“Elder George A. Smith moved that we acknowledge President Brigham Young as the president of the Quorum of the Twelve to this Church and generation. Carried unanimously.” — Thomas Bullock¹

Brigham Young was recognized as the president of the Church during a conference in Nauvoo on April 7, 1845.² During this time Brigham led the Saints in completing the Nauvoo Temple and administering essential ordinances before beginning their westward migration in February 1846.³ He guided the exodus to the Salt Lake Valley. In 1847, Brigham received a revelation, later canonized as Doctrine and Covenants 136, which outlined how the pioneers should be organized for the journey. After successfully leading a vanguard company to the Salt Lake Valley, Brigham returned to Kanesville, Iowa, and reorganized the First Presidency in December 1847, with Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards as his counselors.^4,5

1. Thomas Bullock, General Church Minutes, Nauvoo, Illinois, 1845 April 6-8, CR 100 318, Church History Library

2. “Young, Brigham,” josephsmithpapers.org

3. Saints, Volume 1, Chapter 46, 571-583

4. “Brigham Young,” churchofjesuschrist.org

5. Sustaining a New First Presidency in 1847, Aaron L. West, Church History