Minutes of July 7, 1834
High council of Zion is organized at Lyman Wight's house in Clay county. (Zion's Camp is also disbanded nearby on this day.) David Whitmer is ordained president, W. W. Phelps and John Whitmer, counselors. Elsewhere Joseph refers to this meeting as the time David was ordained as a possible successor. Joseph's work is now complete.
Date   July 7, 1834   Far West Record, 71–73.
Location   Clay county, Lyman Wight house  

 
Officiating   President or moderator not stated
Frederick G. Williams, clerk		   This is the first use of president of a conference instead of moderator.
Present   15 high priests, 8 elders, 4 priests, 8 teahers, 3 deacons, and "a number of Members."    
Open   Sing "age after age has rowled away, &c."
Prayer by Joseph Smith Jr.		    
Speakers   Joseph counsels those present relative to their calling, reads to them from the February 17, 1834 minutes of the organization of the Kirtland high council (D&C 102).   D&C 102 was known as the Constitution.
Joseph: work complete  

He also informed them if he should now 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 [72] the Lord might be known on all important occasions in the building up of Zion, and establishing truth in the earth.

   At the meeting of Joseph and the Twelve, November 12, 1835, Joseph announces that inasmuch as he was still alive, he would introduce the ordinance of washing of feet for members in the house of the Lord.
    The vote in favor of those "appointed" on the third of July "was clear in their behalf."  

Either at this meeting or at the Minutes of July 3, 1834, Joseph chastized David and others for unfaithfulness.

Joseph apparently refers this ordination at a March 15, 1838 meeting when he "gave a history of the ordination of Daivd Whitmer "to be a leader, or a prophet to this Church, which (ordination) was on the conditions that he (J. Smith jr) did not live to God himself." ¶ March 15, 1838

Three presidents—and Joseph's successor?   Joseph ordains "the three Presidents, David Whitmer as President and William W. Phelps & John Whitmer assistants and their twelve Counsillors."

The twelve counselors cast lots to see who speaks first. The order is: 		 
Counselors   Simeon Carter
Parley P. Pratt
William E. McLellin (h)
Calvin Beebe
Levi Jackman
Solomon Hancock
Christian Whitmer
Newel Knight
Orson Pratt (h2)
Lyman Wight (h) (swh)
Thomas B. Marsh (h)
John Murdock		  
Whitmer blessings   Peter Whitmer Sr. blesses his sons, David, John, and Christian, and Newel Knight.    
  After the council of high priests is organized, Bishop Partridge tells the council   The council at this time, includes a president, two assistant presidents, and twelve counselors.
Edward Partridge hopes to act righteously with council  

that a greater responsibility devolved upon him that [sic] before as he had not the privilege of counselling with any of the high council save one of the Presidents and his own Counsillors, and desired to have the prayers of all the Church that he might be able to act in his station in righteousness.

  
W. W. Phelps taking over press in Kirtland   Joseph presents W. W. Phelps' case before the council: William is to take over the printing press in Kirtland; should he take his family to Kirtland?    
Family to remain   Simeon Carter and William E. McLellin speak on behalf of "the plaintiff," Parley P. Pratt and Calvin Bebee "in behalf of the Church." President decides he should go and his family remain.    
David to Kirtland  

Proposed by W. W. Phelps that br. David Whitmer the President of the Church in Zion > should go to Kirtland as being one of the three witnesses and assist in promoting the cause of Christ.

    
Also John Whitmer, William E. McLellin   Levi Jackman speak in behalf of the plaintiff, Solomon Hancock and Newel Knight for the church. Decision that he go to the East and assist in the gathering. He may decide about taking his family. John Whitmer and William E. McLellin (h) also to go east. All to go "as soon as convenient."    
President David Whitmer and counselors   All in attendance "covenanted with uplifted hands to heaven that they would uphold David Whitmer as President, head and leader in Zion & John Whitmer & W. W. Phelps as assistant Presidents and Counsillors also covenanted to uphold him and one another at the throne of grace."   See Redaction below.
Close   "Prayer by David Whitmer President."    

  Redaction
  Regarding the text that appears here as the penultimate paragraph ("All in attendance … "), the editors of the Far West Record, write, "As these minutes were included in the History of the Church, changes were made vis-a-vis the presidency of Joseph Smith. Editors have taken liberty to more clearly define the function of the two presidencies." The differences are illustrated below.
  Far West Record History of the Church   HC 2:125–126 follows Times and Seasons, vol. 6 no.1 (February 1, 1846), 1110 except the Times and Seasons has "that you would uphold" rather than "that they would uphold."

Blue text: Dropped

Red text: Substituted or added

The redaction:

1) Deemphasizes David's role as "President of the Church in Zion"(as he is elsewhere referred to <).

2) Adds text to establish Joseph's higher position.

3) Substitutes text to suggest the assistant presidents functioned as counselors to David Whitmer (which they did), but not as members of the high council.
After all this was done the afore mentioned The  
  High Priests, Elders, Priests, Teachers, Deacons and members present, then covenanted with uplifted hands to heaven that they would uphold David Whitmer as President, head and leader in Zion & John Whitmer & W. W. Phelps as assistant Presidents and Counsillors also covenanted to uphold him and one another at the throne of grace. High Priests, Elders, Priests, Teachers, Deacons and members present, then covenanted with hands uplifted to heaven, that they would uphold Br. David Whitmer, as president in Zion, in my absence, and John Whitmer and W. W. Phelps as assistant presidents or councillors, and myself as first president of the church, and one another by faith and prayer.  
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