Warner Doty (1804-1831)

Mormon History 1830-1844

Warner Doty (1802?–1831)

Warner Doty the first Mormon to die in Kirtland. According to the Painesville Telegraph, Warner refused to see a physician and died of inflammation of the bowel. He was blessed by Joseph and others, but shortly before his death, renounced his faith in Mormonism. A copy of the "aerial commissions" used by three missionaries was found in his pants pocket (Aerial Commissions).
The only other known source seems to be a piece by Newel K. Whitney's brother, the Rev. S[amuel]. F[ranklin]. Whitney (1806–1886). S. F. moved to Kirtland in 1826 and wrote about his experience of the Mormons—as well as surmises and rumors—for Arthur B. Deming's Naked Truths About Mormonism (1888). He claims the commission was a prank written by his uncle that Warner "pretended" to catch.

Born	March 4, 1810	Kirtland obituaries, 37. Source
Died	March 29, 1831 in Kirtland, Geauga County, Ohio	PT, Apr. 5, 1831. Source
Father	Ebenezer Doty	Kirtland obituaries, 37. Source
Mother	Phebe Goodell	Kirtland obituaries, 37. Source
	Eber D. Howe Account

Warner a believer Believed he would live a thousand years	Died, in Kirtland on Tuesday night last, Mr. Warner Doty, aged about 29 years [sic, 21]. The deceased was one of those who had embraced the imposition of Jo Smith, and was a victim to the delusion of Mormonism. He was duly commissioned after their manner, to preach, and was one of the most active and zealous in the cause. So fully did he believe in the divinity of Smith, that he had been made to have full faith that he should live a thousand years—this he confessed to a near relative some four weeks before his decease.	PT, Apr. 5, 1831. Source The paper was published on Tuesday, April 5. The preceding Tuesday was March 29.
Bowel inflammation Parents non-believers	Five days before he expired, he was suddenly attacked with an inflammation in the bowels, which afterwards assumed a typhoid appearance. He was immediately removed to the residence of his parents, who had no faith in the Mormon remedies for the cure of diseases.—
Refuses physician	No persuasion could induce the young man to have a physician called, so strong was he impressed with the supernatural powers of Smith.—
Mormons encourage him until near death Then abandon him	Several of the Mormonites soon assembled around the sick man, where they continued to encourage him to persevere, and strengthen his delusion, telling him that he was getting better and soon would be well, till they saw he was about to expire, when they all fled from the house, without offering to assist in the last sad solemnities of the dead.
Joseph first refuses to visit	Smith was sent for soon after he was taken sick, and proceeded towards the house of Doty, to heal him, but (as Smith said) he received a command not to go to Doty's and "cast his pearl before swine."	Joseph had used the biblical pearls before swine imagery as recently as February 4: "For it is not meet that the things which belong to the children of the kingdom should be given to them that are not worthy, or to dogs, or the pearls to be cast before swine." D&C 41:6.
Later visits and blesses	He however visited the sick man a day or two after, and said he would get well, and protested against calling a physician. He held his hand upon the head of Doty for 10 or 15 minutes, but with what object is not known.
Mormons try to prevent physician	A few hours before the young man expired, Dr. Brainard was sent for, much against the will of the worshippers of Smith, by the interference of other friends. The Doctor immediately pronounced his disease past remedy, and told the Mormon doctors that their superstitions had probably been the means of the young man's death, or something of like import.
Repudiates faith on deathbed	When the young man discovered that death was nigh, his faith in Smith's pretensions seemed to forsake him. He said "What a wonderful mistake I have made," and called all his friends to take his leave. Addressing himself to an old man of the Mormon faith, he said "you are a friend to every body—I must shake hands with you—this is a lesson that I have learnt by actual experience, by which you ought to profit, but with me it is too late."
Information reliable	The Mormonites will probably contradict many of these statements, as they have many positive facts heretofore; but we have our information from a relative of the disceased, who was present during the last 18 hours of his life, and whose intelligence and veracity will not suffer in comparison with the whole of those deluded people who have adapted Jo Smith as their spiritual leader.

	S. F. Whitney Account
Warner pretended to catch commission Uncle's prank Joseph and Sidney bless Call on mission to foreign nations Funeral	Warner Doty, aged about 25, pretended he caught a revelation in the air which was a commission for him to preach Mormonism to foreign nations. His uncle, Nathan Goodell, said he wrote it to fool him. Doty had a fever. The Mormons took charge and watched with him day and night. His mother became alarmed and called Dr. Brainard, who told her it was too late, altogether too late. The watchers had been instructed when the fever turned to send for Jo and Rigdon. They came and laid their hands on him and pronounced him healed and told his mother he would recover because they had received a revelation that he was to preach to foreign nations. Doty soon died, being the first Mormon to die in Kirtland. Rev. Elijah Ward preached his funeral sermon from Job 36:18, "Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke; then a great ransom cannot deliver thee." Jo and Rigdon were present and writhed under the sermon.	Rev. S. F. W. Source Pretend to catch a prank? Nathan Goodell (b. 1764) was the older brother of Ichabad Warner Goodell (1768–Aug. 15, 1826) whom Sidney Rigdon succeeded as pastor of the Regular Baptist Church in Mentor. Mormons were not being called on missions to foreign nations for several more years. Oliver and the Aerial Commissions Elijah A. Ward is listed in the 1830 census for Chagrin, Ohio.
	Biographical sketches