John Corrill
Encyclopedia
John Corrill was an early member and leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and an elected representative in the Missouri State Legislature. He was prominently involved in the Mormon conflicts in Missouri before leaving the church in 1839 and publishing A Brief History of the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints (Commonly Called Mormons).
. He worked as a carriage builder, surveyor, and architect and married a woman named Margaret, with whom he had at least five children. Historians believe his writing ability and personal library suggest he may have had some formal education.
While living in Harpersfield, Ohio in 1830 the town was visited by Oliver Cowdery
, Parley P. Pratt
, Peter Whitmer, and Ziba Peterson
, Mormon missionaries on their way to Missouri. After reading from the Book of Mormon
, Corrill decided it was a fraud. He was later surprised to hear of the conversion of Sidney Rigdon
, a preacher in nearby Kirtland
who was planning a preaching tour with Corrill. While visiting Kirtland, Corrill attended some Mormon meetings and witnessed miraculous speaking in languages unknown to the speakers
. After further investigation, he was baptized on January 10, 1831. A few later he was ordained an Elder.
in nearby areas. Later that year he was ordained to the High Priesthood and made an assistant to the Latter Day Saint movement's first bishop
, Edward Partridge
, a position he would hold until 1837. In 1833, Corrill was chosen as the third bishop in Zion (Independence, Missouri
) where he would later preside over a branch of the church. When Missourians expelled Mormons from the area, Corrill joined in petitioning the governor for militia assistance and settled in Clay County for the winter.
In 1834 he was called back to Kirtland where he helped build the temple
and was involved with approving a new book of revelations called the Doctrine and Covenants
. After the temple's dedication in 1836 he returned to Missouri and was one of the founders and leaders of the Mormon settlement of Far West
. During this time the residents of Clay County were pushing for the Mormons to move out of their area and settle elsewhere. In late 1836 Corrill represented the Mormons in negotiating with state leaders for the formation of Caldwell County
for primarily Mormon settlement. Historian Stephen C. LeSueur wrote that Corrill "was one of the Mormons' most prominent leaders in Missouri and had been intimately involved in nearly every phase of Mormon history there." In 1837 he was released as a counselor to Bishop Partridge and was called to a committee for organizing more stakes in Missouri and was "Keeper of the Lord's Storehouse" in Far West. In April 1838 he and Elias Higbee
became the official Church Historians.
to the state militia, which Smith saw as a betrayal. At the Richmond
hearings in November, Corrill testified for the state against Smith and the Mormon actions in the conflict.
Disfavor grew between Corrill and the Mormons. Some Mormons had in the past accused him of opposing priesthood authority and "the Judgment of God" in his preference for autonomy and democracy in the church. In his only term in the Missouri House of Representatives
, As a state representative after the armed conflict subsided, Corrill presented a petition from the Mormons for relief from their mistreatment. However, he continued to distance himself from the church, culminating in his excommunication in 1839 and publication of his account of the church's history and conflicts.
Corrill died in Adams County, Illinois
in 1842 at the age of 48.
Historian Richard L. Bushman's noted 2005 biography, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling
, described Corrill as rational, coolheaded, and cautious, illustrating the "clash between Mormonism and republicanism" when he questioned whether he must sacrifice his freewill or autonomy to the Kingdom of God. Bushman's book used Corrill's A Brief History as source material on the early church. Corrill's account has been called "perhaps, the single most important source of information for events surrounding the Mormon War in Missouri." In contrast, historian Susan Easton Black
described Corrill as bitter and his published history as a product of his apostasy.
Biography
Corrill was born near Barre, MassachusettsBarre, Massachusetts
Barre is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,398 at the 2010 census.-History:Originally called the Northwest District of Rutland, it was first settled in 1720. The town was incorporated on June 17, 1774, as Hutchinson after Thomas Hutchinson, colonial...
. He worked as a carriage builder, surveyor, and architect and married a woman named Margaret, with whom he had at least five children. Historians believe his writing ability and personal library suggest he may have had some formal education.
While living in Harpersfield, Ohio in 1830 the town was visited 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...
, 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...
, Peter Whitmer, and Ziba Peterson
Ziba Peterson
Ziba Peterson was an early American Latter Day Saint best known as one of the four initial missionaries sent by Joseph Smith in 1830 to preach to Native Americans in Indian Territory...
, Mormon missionaries on their way to Missouri. After reading from the Book of Mormon
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...
, Corrill decided it was a fraud. He was later surprised to hear of the conversion of Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon was a leader during the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Baptist background:...
, a preacher in nearby Kirtland
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:...
who was planning a preaching tour with Corrill. While visiting Kirtland, Corrill attended some Mormon meetings and witnessed miraculous speaking in languages unknown to the speakers
Xenoglossy
Xenoglossy , also written xenoglossia , is the putative paranormal phenomenon in which a person is able to speak or write a language he or she supposedly could not have acquired by natural means...
. After further investigation, he was baptized on January 10, 1831. A few later he was ordained an Elder.
Church positions
In 1831 Corrill served two short missionsMissionary (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...
in nearby areas. Later that year he was ordained to the High Priesthood and made an assistant to the Latter Day Saint movement's first bishop
Presiding Bishop (LDS Church)
The Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a priesthood calling with church-wide authority. The Presiding Bishop is the highest leadership position within the church's Aaronic priesthood.-Presiding Bishopric:...
, 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...
, a position he would hold until 1837. In 1833, Corrill was chosen as the third bishop in Zion (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...
) where he would later preside over a branch of the church. When Missourians expelled Mormons from the area, Corrill joined in petitioning the governor for militia assistance and settled in Clay County for the winter.
In 1834 he was called back to Kirtland where he helped build the 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 was involved with approving a new book of revelations called the 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...
. After the temple's dedication in 1836 he returned to Missouri and was one of the founders and leaders of the Mormon settlement 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,...
. During this time the residents of Clay County were pushing for the Mormons to move out of their area and settle elsewhere. In late 1836 Corrill represented the Mormons in negotiating with state leaders for the formation of Caldwell County
Caldwell County, Missouri
Caldwell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. , the population was 8,969. Its county seat is Kingston. The county was organized in 1836 as a haven for the Mormons, who had been previously driven from Jackson County, Missouri in November of 1833 and had been refugees in...
for primarily Mormon settlement. Historian Stephen C. LeSueur wrote that Corrill "was one of the Mormons' most prominent leaders in Missouri and had been intimately involved in nearly every phase of Mormon history there." In 1837 he was released as a counselor to Bishop Partridge and was called to a committee for organizing more stakes in Missouri and was "Keeper of the Lord's Storehouse" in Far West. In April 1838 he and Elias Higbee
Elias Higbee
Elias Higbee was an associate of Joseph Smith, Jr., a leader of the Danites, and an official historian and recorder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.-Biography:...
became the official Church Historians.
Missouri Mormon War
Corrill was elected by the primarily Mormon residents of Caldwell County to be the county's first representative to the Missouri State Legislature in August 1838. During this same election, distrust between Missourians and Mormons erupted into an armed conflict, known today as the Missouri Mormon War. Corrill witnessed many key events and was involved in surrendering and turning over Joseph SmithJoseph 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...
to the state militia, which Smith saw as a betrayal. At the Richmond
Richmond, Missouri
Richmond is a city in Ray County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,797 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Ray County.-Geography:Richmond is located at...
hearings in November, Corrill testified for the state against Smith and the Mormon actions in the conflict.
Disfavor grew between Corrill and the Mormons. Some Mormons had in the past accused him of opposing priesthood authority and "the Judgment of God" in his preference for autonomy and democracy in the church. In his only term in the Missouri House of Representatives
Missouri House of Representatives
The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections held in even-numbered years.In 1992 Missouri...
, As a state representative after the armed conflict subsided, Corrill presented a petition from the Mormons for relief from their mistreatment. However, he continued to distance himself from the church, culminating in his excommunication in 1839 and publication of his account of the church's history and conflicts.
Corrill died in Adams County, Illinois
Adams County, Illinois
Adams County is the westernmost county of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 67,103, which is a decrease of 1.7% from 68,277 in 2000...
in 1842 at the age of 48.
A Brief History of the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints
Corrill is remembered for his 50-page booklet published in 1839, entitled A Brief History of the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints (commonly called Mormons,) including an account of their doctrine and discipline, with the reasons of the author for leaving the Church. By John Corrill, a member of the Legislature of Missouri.Historian Richard L. Bushman's noted 2005 biography, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling
Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling
Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling: A Cultural Biography of Mormonism's Founder is a biography of Joseph Smith Jr., founder and prophet of the Latter Day Saint movement, by Richard Bushman...
, described Corrill as rational, coolheaded, and cautious, illustrating the "clash between Mormonism and republicanism" when he questioned whether he must sacrifice his freewill or autonomy to the Kingdom of God. Bushman's book used Corrill's A Brief History as source material on the early church. Corrill's account has been called "perhaps, the single most important source of information for events surrounding the Mormon War in Missouri." In contrast, historian Susan Easton Black
Susan Easton Black
Susan Easton Black is a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. She is also an author of several books related to Joseph Smith, Jr. and the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Black joined the faculty of BYU in 1978. ...
described Corrill as bitter and his published history as a product of his apostasy.