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Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon

Sidney Rigdon (19 February 1793 – 14 July 1876) was an important figure in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement. Events 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum Year 1793 ( MDCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. Year 1876 ( MDCCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Please see the talk page for this article and the "See also" list before adding content or adding a hyphen to Latter Day Saint Rigdon's influence over the early years of the movement is considered by many historians to have been nearly as strong as that of church founder Joseph Smith Jr.

Contents

Baptist background

Sidney Rigdon was born in St. Clair Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, about 10 miles south of Pittsburgh. St Clair Township, Allegheny County Pennsylvania, was one of the original townships created with the incorporation of Allegheny County in 1788. Allegheny County is a County in the southwestern part of the U The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern (The area today is known as Library). He was the youngest of four children of William and Nancy Rigdon. Rigdon's father was a farmer and a native of Harford County, Maryland. Harford County is a County in the US state of Maryland. In 2004 its Population was estimated to be 233340 William Rigdon died in 1810, and Sidney remained on the farm until 1818, when he apprenticed himself to a Baptist minister named Rev. Year 1810 ( MDCCCX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Year 1818 ( MDCCCXVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Andrew Clark. Rigdon received his license to preach for the Regular Baptists in March, 1819. Regular Baptists are a diverse group of Baptists in the United States and Canada. Year 1819 ( MDCCCXIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar in the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year He moved in May to Trumbull County, Ohio, where he jointly preached with Adamson Bentley from July, 1819. Trumbull County is a County located in the state of Ohio, United States. He married Bentley's sister Phoebe Brook in June, 1820, and remained in Ohio until February, 1822, when he returned to Pittsburgh to accept the pastorship of the First Baptist Church there under the recommendation of Alexander Campbell. Alexander Campbell (1788 &ndash 1866 was an early leader in the Second Great Awakening of the religious movement that has been referred to as the Restoration, or [1]

Rigdon and Bentley had journeyed to meet Alexander Campbell in the summer of 1821, to learn more about the Baptist who was encountering opposition to his idea that the New Testament should hold priority over the Old Testament in the Christian church. Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. They engaged in lengthy discussions, which resulted in both men joining in Campbell's movement. Rigdon became a popular Campbellite preacher in the Pittsburgh church. Campbellite refers to any of the religious groups historically descended from the Restoration Movement, a religious reform movement in the early 19th century in the United However, some disaffected members were able to force his resignation in 1824. For the next two years Rigdon worked as a tanner to support his family, while preaching Campbell's Restorationism on Sundays in the Pittsburgh courthouse. For other usages see Restoration (general disambiguation Apokatastasis (universal restoration Christian Zionism (restoration of Israel and In 1826 he was invited to become the pastor of the more liberal Baptist church in Mentor, Ohio in the Western Reserve. Mentor is a city in Lake County, Ohio, United States. The population was 50278 at the 2000 census. Many prominent early Latter Day Saint leaders, including Parley P. Pratt, Isaac Morley and Edward Partridge were members of Rigdon's congregations prior to their conversion to the Church of Christ as founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. Parley Parker Pratt ( 12 April 1807 &ndash 13 May 1857) was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of Isaac Morley ( March 11, 1786 – June 24, 1865) was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement and a contemporary of both Edward Partridge ( August 27, 1793 — May 27, 1840) was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement, the first person to hold the See also Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (disambiguation The Church of Christ, later called Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was the

Rigdon and the early Mormon church

On a trip in New York state along the Erie Canal, Parley P. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The Erie Canal is a popular canal in New York state from the Hudson River to Lake Erie, approximately 360 miles connecting the Great Lakes Pratt stopped in Palmyra where he first learned about the Book of Mormon. Palmyra is a Town in Wayne County, New York, USA. The population was 7672 at the 2000 census The Book of Mormon is a Sacred text of the churches in the Latter Day Saint movement. In early September 1830, Pratt was baptized into the "Church of Christ" as the Latter Day Saint movement's founding group was called. For the game see 1830 (board game. Year 1830 ( MDCCCXXX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display See also Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (disambiguation The Church of Christ, later called Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was the Please see the talk page for this article and the "See also" list before adding content or adding a hyphen to Latter Day Saint In October, Pratt and Ziba Peterson were called on a mission to preach the Gospel to the American Indians or "Lamanites". Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States According to the The Book of Mormon, a Lamanite is a member of one of four main groups described in the book On their way west, they visited Rigdon in Ohio.

Rigdon read the Book of Mormon, believed in its truthfulness, and was converted to the religion. The Book of Mormon is a Sacred text of the churches in the Latter Day Saint movement. He was baptized into the Church and proceeded to convert hundreds of members of his Ohio congregations. In December of 1830, Rigdon traveled to New York, where he met Joseph Smith. Rigdon was a fiery orator and he was immediately called by Smith to be the spokesman for the church. Rigdon also served as a scribe and helped with Smith's inspired re-translation of the Bible. The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible (JST, also called the Inspired Version of the Bible (I Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin

Kirtland, Ohio, 1830-37

In December of 1830, Smith received a revelation counseling members of the church in New York to gather to Kirtland, Ohio and merge with Rigdon's congregations there. For other places with the same name see Kirtland Kirtland is a city in Lake County, Ohio, USA. Many of the doctrines Rigdon's group had experimented with, including living with all things in common, afterwards found expression in the combined movement.

When Smith organized the church's First Presidency, he set apart Jesse Gause and Rigdon as his first two counselors. In the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (or the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) was the highest governing body in the Latter Day Saint church Jesse Gause (1785 – c 1836 was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served in the First Presidency as a counselor to Church President Smith and Rigdon became close partners, and Rigdon tended to supplant Oliver Cowdery, the original "Second Elder" of the church. Oliver Hervy Pliny Cowdery ( 3 October 1806 – 3 March 1850) was the primary participant with Joseph Smith Jr When vigilantes decided to tar and feather Joseph Smith Jr. at the John Johnson Farm in Hiram, Ohio, they also tarred and feathered Rigdon. The farm of John Johnson in Hiram, Ohio is a key location in the history of the Latter Day Saint movement and The Church of Jesus Christ Hiram is a village in Portage County, Ohio, United States. It was formed from portions of Hiram Township in the Connecticut

Rigdon became a strong advocate of the construction of the Kirtland Temple. The Kirtland Temple is a registered National Historic Landmark in Kirtland Ohio, USA, on the eastern edge of the Cleveland metropolitan area When the church founded the Kirtland Safety Society, Rigdon became the bank's president and Smith served as its cashier. The Kirtland Safety Society (KSS was a quasi- Bank organized in 1836 (and reorganized on January 2, 1837) by leaders and followers of the Church When the bank failed in 1837, Rigdon and Smith were both blamed by Mormon dissenters. Year 1837 ( MDCCCXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common

Far West, Missouri, 1838

Rigdon and Smith moved to Far West, Missouri and established a new church headquarters there. Far West Missouri, was a Latter Day Saint ( Mormon) settlement in Caldwell County Missouri. As spokesman for the First Presidency, Rigdon preached several controversial sermons in Missouri, including the Salt Sermon and the July 4th Oration. In the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (or the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) was the highest governing body in the Latter Day Saint church The salt sermon was an oration delivered on June 17 1838 by Mormon leader Sidney Rigdon, against Mormon dissenters An oration delivered by Mormon leader Sidney Rigdon during a 4th of July celebration in Far West Missouri in 1838 [2] These speeches have sometimes been seen as contributing to the conflict known as the 1838 Mormon War in Missouri. Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common As a result of the conflict, the Mormons were expelled from the state and Rigdon and Smith were arrested and imprisoned in Liberty Jail. Liberty Jail is a former jail in Liberty Missouri, USA where Joseph Smith Jr Rigdon was released on a writ of habeas corpus and made his way to Illinois, where he joined the main body of Mormon refugees in 1839. Habeas corpus (ˈheɪbiəs ˈkɔɹpəs ( Latin: command that you have the body is the name of a legal action or Writ, through which a person can seek relief The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Year 1839 ( MDCCCXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common

Nauvoo, Illinois, 1839-1844

Smith later escaped his Missourian captors and founded the city of Nauvoo, Illinois. There is also a Nauvoo Alabama, and a Nauvoo Pennsylvania Nauvoo ( is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois Rigdon continued to act as church spokesman and gave a speech at the ground-breaking of the original Nauvoo Temple. The Nauvoo Temple was the second temple constructed by Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, However, Smith and Rigdon's relationship began to deteriorate. Rigdon's participation in church administrative affairs was minimal during the Nauvoo period. He did not reside in the city and served in a local church presidency in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was also in poor health. In 1843, Smith intended to place Amasa M. Lyman in the presidency and release Rigdon. Year 1843 ( MDCCCXLIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Amasa Mason Lyman (ˈæməsə ( March 30, 1813 – February 4, 1877) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and was However, during his address at the October 1843 general conference, Rigdon asked that he remain in the Presidency. The congregation then voted to retain him as first counselor, contrary to Smith's expressed wishes. After the vote, Smith stood and stated, "I have thrown him off my shoulders, and you have again put him on me. You may carry him, but I will not. "[3]

When Smith began his campaign for the presidency of the United States in 1844, Rigdon was selected as his vice-presidential running mate. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death In April 1844, William Law, the second counselor in the First Presidency, was excommunicated and his position was not filled. William Law (1809–1892 was an important figure in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement, holding a position in the early church's First Presidency under In the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (or the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) was the highest governing body in the Latter Day Saint church Consequently, after Smith's death, Rigdon was the only remaining member of the First Presidency. During this time, Rigdon's strong opposition to polygamy and other issues within the Church. [4] decreased his popularity within the church membership at large.

1844 succession crisis

See also: Succession crisis

After Smith's murder in 1844, contention arose over the leadership of the Church. The succession crisis in the Latter Day Saint movement occurred after the violent death of the movement's founder Joseph Smith Jr Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Factions, based sometimes on doctrine and sometimes on administrative position, developed and church members began to align themselves with various leaders. (See Succession crisis (Latter Day Saints)) Some members assumed that Rigdon, as the senior surviving member of the First Presidency, would succeed Smith as church president. The succession crisis in the Latter Day Saint movement occurred after the violent death of the movement's founder Joseph Smith Jr Others, however, believed that Smith's young son, Joseph Smith III was the rightful heir. Joseph Smith III ( November 6, 1832 – December 10, 1914) was the eldest surviving son of Joseph Smith Jr Smith's wife, Emma, argued for the claims of the President of the central stake, the presiding High Council, William Marks. Emma Hale Smith Bidamon ( 10 July 1804 – 30 April 1879) was married to Joseph Smith Jr A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. William Marks ( November 15, 1792 &ndash May 22, 1872) was a leader in the early days of the Latter Day Saint movement and was a member Marks, however, supported Rigdon.

Before a large Nauvoo congregation meeting to discuss the issue on August 8, 1844, Rigdon argued that there could be no successor to the deceased prophet and that he should be made the "Protector" of the church. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year "[5]

Brigham Young, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles opposed this reasoning and motion and asserted a claim for the primacy of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Brigham Young (June 1 1801 &ndash August 29 1877 was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church In the Latter Day Saint movement, the quorum of the Twelve (also known as the council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asserts Smith had earlier recorded a revelation in section 107, verses 23-24 of the Doctrine and Covenants that the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were "equal in authority and power" to the First Presidency, so the decision of Smith's successor fell back to the Apostles even though Rigdon believed he was rightly next in line. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known [6] When Young testified of the power and authority of the Twelve Apostles, many in the congregation recorded that Brigham Young's voice took on the sound of Joseph Smith's voice and that Brigham Young's face and mannerisms also appeared as the face and mannerisms of Joseph Smith. [7] For many in attendance at this meeting, this occurrence was accepted as a sign that Brigham Young was to lead the Church as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

The Quorum of Twelve Apostles were scattered throughout the United States and Europe, many on missions, at the time of Smith's death. The five members of the quorum available in Illinois voted to deny Rigdon his claim for Church leadership. Rigdon felt this action was done without proper order. One month later, on September 8, Sidney Rigdon was excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by a Common Council of the Church which had been convened by Presiding Bishop Newel K. Whitney. Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Common Council of the Church is a body of the church that has the power to discipline or remove the President of Bishop is the highest priesthood office of the Aaronic priesthood in the Latter Day Saint movement. Newel Kimball Whitney ( February 5 1795 – 24 September 1850) (first name sometimes found as Newell) was a prominent leader of [8]

Sidney Rigdon refused to attend this trial[9] after which he, in turn, likewise excommunicated the members of the Twelve and fled Nauvoo, claiming that he felt threatened by Young's supporters. [10] He relocated to Pittsburgh where he continued his own Rigdonite faction of Mormonism. Rigdonite is a name given to members of the Latter Day Saint movement who accept Sidney Rigdon as the successor in the church presidency to movement founder He then reorganized the First Presidency and called his own Quorum of Twelve Apostles.

Later, in December 1847, at the Kanesville Tabernacle in modern day Council Bluffs, Iowa, the Apostles and Church members sustained Young as the new President of the church. Council Bluffs is a city in and the County seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church This reinstatement of the First Presidency occurred three years after the death of Joseph Smith, during which time Rigdon claimed his right to govern the Church. [11]

Pennsylvania and New York, 1845-1876

Although Rigdon's church briefly flourished through the publication of his periodical, The Messenger and Advocate, quarrels among the Rigdonites led most members of the church to desert the old leader by 1847. A few loyalists, namely William Bickerton, held on and eventually reorganized in 1862 as the church that is now known as The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite). William Bickerton ( January 15, 1815 – February 17, 1905) was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement after the 1844 succession Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday The Church of Jesus Christ is a Christian Religious denomination headquartered in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, United States.

Rigdon lived on for many years in Pennsylvania and New York. He maintained his testimony of the Book of Mormon and clung to his claims that he was the rightful heir to Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon is a Sacred text of the churches in the Latter Day Saint movement.

Spalding/Rigdon theory

Main article: Spalding-Rigdon theory of Book of Mormon authorship

Some opponents of Mormonism speculated in the 19th century that Rigdon was the true force behind Mormonism. The Spalding-Rigdon theory of Book of Mormon authorship is the theory that the Book of Mormon was plagiarized in part from an unpublished manuscript written The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar According to this view, Rigdon obtained a manuscript for a historical novel from a Pittsburgh publisher that had been written by Solomon Spalding. Solomon Spalding (1761 – October 20, 1816) was the author of the supposed Manuscript Story, a work of Fiction about the lost civilization of Supposedly the novel contained the "historical portion" of the Book of Mormon which Rigdon re-worked, adding his own theology and expanding into the present work. The Book of Mormon is a Sacred text of the churches in the Latter Day Saint movement. Little circumstantial evidence exists for the theory. Rigdon never met Joseph Smith or read the Book of Mormon until after Parley Pratt preached to him. Historians reject the theory due to a lack of significant textual similarity between the Book of Mormon and the one extant Spalding manuscript (now on file at Oberlin College). Oberlin College is a private Liberal arts college in Oberlin Ohio.

Notes

  1. ^ Times and Seasons May 1, 1843. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1843 ( MDCCCXLIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common p. 177 in 1986 reprint by Independence Press, ISBN 0-8309-0467-0
  2. ^ Oration Delivered by Mr. S. Rigdon on the 4th of July at Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri, 1838
  3. ^ Joseph Smith, Jr. History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 49
  4. ^ McKiernan, M. F. : The Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness: Sidney Rigdon, Religious ReformerCoronado Press, 1979
  5. ^ Roberts, B. H. : History of the Church, vol. 7, ch. XVIII
  6. ^ Roberts, B. H. : History of the Church, vol. This article is about a book that chronicles the early history of the LDS Church 7, ch. XIX
  7. ^ Lynne Watkins Jorgensen, "The Mantle of the Prophet Joseph Smith Passes to Brother Brigham: One Hundred Twenty-one Testimonies of a Collective Spiritual Witness" in John W. Welch (ed. ), 2005. Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestations, 1820-1844, Provo, Utah: BYU Press, pp. 374-480.
  8. ^ J. M. Grant's RIGDON: Collection of Facts, Relative to the Course Taken by Elder Sidney Rigdon, in the States of Ohio, Missouri, Illinois and Pennsylvania. By Jedediah M. Grant, One of the Quorum of Seventies., pp. 20-37
  9. ^ Jedediah M. Grant, "A Collection of Facts, Relative to the Course Taken By Elder Sidney Rigdon: In the States of Ohio, Missouri, Illinois and Pennsylvania", Part IV, Brown, Bicking & Guilbert, Printers, 1844
  10. ^ McKiernan, M. F. : The Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness: Sidney Rigdon, Religious Reformer Coronado Press, 1979
  11. ^ McKiernan, M. F. : The Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness: Sidney Rigdon, Religious ReformerCoronado Press, 1979

References

External links

Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star (usually shorted to Millennial Star) was the longest continuously published periodical of The Church of Jesus Find A Grave is a Website allowing its users to access maintain and expand an online Database of Burial records
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