David W. Patten
Encyclopedia
David Wyman Patten (November 14, 1799 – October 25, 1838) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement
and an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
. He was killed at the Battle of Crooked River and is one of the most celebrated martyr
s of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
in northern New York. As a youth, David W. Patten moved to the town of Dundee
in eastern Michigan. While there, at the age of twenty-eight he married Phoebe Ann Babcock
in 1828. The two had one stillborn child; they had no children live to adulthood.
. He became "greatly agitated in mind and desired to see it." That summer he had the opportunity to read the preface and the Testimony of the Three Witnesses at the beginning of the book. Two years later, Patten learned that his brother John had recently joined the Church of Christ. Excited, David rode three hundred miles to his brother's house in Fairplay, Indiana to investigate the church. On June 15, 1832, he was baptized by his brother. Two days later, he was ordained
an elder by Elisha H. Groves
.
to the area around the Maumee River
in Michigan. On this trip he was accompanied by another recent convert
, Joseph Wood. Together, the two traveled for 23 days without much food or money, instead relying on nearby families for sustenance and a place to sleep throughout the entire mission. This assignment lasted "a short season." During which time, David baptized his wife. He was ordained
a high priest by Hyrum Smith
on September 2, 1832.
In the end of 1832, several missionaries were sent to states on the East Coast
in response to a revelation
received by Joseph Smith, Jr. in September of the same year. Among these missionaries was David W. Patten. Over the next few months, David traveled with other missionaries like John Murdock
, William Smith, Zebedee Coltrin, John F. Boynton
, Hyrum Smith
, or Reynolds Cahoon
. David W. Patten began preaching in Ohio and made their way to Pennsylvania, and then to New York and back to Kirtland, Ohio
, the center of the church at the time. He returned home on February 15, 1833, and within a month was called on his third mission, this time to preach near Theresa, New York, where his mother and some of his siblings lived. Patten left for New York on March 25, 1833, accompanied by Reynolds Cahoon
. During their journey, the two visited congregations of church members along the way and advised them to move to Kirtland. During one of these visits, a heckler interrupted a meeting in Avon, New York
, ridiculing the elders and refusing to be quiet. Patten told him to be quiet or he would "put him out", to which the heckler responded, "You can't do it." Patten answered "In the name of the Lord, I will" and picked the man up with both hands, took him to the back door, and threw him ten feet into a wood pile. This story became a popular tale for early members of the church.
By May 1833, Patten and his companion had arrived at Theresa. They stayed their first night there at the house of David's brother, Archibald Patten. After remaining in Theresa and preaching for a few weeks, on May 20, 1833, David's mother was baptized by Brigham Young, as were two of his brothers, Ira and Archibald, and two sisters, Polly and Betsy. After a while, David traveled south to Henderson, New York
, where he preached and converted eighty people. After that, Patten returned to Kirtland, Ohio. In the time following his mission, he worked on constructing the Kirtland Temple
and moved his family down from Michigan to Ohio.
In his lifetime, Patten served twelve short missions for the Church in the Eastern United States
from 1832 to 1833 and in Tennessee with Warren Parrish
in 1834. During this time, he was persecuted by mobs while establishing numerous branches
of the church. A common trait of his preaching involved healing people who were ill. David W. Patten described one account:
Nancy Alexander Tracy, an early member of the church who converted at age sixteen, wrote of David W. Patten:
, David Whitmer
and Martin Harris, jointly known as the Three Witnesses
. He served as an apostle from 1835 until his death in 1838.
In late 1836, Patten settled in Far West
, Missouri
. On February 10, 1838, Thomas B. Marsh
and David W. Patten were called to serve as Presidents pro tempore
of the church in Missouri until the president of the church, Joseph Smith Jr., and his counselor Sidney Rigdon
returned. Later that year, on April 6, 1838, when Marsh was called to be President pro tempore of the Church by himself, Patten was appointed to be an assistant to Thomas B. Marsh. In addition, fellow Apostle Brigham Young
also served as an assistant to Marsh. Latter Day Saints in Missouri began to refer to Patten by the nickname "Captain Fear-Not."
Doctrine and Covenants
Section 114, delivered April 17, 1838, is directed to Patten, in which he is called to serve another mission.
. As related by Abraham O. Smoot
after Patten's death, Patten says he encountered a very tall, hairy, dark-skinned man in Paris, Tennessee
who said that he was Cain
. The account states that Cain, the son of Adam from the Bible, had earnestly sought death but was denied it, and that his mission was to destroy the souls of men. The recollection of Patten's story is quoted in Spencer W. Kimball
's The Miracle of Forgiveness, a popular book within the LDS Church. In the 1980s, Patten's story was used by some Latter-day Saints to explain Bigfoot
sightings in South Weber
, Utah
.
Patten died on October 25, 1838, due to wounds received in the Battle of Crooked River
. Many historians believe this conflict was primarily caused by deteriorating conditions between Mormon
settlers and other religious groups in Missouri. As tensions between Mormon and non-Mormon groups increased, a group of men from the state militia abducted three Mormon men on October 24, 1838. In response, Patten led a group of Mormon men to rescue the men. Before daybreak on the 25th, as the Mormon militia approached the ford where the state militia was camped, a non-Mormon guard, John Lockhart, called out "Who goes there?" and immediately fired at the Mormons. The shot hit Patrick O'Bannion, one of Patten's guides, and mortally wounded him. Crying "God and Liberty," Patten ordered a charge and led the Mormon militia in the attack. Fighting in the resulting battle led to 16 casualties and 4 fatalities, among them Patten, who was serving as commander of the Mormon militia group and who was shot in the bowels. The three men kidnapped by the state militia were rescued.
The wounded Patten was carried from the battlefield to the home of Stephen Winchester, some four miles distant. Enroute he was visited by Joseph Smith, Jr., Hyrum Smith
, and his wife. Patten reiterated his testimony of the Church to his visitors. Upon seeing her husband dying, Ann Patten exclaimed, "Oh God! Oh my husband! How pale you look." His final words were in a prayer to God to release his "spirit and receive it unto Thyself". Moments after this, about 10 PM, he died. About David W. Patten's death, Joseph Smith said "There lies a man who has done just as he said he would - he has laid down his life for his friends." Patten was buried in an unmarked grave on October 27, 1838 in Far West, Missouri.
was ordained. Between Patten’s death and then, John E. Page
, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff
, George A. Smith
, and Willard Richards
had been ordained and added to the Quorum to replace Patten and apostles who had been excommunicated.
Shortly after the Battle of Crooked River, Missouri Executive Order 44 was issued by Missouri Governor Lilburn W. Boggs. Only days later, the Latter Day Saints living in the community of Haun's Mill
were attacked by a mob and experienced many casualties. These events ultimately led to the expulsion of the Latter Day Saints from Missouri. Patten is regarded by Latter-day Saints as a martyr
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
and an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is one of the governing bodies in the church hierarchy...
. He was killed at the Battle of Crooked River and is one of the most celebrated martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
Early life
Patten was born to Benoni Patten and Edith Cole in Theresa, Jefferson County, New York. He was the eleventh of thirteen children. When he was young, his family moved to TheresaTheresa (village), New York
Theresa is a village located in the Town of Theresa in Jefferson County, New York, USA. The population was 812 at the 2000 census.The Village of Theresa is northeast of Watertown.- History :...
in northern New York. As a youth, David W. Patten moved to the town of Dundee
Dundee, Michigan
Dundee is a village in Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,522 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Dundee Township. Through a series of annexations and land transfers, the village has greatly increased in size over the past several years...
in eastern Michigan. While there, at the age of twenty-eight he married Phoebe Ann Babcock
Phoebe Ann Patten
Phoebe Ann Patten was an early member and missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, as well as a caretaker during the 1838 Mormon War and wife of early church leader and apostle David W. Patten...
in 1828. The two had one stillborn child; they had no children live to adulthood.
Conversion
In 1830, David W. Patten first heard about the Book of MormonBook of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
. He became "greatly agitated in mind and desired to see it." That summer he had the opportunity to read the preface and the Testimony of the Three Witnesses at the beginning of the book. Two years later, Patten learned that his brother John had recently joined the Church of Christ. Excited, David rode three hundred miles to his brother's house in Fairplay, Indiana to investigate the church. On June 15, 1832, he was baptized by his brother. Two days later, he was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
an elder by Elisha H. Groves
Elisha H. Groves
Elisha H. Groves , at times mis-identified as Elisha B. Groves, was a 19th century mid-level leader in the LDS Church and a member of the first Utah Territorial Legislature....
.
Missions
Immediately after his baptism, he was ordained an Elder by Elisha H. Groves, at which time he was sent on a missionMissionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
to the area around the Maumee River
Maumee River
The Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before flowing into the...
in Michigan. On this trip he was accompanied by another recent convert
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
, Joseph Wood. Together, the two traveled for 23 days without much food or money, instead relying on nearby families for sustenance and a place to sleep throughout the entire mission. This assignment lasted "a short season." During which time, David baptized his wife. He was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
a high priest by Hyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith was an American religious leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement. He was the older brother of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr....
on September 2, 1832.
In the end of 1832, several missionaries were sent to states on the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
in response to a revelation
Revelation (Latter Day Saints)
Latter Day Saints teach that the Latter Day Saint movement began with a Revelation from God . They also teach that revelation is the foundation of the church established by Jesus Christ and that it remains an essential element of His true church today...
received by Joseph Smith, Jr. in September of the same year. Among these missionaries was David W. Patten. Over the next few months, David traveled with other missionaries like John Murdock
John Murdock (Mormon)
John Murdock was an early convert to the Latter Day Saint movement and was a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He is mentioned twice in the Doctrine and Covenants...
, William Smith, Zebedee Coltrin, John F. Boynton
John F. Boynton
John Farnham Boynton was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an American geologist and inventor. He was one of the original members of the Latter Day Saint movement's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles....
, Hyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith was an American religious leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement. He was the older brother of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr....
, or Reynolds Cahoon
Reynolds Cahoon
Reynolds Cahoon was an early leader in Latter Day Saint movement and later, in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was one of the inaugural members of the Council of Fifty, organized by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1844....
. David W. Patten began preaching in Ohio and made their way to Pennsylvania, and then to New York and back to Kirtland, Ohio
Kirtland, Ohio
Kirtland is a city in Lake County, Ohio, USA. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census. Kirtland is famous for being the early headquarters of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Origins of Kirtland:...
, the center of the church at the time. He returned home on February 15, 1833, and within a month was called on his third mission, this time to preach near Theresa, New York, where his mother and some of his siblings lived. Patten left for New York on March 25, 1833, accompanied by Reynolds Cahoon
Reynolds Cahoon
Reynolds Cahoon was an early leader in Latter Day Saint movement and later, in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was one of the inaugural members of the Council of Fifty, organized by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1844....
. During their journey, the two visited congregations of church members along the way and advised them to move to Kirtland. During one of these visits, a heckler interrupted a meeting in Avon, New York
Avon (town), New York
Avon is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The town is bordered on the north by the town of Rush, New York in Monroe County. Avon is south of Rochester. The population was 6,443 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the river Avon...
, ridiculing the elders and refusing to be quiet. Patten told him to be quiet or he would "put him out", to which the heckler responded, "You can't do it." Patten answered "In the name of the Lord, I will" and picked the man up with both hands, took him to the back door, and threw him ten feet into a wood pile. This story became a popular tale for early members of the church.
By May 1833, Patten and his companion had arrived at Theresa. They stayed their first night there at the house of David's brother, Archibald Patten. After remaining in Theresa and preaching for a few weeks, on May 20, 1833, David's mother was baptized by Brigham Young, as were two of his brothers, Ira and Archibald, and two sisters, Polly and Betsy. After a while, David traveled south to Henderson, New York
Henderson, New York
Henderson is a town in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 1,360 at the 2010 census. The town is named after William Henderson, the original land owner....
, where he preached and converted eighty people. After that, Patten returned to Kirtland, Ohio. In the time following his mission, he worked on constructing the Kirtland Temple
Kirtland Temple
The Kirtland Temple is a National Historic Landmark in Kirtland, Ohio, USA, on the eastern edge of the Cleveland metropolitan area. Owned and operated by the Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , the house of worship was the first temple to be...
and moved his family down from Michigan to Ohio.
In his lifetime, Patten served twelve short missions for the Church in the Eastern United States
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
from 1832 to 1833 and in Tennessee with Warren Parrish
Warren Parrish
Warren Parrish was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint or Mormonism movement. Parrish held a number of positions of responsibility, including that of scribe to church president Joseph Smith Jr. Parrish and other leaders became disillusioned with Smith after the failure of the Kirtland Safety...
in 1834. During this time, he was persecuted by mobs while establishing numerous branches
Branch (Mormonism)
In denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement , a branch is the term used for what is called a congregation in other Christian denominations.-See also:*Bishop*Stake*Ward...
of the church. A common trait of his preaching involved healing people who were ill. David W. Patten described one account:
"Jesus called upon me to lay hands on [Brother] Coltrain who accidentally burned his hand and he received no harm. Brother William Smith had a pain in his eye and I laid my hand on him in the name of Jesus Christ and the pain left him."
Nancy Alexander Tracy, an early member of the church who converted at age sixteen, wrote of David W. Patten:
"...I could at a glance see the noble spirit he possessed beaming in his countenance, and when he began to speak it was with such force and power. Before he was half through I could have borne my testimony of the truth of the gospel and doctrine he was preaching.
Apostleship
Patten became one of the original apostles of the Church of the Latter Day Saints on February 15, 1835, receiving his ordination from Oliver CowderyOliver Cowdery
Oliver H. P. Cowdery was, with Joseph Smith, Jr., an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836, becoming one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's golden plates, one of the first Latter Day Saint apostles, and the Second Elder of...
, David Whitmer
David Whitmer
David Whitmer was an early adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement who eventually became the most interviewed of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon's Golden Plates.-Early life:...
and Martin Harris, jointly known as the Three Witnesses
Three Witnesses
The Three Witnesses were a group of three early leaders of the Latter Day Saint movement who signed a statement in 1830 saying that an angel had shown them the golden plates from which Joseph Smith, Jr. translated the Book of Mormon and that they had heard God's voice testifying that the book had...
. He served as an apostle from 1835 until his death in 1838.
In late 1836, Patten settled in Far West
Far West, Missouri
Far West, Missouri, was a Latter Day Saint settlement in Caldwell County, Missouri.-Foundation and early history:The town was founded by Missouri Mormon leaders, W. W. Phelps and John Whitmer in August 1836 shortly before the county's creation. The town was platted originally as a square area,...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. On February 10, 1838, Thomas B. Marsh
Thomas B. Marsh
Thomas Baldwin Marsh was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He served as the first President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from 1835 to 1839...
and David W. Patten were called to serve as Presidents pro tempore
Pro tempore
Pro tempore , abbreviated pro tem or p.t., is a Latin phrase which best translates to "for the time being" in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a locum tenens in the absence of a superior, such as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate.Legislative...
of the church in Missouri until the president of the church, Joseph Smith Jr., and his counselor Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon was a leader during the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Baptist background:...
returned. Later that year, on April 6, 1838, when Marsh was called to be President pro tempore of the Church by himself, Patten was appointed to be an assistant to Thomas B. Marsh. In addition, fellow Apostle Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
also served as an assistant to Marsh. Latter Day Saints in Missouri began to refer to Patten by the nickname "Captain Fear-Not."
Doctrine and Covenants
Doctrine and Covenants
The Doctrine and Covenants is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement...
Section 114, delivered April 17, 1838, is directed to Patten, in which he is called to serve another mission.
Story of meeting Cain
Patten is reportedly the source of a story which has become a part of Mormon folkloreMormon folklore
Mormon folklore is a body of expressive culture unique to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members. It includes tales, oral history, popular beliefs, customs, music, jokes, and other traditions....
. As related by Abraham O. Smoot
Abraham O. Smoot
Abraham Owen Smoot was a Mormon pioneer, the second mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah, mayor of Provo, Utah, and an early supporter of Brigham Young Academy .-Early life:...
after Patten's death, Patten says he encountered a very tall, hairy, dark-skinned man in Paris, Tennessee
Paris, Tennessee
Paris is a city in Henry County, Tennessee, United States, west of Nashville, on a fork of the West Sandy River. In 1900, 2,018 people lived in Paris, Tennessee; in 1910, 3,881; and in 1940, 6,395. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 9,763. It is the county seat of Henry...
who said that he was Cain
Cain and Abel
In the Hebrew Bible, Cain and Abel are two sons of Adam and Eve. The Qur'an mentions the story, calling them the two sons of Adam only....
. The account states that Cain, the son of Adam from the Bible, had earnestly sought death but was denied it, and that his mission was to destroy the souls of men. The recollection of Patten's story is quoted in Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer Woolley Kimball was the twelfth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1973 until his death in 1985.-Ancestry:...
's The Miracle of Forgiveness, a popular book within the LDS Church. In the 1980s, Patten's story was used by some Latter-day Saints to explain Bigfoot
Bigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
sightings in South Weber
South Weber, Utah
South Weber is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,260 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
Battle of Crooked River
Battle of Crooked River
The Battle of Crooked River was a skirmish between Latter Day Saint forces and Missouri state militia unit from southeast of Elmira, Missouri in Ray County under the command of Samuel Bogart...
. Many historians believe this conflict was primarily caused by deteriorating conditions between Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
settlers and other religious groups in Missouri. As tensions between Mormon and non-Mormon groups increased, a group of men from the state militia abducted three Mormon men on October 24, 1838. In response, Patten led a group of Mormon men to rescue the men. Before daybreak on the 25th, as the Mormon militia approached the ford where the state militia was camped, a non-Mormon guard, John Lockhart, called out "Who goes there?" and immediately fired at the Mormons. The shot hit Patrick O'Bannion, one of Patten's guides, and mortally wounded him. Crying "God and Liberty," Patten ordered a charge and led the Mormon militia in the attack. Fighting in the resulting battle led to 16 casualties and 4 fatalities, among them Patten, who was serving as commander of the Mormon militia group and who was shot in the bowels. The three men kidnapped by the state militia were rescued.
The wounded Patten was carried from the battlefield to the home of Stephen Winchester, some four miles distant. Enroute he was visited by Joseph Smith, Jr., Hyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith was an American religious leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement. He was the older brother of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr....
, and his wife. Patten reiterated his testimony of the Church to his visitors. Upon seeing her husband dying, Ann Patten exclaimed, "Oh God! Oh my husband! How pale you look." His final words were in a prayer to God to release his "spirit and receive it unto Thyself". Moments after this, about 10 PM, he died. About David W. Patten's death, Joseph Smith said "There lies a man who has done just as he said he would - he has laid down his life for his friends." Patten was buried in an unmarked grave on October 27, 1838 in Far West, Missouri.
Legacy
After Patten's death, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles did not have twelve apostles again until 1841, when Lyman WightLyman Wight
Lyman Wight was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He was the leader of the Latter Day Saints in Daviess County, Missouri in 1838. In 1841, he was ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. After the death of Joseph Smith, Jr...
was ordained. Between Patten’s death and then, John E. Page
John E. Page
John Edward Page was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement.Born in 1799 in Trenton, New York, Page was the son of Ebenezer and Rachael Page. He was baptized into the Church of Christ, established by Joseph Smith, Jr., in Brownhelm, Ohio in August 1833 by missionary Emer Harris, brother...
, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
, George A. Smith
George A. Smith
George Albert Smith was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and as a member of the church's First Presidency.-Childhood:Smith was born in Potsdam, St...
, and Willard Richards
Willard Richards
Willard Richards was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served as Second Counselor in the First Presidency to church president Brigham Young in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death.Willard Richards was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to...
had been ordained and added to the Quorum to replace Patten and apostles who had been excommunicated.
Shortly after the Battle of Crooked River, Missouri Executive Order 44 was issued by Missouri Governor Lilburn W. Boggs. Only days later, the Latter Day Saints living in the community of Haun's Mill
Haun's Mill massacre
The Haun's Mill massacre was an event in the history of the Latter Day Saint movement. It occurred on October 30, 1838 when a mob/militia unit from Livingston County attacked a Mormon settlement in eastern Caldwell County, Missouri, United States, after the Battle of Crooked River...
were attacked by a mob and experienced many casualties. These events ultimately led to the expulsion of the Latter Day Saints from Missouri. Patten is regarded by Latter-day Saints as a martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.