Lyman Wight

Lyman Wight
Presidentof theChurch of Christ
1844 – 1858
Predecessor	Joseph Smith
Successor	None
Reason	Succession crisis
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
April 8, 1841(1841-04-08)– December 3, 1848(1848-12-03)
Called by	Joseph Smith
End reason	Excommunicated for apostasy
Latter Day SaintApostle
April 8, 1841(1841-04-08)– December 3, 1848(1848-12-03)
Called by	Joseph Smith
Reason	Replenishing Quorum of the Twelve
End reason	Excommunicated for apostasy
Reorganization at end of term	Charles C. Rich,Lorenzo Snow,Erastus Snow,andFranklin D. Richardsordained
Personal details
Born	(1796-05-09)May 9, 1796 Fairfield,New York,United States
Died	March 31, 1858(1858-03-31)(aged 61) Mountain Valley,Texas,United States

Lyman Wight(May 9, 1796 – March 31, 1858) was an early leader in theLatter Day Saint movement.He was the leader of the Latter Day Saints inDaviess County, Missouri,in 1838. In 1841, he was ordained a member of theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles.After thedeath of Joseph Smithresulted in asuccession crisis,Wight led his own break-off group of Latter Day Saints toTexas,where they created a settlement. While in Texas, Wight broke with the main body of thegroupled byBrigham Young.Wight was ordainedpresidentof his own church, but he later sided with the claims ofWilliam Smith,and eventually ofJoseph Smith III.After his death, most of the "Wightites"(as members of this church were called) joined with theReorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints(RLDS Church).

Early life

Harriet (Benton) Wight

Lyman Wight was born to Levi Wight and Sarah Corton on May 9, 1796, inFairfield, New York.He fought in theWar of 1812.On January 5, 1823, he married Harriet Benton inHenrietta, New York.Sometime around 1826, Wight moved toWarrensville Township, Ohio,and was baptized into the Reformed Baptist (later Disciples of Christ or Campbellite) faith bySidney Rigdonin May 1829. In February 1830, Wight united withIsaac Morleyand others in forming a common stock utopian society inKirtland, Ohio.He eventually married four wives and had eleven children.

Service in the church

Wight was baptized a member of theChurch of ChristbyOliver Cowderyon November 14, 1830. He was ordained to the high priesthood in June 1831 by Joseph Smith Jr. and was tasked with traveling from Kirtland toMissouriwithJohn Corrill,preaching along the way.He also ordained Joseph Smith Jr., Joseph Smith Sr., Sidney Rigdon, and many others at this time to the high priesthood.He stated he had seen Jesus Christ.Shortly afterwards, Wight went to Missouri, and laterCincinnati, Ohio,to preach, where he baptized over 100 people.Wight served elevenmissionsas a member of the church.

Jackson County conflict and Zion's Camp

With many of his converts, Wight went to settle inIndependence, Missouri,to build the "City of Zion".TheMormonsinJackson Countywere at odds with their non-Mormon neighbors, who resorted to vigilantism to drive the church from the county.

On July 23, 1833, Wight signed an agreement with the vigilantes which specified that the Latter Day Saints would leave Jackson County by 1834. The Saints were driven out anyway into neighboringClay County.The church membership called on several elders to go up to Kirtland to tell Joseph Smith about the events. When the elders refused, Wight stepped forward to make the journey, despite his wife being ill with a three-day-old child and only three days of food.Parley P. Prattvolunteered to go with Wight.

Wight and Pratt arrived inKirtland, Ohio,on February 22, 1834. Two days later, they testified about the conflict in Missouri to the newly formedhigh council.This led to the organization ofZion's Camp.Smith sent out men, two by two, to recruit volunteers. Wight left on April 21 withHyrum Smithto recruit from the northwestern United States. Recruitment was difficult, as many people did not want to leave their homes to defend others in Missouri. Smith and Wight recruited about twenty individuals, includingHosea Stout,who was not a church member at the time but was impressed with their preaching. They met with the main company on June 8 at theSalt Riverin Missouri, bringing the total to 207 men, 11 women, 11 children, and 25 wagons.

Wight tolerated the conditions of the company—including the eating of moldy and rancid food—under the promises from Joseph Smith that they would not be afflicted by it. After a 900-mile march, the members of the camp reached Missouri where they were smitten withcholera.They were then discharged without having accomplished their goal of returning the Latter Day Saints to Jackson County. At the end of Zion's Camp, Wight wrote up the discharge orders, and remained in Missouri according to Smith's request.

Itinerant preaching

For the remainder of 1834, Wight worked making bricks in Missouri, and built a large brick house for Colonel Arthur of Clay County, employing several others, includingWilford Woodruff.

In 1835, Wight was encouraged to travel to thetemple at Kirtland.While on the journey, he preached. He stopped byRichmond, Indiana.He knew that people in the area were antagonistic towards the Mormons, yet he made an appointment to preach at the courthouse. At the appointed time, he went to the courthouse. People with tar and feathers filled the room, ready to lynch him. The event is described thus:

He preached about two hours, reproving them most severely for their meanness, wickedness and mobocratic spirit. At the close of the meeting he said, "If there is a gentleman in this congregation, I wish he would invite me to stay with him overnight." Whereupon, a gentleman stepped forward and tendered him an invitation, which he willingly accepted. His host said, "Mr Wight, it is astonishing how you have become so well acquainted with the people here, for you have described them very correctly." He was kindly entertained and furnished with money in the morning to aid him on his journey.

Mormon leader in Daviess County

Residence of Lyman Wight at Adam-ondi-Ahman in 1838 (lean-to on the end of building is not part of the original residence)

Staying the winter in Kirtland, Wight set out to return to Missouri in 1836. In 1837, apostleDavid W. Pattenaccused him of teaching false doctrine, for which he was tried before the high council inFar West.Being found guilty, Wight made the necessary acknowledgments and apologies.

Settling near theGrand RiverinDaviess County, Missouri,on about February 1, 1838, Wight built a house and later a ferry which became known as "Wight's Ferry". On May 19, 1838, Joseph Smith paid a visit to Wight's home and ferry. It was from his house that Smith received arevelationaboutAdam-ondi-Ahmanand foretold the future gathering there.

On June 28, 1838, at a conference of local church members, Smith organized astakeat Adam-ondi-Ahman, with his uncleJohn Smithas president, withReynolds Cahoonand Wight as counselors. With the organization, members began settling in the area, including new members and refugees from Kirtland.

Wight had also become a Colonel in the 50th regiment of the Missouri Regiment, in the state militia, under the command of General H. G. Parks. By end of June, he was also head of theDaniteorganization in Daviess County. Between his several roles, Wight became the preeminent leader of the Latter Day Saints in the county.

The Mormon War

In the summer of 1838, the troubles of theMormon Warbegan with events on theGallatin Election Day Battle.In response, Wight armed over 150 men at this time to defend the Latter Day Saints in Daviess County. Wight was accused, along with Joseph Smith, of organizing an army and threatening and harassing various old settlers of the county. Smith and Wight agreed to be tried in order to ease the tensions in the area. On September 7, 1838, they were presented before JudgeAustin A. King,who ordered them to stand trial before the circuit court on bail of $500.

After the trial, emotions did not abate on either side. The Mormons and non-Mormons in Daviess County engaged in non-fatal conflicts. Non-Mormon vigilantes from other counties came to the county and began to harass the Latter Day Saints in outlying areas, burning their homes and looting their property. Refugees began pouring into Adam-ondi-Ahman, seeking protection. The Mormon response was to call up armed volunteers fromCaldwell County.Combining with the Daviess men, the Mormons split into three groups and raided the chief non-Mormon settlements. Wight led the raid on Millport. The old settlers and their families fled and Wight and his men looted their property and burned their homes to the ground.

Following these actions, theBattle of Crooked Rivertook place. Smith advised every church member to go to Adam-ondi-Ahman or Far West for protection and strength. When Far West fell under siege after theMissouri Executive Order 44,Wight organized members in Adam-ondi-Ahman to assist them. No battle took place, however, as Wight and the other Mormon leaders were arrested by the state militia and the Mormon militia subsequently surrendered.

While in custody of the state troops, Wight endured the mockery and vulgarity of the troops, lying in the ground in the rain. A court martial which might have led to Wight's execution was averted by GeneralAlexander William DoniphanofClay County,who challenged the legality of any such court. Instead, Wight and the other leaders were tried in the civil courts. Wight and other leaders were allowed to escape from jail during their transfer toBoone Countyon April 6, 1839.

Nauvoo era

Wight was ordained anapostleof the church by Smith on April 8, 1841, to replace Patten, who had died in the Battle of Crooked River in 1838. Wight andGeorge Millerbecame co-responsible for a common-stock, religious cooperative company/church mill and logging town in the wilderness of Wisconsin. Much lumber for theNauvoo Templeand theNauvoo Housewere floated down the Mississippi River from the several Mormon mills in the area.

Succession crisis and Wightite colony

Split with the LDS Church

During thesuccession crisisafter Smith's death, Wight felt compelled to follow the orders Smith had given him to found a safe haven for the Latter Day Saints in theRepublic of Texas.Brigham Young attempted several times to persuade Wight to join the main body of Latter-day Saints, which he had organized asthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintsin theAlta Californiaarea ofMexico,which would become theUtah Territoryin 1850. However, Wight refused each time.He rejected Young as a prophet.Wight was eventually excommunicated by Young on December 3, 1848;his most prominent follower,BishopGeorge Miller,was also disfellowshipped.

Zodiac, Texas

Wight moved his group of Latter Day Saints to the Republic of Texas and he would eventually found several communities on the central Texas frontier. Wight's followers built the first Latter Day Sainttemplewest of the Mississippi. The temple was built inZodiac, Texas,about three miles fromFredericksburg.Sealings,ordinations,washing and anointings,andadoptionswere performed in this temple by the Wightites.

The only remaining material infrastructure of the colony is the Mormon Mill cemetery near Hamilton Creek, about fifty miles east by north of Fredericksburg.

President of the Church of Christ (Wightite)

Wight would later recognize William Smith as the president of theLatter Day Saintsfor a short time and served as a counselor in Smith's short-livedFirst Presidency.After 1849, Wight wrote and stated that he believed the prophetic mantle of church leadership should fall on the shoulders of Joseph Smith's sons. By then, Wight had rejected Brigham Young, William Smith, andJames Strangas pretenders to be Smith's successor. In 1851, after thePedernales Riveroverflowed its banks and destroyed Zodiac, the Wightite colonists moved toBurnet County,establishingMormon Mill.

Death

Wight died on March 31, 1858, inMountain Valley, Texasat the age of 61. He had been experiencingepileptic spasms.Wight had been living in Texas with a small remnant of his colony. His group had been traveling to Jackson County, Missouri, where he wished to rejoin the remainder of themid-western Latter Day Saints.He was buried in histemple robesat the Mormon cemetery at Zodiac, which no longer exists. After Wight's death, most of his followers became members of the RLDS Church (renamed the Community of Christ in 2001), led by Joseph Smith III.

See also

• Castell, Texas
• Castellites

References

• Baugh, Alexander L.(2000),A Call to Arms: The 1838 Mormon Defense of Northern Missouri,Provo, Utah:BYU Studies,ISBN0842524703,OCLC45456708
• Johnson, Melvin C. (2006),Polygamy On The Pedernales: Lyman Wight's Mormon Villages in Antebellum Texas, 1845 to 1858,Logan, Utah:Utah State University Press,ISBN0-87421-627-3,LCCN2005035650,OCLC62728463
• Van Wagenen, Michael (2002),The Texas Republic and the Mormon Kingdom of God,College Station: Texas A&M University Press,ISBN1-58544-184-8,LCCN2001006772,OCLC48475601
• Biographyof Lyman Wight, The Joseph Smith Papers (accessed May 10, 2012)
• Laughlin, David L.,David L. Laughlin Research Files,(MSS 2327), L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University.

Further reading

• Wight, Jermy Benton (1996).The Wild Ram of the Mountain: The Story of Lyman Wight.J.B. Wight.ISBN978-0-9651163-7-4.

External resources

• Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages: Lyman Wight
• Lyman Wight, "Saints Without Haloes",Leonard J. ArringtonandDavis Bitton.Signature Books.
• Lyman Wight's Mormon Colony in Texasexcerpt from "Mormon Trails" chapter inHill Countrytravel guide by Richard Zelade (2001). Accessed online August 6, 2007.
• Davis Bitton papers on Lyman Wight, 1849-1996,L. Tom Perry Special Collections
• Lyman Wight records of baptisms for the dead,L. Tom Perry Special Collections