William Marks (mormonism)

He was a prominent figure in The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints (the LDS church) and one of the original leadership the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now Community Of Christ ). He is mentioned in the current LDS edition of the Doctrine And Covenants in Section 117 and Section 124.

EARLY CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Marks was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sometime in April 1835 in New York State and ordained a priest shortly thereafter. Partly due to the lack of records available on his baptism, Marks was Re-baptized in proxy on January 29 , 1965 . He was ordained an Elder on June 3 , 1836 .

In September 1837 , Marks was appointed to the High Council at Kirtland and agent of the Messenger and Advocate when Joseph Smith and others fled Ohio under mob pressure. Marks was appointed by revelation (D&C 117) to leave Ohio and move to Far West Missouri, to preside over the body of Saints. However, before he arrived, the Mormons were expelled from the state under the so-called " Extermination Order " signed into law by Lilburn W. Boggs .

Marks was also seen in vision by Joseph Smith, according to Smith’s own record on March 29 , 1838 . Smith wrote that he saw Marks:

:...closely pursued by an innumerable concourse of enemies, who pressed upon him hard; and when they were about to devour him, and had seemingly obtained some degree of advantage over him, a chariot of fire came, and near the place, even the angel of the Lord, put forth his hand upon Bro. Marks and said unto him: 'Thou art my son, come here.' And immediately he was caught up in the chariot and rode away triumphantly out of their midst. And again the Lord said, 'I will raise thee up for a blessing unto many people.'

LEADERSHIP IN NAUVOO

When the Saints arrived in Commerce, Illinois in 1839 , Marks was appointed as Stake President of Commerce (later Stake President of the Nauvoo Stake of Zion). He served in that position until 1844 .

He was also elected as a Nauvoo municipal alderman and as one of the regents of the University of the City of Nauvoo in February 1841, and was a founder of the Nauvoo Agricultural and Manufacturing Association. He was appointed by revelation (D&C 124) to contribute to and be on the Nauvoo house committee, and served as landlord of the Nauvoo Mansion.

As Stake President, he assisted in the laying of the corner stones of the Nauvoo Temple in April, 1841, was initiated into Masonry in April 1842 and received his Endowment on May 4 , 1842 as a member of the Council Of Fifty .

Although a close friend of Joseph Smith, Marks occasionally found himself at odds with the American prophet. Smith presented evidence of why Sidney Rigdon should be rejected as first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church during the October 1843 General Conference. He accused Rigdon, the long-time friend of Marks, as having lost his "integrity and steadfastness" and stated that he had no confidence in Rigdon’s abilities as a leader in the Church or as his counselor. Regardless of these accusations Marks motioned that Rigdon remain in his station as a Counselor in the First Presidency. Rigdon was sustained to the position by the membership of the Church. After the vote, Smith stood and stated, "I have thrown him off my shoulders, and you have again put him on me. You may carry him, but I will not." The nomination and sustaining action may have led to Marks division with the Church. Because Rigdon was rejected by Smith, most of the core leadership of the Church, including members of the Council of Fifty and Anointed Quorum , questioned Rigdon's standing and authority and later, his claim to succeed Smith as head of the Church.

Smith also spoke at the funeral of Marks’ son. Among his remarks he said:

:It is a very solemn and awful time. I never felt more solemn; it calls to mind the death of my oldest brother, Alvin, who died in New York… It will be but a short time before we shall all in like manner be called: it may be the case with me as well as you. Some have supposed that Brother Joseph could not die; but this is a mistake; it is true there have been times when I have had the promise of my life to accomplish such and such things, but, having now accomplished those things, I have not at present any lease of my life, I am as liable to die as other men.”

This funerary sermon is considered one of the most introspective and emotionally depressed discourses by Smith, and pointed to by Mormon apologists as foreknowledge of, and a Prophecy of his own death which occurred not long thereafter.

ISSUES WITH APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION

See also: Succession Crisis (Mormonism)

At the time of the murder of Joseph Smith most of the leadership of the church was campaigning for Smith’s candidacy for President Of The United States . Marks, as landlord of the Nauvoo Mansion oversaw some of the funerary preparations for the burial of Joseph and his brother Hyrum.

It was during this time that disagreements with Church leadership began to appear. The Quorum Of The Twelve Apostles used their influence to prevent Church members from attending a ball that Marks was organizing at the Mansion which they felt was too recently “stained” with the blood from the burial preparations of their fallen leader.

Not long after, Marks sympathized with Sidney Rigdon and supported his bid to become "guardian" of the Church. Because of this and because he did not acknowledge the authority of the Twelve Apostles, he was removed from the High Council at the October General Conference in 1844 , and also rejected as president of the Nauvoo Stake of Zion. Patriarch John Smith, Joseph’s uncle was chosen as Marks successor.

RLDS INVOLVEMENT

After the exodus of the Saints to Utah , Marks became convinced that Sidney Rigdon’s claims of leadership were unfounded and his joined himself to the Strangite movement, later becoming a counselor to James Strang .

He left the movement between 1853 and 1855 , loosely affiliating himself with other Latter Day Saint denominations. During this time he associated with Zenas H. Gurley, Jason W. Briggs and William W. Blair. The four were convinced that succession in the presidency of the Church must be lineal, descending from father to son, and promoted the idea of a "Reorganized Church” of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Between 1853 and 1859 they approached Joseph Smith III dozens of times to convince him to take leadership of the RLDS movement, which he later did.

In 1859 Marks was formally admitted as a member of the RLDS movement (now Community of Christ) without re-baptism. With Gurley he presided over the conference in April 1860 where he aided Gurley in ordaining Joseph Smith III as president of the high priesthood in the newly-incorporated Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Marks was ordained a counselor to Joseph Smith III in April 1863 , serving with Briggs.

In 1866 , Marks was appointed to the committee to receive manuscripts from the Joseph Smith’s widow - Mrs. Emma Smith Bidamon - and print the Inspired Version or the Joseph Smith Translation Of The Bible .

Marks was first counselor in the First Presidency of the “Reorganized Church” when he died in Plano , Illinois on May 22 1872 .

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William Marks (mormonism)