James Adams (lawyer)
Encyclopedia
James Adams was a nineteenth century Illinois
lawyer
and close friend of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement
.
, Connecticut
. He married Harriet Denton (1787–1844) in 1809 at Hartford, Connecticut
, and later moved to Oswego
, New York
. He served in the United States Army
during the War of 1812
. In 1821 he settled in Springfield
, Illinois
where he became a pioneer attorney of Sangamon County
. He was elected justice of the peace
in 1823. He served in the Winnebago War
in 1827, as well as the Black Hawk War
in 1831-1832. Because of his military service he was often addressed as "General Adams." He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Illinois in 1834. He participated in a long-running newspaper battle with Abraham Lincoln
beginning in May 1837, over the transfer of a city lot. He was made a probate judge in 1841. He was also longstanding member of the Masonic
fraternity. He was the first Worshipful Master of Springfield Lodge No. 4 A.F.& A.M. in Springfield, Illinois in 1839.
, but he converted in 1836. He apparently first met Joseph Smith in 1839, when the Mormon prophet preached in Springfield in November 1839, when he was on his way to Washington, D.C.
Adams invited Smith to his home. The meeting of the two resulted in an enduring friendship; upon meeting Adams, Smith wrote in his diary that he "treated me like a father."
Upon his conversion Adams became active in local Mormon affairs, serving as the leader of the Springfield Mormon congregation as Branch President
. He was also ordained a patriarch
by Smith, probably in 1843; a few of his patriarchal blessing
s have survived from that year.
As the Deputy Grand Master of the Masonic Grand Lodge
of Illinois (1840 to 1843), he was instrumental in establishing Freemasonry among the Mormons
, participating in the installation of the Nauvoo Masonic Lodge
in 1842.
Eventually, Adams' friendship with Smith brought him into the Mormon prophet's inner circle, those whom he initiated into Nauvoo's most sacred doctrines practices. Even though Adams resided in Springfield, Smith invited him to come to Nauvoo so that he would be included among those men first to receive the endowment
, a Mormon temple ritual. He was the only person among the group not from Nauvoo. On May 4, 1842, Smith introduced the ceremony to Adams and eight men, who formed the nucleus of the Anointed Quorum
. Until Smith's death in 1844 he brought others into this elite group, admitting both men and women, until it included over fifty persons. Adams' wife, Harriet, was endowed and admitted into the Anointed Quorum on October 8, 1843. Adams attended the group's meetings whenever he was in Nauvoo.
Smith also included Adams in Nauvoo's most clandestine and controversial practice, eternal marriage
and polygamy
. On the day (May 28, 1843) that Smith was sealed to his wife, Emma
, in eternal marriage, Smith also sealed Adams' for time and eternity. This was not the end of Adams' eternal marriages. Five weeks later, July 11, Smith performed a plural marriage sealing for 38-year-old Roxanna Rephsire to Adams. Not only did Adams receive a plural wife from Smith, he also performed the ceremony for two of Smith's own plural wives: the sisters, Emily D. Partridge and Eliza M. Partridge, on May 23, 1843.
Upon an appointment to Hancock County's
probate court in 1843, Adams prepared to move to Nauvoo, a move that would bring him into even closer association with Smith. In the midst of his preparations he contracted cholera
and died suddenly on August 11, 1843 in Springfield, Illinois. His remains were interred in the Old Pioneer Cemetery, Nauvoo, Illinois. Harriet followed her husband, passing away a year later (August 21, 1844) at Springfield, where she was interred.
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and close friend of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement
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...
.
Biography
James Adams, the son of Parmenio Adams and Cleo Nering, was born on January 24, 1783, at SimsburySimsbury, Connecticut
Simsbury is a suburban town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 23,234 at the 2000 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's twenty-first town in May 1670.-Early history:...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. He married Harriet Denton (1787–1844) in 1809 at Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, and later moved to Oswego
Oswego, New York
Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
, 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...
. He served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during 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...
. In 1821 he settled in Springfield
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
where he became a pioneer attorney of Sangamon County
Sangamon County, Illinois
Sangamon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 197,465, which is an increase of 4.5% from 188,951 in 2000...
. He was elected justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in 1823. He served in the Winnebago War
Winnebago War
The Winnebago War was a brief conflict that took place in 1827 in the Upper Mississippi River region of the United States, primarily in what is now the state of Wisconsin. Not quite a war, the hostilities were limited to a few attacks on American civilians by a portion of the Winnebago Native...
in 1827, as well as the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
in 1831-1832. Because of his military service he was often addressed as "General Adams." He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Illinois in 1834. He participated in a long-running newspaper battle with Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
beginning in May 1837, over the transfer of a city lot. He was made a probate judge in 1841. He was also longstanding member of the Masonic
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
fraternity. He was the first Worshipful Master of Springfield Lodge No. 4 A.F.& A.M. in Springfield, Illinois in 1839.
Association with Mormonism
It is not known how Adams came into contact with MormonismMormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
, but he converted in 1836. He apparently first met Joseph Smith in 1839, when the Mormon prophet preached in Springfield in November 1839, when he was on his way to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Adams invited Smith to his home. The meeting of the two resulted in an enduring friendship; upon meeting Adams, Smith wrote in his diary that he "treated me like a father."
Upon his conversion Adams became active in local Mormon affairs, serving as the leader of the Springfield Mormon congregation as Branch President
Branch President
A branch president is a leader of a "branch" congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The calling of branch president is very similar to the calling of bishop, except that instead of presiding over a ward, the branch president presides over a branch...
. He was also ordained a patriarch
Patriarch (Mormonism)
In the Latter Day Saint movement, Patriarch is an office of the Priesthood whose main duty is to give Patriarchal blessings to church members. It is considered to be either an office of the Patriarchal Priesthood or the Melchizedek priesthood...
by Smith, probably in 1843; a few of his patriarchal blessing
Patriarchal blessing
In the Latter Day Saint movement, a patriarchal blessing is a blessing or ordinance given by a patriarch to a church member. Patriarchal blessings are modeled after the blessing given by Jacob to each of his sons prior to his death...
s have survived from that year.
As the Deputy Grand Master of the Masonic Grand Lodge
Grand Lodge
A Grand Lodge, or "Grand Orient", is the usual governing body of "Craft", or "Blue Lodge", Freemasonry in a particular jurisdiction. The first Masonic Grand Lodge was established in England in 1717 as the Premier Grand Lodge of England....
of Illinois (1840 to 1843), he was instrumental in establishing Freemasonry among the Mormons
Mormonism and Freemasonry
The relationship between Mormonism and Freemasonry began early in the life of Mormon founder Joseph Smith, Jr., as his older brother and possibly his father were Freemasons while the family lived near Palmyra, New York...
, participating in the installation of the Nauvoo Masonic Lodge
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
in 1842.
Eventually, Adams' friendship with Smith brought him into the Mormon prophet's inner circle, those whom he initiated into Nauvoo's most sacred doctrines practices. Even though Adams resided in Springfield, Smith invited him to come to Nauvoo so that he would be included among those men first to receive the endowment
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...
, a Mormon temple ritual. He was the only person among the group not from Nauvoo. On May 4, 1842, Smith introduced the ceremony to Adams and eight men, who formed the nucleus of the Anointed Quorum
Anointed Quorum
The Anointed Quorum, also known as the Quorum of the Anointed, or the Holy Order, was a select body of men and women who Joseph Smith, Jr. initiated into Mormon temple ordinances at Nauvoo, Illinois, which gave them special standing in the early Latter Day Saint movement...
. Until Smith's death in 1844 he brought others into this elite group, admitting both men and women, until it included over fifty persons. Adams' wife, Harriet, was endowed and admitted into the Anointed Quorum on October 8, 1843. Adams attended the group's meetings whenever he was in Nauvoo.
Smith also included Adams in Nauvoo's most clandestine and controversial practice, eternal marriage
Celestial marriage
Celestial marriage is a doctrine of Mormonism, particularly The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and branches of Mormon fundamentalism.Within Mormonism, celestial marriage is an ordinance associated with a covenant that always...
and polygamy
Joseph Smith, Jr. and Polygamy
Polygamy, or plural marriage, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints probably originated with the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, Jr., who taught that polygamy was a divine commandment. Smith practiced it personally, by some accounts marrying as many as 30 women...
. On the day (May 28, 1843) that Smith was sealed to his wife, Emma
Emma Hale Smith
Emma Hale Smith Bidamon was married to Joseph Smith, Jr., until his death in 1844, and was an early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement, during Joseph Smith's lifetime and afterward as a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...
, in eternal marriage, Smith also sealed Adams' for time and eternity. This was not the end of Adams' eternal marriages. Five weeks later, July 11, Smith performed a plural marriage sealing for 38-year-old Roxanna Rephsire to Adams. Not only did Adams receive a plural wife from Smith, he also performed the ceremony for two of Smith's own plural wives: the sisters, Emily D. Partridge and Eliza M. Partridge, on May 23, 1843.
Upon an appointment to Hancock County's
Hancock County, Illinois
Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 19,104, which is a decrease of 5.1% from 20,121 in 2000. Its county seat is Carthage. Hamilton is the largest city in Hancock County, with Carthage being the second largest...
probate court in 1843, Adams prepared to move to Nauvoo, a move that would bring him into even closer association with Smith. In the midst of his preparations he contracted cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
and died suddenly on August 11, 1843 in Springfield, Illinois. His remains were interred in the Old Pioneer Cemetery, Nauvoo, Illinois. Harriet followed her husband, passing away a year later (August 21, 1844) at Springfield, where she was interred.