| Joseph Stacy Murdock | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 26, 1822 Hamilton, New York |
| Died | February 15, 1899 (aged 76) Heber City, Utah |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Known for | Mormon pioneer, Bishop, Colonizer |
| Religion | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
| Spouse | Eunice Sweet, Eliza Clark, Adeline Warner, Jane Sharp, Elizabeth Hunter, Pernetta |
| Parents | Joseph Murdock, Sally Stacy |
| Website | |
| http://www.jsmurdock.org | |
Joseph Stacy Murdock (June 26, 1822 – February 14, 1899) was an American colonizer, leader, and Latter-day Saint hymn writer. He wrote the words to "Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice."
Contents |
Joseph was born in upstate New York in 1822. While there, he married Eunice Sweet. He and his family were taught by a Latter-day Saint missionary and were baptized into that church. They had a desire to live with others of their faith and moved to Nauvoo, Illinois in 1841.[1]
He and his wife migrated with the Mormon population to the Utah Territory in Daniel Spencer's 1847 Mormon pioneer company.[2]
Joseph Murdock was asked by Brigham Young to enter the practice of plural marriage and was sent to jail for doing so in 1889.[3] He had six wives: Eunice Sweet, Eliza Clark, Adeline Warner, Jane Sharp, Elizabeth Hunter, and Pernetta. He also had 32 children.
After arrival in Utah, Brigham Young assigned Murdock the task of helping establish settlements in several areas in what is present day Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. He participated in the creation of American Fork, Utah; Heber City, Utah; Carson City, Nevada; and Muddy River (an abandoned settlement in northern Arizona).[4]
In 1860, Joseph Murdock was set apart as a bishop by Brigham Young and sent to preside over the Latter-day Saints in Heber City and vicinity.[5] In this capacity he served as both the ecclesiastical and political leader for this new settlement.
On August 20, 1867, he negotiated a peace treaty with Chief Tabby, the local Ute Indian chief, to end hostilities between the Ute Indians and the local settlers in Heber City. This was one of the turning points which lead to the end of the Utah Black Hawk War.
His home in Heber City is registered with the National Register of Historic Places[6]
After working to establish cities throughout the west, Joseph settled in Heber City and worked as a farmer. He continued to serve in leadership positions in his church throughout his life. He died of pneumonia at the age of 76 on February 14, 1899.[7]
Joseph Stacy Murdock Family Organization