His death brought about a crisis in the Church, for it was the first disorganization of the presiding quorum of the Priesthood. Very little thought had been given to the subject of succession in the Presidency, even by the leading brethren, for such a contingency seemed to them to be very remote. The revelations were clear on that point, but there had been no occasion for consideration of the subject. In the revelation on Priesthood, given to the apostles in 1835 (Doc. and Cov. Sec. 107), the Lord said that the council of the apostles was equal in authority with the First Presidency, and Joseph Smith stated that its place was second only to the presidency of the Church, and where there was no First Presidency, the apostles would preside. When the Saints were left without the guiding hand of the Prophet, they were in confusion, not fully understanding this order of the Priesthood. Sidney Rigdon, first counselor to President Joseph Smith, had lost the spirit of the work. Contrary to the direct command of the Lord in a revelation (Doc. and Cov. Sec. 124:108-9) he moved his residence to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he was of little assistance as a counselor in the presidency. For many months before his death, Joseph Smith had suspected Sidney Rigdon of being in league with his enemies. The Prophet openly accused Sidney of being guilty of such treacherous action, from which accusation he was not entirely cleared. He had manifested much sympathy for John C. Bennett, the arch-traitor, although he denied any direct communication with him. At the October conference, 1843, the Prophet refused to sustain Sidney Rigdon as a counselor, but through the merciful pleadings of Hyrum Smith and others, he was sustained. On that occasion the Prophet said: "I have thrown him off my shoulders, and you have put him on me; you may carry him, but I will not." Amasa M. Lyman had been chosen to act as a counselor in his stead. William Law, Joseph's second counselor, had been excommunicated for apostasy, and was one of those who brought to pass the martyrdom. Sidney Rigdon's Attempt to be "Guardian to the Church"