| Prosperous Shaker convert and landowner. Mission
to Shaker community with Sidney and Parley. Agrees
to let Colesville church settle on his farm. Experiences possession at
first conference. Renegs on land deal, forcing Colesville church to move
to Missouri. |
| Born |
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March 25, 1781 in New Preston, Litchfield county, Connecticut,
the first of nine children. His siblings were born as follows: |
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FamilySearch™ International
Genealogical Index v5.0 for parents and siblings. |
| Siblings |
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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
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New Lebanon: Shaker headquarters
since 1766.
Wavervliet: original Shaker community established by Ann Lee
in 1774, now part of Albany, New York. |
| Died |
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December 1862 in Thompson, Geauga county, Ohio. |
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Papers 1:480. |
| Father |
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Samuel Copley |
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FamilySearch IGI |
| Mother |
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Rhoda Parmalee |
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FamilySearch IGI |
| Vermont Shakers |
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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." |
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Youngs and Bates, Journey
to the North, qtd. in Shakers and Mormons, 94. |
| Thompson |
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April 1817 elected a trustee of Thompson, Ohio,
which was chartered in March 1817. |
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| North Union community |
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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. |
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Shaker west, 92.
Source |
| Thompson farm |
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Owns 759 acres at Thompson, Ohio. |
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Geauga County Tax Records 1832, 230
in Colesville branch, 305–306 // Papers 1:480. |
| Mormon contact |
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There is no record of Leman's conversion or baptism. |
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| 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: … |
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J. Whitmer, 57.
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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: |
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¶ D&C
49:4, March [20–26], 1831. |
Shaker mission
Sidney reads revelation
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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. |
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D&C 49
Shaker interview,
96–97. |
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At the close of the reading, he asked if they could be permitted
to go forth in the exercise of their gift and Office. |
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Shakers and Mormons, |
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Ashbel denies permission and the congregation votes against
hearing more. Sidney quietly retires, but: |
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Shaker interview, 98. |
| Parley shakes coat
tail |
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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. |
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| Shaker reprimand |
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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. |
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While I was ministering this reproof, he settled trembling
into his seat, and covered his face; |
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| Leman in tears |
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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.— |
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This struck him dead also, and dryed up his tears; … |
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| Parley leaves |
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Parleys horse had not been put away, as he came too late;
he mounted and started for home without waiting for any one.— |
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| Sidney stays for
supper |
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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. |
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| Leman stays overnight |
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Leman stays overnight and starts for home in the morning. |
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| Possession |
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June 3–6, 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 (h) (swh)
blesses Leman, casting Satan out. |
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¶ Lyman's
Vision and the Man of Sin |
| Renegs on land deal |
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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. We had not labored long before the above named
Copley broke the engagement which he mad[e] with us |
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Newel Knight auto, 30. |
| Excommunicated |
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[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 |
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Joseph Knight Jr. incidents, 2. |
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| Mormons, living
on his farm, reject him |
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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. |
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Kitchell/Blake, 14–17 // Shaker interview,
98–99. |
Returns to Shakers
Ashbel speaks to Mormons
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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." |
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| Conversation with
Newel Knight |
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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!" |
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| Joseph Knight |
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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." |
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| Ashbel writes for Mormons |
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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 |
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after which the Mormon "made for the
door, and here ended my labors for the Mormons for that time." |
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| Fellowship withdrawn, restored |
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Fellowship restored by October
1832. |
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Revelations, 67. |
| Mission |
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April 6, 1833 leaves on a mission with Doctor Hurlbut. |
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Hyrum Smith diary |
| Testifies in Hurlbut
case |
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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. |
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Court record transcript in RLDS history
1:444–446. |
| James Brewster church |
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[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. |
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RLDS history 3:62–-73; Divergent paths,
55–56. |
| Austin Cowles church |
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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. |
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RLDS history 3:73–74; Divergent paths,
56. |
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Monkey story |
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| 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 (swh),
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: |
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Mormonism unvailed, 276–277. |
| Monkey story |
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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. |
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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. |
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Land deal |
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| Leman rebels |
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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: … |
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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 |
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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; |
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BC 56:4–5, June 1831 .
Cf. ¶ D&C
54:5–6. |
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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. < |
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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. |
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Family |
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| Wife |
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Salley, b. 1779 Massachusetts ? |
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Revelations,
67. |
| Child |
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Reuben ? |
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Revelations, 67. |
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Biographies
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