Isaac Morley was born on March 11, 1786 in Montague Massachusetts.
Issac Morley married Lucy Gunn when he was twenty-six years old. She had been his childhood sweetheart, and classmates in school.
Isaac served as a captain in the Ohio militia in the war of 1812. He played the flute in the militia band until he was brought home sick from chills and a fever.
Isaac and Lucy settled in the Ohio wilderness. In Ohio he cleared and created a prosperous farm. Isaac Morley was able to acquire more land and became very prosperous.
Like many others in Kirtland Ohio, Isaac and Lucy joined the Campbellite congregations run by Sidney Rigdon. Isaac opened his house to the congregation and made it a communal home for believers and they nicknamed it “the family.”
It was in Isaac Morley home where four Latter-Day Saint missionaries preached and converted Isaac, Lucy and many others. The four missionaries were Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer Jr., Parley P. Pratt and Zeeba Petersen.
Isaac Morley is the person that let Mary Elizabeth Rollings borrow his Book of Mormon and which converted her whole family.
Joseph Smith and his wife Emma Smith lived in Isaac Morleys home a couple weeks after they arrived in Kirtland. They ended up building a frame house on Father Morleys lot for Joseph Smith’s family to live in.
In Isaac Morleys house, they organized a branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
The fourth general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was held on Isaac Morley’s farm. It was at this conference where Isaac Morley was ordained a hight priest and called to be a counselor to Bishop Edward Partridge.
At this same general conference Isaac Morley was asked to sell his farm and consecrate the money from the sale to the up building of the Church(Holy cow!). At first Isaac refused! Then, Isaac Morley was obedient and sold it all and gave it to the church!(D&C64:15-16,20)
The Morley family followed the rest of the Saints to Independence Missouri. The Morley family, along with the other Saints, experienced sever persecution in Independence Missouri. The mob threatened to burn down their house on multiple occasions, out of fear the family took their belongings out of their house three different times expecting their house to be burnt down.
Isaac Morley on one occasions was tried for treason, imprisoned and sentenced to be shot in the public square. He did not deny his faith and is numbered among six Latter-Day Saints who willingly offered to die for his friends.
Isaac and his family moved to Clay County Missouri to escape the persecution, but it did not stop. They moved again to Far West, Missouri where he was ordained Patriarch. They moved again to Illinois, and left with the Saints to Utah.
Isaac Morely served as a member of a high council and patriarch of Summer Quarters.
Isaac Morely was called to settle in Sanpete Valley where he supervised the construction of the first schoolhouse and gristmill of the area. He was in the county legislature from 1851 to 1855.
After a time President Brigham Young called him back to Salt Lake then he moved to Santaquin, Utah and then he died in Fairview Utah in 1865 he passed away from a sever cold on June 24, 1865.
He is buried in Manti Cemetery in Manti Utah
Other Blog Posts:
Saints to gather in Kirtland, Ohio
Places to visit:
Historic Kirtland Ohio
Isaac Morley Farm
Clay County Missouri
Summer Quarters
Manti Temple
Manti Cemetary
References:
“Who’s Who in the Doctrine and Covenants” by Susan Easton Black p.198-200