Newel Knight was a close friend of Joseph Smith, Jr. and one of the first branch president

Branch President

A branch president is a leader of a "branch" congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The calling of branch president is very similar to the calling of bishop, except that instead of presiding over a ward, the branch president presides over a branch...

s in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Born at Marlboro

Marlboro, Vermont

Marlboro is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 978 at the 2000 census. The town is home to both the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum and Marlboro College, which each summer hosts the Marlboro Music School and Festival....

, Vermont

Vermont

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...

, Knight was the son of Joseph Knight, Sr.

Joseph Knight, Sr.

Joseph Knight, Sr. was a close associate of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, and provided significant material support to Smith's translation and publication of the Book of Mormon....

 and Polly Peck. When Newel was about eight years old his family moved to Colesville, New York

Colesville, New York

Colesville is a town in Broome County, New York, United States. The population was 5,441 at the 2000 census.The Town of Colesville is in the northeast part of the county and is northeast of Binghamton.- History :...

. He married Sally Colburn on the June 7, 1825.

Knight was baptized

Baptism

In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...

 into the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) in May 1830. Prior to this, Joseph Smith cast an evil spirit out from Knight, which is considered by some to be the first miracle performed in the history of the Latter-day Saint movement. Shortly after this Knight had a vision of heaven.

With the baptism of Knights' parents, siblings, and aunts and uncles in July 1830, the Colesville Branch of the church was organized with Knight as its presiding authority. He continued to preside over this branch through its relocation 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...

 and then to Jackson County, Missouri

Jackson County, Missouri

Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. With a population of 674,158 in the 2010 census, Jackson County is the second most populous of Missouri's counties, after St. Louis County. Kansas City, the state's most populous city and focus city of the Kansas City Metropolitan...

.

When the second high council of the church was organized in Missouri in 1834, Knight was appointed a member of it. He would serve on three more high councils.

In September 1834 Knights' wife Sally died. On the November 24, 1834 Knight married Lydia Goldthwaite Bailey at 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:...

. This was the first marriage performed by Joseph Smith.

In both Missouri and later at 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...

, Knight constructed mills. In 1846–1847, Knight was involved with George Miller

George Miller (Latter Day Saints)

-External links:**...

 in the Ponca Encampment. Knight died at what is today Knox County, Nebraska

Knox County, Nebraska

-History:The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through the area on 4 September 1804.The US Treaty with the Ponca tribe was signed at White Paint Creek on 9 June 1825.Knox County was formed in 1854. It was named after Major General Henry Knox.-Demographics:...

.

Among his nine children was Jesse Knight

Jesse Knight

Jesse Knight was one of relatively few Latter-day Saint mining magnates in nineteenth century Western America. Raised by the widow of Newel Knight, Jesse's family was poor throughout his youth. As a young man, he worked as a prospector and discovered the Humbug Mine in the Tintic Mining District...

.

Sources

• Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History, p. 628.
• Black, Susan Easton
  Susan Easton Black
  Susan Easton Black is a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. She is also an author of several books related to Joseph Smith, Jr. and the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Black joined the faculty of BYU in 1978. ...
  
  . Who's Who in the Doctrine and Covenants. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft
  Bookcraft
  Bookcraft was a major publisher of books and products for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-History:In 1940, LDS Church President Heber J. Grant asked the church's Improvement Era magazine to compile his sermons into a book called Gospel Standards. Compiler G...
  
  , 1997) p. 168-171.