CHAPTER XXIII.

SCHISMS AND APOSTASIES.

1844-1869.

THE STRANGITES-THE GATHERERS-BRANNAN'S FOLLOWERS -THE GLADDENITES-THE REORGANIZED CHURCH OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS-ALEXANDER AND DAVID HYRUM SMITH-THE UTAH MAGAZINE-TRIAL of GODBE AND HARRISON-SUCCESS OF THE GODBEITE MOVEMENT-THE STRUGGLE FOR COMMERCIAL CONTROL-PERSECUTION OF Gentile MerCHANTS-ZION'S COÖPERATIVE MERCANTILE INSTITUTION-EXTENT OF ITS OPERATIONS-DISASTROUS EFFECT ON GENTILE TRADE-REACTION IN FAVOR OF THE REFORMERS.

DURING the life-time of Joseph Smith there was but one organized secession from the church, though, as we have seen, apostasies were frequent during his later years. If the words of the prophet were not the living truth, then could no faith be placed in Mormonism, for he and none other was regarded as the fountain-head of inspiration. But with his death the source of infallibility was removed, and thus the way was opened for schism and dissension, few of the diverging sects, however, having sufficient faith in their leaders to preserve them from final dissolution.

The saints who followed Sidney Rigdon to Pittsburgh in 1844 became gradually scattered among the gentiles, a few of them, with William Marks at their head, afterward rejoining the church. To J. J. Strang, a prominent elder, were vouchsafed, as he claims, numerous revelations that in Wisconsin was the true Zion, and several thousands accompanied him to that state. Strang afterward settled at Beaver Island, in Lake Michigan, where he retained a small

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(641)

following until the time of his death. Parties also accompanied William Smith, the only surviving brother of the prophet, to northern Illinois, Elder Brewster to western Iowa, Bishop Heddrick to Missouri, and Bishop Cutler to northern Iowa. All of them were soon afterward dissolved, the remnants of Brewster's and Heddrick's disciples forming themselves into a new sect, under the name of the Gatherers, and settling in Jackson county, where they published a weekly periodical, styled the Truthteller. During the year 1846 a large Mormon settlement was made in Texas; and under the leadership of Apostle Lyman Wight the colony prospered and increased rapidly. Until 1852 they acknowledged allegiance to the first presidency, but when the doctrine of polygamy was proclaimed, they separated from the church. After the death of Wright, which occurred a few years later, his flock was scattered. A small portion of the members of most of these sects found their way to Salt Lake City, while others joined the reorganized church, as will be mentioned later, and the remainder cast in their lot with the gentiles.

Of the party that sailed with Brother Sam. Brannan for California, in the Brooklyn, in 1846, about one fourth apostatized; their leader laying the basis of a fine fortune by investing in real estate funds, to a great extent at least, belonging to the Latter-day Saints.1 Of the Mormon colony, founded, as we have seen, at San Bernardino, in 1851, a considerable number fell into apostasy, though many joined the parent organization, and a few became members of the reorganized church.

In addition to the various sects already mentioned and to be mentioned, numerous parties and individ

1 Beadle, Life in Utah, 404-5, states that Brannan afterward repaid the money with interest, but it would be difficult to make the early Californians believe it. About 45 adults and 65 children of the Brooklyn party remained in California, a few afterward joining Mormon communities at San Bernardino or in Arizona. Nearly 100 adults and some 40 children reached Utah, most of them in 1848-50. See list. Cal.. v. 544, this series.

uals fell away during the migration from Nauvoo, many of the stakes becoming settlements of recusant Mormons, while numbers of the saints settled at Omaha, Nebraska City, and other towns on the Missouri and its tributaries. Some, as I have said, merely remained in the western states to obtain means for their journey to Zion, but of the twenty thousand persons who followed the apostles from Nauvoo, it is probable that nearly one third were eventually absorbed among gentile communities.

In Utah, between 1852 and 1869, four distinct and organized attempts were made to throw off the yoke of Brigham, and establish what the apostates claimed to be a more perfect faith. These were the Gladdenite secession in 1852, the Josephite schism in 1860, the Morrisite movement in 1861, and the Godbe-Harrison schism in 1869.

When the doctrine of polygamy was openly avowed in 1852, some of the saints were sorely offended, and accusing the hierarchy of having fallen from grace in other respects, formed themselves into a new sect, appointing as their leader Gladden Bishop, whence the name of Gladdenites. Together with other recusants, Gladden, who was several times disfellowshipped and readmitted on profession of repentance, had again rejoined the church, but being now disgusted with this new feature in the policy of the church dignitaries, worked with heart and soul against them. Among his followers was one Alfred Smith from St Louis, a man of great tenacity of purpose, and a bitter foe of Brigham, by whom, as he alleged, he had been stripped of his property. For a time the cause flourished, but on Sunday, the 20th of March, 1853, while Smith was holding services in front of the councilhouse, the gathering, though orderly and peaceable, was dispersed by the city marshal. by the city marshal. Another meet

Ferris states that Gladden was cut off and rebaptized nine times. Utah and the Mormons, 326. See also Olshausen, Mormonen, 182.

ing called for the following sabbath was dispersed, Smith being taken into custody, and detained until he promised to desist. On the same day Brigham spoke a few words concerning the apostates in the tabernacle. The whole matter was regarded of no great consequence by the church; nevertheless it was deemed best to shun the very appearance of evil, and consequently the president gave the people clearly to understand that there must be no more of it. Such warnings from the president of the church were never uttered in vain, and now the days of the Gladdenites were numbered. A few months later most of them set forth for California, the rest recanted, and after the year 1854 we hear no more of this apostasy.

The most successful of the recusant sects was the one established by Joseph Smith, the prophet's son, who, with his brothers Alexander H. and David Hyrum, remained at Nauvoo after the exodus. A few years later the remnants of the Strangites and Cutlerites, being in search of a leader, organized a new church and requested Joseph to become their head. He at first refused, but in 1860, the number of members being then considerably increased by the breaking-up of other parties, he accepted the call as prophet, and began to preach the faith of his father, as he affirmed, in its original purity, repudiating the claims of Brigham and the doctrine of polygamy. The schism spread rapidly throughout Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa, the apostates being termed Josephites by the followers of Brigham, but styling themselves the Reorganized

'Jour. of Disc., i. 82; Deseret News, Apr. 2, 1853; Waite's The Mormon Prophet, 120-1; Beadle's Life in Utah, 408-9; Ferris, Utah and the Mormons, 328-30. Brigham was followed by Parley Pratt, who said that he had known Gladden for 20 years, and had seldom heard his name mentioned, except in connection with some imposition or falsehood in the name of the Lord.

Beadle says that the prophet left a considerable fortune, mostly in houses and lands at Nauvoo. Life in Utah, 428. Even if this is true, we well know that the houses and lands of the Mormons in. Nauvoo were worth little to them when the expulsion came.

Church of Latter-day Saints. In Utah it was checked by fear of persecution, and not until the summer of 1863 did the movement become pronounced. In July of that year two Josephite missionaries, named E. C. Briggs and Alexander McCord, arrived in Salt Lake City, having crossed the plains, they said, as heralds of the gospel, and calling on Brigham, told him the object of their mission, and asked permission to preach in the tabernacle. This was, of course, refused; nor were they allowed the use of any other public building, whereupon the missionaries visited from house to house, offering up prayers for the inmates, and exhorting them to join the true faith.

5

At first singly, then by dozens, and afterward by scores, converts were gathered into this fold, and in the spring of 1864 the Josephites in Zion mustered more than three hundred, the number of proselytes elsewhere being at this date between two and three thousand. Persecution followed, as they claimed; and in early summer about one half of the Josephites in Salt Lake City started eastward, so great being the excitement that General Connor ordered a strong escort to accompany them as far as Green River. To those who remained protection was also afforded by the authorities.

The excitement caused by the evangelism of Briggs and McCord was renewed in the summer of 1869, when Alexander H. and David Hyrum Smith arrived at Salt Lake City as advocates of the reformed faith. Their meetings were held at Independence Hall, then the principal public building belonging to the gentiles, and at the first service a vast audience assembled, among the number being several of the wives of Brigham. At first the followers of Brigham trembled

5 In Waite's The Mormon Prophet, 129, it is stated that Brigham said he would not be responsible for Briggs' safety if he remained in the city.

6

Bowles, Our New West, 208, his work being published in 1869, incorrectly places the entire number at 1,500. In Waite's The Mormon Prophet, 128 (published in 1866), we read: In the states, those who have gone back to their first love are to be numbered by thousands.'