Joseph S. Murdock
Encyclopedia
Joseph Stacy Murdock was an American
colonizer, leader, and Latter-day Saint hymn
writer. He wrote the words to "Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice."
in 1822. While there, he married Eunice Sweet. He and his family were taught by a Latter-day Saint missionary
and were baptized into that church. They had a desire to live with others of their faith and moved to Nauvoo, Illinois
in 1841.
He and his wife migrated with the Mormon population to the Utah Territory
in Daniel Spencer's
1847 Mormon pioneer
company.
Joseph Murdock was asked by Brigham Young
to enter the practice of plural marriage
and was sent to jail for doing so in 1889. He had six wives: Eunice Sweet, Eliza Clark, Adeline Warner, Jane Sharp, Elizabeth Hunter, and Pernetta. He also had 32 children.
, Arizona
, and Nevada
. He participated in the creation of American Fork, Utah
; Heber City, Utah; Carson City, Nevada
; and Muddy River (an abandoned settlement in northern Arizona
).
as a bishop by Brigham Young
and sent to preside over the Latter-day Saints in Heber City and vicinity. In this capacity he served as both the ecclesiastical and political leader for this new settlement.
On August 20, 1867, he negotiated a peace treaty with Chief Tabby, the local Ute
Indian chief, to end hostilities between the Ute Indians and the local settlers in Heber City. This was one of the turning points which lead to the end of the Utah Black Hawk War
.
His home in Heber City is registered with the National Register of Historic Places
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
colonizer, leader, and Latter-day Saint hymn
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hymns
This article is about LDS church hymns in general, for the book, see Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Latter-day Saint hymns come from many sources, and there have been numerous hymn books printed by the Church since its organization in 1830...
writer. He wrote the words to "Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice."
Early years
Joseph was born in upstate New YorkUpstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
in 1822. While there, he married Eunice Sweet. He and his family were taught by a Latter-day Saint missionary
Missionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
and were baptized into that church. They had a desire to live with others of their faith and moved to 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.
He and his wife migrated with the Mormon population to the 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....
in Daniel Spencer's
Daniel Spencer (Mormon)
Daniel Spencer was the last mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois prior to the revocation of its first charter.Spencer was born in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts. In 1840, he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...
1847 Mormon pioneer
Mormon Pioneer
The Mormon pioneers were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Latter-day Saints, who migrated across the United States from the Midwest to the Salt Lake Valley in what is today the U.S. state of Utah...
company.
Joseph Murdock was asked by Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
to enter the practice 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...
and was sent to jail for doing so in 1889. He had six wives: Eunice Sweet, Eliza Clark, Adeline Warner, Jane Sharp, Elizabeth Hunter, and Pernetta. He also had 32 children.
Colonizer
After arrival in Utah, Brigham Young assigned Murdock the task of helping establish settlements in several areas in what is present day UtahUtah
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...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. He participated in the creation of American Fork, Utah
American Fork, Utah
American Fork is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, at the foot of Mount Timpanogos in the Wasatch Range, north of Utah Lake. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 26,263 at the 2010 census, nearly a 20% growth since the 2000 census...
; Heber City, Utah; Carson City, Nevada
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
; and Muddy River (an abandoned settlement in northern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
).
Heber City
In 1860, Joseph Murdock was set apartSetting apart
Setting apart is an ordinance or ritual in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints whereby a person is formally chosen and blessed to carry out a specific calling or responsibility in the church....
as a bishop by Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
and sent to preside over the Latter-day Saints in Heber City and vicinity. In this capacity he served as both the ecclesiastical and political leader for this new settlement.
On August 20, 1867, he negotiated a peace treaty with Chief Tabby, the local Ute
Ute Tribe
The Ute are an American Indian people now living primarily in Utah and Colorado. There are three Ute tribal reservations: Uintah-Ouray in northeastern Utah ; Southern Ute in Colorado ; and Ute Mountain which primarily lies in Colorado, but extends to Utah and New Mexico . The name of the state of...
Indian chief, to end hostilities between the Ute Indians and the local settlers in Heber City. This was one of the turning points which lead to the end of the Utah Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War (Utah)
The Black Hawk War, or Black Hawk's War, from 1865 to 1872, is the name of the estimated 150 military engagement between Mormon settlers in the Four Corners region and members of the Ute, Paiute, Apache and Navajo tribes, led by a local Ute chief, Antonga Black Hawk...
.
His home in Heber City is registered with the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...