Council of Fifty

The formal name of the organization was “The Kingdom of God and His Laws with the Keys and Power thereof, and Judgment in the Hands of His Servants,” though it became commonly known as the Council of Fifty for its intended membership limit. Smith served as the council’s “Prophet, Priest and King,” while members took binding oaths of secrecy regarding the organization’s proceedings and objectives.

The council’s declared purpose was to prepare governmental structures that would operate during Christ’s millennial reign, with Smith as the earthly political ruler under divine authority. Plans included the establishment of a global theocracy with headquarters initially in Nauvoo, Illinois, and eventually expanding across North America and beyond. The council drafted a constitution for this future kingdom and discussed territorial expansion, including potential colonization of Texas, California, and Oregon Territory.

Smith’s assassination in June 1844 effectively ended the council’s original political ambitions, though Brigham Young reconvened the body after assuming church leadership. Under Young’s direction, the council played a role in planning the Mormon migration to Utah Territory and establishing the State of Deseret, though its theocratic political objectives were gradually abandoned as the Utah Territory integrated into the United States political system.

The council’s proceedings remained highly classified within the LDS Church hierarchy for over 150 years. The complete minutes were finally published by the church in 2016, revealing detailed discussions about establishing theocratic government, Smith’s presidential campaign, and plans for territorial expansion. The documents confirmed long-standing historical speculation about early Mormon political ambitions while providing unprecedented insight into 19th-century American religious nationalism.