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| Luke Johnson | |
|---|---|
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| Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| February 15, 1835 – September 3, 1837 | |
| Called by | Three Witnesses |
| End reason | Disfellowshipped and removed from Quorum |
| Latter Day Saint Apostle | |
| February 15, 1835 – December 31, 1837 | |
| Called by | Three Witnesses |
| Reason | Initial organization of Quorum of the Twelve |
| End reason | Resignation from the church[1] |
| Reorganization at end of term | No apostles immediately ordained[2] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Luke Johnson November 3, 1807 Pomfret, Vermont, United States |
| Died | December 9, 1861 (aged 54) Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, United States |
| Resting place | Salt Lake City Cemetery 40°46′37.92″N 111°51′28.8″W / 40.7772000°N 111.858000°W |
Luke Johnson[3] (November 3, 1807 – December 9, 1861) was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 to 1838. He served in the Quorum with his younger brother, Lyman E. Johnson, and Orson Hyde, his brother-in-law.
Johnson was born November 3, 1807, in Pomfret, Vermont, a son of John Johnson and Elsa Jacobs.[4] He wrote of his family in an autobiographical sketch:[5]
My grandfather, Israel Johnson lived in Chesterfield, New Hampshire, and was much respected by his neighbors for his honesty, integrity and industry. My father, John Johnson, was born in Chesterfield, New Hampshire, April 11, 1779. He followed the occupation of farming on a large scale, and was noted for paying his debts and living independently. He moved from Pomfret, Vermont, to Hiram, Portage county, Ohio. He was connected with the Methodist church for about five years previous to receiving the Gospel. My father was satisfied in regard to the truth of "Mormonism" and was baptized by Joseph Smith, Jun., in the winter of 1830–31, and furnished him and his family a home, while he translated a portion of the Bible.
Johnson was an educator and a physician. He married Susan H. Poteet on November 1, 1833.[4] This marriage produced six children: Elisa Mary, Fanny, Eliza, Vashtia, James, and Solomon. After Susan's death on September 20, 1846, he married America Morgan Clark on March 3, 1847, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and had additional children. This family included Susan Marinda, Orson Albert, Mark Anthony, Charlotte Elizabeth, Lovinia Ann, Phebe W. and Luke.
- ^ Johnson was disfellowshipped and removed from the Quorum of the Twelve on September 3, 1837. However, Johnson remained an apostle until he denounced the church and Joseph Smith in the last week of December 1837. Johnson was rebaptized into the church in 1846, but he was not reinstated to the apostleship.
- ^ The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles did not have twelve apostles again until April 8, 1841, when Lyman Wight was ordained. Between Johnson's resignation and then, John E. Page, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith, and Willard Richards had been ordained and added to the Quorum to replace apostles who had been excommunicated or killed.
- ^ Some sources report that Johnson's middle initial was "S.", or that his middle name was "Samuel". However, Johnson only addressed himself as "Luke Johnson" during his lifetime as evidenced through correspondence and government records. Sometime after his death, an "S." was added as his middle initial in LDS Church publications without an explanation. Also, a gravestone was put in place during the 20th century at his burial site with the "S." included. The LDS Church Historical Department has concluded that the middle initial was applied only after his death.
- ^ a b McCune, George M. (1991). Personalities in the Doctrine and Covenants and Joseph Smith–History. Salt Lake City, Utah: Hawkes Publishing. pp. 62–63. ISBN 9780890365182.
- ^ Ludlow, p. 357.