Historedia
Episode 3 of 4

Reading to the High Council

When
1843-08-12
Where
High Council
Part of
Joseph Smith's 1843 polygamy revelation

Hyrum Smith read the revelation to the High Council on August 12, 1843, causing a split between polygamist and anti-polygamist factions.

Hyrum Smith read the revelation to the High Council on August 12, 1843. This action divided the hierarchy into polygamist and anti-polygamist factions. Witnesses like Austin Cowles and Marks reported witnessing Hyrum Smith read the polygamy revelation to the High Council in 1843.

Sources

  1. Joseph Smith Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-29
  2. Origin of Latter Day Saint polygamy Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-24

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.