Initial History of the Church in Pontiac 1830-1845

 

Initial History of the Church in Pontiac

1830-1845

Stephen Mack, an uncle of the Prophet Joseph Smith, was the founder of Pontiac. He was married to Temperance Bond and they had twelve children. Woodward Ave was laid out by him to move his products, mostly lumber, from his Pontiac businesses to the market place, Detroit on the river. He died in 1826.

So his family and business travel past the future site of the Detroit Michigan Temple on Woodward Ave.

Shortly after the Church was organized, one of his daughters, Almira Mack, traveled to Manchester, New York to visit her aunt, Lucy Mack Smith, mother of the prophet. She received the gospel as soon as she heard it and was baptized May 1830, at Palmyra, Wayne Co., New York by David Whitmer and confirmed by Joseph Smith.

Almira Mack Covey was the first Michigan convert.

Almira stayed with aunt Lucy until she returned in 1831 with Lucy, her cousin Hyrum Smith, brother of the prophet, Lyman Wight, John Murdock (Sallie Shipley’s 3^rd Great Grand Father), and John Corrill. Temperance Mack, Almira’s mother joined the church. Lucy stayed in Pontiac for 4 weeks actively sharing the gospel. David Dort and Samuel Bent were a couple of those she shared the gospel with. While there she was introduced to Rev. Isaac W. Ruggles of the newly formed Congregational church. “And you,” said Rev. Ruggles, upon shaking her hand, “are the mother of that poor, foolish, silly, boy, Joe Smith, who pretends to translate the Book of Mormon.” Lucy warned him that within three years the Mormons would have more than a third of his church, including the deacon. As Lucy had warned the Rev, Ruggles, Elders Jared Carter and Joseph Wood were sent to Pontiac January 7, 1833 and amongst others baptized the deacon, Samuel Bent. They preached I the Mormon Schoolhouse.

The Pontiac Branch was established in February 1833.

Early in 1833 several Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came into the area, holding a series of meetings, and bearing witness of the restoration of the gospel. Soon Joseph Smith and also others came to Michigan. (S22). The Curtis family heard the Elders preach the gospel and were quickly convinced of its truth. Lyman and several of his siblings were baptized on 14 MAR 1833 by Samuel Bent in Milford near Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan. Charlotte ALVORD [F35], whom he later married, was also baptized there the same day. A Branch of the Church was organized at Pontiac in a school house which afterward was known as the “Old Mormon Schoolhouse.” (S22).

EDWARD STEVENSON DESCRIBES INCIDENTS IN LIFE OF MARTIN HARRIS

While I was living in Michigan, then a territory, in 1833, near the town of Pontiac, Oakland County, Martin Harris came there, and in a meeting, where I was present, bore testimony of the appearance of an angel exhibiting the golden plates, and commanding him to bear a testimony of these things to all people whenever opportunity was afforded him to do so; and I can say that his testimony had great effect in that vicinity. Martin had a sister living in our neighborhood. About this time Oliver Cowdery, one of the other three witnesses also, in company with Joseph Smith the Prophet bore the same testimony, and further, Joseph the Prophet promised those who with honest hearts obeyed the Gospel should receive the Holy Ghost, and signs would follow them.

As a proof of their testimony, several of that branch of the church enjoyed various gifts; one, Elijah Fordham, who recently died in this territory, spoke in tongues, and as two French travelers were passing they heard him speaking and said to a boy outside the house where they were, that he was speaking in French, bearing testimony to the gospel, he having no knowledge of that language. Martin often bore his testimony while in that neighborhood.

 

In 1834 Joseph Smith preached in a schoolhouse in Pontiac, Michigan. Edward Stevenson was present and recalled the experience: “It was on those school grounds where two Mormon Elders introduced the restored Gospel in the year 1833; and in 1834 Joseph Smith the Prophet preached with such power as had not there ever before been witnessed in this nineteenth century. … I can very well remember many of the words of the boy Prophet as they were uttered in simplicity, but with a power which was irresistible to all present. …

“With uplifted hand he said: ‘I am a witness that there is a God, for I saw Him in open day, while praying in a silent grove, in the spring of 1820.’ He further testified that God, the Eternal Father, pointing to a separate personage, in the likeness of Himself, said: ‘This is my Beloved Son, hear ye Him.’ Oh, how these words thrilled my entire system, and filled me with joy unspeakable to behold one who, like Paul the apostle of olden time, could with boldness testify that he had been in the presence of Jesus Christ! …

“… A succession of meetings were held, in which the Prophet was joined, and very interestingly, too, by the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon. During his visit to this branch the Prophet testified that he was instructed to organize a Church after the pattern of the Church which Jesus organized, with Twelve Apostles, Seventies, Elders, gifts and blessings, with signs following, as found recorded in the sixteenth chapter of Mark. … ‘As a servant of God,’ said Joseph, ‘I promise you, inasmuch as you will repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins, you shall receive the Holy Ghost.’ ”

At this time the Prophet in company with his father, his brother Hyrum, the three witnesses: Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris, and two missionaries: Frederick G. Williams and Robert Orton.

I first saw him in 1834 at Pontiac and the impression made upon my mind by him at that time causes me now much pleasure in presenting the picture to his many friends. The love for him, as a true Prophet of God, was indelibly impressed upon my mind, and has always been with me from that time, although nearly sixty years have since passed away.

REMINISCENCES OF Joseph, the Prophet And the Coming Forth of The Book of Mormon By Elder Edward Stevenson 

In that same year, 1834, in the midst of many large congregations, the Prophet testified with great power concerning the visit of the Father and the Son, and the conversation he had with them. Never before did I feel such power as was manifested on these occasions, and, although only a small percentage of those who saw and heard him accepted the restored Gospel, there was not one who dared to dispute it. Many of our neighbors were heard to say: “Well, if Mormonism is true, it will stand; if not true, it will fall.” Many of them lived to see it stand and increase, and while they themselves passed away in death’s embrace, the work continued to flourish and prosper.

The fact that so few received his testimony caused me, for a time, to greatly marvel. But when I looked back to the period when Jesus and His chosen Twelve and Seventies labored, with all their might, for the salvation of a fallen world, even with all manner of signs following their labors, and saw how few believed in our embraced their testimony in that day of mighty power, when even the grave was robbed of its victims and the dead commanded to come forth and live, and that while the dead lived the living were dead; yea, when I saw and meditated upon these things, I became somewhat reconciled, and the words of the Lord, through Jeremiah, recurred to my mind and I was satisfied. The words were these, “And I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.’—Jer. 3. chap. 14, 15. After these lessons I learned that while the Gospel was free to everyone, yet everyone was not free to receive the Gospel.

While thus speaking of the Prophet’s visit to Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan (then a Territory), I cannot pass by the predictions which he then made and which were afterwards literally fulfilled as witnessed by myself and many others. Joseph said, “If you will obey the Gospel with honest hearts, I promise you in the name of the Lord, that the gifts as promised by our Saviour will follow you, and by this you may prove me to be a true servant of God.”

I am, with others, a witness that these gifts did follow many in the branch of the Church which was raised [p.5] up in Pontiac. Among them were Deacon Bent of the Presbyterian Church, who was the first one baptized (and who afterwards became President of the High Council in Nauvoo). His daughter Mary was the first one who spoke in tongues in this branch. Besides Mary Curtis, Joseph Wood, Elijah Fordham and others also enjoyed that gift. We felt that we were blessed above kings, rulers and potentates of the earth and truly we were a happy branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our souls were full of joyous thanksgiving, and our songs of gladness rejoiced the heart by day, dispelled the gloom of night and welcomed the coming morn. Those only can realize our happiness and delight who sing with the soul and understanding the beautiful song of Zion:

We thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet,
    To guide us in these latter days;
We thank Thee for sending the Gospel
    To lighten our minds with its rays.

The above named Mary Curtis, who afterwards became Sister Reed, will be remembered as the lady who spoke in tongues in the Logan Temple about three years ago, on a fast day, and who, on that same day, after having completed her day’s work in the Temple, went home in the evening and died. Lyman O. Littlefield, of Logan, as well as myself and my Sister Mary Stevenson Clark, of Farmington, Davis Co., Utah, witnessed the speaking in tongues by Mary Curtis in Michigan, sixty years ago, and also on this occasion in Logan Temple.

These, however, were not the only blessings with which we were favored in the Pontiac branch, for we enjoyed the presence of the venerable and venerated father of the Prophet (Joseph Smith, Sen.), the Patriarch of the whole Church of God on the earth. The writer was one of many who, under his hands, received choice and rare blessings, when the power of the Holy Ghost filled the house to such an extent that the tears flowed down the cheeks of even those who lived and died outside of the pale of the Church.

Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris were also heard by the writer to testify that they, in open day, stood in the presence of the God who ministered unto the Prophet. And indeed there was a power accompanying these testimonies which was irresistible, and which made deep and lasting impressions.

Although a mere humble widow’s son, I felt proud and blessed of God, when he honored us by coming under our roof and partaking of our hospitality. Oh! how my heart swelled with delightful emotions of heavenly love, as I selected and presented to him some of our choice apples in exchange for the golden nuggets of celestial truth, which he bestowed upon us as he partook of the humble but hearty hospitality of a widow’s table! We were proud, indeed, to entertain one who had conversed with the Father and the Son, and been under the tuition of an angel from Heaven, and who, under the immediate direction of the Almighty, had organized the true church on the earth, after the exact pattern of that organized by God, through Jesus Christ, eighteen hundred years before.

In May 1834 Hyrum Smith and Lyman Wright were sent to Pontiac to gather recruits for Zion’s Camp. Zion’s camp consisted of two groups only. Kirtland and Pontiac.

The church continued to grow for the next ten years. Then when news reached the saints that the Prophet had been martyred, they voted in a conference at Livonia, Michigan on November 1, 1844 to support the Quorum of the Twelve.

James Strang, in a conference held in Florence, Michigan, claimed he had been named to succeed the Prophet by the Prophet. He was very disruptive to the Church in Michigan particularly. He established his church in Voree, Wisconsin. In 1847 James Jesse Strang established a polygamous community of about 3,000 people on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan, whose members became known as Strangites. Among the most significant of Latter-day Saints factions to emerge in the 20th century were groups that practiced polygamy. Shot by disaffected followers at Beaver Island, 16 June 1856, and died about ten days later in Voree. 

Formal missionary work in Michigan ended in February 1845 as all Elders were to return to Nauvoo to complete the Temple.

In September 1845, the Twelve set a message to Michigan advising the brethren to sell their farms for stock, sheep, etc. in readiness to unite with the Saints in Nauvoo.