Mormon History 1830-1844

Elijah Fordham (1798–1879)
A native of New York City, Elijah moves to Michigan, where he joins the church. Serves in Zion's Camp. Returns to New York, where is becomes Parley P. Pratt's missionary companion. Miraculously healed by Joseph. Carves baptismal font for Nauvoo Temple.
Born March 8, 1798 in New York City, the fourth of five children   FamilySearch™ Ancestral Files
Died September 9, 1879 in Wellsville, Cache county, Utah  
Father George Fordham  
Mother Mary Baker  
Wife dies, 3 children July 1828 Elijah's wife, Jane Ann Fisher, dies at age 26, leaving him with three small children.
 
Michigan   Moves to Pontiac, Michigan. Speaks in tongues.   ¶ Speaking in Tongues
Marries, 2 children   1830 marries Bithiah Fisher. They have one daughter and a son named Mormon Moriancumer.    
Wife dies   March 1834 Bithiah dies. Mormon is eight months old.    
Zion's Camp May–June 1834 Zion's Camp. Elijah's father, George, is also a camp member.  
  October 17, 1834 Joseph, family members, Oliver, David Whitmer,    
Elder January 2, 1836 Joseph to ordain Elijah an elder by a conference in the Kirtland school house.   "Elijah Fordham, Hiram Dayton, Samuel James, and John Herot [Herritt] were also appointed by counsel to be ordained Elders under my hands." MH-B, 678.

¶ Minutes of January 2, 1836
Clerk January 6, 1836 serves as clerk at the Kirtland meeting in which the high council of Zion (Clay county) is reorganized.   Minutes of January 6, 1836
Marries, 6 children

October 1836 marries Anna Bibbins in Connecticut. They have four daughters and two sons.

 
Only member in New York City

Missionaries arrive bound for England
  June 22, 1837 while living in New York City, Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards (h) arrive on their way to England. Joseph Fielding, Orson Hyde (h), John Gooodson, Isaac Russell, and John Snyder had also recently arrived. Elijah is the only member of the church in the city. Having no house of his own, he arranges for them to stay in his father's warehouse for a week. They sleep on straw and blankets.   MS 1 no. 12 (Apr. 1841), 289–290.
  June 29, 1837 the brethren mail 180 copies of Orson Hyde's Timely Warnings to city ministers, then board the Garrick, to begin their voyage.   MS 1 no. 12 (Ap. 1841), 289–290.

Prophetic Warnings aka Timely Warnings, is the first missionary tract. It was published in Toronto in August 1836 while Orson was on a mission there with Parley.
Parley P. Pratt, New York mission July 1837 Parley P. Pratt (h) arrives. They labor together without much success until April 1838.
  Parley in New York, 1837–1838
Miraculously healed   July 22, 1839 at Joseph's command instantly rises from his death bed and is cured (malaria).   ¶ Healings
Baptismal font carvings 1841 in eight months Elijah carves the twelve oxen for the baptismal font in the basement of the Nauvoo Temple and the ornamental mouldings of the 16x12' room. The font was dedicated on November 8, 1841.   Nauvoo temple, 9–10.
Marries, 1 child March 21, 1856 marries Elizabeth Hughes in Salt Lake City. She is forty years his junior. They have one daughter.
 
Marries   April 1, 1856 marries Amelia Brown, 51. He is also said to have married Clarissa Brooks or Fosdick, and Jane Mcauslan, both born "about 1802" in New York City. No other information is available.
   

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