Jesse Gause (1785 – c. 1836) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served in the First Presidency as a counselor to church founder Joseph Smith.

Gause followed the faith of his parents and in 1806, apparently still single at twenty-one, he requested and was received into the Society of Friends, becoming a Quaker.

[citation needed] Gause's new wife followed him, apparently accepting the Shaker practice of sexual abstinence even for married couples.

[2] A week later, Smith said he received a revelation concerning Gause's selection as a counselor in what later became known as the First Presidency, as well as giving him additional instructions concerning his new assignment.

[citation needed] Both Gause and Smith's other counselor, Sidney Rigdon, had previous experience living in communal societies.

[4] Gause settled into his new role, accompanying Smith to Jackson County, Missouri, between April and June 1832, in order to set up the Law of Consecration.

The two missionaries traveled to North Union, where six days later Gause attempted to persuade Minerva to accept Mormonism, but she continued to refuse to join him.