Benjamin Franklin Johnson (July 28, 1818 – November 18, 1905) was an early member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a member of the Council of Fifty

Council of Fifty

The Council of Fifty was a Latter Day Saint organization established by Joseph Smith, Jr...

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Johnson was formerly private secretary to Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith was founder of what later became known as the Latter Day Saint movement or Mormons.Joseph Smith may also refer to:-Latter Day Saints:* Joseph Smith, Sr. , father of Joseph Smith...

. He also served fourteen terms in the Utah State Legislature

Utah State Legislature

The Utah State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. It is a bicameral body, comprising the Utah House of Representatives, with 75 Representatives, and the Utah Senate, with 29 State Senators...

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Plural marriage

Johnson's sister married Joseph Smith, Jr. as a plural marriage

Plural marriage

Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...

. Johnson records the event where Joseph Smith, Jr. approached Johnson about the arrangement:

Relations

Johnson was the brother of Latter-day Saint hymnwriter Joel H. Johnson

Joel H. Johnson

Joel Hills Johnson was a Latter-day Saint missionary and hymn writer, most famous as the author of "High on the Mountain Top" . Johnson was also the founder of Enoch, Utah.-Early life:Johnson was born in Grafton, Massachusetts on March 23, 1802...

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Descendants

• Alma Dayer LeBaron, Sr.
  Alma Dayer LeBaron, Sr.
  Alma Dayer LeBaron, Sr. was a Mormon fundamentalist who was the father of a number of leaders and church founders in Mormon fundamentalism.LeBaron was generally known as 'Dayer LeBaron' and was the grandson of Benjamin F. Johnson...
  
  
  • Joel LeBaron
    Joel LeBaron
    Joel Franklin LeBaron was a leader in the Mormon fundamentalist movement in northern Mexico. He was murdered by a member or members of a rival church which was headed by his brother Ervil LeBaron.-Early life:...
    
    
  • Ervil LeBaron
    Ervil LeBaron
    Ervil Morrell LeBaron was the leader of a polygamous Mormon fundamentalist group who ordered the killings of many of his opponents, using the religious doctrine of blood atonement to justify the murders...
    
    

External links

• Our Heritage, p. 49
• Profile from BYU