Phinehas Howe Richards was an early leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and in 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....

. His first name is also spelled Phineas in some records.

Richards was born in Framingham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts

Middlesex County, Massachusetts

-National protected areas:* Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge* Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Longfellow National Historic Site* Lowell National Historical Park* Minute Man National Historical Park* Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge...

. He was a brother of Willard Richards

Willard Richards

Willard Richards was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served as Second Counselor in the First Presidency to church president Brigham Young in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death.Willard Richards was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to...

 and the father of Franklin D. Richards and Henry P. Richards. He married Wealthy Dewey in 1818. In 1825 he was appointed county coroner

Coroner

A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...

. His oldest son, George Spencer Richards died at age 15 at the Haun's Mill Massacre

Haun's Mill massacre

The Haun's Mill massacre was an event in the history of the Latter Day Saint movement. It occurred on October 30, 1838 when a mob/militia unit from Livingston County attacked a Mormon settlement in eastern Caldwell County, Missouri, United States, after the Battle of Crooked River...

 in 1838.

Richards joined the LDS Church in 1837. He was a member of high councils at Kirtland

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:...

, Nauvoo

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...

, Winter Quarters and Salt Lake City. He also served as a member of the Nauvoo City Council and the 1st Utah territorial legislature

1st Utah Territorial Legislature

The 1st Utah Territorial Legislature convened on September 22, 1851 and ended on March 6, 1852.-Sessions:* General Session: September 22, 1851 - February 18, 1852* Special Session: February 19, 1852 - March 6, 1852-Members:...

, where he also was the chaplain

Chaplain

Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...

. In 1844 Richards published an appeal to the citizens of Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

 asking them to take action on the matter of the wrongs 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...

 had inflicted upon the Latter-day Saints.

Sources

• Jessee, Dean C., "Biographical Register" in The Papers of Joseph Smith: Vol. 2 p. 584
• Joseph Smith
  Joseph Smith
  Joseph Smith was founder of what later became known as the Latter Day Saint movement or Mormons.Joseph Smith may also refer to:-Latter Day Saints:* Joseph Smith, Sr. , father of Joseph Smith...
  
  . History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Vo. 6, p. 193.
• Stevenson, Joseph Grant, "Richards Family History: Volume 1" pp. 110-267