Isaac Morley (1786-1865)

Isaac Morley (1786–1865)

Early, well-off settler of Kirtland, Isaac joined Sydney's Campbellites and opened his farm to a cluster of communal-living families. Converted to Mormonism in November 1830, donated his farm, became Bishop Partridge's counselor, later bishop himself. One of the five Missouri wise men and of the seven who ran the church during the Missouri persecutions. Stake president in Lima, Illinois, Council of Fifty, Anointed Quorum, founder of Manti.
Born	March 11, 1786 in Montague, Hampshire county, Massachsetts
Died	June 24, 1865 in Fairview, Sanpete county, Utah
Father	Thomas E. Morley
Mother	Editha Marsh
Ordinations	To the High Priesthood and counselor to Bishop Edward Partridge, by Lyman Wight (h) (swh), Titus Billings, June 3, 1831.	¶ Minutes of June 36, 1831.
War of 1812	Flutist in the military band during the War of 1812.
Kirtland	Early settler of Kirtland.
Follower of Sidney Rigdon	1828 joins the Campbellites after listening to Sidney preach.
The family	1829 establishes a common ownership home for believers—"the family." Initial members include Isaac, Lyman Wight (h) (swh), and Titus Billings. Eight families join in 1830. In early November, Lyman is about to assume leadership of five families in Mayfield when the Mormon missionaries arrive.	Lyman speaks positively of the farm in the Lyman Wight journal, but George A. Smith reports evil spirits at the farm in the early days of the church. ¶ Satan Came Also
	November 1830 converted by the Lamanite missionaries.
	Provides home for Joseph's family on his farm.
Sells farm for church	Reluctantly sells, giving proceeds to the church.	D&C 64:15-16, 20.
	Moves to Independence.
Solemn assemblies	Summer 1832 holds solemn assemblies throughout Clay county with Edward Partridge, John Corrill, Oliver Cowdery, and John Whitmer.
Second bishop in Zion	July 2, 1833 Joseph writes W. W. Phelps and others in Zion recommending Isaac be ordained second bishop in Zion, John Corrill third. Parley P. Pratt and Titus Billings replace them as Bishop Partridge's counselors. Isaac to choose Christian Whitmer and Newel Knight for his counselors, and John Corrill choose Daniel Stanton an Hezekiah Peck.	Times and Seasons, vol. 6 no. 3 (February 15, 1845), 800.
Meeting with mob	July 20, 1833 meets with other church leaders and mob leaders in effort to avert violence. Ask for more time to consult Joseph. Denied.	The Evening and the Morning Star, vol. 2 no.15 (December 15, 1833), 114.
Six volunteer themselves as ransom Treaty signed	July 23, 1833 W. W. Phelps, Edward Partridge, John Corrill, John Whitmer, A. S. Gilbert, and Isaac Morley meet with Jackson county citizens' committee and offer themselves as a ransom for the church "willing to be scourged or die, if that would appease their anger toward the church." Instead, the citizens agree to stop the violence and the Mormons agree to leave the county by April 1, 1834.	¶ Missouri Persecutions (2) Phelps and Corrill are the two presidents of Zion currently in Missouri, Partridge, Corrill, and Morley are the bishop's council
November violence, jail	November 4, 1833 briefly jailed with Parley P. Pratt, A. S. Gilbert, and John Corrill following attack on Gilbert's store.	¶ Outrage in Jackson (2)
Petition governor	December 6, 1833 W. W. Phelps, John Whitmer, Edward Partridge, Isaac Morley, John Corrill, and A. S. Gilbert petition the governor for assistance from the state militia in recovering their lands and homes; also that Mormons be organized in companies of Jackson Guards, and be furnished with arms by the state.
Selected for Kirtland endowment	June 23, 1834 one of the first selected in Missouri to receive the Kirtland endowment.	Minutes of June 23, 1834
Visit scattered Saints in Missouri	July 12, 1834 Edward Partridge, Orson Hyde (h), Isaac Morley and Zebedee Coltrin are "appointed [by the high council] to visit the scattered brethren and teach them in the ways of truth and holiness, &c."	Minutes of July 12, 1834
Mission to the East	June 2, 1835 leaves Kirtland on a mission with Edward Partridge to raise funds for the Saints in Missouri. They visit 26 branches with seven hundred "lively members," and baptize 3.	Personal, 2nd ed., 103n70; Messenger and Advocate, vol.1 no. 9 (June 1835), 139; vol. 2 no. 2 (November 1835), 220.
Returns	November 5, 1835 returns from mission to the East.	Personal, 2nd ed., 102.
Lord pleased Sins forgiven Remain in Kirtland	[November 7, 1835] The word <of the Lord> came to me saying, behold I am well pleased with my servant Isaac Morley and my servant Edward Partridge, because of the integrity of their harts in laboring in my vinyard for the salvation of the souls of men, Verely I say unto you their sins are forgiven them, therefore say unto them in my name that it is my will that they should tarry for a little season and attend the school, and also the solem assembly for a wise purpose in me, even so amen	Personal, 2nd ed., 102.
Joseph escorts, blesses	[April 9, 1836 Joseph accompanies] the wise men of Zion, namely, Bishop Partridge and his counselors, Isaac Morley and John Corrill, and President W. W. Phelps, on their way home, as far as Chardon; and after staying with them all night, blessed them in the morning, and returned to Kirtland.	HC 2:436.
One of the "wise men"	April 7, 1837 named one of the five wise men to handle the sale of lots in Far West.	¶ Minutes of April 7, 1837, also Minutes of May 1837
	June 11, 1837 Isaac, John Corrill, and Calvin Beebe are granted permission to engage in the mercantile business if they like.	Minutes of June 11, 1837
Temple committee	August 5, 1837 named secretary of the construction committee for the temple in Far West.	Minutes of July 12, 1834
Patriarch and bishop's counselor	November 7, 1837 ordained patriarch by Joseph, Hyrum, and Sidney and retained as counselor to Bishop Edward Partridge.	Minutes of November 7, 1837
Finance committee, payment	December 6, 1837 high council and bishop's council appoints the bishop's council a committee on church finance. Patriarch to be compensated financially.	Minutes of December 6, 1837
Prisoner	November 1, 1838 taken prisoner with about eighty other men in Far West by state the militia, Richmond jail for three weeks.	HC 3:192.
Austin A. King's court	November 11, 1838 turned over to civil authorities in Richmond and charged with high treason, murder, burglary, arson, robbery, and larceny in Judge Austin A. King's court.	HC 3:192.
Released	November 24, 1838 Judge King dismisses the case against 23 prisoners, including Isaac, for lack of evidence.	HC 3:211.
Yelrome	Moves to Illinois, establishes Morley Settlement—also called Yelrome, Morley spelled backwards.	HC 6:346.
Stake president	October 22, 1840 Hyrum appoints Isaac president of the new stake in Lima, Illinois, with John Murdock and Walter Cox as counselors.	HC 4:233.
Anointed Quorum	March 3, 1844 attends meeting of the Anointed Quorum.	Origins, 356.
Mob threats	June 15, 1844 days before Joseph surrenders to authorities, a committee of 5 calls on Isaac and delivers an ultimatum:
Ultimatum	take up arms and proceed with them for your [Joseph's] arrest, or take our effects and proceed immediately to Nauvoo, otherwise give up our arms, and remain quiet until the fuss is over. We have until Monday morning next to make up our minds. We have made up our minds that we shall not comply with any of these proposals, but stand in our own defense.	HC 6:481–482.
Council of Fifty	March 1, 1845 selected to be a member of the Council of Fifty.	William Clayton, Intimate Chronicle, 158.
Wine maker	July 3, 1845 emplyed by the Twelve to make "to make 100 barrels of wine for sacrament."	William Clayton, Intimate Chronicle, 171–172.
Yelrome burned	September 1845 mob burns Yelrome, Isaac moves to Nauvoo.
Nominates William as Patriarch	October 6, 1845 nominates William Smith to be "Patriarch of the church." The nomination is seconded, but "lost unanimously."	Times and Seasons, vol. 6 no. 16 (November 1, 1845), 1007.
Counselor in Nauvoo	October 6, 1845 Isaac and Charles C. Rich are "continued and sustained" as counselors to stake president Father John Smith in Nauvoo.	HC 7:461.
Nauvoo endowment	December 11, 1845 endowed with Lucy in the Nauvoo temple attic, Brigham Young officiating. Others in group include Reynolds Cahoon, Orson Spencer, Alpheus Cutler, William Clayton, Cornelius P. Lott, Mother Lucy Smith, and Mercy R. Thompson.	HC 7:543–544.
Summer Quarters	July 21, 1846 High council of Summer Quarters (Kanesville).	Establishing Zion, 158.
1848 pioneer	June 1, 1848 at the Elkhorn river (the Mormon staging ground for crossing the Plains), Brigham is named General Superintendent of the Emigrating Companies and Isaac Morley president of the company with Reynolds Cahoon and William W. Major as his counselors.	HC 7:626.
Settle Sanpete	October 1849 called at general conference to establish a colony in Sanpete valley, leaves October 28 and reaches the site of Manti with 225 settlers.	Establishing Zion, 66.
Legislature	State representative 1851–1855.
Salt Lake	Brigham calls Isaac back to Salt Lake City.
Santaquin	Moves to Santaquin.
Fairview	Moves to Fairview, Sanpete county.
Families	Lucy Gunn (1786–1848), md. June 20, 1812 in Montague county, Franklin, Massachusetts. All children born in Kirtland.
	Philena (1813–1894) Lucy Diantha (1815–1908) Editha Ann (1818–1893) Calista (1820–1822) Stillborn twins (1821) Cordelia Calista (1823–1915) Arathusa (1824) Theresa Arathusa (1826–1855) Isaac (1829–1908)
	Hannah Blakeslee Finch (1811–1874), md. 1844 in Adams county, Illinois.
	Abigail Leonora Snow (1801–1872). Estranged from Enoch Virgil Leavitt, whom she had married in 1821, Leonora married Isaac in 1844 in Nauvoo. She was the older sister of Lorenzo and Eliza R. Snow.	Personal: ERS, 10.
	Hannah Knight Libby (1786–1867), md. January 22, 1846 in Nauvoo.
	Harriet Lucinda Cox (1823–1854), md. January 22, 1846 in Nauvoo.
	Hannah Sibley (1786–1865).
	Nancy Back
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