Elijah Fordham (1798-1879) was an early member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints most well known for having been miraculously healed by Joseph Smith in 1839.
Fordham was born 12 April 1798 in New York City.
Fordham joined the Church in the 1830s in Pontiac. On one occasion he was speaking in tongues and two Frenchmen happened to be passing by the meeting and were amazed to hear someone speaking French.[1] Fordham served as the historian of the section of Zion's Camp that left from Pontiac, Michigan. He latter assisted in the building of the Kirtland Temple.
In 1837 he assisted Parley P. Pratt in organizing the first branch of the church in New York City.
Fordham was healed from the ague by the administration of Joseph Smith at Montrose, Iowa in 1839. Fordham latter served on the high council of the stake in Iowa. After this Fordham moved to Nauvoo where he was a member of the Nauvoo Legion and assisted in building the Nauvoo Temple. Among other things for the temple Fordham carved the oxen to hold up the baptismal font of the temple.[2] Fordham served as one of the firewardens of Nauvoo.[3]
Fordham served another mission in 1843 to Knox County, Illinois.[4] In 1844 Fordham was among the missionaries who were sent with at least one assigned to every congressional district.[5]
Fordham came to Utah in Edward Hunter's 1850 pioneer company.[6]
Fordham died in Wellsville, Utah.