Frederick Granger Williams (October 28, 1787 – October 10, 1842) was an early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement, serving in the First Presidency of the Church of the Latter Day Saints from 1833 to 1837.[3][4]
| Frederick G. Williams | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Second Counselor in First Presidency Church of the Latter Day Saints | |
| February 18, 1833 – November 7, 1837 | |
| Called by | Joseph Smith |
| Predecessor | Sidney Rigdon |
| Successor | Hyrum Smith |
| End reason | Removed from position by vote of the church |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Frederick Granger Williams October 28, 1787 Suffield, Connecticut, United States |
| Died | October 10, 1842 (aged 54) Quincy, Illinois, United States |
| Resting place | Early Quincy Cemetery (now Madison Park)[1][2] 39°55′52″N 91°22′34″W / 39.931°N 91.3761°W |
| Spouse(s) | Rebecca Swain |
| Parents | William W. Williams Ruth Granger |
He was also one of the first recipients of the controversial Second Anointing ritual, the highest ritual in the LDS Church which guarantees salvation.[5]
Life
editWilliams was born at Suffield, Connecticut, to William Wheeler Williams and Ruth Granger. He studied the herb-based Thomsonian method of medicine, and worked as a medical doctor. In the War of 1812, Williams was present for battles on the northern frontier.[6] He became a maritime pilot on waterways from Buffalo, New York to Detroit.[6] He married Rebecca Swain in December 1815. By 1828 he was living in Chardon, Ohio, and he moved to Kirtland in 1830. While in Ohio, he associated himself with Sidney Rigdon and the Disciples of Christ. When Oliver Cowdery and other early Latter Day Saints were traveling through Kirtland, they taught and baptized many in Rigdon's congregation, including Williams.[3]
On July 20, 1832, Williams was appointed scribe to Joseph Smith and joined the church's First Presidency the next year. He was a member of the committee appointed to publish the Doctrine and Covenants, a portion of the church's canon, as well as the church's first hymnal from 1835, compiled by Smith's wife, Emma, under the auspices of F.G. Williams & Co.[3]
In 1837, Williams was elected a justice of the peace in Kirtland, appointed an officer in the Kirtland Safety Society, released from the First Presidency, and moved to Far West, Caldwell, County, Missouri. Although there is no record of an excommunication, Williams was rebaptized in August 1838. He was excommunicated in absentia in March 1839 by proceedings in Nauvoo, Illinois, while Joseph Smith was in Liberty Jail, Missouri. Interestingly, Williams was at Liberty Jail to see Joseph Smith about the time he was excommunicated.[7] Williams was restored to fellowship at a church conference presided over by Smith in April 1840. Williams died of a pulmonary hemorrhage at Quincy, Illinois in October 1842.[3][6]
Participation in the Second Anointing
editWilliams functioned as the scribe, recording minutes at the performance of the first recorded instance of the Second Anointing ritual, the highest ordinance in the Latter-day Saint movement. In this multi-day ceremony hosted by Joseph Smith in January 1833, 12 men (including Williams) had their feet washed by a towel-clad Joseph Smith. During the ceremony, Smith taught that the participants had been "sealed up unto eternal life."[5]
The minutes indicate that towards the conclusion of the ceremony, Williams was "moved upon by the Holy Ghost" and washed the feet of Joseph Smith, as a token of his loyalty to Smith "in life or in death."[5]
Legacy
editAs Smith's scribe and counselor, Williams became a close friend and confidant of the prophet. Joseph and Emma Smith named one of their sons Frederick Granger Williams Smith (June 20, 1836 – April 13, 1862).
The lineage of Williams continues in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Williams's great-great-grandson, and namesake, Frederick Granger Williams, served as president of the Recife Brazil Temple (2009–12) and then as a professor at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.[8]
Notes
edit- ^ Skidmore, Velma Williams. "Found at Last : The Final Resting Place of Frederick Granger Williams". Studies in Mormon History. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ Ward, Maurine C. (May 2013). "The Early Quincy Cemetery and Mormon Burials" (PDF). Mormon Historic Sites.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ a b c d "Biography of Frederick G. Williams". The Joseph Smith Papers. Archived from the original on 2012-01-03. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
- ^ Skidmore 2002
- ^ a b c Williams, F. G. (22–23 January 1833). "Minutes, 22–23 January 1833". Joseph Smith Papers. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ a b c Black, Susan Easton (2021). "Frederick G. Williams". Restoration Voices: Volume 1: People of the Doctrine and Covenants. Springville, Utah. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
{{cite book}}:|newspaper=ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ The Women of Mormondom, Edward W. Tullidge, New York 1877, Release Date: March 10, 2017 [EBook #54335] https://www.gutenberg.org/files/54335/54335.txt
- ^ Brigham Young University. "Frederick Granger Williams". Archived from the original on 8 January 2016. Retrieved 23 Nov 2019.
References
edit- Skidmore, Velma Williams (2002), "Found at Last: The Final Resting Place of Frederick Granger Williams", Mormon Historical Studies, 3 (2): 229–239
- Hart, John L. (19 August 2006), "Illustrious Ancestor", Church News
External links
edit- Frederick G. Williams Archived 2007-10-05 at the Wayback Machine, Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages