Ezra Thayre

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Ezra Thayre (also spelled Thayer) (October 14, 1791–?) was an early convert and leader in the Latter Day Saint movement.

[edit] Conversion to Mormonism

Born in Randolph, Vermont, Thayre was a builder of bridges, dams, and mills in the Palmyra, New York area in the 1820s. Thayre was an early convert to Joseph Smith, Jr.'s Church of Christ, being baptized by Parley P. Pratt on October 10, 1830 after he heard Joseph and Hyrum Smith speak about the Book of Mormon. Shortly after his baptism, Smith received a revelation that was directed to Thayre and Northrop Sweet.^[1]

[edit] Church service

On June 6, 1831, Joseph Smith received a revelation instructing Thayre to depart on a mission to Missouri with Thomas B. Marsh.^[2] In preparation for this, Thayre by was ordained an elder in the church by Lyman Wight. However, due to a disagreement about property that arose among Thayre and some of the Latter Day Saints living in Thompson, Ohio, Thayre was not prepared to leave when Marsh was ready. A revelation to Smith revoked the mission call to Thayre, assigned Marsh a new companion, and instructed Thayre to "repent of his pride, and of his selfishness".^[3] Later in 1832, Thayre did serve a mission to New York with Marsh.

In 1834, Thayre joined Zion's Camp, a group of Latter Day Saints that traveled from Ohio to assist some members of the church in Missouri. However, on June 21, 1834, Thayre contracted cholera, which quickly spread to the many of the other Saints in Zion's Camp. However, Thayre went on to make a full recovery.

On March 1, 1835, Thayre was ordained a seventy in the church. However, the very next day, Thayre's priesthood was suspended after an unspecified complaint of misbehavior filed by Oliver Granger. A disciplinary council was held, and Thayre was eventually restored to full fellowship in the church, though the time of his readmission is unknown.

In 1838, Thayre became a member of the Adam-ondi-Ahman stake high council and a Danite. In 1839, he moved with the majority of Latter Day Saints to Nauvoo, Illinois.

In 1844, shortly after being made a member of the Council of Fifty, Thayre departed on a mission with Jedediah M. Grant, George A. Smith and Wilford Woodruff to campaign for Joseph Smith as President of the United States.

[edit] Death of Joseph Smith

After the death of Joseph Smith, Jr. in June 1844, Thayre was part of the minority of Latter Day Saints who refused to follow the leadership of Brigham Young and the Quorum of the Twelve. When the majority of Saints departed Nauvoo for the Salt Lake Valley, Thayer remained behind in Nauvoo. In 1849, Thayre moved to Michigan, and he became a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints there on August 24, 1860.

[edit] Family

Thayre married Polly Wells in 1810; Wells died in 1822. Later that same year, Thayre married Relief Wales. Thayre was the father of one child by Wells and five by Wales. Unlike many of the early Latter Day Saints, Thayre did not practice plural marriage.

[edit] Death and confusion

The date of Thayre's death is unknown. Some sources report that he died in 1856 in Massachusetts, but these reports conflict with RLDS Church records that report him being baptized in 1860. Genealogical confusion has also resulted because Thayre's father was also named Ezra, but unlike the junior Thayre, he usually spelled his name Thayer. Other sources report Thayre's birthplace as being Randolph, Massachusetts instead of Randolph, Vermont.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Joseph Smith (B.H. Roberts ed.) 1902. History of the Church.