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| Erastus Snow | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| February 12, 1849 (1849-02-12) – May 27, 1888 (1888-05-27) | |
| Called by | Brigham Young |
| LDS ChurchApostle | |
| February 12, 1849 (1849-02-12) – May 27, 1888 (1888-05-27) | |
| Called by | Brigham Young |
| Reason | Reorganization ofFirst Presidency; excommunication ofLyman Wight[1] |
| Reorganization at end of term | Marriner W. Merrill,Anthon H. Lund, andAbraham H. Cannon ordained[2] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Erastus Snow (1818-11-09)November 9, 1818 St. Johnsbury, Vermont, United States |
| Died | May 27, 1888(1888-05-27) (aged 69) Salt Lake City,Utah Territory, United States |
| Resting place | Salt Lake City Cemetery 40°46′37.92″N111°51′28.8″W / 40.7772000°N 111.858000°W /40.7772000; -111.858000 |
| Spouse(s) | Artemisia Beman (married December 13, 1838) Minerva White (married April 2, 1844) Elizabeth Rebecca Ashby (married December 19, 1847) Julia Josephine Spencer (married 1856) |
| Children | 36 |
| Signature | |
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Erastus Snow (November 9, 1818 – May 27, 1888) was a member of theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1849 until his death. Snow was a leading figure in theMormon colonization ofArizona,Colorado, andNew Mexico.
Snow was born on November 9, 1818, inSt. Johnsbury, Vermont, to Levi Snow (1782-1841) and Lucina Streeter Snow (1785-1858).[3]
Snow was baptized a member of the LDS Church (at that time known as theChurch of Christ) when he was 14 years old, on February 3, 1833, in Charleston,Vermont.[3]Orson Pratt was one of the missionaries who taught him. Snow's older brothers, William Snow (1806-1879), andZerubbabel Snow had previously joined the church on May 19, 1832.[citation needed]
Snow moved toKirtland, Ohio, where the church was headquartered. In Kirtland, Snow was ordained a member of theSeventy in 1836[3] and witnessed the dedication of theKirtland Temple in 1837.[3]
Snow spent much of his time onmissions, primarily in Pennsylvania. He later served a mission toSalem, Massachusetts, where he baptized several converts, including Nathaniel Ashby, a man with whom he shared a duplex when they both resided inNauvoo, Illinois.[4]
In April 1839, at age 20, Snow successfully petitioned the jailers atLiberty Jail to moveJoseph Smith (founder of theLatter Day Saint movement) and the prisoners accompanying him to a different location. He was subsequently appointed a member of thehigh council of the church. In 1845, Snow received hisendowment in theNauvoo Temple. Over the course of his life, Snow served a total of sixteen missions toNew England,St. Louis,Arizona, southernUtah,Denmark,Scandinavia, andMexico. Writer George M. McCune has said of Snow: "He prevailed in debates over the Book of Mormon and healed and converted many during his life".[3]
Snow was in the firstMormon pioneer company to journey to theSalt Lake Valley. He and Orson Pratt were the first two Mormons to enter the Valley,[5] completing the journey on July 21, 1847. In October 1848, Snow began serving in the presidency of theSalt LakeStake.[3]
On February 12, 1849, Snow was ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.[3] On the same day,Charles C. Rich,Lorenzo Snow,[6] andFranklin D. Richards were ordained.[citation needed] Snow served in this capacity until his death in 1888.[3]
At the October 1849general conference, Snow was assigned to lead a mission to Scandinavia. He had as a companion a Danish convert,Peter O. Hansen, who had joined the church inBoston. They focused most of their efforts in Denmark, but another convert had joined them,John E. Forsgren, who preached inSweden.[7][8]
While serving as a missionary in Denmark, Snow baptized the firstIcelanders to join the church, ordained them to thepriesthood, and sent them to Iceland to preach.[9] Before the end of his mission, Snow began the publication of a church periodical inDanish.[citation needed]
In 1853, Snow was elected to the House of Representatives in theUtah territorial legislature. Later in the 1850s, Snow served as the presiding church authority in themidwestern United States, using St. Louis, Missouri as his headquarters.[citation needed] While in Missouri, Snow edited the periodicalSt. Louis Luminary.[3] He returned to theUtah Territory in 1857 and engaged in farming.
In 1860, Snow went with Orson Pratt on a mission to the Eastern states. By the time they reached the Eastern United States,Abraham Lincoln had been elected president. With the impending war, they were able to convince many church members to move to Utah Territory. Much of this migration happened in 1861, after theAmerican Civil War had begun.[citation needed]
After returning to Utah in 1861, Snow was made the apostle in charge of the southern Utah Mormon settlements. He lived inSt. George.[10]
Erastus Snow had four wives, 23 sons, and 13 daughters.[3] His sonEdward H. Snow followed him into the legislature as part of thefirst Senate after Utah achieved statehood. One of Snow's daughters, Elizabeth, became the wife ofAnthony W. Ivins and the mother ofAntoine R. Ivins.[citation needed]
Snow died on May 27, 1888, inSalt Lake City,Utah Territory, at age 69.[3]
| The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles February 12, 1849 – May 27, 1888 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
