Hiram Page
Encyclopedia
Hiram Page was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement
and one of the Eight Witnesses
to the Book of Mormon's
Golden Plates
.
. Earlier in his life, he studied medicine which he practiced during his travels throughout New York
and Canada
. On November 10, 1825, Page married Catherine Whitmer, daughter of Peter Whitmer, Sr.
and Mary Musselman
. The two had nine children together: John, Elizabeth, Philander, Mary, Peter, Nancy, Hiram, Oliver, and Kate.
Page became one of the Eight Witnesses
during June 1829. He and Catherine were baptized on April 11, 1830, by Oliver Cowdery
. On June 9, he was ordained a teacher in the church, one of the first twelve officers.
While Page was living with the Whitmers in Fayette, New York
, Joseph Smith, Jr. arrived in August 1830 to discover Hiram using a "seerstone" to receive revelations for the church. The only available detail about the stone was that it was black. The revelations were regarding the organization and location of Zion. Oliver Cowdery and the Whitmer family (and probably others) believed the revelations Page had received were true. In response, Joseph Smith received a revelation during the conference in September of that year to have Oliver Cowdery go to Hiram and convince him that his revelations were of the devil (Doctrine and Covenants). At the conference there was considerable discussion on the topic. Hiram agreed to discard the stone and the revelations he received and join in following Joseph Smith as the sole revelator for the church. The members present confirmed this unanimously with a vote. Later, the stone was ground to powder and the revelations purportedly received through it were burned.
In January 1831, Page accompanied Lucy Mack Smith
and a company of saints from Waterloo, New York, to Buffalo on the Erie Canal
, on their way to Fairport
and Kirtland, Ohio
. In May 1831, Page moved his family to Thompson, Ohio
, under Lucy Mack Smith
's direction. He again moved his family to Jackson County, Missouri
in 1832 and joined the Latter Day Saints gathering there. With the other Whitmers, they formed a cluster of ten or twelve homes called the "Whitmer Settlement". Hiram owned 120 acres (486,000 m²) of land in the area.
During the growing anti-Mormon
hostilities in Jackson County, Page was severely beaten by a group of non-Mormon vigilantes on October 31, 1833. On July 31 and August 6, 1834 he testified to the facts of the beatings. By 1834 he and his family were expelled along with the other Latter Day Saints, and lived for a time in neighboring Clay County, before moving to Far West
.
Page and other members of the Whitmer family were excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1838. He later bought a farm in Excelsior Springs
, back in Clay County.
William E. M'Lellin baptized Hiram Page, David Whitmer
, John Whitmer
, and Jacob Whitmer
on September 6, 1847 into his newly formed Church of Christ
. William ordained Hiram a high priest in the church. Hiram participated in the subsequent ordinations of the others.
He died on his farm in Excelsior Springs on August 12, 1852, still affirming his testimony of the Book of Mormon. His death was caused when his wagon over turned, crushing him underneath.
A commemorative marker was placed April 27, 2002, on the rediscovered Hiram Page grave, near Excelsior Springs, Missouri
.
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 one of the Eight Witnesses
Eight Witnesses
The Eight Witnesses were one of the two groups of witnesses who signed a statement stating that they had seen the golden plates which Joseph Smith, Jr. said was his source material for the book...
to the Book of Mormon's
Book 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...
Golden Plates
Golden Plates
According to Latter Day Saint belief, the golden plates are the source from which Joseph Smith, Jr. translated the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the faith...
.
Biography
Page was born in VermontVermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. Earlier in his life, he studied medicine which he practiced during his travels throughout New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. On November 10, 1825, Page married Catherine Whitmer, daughter of Peter Whitmer, Sr.
Peter Whitmer, Sr.
Peter Whitmer, Sr. was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement, and father of the movement's second founding family.Peter Whitmer, Sr. was born April 14, 1773 in Pennsylvania and married Mary Elsa Musselman. The Whitmers had eight children together: Christian, Jacob, John, David,...
and Mary Musselman
Mary Whitmer
Mary Musselman Whitmer was a Mormon Witness, the wife of Peter Whitmer, Sr. Through her son David Whitmer, she and her family became acquainted with Joseph Smith, Jr. around 1828...
. The two had nine children together: John, Elizabeth, Philander, Mary, Peter, Nancy, Hiram, Oliver, and Kate.
Page became one of the Eight Witnesses
Eight Witnesses
The Eight Witnesses were one of the two groups of witnesses who signed a statement stating that they had seen the golden plates which Joseph Smith, Jr. said was his source material for the book...
during June 1829. He and Catherine were baptized on April 11, 1830, by Oliver Cowdery
Oliver 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...
. On June 9, he was ordained a teacher in the church, one of the first twelve officers.
While Page was living with the Whitmers in Fayette, New York
Fayette, New York
Fayette is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 3,643 at the 2000 census.The Town of Fayette is on the western border of the county and is southeast of Geneva, New York.- History :...
, Joseph Smith, Jr. arrived in August 1830 to discover Hiram using a "seerstone" to receive revelations for the church. The only available detail about the stone was that it was black. The revelations were regarding the organization and location of Zion. Oliver Cowdery and the Whitmer family (and probably others) believed the revelations Page had received were true. In response, Joseph Smith received a revelation during the conference in September of that year to have Oliver Cowdery go to Hiram and convince him that his revelations were of the devil (Doctrine and Covenants). At the conference there was considerable discussion on the topic. Hiram agreed to discard the stone and the revelations he received and join in following Joseph Smith as the sole revelator for the church. The members present confirmed this unanimously with a vote. Later, the stone was ground to powder and the revelations purportedly received through it were burned.
In January 1831, Page accompanied Lucy Mack Smith
Lucy Mack Smith
Lucy Mack Smith was the mother of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. She is most noted for writing an award-winning memoir: Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations. She was an important leader of the movement during...
and a company of saints from Waterloo, New York, to Buffalo on the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
, on their way to Fairport
Fairport Harbor, Ohio
Fairport Harbor is a village in Lake County, Ohio, United States, along Lake Erie at the mouth of the Grand River. The population was 3,180 at the 2000 census....
and 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:...
. In May 1831, Page moved his family to Thompson, Ohio
Thompson, Ohio
Thompson, Ohio can refer to:*Thompson Township, Delaware County, Ohio*Thompson Township, Geauga County, Ohio, also the location of the community of Thompson*Thompson Township, Seneca County, Ohio...
, under Lucy Mack Smith
Lucy Mack Smith
Lucy Mack Smith was the mother of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. She is most noted for writing an award-winning memoir: Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations. She was an important leader of the movement during...
's direction. He again moved his family to Jackson County, Missouri
Jackson County, Missouri
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. With a population of 674,158 in the 2010 census, Jackson County is the second most populous of Missouri's counties, after St. Louis County. Kansas City, the state's most populous city and focus city of the Kansas City Metropolitan...
in 1832 and joined the Latter Day Saints gathering there. With the other Whitmers, they formed a cluster of ten or twelve homes called the "Whitmer Settlement". Hiram owned 120 acres (486,000 m²) of land in the area.
During the growing anti-Mormon
Anti-Mormon
Anti-Mormonism is discrimination, persecution, hostility or prejudice directed at members of the Latter Day Saint movement, particularly The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
hostilities in Jackson County, Page was severely beaten by a group of non-Mormon vigilantes on October 31, 1833. On July 31 and August 6, 1834 he testified to the facts of the beatings. By 1834 he and his family were expelled along with the other Latter Day Saints, and lived for a time in neighboring Clay County, before moving to 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,...
.
Page and other members of the Whitmer family were excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1838. He later bought a farm in Excelsior Springs
Excelsior Springs, Missouri
Excelsior Springs is a city in Clay and Ray counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 11,084 at the 2010 census. It is located approximately northeast of central Kansas City, Missouri.- Geography :...
, back in Clay County.
William E. M'Lellin baptized Hiram Page, 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:...
, John Whitmer
John Whitmer
John Whitmer was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He was one of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's Golden Plates...
, and Jacob Whitmer
Jacob Whitmer
Jacob Whitmer was the second born child of Peter Whitmer, Sr. and Mary Musselman. He is primarily remembered as one of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's Golden Plates.-Biography:...
on September 6, 1847 into his newly formed Church of Christ
Church of Christ (Whitmerite)
The Church of Christ was a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement based on the claims of David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon's Golden Plates....
. William ordained Hiram a high priest in the church. Hiram participated in the subsequent ordinations of the others.
He died on his farm in Excelsior Springs on August 12, 1852, still affirming his testimony of the Book of Mormon. His death was caused when his wagon over turned, crushing him underneath.
A commemorative marker was placed April 27, 2002, on the rediscovered Hiram Page grave, near Excelsior Springs, Missouri
Excelsior Springs, Missouri
Excelsior Springs is a city in Clay and Ray counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 11,084 at the 2010 census. It is located approximately northeast of central Kansas City, Missouri.- Geography :...
.