David Bevan Jones (1807 – 18 June 1863), also known by his bardic name ''Dewi Elfed'', was a Welsh Baptist minister who became a leading figure in the

Latter Day Saint movement The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by Jo ...

and eventually emigrated to the United States of America. He was born in 1807 in Gellifaharen,

Llandysul Llandysul is a small town and community in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. As a community it consists of the townships of Capel Dewi, Horeb, Pontsian, Pren-gwyn, Tregroes, Rhydowen and the village of Llandysul itself. Llandysul lies in sout ...

, Cardiganshire, the son of John and Hannah Jones. He became a Baptist minister at Seion,

Cwrtnewydd Cwrtnewydd, or Cwrt-newydd, or Cwrt Newydd, is a village in the community and parish of Llanwenog, towards the south of the county of Ceredigion, Wales. Cwrtnewydd is on the B4338 road, north of the A475, just to the west of the town of Lampete ...

(1841–46), Jerusalem, Rhymney (1846–48 ) and

Gwawr, Aberaman Gwawr, Aberaman was a Baptist chapel in Regent Street, Aberaman, near Aberdare, South Wales, formed as a branch of Calfaria, Aberdare Early history Gwawr was formed in 1848 and the earliest meeting were held at the King William Inn, Cardiff Road, ...

from around the beginning of 1849. Soon after his arrival at Aberaman, he became embroiled in a conflict with Thomas Price of

Calfaria, Aberdare Calfaria Baptist Chapel, Aberdare, was one of the largest baptist churches in the South Wales Valleys and the oldest in the Aberdare valley. The chapel had an ornate interior, including a boarded ceiling with a deeply undercut rose, while the ...

, who had been instrumental in establishing the new cause at Aberaman. He was accused of being a follower of the Latter Day Saints and the congregation at Gwawr were expelled from the Glamorgan Baptist Association. In 1851 he approached William Phillips, leader of the Saints in Wales, and together with four others was baptised in the River Cynon on 27 April 1851, with a crowd of 2,000 in attendance. Gwawr became a LDS Church but the Baptists took legal action to recover the building, In November 1851, Thomas Price led a march to recover the building. On their arrival at Gwawr, it became apparent that Dewi Elfed had locked himself inside the chapel, along with one of his supporters. A court official stated that he did not have the authority to gain entry by forcing the door. Price then entered the building along with a deacon and there followed'a wild and exciting chase around the chapel galleries'., Eventually, Dewi Elfed was caught, and thrown out of the chapel by Price. During the 1850s, Dewi Elfed was an active leader of the LDS Church in Wales and spent time in Llanelli and Swansea. In 1855, however, he was accused of fraud and lost his official posts within the movement. In May 1860, he emigrated with his wife and two children to the United States but died of tuberculosis in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

on 18 June 1863.

References

1807 births 19th-century Welsh Baptist ministers 1863 deaths People from Ceredigion People excommunicated by Baptist churches Welsh Latter Day Saints Clergy from Salt Lake City {{UK-Christian-clergy-stub