Isaac Morley
Encyclopedia
Isaac Morley was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement
and a contemporary of both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young
. He was one of the first converts to Smith's Church of Christ. Morley was present at many of the early events of the Latter Day Saint movement, and served as a church leader in Ohio
, Missouri
and Utah Territory
.
Morley was born on March 11, 1786 in Montague, Massachusetts
, one of nine children of Thomas E. Morley and Editha Marsh. He served in the War of 1812
from 1812-15, and later held the position of captain in the Ohio militia.
In June 1812, he married Lucy Gunn in Massachusetts. The couple had seven children. Some years after becoming a member of the LDS church in 1830, he practiced plural marriage
, taking Leonora Snow (the older sister of Lorenzo
and Eliza R. Snow) and Hannah Blakesley (also found as Blaixly or Blakeslee) as his second and third wife in 1844 in Nauvoo, Illinois
. Blakesley bore him an additional three children. Other wives included Hannah Knight Libby and Harriet Lucinda Cox, married 1846 in Nauvoo, Hannah Sibley and Nancy Anne Bache (also found as Back).
, and created a productive farm in the region near Kirtland, Ohio
. While in this area, he joined the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement
(aka the Campbellites), under the ministry of Sidney Rigdon
, and was a leader of a utopian group that practiced communal principals, holding goods in common for the benefit of all. Members of this group included Lyman Wight
, and Morley's brother-in-law Titus Billings
. Eight additional families joined in 1830. The society was sometimes called the "Morley Family," as Rigdon caused a row of log houses to be built on Morley's farm, where a number of the society's members could live periodically.
and several LDS missionary companions passed through Ohio. He was ordained an Elder shortly after his baptism.
When Joseph Smith, Jr. and his family came to Kirtland, Ohio
for the first time, they lived with Isaac Morley. He later built a small house for them on his farm, where Joseph and Emma's twins, Thaddeus and Louisa, were born and died only three hours later on April 30, 1831. Isaac's daughter, Lucy and her elder sister kept house for Emma while she was ill.
Morley was ordained a High Priest on June 3, 1831 by Lyman Wight, and was immediately selected for a leadership position. He was called as First Counselor to Bishop Edward Partridge
and served with Partridge until his death in 1840.
In June 1831, Morley was asked to sell his farm and act as a missionary while traveling to Independence, Missouri
with Ezra Booth
(see: Doctrine and Covenants 52:23). While in Missouri, Morley first faced the violence generated by disagreements and misunderstandings between Mormon settlers and Missouri residents. In July 1833, a mob of an estimated 500 men demolished the home and printing office of William Wines Phelps at Independence and tarred and feathered Bishop Partridge. Willing to be injured or killed, Morley and five others stepped forward and offered themselves as a ransom for these brethren. After negotiation, the Missouri citizens agreed to stop the violence and the Mormons agreed to leave the county by April 1, 1834. He left Missouri for Kirtland, Ohio
in early 1835. One of the first to receive his temple endowment, he later attended the dedication of the Kirtland Temple
in March 1836.
In 1835, with Bishop Partridge, Morley served a mission in the Eastern States. On their return to Kirtland in November, Joseph Smith, Jr. wrote:
In the spring of 1836, Morley returned to Missouri with his family and helped to establish the city of Far West
. At a general church assembly on November 7, 1837, he was chosen as Patriarch of Far West and ordained under the hands of Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon
and Hyrum Smith
. He lived in Far West until he was arrested with fifty-five other Mormon citizens on the basis of the Extermination Order of Governor Lilburn W. Boggs. The citizens were taken by the Missouri militia to Richmond, Ray county, to await trial. After being held for three weeks, all of the prisoners were released by Judge Austin A. King on November 24, 1838.
Upon leaving Missouri with the expelled Saints, Morley settled in Hancock County, Illinois, in a settlement called Yelrome (Morley spelled backwards). There he established a prosperous business as a cooper. In October 1840, Hyrum Smith appointed Morley to served as president of the LDS stake centered in Lima, Illinois
, with John Murdock and Walter Cox as counselors. In March 1845, he was selected to be a member of the Council of Fifty
. However, in September 1845, his houses, cooper's shop, property and grain were burned by a mob, and his family was forced to take refuge in the Mormon center of Nauvoo, Illinois
. Shortly after the death of Joseph Smith, Jr.
, the Morley family moved from Nauvoo to Winter Quarters
, where Morley's first wife, Lucy, died.
. After Ute Indian leader Wakara
invited Church president Brigham Young
to send Mormon
colonists to the Sanpitch (now Sanpete) Valley in central Utah, Young dispatched Morley as leader of the first company of 225 settlers. Morley and his group felt that part of the purpose of the settlement was to bring the gospel to the Indians. Morley wrote, Did we come here to enrich ourselves in the things of this world? No. We were sent to enrich the Natives and comfort the hearts of the long oppressed. (May, p. 104)
Morley and the settlers arrived at the present location of Manti, Utah
in November 1849, and established a base camp for the winter, digging temporary shelters into the south side of the hill on which the LDS Manti Utah Temple
now stands. It was an isolated place, at least four days by wagon from the nearest Mormon settlement. Relations between the Mormons and the local Utes were helpful and cooperative. The first winter was very severe and, although fairly well supplied, the young colony had great difficulties. A measles
epidemic broke out and the Mormons used their limited medicine to nurse the Indians. When supplies ran low, Indians helped settlers haul food on sleds through the snow.
Morley encouraged the settlers in their work and assured them that their community would grow to be one of the best in the mountains. The settlers and members of the Ute Sanpitch tribe referred to him affectionately as "Father Morley". Morley supervised the building of the first school house and the first grist mill in Sanpete Valley. Over a number of years, the Sanpete valley grew and prospered and became known as a prime agricultural area.
Morley served as a senator in the general assembly of the provisional State of Deseret
. In 1851, 1853 and 1855,
he represented Sanpete county in the legislative council of the Utah Territory
.
During his last years, Morley spent most of his time on his calling as a Patriarch, conferring priesthood blessings on thousands of church members. He died on June 24, 1865 in Fairview, Sanpete County
, Utah
.
Framed on one of the walls inside the Manti Utah Temple
there is a piece of temple clothing used by Morley in the Nauvoo Temple
when he was endowed
there.
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 a contemporary of both Joseph Smith and 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...
. He was one of the first converts to Smith's Church of Christ. Morley was present at many of the early events of the Latter Day Saint movement, and served as a church leader in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, 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...
and Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
.
Morley was born on March 11, 1786 in Montague, Massachusetts
Montague, Massachusetts
Montague is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,489 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts metropolitan statistical area....
, one of nine children of Thomas E. Morley and Editha Marsh. He served in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
from 1812-15, and later held the position of captain in the Ohio militia.
In June 1812, he married Lucy Gunn in Massachusetts. The couple had seven children. Some years after becoming a member of the LDS church in 1830, he practiced 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...
, taking Leonora Snow (the older sister of Lorenzo
Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow was the fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 to his death. Snow was the last president of the LDS Church in the nineteenth century.-Family:...
and Eliza R. Snow) and Hannah Blakesley (also found as Blaixly or Blakeslee) as his second and third wife in 1844 in Nauvoo, Illinois
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...
. Blakesley bore him an additional three children. Other wives included Hannah Knight Libby and Harriet Lucinda Cox, married 1846 in Nauvoo, Hannah Sibley and Nancy Anne Bache (also found as Back).
Campbellite commune
Morley was an early settler in the Western Reserve wilderness area of northern OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, and created a productive farm in the region near 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:...
. While in this area, he joined the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement
Restoration Movement
The Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
(aka the Campbellites), under the ministry of Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon was a leader during the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Baptist background:...
, and was a leader of a utopian group that practiced communal principals, holding goods in common for the benefit of all. Members of this group included Lyman Wight
Lyman 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...
, and Morley's brother-in-law Titus Billings
Titus Billings
Titus Billings was an early convert to the Latter Day Saint movement. He served in several positions in the church and was a contemporary of Joseph Smith, and Brigham Young. Billings was a councilor in the first Bishopric of the Church to Edward Partridge. He participated in the Battle of Crooked...
. Eight additional families joined in 1830. The society was sometimes called the "Morley Family," as Rigdon caused a row of log houses to be built on Morley's farm, where a number of the society's members could live periodically.
LDS Church service
In November 1830, Morley was among the first converts to the newly organized LDS church. He was introduced to the teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr. when 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...
and several LDS missionary companions passed through Ohio. He was ordained an Elder shortly after his baptism.
When Joseph Smith, Jr. and his family came 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:...
for the first time, they lived with Isaac Morley. He later built a small house for them on his farm, where Joseph and Emma's twins, Thaddeus and Louisa, were born and died only three hours later on April 30, 1831. Isaac's daughter, Lucy and her elder sister kept house for Emma while she was ill.
Morley was ordained a High Priest on June 3, 1831 by Lyman Wight, and was immediately selected for a leadership position. He was called as First Counselor to Bishop Edward Partridge
Edward Partridge
Edward Partridge was the grandson of Massachusetts Congressman Oliver Partridge, Esq., and a member of a family noted for commercial, social, political, and military leadership in Western Massachusetts. One of the first converts to the Latter Day Saint movement, he was baptized in or near Seneca...
and served with Partridge until his death in 1840.
In June 1831, Morley was asked to sell his farm and act as a missionary while traveling to Independence, Missouri
Independence, Missouri
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
with Ezra Booth
Ezra Booth
Ezra Booth was a member in the early Latter Day Saint movement.Booth had been a popular Methodist minister before going to Kirtland, Ohio with John and Alice Johnson in 1831. After witnessing Joseph Smith, Jr...
(see: Doctrine and Covenants 52:23). While in Missouri, Morley first faced the violence generated by disagreements and misunderstandings between Mormon settlers and Missouri residents. In July 1833, a mob of an estimated 500 men demolished the home and printing office of William Wines Phelps at Independence and tarred and feathered Bishop Partridge. Willing to be injured or killed, Morley and five others stepped forward and offered themselves as a ransom for these brethren. After negotiation, the Missouri citizens agreed to stop the violence and the Mormons agreed to leave the county by April 1, 1834. He left Missouri for 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 early 1835. One of the first to receive his temple endowment, he later attended the dedication 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 March 1836.
In 1835, with Bishop Partridge, Morley served a mission in the Eastern States. On their return to Kirtland in November, Joseph Smith, Jr. wrote:
- The word of the Lord came to me, saying: "Behold I am well pleased with my servant Isaac Morley and my servant Edward Partridge, because of the integrity of their hearts in laboring in my vineyard, for the salvation of the souls of men."
In the spring of 1836, Morley returned to Missouri with his family and helped to establish the city of 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,...
. At a general church assembly on November 7, 1837, he was chosen as Patriarch of Far West and ordained under the hands of Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon was a leader during the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Baptist background:...
and 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....
. He lived in Far West until he was arrested with fifty-five other Mormon citizens on the basis of the Extermination Order of Governor Lilburn W. Boggs. The citizens were taken by the Missouri militia to Richmond, Ray county, to await trial. After being held for three weeks, all of the prisoners were released by Judge Austin A. King on November 24, 1838.
Upon leaving Missouri with the expelled Saints, Morley settled in Hancock County, Illinois, in a settlement called Yelrome (Morley spelled backwards). There he established a prosperous business as a cooper. In October 1840, Hyrum Smith appointed Morley to served as president of the LDS stake centered in Lima, Illinois
Lima, Illinois
Lima is a village in Adams County, Illinois, United States. The population was 159 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Quincy, IL–MO Micropolitan Statistical Area...
, with John Murdock and Walter Cox as counselors. In March 1845, he was selected to be 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...
. However, in September 1845, his houses, cooper's shop, property and grain were burned by a mob, and his family was forced to take refuge in the Mormon center of Nauvoo, Illinois
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...
. Shortly after the death of Joseph Smith, Jr.
Death of Joseph Smith, Jr.
The death of Joseph Smith, Jr. on June 27, 1844 marked a turning point for the Latter Day Saint movement, of which Smith was the founder and leader. When he was attacked and killed by a mob, Smith was the mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois, and running for President of the United States...
, the Morley family moved from Nauvoo to Winter Quarters
Winter Quarters, Nebraska
Winter Quarters was an encampment formed by approximately 2,500 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as they waited during the winter of 1846–47 for better conditions for their trek westward. It followed a preliminary tent settlement some 3½ miles west at Cutler's Park. The...
, where Morley's first wife, Lucy, died.
Utah settlement
Morley emigrated to the Great Salt Lake valley in 1848, and is considered the founder of Manti, UtahManti, Utah
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,040 people, 930 households, and 742 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,560.2 people per square mile . There were 1,010 housing units at an average density of 518.3 per square mile...
. After Ute Indian leader Wakara
Wakara
Chief Walkara was a Native American leader of the Timpanogos Tribe, with a reputation as a diplomat, horseman and warrior, and a military leader in the Walker War.- Timpanogos leader :...
invited Church president 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...
to send 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...
colonists to the Sanpitch (now Sanpete) Valley in central Utah, Young dispatched Morley as leader of the first company of 225 settlers. Morley and his group felt that part of the purpose of the settlement was to bring the gospel to the Indians. Morley wrote, Did we come here to enrich ourselves in the things of this world? No. We were sent to enrich the Natives and comfort the hearts of the long oppressed. (May, p. 104)
Morley and the settlers arrived at the present location of Manti, Utah
Manti, Utah
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,040 people, 930 households, and 742 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,560.2 people per square mile . There were 1,010 housing units at an average density of 518.3 per square mile...
in November 1849, and established a base camp for the winter, digging temporary shelters into the south side of the hill on which the LDS Manti Utah Temple
Manti Utah Temple
The Manti Utah Temple is the fifth constructed temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Located in the city of Manti, Utah, it was the third LDS temple built west of the Mississippi River after the Mormons' great trek westward. The Manti Utah Temple (formerly the Manti Temple)...
now stands. It was an isolated place, at least four days by wagon from the nearest Mormon settlement. Relations between the Mormons and the local Utes were helpful and cooperative. The first winter was very severe and, although fairly well supplied, the young colony had great difficulties. A measles
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
epidemic broke out and the Mormons used their limited medicine to nurse the Indians. When supplies ran low, Indians helped settlers haul food on sleds through the snow.
Morley encouraged the settlers in their work and assured them that their community would grow to be one of the best in the mountains. The settlers and members of the Ute Sanpitch tribe referred to him affectionately as "Father Morley". Morley supervised the building of the first school house and the first grist mill in Sanpete Valley. Over a number of years, the Sanpete valley grew and prospered and became known as a prime agricultural area.
Morley served as a senator in the general assembly of the provisional State of Deseret
State of Deseret
The State of Deseret was a proposed state of the United States, propositioned in 1849 by Latter-day Saint settlers in Salt Lake City. The provisional state existed for slightly over two years and was never recognized by the United States government...
. In 1851, 1853 and 1855,
he represented Sanpete county in the legislative council of the Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
.
During his last years, Morley spent most of his time on his calling as a Patriarch, conferring priesthood blessings on thousands of church members. He died on June 24, 1865 in Fairview, Sanpete County
Sanpete County, Utah
Sanpete County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. The population according to the 2010 U.S. Census was 27,822. It was possibly named for a Ute Indian chief named Sanpitch, which was corrupted to Sanpete. Its county seat is Manti and its largest city is Ephraim.-Geography:According to...
, 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...
.
Framed on one of the walls inside the Manti Utah Temple
Manti Utah Temple
The Manti Utah Temple is the fifth constructed temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Located in the city of Manti, Utah, it was the third LDS temple built west of the Mississippi River after the Mormons' great trek westward. The Manti Utah Temple (formerly the Manti Temple)...
there is a piece of temple clothing used by Morley in 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...
when he was endowed
Endowment (Latter Day Saints)
In the theology of the Latter Day Saint movement, an endowment refers to a gift of "power from on high", typically associated with Latter Day Saint temples. The purpose and meaning of the endowment varied during the life of movement founder Joseph Smith, Jr...
there.