Anointed Quorum

The Anointed Quorum, also known as the Quorum of the Anointed, or the Holy Order, was a select body of men and women who Joseph Smith initiated into Mormon temple ordinances at Nauvoo, Illinois, which gave them special standing in the early Latter Day Saint movement. Beginning in May 1842, Smith gave this group, which ultimately numbered over sixty persons, their washings and anointings and endowments in the upper floor of his Red Brick Store on Water Street, as well as in a few private residences in the city. Most couples, but not all, also received their Second Anointing. Members typically referred to their meetings, which were held usually every two weeks, as prayer circles, because prayer played an important role in the group's religious activities.

Nearly all members of the Anointed Quorum were important leaders and their wives in the church or community, including the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. After Smith's death in June 1844, members of the Anointed Quorum continued to meet under the direction of Brigham Young, even admitting additional persons to the group. As the Nauvoo Temple neared completion during 1845, they prepared the building's upper floor for the administration of ordinances. Between December 1845 and February 1846, the Anointed Quorum extended the same rituals they had received from Smith to over 5,000 men and women living in the vicinity of Nauvoo.

After the Mormons left Nauvoo in 1846, the Anointed Quorum ceased to exist as an organized group. Apparently Smith organized the group to prepare the way for the general church membership to receive their temple ordinances in the Nauvoo Temple. Once this was done, the need for the group expired. The Anointed Quorum dealt essentially with spiritual and sacerdotal matters, but it was never an official administrative body of the church.

Members

The following individuals were members of the Anointed Quorum (spouses are listed together and plural marriage relationships are indicated):

Name Notes
James AdamsLawyer and close friend of Joseph Smith.
Harriet Denton AdamsWife of James Adams
Almon W. BabbittFirst secretary and treasurer of the Territory of Utah, and a member of the Council of Fifty.
Louisa BeamanPlural wife of Joseph Smith
John Milton BernhiselThe original delegate of the Utah Territory in the United States House of Representatives (1851–1859, 1861–1863) and a member of the Council of Fifty.
Reynolds CahoonMember of the Presiding Bishopric and one of the inaugural members of the Council of Fifty.
Thirza Stiles CahoonWife of Reynolds Cahoon
William ClaytonMember and Clerk of the Council of Fifty.
Margaret Moon ClaytonWife of William Clayton
Alpheus CutlerMember of the Council of Fifty. After the succession crisis, he became the 1st President of The Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite).
Lois Lathrop CulterWife of Alpheus Cutler
Elizabeth Davis DurfeePlural wife of Joseph Smith
Harriet Page Wheeler Decker
Joseph FieldingMember of the Council of Fifty, brother of Mary Fielding, the second wife of Hyrum Smith, and an uncle of Joseph F. Smith, the sixth president of the church.
Hannah Greenwood FieldingWife of Joseph Fielding
Olive Grey FrostPlural wife of Joseph Smith
John P. GreeneMember of the Council of Fifty and the chief of police in Nauvoo, Illinois in 1844. Greene supervised the destruction of the press of the Nauvoo Expositor which set in motion a chain of events that eventually led to the death of Joseph Smith.
Charles Hyde
Orson HydeA member and President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and a member of the Council of Fifty.
Marinda Nancy Johnson HydeWife of Orson Hyde and a plural wife of Joseph Smith
Zina Dianatha Huntington Jacobs3rd General President of the Relief Society. Zina was a plural wife of Joseph Smith and later Brigham Young
Heber C. KimballMember of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, First Counselor in the First Presidency, and a member of the Council of Fifty.
Vilate Murray KimballWife of Heber C. Kimball
Helen Mar KimballPlural wife of Joseph Smith
Joseph C. Kingsbury
Sarah Ann Whitney KingsburyWife of Joseph C. Kingsbury and a plural wife of Joseph Smith and later Heber C. Kimball
Mary Elizabeth Rollins LightnerPlural wife of Joseph Smith
William LawSecond Counselor in the First Presidency to Joseph Smith. After his excommunication for apostasy, Law published the Nauvoo Expositor, the destruction of which set in motion a chain of events that eventually led to the death of Joseph Smith.
Jane Silverthorne LawWife of William Law
Cornelius P. LottA member of the Council of Fifty and a Danite leader.[1]
Permelia Darrow LottWife of Cornelius P. Lott
Amasa LymanMember of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, counselor in the First Presidency, and a member of the Council of Fifty.
Mary L. Tanner LymanWife of Amasa M. Lyman
William MarksFirst counselor in the First Presidency of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and a member of the Council of Fifty.
Rosannah Robinson MarksWife of William Marks
George MillerSecond Bishop of the Church and member of the Council of Fifty.
Mary Catherine Fry MillerWife of George Miller
Ruth MoonPlural wife of William Clayton
Isaac MorleyFirst Counselor to the Bishop of the Church and member of the Council of Fifty.
Lucy Gunn MorleyWife of Isaac Morley
Fanny Young Murray
Joseph B. Noble
Mary A. Beaman NobleWife of Joseph B. Noble.
John E. PageMember of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and a member of the Council of Fifty.
Mary Judd PageWife of John E. Page
Orson PrattAn original member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, member of the Council of Fifty and Official church historian.
Parley P. PrattAn original member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, member of the Council of Fifty.
Mary A. F. PrattWife of Parley P. Pratt and a plural wife of Joseph Smith
W. W. PhelpsA church printer, editor, and songwriter, scribe to Joseph Smith, and a member of the Council of Fifty.
Sally Waterman PhelpsWife of W. W. Phelps
Levi RichardsServed as a physician for Joseph Smith and a member of the Council of Fifty.
Willard RichardsSecond Counselor in the First Presidency, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Official church historian, and a member of the Council of Fifty.
Jennetta Richards RichardsWife of Willard Richards
Sidney RigdonCounselor in the First Presidency of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and a member of the Council of Fifty. After the Succession Crisis he became President of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Children of Zion.
Lucy Decker SeelyPlural wife of Brigham Young
Sylvia P. SessionsPlural wife of Joseph Smith
Agnes Coolbrith SmithPlural wife of Joseph Smith
George A. SmithFirst Counselor in the First Presidency, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Official church historian, and a member of the Council of Fifty.
Bathsheba W. Smith4th General President of the Relief Society and wife of George A. Smith.
Hyrum SmithBrother of Joseph Smith, Assistant President of the Church, Presiding Patriarch, Apostle, Counselor in the First Presidency, and a member of the Council of Fifty.
Mary Fielding SmithWife of Hyrum Smith
John SmithUncle of Joseph Smith, 4th Presiding Patriarch, Assistant Counselor in the First Presidency, and a member of the Council of Fifty.
Clarissa Lyman SmithWife of John Smith
Lucy Mack SmithMother of Joseph Smith and author of Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations.
Joseph SmithFounder of the Latter Day Saint movement.
Emma Hale SmithWife of Joseph Smith and 1st President of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo.
Samuel H. SmithOne of the younger brothers of Joseph Smith, and one of the Eight Witnesses.
William SmithOne of the younger brothers of Joseph Smith, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 3rd Presiding Patriarch (LDS Church), and a member of the Council of Fifty. After the Succession Crisis he became Petitioner for Patriarchate (RLDS Church).
Eliza R. Snow2nd General President of the Relief Society. Plural wife of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young
Orson SpencerMember of the Council of Fifty and 1st President of the University of Utah
Catherine Curtis SpencerWife of Orson Spencer
John Taylor3rd President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Leonora Cannon TaylorWife of John Taylor
Mercy Fielding Thompson
Newel K. WhitneyFirst Bishop of the Church and a member of the Council of Fifty.
Elizabeth Ann Smith WhitneyWife of Newel K. Whitney.
Lyman WightMember of the Quorum of the Twelve and a member of the Council of Fifty. After the Succession Crisis he became President of the Church of Christ(Wightite)[2]
Wilford Woodruff4th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Phoebe Carter WoodruffFirst wife of Wilford Woodruff.
Lucien Woodworth
Phebe Watrous WoodworthWife of Lucien Woodworth
Brigham Young2nd President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Mary Ann Angell YoungWife of Brigham Young
Joseph YoungBrother of Brigham Young, one of the First Seven Presidents of the First Quorum of the Seventy, and a member of the Council of Fifty.
Jane A. Bicknell YoungWife of Joseph Young

See also

References

  1. Quinn, D. Michael. Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power Salt Lake City: Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, 1994, p. 482.
  2. The Historical magazine, and notes and queries concerning the antiquities, history, and biography of America, 3, London: C. Benjamin Richardson: Trübner & co., 1959, p. 12, retrieved July 26, 2010
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