Lorin Calvin Woolley
Encyclopedia
Lorin Calvin Woolley was a Mormon fundamentalist leader and a proponent of plural marriage
.
. He was the son of John Wickersham Woolley
and Julia Searles Ensign. The family moved to Centerville
in 1863, where he was ordained an elder in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) by John Lyon
on his sixteenth birthday. In 1883, he married his first wife, Sarah Ann Roberts, in the Endowment House
on Temple Square
. They would have nine children together.
Woolley served as a missionary for the LDS Church
in the Indian Territory
Mission
from October 1887 to October 1889. He was later called to the Seventieth Quorum of Seventy (a local calling, based in Centerville), and shortly thereafter served a four-month mission to Indian Territory, starting in December 1896.
, which included a September 1886 visitation of Joseph Smith to LDS Church president John Taylor at Woolley's father's home, and of a subsequent meeting in which Taylor stated that plural marriage must and would continue. After Taylor's death, the church officially abandoned
polygamy in 1890.
Woolley was excommunicated from the LDS Church in January 1924 for alleging that church president Heber J. Grant
and apostle James E. Talmage
had taken plural wives in the "recent past". Woolley claimed that he had learned of such behavior because he was employed by the United States Secret Service
to spy on LDS Church leaders. The official reason for his excommunication was that he was "found guilty of pernicious falsehood." Grant publicly denied Woolley's claims in a general conference
of the church in April 1931.
Woolley married at least four plural wives, three of whom were his first cousins: Sarah, Viola, and Alice May Woolley by 1915, and Goulda Kmetzsch in 1932.
As a leader of the Mormon fundamentalists, Woolley claimed to have been visited by a number of angels and resurrected beings, including Jesus
; Joseph Smith, Jr.; Brigham Young
; John Taylor; Joseph F. Smith
; his father
; one of the Three Nephites
, who was named "Nephi"; and a Lamanite
prophet.
Prior to his death, Woolley appointed J. Leslie Broadbent as his "first elder" and successor.
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...
.
Early life
Woolley was born in Salt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
. He was the son of John Wickersham Woolley
John Wickersham Woolley
John Wickersham Woolley was an American Latter Day Saint and one of the founders of the Mormon fundamentalism movement.-Early life:...
and Julia Searles Ensign. The family moved to Centerville
Centerville, Utah
Centerville is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Ogden-Clearfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 15,335 at the 2010 census...
in 1863, where he was ordained an elder in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) by John Lyon
John Lyon (poet)
John Lyon was a nineteenth century Scottish Latter Day Saint poet and hymn writer.-Biography:Born into a poor and illiterate family in Glasgow, Lyon became an apprentice weaver at age nine...
on his sixteenth birthday. In 1883, he married his first wife, Sarah Ann Roberts, in the Endowment House
Endowment House
The Endowment House was an early building used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to administer temple ordinances in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory. From the construction of the Council House in 1852, Salt Lake City's first public building, until the construction of the Endowment...
on Temple Square
Temple Square
Temple Square is a ten acre complex located in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . In recent years, the usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities immediately adjacent to Temple Square...
. They would have nine children together.
Woolley served as a missionary for the LDS Church
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...
in the Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
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...
from October 1887 to October 1889. He was later called to the Seventieth Quorum of Seventy (a local calling, based in Centerville), and shortly thereafter served a four-month mission to Indian Territory, starting in December 1896.
Plural marriage
Between October 1886 and February 1887 Woolley became a mail carrier for the LDS Church leaders who were hiding from state authorities during the crack-down against Mormon polygamy. In 1912, he gave the first written account of the background to the 1886 Revelation1886 Revelation
In the Mormon fundamentalist movement, the 1886 Revelation is the text of a revelation said to have been received by John Taylor, third President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , that is claimed to restate the permanence of the principle of plural marriage...
, which included a September 1886 visitation of Joseph Smith to LDS Church president John Taylor at Woolley's father's home, and of a subsequent meeting in which Taylor stated that plural marriage must and would continue. After Taylor's death, the church officially abandoned
1890 Manifesto
The "1890 Manifesto", sometimes simply called "The Manifesto", is a statement which officially disavowed the continuing practice of plural marriage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
polygamy in 1890.
Woolley was excommunicated from the LDS Church in January 1924 for alleging that church president Heber J. Grant
Heber J. Grant
Heber Jeddy Grant was the seventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was ordained an apostle on October 16, 1882, on the same day as George Teasdale...
and apostle James E. Talmage
James E. Talmage
James Edward Talmage born in Hungerford, Berkshire, England, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1911 until his death in 1933....
had taken plural wives in the "recent past". Woolley claimed that he had learned of such behavior because he was employed by the United States Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
to spy on LDS Church leaders. The official reason for his excommunication was that he was "found guilty of pernicious falsehood." Grant publicly denied Woolley's claims in a general conference
General Conference (LDS Church)
General Conference is a semiannual world conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held in April and October, where members gather in a series of two-hour sessions to listen to instruction from Church leaders...
of the church in April 1931.
Mormon fundamentalist leader
Most Mormon fundamentalists believe that upon his father's death in December 1928, Lorin Woolley succeeded him as President of the Priesthood. The following spring, Woolley ordained a new quorum of seven apostles (known as the Council of Friends), including J. Leslie Broadbent, John Yeates Barlow and Joseph White Musser, to ensure the perpetuation of plural marriage.Woolley married at least four plural wives, three of whom were his first cousins: Sarah, Viola, and Alice May Woolley by 1915, and Goulda Kmetzsch in 1932.
As a leader of the Mormon fundamentalists, Woolley claimed to have been visited by a number of angels and resurrected beings, including Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
; Joseph Smith, Jr.; 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...
; John Taylor; Joseph F. Smith
Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr. was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
; his father
John Wickersham Woolley
John Wickersham Woolley was an American Latter Day Saint and one of the founders of the Mormon fundamentalism movement.-Early life:...
; one of the Three Nephites
Three Nephites
In Mormonism the Three Nephites are three Nephite disciples of Jesus described in the Book of Mormon who were blessed by Jesus to "never taste of death; but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will...
, who was named "Nephi"; and a Lamanite
Lamanite
According to the Book of Mormon, a Lamanite is a member of a dark-skinned nation of indigenous Americans that battled with the light-skinned Nephite nation...
prophet.
Prior to his death, Woolley appointed J. Leslie Broadbent as his "first elder" and successor.
External links
- Lorin C. Woolley. Biography of Lorin C. Woolley located at www.fldstruth.org (official FLDS website)
- The Life and Teachings of Lorin C. Woolley