Amasa Mason Lyman

Amasa Mason Lyman (1813-1877)

From Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, p.1015 (Subheads Added)

LYMAN, AMASA MASON (third son of Roswell Lyman, who was born in 1784, Lebanon, and Martha Mason, born June 7, 1787, at Grafton, both in New Hampshire—married March 14, 1810). He was born March 30, 1813, at Lyman, Grafton county, N. H. Came to Utah July 24, 1847, Brigham Young company.

Marriages

Married Louisa Maria Tanner June I0, 1835 (daughter of John Tanner and Lydia Stewart—married 1801, Greenwich, N. Y.; former a pioneer Oct. 17, 1848, Amasa M. Lyman company; latter died May 31, 1825, Bolton, Warren county, N. Y.). She was born Nov. 28, 1818, and came to Utah with husband. Their children: Matilda b. Nov. 14, 1836, m. Isaac P. Carter Oct. 6, 1856; Francis Marion b. Jan. 12, 1840, m. Rhoda Ann Taylor Nov. 18, 1857 (see genealogy); Ruth Adelia b. Aug. 1, 1843, d. Feb. 27, 1848; Amasa Mason, Jr. b. Feb. 22, 1846, m. Hannah Olive Felshaw Jan. 6, 1867; Maria Louisa b. May 8, 1849, m. William Clayton Oct. 3, 1866; Lelia Deseret b. Jan. 21, 1852, m. Edwin Bartholomew Dec. 25, 1871; Love Josephine b. April 25, 1854, m. Hyrum S. Coombs June 23, 1872; Agnes Hilda b. Dec. 5, 1857, m. George C. Veile Dec. 16, 1877. Family home Fillmore, Utah.

Married Caroline Ely Partridge Sept. 6, 1844, Nauvoo, Ill. (daughter of Edward Partridge and Lydia Clisbee—former died May 27, 1840, Nauvoo, Ill.; latter a pioneer Oct 17, 1848). She was born Jan. 8, 1827, Painesville, Ohio, and came to Utah with mother and husband. Their children: Martha Lydia b. April 1, 1853, m. Alvin Roper Oct. 26, 1874; Frederick Rich b. Oct. 12, 1856, m. Ann Elizabeth Lovell Dec. 6, 1875; Annie b. July 2, 1860, m. Peter Anderson Oct. 9, 1882; Walter Clisbee b. Oct. 1, 1863, m. Sylvia Ann Lovell Oct. 4, 1883; Harriet Jane b. Aug. 17, 1866, m. John Edmond Lovell Oct. 4, 1883. Family home, Fillmore.

Married Eliza Maria Partridge Sept. 28, 1844, Nauvoo, Ill. (daughter of Edward Partridge and Lydia Clisbee), who was born April 20, 1820, Painesville, Ohio; came to Utah with husband's company. Their children: Don Carlos b. July 14, 1846, d. Dec. 12, 1846, Florence, Neb.; Platte DeAlton b. Aug. 20, 1848, m. Adelia Robinson May 18, 1867; Carlie Eliza b. Aug. 1, 1851, m. Thomas Callister Feb. 14, 1878; Joseph Alvin b. Dec. 13, 1856, m. Nellie Grayson Roper April 25, 1878; Lucy Zina b. Aug. 26, 1860, m. Lemuel Hardison Redd Oct. 31, 1883. Family resided Fillmore, Salt Lake City and Oak City, Utah.

Married Cornelia Eliza Leavitt Nov. 14, 1844, Nauvoo, Ill. (daughter of Enoch Virgil Leavitt and Abigail Leonora Snow, former pioneer Oct. 17, 1848, Amasa M. Lyman company). She was born Jan. 5, 1825, Warren, Ohio. Their children: Lorenzo Snow b. Nov. 6, 1851, m. Zuriah Rowley Nov. 21, 1874; Henry Elias b. July 4, 1854, m. Ina Caldwell Dec. 31, 1883. Family resided Salt Lake City and Parowan, Utah.

Married Diontia Walker in July, 1845, Nauvoo, Ill. (daughter of Oliver Walker and Nancy Crissy, pioneers Oct. 17, 1848, Amasa M. Lyman company). She was born March 10, 1816, Dayton, Ohio, and died childless. Family resided Salt Lake City and Minersville, Utah.

Married Paulina Eliza Phelps Jan. 16, 1846, Nauvoo, Ill. (daughter of Morris Phelps and Laura Clark), who was born March 20, 1827, Lawrenceville, Ill. Their children: Oscar Morris b. Dec. 16, 1847, m. Phebe Medora Benson April 5, 1869; Mason Roswell b. July 5, 1851, d. May 31, 1866, Parowan, Utah; Clark b. Oct. 5, 1853, d. April 7, 1854, Salt Lake City; Charles Rich b. Feb. 18, 1857, m. Barbara Alice Ward July 8, 1876; William Horn b. Feb. 19, 1859, m. Julia Hannah McGregor Oct. 26, 1888; Solon Ezra b. Aug. 9, 1863, m. Luella Ward Feb. 8, 1884; Laura Paulina b. Aug. 19, 1865, m. Porter van der Clark Dec. 31, 1883. Family resided Salt Lake City and Parowan, Utah.

Married Priscilla Turley Jan. 17, 1846, Nauvoo, Ill. (daughter of Theodore Turley and Frances Kimberley, former pioneer Oct. 17, 1848, Amasa M. Lyman company). She was born June 1, 1829, Toronto, Canada. Their children: Theodore Kimberley b. April 13, 1853, m. Elizabeth Duggins Dec. 29, 1875; Ira Depo b. April 30, 1855, m. Elizabeth Ann Rowley Jan. 1, 1878; Isaac Newton b. Oct, 18, 1857, d. Sept. 27, 1858, Parowan; Albert Augustus b. Oct. 5, 1859, d. Oct. 25, 1860, Minersville, Utah; Stephen Alonzo b. Aug. 11, 1865, m. Ellen King Dec. 24, 1887; Frances Priscilla b. July 21, 1868, m. Robert Edward Barry April 20, 1884. Family resided Salt Lake City and Fillmore, Utah, and San Bernardino, Cal.

Married Lydia Partridge Feb. 7, 1853, Salt Lake City (daughter of Edward Partridge and Lydia Clisbee), who was born May 8, 1830, Painseville, Ohio. Their children: Edward Leo b. Jan. 4, 1857, m. Mary Maranda Callister Nov. 14, 1878; Ida Evelyn b. March 28, 1859, m. Hans Joseph Nielson Nov. 30, 1881; Frank Arthur b. Sept. 9, 1863, d. April 26, 1864, Salt Lake City; Lydia May b. May 1, 1865, m. Kumin Treharne Jones Nov. 2, 1882. Family resided Salt Lake City and Fillmore, Utah.

His Conversion

He was early placed upon his own resources, for when he was about two years old his father left home for the western country, never to return, and is supposed to have died in New Orleans.

At the age of eighteen, just a year after the organization of the church, he became somewhat thoughtful on religious subjects. In the spring of 1832, Lyman E. Johnson and Orson Pratt visited the neighborhood where he lived and Amasa believed in their doctrine and was baptised by the former on April 27, 1832, being confirmed the following day by Orson Pratt.

His Missions

On account of his joining the Latter‑day Saints ill feeling arose against him, in his uncle's family where he resided, and for that reason he set off for a journey with only scanty provisions and clothing. He arrived at Lyons, Wayne Co., New York, and hired out to Thomas Lackey, who, by‑the‑bye, was the man who purchased Martin Harris' farm when he sold it to raise money for printing the Book of Mormon. He only stopped here a couple of weeks, and then made his way to Buffalo, and thence to Cleveland, Ohio, and later to Hyrum, Portage Co., Ohio, where he was received by Father Johnson and family. He soon met the Prophet Joseph Smith and was given a living testimony by the spirit that he was a man of God. He was called on a mission on the 23d of August, 1832, by the Prophet Joseph, who ordained him an elder, and labored during the following winter with Zerubabel Snow in southern Ohio and Cable Co., Virginia. They returned to Kirtland early the following spring having added forty souls to the church.

He filled a second mission with William F. Cahoon, leaving March 21, 1833, and journeying as far as Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties, New York. During this mission he held 150 meetings and there were about a hundred souls added to the church. While on this mission the call reached him to go to Missouri. Arriving in Kirtland on May lst, 1834, a few days later he joined Zion's Camp at New Portage, and traveled with this organization to Missouri, suffering all the privations and difficulties of that famous trip. Having attended the dedication of the Kirtland temple, in the spring of 1836, in company with Elder Nathan Tanner he filled another mission that year to the state of New York.

In 1837, he went to Missouri and there experienced all the persecutions to which those of his belief were subjected. His family in the meantime were enabled to move to Illinois and he joined them in March, 1839. During that year he made two dangerous trips to Missouri for the purpose of assisting Elder Parley P. Pratt and his fellow‑prisoners and to attend to unsettled business.

He settled in Iowa in the spring of 1840, building a cabin for his family on the half‑breed Indian tract in Lee county. In 1841, with his family, he moved to Nauvoo and later was called on a mission to northern Illinois and Wisconsin. He was subsequently directed in company with Peter Haws to go on a mission to secure means to build the Nauvoo temple and Nauvoo House, going as far east as Indiana.

In the spring of 1842 he was sent on a mission to the state of Tennessee with Horace K. Whitney and others. On the 20th of August, 1842, Elder Lyman was ordained to the apostleship, and the following month sent on a mission to southern Illinois in company with Elder George A. Smith, being a part of the time in company with Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball.

He went through many of the privations and trials at Nauvoo and filled many other missions in the states around about. In the spring of 1844 he went to Nauvoo to attend the April Conference, and it was here determined that he should go to Boston. He had proceeded only as far as Cincinnati (remaining until July), when he received the news of the massacre of the prophet and patriarch, Joseph and Hyrum Smith. He was recalled to Nauvoo, arriving there July 31, 1844, and was present at the meeting at Nauvoo on August 8th following when the twelve apostles were acknowledged as the presiding quorum of the church. He rendered efficient aid during the exodus of his people from Illinois in 1846, and was one of the pioneers of Utah in 1847.

In 1848 he led a large company of immigrants to the great Salt Lake valley. In 1850 he went on a mission to California, returning September 30th, of that year, and in 1851 he and Apostle Charles C. Rich were appointed to lead a company of settlers to California. This company left Payson, March 24, 1851, and arrived at San Bernardino the following June. It was a few months later, in September, that the ranch of San Bernardino was purchased, and a settlement was located. This was continued until 1857, when the Johnston army‑Echo Canyon hostilities caused it to disintegrate when most of the inhabitants had gone to Utah.

In 1860 he filled a mission to Great Britain, arriving July . 27th, and in connection with Apostle Charles C. Rich presided over the European mission until March 14, 1862, when he returned home. It was while on this mission that he delivered the remarkable sermon at Dundee, Scotland, March 16, 1862, in which he denied the atonement of the Savior. Some time later he was summoned to answer the charge of having preached false doctrine, and he acknowledged his error, and signed a document January 23, 1867, in which he asked forgiveness of the authorities. Soon after, however, he again preached in the same strain, and was finally excommunicated May 12, 1870. He died at Fillmore, Millard county, Utah, February 4, 1877.

His blessings were restored after death on January 12, 1909. (2007 Church Almanac, p. 58. Also in Amasa Mason Lyman: Trailblazer and Pioneer From the Atlantic to the Pacific which says all blessings, Priesthood and wives restored, p. 285.