| Early convert, missionary, Kirtland high council,
original Quorum of the Twelve, disillusioned by failure of the Kirtland
Safety Society, excommunicated with David Whitmer in 1838. |
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| Born |
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Lyman Eugene Johnson, October 24, 1811 in Pomfret,
Windsor county, Vermont. |
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| Died |
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December 20, 1856, drowning in the
Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. |
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| Father |
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John Johnson |
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| Mother |
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Elsa Jacobs |
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| Hiram, Ohio |
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Family moves to Hiram, Ohio. |
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| Baptized |
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February 1831 baptized by Sidney
Rigdon. |
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Lyman
E. Johnson (h) |
| Elder |
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October 25, 1831 Oliver
Cowdery ordains Lyman an elder. |
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¶
Minutes of October 25-26, 1831 |
| Called to preach |
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November [1–3], 1831 called
to preach the gospel. |
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D&C
68:7 |
| High Priesthood |
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November 2, 1831 Sidney Rigdon ordains Lyman
to the High Priesthood. |
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¶
Minutes of November 1–2, 1831 |
| Eastern mission |
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January 25, 1832 called on a mission to the
East with Orson Pratt. Leaving February
3, they travel through
Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York city, to Hurlgate,
on Long Island, preaching thirty times on the way,
"where they previously had never heard the Gospel." Lyman and
Hazen Aldrich begin return trip from Spafford,
New York on November 8, 1832. Orson arrives in Kirtland February
17, 1833. |
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D&C
75:14
¶ Orson Pratt (h1); ¶ Orson
Pratt (h2); ¶ Orson Pratt (h2) |
| School of the Prophets |
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Early 1833 attends the School of
Prophets. |
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| Eastern mission |
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March 26, 1833 begins mission east with Orson
Pratt. |
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¶ Orson
Pratt (h2) |
| New Hampshire conference |
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June 7, 1833 arrive in Bath,
New Hampshire for conference, "having attend forty-four meetings by the
way, and baptized thirteen." |
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¶ Orson
Pratt (h2) |
| Vermont |
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June 14, 1833 the day after arriving in St.
Johnsbury, Vermont, Lyman and Orson decide to split up. Lyman goes
to Charleston while
Orson remains in St. Johnsbury. |
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¶ Orson
Pratt (h2); Orson Pratt journals, 17. |
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July 24, 1833 Charleston,
Vermont conference, ordains elders Orson
Johnson and
John Badger High Priests; ordains Winslow Farr, Isaac Aldrich,
Roswell Evans elders; Gardner Snow, Willard Snow, Joseph
Swasey, priests; Horace Evans, teacher |
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¶ Orson
Pratt (h2) |
New Hampshire
Seals church
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September 8, 1833 working with Orson again,
holds two meetings in Bath, ordain Horace
Cowan an elder, "and laid hands upon the little children and blessed them
in the name of hte Lord, and administered the sacrament, and sealed up
the Church unto eternal life." Orson leaves for Kirtland the next day. |
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¶ Orson
Pratt (h2); Orson Pratt journals, 25. |
| Raises funds for refugees |
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1834 one of eight named to raise
funds for the Saints driven from Jackson County. |
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| Upper Canada |
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1834 mission with Milton
Holmes to Upper Canada. |
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| Zion's Camp |
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May–June 1834 Zion's
Camp. |
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| Apostle |
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February 14, 1835 Oliver, David,
and Martin ordain Lyman an apostle. He is the youngest (23), therefore lowest
in seniority of the original Twelve, and the first to receive the ordination
blessing. |
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¶
Minutes of February 14, 1835 |
| Vermont conference |
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July 17, 1835 attends Vermont conference with
other members of the Twelve. |
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¶ St.
Johnsbury |
| Accused of injurious
behavior |
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May 29, 1837 In the morning, charges
are brought against Lyman, David Whitmer,
Frederick G. Williams, Parley P. Pratt
(h), and Warren
Parrish, for behavior "injurious
to the Church of God" and "unworthy of their high calling."
Council members cannot agree on on procedural or jurisdictional questions
and ends in confusion.
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Minutes
of May 29, 1837
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| Accuses Joseph of
slander |
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May 29, 1837 Lyman charges Joseph
with slander and lying. |
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Charges Against Joseph
Smith, Jr. Whitney papers. |
Cursed Joseph
Drowned |
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[May 29, 1837] [Wilford Woodruff:] I saw one of these Apolstles in the Kirtland Temple, while the Sacrament was being passed, stand in the aisle and curse the Prophet of God to his face while he was in the stand, and when the bread was passed he reached out his hand for a piece of bread and flung it into his mouth like a mad dog. He turned as black in the face almost as an African with rage and with the power of the devil. What did he do? He ate and drank damnation to himself. He did not hang himself; but he did go and drown himself, and the river went over his body while his spirit was cast into the pit, where he ceased to have the power to curse either God or His Prophet in time or in eternity. |
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Wilford Woodruff discourse, Apr. 7, 1895 in [collected] 4: 290. |
| Generosity to Heber |
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June [1–4], 1837 though he does
not think Heber C. Kimball should go on his mission to England, Lyman gives
him the cloak off his back. |
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¶
Heber C. Kimball (h3) |
| Disciplined in Kirtland |
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September 3, 1837 "cut off though
privileged with conffesing and making satisfaction"—or "rejected
from serving" as one of the Twelve, with the privilege of making confession,
depending on the source consulted. |
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Minutes
of September 3, 1837 |
| Far West |
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Late 1837 moves to Far West, Missouri. |
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| Kirtland paper losses |
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April 15, 1838 Stephen
Burnett writes Lyman, "You state in your letter that you have lost
six thousand dollars Kirtland paper." How he could have lost
that much in Kirtland bank notes is a puzzle. He did not own stock in
the Kirtland Safety Society. Perhaps he accepted the notes in exchanges
for goods or services, but an amount that large would have to have been
for the sale of land. |
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Burnett, 64.
Kirtland economy, 78. |
| Excommunicated |
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April 13, 1838 excommunicated with
David Whitmer. |
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Minutes
of April 13, 1838 |
| Salt Sermon |
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June 17, 1838 Sidney Rigdon delivers
"the salt sermon," declaring it is the duty of people "to
trample [dissenters] into the earth" or hang them. Joseph reportedly
says, "Though I don't want the brethren to act unlawfully; but I will
tell them one thing, Judas was a traitor, and instead of hanging himself
was hung by Peter." |
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All known salt sermon
texts and an excellent analysis are in Salt sermon; Reed Peck Manuscript
7; Sidney Rigdon 218–219. |
| Warned out |
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June 19, 1838 A document signed by Hyrum and eighty-three
others warns David, Oliver, W. W. Phelps, and Lyman E. Johnson to leave
Far West immediately "or a more fatal calamity shall befall you." |
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Document, 103–106,
cited in Sidney Rigdon, 218–219. |
| Flee |
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Lyman and the other dissidents leave Far West immediately,
fueling fears among non-Mormon residents that Mormons were ready to shed
blood. |
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| Base iniquities |
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[Joseph:] I would mention or notice
something about O. Cowdery David Whitmer Lyman E. Johnson and Johnson Whitmer
who being guilty of bace iniquities and that to manifest in all the ages
of all men, and being often entreated would continue in their course seeking
the lives of the First Presidency and to overthrow the Kingdom of God which
they once testified off. |
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Scriptory in
Papers 2:249 in the hand of George W. Robinson after July 4. |
| Iowa law practice |
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By 1842 moves to Iowa. Practices law in Davenport and Keokuk. |
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Family |
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| Wife |
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Sarah Susan Long (b. 1816
in New Hampshire)
md. September 4, 1834 in Chardon, Gueaga, Ohio. |
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| Children |
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Sarah M. (b. February 1836 in Kirtland)
John E. (b. 1844 in Keokuk, Lee, Iowa) |
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Lyman E. Johnson (h)
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