Freeborn DeMille - Early Church History

In September, 1830, Newel and his sister Anna's husband, Freeborn DeMille, attended the Church's second conference, also held at Fayette, New York (see HC 1:108-20). There Newel became the young prophet's confidant during a surprise crisis caused when Hyrum Page claimed to have received revelations for the Church through a peep stone. Hyrum carried "quite a roll of papers full of these revelations," Newel said, which led many astray. Newel said that Joseph Smith "was perplexed and scarcely knew how to meet this new exigency." Sharing the same room, the Prophet and Newel spent "the greater part" of that night "in prayer and supplication" (13). In response, Joseph received a revelation (D&C 28) that spelled out proper channels for revelation to reach the Church. Brother Page was corrected and peace restored. At that conference Newel was ordained a priest and Freeborn DeMille was baptized. After this conference, Hyrum Smith was made president of the Colesville Branch. He and Jerusha moved in with Newel and Sally Knight, and the two couples became good friends. Newel Knight soon replaced Hyrum as president of the Colesville Branch, whose membership was almost totally Knight relatives. In 1831, this branch of Knights showed remarkable trust in Joseph Smith by obeying a revelation he received calling them to "assemble together at the Ohio" (D&C 37:3). The Knights "were obliged to make great sacrifices of our property," according to Newel. He sold 60 acres of land, Freeborn DeMille 61 acres, and Aaron Culver 100 acres. Joseph Knight, Sr., sold 140 acres, "two Dwelling Houses, a good barn, and a fine orchard" (Knight 19). Sixty-two Knight kin moved to Ohio to help initiate this "first gathering of Zion" in this dispensation. The cluster included Joseph and Polly Knight and every one of their seven children. Other relatives in this migration included Pecks, Slades, DeMilles, and Stringhams. This Knight/Colesville Branch settled near Painsville, Ohio, on lands donated by convert Leman Copley. Responding again to revelations received through Joseph Smith (D&C 38, 51), the group gave up its deeply-ingrained beliefs in private property and the profit system and became the first Saints asked to try to live an economic cooperative order (D&C 38, 51). When Copley disaffected and withdrew his lands, a revelation redirected the Knights to move once again, this time to Missouri—designated by revelation as "Zion." Again, the large clan moved enmasse to the sparsely settled frontier area. Joseph Smith welcomed his Colesville friends to Missouri on 15 July 1832 and directed them to settle 12 miles west of Independence. "We found the country to be butiful, rich and plesent and we made our selves as Comfortable as we could," said Father Knight (Jessee 39). The Knights helped to establish this center for the gathering of Israel (D&C 57). In an impressive ceremony, 12 men representing the twelve tribes of Israel laid the first log as a foundation of Zion; five of the men were Knight relations. Newel was one of seven men who dedicated the Independence temple site. Such rituals seemed full of promise to all the Knights except mother Polly, who was dying. She became the first Latter-day Saint buried in Zion. Death claimed two more Knights that year, including Newel's sister Esther. In this outpost colony of the Church, the families labored hard during an optimistic first year of building, fencing, and establishing homes. Once again, they agreed to consecrate properties in order to live cooperatively. When a council of high priests was created to govern the Missouri church, Newel Knight became one of them, and also he continued to be president of what was still termed the Colesville Branch. As part of plans to one day build the Independence temple, six Knight men made labor pledges. Joseph Knight, Sr., decided to remarry and chose Phoebe Crosby Peck, who was Polly's widowed sister-in-law. Phoebe had four children of her own, and she bore Father Knight two more. Counting Phoebe's four, Joseph Knight, Sr., was father or stepfather of 13 children. In 1834, Missourians drove the Saints, including the Knight network, from Jackson County. The mobbers shot Philo Dibble, whom Newel Knight saved from death through a remarkable priesthood blessing (see Christensen 79). Fearing for their lives, the Knights rushed to the Missouri River ferries. Joseph Knight, Jr., told of women and children walking with bare feet on frozen ground (see Hartley 216). The Knight group lost much property, including a gristmill. The family had moved twice before, but this was their first forced move. Of that hard winter, Emily Colburn Slade Austin recalled: "We lived in tents until winter set in, and did our cooking out in the wind and storms" (Austin 72). Lacking proper food and shelter, many Saints became victims of "fever and ague"—probably malaria—including Sally Knight. After she gave birth to a son who died, she died. "Truly she has died a martyr to the gospel," her bereaved husband Newel eulogized (46). Newel, being a high councilman, was sent to Kirtland to help build that temple and to receive temple blessings. At Kirtland he boarded with his good friends Hyrum and Jerusha Smith. There he met and fell in love with another boarder, Lydia Bailey, whose belief in Joseph Smith and experience with the miraculous was equal to his. Her husband had deserted her, and both of her children had died, so her family sent her to Canada for a change of scenery. In late 1833, while lodging with the Nickerson family, she heard Joseph Smith preach and saw his face "become white and a shining glow seemed to beam from every feature" (Homespun 18). This witness of the spirit converted her. She moved to Kirtland, where she met Newel Knight, and on 24 November 1835, was married to him in the Hyrum Smith home by Joseph Smith. Theirs was the first marriage performed by priesthood authority in this dispensation, which pleased Joseph Smith greatly (HC 2:320). DEMILL, Freeborn A bill of damages against the state of Missouri 1833 Loss of time and labour in Jackson County Mo. $500.00 For improvements 300.00 1836 Also for improvements &c in Clay Co. Mo. 300.00 Also for lands and improvements in Caldwell Clay Co. Mo. 500.00 1839 For the loss of time and mooveing out of the State into Illenoy & for two Rifles with expences 430.00 deprived of Citizenship in Jackson County Mo. 1833. by a lawless mob. also in Clay County Mo. 1836 by the same Mob. and last of all by an exterminateing orde the Governor. 203.00 I hereby Certify that the above bill of accomps are Correct according to the best of my knowledge— Quincy May 6th 1839 Freeborn Demill [Sworn to before C. M. Woods, C.C.C., Adams Co., IL, 6 May 1839.] The Colesville branch traced their awareness of Joseph Smith's religious experiences to Joseph Knight, a native of Worcester County, Massachusetts. He, like Whitmer, became acquainted with the Smiths in Palmyra. Knight lent encouragement to young Smith by employing him in his carding mill and on his farm. He was privileged to be in the Smith home the morning that Joseph entered with the original gold plates of the Book of Mormon in his possession. Joining the Knight family in the Colesville branch were Freeborn DeMill, originally from Ulster County, New York; Ira Willes, formerly from Albany County, New York; Hezekiah Peck, from Windham County, Vermont; William Stringham, from Queens County, New York; and Benjamin Slade, from Windham County, Vermont. The Saints in these small communities strengthened and encouraged each other as they met in worship. It was these early meetings in western New York that became the basis of the first branches of the Church, whose membership knew and professed Joseph Smith to be a prophet of God. *Documented as being present on the day of organization of the Church, 6 April 1830. 24 1. Bennett Family16. Jolly, Vincent 2. Burroughs, Anna17. Jolly, William 3. Burroughs, Phillip13. Knight, Elizabeth 4. Chamberlain, Hope Haskins14. Knight, Joseph, Jr. 5. Chamberlain, Solomon15. Knight, Joseph, Sr.* 6. Conrad, Sarah (Sallie) Heller 16. Knight, Nahum 17. Knight, Newel 7. Cowdery, Oliver*18. Knight, Polly 8. Culver, Aaron19. Knight, Polly Peck 9. Culver, Ester Peck20. Knight, Sarah (Sally) Coburn 10. DeMill, Anna Knight21. Knight, Thankful 11. DeMill, Freeborn27. Mack, Almira 12. Harris, Martin*28. Marshall, John 13. Jolly, Harriet29. Page, Catherine Whitmer 14. Jolly, John 30. Page, Hiram 15. Jolly, Julia Ann31. Peck, Electa 32. Peck, Ezekiel 54. Smith, Katharine 33. Peck, Hezekiah55. Smith, Lucy (dau.) 34. Peck, Martha Long56. Smith, Lucy Mack* 35. Peterson, Richard Ziba57. Smith, Samuel H.* 36. Poorman, John 58. Smith, William B.* 37. Poorman, Margaret59. Stoddard, Calvin W. 38. Rockwell, Caroline60. Stoddard, Sophronia Smith 39. Rockwell, Electa61. Stowell, Josiah 40. Rockwell, Orin (father)62. Stringham, Esther Knight 41. Rockwell, Orrin*63. Stringham, William 42. Rockwell, Sarah Witt64. Whitmer, Anna Schott 43. Salisbury, Wilkins Jenkins65. Whitmer, Christian* 44. Scoby, William66. Whitmer, David* 45. Slade, Benjamin67. Whitmer, Elizabeth Ann 46. Slade, Clark68. Whitmer, Elizabeth Scott 47. Slade, George69. Whitmer, Jacob* 48. Slade, Molly70. Whitmer, John* 49. Smith, Don Carlos71. Whitmer, Mary Musselman 50. Smith, Hyrum*72. Whitmer, Peter, Jr.* 51. Smith, Jerusha Barden73. Whitmer, Peter, Sr. 52. Smith, Joseph, Jr. 53. Smith, Joseph, Sr.*