Amasa Mason Lyman
Encyclopedia
Amasa Mason Lyman was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement
and was an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was also a counselor in the First Presidency
to founder and president of the church Joseph Smith, Jr.
, New Hampshire
, the third son of Roswell Lyman and Martha Mason. In the spring of 1832, Lyman met two traveling Latter Day Saint missionaries, Orson Pratt
and Lyman E. Johnson
. He was baptized a member of the Church on 27 April 1832 by Johnson. On 28 April, Lyman was confirmed by Pratt.
After becoming a Latter Day Saint, Lyman traveled 700 miles to Palmyra
, New York
, where he hoped to meet Joseph Smith and Martin Harris. (Smith and Harris had lived in the Palmyra area when they published the Book of Mormon
and organized the Church in 1830). When Lyman arrived in Palmyra, he discovered that Smith had moved to Ohio
the previous year, and was visiting to Missouri
.
Determined to join the Latter Day Saints in Ohio, Lyman found temporary employment on the farm of Thomas Lackey, who had bought Harris' farm. (Harris sold it to raise money for the publication of the Book of Mormon). After working for two weeks, Lyman earned enough money to take a ship from Buffalo, New York
to Cleveland, Ohio
. From Cleveland, Lyman walked the 45 miles to Hiram
, where he was told Smith and his family were living. When Lyman met John Johnson, the owner of the Smiths' house, he discovered Johnson was the father of the missionary
who had baptized him just weeks before. Johnson invited Lyman to live at his house and work on his farm. Lyman did so from 5 June until August 1832. Lyman met Joseph Smith on 1 July, when Smith returned to Hiram from his Missouri visit.
. The following day, he departed with Zerubbabel Snow
as a missionary. Lyman served with Snow and William F. Cahoon in the eastern states, preaching as far east as Cabell County, Virginia
, in present-day West Virginia
. On 11 December 1833, Lyman was ordained a High Priest by Lyman Johnson
and Orson Pratt
, the same elders who had taught and baptized him in 1832.
Lyman returned to Church headquarters in Kirtland, Ohio
in May 1835. At a Conference of the Church in June, Lyman was called by Joseph Smith to be a member of the newly organized First Quorum of the Seventy. In 1836, Lyman received the "Kirtland Endowment" in the Latter Day Saints' Kirtland Temple
.
In April 1844, Joseph Smith taught Lyman the principle of plural marriage
. "As he warmly grasped my hand for the last time," Lyman later recalled, "[Joseph said] brother Amasa, go and practice on the principles I have taught you, and God bless you." Soon Lyman married his first and second plural wives, Diontha Walker and Caroline Partridge.
In 1846, Lyman married four additional wives: Eliza Maria Partridge (one of numerous widows of Joseph Smith and the 25-year-old sister of Lyman's wife Caroline)); Pauline Phelps, Priscilla Turley, and Cornelia Leavitt. In 1851, Lyman married his eighth and final wife, Lydia Partridge, a sister of his wives Caroline and Eliza.
, New Hampshire, New York, Wisconsin
, Illinois
, and Tennessee
. In 1838, Lyman followed Smith to Far West, Missouri
, where Smith relocated the headquarters of the Church. Lyman participated in the Battle of Crooked River
, a skirmish between Latter Day Saints and a Missouri militia unit from Ray County, which occurred on 25 October 1838.
In 1839, Lyman traveled with the Latter Day Saints to their new headquarters in Nauvoo, Illinois
. In 1841 Lyman was appointed regent of the newly organized University of Nauvoo. On 20 August 1842, Smith called Lyman to serve as an Apostle of the Church. Lyman filled a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
, created by the group's excommunication
of Apostle Orson Pratt
. Five months later, on 20 January 1843, Pratt was rebaptized and restored to his former position in the Quorum of the Twelve
. As the most junior and "thirteenth" Apostle, Lyman was excluded from the Quorum.
On 4 February, Smith called Lyman to serve as an additional Counselor in the First Presidency
. Due to the turbulence of the years 1843 and 1844 for the Latter Day Saints, especially after Smith's death, Lyman was never sustained at a Conference of the Church
to this position.
had been killed
by a mob at Carthage, Illinois
. He returned to Nauvoo. When Apostles Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball
, Wilford Woodruff
, Pratt, and Lyman Wight
arrived in Nauvoo on 6 August, Lyman sided with the group of Latter Day Saints who supported the leadership of Young and the Quorum of the Twelve
, as opposed to that of Sidney Rigdon
, Smith's First Counselor in the First Presidency
.
Young restored Lyman as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on August 12, 1844. In 1847, Lyman and his seven wives and children traveled with the Saints who followed Young to the Salt Lake Valley
in present-day Utah
.
, and George Q. Cannon
, to the presidency of the Church's European Mission. On 16 March 1862, Lyman preached a sermon in Dundee
, Scotland
, which all but denied the reality of and the necessity for the atonement of Jesus Christ
, which was a central tenet of the LDS Church. His speech appeared to have been overlooked for years. Perhaps a political challenge prompted Lyman's being brought before the Quorum of the Twelve
on 21 January 1867 to answer for his heretical words. Lyman confessed his error and apologized to the Quorum personally. He wrote a letter of apology to the general membership, published in the Deseret News.
But, months later, Lyman began publicly preaching the substance of his 1862 Dundee speech. As a result of his failure to live up to his confession and apology, the church stripped Lyman of the Apostleship on October 6, 1867; he was excommunicated from the church on May 12, 1870.
Lyman died at Fillmore
, Millard County
, Utah Territory
. He and seven of his eight wives were the parents of a total of 38 children. Lyman never returned to the church after his excommunication.
By direction of Church President Joseph F. Smith
on January 12, 1909, Lyman was posthumously reinstated as a church member and an Apostle.
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
and was an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was also a counselor in the First Presidency
First Presidency
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency was the highest governing body in the Latter Day Saint church established by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1832, and is the highest governing body of several modern Latter Day Saint denominations...
to founder and president of the church Joseph Smith, Jr.
Early life and conversion
Amasa Lyman was born in 1813 in LymanLyman, New Hampshire
Lyman is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 533 at the 2010 census.- History :Lyman, along with Grantham, Lisbon, and eleven Vermont towns, was granted as compensation to General Phineas Lyman, a commander in the French and Indian War...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, the third son of Roswell Lyman and Martha Mason. In the spring of 1832, Lyman met two traveling Latter Day Saint missionaries, Orson Pratt
Orson Pratt
Orson Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles...
and Lyman E. Johnson
Lyman E. Johnson
Lyman Eugene Johnson was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He broke with Joseph Smith, Jr. and Sidney Rigdon during the 1837-38 period when schism divided the early Church...
. He was baptized a member of the Church on 27 April 1832 by Johnson. On 28 April, Lyman was confirmed by Pratt.
After becoming a Latter Day Saint, Lyman traveled 700 miles to Palmyra
Palmyra (town), New York
Palmyra is a town in Wayne County, New York, USA. The population was 7,672 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the ancient city Palmyra in Syria....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where he hoped to meet Joseph Smith and Martin Harris. (Smith and Harris had lived in the Palmyra area when they published the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
and organized the Church in 1830). When Lyman arrived in Palmyra, he discovered that Smith had moved to Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
the previous year, and was visiting to Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
Determined to join the Latter Day Saints in Ohio, Lyman found temporary employment on the farm of Thomas Lackey, who had bought Harris' farm. (Harris sold it to raise money for the publication of the Book of Mormon). After working for two weeks, Lyman earned enough money to take a ship from Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
to Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. From Cleveland, Lyman walked the 45 miles to Hiram
Hiram, Ohio
Hiram is a village in Portage County, Ohio, United States. It was formed from portions of Hiram Township in the Connecticut Western Reserve. The population was 1,242 at the 2000 census...
, where he was told Smith and his family were living. When Lyman met John Johnson, the owner of the Smiths' house, he discovered Johnson was the father of the missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
who had baptized him just weeks before. Johnson invited Lyman to live at his house and work on his farm. Lyman did so from 5 June until August 1832. Lyman met Joseph Smith on 1 July, when Smith returned to Hiram from his Missouri visit.
Missionary service and church leadership
In August 1832, Smith told Lyman that "the Lord requires your labors in the vineyard.". Lyman agreed to serve a mission for the Church. On 23 August, Lyman was ordained an Elder by Smith and Frederick G. WilliamsFrederick G. Williams
Frederick Granger Williams was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement and served in the First Presidency as Second Counselor to church president Joseph Smith, Jr. from 1833 to 1837...
. The following day, he departed with Zerubbabel Snow
Zerubbabel Snow
Zerubbabel Snow was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement, a Mormon pioneer, and an Attorney General of the Territory of Utah....
as a missionary. Lyman served with Snow and William F. Cahoon in the eastern states, preaching as far east as Cabell County, Virginia
Cabell County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 96,784 people, 41,180 households, and 25,490 families residing in the county. The population density was 344 people per square mile . There were 45,615 housing units at an average density of 162 per square mile...
, in present-day West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. On 11 December 1833, Lyman was ordained a High Priest by Lyman Johnson
Lyman E. Johnson
Lyman Eugene Johnson was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He broke with Joseph Smith, Jr. and Sidney Rigdon during the 1837-38 period when schism divided the early Church...
and Orson Pratt
Orson Pratt
Orson Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles...
, the same elders who had taught and baptized him in 1832.
Lyman returned to Church headquarters in Kirtland, Ohio
Kirtland, Ohio
Kirtland is a city in Lake County, Ohio, USA. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census. Kirtland is famous for being the early headquarters of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Origins of Kirtland:...
in May 1835. At a Conference of the Church in June, Lyman was called by Joseph Smith to be a member of the newly organized First Quorum of the Seventy. In 1836, Lyman received the "Kirtland Endowment" in the Latter Day Saints' Kirtland Temple
Kirtland Temple
The Kirtland Temple is a National Historic Landmark in Kirtland, Ohio, USA, 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 Latter Day Saints , the house of worship was the first temple to be...
.
Marriage and family
In 1835, Lyman married Maria Louisa Tanner in Kirtland. They had several children together.In April 1844, Joseph Smith taught Lyman the principle of plural marriage
Plural marriage
Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...
. "As he warmly grasped my hand for the last time," Lyman later recalled, "[Joseph said] brother Amasa, go and practice on the principles I have taught you, and God bless you." Soon Lyman married his first and second plural wives, Diontha Walker and Caroline Partridge.
In 1846, Lyman married four additional wives: Eliza Maria Partridge (one of numerous widows of Joseph Smith and the 25-year-old sister of Lyman's wife Caroline)); Pauline Phelps, Priscilla Turley, and Cornelia Leavitt. In 1851, Lyman married his eighth and final wife, Lydia Partridge, a sister of his wives Caroline and Eliza.
Additional missions
Lyman served several missions for the Church, preaching in VermontVermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, New Hampshire, New York, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. In 1838, Lyman followed Smith to Far West, Missouri
Far West, Missouri
Far West, Missouri, was a Latter Day Saint settlement in Caldwell County, Missouri.-Foundation and early history:The town was founded by Missouri Mormon leaders, W. W. Phelps and John Whitmer in August 1836 shortly before the county's creation. The town was platted originally as a square area,...
, where Smith relocated the headquarters of the Church. Lyman participated in the Battle of Crooked River
Battle of Crooked River
The Battle of Crooked River was a skirmish between Latter Day Saint forces and Missouri state militia unit from southeast of Elmira, Missouri in Ray County under the command of Samuel Bogart...
, a skirmish between Latter Day Saints and a Missouri militia unit from Ray County, which occurred on 25 October 1838.
In 1839, Lyman traveled with the Latter Day Saints to their new headquarters in Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
. In 1841 Lyman was appointed regent of the newly organized University of Nauvoo. On 20 August 1842, Smith called Lyman to serve as an Apostle of the Church. Lyman filled a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is one of the governing bodies in the church hierarchy...
, created by the group's excommunication
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
of Apostle Orson Pratt
Orson Pratt
Orson Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles...
. Five months later, on 20 January 1843, Pratt was rebaptized and restored to his former position in the Quorum of the Twelve
Quorum of the Twelve
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve was one of the governing bodies of the church hierarchy organized by the movement's founder Joseph Smith, Jr., and patterned after the twelve apostles of Christ In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve (also known as the...
. As the most junior and "thirteenth" Apostle, Lyman was excluded from the Quorum.
On 4 February, Smith called Lyman to serve as an additional Counselor in the First Presidency
First Presidency
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency was the highest governing body in the Latter Day Saint church established by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1832, and is the highest governing body of several modern Latter Day Saint denominations...
. Due to the turbulence of the years 1843 and 1844 for the Latter Day Saints, especially after Smith's death, Lyman was never sustained at a Conference of the Church
General conference (Mormonism)
In the Latter Day Saint movement, a general conference is a meeting for all members of the church for conducting general church business and instruction....
to this position.
Follower of Brigham Young
In July 1844 while traveling, Lyman learned that Smith and his brother HyrumHyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith was an American religious leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement. He was the older brother of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr....
had been killed
Death of Joseph Smith, Jr.
The death of Joseph Smith, Jr. on June 27, 1844 marked a turning point for the Latter Day Saint movement, of which Smith was the founder and leader. When he was attacked and killed by a mob, Smith was the mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois, and running for President of the United States...
by a mob at Carthage, Illinois
Carthage, Illinois
Carthage is a city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,725 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hancock County. Carthage is most famous for being the site of the murder of Joseph Smith in 1844.- History :...
. He returned to Nauvoo. When Apostles Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball
Heber C. Kimball
Heber Chase Kimball was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement. He served as one of the original twelve apostles in the early Latter Day Saint church, and as first counselor to Brigham Young in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his...
, Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
, Pratt, and Lyman Wight
Lyman Wight
Lyman Wight was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He was the leader of the Latter Day Saints in Daviess County, Missouri in 1838. In 1841, he was ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. After the death of Joseph Smith, Jr...
arrived in Nauvoo on 6 August, Lyman sided with the group of Latter Day Saints who supported the leadership of Young and the Quorum of the Twelve
Quorum of the Twelve
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve was one of the governing bodies of the church hierarchy organized by the movement's founder Joseph Smith, Jr., and patterned after the twelve apostles of Christ In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve (also known as the...
, as opposed to that of Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon was a leader during the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Baptist background:...
, Smith's First Counselor in the First Presidency
First Presidency
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency was the highest governing body in the Latter Day Saint church established by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1832, and is the highest governing body of several modern Latter Day Saint denominations...
.
Young restored Lyman as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on August 12, 1844. In 1847, Lyman and his seven wives and children traveled with the Saints who followed Young to the Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley is a valley in Salt Lake County in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Utah. It contains Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs, notably West Valley City, Murray, Sandy, and West Jordan; its total population is 1,029,655 as of 2010...
in present-day Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
Charges of heresy and excommunication
In 1860, Young appointed three of the twelve Apostles: Lyman, Charles C. RichCharles C. Rich
Charles Coulson Rich was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served as an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
, and George Q. Cannon
George Q. Cannon
George Quayle Cannon was an early member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and served in the First Presidency under four successive presidents of the church: Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow...
, to the presidency of the Church's European Mission. On 16 March 1862, Lyman preached a sermon in Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, which all but denied the reality of and the necessity for the atonement of Jesus Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, which was a central tenet of the LDS Church. His speech appeared to have been overlooked for years. Perhaps a political challenge prompted Lyman's being brought before the Quorum of the Twelve
Quorum of the Twelve
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve was one of the governing bodies of the church hierarchy organized by the movement's founder Joseph Smith, Jr., and patterned after the twelve apostles of Christ In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve (also known as the...
on 21 January 1867 to answer for his heretical words. Lyman confessed his error and apologized to the Quorum personally. He wrote a letter of apology to the general membership, published in the Deseret News.
But, months later, Lyman began publicly preaching the substance of his 1862 Dundee speech. As a result of his failure to live up to his confession and apology, the church stripped Lyman of the Apostleship on October 6, 1867; he was excommunicated from the church on May 12, 1870.
Lyman died at Fillmore
Fillmore, Utah
Fillmore is a city in Millard County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,253 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Millard County. It is named for the thirteenth US President Millard Fillmore....
, Millard County
Millard County, Utah
Millard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. In 2010, its population was 12,420. It was named for Millard Fillmore, thirteenth President of the United States. Its county seat is Fillmore and the largest city is Delta.-Geography:...
, Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
. He and seven of his eight wives were the parents of a total of 38 children. Lyman never returned to the church after his excommunication.
By direction of Church President Joseph F. Smith
Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr. was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
on January 12, 1909, Lyman was posthumously reinstated as a church member and an Apostle.
Notable descendants
- Sons Francis M. LymanFrancis M. LymanFrancis Marion Lyman was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was the President of the Quorum from 1903 until his death....
and Platte D. Lyman both served as presidentMission presidentMission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
of the European MissionMission (LDS Church)A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
of the LDS Church. - Francis M. Lyman and his grandson Richard R. LymanRichard R. LymanRichard Roswell Lyman was an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1918 to 1943. He was excommunicated in 1943 for unlawful cohabitation, a result of a polygamous relationship. In 1954 Lyman was rebaptized. His full priesthood blessings were restored posthumously in 1970...
, became apostles in the LDS Church. Francis became the President of the Quorum of the Twelve ApostlesPresident of the Quorum of the Twelve ApostlesPresident of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . In general, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve is the most senior Apostle in the church, aside from the President of the Church...
. - James E. FaustJames E. FaustJames Esdras Faust was an American religious leader, lawyer, and politician. Faust was Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1995 until his death, an LDS Church apostle for 29 years, and a general authority of the church for 35...
served as an apostle for 29 years and as second counselor in the First PresidencyFirst Presidency (LDS Church)The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...
of the church (1995–2007). He was a great-great-grandson of Amasa Lyman.
Chart: the eight wives
| - # - | Year of Marriage |
Name | Her Age | His Age | # of Children |
| - 1 - | 1835 | Maria Louisa Tanner | 17 | 22 | 8 |
| - 2 - | 1843 | Diontha Walker | 27 | 30 | 0 |
| - 3 - | 1844 | Caroline Partridge | 17 | 31 | 6 |
| - 4 - | 1846 | Eliza Maria Partridge | 23 | 33 | 5 |
| - 5 - | 1846 | Pauline Phelps | 19 | 33 | 7 |
| - 6 - | 1846 | Priscilla Turley | 17 | 33 | 6 |
| - 7 - | 1846 | Cornelia Leavitt | 21 | 33 | 2 |
| - 8 - | 1853 | Lydia Partridge | 23 | 40 | 4 |
External Resources
- Utah History Encyclopedia Entry
- Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages: Amasa M. Lyman
- Text of Millennial Star 1863-1865 series "Amasa Lyman's History"
- Family Search at lds.org
- The Edward Partridge Family
- Autobiography of Eliza Partridge Smith Lyman
- Caroline Ely Patridge Lyman
- Lyman, Edward Leo, Amasa Mason Lyman, Mormon Apostle and Apostate: A Study in Dedication (2009). ISBN 978-0-87480-940-4.