Elijah Fordham was an early member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints most well known for having been miraculously healed by 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...

 in 1839.

Fordham was born 12 April 1798 in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

.

Fordham joined the Church in the 1830s in Pontiac. On one occasion he was speaking in tongues and two Frenchmen happened to be passing by the meeting and were amazed to hear someone speaking French. Fordham served as the historian of the section of Zion's Camp that left from Pontiac, Michigan

Pontiac, Michigan

Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...

. He latter assisted in the building of 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...

.

In 1837 he assisted Parley P. Pratt

Parley P. Pratt

Parley Parker Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 until his murder in 1857. He served in the Quorum with his younger brother, Orson Pratt...

 in organizing the first branch of the church in New York City.

Fordham was healed from the ague

Ague

Ague may refer to:* Fever* MalariaSee also:* Kan Ague, a residential area of Patikul, Sulu, Philippines...

 by the administration of Joseph Smith at Montrose, Iowa

Montrose, Iowa

Montrose is a city in Lee County, Iowa, United States. The population was 957 at the 2000 census. The town is located on the Mississippi River. It is part of the Fort Madison–Keokuk, IA-MO Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

 in 1839. Fordham latter served on the high council of the stake in Iowa. After this Fordham moved to Nauvoo

Nauvoo, Illinois

Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...

 where he was a member of the Nauvoo Legion

Nauvoo Legion

The Nauvoo Legion was a militia originally organized by the Latter Day Saints to defend the city of Nauvoo, Illinois, . To curry political favor with the ambiguously-political Saints, the Illinois state legislature granted Nauvoo a liberal city charter that gave the Nauvoo Legion extraordinary...

 and assisted in building the Nauvoo Temple

Nauvoo Temple

The Nauvoo Temple was the second temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons. The church's first temple was completed in Kirtland, Ohio, United States in 1836. When the main body of the church was forced out of Nauvoo, Illinois in the...

. Among other things for the temple Fordham carved the oxen to hold up the baptismal font of the temple. Fordham served as one of the firewardens of Nauvoo.

Fordham served another mission in 1843 to Knox County, Illinois

Knox County, Illinois

Knox County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 52,919, which is a decrease of 5.2% from 55,836 in 2000...

. In 1844 Fordham was among the missionaries who were sent with at least one assigned to every congressional district.

Fordham came to Utah in Edward Hunter

Edward Hunter

Edward Hunter June 2, 1885 - December 6, 1959 was a Scottish socialist active in both Scotland and New Zealand. He was a trade union organiser, politician and a writer, and played a considerable role in the development of socialism in New Zealand...

's 1850 pioneer company.

Fordham died in Wellsville, Utah

Wellsville, Utah

Wellsville is a city in Cache County, Utah, United States. The population was 3,432 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Wellsville is located at ....

.

Sources

• Hedges, Andrew H.
  Andrew H. Hedges
  Andrew H. Hedges was, from 1995-2009, a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University and a co-editor of the Joseph Smith Papers....
  
  , "Elijah Fordham" in Garr et al., ed., Encyclopedia of Latter Day Saint History, p. 387
• Brown, S. Kent
  S. Kent Brown
  Scott Kent Brown is an American professor of ancient scripture and the director of ancient studies at Brigham Young University.-Biography:...
  
  , Donald Q. Cannon
  Donald Q. Cannon
  Donald Quayle Cannon is a retired professor at Brigham Young University who specializes in Mormon history, particularly early Mormon history and international Mormon history....
  
  and Richard H. Jackson, ed., Historical Atlas of Mormonism, p. 58