| Early, well-off settler of Kirtland,
Isaac joins Sydney's Campbellites and opens his farm to communal-living
families. Converts to Mormonism in November 1830, donates his farm, becomes
Bishop Partridge's counselor, later bishop himself. One of the five Missouri
wise men and of the seven who run the church during the Missouri persecutions.
Stake president in Lima, Illinois, Council of Fifty, Anointed Quorum, founder
of Manti. |
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| Born |
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March 11, 1786 in Montague, Hampshire County Massachusetts |
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| Died |
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June 24, 1865 in Fairview, Sanpete County, Utah |
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| Father |
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Thomas Morley Sr. (b. Mar. 26, 1758 in Glastonbury,
Hartford County, Connecticut; d. Sept. 1, 1844 in Kirtland). A Revolutionary
War soldier. |
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Ancestry.com (subscribers)
History of Geauga, 246. |
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Thomas E. Morley (b.
Mar. 26, 1758 in Ansenice, Connecticut; d. 1844 in Kirtland) |
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| Mother |
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Editha Marsh (b. Oct. 2,1762 in Montague, Franklin
Co. Massachusetts; d. Nov. 15, 1843 in Kirtland) |
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| Kirtland |
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Summer 1811 moves to Kirtland from Massachusetts, begins farm, returns
to marry Editha Marsh, then brings her to Kirtland. Isaac's parents settled
on the farm in 1815. |
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History of Geauga, 246. |
| War of 1812 |
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Flautist in the military band during the War of 1812. |
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| First Kirtland church |
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1818 first congregation (Presbyterian) in Kirtland is organized at Isaac's
father's home with twelve members under Revs. Joseph Treat and Luther Humphrey.
Later the church meets in the schoolhouse and in 1824 in the first church
building erected in Kirtland. |
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History of Geauga, 246. |
| Kirtland trustee |
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January 5, 1818 Isaac is elected one of the trustees at the organization
of Kirtland township; the others are Christopher Crary and Lory Holmes;
Josiah Jones is clerk; Stephen Ames, treasurer; Jeremiah Ames, constable. |
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Kirtland township records, 4. |
| Occupation |
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… this man I lerned who was a Cooper by trade one of the most
honest, paitient men I ever saw[.] |
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Levi's journal, 81. |
| Brother teaches school |
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1824–1826 younger brother, Alfred (1805–1883), teaches
school in Kirtland. |
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| Follower of Sidney Rigdon |
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1828 joins the Campbellites after listening to Sidney Rigdon preach. |
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Establishes common stock family
Row of houses
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He [Sidney Rigdon] caused a row of log houses to be built on Isaac Morley's
farm, and established a Communistic Society before Mormonsim was heard
of. |
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"Reuben P. Harmon," Naked Truths, Apr.
1888, 4. Source |
| Lamanite missionaries arrive |
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Late October 1830 Lamanite missionaries Oliver
Cowdery, Parley P. Pratt
(h), Peter
Whitmer Jr., and Ziba
Peterson arrive in Kirtland. |
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| Farm |
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[Isaac owned] a large farm, about a mile from
Kirtland, and some three or four families went there to live, and meetings
were held there. |
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"Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner," Utah
Genealogical and Historical Magazine 17 (July 1926): 193. |
The Big Family
Mayfield branch |
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For nearly two years past [1829],
Isaac Morley had contended that in order to restore the ancient order
of things in the Church of Christ, it was necessary that there should
be a community of goods among the brethren; and accordingly a number of
them removed to his house and farm, and built houses, and worked and lived
together, and composed what is here called the "Big Family,"
which at this time [late October 1831] consisted of perhaps 50 or 60,
old and young. They also had another branch of the family in the town
of Mayfield, about eight miles from this, but the number was small at
that time. … |
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¶
History of the Mormonites
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| Vision of ball of fire |
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I. Morley said while in meeting at Mayfield, he saw a ball of fire about
the size of a dollar, come into the room and light upon a woman's clothes
near her feet, and from her come to him, and then to another person, and
so disappeared, to the astonishment of some others that saw it— |
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¶ History
of the Mormonites |
| Honest, patient, generous |
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[February, 1831] Brother Harvey Redfield took us to Brother Isaac Morleys
this was in February this man I lerned who was a Cooper by trade one of
the most honest, paitient men I ever saw the company he maintained looked
large enough to bring on a famin I do not know [how] they lived on him all
the time while I was in the room at Father Morlies as we all called him
this same Heman Basset came along to me and took my watch out of [my] pocket
and walked oph [off] as tho it was his I thought he would soon return it
soon but I was disapointed he sold it I asked him what he meant [of] it
Oh he thought it was all in the family I told him I did not like such family
doings and I would not [have] it |
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Levi autobio
Original: Heamon Bassett |
| Home for Joseph and Emma |
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The first time Joseph and family came to Kirtland they lived with Isaac
Morley, Lucy's father. Later "Father Morley" built a small house
for them on his farm. The twins were born here. Lucy [Morley] and her elder
sister kept house for Emma Smith while she was ill. |
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Lucy Diantha Morley Allen, reminiscence in "Joseph
Smith, The Prophet," Young
Woman's Journal, 17 no. 12 (Dec. 1906): 537.
Soon after Joseph's arrival in Kirtland, a revelation called for a
house to be built for Joseph. ¶ D&C
41:7, Feb. 4, 1831. |
| Joseph and Emma's twins |
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April 30, 1831 Emma gives birth to twins, Thaddeus and
Louisa, who live only three hours. |
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Genealogy in the Joseph Smith family
Bible, qtd. in Early documents 1:583.
three hours: HC 1:260n. |
| High Priesthood, bishop's counselor |
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June [3], 1831 ordained to the High Priesthood and assistant to Bishop Edward
Partridge by Lyman Wight (h) (swh). |
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¶ Minutes
of June [3–6], 1831 |
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June [6], 1831 assigned to travel to Independence with Ezra Booth. |
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¶ D&C 52:23 |
| Sought evil, forgiven |
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[September 11, 1831] Behold, I, the Lord, was angry with him who was my servant Ezra Booth, and also my servant Isaac Morley, for they kept not the law, neither the commandment; They sought evil in their hearts … They condemned for evil that thing in which there was no evil; nevertheless I have forgiven my servant Isaac Morley. |
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¶ D&C 64:15–16 |
| Sells farm for church |
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Reluctantly sells his farm, donating proceeds
to the church. |
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¶ D&C
64:15–16, 20, Sept. 11, 1831. |
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Moves to Independence. |
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| Solemn assemblies |
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Summer 1832 holds solemn assemblies throughout
Clay county with Edward
Partridge, John
Corrill, Oliver Cowdery, and John Whitmer. |
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| Second bishop in Zion |
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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 (h)
and Titus Billings replace them as Bishop Partridge's counselors. Isaac
to choose Christian Whitmer and Newel Knight for his counselors. |
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TS
6, no. 3 (Feb. 15, 1845): 800. |
| Meeting with mob |
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July 20, 1833 meets with other church leaders
and mob leaders in effort to avert violence. Ask for more time to consult
Joseph. Denied. |
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TS 2, no. 15 (Dec. 15, 1833):
114. |
Six volunteer themselves as ransom
Treaty signed |
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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. |
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¶
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 |
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November 4, 1833 briefly jailed with Parley P.
Pratt, A. S. Gilbert, and John Corrill following attack on Gilbert's store. |
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¶
Outrage in Jackson (2) |
| Petition governor |
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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.
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| Selected for Kirtland endowment |
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June 23, 1834 one of the first selected in Missouri
to receive the Kirtland endowment. |
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Minutes
of June 23, 1834 |
| Visit scattered Saints in Missouri |
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July 12, 1834 Edward
Partridge, Orson Hyde,
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." |
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Minutes
of July 12, 1834 |
| Mission to the East |
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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. |
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PWJS, 103n70;
MA 1, no. 9 (June 1835), 139; 2, no. 2 (Nov. 1835): 220. |
| Returns |
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November 5, 1835 returns from mission to the East. |
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PWJS, 102. |
Lord pleased
Sins forgiven
Remain in Kirtland |
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[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 |
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PWJS, 102. |
| Washing of feet |
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March 29, 1836 Isaac and Bishop Partridge, meet with all six presidents of the Church and Bishop Partridge and his counselors, and participate in the washing of the feet in the House of the Lord. |
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MH-B, 645. |
| Joseph escorts, blesses |
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[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. |
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HC 2:436. |
| One of the "wise men" |
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April 7, 1837 named one of the five wise men to handle the
sale of lots in Far West. |
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¶
Minutes of Apr. 7, 1837, also Minutes of
May 1837 |
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June 11, 1837 Isaac, John Corrill,
and Calvin Beebe are granted permission to
engage in the mercantile business if they like. |
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Minutes
of June 11, 1837 |
| Temple committee |
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August 5, 1837 named secretary of the construction committee
for the temple in Far West. |
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Minutes
of July 12, 1834 |
| Patriarch and bishop's counselor |
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November 7, 1837 ordained patriarch by Joseph, Hyrum, and
Sidney and retained as counselor to Bishop Edward
Partridge. |
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Minutes
of Nov. 7, 1837 |
| Finance committee, payment |
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December 6, 1837 high council and bishop's council appoints
the bishop's council a committee on church finance. Patriarch to be compensated
financially. |
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Minutes
of Dec. 6, 1837 |
| Prisoner |
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November 1, 1838 taken prisoner with about eighty other men
in Far West by state the militia, Richmond jail for three weeks. |
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HC 3:192. |
| Austin A. King's court |
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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. |
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HC 3:192. |
| Released |
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November 24, 1838 Judge King dismisses the case against 23
prisoners, including Isaac, for lack of evidence. |
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HC 3:211. |
| Yelrome |
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Moves to Illinois, establishes Morley Settlement—also
called Yelrome, Morley spelled backwards. |
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HC 6:346. |
| Stake president |
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October 22, 1840 Hyrum appoints Isaac president of the new
stake in Lima, Illinois, with John Murdock and Walter Cox as counselors. |
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HC 4:233. |
| Anointed
Quorum |
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March 3, 1844 attends
meeting of the Anointed Quorum. |
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Origins,
356. |
| Mob threats |
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June 15, 1844 days before Joseph surrenders to
authorities, a committee of 5 calls on Isaac and delivers an ultimatum: |
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| Ultimatum |
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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. |
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HC 6:481–482. |
| Council of Fifty |
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March 1, 1845 selected to be a member of the Council of Fifty. |
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William Clayton, William Clayton journals (Smith), 158. |
| Wine maker |
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July 3, 1845 employed by the Twelve to
make
"to make 100 barrels of wine for sacrament." |
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William Clayton, William Clayton journals (Smith), 171–172. |
| Yelrome burned |
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September 1845 mob burns Yelrom, Isaac moves to Nauvoo. |
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| Nominates William as Patriarch |
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October 6, 1845 nominates William Smith to be
"Patriarch of the church." The nomination is seconded, but "lost
unanimously." |
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TS
6, no. 16 (Nov. 1, 1845): 1007. |
| Counselor in Nauvoo |
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October 6, 1845 Isaac and Charles C. Rich are "continued
and sustained" as counselors to stake president Father John
Smith in
Nauvoo. |
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William Clayton journals (Smith), 7:461. |
| Nauvoo endowment |
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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. |
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HC 7:543–544. |
| Summer Quarters |
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July 21, 1846 High council of Summer Quarters
(Kanesville). |
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Establishing Zion, 158. |
| 1848 pioneer |
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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. |
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HC 7:626. |
| Settle Sanpete |
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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. |
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Establishing Zion, 66. |
| Legislature |
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State representative 1851–1855. |
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| Salt Lake |
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Brigham calls Isaac back to Salt Lake City. |
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| Santaquin |
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Moves to Santaquin, Utah. |
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| Fairview |
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Moves to Fairview, Sanpete County, Utah. |
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Parents and Siblings |
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| Parents' family |
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Thomas and Editha Marsh Morley had
nine children, all born in Montague, Massachusetts |
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¶ Ancestry.com (subscribers) |
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Arathusa (1784–1854)
Isaac (1786–1865); died, Fairview, Sanpete Co., Utah
Horace (1788–1789)
Tirzah (1790–1842)
Editha (1792–1862)
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Thomas (July 15, 1794–March 26, 1887); md. Lillis Russell; died, Mentor, Lake Co., Ohio. Lillis' father, Abel Russell, was Mentor's first town clerk. |
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Dianthy/Diantha (1796–1879); md. Titus Billings, Feb. 16, 1817; died,
Provo, Utah Co., Utah
Louisa
1798–1839)
Alfred (1805–1883); died, Kirtland, Lake Co., Ohio |
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Families |
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| Wife |
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Lucy Gunn (1786–1848),
md. June 20, 1812 in Montague, Franklin Co., Massachusetts. All children
born in Kirtland. |
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Ancestry.com (subscribers) |
| Children |
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Philena (1813–1894; md. Amos Cox)
Lucy Diantha (1815–1908; md. Joseph Stewart Allen)
Editha Ann (1818–1893; md. Chaunsey Whiting)
Calista (1820–1822)
Stillborn twins (1821)
Cordelia Calista (1823–1915; md. Frederick Walter Cox)
Arathusa (1824)
Theresa Arathusa (1826–1855; md. Heber C. Kimball)
Isaac (1829–1908; md. Abiah Bradley in 1851) |
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| Wife |
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Hannah Blaixly (Blakeslee) Finch (b. March 11, 1786
in Montague, Franklin Co., Masachusetts; md. 1844 in Adams Co., Illinois;
d. June 24, 1865 in Manti, Sanpete Co., Utah) 3 children by previous
marriage (unknown), 3 by Isaac: |
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Ancestry.com |
| Children |
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Joseph Lamoni (b. July 15, 1845 in Nauvoo; d. October 18,
1846 in Winter Quarters)
Simeon Thomas (b. June 12, 1849; d. March
19, 1853 in Manti)
Mary Leonora (b. March 26, 1852 in Manti; d. February
5, 1918 in Molen, Emery Co., Utah) |
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| Wife |
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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. |
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Eliza's writings, 10. |
| Wife |
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Hannah Knight Libby (1786–1867), md. January
22, 1846 in Nauvoo. Widow of John S. Carter (9 children). |
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Ancestry.com |
| Wife |
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Harriet Lucinda Cox (1823–1854), md. January 22,
1846 in Nauvoo. |
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| Wife |
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Hannah Sibley (b. March 11, 1786 in Montague, Franklin
Co., Massachusetts; d. June
24, 1865 in Fairview, Sanpete Co., Utah). |
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Ancestry.com |
| Wife |
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Nancy Anne Bache/Back (b. February 25, 1790
in Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky; d. August 8, 1884 in Manti) |
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Ancestry.com |
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Biographies
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