Francis Marion Lyman (January 12, 1840 – November 18, 1916) was a member of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature) necessary to conduct the business of that group. According to ''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'', the ...
of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
(LDS Church).
He was the
President of the Quorum of the Twelve
President of the Quorum of the Twelve (also President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, President of the Council of Twelve Apostles, and President of the Twelve) is a leadership position that exists in some of the churches of the Latter Day Sai ...
from 1903 until his death.
Lyman's father and son were also
apostles in the church: his father was
Amasa M. Lyman and his son was
Richard R. Lyman. Both his father and son were excommunicated from the church while serving as apostles (although they were later re-baptized).
Early life
Francis M. Lyman was born as the first son of
Amasa M. Lyman and Louisa Maria Tanner in
Good Hope, Illinois.
That spring, the family moved to
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
. About one year later, they moved to
Nauvoo, Illinois, to be with the main gathering of Latter Day Saints. In 1843, they moved again to
Alquina, Indiana
Alquina was an unincorporated community in Jennings Township, Fayette County, Indiana.
History
Alquina was founded in 1813 by Joseph Vanmeter. One source speculates it was named after Alquines, in France.
A post office was established at Alqui ...
. In 1844, after the
death of Joseph Smith, they moved back to Nauvoo.
Lyman's father left with the first group to travel on the
Mormon Exodus
The Mormon pioneers were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), also known as Latter Day Saints, who migrated beginning in the mid-1840s until the late-1860s across the United States from the Midwest to the S ...
to the West. His family moved to
Winter Quarters in June 1846 under the care of his maternal grandfather. His family set out to the
Salt Lake Valley in 1848. Though only 8 years old, Lyman helped drive a yoke of cattle and the wagon. He was baptized by his father in the
Elkhorn River
The Elkhorn River is a river in northeastern Nebraska, United States, that originates in the eastern Sandhills and is one of the largest tributaries of the Platte River, flowing and joining the Platte just southwest of Omaha, approximately s ...
on July 1, 1848, and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on October 19, 1848.
By 1851, when Lyman was 11 years old, his father and
Charles C. Rich purchased land in
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 ce ...
. Lyman helped drive the animals from Salt Lake to southern
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
. Lyman was present at the laying of the cornerstone of the
Salt Lake Temple
The Salt Lake Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. At , it is the largest Latter-day Saint temple by floor area. Dedicated in 1893, it is the sixth templ ...
on April 6, 1853.
Adult life and service
In 1856, at about 16 years of age, Lyman received the
Melchizedek priesthood
The priesthood of Melchizedek is a role in Abrahamic religions, modelled on Melchizedek, combining the dual position of king and priest.
Hebrew Bible
Melchizedek is a king and priest appearing in the Book of Genesis. The name means "King of Rig ...
and was ordained an
elder by his father. In 1857, he was called on a mission to
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
. He was stopped at
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...
and told to turn back to bring the settlers in California to Utah. The outbreak of the
Utah War
The Utah War (1857–1858), also known as the Utah Expedition, Utah Campaign, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between Mormon settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the US go ...
had prevented his mission.
Lyman married Rhoda Ann Taylor on November 18, 1857.
In 1859, Lyman and his family settled in
Farmington, Utah
Farmington is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. The population was 24,531 at the 2020 census. The Lagoon Amusement Park and Station Park transit-oriented retail center (which includes a FrontRunner train station) are located in Far ...
. He was ordained to a
seventy
70 (seventy) is the natural number following 69 and preceding 71.
In mathematics
70 is:
* a sphenic number because it factors as 3 distinct primes.
* a Pell number.
* the seventh pentagonal number.
* the fourth tridecagonal number.
* the fif ...
on January 7, 1860, by John S. Gleason. He built a cabin in
Beaver, Utah
Beaver is a city in, and county seat of, Beaver County in southwestern Utah, United States. The population was 3,112 at the 2010 census.
History
Indigenous peoples lived in this area for thousands of years, as shown by archeological evidence ...
, for his wife and son, and he left on his delayed mission in the spring of 1860.
Mission in England
En route to New York City, Lyman stopped in
Kirtland, Ohio
Kirtland is a city in Lake County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,937 at the 2020 census. Kirtland is known for being the early headquarters of the Latter Day Saint movement from 1831 to 1837 and is the site of the movement's first t ...
, and was shown through the
Kirtland Temple
The Kirtland Temple is a National Historic Landmark in Kirtland, Ohio, United States, 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 La ...
by
Martin Harris. Lyman left the United States through the port of New York and arrived by steamer in
Liverpool, England
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
, on July 27, 1860.
Lyman served as a missionary for roughly two years. Upon release from his mission, he accompanied about 800 immigrants back to the United States; they arrived in New York on June 25, 1862, where he was appointed the president of the group. By early July, they had arrived in
Florence, Nebraska
Florence is a neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska, United States on the city's north end and originally one of the oldest cities in Nebraska. It was incorporated by the Nebraska Territorial Legislature on March 10, 1857. The site of Winter Quarters ...
. Lyman was reunited with his wife in Beaver, Utah, in the middle of October.
Fillmore
In March 1863, LDS Church
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Brigham Young
Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his death in 1877. During his time as ch ...
asked Lyman to settle in
Fillmore, Utah
Fillmore is a city and the county seat of Millard County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,435 at the 2010 United States Census. It is named for the thirteenth US President Millard Fillmore, who was in office when Millard County was cre ...
. The next fourteen years of his life were spent there, where he engaged himself in leadership in church, politics, business, and manufacturing. Among his positions and honors were:
*assistant assessor of United States internal revenue
*lieutenant-colonel of the first regiment of militia in the Pauvan District at 25
*member of the House of the General Assembly of the
State of Deseret
The State of Deseret (modern pronunciation , contemporaneously ) was a proposed state of the United States, proposed in 1849 by settlers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in Salt Lake City. The provisional stat ...
*a member of the 17th, 18th, 22nd and 23rd sessions of the
Utah Territorial legislature
*county clerk and recorder
*superintendent of schools
*prosecuting attorney
When a stake was formed in Fillmore, Lyman was ordained to the office of
high priest. Later he was called to be a member of the stake
high council.
On October 4, 1869, Lyman married his first
plural wife
Polygamy (called plural marriage by Latter-day Saints in the 19th century or the Principle by modern fundamentalist practitioners of polygamy) was practiced by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for more tha ...
, Clara Caroline Callister. Her grandfather was
John Smith,
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, ...
's uncle. Lyman and Callister's son
Richard R. Lyman would serve as an apostle from 1918 to 1943.
Lyman was called on a second mission to England and left Salt Lake City on October 20, 1873, arriving in Liverpool on November 12. During this mission, he also visited and proselytized in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
,
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Switzerland, and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. He returned to Utah with 300 immigrating Latter-day Saints in October 1875.
Tooele County
In April 1877, Lyman was called to preside over the Tooele Stake, which was organized June 24, 1877, in
Tooele County, Utah
Tooele County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 58,218. Its county seat and largest city is Tooele. The county was created in 1850 and organized the following year.
Tooele Count ...
. He involved himself in the politics of that county as well. By August 1878, Lyman was elected county recorder and representative to the territorial legislature.
Since 1874, Tooele County had been led by politicians of the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
and was nicknamed the
Tooele Republic. In 1878, the legislature passed a resolution providing for the registration of voters. After allegations of corruption and excessive spending by the Liberal Party, which left the county in debt, the
People's Party won the election of 1878. However, Liberal Party officials refused to count the votes and declared themselves the winners of the election. Lyman was key in challenging the election results. After the case was heard by the courts, the People's Party was declared the winner on March 29, 1879. As a result of his victory in this instance, Lyman had earned a reputation for fighting government corruption.
Apostleship
At the October General Conference held on October 10, 1880, Lyman and
John Henry Smith were
sustained as members of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature) necessary to conduct the business of that group. According to ''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'', the ...
. Because he was absent from the conference on a mission to survey parts of southern Utah,
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...
, and
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, Lyman was ordained an
apostle
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
on October 27 by church president
John Taylor.
Lyman visited nearly every town in the West with members of the church during his apostleship. He also maintained a detailed daily record of his business as an apostle.
In early 1883, Lyman served a mission to the Native American people of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Utah. With his company of men, Lyman set out and preached vigorously. The government agents were receptive and allowed them to preach freely. Members of the
Utes had joined them, and they were most effective in preaching to their fellow natives. Many Native Americans received the
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude d ...
and their preaching and were baptized. Lyman returned to
Provo, Utah, on May 28, 1883.
Lyman was called to minister over the European
Mission
Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to:
Organised activities Religion
*Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity
*Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...
in 1901. He set about several key reforms and expanded the number of mission homes throughout Europe. In 1903, Lyman and
Joseph J. Cannon visited and preached in
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
and
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
.
In spring 1902, Lyman visited
Palestine and offered up a solemn prayer on the
Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives or Mount Olivet ( he, הַר הַזֵּיתִים, Har ha-Zeitim; ar, جبل الزيتون, Jabal az-Zaytūn; both lit. 'Mount of Olives'; in Arabic also , , 'the Mountain') is a mountain ridge east of and adjacent to Jeru ...
. In 1903,
Brigham Young, Jr. died, making Lyman the
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
President of the Quorum of the Twelve (also President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, President of the Council of Twelve Apostles, and President of the Twelve) is a leadership position that exists in some of the churches of the Latter Day Sai ...
. He returned to Utah in 1904. Soon after returning home, he went to
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, to testify in the
Reed Smoot hearings
The Reed Smoot hearings, also called Smoot hearings or the Smoot Case, were a series of Congressional hearings on whether the United States Senate should seat U.S. Senator Reed Smoot, who was elected by the Utah legislature in 1903. Smoot was a ...
before the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections.
Lyman died in his home of
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...
on November 18, 1916.
State of Utah Death Certificate
. Stephen L Richards
Stephen L RichardsRichards's full middle name was "L". Hence, his name is usually written without a period after the "L". See Gregory Prince and Wm. Robert Wright, ''David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: Universi ...
was called to replace him in the Quorum of the Twelve after his death. Heber J. Grant
Heber Jeddy Grant (November 22, 1856 – May 14, 1945) was an American religious leader who served as the seventh president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Grant worked as a bookkeeper and a cashier, then wa ...
replaced him as President of the Quorum of the Twelve.
See also
* Richard R. Lyman, son
Notes
External links
Grandpa Bill's G.A. Pages: Francis M. Lyman
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyman, Francis M.
1840 births
1916 deaths
American general authorities (LDS Church)
American Mormon missionaries in the United States
Mormon missionaries in Europe
American Mormon missionaries in England
American Mormon missionaries in Finland
American Mormon missionaries in Palestine (region)
American Mormon missionaries in Russia
Mormon pioneers
People from McDonough County, Illinois
Deaths from pneumonia in Utah
People from Farmington, Utah
Members of the Utah Territorial Legislature
19th-century American politicians
People from Fillmore, Utah
19th-century Mormon missionaries
Apostles (LDS Church)
Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)
People from Tooele County, Utah
Mormon missionaries in the Ottoman Empire
Latter Day Saints from Illinois
Latter Day Saints from Utah
People from Beaver, Utah