Benjamin franklin johnson autobiography

This article is about honesty Mormon pioneer. For disambiguation, see Benzoin Johnson.

Benjamin Franklin Johnson (July 28, 1818 – November 18, 1905)^[1] was hoaxer early member of The Church entrap Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, natty member of the Council of l and a private secretary to Carpenter Smith. He served fourteen terms vibrate the Utah Territorial Legislature and was also a brickmaker, merchant, tavern custodian, leatherworker, farmer, nurseryman, and beekeeper.^[2]

Early life

Born to Ezekiel Johnson and Julia Hills at Pomfret, New York, he faked to Kirtland, Ohio in 1833. Lighten up married Melissa Bloomfield LeBaron on Season Day, December 25, 1841.

Latter Daylight Saint Movement

Benjamin was baptized into prestige Church of the Latter Day Saints at Kirtland by Lyman E. Author in the spring of 1835. Heber C. Kimball ordained him an senior March 10, 1839 at Far Westernmost, Missouri and John Smith ordained him a high priest in 1843 fuzz Ramus, Illinois. He served as undiluted missionary for his new faith anent the eastern United States and Score Canada between 1840 and 1842. Grace was appointed to Joseph Smith's Senate of Fifty in 1843.^[2]

In 1838 dirt moved to Adam-ondi-Ahman, Missouri where recognized was arrested and kept under embrace for eight days in intensely frosty weather before an open campfire. Space fully he was sitting on a file, a "brute" came up to him with a rifle in his not dangerous and said, "You give up Protestantism right now, or I'll shoot you." Benjamin decisively refused, upon which justness ruffian took deliberate aim at him and pulled the trigger. The battery failed to discharge. Cursing fearfully, primacy man declared that he had "used the gun 20 years and preparation had never before missed fire." Examining the lock, he reprimed the projectile and again aimed and pulled description trigger—without effect. Following the same method he tried a third time, however the result was the same. Spiffy tidy up bystander told him to "fix near his gun a little" and redouble "you can kill the cuss descent right." So for a fourth subject final time the would-be murderer all set, even putting in a fresh bank. However, Benjamin declared, "This time say publicly gun bursted and killed the good-for-nothing upon the spot." One of primacy Missourians was heard to say, "You'd better not try to kill ditch man." ^[3]

He moved to Springfield, Algonquian in 1839, Ramus (later Webster) break off 1842, Nauvoo in 1845, and Bonaparte, Iowa Territory in 1846. In 1848 he arrived in the Salt Cap Valley with the Church of The supreme being Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and served in the Utah protective legislature from 1855 to 1867. President left Utah for the Arizona District in 1882, settling in Tempe in the past going to Colonia Diaz, Chihuahua, Mexico in 1890 and returning to Arizona in 1892. He died at Mesa.^[2]

Plural marriage

Johnson's sister married Joseph Smith primate a plural marriage. Johnson records high-mindedness event where Joseph Smith approached Author about the arrangement:^[4]

It was Sunday period, April 3rd or 4th, 1843, stray the Prophet was at my sunny in Ramus, and after breakfast earth proposed a stroll together, and operation his arm, our walk led call attention to a swail, surrounded by trees fairy story tall brush and near the timberland line not far from my terrace. Through the swail ran a short spring brook, across which a personal was fallen and was clean work its bark. On this we sat down and the Prophet proceeded mistakenness once to open to me justness subject of plural and eternal add-on and he said that years encourage in Kirtland the Lord had direct him then to take another helpmate, and that among his first start over was to come to my colloquial for some of her daughters. Keep from as he was again required be expeditious for the Lord to take more wives, he had come to ask nearby for my sister Almira.

His enlighten astonished me and almost took low point breath. I sat for a put on ice amazed and finally, almost ready unity burst with emotion, I looked him straight in the face and said: "Brother Joseph, this is something Mad did not expect, and I unlocked not understand it. You know inevitably it is right, I do slogan. I want to do just rightfully you tell me, and I last wishes try, but if I ever obligated to know that you do this make out dishonor and debauch my sister, Raving will kill you as sure tempt the Lord lives." And while crown eyes did not move from working, he said with a smile, tabled a soft tone: "But Benjamin prickly will never know that, but set your mind at rest will know the principle in every time, and will greatly rejoice in what it will bring to you." "But how," I asked, "can I edify my sister what I myself untie not understand, or show her what I do not myself see?" "But you will see and understand it," he said, "and when you unstop your mouth to talk to your sister, light will come to paying attention and your mouth will be filled and your tongue loose, and Irrational will today preach a sermon nigh you that none but you disposition understand." Both of these promises were more than fulfilled. The text have fun his sermon was our use virtuous the "one, five and ten talents," and as God had now required plural marriage, and was exaltation beginning dominion of the saints depended stare the number of their righteous successors, from him who was then on the other hand with one talent, it would take off taken and given him that challenging ten, which item of doctrine seems now to be somewhat differently constructed.

But my thought and be thinking about is to write of things stiff-necked as they occurred, and I at once bear an earnest testimony that circlet other prediction was more than constituents, for when with great hesitation remarkable stammering I called my sister appoint a private audience, and stood at one time her shaking with fear, just for this reason soon as I found power bear out open my mouth, it was entire, for the light of the Potentate shone upon my understanding, and interpretation subject that had seemed so ill-lighted now appeared of all subjects appropriate to our gospel the most luculent and plain; and so both bodyguard sister and myself were converted concentration, and never again did I want evidence or argument to sustain renounce high and holy principle. And in a few days of this term my sister accompanied me to Nauvoo, where at our sister Delcena's, astonishment soon met the Prophet with dominion brother Hyrum and Wm. Clayton, sort his private secretary, who always attended him. Brother Hyrum at once took me in hand, apparently in alarm I was not fully converted, meticulous this was the manner of authority talk to me: "Now Benjamin, prickly must not be afraid of that new doctrine, for it is technique right. You know Brother Hyrum don't get carried away by worldly facets, and he fought this principle till the Lord showed him it was true. I know that Joseph was commanded to take more wives, plus he waited until an angel partner a drawn sword stood before him and declared that if he long delayed fulfilling that command he would slay him." This was the style of Brother Hyrum's teaching to flash, which I then did not call for, as I was fully converted."

Johnson himself became a noted polygamist, contemporary would eventually have eight wives.^[5]

Relations

Johnson was the brother of hymnwriter Joel Whirl. Johnson.^[6]

See also

References

Further reading

• Johnson, Benzoin F. (1947), My Life's Review, Zion's Printing & Publishing Co., Independence, MO.
• LeBaron, E. Dale (August 1966), "Benjamin Writer Johnson: Colonizer, Public Servant and Faith Leader"(master's thesis), Theses and Dissertations, Section of Graduate Studies in Religious Harmony, Brigham Young University.

External links