Francis M. Higbee

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Francis Marion Higbee (born 1820) was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement. He attained the rank of Colonel in the Nauvoo Legion.

Early life

Higbee was born in Tate, Ohio, the son of Elias Higbee and Sarah Elizabeth Ward. He was the brother of Chauncey L. Higbee. In 1830, Higbee moved to Fulton, Hamilton Co., Ohio.

Baptism into LDS

Francis Higbee was baptized into LDS church in 1832. In 1833, he moved to Jackson Co., Missouri, 1833, returning to Ohio in 1835 to Kirtland, Geauga Co.. The next year he traveled back to Missouri.

In the aftermath of the 1838 Mormon War, Higbee was arraigned along with Joseph Smith in Richmond, Missouri on November 11, 1838. He was released 18 days later. [1]

Conflict with Smith

On June 30, 1842, Higbee gave a sworn statement that "Joseph Smith told him that John C. Bennett could be easily put aside or drowned, and no person would be the wiser for it". [2]

On Jan 15, 1844, the Municipal Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Francis M. Higby on affidavit of Orson Pratt.[3]

According to History of the Church, Francis M Higbee was present at a meeting of dissenters on April 28, 1844.[4][5][6]

On May 1, 1844, Higbee filed a legal complaint in the Fifth Judicial District of Illinois, suing Joseph Smith for slander, with requested damages of five thousand dollars.

Nauvoo Expositor and Death of Joseph Smith

See also: Nauvoo Expositor and Death of Joseph Smith

On May 18,1844, the Church excommunicated Higbee, Charles Ivins, and Austin Cowles of the High Council, for apostasy.[7] On May 29, the High Council published document purporting to show Francis's brother Chauncey L. Higbee had also committed misdeeds.[8]

In 1844, he became an editor of the Nauvoo Expositor along with his brother Chauncey L. Higbee and several others. The single issue of the Expositor included statements critical of Joseph Smith and church leadership. After the press was destroyed, Higbee swore an oath before a Hancock County, Illinois, Justice that Smith had incited a riot. On the basis of this testimony, an arrest warrant was issued for Smith and 17 others.[9][10]

Joseph Smith surrendered to authorities and was killed by a mob while awaiting trial.

Later life

Francis Higbee was listed as a resident of Hancock County in 1850.[11]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ http://josephsmithpapers.org/person/francis-marion-higbee
  2. ↑ books.google.com/books?id=eilIAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA288
  3. ↑ http://mormon-church-history.blogspot.com/2011/05/mormon-history-jan-15-1844.html
  4. ↑ http://byustudies.byu.edu/hc/6/17.html
  5. ↑ https://www.lds.org/manual/church-history-in-the-fulness-of-times-student-manual/chapter-twenty-one-growing-conflict-in-illinois?lang=eng
  6. ↑ http://books.google.com/books?id=cGIwAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA64
  7. ↑ "Chapter 19 : Charges against President Smith before the Circuit Court - His Voluntary Appearances at Court - Treatment - Return to Nauvoo". Byustudies.byu.edu. Retrieved 2013-10-05. 
  8. ↑ "Nauvoo Neighbor". Boap.org. Retrieved 2013-10-05. 
  9. ↑ "Warrant for Arrest of Smith on the Charge of Rioting (June 12, 1844)". Law2.umkc.edu. Retrieved 2013-10-05. 
  10. ↑ http://books.google.com/books?id=XGNnh5pZLLoC&pg=PT147
  11. ↑ http://josephsmithpapers.org/person/francis-marion-higbee

References

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