Lyman Wight (1817–1858) (2)

Mormon History: 1830 to 1839

Lyman Wight (1817–1858) (2)

On this page: 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.
At Lyman Wight (1): 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 §.

Missouri		March 1836 leaves Kirtland for Missouri, arriving in May. They settle three miles from Far West, Caldwell County.	Orange Wight, 4.
False doctrine		April 24, 1837 David W. Patten (h) charges Lyman Wight with teaching the "erroneous" doctrine that the church is under a telestial law. Lyman is directed to recant.	Minutes of April 24, 1837
Opposes Frederick G. Williams		November 7, 1837 leads opposition to Frederick G. Williams as a counselor in the First Presidency. Williams is rejected.	¶ Minutes of November 7, 1837
Lobbies against Missouri presidents		January 26, 1838 named one of seven high councilmen assigned to visit branches of the Church in Missouri and persuade members to vote against Presidents David Whitmer, John Whitmer, and W. W. Phelps.	Minutes of January 26, 1838
Daviess County		February 1838 moves to land purchased from Adam Black in Daviess County, becoming one of the first Mormons to settle in the county.	Orange Wight, 3.
High council		April 7, 1838 having moved from Far West, Lyman, Elisha Groves, and Calvin Beebe are replaced on the high council by Jared Carter, John P. Greene, and George W. Harris.	Minutes of April 7, 1838
Adam-ondi-Ahman		June 11, 1838 After digging a well on Lyman's property in Daviess county, Missouri, with Joseph and Martin Harris, William Swartzell suggests Joseph name the place. He calls it Adam-ondi-Ahman because, "there was no place by that name under heaven."	Mormonism Exposed
		Orange Wight: Joseph named the place Adam-ondi-Ahman because, "as the Prophet Joseph told us that it was the place where Adam offered his holy sacrifice. The altar was still there and not far from our house."	Orange Wight, 3.
Stake presidency		June 28, 1838 ordained second counselor to John Smith, President of the Stake at Adam-ondi-Ahman, by Joseph Smith.	Minutes of June 28, 1838
Drunk		June 29, 1838 charged with public intoxication, must confess within a month or be excommunicated.	Minutes of June 29, 1838
Intimidate justice of the peace		August 8, 1838 Lyman, Cornelius P. Lott, Sampson Avard and several others call on Judge Adam Black to sign a statement disavowing mob actions. Black refuses. They return later with Joseph and a hundred armed men. He refuses to sign the prepared statement, though he later claimed Avard threatened to kill him, but meets with Joseph and finally writes his own statement, avowing he is "not attached to any mob, nor will attach himself to any such people."	Scriptory, 300n225.
Peace covenant		August 9, 1838 county residents led by Judge Josiah Morin, John Williams, James Turner and Jacob Rogers, meet with Lyman, John Smith, Reynolds Cahoon, and Vinson Knight at Lyman's home. The parties "entered into a covenant of peace… to preserve each others rights, and stand in their defence, that if men should do wrong they, neither party should uphold them or secret them from Justice but they shall be delivered up even all offendrs to be delt with acording to law and Justice." Joseph and his men return to Far West.	Scriptory, 300.
Danite oaths		[September 4, 1838 self-identified Danite John N. Sapp's affidavit alleges:] there are betwixt eight and ten hundred men, well armed and equipped, who have taken an oath to support Joseph Smith and Lyman Wight, in opposition to the laws of the State of Missouri … that their object was to induce the Indians to join them (the said Mormons,) in making war upon the Missourians … [and they] are sworn to cowhide any person or persons, may say aught against Joseph Smith and Lyman Wight, and if that will not prevent them from speaking about said Smith and Wight, then they are to assassinate them.	Document, 26. ¶ Siege of DeWitt
Authorized to suppress vigilantes		[October, 1838] General Parks arrived at Daviess county, and was at the house of Colonel Lyman Wight [in Adam-ondi-Ahman], when the intelligence was brought, that the mob were burning houses [in Caldwell County]; and also when women and children were fleeing for safety. Colonel Wight who held a commission in the 59th regiment under his (General Parks) command, asked what was to be done. He told him that he must immediately, call out his men and go and put them down. Accordingly, a force was immediately raised for the purpose of quelling the mob, and in a short time were on their march with a determination to drive the mob, or die in the attempt; as they could bear such treatment no longer.	¶ Joseph Smith's Far West Journal
Election day melee		August 6, 1838 when non-Mormons try to prohibit Mormons from voting at the Gallatin election near Adam-ondi-Ahman, violence ensues.
Army to Adam-ondi-Ahman		August 7, 1838 Joseph leads 150 armed men to Adam-ondi-Ahman
Daviess peace accord fails		August 8, 1838 after spending the night at Lyman's, Joseph and his men intimidate Justice of the Peace Adam Black to sign a statement pledging enforce the laws against mob violence and to use his influence to tamp down anti-Mormon sentimen. Within a few days the agreement breaks down and hostilities resume.	¶ Hyrum's Far West
Taken prisoner		October 31, 1838 accompanies Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Parley P. Pratt, and George W. Robinson to negotiate with militia. They are taken prisoners.
Charges		Arrested by Missouri militia and charged with murder and treason. Imprisoned until
Escape		April 19, 1839 escapes with Joseph and Hyrum while being transferred fom Liberty Jail to another location.
Apostle		April 8, 1841 ordained an apostle by Joseph Smith to replace David W. Patten, who was killed the Battle of Crooked River (Oct. 25, 1838).
City council		1841–1843 serves on Nauvoo city council.
Mason		1842 initiated into the Masonic lodge of Nauvoo.
Mission		Mid-June 1843 returns from nine-month mission to the East, traveling 3,000 miles, baptizing over six hundred, organizing twenty-one branches of the church.
Steamed		[May 1844, Washington] Lyman Wight occasionally steamed so freely that I had to lock him up in our room in the hotel, and attend to our business alone.	¶ Heber C. Kimball (h5)
Wisconsin sawmills		July 22, 1843 leaves Nauvoo with Bishop George Miller and a company of one hundred fifty men, women, and children to Prairie LaCrosse, Wisconsin, then by keel boats to for Black River Falls. There they take charge of the sawmill operation recently purchased (for twelve thousand dollars) to supply timber and shingles for the Nauvoo Temple and Nauvoo House.
Proposes Texas mission		February 14, 1844 writes Joseph about the Black River project and contacts with Indians. Proposes an expedition to convert Cherokee and Chocktaw nations between Arkansas and Colorado River in Texas.	Lyman Wight Address, 4.
Joseph approves mission		George Miller delivers the letter to Joseph and the Prophet "came to the conclusion that it would be expedient for George Miller and myself, with our families, to come immediately to Nauvoo; and for the remainder of the hands to come down with the lumber, as soon as they could wind up the business there."
Council of Fifty Council approves		[Mid-April 1844] We were kindly received by the Prophet, and introduced into what was then called the Grand Council of the Church, or in other words, the perefect organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on earth. This Council consisted of fifty members, with full authority to build up the Kingdom of God on earth, that His will might be done on earth as in heaven.—The Kingdom thus established, Br. Joseph took up the subject of the Mission above spoken of , and said he, “Let George Miller and Lyman Wight take the Black River Company and their friends, and go to Texas, to the confines of Mexico in the Cordilleras muntains; and at the same time let Brother Woodworth, who has just returned from Texas, go back to the seat of government in Texas, to intercede for a tract of country which we, the Church, might have control over, that we might find a resting place for a little season.” A unanimous voice was had for both Missions in the Grand Council above mentioned.	Lyman Wight Address, 5.
Texas colony authorized		[Joseph calls Lyman to establish a colony in Texas] between the head of the Red River, the Little Colorado River, and the Cordilleras Mountains. … [This] "instruction was given me by Brother Joseph with great zeal, setting forth the necessity for such a mission, for the good of the cause of bringing the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth, paving the way for the redemption of Zion and building the temple in Jackson County, and giving our posterity inheritances in a land where Gentile foot has never trod … for the last fourteen hundred years.	Lyman Wight Address, 5.
Joseph: army of 200,000 Land in Mexico		And said Joseph, “I have petitioned the President [6] and Congress assembled, to give me the command of 200,000 men, in some part or portion of the confines of Mexico, for our safety, and for the protection of the government of the United States.
George Miller to Kentucky		And now while waiting for an answer from the government, and for the Black River Company to come down to this place, let George Miller go to Kentucky, and visit Henry Clay, and others of high standing in the United States government.
Lyman to Washington Joseph presidential candidate		And let Lyman Wight go to the city of Washington, and to all the eastern cities of note, and hold me up as a candidate for President of the United States at the ensuing election; and when they return let them go forth with the Black River Company to perform the Mission which has been voted this day.” Which again called the unanimous vote of the Grand Council.
		May 3, 1844 attends first meeting of the Council of Fifty.
		May 6, 1844 Council of Fifty votes to send Lyman and George Miller to lead a group to Texas. Afterwards, Joseph tells Lyman to "remain till you can gather around you five hundred thousand souls."
		May 14, 1844 endowed in the unfinished Nauvoo Temple.
Heber delegate to Congress with Lyman Wight	¶	[Heber C. Kimball] The General Council appointed Lyman Wight and I, Delegates to Washington to present memorials to Congress, for redress of wrongs sustained by the Saints while in Missouri. Joseph gave me a draft for $500.	¶ Heber C. Kimball (h5)
Brigham, Heber, Lyman to Washington	¶	May 21st, 1844. I took passage on a steamer, in company with President Young, Lyman Wight and a large number of Elders, to St. Louis, from thence took steamer to Pittsburg, where Elder Wight and myself parted with President Young and proceeded to Washington city and presented to the rulers of the nation the petition for redress of grievances.
General Atchison Stephen Douglas	¶	We put up at the National Hotel, which cost us $2 dollars per day. We had an interview with General Atchison and Mr. Douglas, members of Congress, they treated us very politely[.] Mr. Douglas came to our room to see us.
President Tyler absent	¶	We went up to the White House to see President Tyler, but he was absent.
Senate and House	¶	I went into the galleries of the Senate and House of Representatives and witnessed the confusion which reigns there.
Senator Semple	¶	We visited General Semple, Senator from Illinois; he seemed very friendly presented our memorials which were referred to the Senate committee on public lands.
Lyman Wight steamed	¶	Lyman Wight occasionally steamed so freely that I had to lock him up in our room in the hotel, and attend to our business alone. …
	¶	I inquired of the Lord what we should do and he revealed to me that Congress had not got it in their hearts to do anything for us and we were at liberty to go away.
		Spends three weeks in Philadelphia, three in New York, and three in Boston.
		June 29–30 attends conference of the Twelve in Boston.
		July 6–9 Lyman and Heber visit Salem, Massachusetts
		July 9, 1844 returns to Philadelphia where newspapers report the death of Joseph and Hyrum, takes the train to Buffalo, crosses the Great Lakes to Chicago, travels by stage to Galena, where he boards a steamer down the Mississippi to Nauvoo.
		August 6, 1844 arrives in Nauvoo.
		October 7, 1844 [Brigham Young, general conference] next referred to L. Wight's going away because he was a coward, but he will come back and his company, …	TS 5, no. 20 (Nov. 1, 1844): 694.
Wild Ram of the Mountain		December 25, 1844 [W. W. Phelps:] I know the Twelve, and they know me.—Their names are Brigham Young, the lion of the Lord; …Lyman Wight, the wild ram of the mountain. And they are good men; the best the Lord can find.	W. W. Phelps to William Smith, Dec. 25, 1844, TS 5, no. 12 (Dec. 15, 1844): 761.
		1845 moves family to Texas, arriving in late July.
		See TS 5:694; for nickname see WWP to wm smith Dec. 25, 1844 in TS 5:761; see dTS 6:870, 1009; wight letterbook;
		Winter 1845-1846 spends the winter in abandoned Fort Georgetown in Williamson County, Texas.
		April 1846 relocates colony to Colorado River site four miles north of Austin.
		Summer 1846 relocates colony to Zodiac on the Perdinales River, four miles south of Fredericsburg, Gillespie County, Texas.
		Publishes a pamphlet critical of Brigham Young.
		October 1848 named an apostle in William Smith's church, disfellowshipped by the Pottawattamie High Council.
		December 3, 1848 excommunicated by the Twelve.
		November 1849 named second counselor to William Smith.
		May 1850 establishes a colony in Texas.
		1850–1851 Chief justice of Gillespie County, Texas.
		February 1851 begins temple ordinances in Zodiac.
		1851 floods destroy Zodiac, colony relocates to Hamilton's Creek, eight miles south of Burnet.
		1853 colonizes Mountain Valley, twelves miles south of Bandera.

		Letter of Recommendation April 4, 1836
		We the undersigned from a long and intimate acquaintance with the Bearer: brother Lyman Wight, from the instructions he has received, the accurate knowledge he has of Zion and her present situation, we cheerfully recommend him to the fullest confidence, of the brethren of the church of the Latter-Day Saints, and any advice he may give relative to temporal matters, the upbuilding of the cause or the furtherance of the Gospel may be safely followed.	Kirtland council, 200.
		Kirtland April 4th. 1836
		J. Smith Junr. Oliver Cowdery, Hyrum Smith, Reynolds Cahoon, Jared Carter
		Biographies Home