page_title: First Presidency
section_title: The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)
hierarchical_section_title: First Presidency / The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)
caption_attribution_description: English: This is my own picture of Paul Palmieri, current president of The Church of Jesus Christ. It is my own work which I am freely distributing.
context_page_description: Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency include The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Community of Christ, Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and the Righteous Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
  When the Church of Christ was organized on April 6, 1830, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery led the church in their capacity as elders. Smith established the inaugural First Presidency on March 8, 1832, with the ordinations of Jesse Gause and Sidney Rigdon as his counselors. The term "first presidency," though used at least as early as 1834, did not become standard until 1838. The presidency was to exercise authority over the entire church, whereas the jurisdictions of the Twelve Apostles and the Seventy were the outlying areas outside of the gathering places where the church had been organized on a more permanent basis.
context_section_description: Within The Church of Jesus Christ, the president of the church and his two counselors are elected by the general priesthood in conference and selected from amongst the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. The president of the church, while being an ordained apostle, functions as the chief operating officer, overseeing the general operations of the church.
caption: Paul Palmieri, current president of The Church of Jesus Christ
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