| Early convert (1830), Zion's Camp,
one of first seven presidents of the Seventy, Council of Fifty, Mormon
Battalion. |
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| Born |
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April 7, 1803 in Springfield,
Hampden County, Massachusetts (youngest boy, 7th child) |
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Levi's journal, 1;
Levi Hancock [1878], 107. |
| Died |
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June 10, 1882 in Washington, Washington
County, Utah |
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| Father |
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Thomas Hancock (1763–1844) |
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Levi autobio;
Levi Hancock [1878], 107. |
| Mother |
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Amy Ward (1769–1844) |
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Ancestry.com (subscribers); Levi autobio;
Levi Hancock [1878], 107. |
| Occupation |
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Cabinetmaker and musician |
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| New York |
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1805 family moves to Ontario County
(Bristol 2 years, then Pittsown, Bloomfield), New York. |
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Levi's journal, 1,
2. |
| Ohio |
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1820 family moves to Chagrin, Ohio. |
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Levi autobio |
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Levi Hancock
Sidney recants in Mayfield
Thomas Hancock, others baptized |
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November 7, 1830 (Sunday) hears Parley P. Pratt
(h)
preach at Mr. Jackson's in Mayfield.
He is followed by Sidney Rigdon who "said
he had bin trying to preach the gospel for a long time and now he had done
he thought he should never try to preach again and confessed he was completely
used up and advised the people not to contend against it what they had
heared." After Sidney, Oliver speaks,
then Parley calls for baptisms. Levi's father, Thomas
Hancock, and sister (Clarissa Hancock Alger) "and some few beside" are
baptized. |
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¶ Levi
Hancock |
| Baptism and ordination |
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Ordained three days after baptism. |
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Levi Hancock [1854], 73–74. |
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In the month of nov. on the twelth of the
same month, I was baptized by Parley P. Pratt >, Ordained on the 13th and
on the 14th started on my first mission, and raised up a small branch of
the Church. |
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Levi Hancock [1878], 108. |
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| June 1831 conference |
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June 3–6, 1831 attends conference where
the High Priesthood is conferred. |
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Minutes
of June [3–6], 1831
Lyman
Wight's Vision and the Man of Sin. |
| Near death experience |
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December 1831 near death experience. |
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Levi autobio |
| Marries |
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March 29, 1833 marries Clarissa Reed. |
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Levi's journal, 136. |
| Kirtland |
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Summer 1833 moves to Kirtland. Lives with his
parents who had been directed to move there shortly before. Donates $50
to the House of the Lord and works on its construction |
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Levi's journal, 136. |
| Warned out |
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1833 warned out of Kirtland. |
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Origins, 550. |
| Son |
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April 9, 1834 son born, named Mosiah Lyman by
Lyman Wight. |
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Levi's journal, 139. |
| Zion's Camp |
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May–June 1834 Zion’s Camp.
Makes a fife "from a joint
of sweet elder" and plays it. Sylvester
Smith marches his company to the music. |
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Sylvester
Smith marched his company to |
| First Presidents of
Seventies |
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March 1, 1835 ordination blessing (as a seventy,
though not mentioned in blessing). |
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Kirtland council |
| Released as president |
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April 6, 1837 released as one of the seven presidents
of the Seventy under the mistaken idea that he had been ordained a high
priest. |
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| Returns as president |
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September 3, 1837 returns as one of the seven
presidents of the Seventy. |
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¶
Minutes of Sept. 3, 1837 |
| Missouri |
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1838 moves to Missouri. |
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| Warns dissenters |
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June 1838 |
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| Nauvoo |
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1839 moves to Nauvoo. |
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| Nauvoo Legion |
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Member, Nauvoo Legion, and Nauvoo
police force. |
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| Council of Fifty |
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April 12, 1844 member, Council of
Fifty. |
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| Endowed |
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December 12, 1845 endowed. |
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| Mormon Battalion |
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July 1846–July 1847 member,
Mormon Battalion Company E. |
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| Salt Lake City |
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October 1847 arrives in Salt Lake
Valley. |
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| Utah legislature |
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Member, territorial legislature. |
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| Utah homes |
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1850–1851 lives in Salt Lake
City, Payson, Manti, and various southern Utah towns. |
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| Divorces |
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1854 Clarissa Reed and Fanny
Myrick divorce Levi. |
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Origins, 550. |
| Divorce |
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1857 Elizabeth Hovey divorces Levi. |
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Origins, 550. |
| Cotton mission |
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November 1862 called to the cotton
mission (southern Utah). |
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| Salt Lake City |
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1863 living in Salt Lake City. |
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| Southern Utah |
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[1866] assists settling Harrisburg,
Leeds, and Washington (southern Utah). |
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| Patriarch |
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1872 ordained a patriarch. |
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Levi Hancock
Journal Excerpt |
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Levi's journal, 68–80. |
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[68] [In the fall of 1830] I concluded I would
go to see Samuel Algers in Chagrin. … and
that evening got to his house by taking the maine road. At dawn and presently
Alvah came in and asked me if I had hered the news what news said I why
said he four men have come and have brought a book with them that they
call history and record of the people that [69] wonce inhabited
this land … tomorrow they are to hold a meeting at Mr. Jacksons
in Mayfield … |
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Original: Chagrine
Samuel is married to Levi's sister, Clarissa. |
| Kirtland, November
1830 |
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[70]
this was Saturday evening
next day I took my mother behind me and went
to Mr. Jacksons I got there a short time before [the] meeting |
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November 6 is
the Saturday before Levi's baptism on the 12th. |
| Missionary meeting |
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after I had been there a short time I saw the
people begin to asemble I got in the chamber where there had been a few
boards pulled up (which had bin laid down loos before) to give the spectators
a fare chance of hearing |
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in the chamber I took a seat beside A Lawyer by
the name of Card he sat with his pencil and paper and commenced to scrible
as the speaker arose and began to talk. |
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| Believes |
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I sat with both ears open for the first word he
spoke I believed all he said as much as that tho I new he was Jesus Christ |
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| 3 Nephi |
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after he had talked a short time he opened the
Book of Mormon and Read what Christ said to his diciples who had gathered
around the Temple in the Land of Nephi of the thre days of darkness that
had bin upon the Land |
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| Isaiah 11 |
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when he had got through talking and reading about
the new revelation he then went to exhorting the people to read the scriptures
and see if they did not tell of the same doctrine. [71] and teach us that
there must be something sent from God in order to prepare the people for
the glorious reign of Christ then the words of Isiah 11 chapter on a part
of the chapter as far as the eleventh virse |
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| Parley speaks |
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After this man had spoken (whose name I found
to be Parley P Pratt (h)) he gave liberty for any body to reply |
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| Sidney speaks |
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Sidney Rigdon then spoke And said he had bin trying
to preach the gospel for a long time and now he had done he thought he should
never try to preach again and confessed he was completely used up and advised
the people not to contend against it what they had heared |
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Oliver
speaks
Countenance of peace |
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after this man had spoaken there arose an other
young man whose countenance bespoke a spirit of peace and love he said he
had bin an eye witness to the things declared and the book purporting to
be a revelation was truth however strange it may appear to the people |
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| Parley baptizes Hancock
family members, others (at Mayfield) |
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whom Parley P Pratt said if any wants to be baptised
let them come forward then my father went and was baptised and my sister
Clarrisa and some few beside |
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| Anti-Mormon sentiment |
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I went home to fathers and then the Devil began
to rage there was one man by the name of Phelps that appeared to be mad
and he exerted himself [72] evry way he could to discourage us [-] from
believing he told of the many impositions that had bin palmed upon the people
and whare that would not do but that we still believed and ment to prove
the work and not condem it nor the min who brought it untill they had proved
themselves unworthy of our confidence by some mean trick we should discover
ourselves |
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| Returns to Mayfield |
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in the next morning I went back to mayfield and
asked whare the men was that had bin baptising there with a firm determination
to be baptised I found that they had gone to Kirtland I then asked one of
Mr. Jacksons sons if he would go with me he said he would if I would stay
all knight I stayed with him |
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| Baptized by Parley |
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and then in the morning we
started and went to Kirtland and saw Parley P Pratt (h) a baptising. I
dismounted from my horse and went to him and asked if he would baptise
me he said he would if I believed I told him I believed Jesus is the son
of God [73] he then baptised me < and I got on my
horse and started up |
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| Morley's farm |
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when some one asked me if I was not going up
to brother morleys I said I did not know
whare he lived I was told to follow some men who was just on before I did
so and soon I came in sight of the house as I thought and then asked if
this was the place whare they was going I was told it was and then was
invited into the house I went in and presantly the room was near full we
talked and heard each other tell many a story and tell there opinion concerning Oliver
Cowdery |
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my horse was put out and fed I took supper and
whin the time came that we thought that we had stayed up long enough we
went to rest |
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| Horse lame, recovers |
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in the morning I called for my horse and was
told whare I could find him I went to him and he could scarcely go he
was so lame I did not know what to do I concluded not to go to New Lyme
that day [74] but told Oliver if he would go to Mayfield I
would go and let the people know he said he would I then led my horse
calculating that it would take me all day to get to Mayfield but to my
joy and satisfaction I beheld my horse well and I got on his back and
he went oph as well as ever |
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New Lyme is 4 mi. east of Rome,
just across Shanty Creek. Did Levi live there and work in Rome? |
Mr. Jackson
Oliver at Mayfield |
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I soon got to Mr. Jacksons and called together
the people Oliver did not come untill we sent after him he came and talked
a while |
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Lyman Wight speaker
Oliver, Ziba, Jacob Whitmer baptize, confirm |
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Lyman Wight and myself had bin talking to the
people the first evening I came it was the next day before Oliver
Cowdery and Ziba Peterson and one of the Whitmers came held metings and baptised
some and in the evening confirmed many members of the Church |
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Original: Wite |
| Levi ordained, returns
home, holds meetings in Rome |
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next morning I was ordained an Elder and went
home to my fathers and soon after went to Rome Commenced holding meetings
the people appeared to be astonishied at the doctrin but did not percicut
as they soon did in other places |
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Levi had a wood working
shop in Rome, 32 miles east of Kirtland. |
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[75] This was in the year 1830 in the month of
November I preached from place to place whare the folks was well acquainted
with me |
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| Lies circulate, some
still interested |
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not long after I came to Rome Lies began to circulate
through the land concerning the church That caused the people to be more
cold however, some believed that there was something in the doctrin worthy
of notice |
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| December works with
James Baldwin |
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in December I went about three miles west to work
on a house and laying floors it was White Ash plank I had to match I hired
Mr James Baldwin to help me he was a good man after we had laid the floor
we concluded to make a fire and lay down untill morning |
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Dreams Lord appears
to him
Yoke of Christ, lamps |
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as I was praying a personage stood before me with
a small yoke in his hands said he this is the yoke of Christ there was many
Lamps placed on the top of this small yoke I thought it was my Lord a talking
to me and I felt willing to obey him and put forth my hand and laid it on
one lamp and saw a [76] smoke rise from it I then touched two more and saw
a blue Blaze then some more and some smoked others burned blue and three
shone as bright as any Lamps I ever saw in my life |
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| Will tarry until Lord
comes |
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he stood and held them a short time and said these
I will take into heaven and give you a sign that you may know that you are
my servant he drawed in his breath and blowed in my face and said you will
tarry till I come again |
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| Filled with faith |
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as he breathed on me faith came the heavens sent
forth a shower of spirit it took me in the face and filled me untill I ran
over with it |
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| Out of body |
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no person could feel better than I did my spirit
took its flight and left my body on the floor I thought I was dead all my
sences was perfect and I realised many things that I am not able to write
nor exspress with my toung |
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| Told to return |
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I saw the unfortunate son who fell when he tryed
to aproach me the wave of my hand would cause him to go from me I was told
by the spirit to come back and bare testemony to the world of the truth
of the work |
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| Re-enters body, tells
James |
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I then entered into my body and told the vision
to Mr. Baldwin [78] [sic] |
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| Tells of Satan |
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I told him how the Lamps all went out but the
three that burned so bright, and how smart and what a gentleman the personage
was who came without anything on his head with ruffle shirt to me even Satan
and how modest and inosent the man was who called himself the Lord |
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| Hold meetings |
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I saw tears run down from his eyes we finished
our work there and went to his house he let me hold metings |
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| January, Edson Fuller,
Heman Basset and Burr Riggs arrive |
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then in January some one knocked
at the Door a person said come in three young looking men came in and inquired
for me I never had seen [them] to my knowledge before they asked how I did
and told me they was preachers belonging to the Church of Christ I lerned
there names was Edson Fuller, Heman Basset
and Burr Riggs |
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Original: Heamon
Bassett |
3 or 4 meetings
Baldwins baptized |
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we called a meting and spoke to the people for
three or four times and commenced [continued?] Baptising Mrs. Baldwin and
two of her Daughters came in the Church her sister and son and many others
through the neighbourhood also joined |
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| People awake to listen |
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[79] All that part of the country appeared to
be awake to listen to the new doctrin |
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| Elders' revelations,
falling, frothing |
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those Elders ran into all manner of doings Receiving
Revilations seeing Angels Falling down frothing at the mouth |
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| Burr Riggs' jumping,
unconscious, prophesying |
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One of them who acted the
worst was Burr Riggs I have seen him jump [up] from the floor, strike his
head against the joist in Mr Baldwins new house and swing some then
fall like he was dead after an hour or two he would come to then prophesy
and tell what he had seen |
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like he was dead:
On Zion's Camp, Burr is discovered one night lying in a rigid state.
He is blessed and recovers. ¶ Hiram
Winters Recollection of Zion's Camp |
| Seemed honest, but
Levi skeptical |
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at other times he appeared to be so honest I was
led to believe all he said but concluded that all could not be blest with
the greatest of these heavens blessings and perhaps I was not as pure as
those young men and what I had received was enough for me |
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Edson turns black in
the face
Heman behaves like baboon, his "call" |
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Edson Fuller would fall and
turn black in the face Heman Basset would Behave like a Baboon he had a
revelation he had receved in Kirtland from the hand of an Angel he would
read it and show pictures of a [crown] the Angel declared to be Gods then
would bare testemony of the truth of the work and I believed it all like
a fool |
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Original: Bassett
Aerial
Commissions |
Levi doesn't oppose
People angry
Girl dies |
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[80] I dare not come out against anything that
an elder should say for feare I should speak against the Holy Ghost I let
them go on in this way until the people got mad at them and tryed to convince
me that I was led astray. They said I was honest and the dream I had they
did not doubt but the doctrin was false One girl said she would rather go
to hell than believe it and in a short time she died I could not help thinking
she was taken at her word |
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| Many members said nothing |
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There was many that sayed nothing that belonged
to the church all of this took place in the winter of 1831 |
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| February to Kirtland |
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In February we started
for Kirtland I bore the expenses of them all we tack North on the turnpike
Leading from Ashtabula to Warren Ohio
we traviled on to Austinburg and put up there I saw a man by the
name of Crawel I was some acquainted with him as he was a Lawyer he said
he would keep me but the others he would not I thanked him and we all went
to the [tavern] and I payed the bill we then went on to Unionville I there
payed all bills for them [81] next day we got to Painesville |
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Nowadays the
most direct route from Rome to Kirtland is due west through Chardon.
Rome to Austinburg: N 12 mi.
Austinburg to Unionville: W. 10 mi.
Unionville to Painesville: W. 16 mi.
Original: Ostinburg, Unionvill, Painvill |
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we was all
weary and was glad to rests here we found brethring who said they would
take us to Kirtland we had traviled through the deep snows untill I was
so lame I could scarcely walk I had payed one dollar to a man this day
to carry us four miles the next day morning Brother Harvey Redfield took
us to Brother Isaac Morleys this was in February |
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Families |
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| Wife |
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Clarissa Reed, b. Dec. 18,
1814 in Ackworth, Cheshire Co., New Hampshire;
md. Mar. 29, 1833;
div. 1854
md. Thomas
Jones White, Apr. 11, 1854;
d. Jan. 17, 1860 in Salt Lake City |
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FamilySearch™ Pedigree
Resource File
Origins, 550. |
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Mosiah
Sariah
Elizabeth Amy
Francis Marion
John Reed
Levison
Levi W.
Joseph Smith
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Fanny Myrick
md. 1846
md. another man, 1849
div. Levi, 1854 |
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Origins, 550. |
| Wife |
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Emily Melissa Richey, b. Mar.
1830/1831 in Pickens, Alabama;
md. Feb 24, 1849/1848;
d. in Salt Lake City |
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FamilySearch™ Pedigree Resource
File
Origins, 550. |
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Emily Melissa
Temperance
Levi W. |
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| Wife |
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Anne Tew, b. Springfield, Hampden
Co., Massachusetts;
md. July 19, 1857, Salt Lake City Endowment House |
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FamilySearch™ Pedigree Resource
File |
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Levison
Zenis
Zenil
Ether Thomas
Cyrus
Solomon
Samuel |
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| Wife |
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Elizabeth Woodville Hovey, b.
[1805] in Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts;
md. Feb. 16, 1856
div. 1857 |
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FamilySearch™ Pedigree Resource
File
Origins, 550. |
| Wife |
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Mary Mogen
md. 1868 |
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Origins, 550. |
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Biographies
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