Abstract

The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an administrative and ecclesiastical quorum. The Church, first organized in 1830, did not organize the Quorum of Twelve Apostles until 1835. When it was organized, Joseph Smith outlined the quorum's responsibilities through revelation. The Twelve were assigned two unique and specific responsibilities: to take the gospel to the nations of the earth and to form a traveling high council for the regulating of the Church outside of its stakes. The first opportunity for the Twelve to fulfill their responsibilities was in May 1835 when they were assigned to travel to the eastern United States and southern Canada. There they both preached the gospel and regulated the branches of the Church. This mission represents not only the first time the Apostles fulfilled their assigned responsibilities but the only time that they filled their responsibilities as an entire quorum. It is surprising that more secondary literature on this mission is not available. This thesis seeks to commence an academic conversation regarding this mission and its impact both on the quorum's development and on the Church in its outlying areas. Chapter 1 details the preparation of the individual members of the Twelve to fulfill this mission. It discusses the preparation of the Twelve prior to their call to the apostleship. It also discusses the training that took place between their call and the commencement of this mission. As an administrative body for the membership of the Church, the Twelve spent the majority of their time on this mission with the members of the Church. Chapter 2 identifies the unique purpose of the Twelve on this mission and how that purpose was fulfilled. Joseph Smith originally laid out the geographic framework for this mission, which sent the Twelve into Canada and throughout much of the northeastern United States. Chapter 3 identifies the locations of the Twelve based on available records and seeks to provide an answer to how the Twelve decided which areas to preach in. Many individuals were baptized during this five-month mission. Chapter 4 identifies what the Twelve taught and the sources that they used. It also discusses the reaction of the people they taught. The concluding chapter summarizes the thesis and identifies areas for further research.

Degree

College and Department

Religious Education; Church History and Doctrine

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