Abraham Owen Smoot before Far West

Abraham Owen Smoot was born 17 February 1815 in Owenton, Kentucky, to Ann Rowlett and George W. Smoot. His family moved to Tennessee when he was thirteen. After joining the Mormon Church on 22 March 1835, he was active in missionary work in Kentucky and Tennessee. He was a companion of Wilford Woodruff (no not the one that left him alone injured in a swamp). They got along so well that Wilford named one of his sons after him; Abraham Owen Woodruff.

Abraham is also known for being the only source of the "David Patten meets Cain/Bigfoot" story which is quoted in Spencer W. Kimball's Miracle of Forgiveness. It is an interesting tale which I can not say much about. Except two things ...

1) We have the story second hand. Given the opportunity would David Patten confirm it?

2) Smoot did not at the time record the story in his journal.

In 1837, Abraham returned to his old mission field to bring converts to Far West, Missouri, which at the time was the gathering place of Zion. Smoot would later write that he "went South, and in the month of May had succeeded in organizing a company of about two hundred souls with about forty teams and started on our journey." (Nixon and Smoot, Abraham Owen Smoot, 71). Exactly who was in the company is hard to say. An official list does not exist but some names have been identified. [As I write this I start thinking this would be a fun list to compile.]

David W. Patten's first mission to Tennessee

David Wyman Patten and Warren Parrish, were probably the first two missionaries to preach the restored gospel in Tennessee. Elder Patten described the historic events.

I started in company with brother Warren Parish to go into the world to preach the Gospel, travelled through Upper Missouri, preaching by the way. At La Grange I took steamboat for St. Louis, and from thence by steamboat to the mouth of the Ohio, where we landed October 2nd [1834], and proceeded to Paris, in Tennessee; where we tarried about three months, preaching the Gospel in that vicinity and the region round about, we baptized twenty, during which time several instances of the healing power of God were made manifest, one of which I will mention, which was wrought upon the wife of Mr. Johnston F. Lane, who had been sick for eight years, and for the last year had been unable to walk, she hearing of us, and the faith we preached, prevailed on her husband to send for us: I went with him immediately and taught them the Gospel, showing what power was exercised by the Lord upon those who had faith; she believed with all her heart all the words which I spake unto her; and I laid my hands upon her and said, "In the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke this disorder, and command it to depart." I took her by the hand, and commanded her to arise in the name of Jesus Christ, and be made whole; and she arose, and was made whole every whit. I then commanded her to go to the water and be baptized; she walked down straightway the same hour, and was baptized. After I had baptized and confirmed her I told her she should amend and gain strength, and in less than one year she should have a son (she had been married some twelve years, and had no children,) which came to pass according to my words, and the parents called the child David Patten; she afterwards bore several children.

This and many other events contributed to Elder Patten's reputation as a healer in the South. His first mission lasted only 3 months. It would not be his last mission to Tennessee.

[Try as I might, I could not find any other records of Johnston Lane, his wife, or the son they named after Elder Patten].

LDS History Blogs

Here is an interesting site that you might have missed. LDS History Blog. The premise is to gather in one spot local LDS histories. Hal Pierce has written "The History of the Rise of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" in a handful (eight as of the time I write this) of U. S. States. So far they have all been written by Hal himself but he openly offers to put up"Ward, Stake, Area, and/or State histories" that are sent to him.

Anyone with historical information about the rise of the Church is invited to share that information by sending it to this website and it will be added.