| A native of New York City, Elijah
moves to Michigan, where he joins the church. Serves in Zion's Camp. Returns
to New York, where is becomes Parley P. Pratt's missionary companion. Miraculously
healed by Joseph. Carves baptismal font for Nauvoo Temple. |
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| Born |
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March 8, 1798 in New York City, the fourth of five children |
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FamilySearch™ Ancestral Files |
| Died |
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September 9, 1879 in Wellsville, Cache county, Utah |
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| Father |
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George Fordham |
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| Mother |
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Mary Baker |
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| Wife
dies, 3 children |
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July 1828 Elijah's wife, Jane Ann Fisher, dies at age 26,
leaving him with three small children.
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| Michigan |
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Moves to Pontiac, Michigan. Speaks in tongues. |
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¶
Speaking in Tongues |
| Marries,
2 children |
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1830 marries Bithiah Fisher. They have one daughter
and a son named Mormon Moriancumer. |
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| Wife
dies |
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March 1834 Bithiah dies. Mormon is eight months old. |
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| Zion's
Camp |
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May–June 1834 Zion's Camp. Elijah's father, George, is
also a camp member. |
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October 17, 1834 Joseph, family members, Oliver, David Whitmer, |
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| Elder |
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January 2, 1836 Joseph to ordain Elijah an elder by a conference
in the Kirtland school house. |
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"Elijah Fordham, Hiram Dayton, Samuel James, and John Herot [Herritt] were also appointed by counsel to be ordained Elders under my hands." MH-B, 678.
¶
Minutes of January 2, 1836 |
| Clerk |
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January 6, 1836 serves as clerk at the Kirtland meeting in which
the high council of Zion (Clay county) is reorganized. |
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Minutes
of January 6, 1836 |
| Marries,
6 children |
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October 1836 marries Anna Bibbins in Connecticut. They have four daughters
and two sons.
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Only
member in New York City
Missionaries arrive bound for England |
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June 22, 1837 while living in New
York City, Heber
C. Kimball and Willard Richards (h)
arrive on their way to England. Joseph Fielding,
Orson Hyde,
John Gooodson, Isaac Russell, and John Snyder had also recently arrived.
Elijah is the only member of the church in the city. Having no house of
his own, he arranges for them to stay in his father's warehouse for a week.
They sleep on straw and blankets. |
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MS 1 no. 12 (Apr. 1841), 289–290. |
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June 29, 1837 the brethren mail 180 copies of
Orson Hyde's Timely Warnings to city ministers, then board the
Garrick, to begin their voyage. |
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MS 1 no. 12 (Ap. 1841), 289–290.
Prophetic Warnings (aka Timely Warnings), is the first
missionary tract. It was published in Toronto in August 1836 while Orson
was on a mission there with Parley. |
| Parley
P. Pratt, New York mission |
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July 1837 Parley P. Pratt (h)
arrives. They labor together without much success until April 1838.
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Parley
in New York, 1837–1838 |
| Miraculously
healed |
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July 22, 1839 at Joseph's command instantly rises from his
death bed and is cured (malaria). |
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¶
Healings |
| Baptismal
font carvings |
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1841 in eight months Elijah carves the twelve oxen for the
baptismal font in the basement of the Nauvoo Temple and the ornamental mouldings
of the 16x12' room. The font was dedicated on November 8, 1841. |
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Nauvoo temple,
9–10. |
| Marries,
1 child |
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March 21, 1856
marries Elizabeth Hughes in Salt Lake City. She is forty years his junior.
They have one daughter.
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| Marries |
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April 1, 1856 marries Amelia Brown, 51. He is also said to have married Clarissa
Brooks or Fosdick, and Jane Mcauslan, both born "about 1802" in
New York City. No other information is available.
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