The succession crisis in the Latter Day Saint movement occurred after the killing of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, on June 27, 1844.
For roughly six months after Smith's death, several people competed to take over his role, the leading contenders being Sidney Rigdon, Brigham Young, and James Strang.See the chart later in the article for a more complete list of successor claimants The majority of the Latter Day Saint movement elected to follow Young's leadership, which eventually resulted in the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), but several smaller Latter Day Saint churches emerged from the succession crisis. This significant event in early Latter Day Saint history precipitated several permanent schisms.
Background
The Church of Christ was organized by a small group of men led by Joseph Smith on April 6, 1830. Between that time and Smith's death in 1844, the administrative and ecclesiastical organization of the new church evolved from an egalitarian group of believers into an institution based on hierarchy of priesthood offices. This gradual change was driven by both the growth in church membership and the evolution of Smith's role as leader of the church.
Prior to the formal establishment of the Church of Christ, Smith held the title of "Prophet, Seer, and Revelator", a title unanimously supported by the other founding members of the church. However, as the church was "organized" rather than legally "incorporated", its property needed to be held in trust by a trustee; Smith became the church's Trustee-in-Trust.
Initially, the highest leadership position in the Church of Christ was that of "elder", and church elders were sometimes called "apostles"."Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ", Painesville Telegraph, April 19, 1831. Smith's initial title in the church was "First Elder", while his friend and associate, Oliver Cowdery, was given the title "Second Elder". In March 1832, Smith created a quorum of three presidents known as the First Presidency. He became president of the First Presidency, a title which became associated with the office of "President of the Church", with Sidney Rigdon and Jesse Gause serving as his counselors in the First Presidency.
On December 18, 1833, Smith created the office of "Patriarch over the Church" and ordained his father, Joseph Smith Sr., to fill the role. The "Presiding Patriarch", as the office came to be called, often presided over church meetings and was sometimes sustained at church conferences ahead of all other church officers. Two months later, in Kirtland, Ohio, Smith created a High Council, a body consisting of twelve men, headed by the First Presidency. The High Council took on the role of chief judicial and legislative body of the church, handling such matters as excommunication trials and approval of all church spending.
Several months later, on July 3, 1834, the High Council of Zion was organized in Far West, Missouri. Online reprint by centerplace.org This council is also known as the Presiding High Council, for it was designated to preside over the council established in Kirtland, as well as all future High Councils at the various Stakes of Zion. Cases tried in the standing High Councils of outlying stakes were regularly appealed to the High Council of Zion, it being the penultimate court standing only second to the First Presidency. The Presiding High Council also provided clearance for ordinations in the standing High Councils at the Stakes of Zion.
On February 14, 1835, nearly one year after the High Council in Kirtland was organized, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, "or special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world", was formed as a "Traveling Presiding High Council." This council consisted of twelve men, called and ordained by the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon to the office of apostle, and appointed to oversee the missionary work of the church—meaning that their presiding role was outside of the Stakes of Zion. Thomas B. Marsh was set apart as their president. In practice, while both this group and the High Council in Zion were Presiding High Councils, their jurisdictions were divided with one as “standing” ministers over the Stakes of Zion, and the other “traveling” outside of the Stakes. Initially, the Quorum was subordinate to the High Council of Zion; for example, in 1838, when vacancies arose in the quorum, it was the Standing Presiding High Council at Far West that filled the vacancies.
When the High Council in Zion was dissolved after the church was expelled from Missouri, the headquarters of the church were moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, There, Smith formed a new Presiding High Council, led by William Marks, which supervised the High Councils of outlying stakes, under the direction of the First Presidency.
Latter Day Saint scripture finalized in 1835 indicated that the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve, and Standing Presiding High Council were equal in authority, though remaining subordinate "under the direction of the Presidency of the Church." This coequality would become a driving force for the succession of Marks to the presidency, as espoused by Smith's widow, Emma Hale Smith, as well as in modern times by historian D. Michael Quinn.
The 1844 succession
At the time of his death, Smith thus held several roles: "Prophet, Seer, Revelator, and Translator", "President of the Church", "President of the First Presidency", and "Trustee-in-Trust" of the church. It was unclear if all of these offices should be held together by any one successor and it was less than explicit who such a successor should be. However, a revelation of Smith in the Doctrine and Covenants, written in 1831 and published in 1835, designates that "three Presiding High Priests ... form a quorum of the Presidency of the Church" and "the Twelve Apostles...form a quorum, equal in authority and power to the three presidents previously mentioned."
Theoretical successors Following Smith's murder, it was not immediately clear to the Latter Day Saints who would lead the church going forward.
Hyrum Smith Contemporary statements by church leaders indicate that had the prophet's brother, Hyrum Smith, survived, he would have been the successor. Hyrum had been ordained Assistant President and Presiding Patriarch of the church, and the successor of Oliver Cowdery, who had been excommunicated.Times and Seasons, 2 (1 June 1841): 128 Hyrum, however, was killed in Carthage, Illinois, alongside Joseph. Regarding Hyrum, Brigham Young stated: "Did Joseph Smith ordain any man to take his place. He did. Who was it? It was Hyrum, but Hyrum fell a martyr before Joseph did. If Hyrum had lived he would have acted for Joseph".Times and Seasons, 5 [Oct. 15, 1844]: 683
Samuel Smith Following the principle of lineal succession, Smith's younger brother, Samuel Harrison Smith, was the next potential candidate in line. Sometime between June 23 and June 27, 1844, Smith reportedly stated that "if he and Hyrum were taken away, Samuel H. Smith would be his successor".Smith, An Intimate Chronicle, p. 138; William Clayton Diary, typescript, 12 July 1844, original in First Presidency's Archives However, Samuel died suddenly on July 30, 1844, just a month after Joseph and Hyrum were murdered.
William Smith The last of Joseph Smith's surviving brothers, William Smith, initially claimed the right to succeed his brothers only as Presiding Patriarch. Much later, after breaking with several Latter Day Saint factions, he exercised his own claim to the presidency of the church, with little result. William alleged that Samuel was poisoned at the behest of Young.William Smith, "Mormonism: A Letter from William Smith, Brother of Joseph the Prophet", New York Tribune, 1857-05-19. Online reprint by sidneyrigdon.com (Dale R. Broadhurst) Young, however, denied any involvement,. volumes 5:77 and 8:69. Retrieved on 23 June 2009. noting that he did not even know of Joseph's death for three or four weeks afterwards, some time after Samuel's. No physical evidence exists that suggests that Samuel was the victim of foul play.
Children of Joseph Smith Smith also seemed to have given indications that one of his sons would succeed him. Several church leaders later stated that on August 27, 1834, and April 22, 1839, Smith indicated his eldest son, Joseph Smith III, would be his successor.Roger Launius, Joseph Smith III: Pragmatic Prophet At the time of his father's death, Joseph Smith III was eleven years old. Similarly, in April 1844, the elder Smith had reportedly prophesied his unborn child would be a son who was to be named "David" and would "make his mark in the world".Valery Tippetts Avery, From Mission to Madness: The Last Son of the Mormon Prophet There are reports a patriarchal blessing given to Joseph Smith III, naming the young Joseph as Smith's successor.
Oliver Cowdery Cowdery had been the "Second Elder" of the church after Smith, and until the time of his excommunication held the keys of the dispensation with Joseph. In addition, he was with Smith at all the important events of the early church. Like Hyrum later, Joseph had ordained Cowdery as the Assistant President of the Church and had given him authority "to assist in presiding over the whole Church and to officiate in the absence of the President".Manuscript History of the Church, Book A-1, p. 11, LDS Church Archives However, Cowdery was excommunicated on April 12, 1838.Cannon and Cook, Far West Record, pp. 162–171
David Whitmer David Whitmer had been ordained President of the High Council of Zion, and Joseph had blessed him on July 7, 1834, "to be a leader or a prophet to this Church, which (ordination) was on condition that he (J. Smith) did not live to God himself".Cannon and Cook, Far West Record, p. 151 Upon forming the High Council, Smith stated "if he should be taken away that he had accomplished the great work which the Lord had laid before him, and that which he had desired of the Lord, and that he now had done his duty in organizing the High Council, through which Council the will of the Lord might be known".Cannon and Cook, Far West Record, pp. 71–72 Whitmer, however, separated from the church in June 1838.David Whitmer was not excommunicated. (David Whitmer, An Address to all Believers in Christ, 1887, p. 8; Ebbie L. V. Richardson, "David Whitmer, A Witness to the Divine Authenticity of The Book of Mormon," Provo: Brigham Young University, Master's Thesis, August 1952, p. 71; Autobiography of Ebenezer Robinson, p. 134; Ebenezer Robinson, "Items of Personal History of the Editor," The Return, Davis City, Iowa: Church of Christ, Vol. 1, No. 9, September 1889, pp. 134–135. Cannon and Cook, Far West Record, pp. 123–125.)
Successor Prior position in church Years† Major Latter Day Saint movement denominations Current membership Sidney Rigdon Senior surviving member of the First Presidency 1844–1847 Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)15,000 Brigham Young President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles 1844–1877 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.16,805,400As of December 31, 2021, per: Church statistics at the end of each year are traditionally released during the following year's April General Conference, rather than being continuously updated throughout eah year. James Strang Elder Letter of Appointment 1844–1856 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)<1,000 Granville Hedrick No ordination record available; likely Elder 1850s–1881 Church of Christ (Temple Lot)12,000 Church of Christ with the Elijah Message10,000 Alpheus Cutler Member of the Presiding High Council and Council of Fifty 1853-1864 Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite)<100 Joseph Smith III (1860) Direct descendant and blessing Lineal Successor‡ 1860–1914 Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS)250,000 † Years during which claimed successor led named denomination