Leman Copley (1781

Mormon History 1830-1844

Leman Copley (1781–1862)

Prosperous Shaker convert and landowner. Mission to Shaker community with Sidney and Parley §. Agrees to let Colesville church settle on his farm §. Possessed at first conference §. Returns to Shakers §. Terminates lease §. Reinstated §. Testifies against Joseph §. Joseph's monkey story §. Land deal §.

Born		March 25, 1781 in New Preston, Litchfield county, Connecticut, the first of nine children. His siblings were born as follows:		FamilySearch™ International Genealogical Index v5.0 for parents and siblings.
Siblings		Ann, 1786, Clarendon, Rutland county, Vermont Samuel, June 25, 1790, Pittsfield, Rutland county, Vermont Daniel, [1792], Pittsfield Elizabeth, 1796, Pittsfield Polly, February 24, 1799, Pittsfield Luther, December 18, 1800, Pittsfield Chauncy, December 5, 1804, New Lebanon, New York Harriet, November 2, 1808 in Watervliet, New York		New Lebanon: Shaker headquarters since 1766. Wavervliet: original Shaker community established by Ann Lee in 1774, now part of Albany, New York.
Died		December 1862 in Thompson, Geauga county, Ohio.		Papers 1:480.
Father		Samuel Copley		FamilySearch IGI
Mother		Rhoda Parmalee		FamilySearch IGI
Vermont Shakers		Shaker missionaries Benjamin Seth Youngs and Issachar Bates call on the Copley family whenever they are in the Pittsfield area. Youngs observes, "Leeman is some glad to see us, but is not so strong as he has been doubtless by being too much like Sampson loosing his strength when there is no need of it—and thus many are weak and sickly."		Youngs and Bates, Journey to the North, qtd. in Shakers and Mormons, 94.
Thompson		April 1817 elected a trustee of Thompson, Ohio, which was chartered in March 1817.
North Union community		March 31, 1822 first public Shaker meeting in North Union. The Center Family is organized in 1824, and the 30 x 40, two-story dwelling house is completed in May 1826. In the fall of 1828, 80 members sign a covenant completing the organization North Union, the fourth Shaker community in Ohio. There is no evidence that Leman ever lived in North Union.		Shaker west, 92. Source
Thompson farm		Owns 759 acres at Thompson, Ohio.		Geauga County Tax Records 1832, 230 in Colesville branch, 305–306 // Papers 1:480.
Renegs on land deal		Copley owned a Considerable tract of land upon which he offered to let the Brethren occuppy on termes agreed upon by both part[i]es we commenced work in all good faith thinking to obtain a living by the Sweat of the brow.		Newel Knight autobiography, 30.
Mormon contact		There is no record of Leman's conversion or baptism.

		North Union Mission
Eager to preach	¶	Leman Copley … was anxious that some of the elders should go to his former brethren and preach the gospel. He also teased to be ordained to preach himself, and desired that the Lord should direct in this and all matters & thus saith the Lord: …		J. Whitmer, 57.
	4	Leman shall be ordained unto this work, that he may reason with them, not according to that which he has received of them, but according to that which shall be taught him by you, my servants [Sidney and Parley], and by so doing I will bless him, otherwise he shall not prosper:		¶ D&C 49:4, March [20–26], 1831.
Shaker mission Sidney reads revelation		According to Shaker leader Ashbel Kitchell, Sidney and Leman arrive Saturday and agree not to interrupt the Sunday morning service, but (they later explain to him) when Parley arrives Sunday morning, he insists that they fulfill their responsibilities by reading the prophet's revelation to the congregation. So at the end of the meeting, Sidney rises and requests permission to read a statement. Permission is granted and he reads D&C 49.		D&C 49 Shaker interview, 96–97.
		At the close of the reading, he asked if they could be permitted to go forth in the exercise of their gift and Office.		Shakers and Mormons,
		Ashbel denies permission and the congregation votes against hearing more. Sidney quietly retires, but:		Shaker interview, 98.
Parley shakes coat tail		Parley Pratt arose and commenced shakeing his coattail; he said he shook the dust from his garments as a testimony against us, that we had rejected the word of the Lord Jesus.
Shaker reprimand		Before the words were out of his mouth, I was to him, and said;—You filthy Beast, dare you presume to come in here, and try to imitate a man of God by shaking your filthy tail; confess your sins and purge your soul from your lusts, and your other abominations before you ever presume to do the like again, &c.
		While I was ministering this reproof, he settled trembling into his seat, and covered his face;
Leman in tears		and I then turned to Leman who had been crying while the message was reading, and said to him, you hypocrite, you knew better;—you knew where the living work of God was; but for the sake of indulgence, you could consent to decieve yourself and them, but you shall reap the fruit of your own doings, &c.—
		This struck him dead also, and dryed up his tears; …
Parley leaves		Parleys horse had not been put away, as he came too late; he mounted and started for home without waiting for any one.—
Sidney stays for supper		Sidney stayed for supper, and acknowledged that we were the purest people he had ever been acquainted with but he was not prepared to live such a life. He was treated kindly and let go after supper.
Leman stays overnight		Leman stays overnight and starts for home in the morning.

Possession		June [4], 1831 at the first conference in Kirtland, Leman, said to weigh over two hundred pounds, suddenly sails through the air or turns a summersault, depending on the source, and lands on his back, trembling "like a leaf in the wind." At Joseph's direction, Lyman Wight blesses Leman, casting Satan out.		¶ Lyman's Vision and the Man of Sin

Renegs on land deal		Copley … offered to let the Brethren occuppy on termes agreed upon … We had not labored long before the above named Copley broke the engagement which he mad[e] with us		Newel Knight autobiography, 30.
Excommunicated		[Leman was] turned out of the church for bad conduct; … he then began to persecute us and we had to leave his farm and pay sixety dollars damage for putting up his houses and planting his ground		Joseph Knight Jr. incidents, 2.

Mormons, living on his farm, reject him		He had a large farm, and about 100 Mormons were living with him, on it. When he got home, he found the Mormons had rejected him, & could not own him for one of them, because he had deceived them with the idea of converting us. He felt very bad;— was not able to rest;—came back to us and begged for union.		Kitchell/Blake, 14–17 // Shaker interview, 98–99.
Returns to Shakers Ashbel speaks to Mormons		The Shakers decide to "give him union." Ashbel goes to Thompson and speaks to a meeting "in the dooryard, among the Mormons; but few of them attended. They appeared to be struck with terror and fear lest some of them might get converted."
Conversation with Newel Knight		Ashbel stays overnight and in the morning has a conversation with Newel Knight. Joseph Knight overhears the conversation and calls Ashbel to repentance. Otherwise, "I should go to Hell!"
Joseph Knight		When Joseph Knight finishes his warning, Ashbel chides him for using such language, then lectures him "on the subject of the cross, and a life of self denyal."
Ashbel writes for Mormons		I stayed all day, and assisted them to settle their affairs.—I wrote for them two or three hours; and after I was thro’ I took hold of the Elder and walked the floor, amusing him with a number of pleasant things
		after which the Mormon "made for the door, and here ended my labors for the Mormons for that time."

Fellowship withdrawn, restored		Fellowship restored by October 1832.		Revelations, 67.
Mission		April 6, 1833 leaves on a mission with Doctor Hurlbut.		Hyrum Smith diary
Testifies in Hurlbut case		January 13, 1834 testifies against Joseph Smith at the Court of Common Pleas at Chardon. Court decides Joseph Smith does have "reason to fear that Doctor P. Hurlbut would beat wound or kill him or injur his property," and directs Hurlbut to keep the peace and post a $200 bond plus court costs of $112.59.		Court record transcript in RLDS history 1:444–446.
James Brewster church		[1848–1849] joins James C. Brewster's Church of Christ. Brewster (b. 1827) claimed Joseph had ordained him a prophet, seer, revelator, and translator in Kirtland, began having visions at ten, translated the book of Esdras, but Joseph couldn't get an answer from the Lord as to its authenticity in 1842. Brewster organized a Church of Christ with nine members in June 1848.		RLDS history 3:62–-73; Divergent paths, 55–56.
Austin Cowles church		June 23, 1849 at the general assembly of Brewster's church, Hazen Aldrich announces only those who endorse two recent Brewster revelations will be allowed to vote in the assembly. Leman joins seven other dissidents led by Austin Cowles who refuse to accept the condition. They form their own church, about which little is known.		RLDS history 3:73–74; Divergent paths, 56.

		Monkey
Joseph told monkey story to Joseph Knight	¶	Mr. Copley testified, that after the Mormon brethren arrived here from the Susquehannah, one of them, by the name of Joseph Knight, related to him a story as having been related to him by Joseph Smith, Jun. Which excited some curiosity in his mind, he determined to ask Joseph more particularly about it, on the first opportunity. Not [277] long after it was confirmed to him by Joseph himself, who again related it in the following manner:		Mormonism unvailed, 276–277.
Monkey story			After he had finished translating the Book of Mormon, he again buried up the plates in the side of a mountain, by command of the Lord; some time after this, he was going through a piece of woods, on a by-path, when he discovered an old man dressed in ordinary gray apparel, sitting upon a log, having in his hand or nearly, a small box. On approaching him, he asked him what he had in his box. To which the old man replied, that he had a MONKEY, and for five coppers he might see it. Joseph answered, that he would not give a cent to see a monkey, for he had seen a hundred of them. He then asked the old man where he was going , who said he was going to Charzee.
			Joseph then passed on, and not recollecting any such place in that part of the country, began to ponder over the strange interview, and finally asked the Lord the meaning of it. The Lord told him that the man he saw was MORONI, with the plates, and if he had given him the five coppers, he might have got his plates again.

		Land Deal
Leman rebels		At this time the Church at Thompson Ohio was involved in difficulty, becaus of the rebellion of Leman Copley. Who would not do as he had previously agreed. Which thing confused the whole church and finally the Lord spake unto Joseph Smith Jr. the Prophit saying: …		J. Whitmer, 81. Consecration was revealed February 9, 1831. See ¶ D&C 42:1–73 and ¶ D&C 42:30–34. Leman's baptismal date is not known.
Breaks covenant		And as the covenant which they made unto me, has been broken, even so it has become void and of none effect; And wo to him by whom this offense cometh, for it had been better for him that he had been drowned in the depth of the sea;		BC 56:4–5, June 1831 . Cf. ¶ D&C 54:5–6.

Revelation to buy 1,000 acres claimed by Leman Leman's farm Refuses to consecrate Colesville church	¶	[June 1831] Now this Spring Joseph received anumber of Revelation. One was to purchase a thousand acres of Land which was Claimed by Leman Copley [39] and not paid for. He had a little Before Come into the Church and apeard to Be Zelaus and faithful. We all went to work and made fence and planted and sowed the fields. About this time we ware Cald upon to Consecrate our properties. But Brother Copley would not Consecrate his property therefore he was Cut of[f] from the Church. Then we was Commanded to take up our Jorney to the Regions westward to the Boarders of the Lamanites. And we sold out what we Could But Copley took the advantege of us and we Could not git any thing for what we had done. So we left Copleys in June and moved our things to wellsvill on the ohio river which was about ninety miles. Then we went on Board the Steamer the third Day of July and we landed in uper Misouria the 26th of the same Month.		Joseph Knight recollection, 38–39. The revelation referred to is unknown. what we had done : improvements? Shakers participated in their communities at various levels. Leman did not donate his property to the North Union settlement, so perhaps he maintained the same position with the Mormons. Or, if he did not own the property outright and Joseph was commanded to pay off the mortgage, and when he couldn't, Leman was blamed.

		Family
Wife		Salley, b. 1779 Massachusetts ?		Revelations, 67.
Child		Reuben ?		Revelations, 67.
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