Newel K. Whitney

Newel K. Whitney
Presiding Bishop
June 6, 1847 – September 23, 1850
Called by	Brigham Young
First Bishop of the Church
October 7, 1844 – June 6, 1847
Called by	Brigham Young
End reason	Called as Presiding Bishop
Personal details
Born	Newel Kimball Whitney February 5, 1795 Marlboro, Vermont, United States
Died	September 23, 1850 (aged 55) Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, United States
Resting place	Kimball-Whitney Cemetery 40°46′22″N 111°53′22″W / 40.7728°N 111.8895°W

Newel Kimball Whitney (February 5, 1795 – September 24, 1850) (first name sometimes found as Newell) was a prominent member and leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an American businessman. He served as Bishop of Kirtland, Ohio, Far West, Missouri, and Nauvoo, Illinois. He also served as the second Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until his death. He died in 1850 of pleurisy.

Kirtland

The Newel K. Whitney Store in Kirtland, Ohio.

By 1827 Whitney had entered into a partnership with Algernon Sidney Gilbert to run a store in Kirtland known as N.K. Whitney & Co.^[1] It would later become Mormonism's first "bishop's storehouse." The building was also used by Church founder and president Joseph Smith as a home and office. Joseph received 16 revelations (D&C 84 through D&C 98 and D&C 101) in the Whitney Store and used one of the rooms as a meeting place for the School of the Prophets, a place where many spiritual manifestations were received.

Nauvoo

While in Nauvoo, Illinois, Whitney was involved in some important developments within the Church. One of these occurred on May 4, 1842 when Whitney, along with a group of nine others, met in the upper story of the Red Brick Store. Those who were there, including Whitney, became part of Joseph Smith's Quorum of the Anointed.^[2] Later, Whitney's wife, Elizabeth Ann, was added to that group.

Another development was polygamy. In 1842, after being taught the doctrine of polygamy, Whitney and his wife agreed to let their daughter, Sarah Ann, become a plural wife of Joseph Smith.^[3]

See also

• Council on the Disposition of the Tithes

References

1. Biography of Newel K. Whitney, The Joseph Smith Papers (accessed January 8, 2012
2. Anderson, Devery S.; Bergera, James, eds. (2005). Joseph Smith's Quorum of the Anointed, 1842-1845: A Documentary History. Salt Lake City: Signature Books. p. 4. ISBN 1-56085-186-4. OCLC 57965858.
3. Poulsen, Larry N (April 1966), "The Life and Contributions of Newel Kimball Whitney", Thesis, Brigham Young University: 85

External links

• Newel Kimball Whitney and his Family
• Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages
• Newel K. Whitney Store
• Newel Kimball Whitney papers, Vault MSS 76 at L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Brigham Young University
• Historic Kirtland Visitors' Center - Official Site