John Murdock (1793–1871)

Early convert (1830), missionary, senior high counselor, bishop, patriarch.

Born July 15, 1792 in Kortright, Delaware county, New York John Murdock journal
Died December 23, 1871 while visiting son in Beaver, Beaver county, Utah  
Father John Murdock
Mother Eleanor Riggs  
Baptized November 5, 1830 by Parley P. Pratt in Kirtland Geauga county, Ohio.  
Ordinations Elder, November 7, 1830 by Oliver Cowdery in Mayfield, Cuyahoga county, Ohio  
To the High Priesthood by Joseph Smith Jr., June 6, 1831 in Kirtland ¶ Conference of June 6, 1831
Bishop, August 20, 1842
Patriarch, April 9, 1854 by Heber C. Kimball  
Positions July 7, 1834 Clay county high council  
Far West high council  
August 20, 1842 to November 29, 1844, bishop of Nauvoo Fifth Ward  
Salt Lake high council  
February 14, 1849 to February 6, 1851, bishop of the Salt Lake Fourteenth Ward  
Events ca 1820 Murdock family moves to Cuyahoga county, Ohio.  
ca 1827 joins Sidney's Campbellite movement.  
April 30, 1831 Julia dies in Warrensville, leaving five children, including twins (Joseph and Julia) six hours old. Joseph and Emma adopt the twins.  
June 1831 Called to Jackson county, Missouri, with Hyrum Smith. Serves as moderator of numerous conferences. D&C 52:8–9.
June 1832 returns to Ohio, leaving children in Missouri, and learns that son Joseph died of illness made worse by exposure when the Prophet and Sidney were tarred and feathered.  
Fall 1832 baptizes and organizes branch in eastern Geauga county.  
1833 School of the Prophets.  
April 3, 1833 to April 28, 1834 mission with Zebedee Coltrin to New York. Creates branch in Delaware county.  
1834 Zion's Camp.  
September 24, 1834 leaves Missouri for Kirtland, arriving January 1835.  
February 20, 1835 patriarchal blessing from Joseph Smith Sr.  
March 5, 1835 leaves on mission to New York, Vermont.  
February 4, 1836 marries Amoranda Turner in New York.  
February 24, 1836 returns to Kirtland.  
March 3, 1836 Kirtland endowment.  
May 28, 1836 Amoranda arrives in Kirtland, they leave June 3 for Missouri.  
July 14, 1836 arrive in Ray county, help settle Far West.  
August 16, 1837 Amoranda dies of fever.  
June 1838 called to settle DeWitt county, Missouri.  
February 1839 expelled from Missouri.  
Settles near Lima, Illinois.  
Spring 1841 moves to Nauvoo.  
August 20, 1842 ordained bishop, Nauvoo Fifth Ward.  
May 1846 leaves Nauvoo.  
September 24, 1847 arrives Salt Lake valley.  
February 14, 1849 set apart as bishop of the Salt Lake Fourteenth Ward.  
December 1849 member of the legislature, State of Deseret  
February 6, 1851 resigns as bishop to open mission to Australia. Leaves with Parley P. Pratt for San Francisco, March 12, 1851.  
October 30, 1851 lands in Sydney with Charles W. Wandell, the first missionaries to Australia.  
June 2, 1852 sails from Australia, leaving Charles Wandell to preside.  
1852–1867 lives in Lehi, Utah and presides over high priests there.  
June 7, 1867 receives second anointings.  
Families Julia Clapp, md. December 14, 1823 (d. April 30, 1831)  
    Orrice (Mormon Batallion)  
    John Riggs (Mormon Batallion)  
    Phebe  
    Joseph  
    Julia  
  Amoranda Turner, md. February 4, 1836 in New York (d. August 16, 1837)  
    Gideon (bishop of Joseph, Sevier county, Utah)  
    Rachel  
    Hyrum Smith  
  Electa (d. October 16, 1845)  
  Sarah Zuflet, md. March 13, 1846 in Fulton county, Illinois  
  George Weire (adopted)  
  Brigham Young  
  Conversion and first missionary work John Murdock journal, typescript courtesy of Tyson Harrop. Spelling of names have been standardized and paragraph breaks added.

Church of L.D.S. is anachronistic, that name first being used in May 1834.
  John Murdock was born July 15th 1892 Kortright Delaware [-] New York N.A. And had become an inhabitant of Orange Cuyahoga Co Ohio & after many years diligent Search & p/r/ayer before God to not only know the truth but to also find a people that lived according to truth & found O. Cowdery P.P. Pratt P. Whitmer & Z. Peterson Elders of the Church of L.D.S. in Kirtland Geauga Co Ohio,
  And I being convinsed that they not only had the truth but also the authority to administer the ordinances of the Gospel, I therefore was baptised by Elder Pratt confirmed by a member by Elder Cowdery Ordained an Elder by the same in Mayfield
  Nov. 5th 1830 I then returned to my family having been absent four days carrying with me the book of Mormon & I read it to them & they believed it for I was filled with the spirit when I read
  & the next first day of the week came & the brethren who ministered to me fill/e/d an apointment I had made in Warrensville I baptised five my wife being one of the five.  
  I preached the next Sunday in Orange & baptised three  
  & I Preached the next Sunday in Warrensville & baptised three & after I had [2] confirmed them Brother Stephen Burnett & Lomira Gardner received the Spirit even to the taking away their Strength  
  & Mr Burnett the young mans father, when his Sone returned home spoke against the work but the evidences of the Spirit were so evidently shown on his Sone that he concented to have meeting in his house  
  And I continued preaching in Orange & Warrensville & was greatly blessed in my ministry in that region So that through my preaching in about 4 months about seventy Souls were aded to the church & being thronged with inquirers I quit other business I left my own house & moved my family in with Bro C. Baldwin & gave my full time to the ministry Caleb Baldwin
  And April 30th my wife died leaveing me 5 Small living children two but six hours old  
  August 1831 sickness, D&C 62  
  [August 5, 1831] We Preached after which I being Sick went to bed & we continued here near one week & I gave my watch for Wm Ivy to carry me to Chariton 10 m's in a waggon The town of Chariton no longer exists.
  we stayed there two days & met J. Smith the Prophet S. Rigdon & others & received the Revilation in book of covenants Page 202.

D&C 62 was receoved August 13, 1831. Also in Chariton when Joseph's party arrived were David Whitmer, Harvey Whitlock, and Hyrum Smith.

  We also fel in company with Brs David Whitmer & Harvey Whitlock. We four put our money together & bought a horse & I rode him to Lexington 60 m's
  & on the way we four slept in a chamber where one half of the flore was laid & the other not & a window being open & I weltering under a burning feever I went to the window in the night steped off of the flore & fell across the joice & hurt my leg.  
  The next day I being forward of the brethren as I rode in to Lexington being weak fell from my horse & lay til brethren picked me up & took me in to house where they left me four days & Br's S. Hancock & L. Wight (h) (swh) came with a horse & carried me to [-] Hopper's Where I remained a few day I then was caried in a waggon to Joshua Lewis Jackson Co [10] Where I lay Sick 2 or 3 months & the Brethren thought I could not live  
  but tho I was so weak that I could not keep the flies out of my mouth my faith was fixed that I could not die for the Lord had something more for me to do.  
  Altho I was so weak that A nu/m/ber of days was lost time with me & had not energy enough to even prey to my God tho I believed he would take care of me in my weakness.  
  After I had a little recovered I went to N. Knights & from that to L. Wights and so remained with the brethren for a tim  
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