| 290 his first counselor, and Willard Richards as his second counselor, which was seconded and carried unanimously.
"'The Twelve again met the next day, and appointed Father John Smith Presiding Patriarch of the whole church.
"'The conference reassembled on the 24th of December, and lasted four days. In the Log Tabernacle one thousand persons assembled, and chose Brigham Young "President of the Church of Jesus Christ in all the world."'"-Life of Joseph the Prophet, pp. 618-623.
This testimony is secondhand, hence not what would be called the best evidence; yet it should be considered that it has been published to the world ever since 1880, by the Reorganization, and that it harmonizes with the published records of the time.
Orson Pratt lived over one year after its publication and made no denial. Wilford Woodruff lived over eighteen years after its publication, but made no protest. If either of them has ever denied these alleged facts to anyone, we have no information of such denial. Mr. Tullidge then stands unimpeached and undisputed on this point, and his testimony must be taken into the consideration.
The Annual Conference of 1861 was held at Amboy, Lee County, Illinois, April 6-8, Joseph Smith presiding, Isaac Sheen and W. W. Blair clerks. The following were received on evidence of membership: Walter Ostrander, John Gaylord, Briggs Alden, Betsey Fairbanks, Betsey Stone, Ebenezer Page, A. B. Manchester, George Kerr, O. W. Burns, Lucy Hodges, Sarah Waite, and Abiah Cook.
The following branches reported: Crescent City, Galland's Grove, North Star, Round Lake, Nephi, Mills, Franklin, Farm Creek, Boyer, Boomer, Union Grove, Belvidere, Montrose, Council Bluffs, Nashville, and String Prairie, Iowa; Etna branch, Missouri; Sandwich, Henderson Grove, Batavia, Amboy, Illinois; Syracuse, Ohio; Whitestown, Indiana; Burlington, Wisconsin; Galien, Michigan.
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