The council met on 13 January 1846 at either 10:00 or 11:00 a.m. in the attic story of the . At the previous meeting had directed the captains of hundreds and fifties for the emigration west to report at this 13 January meeting on the readiness of their companies. Fearing that the federal government would attempt to impede the emigration, Young explained that this meeting’s purpose was “to ascertain how many persons and families, can be ready to start for in six hours notice.” The council then received written reports from twenty of the twenty-five captains of hundreds.
Following these reports proposed that the captains of hundreds and fifties “use their influence to have as few women and children as possible, go with the first company, but let us go and prepare a place for them, so that they can follow in the spring.” Young particularly wanted “all those men who are in danger and who are likely to be hunted with writs, to go and take their families.” The council accepted Young’s proposals.
These minutes record that two additional meetings were scheduled, for 18 and 19 January 1846. While records exist for these meetings (and are included as appendixes in this volume), they were not included in the Council of Fifty record book, which concludes with this meeting of 13 January. ’s rough notes of the meeting are still extant. Significant differences between the rough notes and the recorded minutes have been noted.
In early February, and many members of the council crossed the and began the westward trek across , beginning a journey that the council had contemplated, discussed, and planned since JS established the council in March 1844. In the council’s organizational meeting on 11 March 1844, council members had advocated establishing a “Theocracy either in or or somewhere in ”; they had also, referring to a scriptural metaphor, spoken of establishing “a ‘standard’ to the people an ensign to the nations.” In his journal wrote that Young spoke of this same concept in the 13 January meeting, though with his eyes now firmly on the valleys of the and speaking of a literal banner as an ensign. Lee recorded that Young stated, “The Saying of the Prophets would never be verified unless the House of the Lord should be reared in the Tops of the Mountains & the Proud Banner of liberty wave over the valley’s that are within the Mountains &c I know where the spot is & I no [know] how to make the Flag.”
Tuesday January 13th. 1846 Council met pursuant to adjournment in the Attic Story of the Prest. in the chair.
The house was called to order by the chair at 11 o clock A.M. a number of persons viz Capts. of Tens, Fifties and Hundreds being present, who are not members of the Council, the meeting was not organized in order.
The stated the object of the meeting, viz. to ascertain how many persons and families, can be ready to start for in six hours notice. He drew a striking contrast between the circumstances of the church now, and 12 years ago, when they had to search every State in the , to raise 205 men to go up to , but we can raise as many men now, in almost any State. He cautioned all present to keep secret whatever shall be said or done during the day.
He then went on to state, that the Government of the , are determined to stop our going away, [p. [109]]
While the council minutes indicate that the meeting was called to order at 11:00, the previous council meeting set 10:00 as the time to convene. John D. Lee and Hosea Stout recorded that the meeting began at 10:00. (Council of Fifty, “Record,” 11 Jan. 1846; Lee, Journal, 13 Jan. 1846, 79; Hosea Stout, Reminiscences and Journal, 13 Jan. 1846.)
Lee, John D. Journals, 1844–1853. CHL.
Stout, Hosea. Reminiscences and Journals, 1845–1869. Microfilm. CHL. Originals at Utah State Historical Society, Salt Lake City. Also available as On the Mormon Frontier: The Diary of Hosea Stout, 1844–1861, edited by Juanita Brooks, 2 vols. (1964. Reprint, Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press; Salt Lake City: Utah State Historical Society, 1982).
For instance, Hosea Stout attended this meeting. He recorded, “This is the first time which ever I met with that Council. The subject of our removal West was discussed & I was well entertained.” (Hosea Stout, Reminiscences and Journal, 13 Jan. 1846.)
Stout, Hosea. Reminiscences and Journals, 1845–1869. Microfilm. CHL. Originals at Utah State Historical Society, Salt Lake City. Also available as On the Mormon Frontier: The Diary of Hosea Stout, 1844–1861, edited by Juanita Brooks, 2 vols. (1964. Reprint, Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press; Salt Lake City: Utah State Historical Society, 1982).
Young referred to the Camp of Israel expedition in 1834 that traveled to Missouri to assist Latter-day Saints who had been driven from Jackson County, Missouri. While a February 1834 revelation instructed JS and others to recruit as many as 500 men for the expedition, approximately 205 actually went, along with approximately twelve women and ten children. (See “Joseph Smith Documents from April 1834 through September 1835”; Revelation, 24 Feb. 1834 [D&C 103:30]; “Extracts from H. C. Kimball’s Journal,” Times and Seasons, 1 Feb. 1845, 6:789; and Radke, “We Also Marched,” 149–159.)
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.