High Council
- Joseph Smith, compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith", p. 73
- "the Twelve have no right to go into Zion, or any of her stakes, and there undertake to regulate the affairs thereof, where there is a standing high council"
- "No standing high council has authority to go into the churches abroad and regulate the matters thereof, for this belongs to the Twelve. No standing High Council will ever be established only in Zion, or one of her stakes."
- (I'm a bit uncertain as to what all of this means precisely.)
- Joseph Smith, compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith", p. 75
- "The High Council has been expressly organized to administer in all [Zion's] spiritual affairs; and the Bishop and his council, are set over her temporal matters"
- Joseph Smith, compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith", p. 77
- "...the Lord has manifested by revelation of His Spirit, that ... all the officers in the land of Clay County, Missouri, belonging to the Church, are more or less in transgression, because they have not enjoyed the Spirit of God sufficiently to be able to comprehend their duties respecting themselves and the welfare of Zion ... that they should let the High Council, which is appointed of God and ordained for that purpose, make and regulate all the affairs of Zion ..."
- Joseph Smith, compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith", p. 91
- The 12 Apostles are not accountable to the High Council.
Notes
It seems that during the early days of the Church, there was some question regarding the authority of the Stake High Council in relation to the Quorum of the 12 Apostles.
This question would seem to be due to the nature of the calling of the Apostles, that they are traveling ministers, and their authority within a stake of Zion differs from their authority in districts and unorganized areas.
Since there weren't numerous stakes, it seems that the subordination of High Council for organizational purposes was less clear. Nevertheless, it seems from Joseph Smith's writings that the subordination of the High Council is not quite as clear cut as I would have previously imagined since the authority of an Apostle is not absolute within a stake. It would be very interesting to see some further writings on this topic.