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| Lyman Wight (1796–1858) (1) |
On this page (1828–1835): Rigdonite §. Isaac Morley common stock company §. Baptized by Lamanite missionaries §. First mission §. Vision, High Priestood §. Mission to Jackson County §. 1832 mission §. Agrees to leave Jackson County §. Driven from county §. Zion's Camp §. Elected general of camp §. Reproved for disregarding Hyrum's order §. Clay
County employment §. Missouri high council §. Kirtland House of the Lord §.
At Lyman Wight (1796–1858) (2): Early settler of Far West §. Lobbies to depose Frederick G. Williams and presidency of Missouri church §. Moves to Daviess County (Adam-ondi-Ahman) §. Stake presidency §. Public intoxication §. Intimidates justice of the peace §. Danite leader, Liberty Jail prisoner, "escapes" with Joseph and Hyrum, settles Nauvoo, apostle, co-leader of Back River pinery, founds Texas colony, excommunicated. |
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Born |
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May 9, 1796 in Fairfield, Herkimer County, New York |
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Lyman Wight (h) |
| Died |
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March 31, 1858 in Dexter, Texas (buried in Zodiac) |
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| Father |
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Levi Wight Jr. |
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| Mother |
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Sarah Corbin |
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War of 1812 serves briefly. |
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Lyman Wight (h) |
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January 5, 1823 marries Harriet Benton at Henrietta, New York. |
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| Ohio |
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[1826] moves to Warrensville, Ohio. |
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| Hears Sidney preach |
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May 1829 hears Sidney Rigdon preach
"the Rigdonite doctrine." |
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Lyman
Wight Journal, 151. |
| Rigdonite |
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August 1829 baptized by Sidney Rigdon, while living
in Warrensville. John Murdock and "many others" also baptized. |
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Lyman
Wight Journal, 151–152. |
| Morley family |
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February 1830 moves to Isaac Morley house in Kirtland to
begin covenant community based on Acts 2. Billings also moves. Lyman and
Sarah have one son under ten and two daughters under 5. Soon joined by
eight other families. "We truly began to feel as if the millennium was close at hand." |
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Lyman
Wight Journal, 153.
1830 Census, 271. |
| Missionaries |
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Early November 1830 while preparing to move to Mayfield,
where is to lead a new community of five families, Lyman meets Oliver Cowdery,
Parley Pratt (h), Ziba Peterson, and Peter Whitmer Jr. He delays his departure
to hear them preach. |
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Lyman
Wight Journal, 153. |
| Baptized, ordained |
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November 14, 1830 Lyman and family are baptized by Parley Pratt in the Chagrin River (Kirtland). Confirmed on the 18th and ordained an elder
on the 20th by Oliver Cowdery. |
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Lyman Wight Journal, 154. |
| Nelson church |
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[February–March], 1831 Lyman and John Whitmer organize a church in Nelson, Portage County, Ohio. |
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J. Whitmer
From Historian to Dissident: The Book of John Whitmer, edited by Bruce N. Westergren (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1995 ).
, 55. |
| Mission with Orson Pratt |
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Spring 1831 one month mission with Orson Pratt as far as 100 miles west of Kirtland. |
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¶ Orson Pratt (h1) |
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May 1831 baptizes John Smith (not Joseph Smith's uncle) of Northampton,
Portage, Ohio. |
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| Priesthood, vision |
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June [4], 1831 the first elder ordained to the High Priesthood,
by Joseph Smith. Has a vision of the Lord and prophesies that the Second Coming will occur in this generation and some will be martyred. Ordains Parley P. Pratt
(h),
Thomas B. Marsh (h), Isaac
Morley, Edward Partridge, Joseph Wakefield, Ezra Thayer, Martin
Harris, Ezra
Booth, Harvey Whitlock, Joseph Wakefield, Joseph Smith Sr., Joseph Smith Jr., John
Whitmer. |
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¶ Lyman
Wight's Vision and the Man of Sin
¶ Minutes
of June [4], 1831 (according to these minutes, Lyman Wight ordained Sidney Rigdon.) |
Call to Zion
Beware of Satan |
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June 6, 1831 called to Jackson County with John Corrill. Lyman warned to beware, "for satan
desireth to sift him as chaff." |
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¶ D&C 52 |
| Michigan |
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June 14, 1831 Lyman, Hyrum Smith, John Murdock, and John Corrill accompany Lucy Mack Smith and her sister-in-law Amira Mack to Fairport, where they board the steamer William Penn for Detroit (Mack home). Lyman and John Corrill labor in Oakland County before leaving for Missouri, Hyrum and John Murdock travel south through Elkhart. |
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Murdock autobiography
John Murdock autobiography (July 1792-November 1844). Church Archives, MS 8215. Probably written in late 1844 (page 22 cites1844 Doctrine and Covenants) or after. Includes early years not in journal and expanded account of conversion and baptism. Daily entries begin June14, 1830 and end in May 1836, then a few sporadic entries to November 1844.
, 23. |
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Summer 1831 while Lyman proselytes, Harriet moves to Jackson County, Missouri with their three children, ages seven, five, and three. They join the Big Blue settlement three miles west of Independence. |
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Orange Wight
Orange L. Wight, Reminiscences (1903), typescript. BYU Special Collections, MSS 1025.
, 1. |
| Illinois |
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August 10, 1831 baptizes Sanford Porter near Plainfield, Cook [Will],
Illinois. |
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Joseph Grant Stevenson, The Porter Family 1:86 citing Porterville
Ward records. |
| Baptize and ordain |
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[Morris Phelps:] They held a meeting at my house again, and we went to the place prepared,
and the ordinance was performed for myself, my wife, and eldest daughter
[Malinda]—and I was ordained an Elder, and set apart to labor [90] as a missionary in and around the vicinity where we lived. The elders then
went to the home of Nathan Sumner, about 6 miles from our place, whom they
also baptized and ordained an Elder and set him apart also to labor with
me as a missionary in adjoining towns. |
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Morris Phelps letter, 19. |
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¶ |
We then went about sixty miles north where we converted Morris Phelps,
Baldwin Clark, and John Cooper, who were some of our old neighbors, as
were also the Sumners, who afterwards became relatives-in-law. Shortly
after our return, two elders passed through Tazewell County on their way
from Jackson County, Missouri to Kirtland, Ohio, informing the Saints that
Independence, Missouri had been designated as the gathering place … Shortly
after this, I offered my property for sale, and prepared to go, and instructed
the Saints over whom I was called to preside to do likewise. So on December
1st in the company with James Emmett, Morris Phelps, William Alldredge,
John Alldredge, and a Mr. Berry—all with our families—set out for Independence,
Missouri. |
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Morris Phelps sees two men
passing through field on foot; at the same time, man on horse (James Emmett);
he asks if he has seen Book of Mormon; no, only by letter; takes book
from pocket, says those two are Mormon preachers; 20 meet that night;
in the morning they baptize Emmett and ordain him an elder. Then the missionaries go south and baptize Porter. Charles C. Rich
joins next year. Porter goes south with Sumner to preach to Clarks.
This time Morris and Laura Phelps and John and Rhoda Cooper. Morris Phelps letter, 19. |
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August 18, 1831 baptizes Morris Phelps in Tazwell County, Illinois. |
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| Mission to Cincinnati, Bethany |
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January 27, 1832 Lyman and John Murdock, and Parley P. Pratt and Levi Hancock are assigned to preach along the south side of the Missouri River to Cincinnatti and Bethany, Virginia. |
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¶ Oliver
to Joseph, January 28, 1832
Cincinnati was home to the Lane Theological Seminary where Presbyterian ministers were trained under the direction of the renowned Lyman Beecher.
Bethany (formerly Buffaloe, (West) Virginia) was home to Sidney Rigdon's former colleague in the Reformed Baptist movement, Alexander Campbell.
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| Agrees to leave |
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July 23, 1833 Lyman and other leaders sign an agreement to leave Jackson County by January 1, 1834 and encourage all Saints to leave as soon as possible. |
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¶ Missouri Persecutions (1833-1834) (2). |
| Tongues |
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September 11, 1833 interprets song sung in tongues by P. P. Pratt. |
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¶ September 11, 1833 |
| Driven from Jackson County |
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[Orange Wight:] When we were driven from Jackson County [November 1833] my father was chased by the mob in a westerly direction and my mother and I and two little sisters were taken by John Higbee in a small boat down the Big Blue River—three miles—and across the Missouri River to Clay County, Missouri. |
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Orange Wight
Orange L. Wight, Reminiscences (1903), typescript. BYU Special Collections, MSS 1025.
, 1–2. |
| Joins family in December |
¶ |
We were left on the north bank of the river with a number of others and heard nothing of father for three weeks, not knowing whether he had been killed or not. But we were rejoiced one morning in the latter part of December to find him in camp. He came through Jackson County in the night and across the river, I think on the ice. During our stay on the bank of the river we camped by the side of a big sycamore log about 6 feet in diameter. We [2] laid a few poles on one side on top of the log, the other end on the ground, spread a quilt or two on the poles, then under the quilts and poles by the side of the big log my oldest brother was born—Lehi Lyman Wighr—while a [howling] mob was chasing father to kill him and we almost in a state of starvation. |
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| Buys land, large house from Mr. Arthur |
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John Higbee provides venison and honey for the family. When Lyman returns, he "went again to Mr. Arthur and succeeded in buying 40 acres of land and a large two story house with a number of other buildings on the same ground, thus we had room to shelter nearly all the camp. There were, however, many others at other places but all got places somewhere during the winter." |
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This is the first mention of Mr. Arthur in Orange's reminiscence. In the summer of 1834, Arthur will hire Lyman and others to make bricks and build another house. |
| Kirtland |
¶ |
[William E. McLellin:] In January 1834 the scattered, persecuted Elders … sent Lyman Wight and P. P. Pratt to Kirtland, O. to see the first Presidency of the entire church, in order to consult with them, … Wight was fully imbued with the war spirit, and inspired Smith and company with the idea of redeeming Zion, viz the Church of Zion, with men of War!! |
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Notebook 5 (1878),
McLellin Papers
The William E. McLellin Papers, 1854-1880, edited by Stan Larson and Samuel J. Passey (Salt Lake City: Signature Books), 2007.
, 327. |
| Counsels with Joseph |
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February 24, 1834 Lyman and Parley report the condition of the church in Zion. Clay county citizens assisting refugees from Jackson. Joseph declares he will go to Zion to assist in redeeming it and
thirty or forty of those present volunteer. |
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Minutes of February 24, 1834 |
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March 15, 1834 Lyman and Sidney join Joseph at Father Beaman's house in Livonia. |
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MH-A
Manuscript History of the Church (December 1805-August 30, 1834), 553 pages numbered from the "back" of Joseph's "large journal" (A-1), written June 11, 1839-Aug. 24, 1843. Selected Collections 1:1, Volume 1 // “Joseph Smith History, 1839” (first 93 pages), Early Mormon Documents 1:56-148; “History, 1839” (first 240 pages), Papers of Joseph Smith 1:265-386. Original, Church Archives, CR 100 102, Volume 1.
, 447. |
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March 18, 1834 Joseph ordains Lyman "to the office of Banamey in the presence of an angel." |
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| $2,000 Kirtland debt |
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March 27, 1834 Lyman, Joseph, Sidney, Parley, John Murdock, Orson Pratt, and Orson Hyde attend conference in Avon, New York. Edmund Bosley, Roger Orton, Freeman Nickerson agree to raise $2,000 to pay off Kirtland debt. Joseph, Sidney, and Lyman to return directly to Kirtland (for Hurlbut trial); others to preach and raise funds and volunteers for Zion's Camp. |
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Minutes of March 17, 1834 |
| Recruits in New York |
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April 1, 1834 Lyman and Parley preach in Richmond, New York recruiting volunteers for Zion's Camp. |
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¶ Wilford Woodruff |
| Recruites in Michigan |
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Raises volunteers for Zion's Camp with Hyrum Smith in Pontiac,
Michigan |
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Lyman and Hyrum's company travels through Ann Arbor, Jacksonsburgh, Spring Arbor,
and Constantine, Michigan; Elkhart, Indiana; Ottawa, Pleasant Grove, Pekin,
and Quincy, Illinois; and Palmyra, Missouri. |
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MH-A
Manuscript History of the Church (December 1805-August 30, 1834), 553 pages numbered from the "back" of Joseph's "large journal" (A-1), written June 11, 1839-Aug. 24, 1843. Selected Collections 1:1, Volume 1 // “Joseph Smith History, 1839” (first 93 pages), Early Mormon Documents 1:56-148; “History, 1839” (first 240 pages), Papers of Joseph Smith 1:265-386. Original, Church Archives, CR 100 102, Volume 1.
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| Company steward |
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Hyrum Smith and Samuel Dent,
serve as the company “moderators,” Lyman Wight steward, and Elijah Fordham historian. |
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| General in charge |
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June 8, 1834 Lyman's company reaches the Salt River rendezvous in Monroe County,
Missouri. Joseph Smith's company had arrived the previous day. Camp now
totals 205 men and 25 baggage wagons. Lyman is elected general, with Joseph
as commander-in-chief. |
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¶ Heber's Zion's Camp
¶ Wilford Woodruff |
| To lead like Moses |
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Br Joseph laid his hands on my head and blessed me and ordained me to lead the saint[s] up to Zion even as Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. |
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Lyman Wight to Wilford Woodruff, Aug. 24, 1857. Church Archives, CR 100 / 93. |
| Missouri |
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June [5], 1834 Camp crosses the Mississippi River into Missouri. |
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¶ Heber's Zion's Camp |
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… at salt river I was ordained to take the command of the army, and done so till it was disbanded … |
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Lyman Wight sketch
Lyman Wight autobiographical sketch accompanying a letter from Wight (Mountain Valley) to Wilford Woodruff, Aug. 24, 1857. Manuscript (probably a copy). Histories of the Twelve, CR 100 / 93, Church Archives.
, 3. |
| Drills army |
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June [11], 1834 marches the Camp out on to the prairie, inspects firelocks,
conducts target practice, marches the men around for two or three hours,
then returns them to camp. |
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| Disobeys orders |
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June 17, 1834 When Lyman Wight crossed the [Wacondah] River. he disapproved of our moving on to the Prairie, upon which Sylvester Smith who had been appointed adjutant of the Camp, placed himself in the road, turned back all that he could by saying “are you following your General or some other man” and some twenty staid behind with Lyman Wight. … |
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MH-A
Manuscript History of the Church (December 1805-August 30, 1834), 553 pages numbered from the "back" of Joseph's "large journal" (A-1), written June 11, 1839-Aug. 24, 1843. Selected Collections 1:1, Volume 1 // “Joseph Smith History, 1839” (first 93 pages), Early Mormon Documents 1:56-148; “History, 1839” (first 240 pages), Papers of Joseph Smith 1:265-386. Original, Church Archives, CR 100 102, Volume 1.
, Addenda, 14. |
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After the company had come up in the Prairie [Hyrum Smith] with brother R. Orton received an order to call upon brother L. Wight to place strong guard around the camp that night, but he refused doing any thing further, because he supposed that he, (brother Hyrum) supposed he had ordered the camp into the prairie without an order from the commander of the company |
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¶ Minutes of August 29, 1834 |
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He was then informed by brother Joseph that it was by his (brother J's) order that the camp should move into the prairie. … |
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about Eleven oclock Lyman Wight arrived with the company that had remained with him. I called these together and reproved them for tarrying behind, and not obeying my Council, and told Lyman Wight never to do so again, he promised that he would stand by me for ever, and never forsake me again let the consequences be what it would |
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MH-A
Manuscript History of the Church (December 1805-August 30, 1834), 553 pages numbered from the "back" of Joseph's "large journal" (A-1), written June 11, 1839-Aug. 24, 1843. Selected Collections 1:1, Volume 1 // “Joseph Smith History, 1839” (first 93 pages), Early Mormon Documents 1:56-148; “History, 1839” (first 240 pages), Papers of Joseph Smith 1:265-386. Original, Church Archives, CR 100 102, Volume 1.
, Addenda, 14. |
| Promises obedience |
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… at the time when he (brother Joseph) had finished his remarks to brothers Wight & Sylvester, that he threw the horn upon the ground. That brother Wight told him the next day that he had had a jealousy existing in his mind against him (brother Hyrum) for some days, but now his mind was satisfied, and he said that when he received the order for moving the camp into the prairie, that brothers L. Wight & Sylvester were near by. |
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¶ Minutes of August 29, 1834 |
| Substitutes for ailing Joseph |
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June 18, 1834 this day my health was so poor, I left the affairs of the Camp to the management of General Wight— |
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June 19, 1834 camp between Big and Little Fishing Rivers. Vigilantes attack thwarted by violent storm. |
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| Disband |
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June 22, 1834 Zion's Camp is disbanded. |
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J. Whitmer
From Historian to Dissident: The Book of John Whitmer, edited by Bruce N. Westergren (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1995 ).
, 72n4. |
| To receive endowment |
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[June 23, 1834] called and chosen, … to receive his endowment in Kirtland with power from on high—And return to Zion and his office shall be appointed unto him hereafter. |
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¶ Minutes of June 23, 1834 |
| Makes bricks |
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July 1, 1834 hires Wilford Woodruff to help him make a hundred thousand bricks to construct
a large house for Col. Michael Arthur in Clay
County. Other workers include Wilford
Woodruff, Milton
Holmes, Heman T. Hyde and Stephen and
Benjamin Winchester. |
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¶ Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff lived with
Lyman on Arthur's property. Meetings of the high council and elders council met on the site,
as did the branch, which met in Lyman's house. Lyman Wight to Wilford Woodruff, Aug. 24, 1857 |
| Signs discharge papers |
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July 1, 1834 with Sylvester Smith, signs discharge papers for Frederick
G. Williams, who was "council to the commander in Chief of the Army
of the Lord's house" and quartermaster. |
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¶ Frederick
G. Williams |
| High council |
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July 3, 1834 named to first high council of Zion. |
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Minutes of July 3, 1834 |
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July 12, 1834 called to visit the scattered refugees from Jackson County with Amasa Lyman (h). |
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Minutes of July 12, 1834 |
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August 16, 1834 Joseph writes Lyman
Wight that September 11, 1836 "is the appointed time for the redemption
of Zion." |
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Joseph to Lyman Wight,
et. al., Aug. 16, 1834 in
PWJS
Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, rev. ed., compiled and edited by Dean C. Jessee (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2002).
, 347–350.
September 11: fifth anniversary of ¶ D&C
64:21. |
| Devil cause of disease, treating the ill |
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August 21, 1834 charged with teaching disease and medicine are of the Devil. Council determines members may believe whatever they want, but may not teach that Satan is the sole cause of disease or interfere with administering roots, herbs, and vegetables for health. |
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Minutes of August 21, 1834 |
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March 13, 1835 leaves on a mission to Cincinnati, returning May 18. |
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| Kirtland House of the Lord |
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May 3, 1835 leaves for Kirtland to help build the House of the Lord and attend the School of the Prophets, returning eight months later. |
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November 2, 1835 arrives in Kirtland. |
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MH-A
Manuscript History of the Church (December 1805-August 30, 1834), 553 pages numbered from the "back" of Joseph's "large journal" (A-1), written June 11, 1839-Aug. 24, 1843. Selected Collections 1:1, Volume 1 // “Joseph Smith History, 1839” (first 93 pages), Early Mormon Documents 1:56-148; “History, 1839” (first 240 pages), Papers of Joseph Smith 1:265-386. Original, Church Archives, CR 100 102, Volume 1.
, 17 //
Journals, Volume 1
The Joseph Smith Papers: Journals, Volume 1: 1832-1839, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Mark Ashurst-McGee, Richard L. Jensen (Salt Lake City: The Church Historian's Press, 2008).
, 82. |
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[December 29, 1835 patriarchal blessing by Joseph Smith, Sr., F. G. Williams scribe:] … The enemy will seek to destroy thee; for he will try to lift thee up in pride, and make thee think much of thyself for thy elequence: but be careful, and not let the pride of thy destroy thee, … it is thy power, by keeping the commandments, to call thy thousands into the true fold, even among tongues and languages that thou knowest not; … Be faithful, brother Wight, and I seal thee up unto eternal life … |
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Blessings
Early Patriarchal Blessings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," H. Michael Marquardt comp. (Salt Lake City: Smith-Pettit Foundation, 2007).
, 57–58. |
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Families |
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| Wife |
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Harriet Benton,
b. Mar. 19, 1801 in Litchfield,
Litchfield County, Connecticut;
md. Jan. 5, 1823
d. Feb. 26, 1889
in Greeley, Holt, Nebraska |
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¶ Ancestry.com |
| Children |
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Orange Leander/Lysander (b. Nov. 29, 1823 in Centerville,
Allegany, New York)
Anna Christina (b. Sept. 30, 1825 in Centerville,
Allegany, New York)
Rosina Minerva (b. Nov. 16, 1827 in Warrensville, Cuyahoga,
Ohio)
Lyman Lehi (b. Dec. 27, 1833 in Clay County, Missouri)
Levi Lamoni (b. Mar. 1, 1836 in Clay County, Missouri)
Laomi Limhi (b. Nov. 2, 1838 in Davis County, Missouri) |
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| Wife |
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Sarah Benton (1800–) |
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| Wife |
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Mary Hawley, b. 1823
md. [1850] in Dexter, Texas [From 72 has 1845, 2 children]
d. 1852 |
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FamilySearch™ Ancestral
File v4.19 |
| Wife |
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Mary Ann Otis, b. 1800
md. [1851] in Bandera, Bandera, Texas [3 children] |
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FamilySearch™ Ancestral
File v4.19 |
| Wife |
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Margaret Ballentine, b. 1819
md. [1851] in Hamilton Creek,
Burnet, Texas [1 child]
d. 1884 |
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FamilySearch™ Ancestral
File v4.19 |
| Children |
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Carmalony (1852–1912)
Sonomony (1852–)
John Wrymerion (1854–1921) |
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| Wife |
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Mary Ann Hobart (1828–1897) |
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| Children |
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Carrema Otis (1852–1926)
Rolliando H. (1854–1897) |
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Lyman Wight (2)
Lyman Wight Journal
Lyman Wight (h)
Lyman Wight (swh)
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