Levi Richards
Encyclopedia
Levi Richards was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement
and a missionary
for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a member of the Council of Fifty
and Anointed Quorum
and served as a physician for movement founder Joseph Smith, Jr. and others during the years the Latter Day Saints were established in Nauvoo
, Illinois
. Richards was an older brother of church apostle Willard Richards
.
Levi Richards was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts
and trained as a botanical physician. He joined the Latter Day Saint church in 1836 and moved to Kirtland, Ohio
to join the main gathering of Latter Day Saints.
In the late 1830s, Richards served as a counselor to Joseph Fielding
in the presidency of the church's British
Mission
. In 1840, Richards was still serving as a missionary in the British Mission.
Richards married Sarah Griffith on December 25, 1843, with Brigham Young
performing the marriage.
Richards served as a member of the Nauvoo City Council.
Richards served another mission in Britain from 1848 to 1853 along with his wife. They left their only child, Levi W. Richards, in care of family members on the advice of Brigham Young. For part of this mission, the Richards served in Wales
, which was where Sarah Griffith had been born. For part of this time Richards served as the general supervisor of missionary work in Wales, which for all intents and purposes made him the mission president
in Wales.
After completing their mission, the Richards returned to the United States and headed on Utah Territory
where they joined their son Levi W., who was by this time eight years old. Richards lived for several years in downtown Salt Lake City on the block where Crossroads Mall
was later built. In the early 1870s, he moved to the Avenues area of Salt Lake City. He became a patriarch in the church in 1873 and died at Salt Lake City.
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 missionary
Mormon missionary
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...
for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was 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...
and 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...
and served as a physician for movement founder Joseph Smith, Jr. and others during the years the Latter Day Saints were established in 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...
, 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,...
. Richards was an older brother of church apostle Willard Richards
Willard Richards
Willard Richards was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served as Second Counselor in the First Presidency to church president Brigham Young in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death.Willard Richards was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to...
.
Levi Richards was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts
Hopkinton, Massachusetts
Hopkinton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, just under 30 miles west and south of Boston. The town is best known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon, held annually on Patriots' Day in April, and as the home of computer storage firm EMC Corporation.For geographic and demographic...
and trained as a botanical physician. He joined the Latter Day Saint church in 1836 and moved 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:...
to join the main gathering of Latter Day Saints.
In the late 1830s, Richards served as a counselor to Joseph Fielding
Joseph Fielding
Joseph Fielding was an early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement. He served as the second president of the British Mission , coordinating the activities of missionaries in sections of the United Kingdom and parts of Europe. He was the brother of Mary Fielding, the second wife of Hyrum Smith,...
in the presidency of the church's British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
. In 1840, Richards was still serving as a missionary in the British Mission.
Richards married Sarah Griffith on December 25, 1843, with 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...
performing the marriage.
Richards served as a member of the Nauvoo City Council.
Richards served another mission in Britain from 1848 to 1853 along with his wife. They left their only child, Levi W. Richards, in care of family members on the advice of Brigham Young. For part of this mission, the Richards served in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, which was where Sarah Griffith had been born. For part of this time Richards served as the general supervisor of missionary work in Wales, which for all intents and purposes made him the mission president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
in Wales.
After completing their mission, the Richards returned to the United States and headed on 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....
where they joined their son Levi W., who was by this time eight years old. Richards lived for several years in downtown Salt Lake City on the block where Crossroads Mall
Crossroads Mall
Crossroads Mall may refer to:In United States of America:* Crossroads Center, a shopping mall in St. Cloud, Minnesota* Crossroads Center , a shopping mall in Waterloo, Iowa...
was later built. In the early 1870s, he moved to the Avenues area of Salt Lake City. He became a patriarch in the church in 1873 and died at Salt Lake City.