 [D&C 71]
- Revelation, 1 November 1831–B [D&C 1]
- Revelation, 1 August 1831 [D&C 58]
- Revelation, 1 June 1833 [D&C 95]
- Revelation, 1 November 1831–A [D&C 68]
- Revelation, 10 January 1832 [D&C 73]
- Revelation, 10 June 1831 [D&C 54]
- Revelation, 11 April 1838 [D&C 114]
- Revelation, 11 November 1831–B [D&C 107 (partial)]
- Revelation, 11 September 1831 [D&C 64]
- Revelation, 12 November 1831 [D&C 70]
- Revelation, 12 October 1833 [D&C 100]
- Revelation, 12 January 1838–B
- Revelation, 12 March 1832 [D&C 79]
- Revelation, 13 August 1831 [D&C 62]
- Revelation, 15 June 1831 [D&C 56]
- Revelation, 15 March 1832 [D&C 81]
- Revelation, 15 May 1831
- Revelation, 16–17 December 1833 [D&C 101]
- Revelation, 19 January 1841 [D&C 124]
- Revelation, 2 January 1831 [D&C 38]
- Revelation, 22–23 September 1832 [D&C 84]
- Revelation, 24 February 1834 [D&C 103]
- Revelation, 25 January 1832–A [D&C 75:1–22]
- Revelation, 25 January 1832–B [D&C 75:23–36]
- Revelation, 27–28 December 1832 [D&C 88:1–126]
- Revelation, 29 October 1831 [D&C 66]
- Revelation, 3 November 1831 [D&C 133]
- Revelation, 30 August 1831 [D&C 63]
- Revelation, 30 December 1830 [D&C 37]
- Revelation, 4 December 1831–A [D&C 72:1–8]
- Revelation, 4 December 1831–B [D&C 72:9–23]
- Revelation, 4 December 1831–C [D&C 72:24–26]
- Revelation, 4 June 1833 [D&C 96]
- Revelation, 5 January 1831 [D&C 39]
- Revelation, 6 December 1832 [D&C 86]
- Revelation, 6 June 1831 [D&C 52]
- Revelation, 7 March 1832 [D&C 80]
- Revelation, 8 August 1831 [D&C 60]
- Revelation, 8 March 1833 [D&C 90]
- Revelation, 9 February 1831 [D&C 42:1–72]
- Revelation, February 1831–B [D&C 44]
- Revelation, July 1830–B [D&C 26]
- Revelation, July 1830–A [D&C 24]
- Revelation, June 1829–B [D&C 18]
- Revelation, September 1830–F [D&C 31]
- Revelation, between circa 8 and circa 24 March 1832
- Revelation, circa 2 November 1831 [D&C 67]
- Revelation, circa 8 March 1831–A [D&C 46]
- Revelation, circa 8 March 1831–B [D&C 47]
- Revelation, circa June 1835 [D&C 68]
- Revelations printed in Evening and Morning Star, January 1835–June 1836
- Revelations printed in The Evening and the Morning Star, June 1832–June 1833
- Statement, circa 1 November 1839–A
- Statement, circa 1 November 1839–B
- Testimony, circa 2 November 1831
- Travel Account and Questions, November 1837
- Vision, 16 February 1832 [D&C 76]
- Visions of Moses, June 1830 [Moses 1]
- Warrant, 21 October 1833