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Thomas B. Marsh

  • Writer: stephenstrent7
    stephenstrent7
  • Oct 4
  • 17 min read
Photograph of Thomas B Marsh, Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day Saints, 1835
Photograph of Thomas B Marsh, Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day Saints, 1835

Where Science Meets the Doctrine and Covenants, for the Come Follow Me lesson Oct 6-12; Doctrine and Covenants 111-114

 

The heading to Doctrine and Covenants Section 112 states, “Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Thomas B. Marsh, at Kirtland, Ohio, July 23, 1837, concerning the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb. This revelation was received on the day Elders Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde first preached the gospel in England. Thomas B. Marsh was at this time President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.” All 34 verses talk about the mission of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The quorum had been established February 14, 1835. Seniority in the quorum was determined by age. Thomas, being the oldest was made President.

 

These are the original twelve:1 

  1. Thomas B. Marsh

  2. David W. Patten

  3. Brigham Young

  4. Heber C. Kimball

  5. Orson Hyde

  6. William E. McLellin

  7. Parley P. Pratt

  8. Luke Johnson

  9. William Smith

  10. Orson Pratt

  11. John F. Boynton

  12. Lyman E. Johnson

 

Brigham Young stated that Thomas was “One year and seven months to the day [older than him]; and…one year, seven months, and fourteen days older than brother Heber C. Kimball.”2 

 

David W. Patten was shot in the stomach and mortally wounded while leading a rescue party of seventy-five volunteers to save three Latter-day Saint hostages, taken by a mob, on October 25, 1838, at the Battle of Crooked River, near Far West.3 Thus, after Thomas’ apostacy, Brigham Young became the senior apostle, and President of the Quorum.

 

Thomas Baldwin Marsh was born November 1, 1799, at Acton, Massachusetts. He ran away from home at age fourteen. He met Elizabeth Godkin in Long Island, New York. She was born January 11, 1799 in Balanong, Wexford, Ireland. They were married in New York City on Thomas’ 21st birthday, 1 November 1820.4

 

Thomas said, “…I joined the Methodist church and tried for two years to be a genuine Methodist, but did not succeed…I compared Methodism with the Bible, but could not make it correspond.”5 Their first child, Edward Barton Marsh, was born 13 August 1821 in New York City, and their second child, another son, James G. Marsh, was also born there 31 May 1823.6 In his two main autobiographies, Marsh hardly mentioned his family, and never his children. I include them here to show some of the hardships the Marsh family experienced.

 

After Thomas left the Methodist Church, the Marsh family moved to Boston. Thomas said, “My wife unknown to me…got a certificate [from the Methodist Church] for herself and me on one paper. I informed her that I never would attend, but I would find a suitable class for her if she wanted to join…I remained in Boston several years…”7 Their third son, Thomas Emerson Marsh, was born in Boston 22 July 1825, and must have died there before March 1827, because another son, also named Thomas Emerson Marsh, was 26 March 1827, in Boston.8 It was a fairly common practice in those days for parents who had lost a child to give the next child the same name.

 

Thomas continued his story, “I went to Lima…New York, where I staid some three months and then left for home…[but he learned about a] Golden Book found by a youth named Joseph Smith…[he was told that] I could learn more about it from Martin Harris, in Palmyra…I returned back westward and found Martin Harris at the printing office in Palmyra, where the first sixteen pages of the Book of Mormon had just been struck off, the proof sheet of which I obtained from the printer and took with me.” Thomas met Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on that same trip.9 That would have been the late summer or early fall of 1829, as the Book of Mormon printing began in August and the first 5,000 copies were completed in March 1830. Those sixteen pages would have been the first sixteenmo, which was sixteen pages printed on a single sheet and then folded and bound into the sixteen pages of the book.10 

 

Thomas continued, “After arriving home and finding my family all well, I showed my wife the sixteen pages of the Book of Mormon which I had obtained, with which she was well pleased, believing it to be the work of God…Learning by letter that the Church of Jesus Christ had been organized on the 6th day of April, 1830, I moved to Palmyra, Ontario co, in September following, and landed at the house of Joseph Smith, sen., with my whole family.”11 The family would have included his wife, Elizabeth, and their three living sons: Edward Barton (age 9), James G. (age 7), and Thomas Emerson (age 3).

 

The Church biographies website states, “The Marshes moved with their three children to Palmyra in September 1830 and were baptized into the Church shortly thereafter. After moving to Kirtland, Ohio, in 1831, Marsh was ordained a high priest.12 Another son, Nephi Marsh, was born 12 March 1831 in Canandaigua, Ontario, New York, in the finger lakes region.13 “In November 1832, he moved to Jackson County, Missouri, and settled his family in a comfortable log house on the Big Blue River and began farming the land.”14 A sixth son, Jacob Marsh was born and died 29 August 1833, in Blue Township, Jackson, Missouri.15 Jacob’s twin brother, Joseph G. Marsh, survived.16 

 

“After mobs drove the Saints out of the county, the Marshes settled in nearby Lafayette County, where Marsh taught school.”17 Their baby, Nephi, age 3, died about September 1834, probably in Clay County [or Lafayette County], Missouri.18 They now had only four of their seven sons still living. “In April 1835, he [Thomas] was ordained a member of the newly created Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. At age 36, he was the oldest member of that body and was therefore sustained as the first president of the quorum in the Church’s history.”19 

 

The Church biographies website continues, “In 1837, during a time of economic crisis and dissension in Kirtland, some of the Twelve questioned Joseph Smith’s leadership, and Marsh struggled to unify the quorum. Although four of the Twelve were excommunicated from the Church, Marsh was instrumental in helping others in the quorum, including Parley P. Pratt, to overcome their concerns and remain faithful.”20 

 

“Around that same time, Joseph Smith had sent Apostle Heber C. Kimball to open missionary work in England. Upon learning this, Marsh took offense, perhaps disappointed that as quorum president he had not been consulted about this assignment. ‘Be thou humble and the Lord thy God shall lead thee,’ a revelation given through Joseph Smith told him. The Lord urged Marsh to be faithful and “rebel not against my servant Joseph.’”21 The Marsh’s eighth and last child, and first girl, Mary Elizabeth Marsh, was born 12 November 1837 in Far West, Caldwell, Missouri. She likely died as an infant as no death date or any other information is recorded for her at FamilySearch.22 Then the Marsh’s second oldest son, James G Marsh (not quite 15) died 7 May 1838 in Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri.23 They were back down to three living sons, out of eight children born to them.

 

“Yet, after moving to Far West, Missouri, in 1838 [actually 1837], Marsh grew critical of Joseph Smith and opposed Latter-day Saints using violence to fight mobs in Missouri. He and Orson Hyde signed an affidavit detailing their concerns about Latter-day Saint violence, which became one piece of evidence used against the Saints by Missouri officials. ‘I got a beam in my eye and thought I could discover a mote in Joseph’s,’ he recounted years later, ‘though it was nothing but a beam in my eye.’ He withdrew from the Church in October 1838.”24 

 

It was in August 1838 that the infamous milk-strippings incident occurred. For those of you who didn’t grow up milking cows by hand, which is probably all of you, here is the definition of “milk-strippings”: it refers to the last milk drawn from a cow during a milking, which is highest in fat and is the best milk for making butter or cheese.

 

George A. Smith told the story in a talk he gave in the Bowery, April 6, 1956, one year before Thomas B. Marsh returned to the Church. “You may think that these small matters amount to but little, but sometimes it happens that out of a small matter grows something exceedingly great. For instance, while the Saints were living in Far West, there were two sisters wishing to make cheese and, neither of them possessing the requisite number of cows, they agreed to exchange milk.

“The wife of Thomas B. Marsh, who was then President of the Twelve Apostles, and sister Harris concluded they would exchange milk, in order to make a little larger cheese than they otherwise could. To be sure to have justice done, it was agreed that they should not save the strippings, but that the milk and strippings should all go together. Small matters to talk about here, to be sure, two women's exchanging milk to make cheese.

“Mrs. Harris, it appeared, was faithful to the agreement and carried to Mrs. Marsh the milk and strippings, but Mrs. Marsh, wishing to make some extra good cheese, saved a pint of strippings from each cow and sent Mrs. Harris the milk without the strippings.

“Finally it leaked out that Mrs. Marsh had saved strippings, and it became a matter to be settled by the Teachers. They began to examine the matter, and it was proved that Mrs. Marsh had saved the strippings, and consequently had wronged Mrs. Harris out of that amount.

“An appeal was taken from the Teacher to the Bishop, and a regular Church trial was had. President Marsh did not consider that the Bishop had done him and his lady justice, for they decided that the strippings were wrongfully saved, and that the woman had violated her covenant.

“Marsh immediately took an appeal to the High Council, who investigated the question with much patience, and I assure you they were a grave body. Marsh being extremely anxious to maintain the character of his wife, as he was the President of the Twelve Apostles, and a great man in Israel, made a desperate defence, but the High Council finally confirmed the Bishop's decision.

“Marsh, not being satisfied, took an appeal to the First Presidency of the Church, and Joseph and his Counsellors had to sit upon the case, and they approved the decision of the High Council.

“This little affair, you will observe, kicked up a considerable breeze, and Thomas B. Marsh then declared that he would sustain the character of his wife, even if he had to go to hell for it.

“The then President of the Twelve Apostles, the man who should have been the first to do justice and cause reparation to be made for wrong, committed by any member of his family, took that position, and what next? He went before a magistrate and swore that the ‘Mormons’ were hostile towards the State of Missouri.

“That affidavit brought from the government of Missouri an exterminating order, which drove some 15,000 Saints from their homes and habitations, and some thousands perished through suffering the exposure consequent on this state of affairs.

“Do you understand what trouble was consequent to the dispute about a pint of strippings?”25 

 

Susan Easton Black said of this affair, “The Lord sought to change the course that Thomas was pursuing by giving him a revelation: ‘In it God told him what to do, and that was to sustain br. Joseph…But no, he took a course to sustain his wife and oppose the prophet of God, and she led him away.’ After leaving the Church Thomas and …[Elizabeth] went to Richmond, Missouri, and, as Joseph Smith wrote, ‘made affidavit…to all the vilest slanders, aspersions, lies and calumnies towards myself and the Church that he could invent…Now he has fallen, lied and sworn falsely, and is ready to take the lives of his best friends.’ He was excommunicated on 17 March 1839.”26 

 

I will not include the affidavit in this essay, but say, if anyone wants to read it, it and Joseph Smith’s comments about it can be found at:27 

 

Black continued her story, “During the ensuing eighteen years Thomas moved from state to state, earning his living as a teacher specializing in biblical geography. John Taylor said of these years, ‘He has been all the time since [his apostasy] afraid of his life, afraid the ‘Mormons’ would kill him and he durst not let them know where he was.’”28 

 

There appears to be very little information to fill in that eighteen-year gap, but it appears that leaving the Church to support his wife did not end so well. By 1857, Marsh had journeyed, apparently alone, to Florence, Nebraska. I will pick up his story again there, but what about his family?

 

In the 1860 census, by which time Thomas was in Utah, Elizabeth Marsh shows up in Oronogo, Jasper, Missouri. She is listed alone, as a school teacher, with no family members on the same page of the census. Oronogo is way down in the southwest corner of Missouri, with no known connection to any activity of the Church or any of its splinter groups. Her death is listed in FamilySearch as 20 May 1878, Saratoga, Santa Clara, California.29 As to their children…

 

Joseph G. Marsh married Mary Elmanzo McKee, 19 January 1860, in Jasper County, Missouri. They had an unnamed infant child, born and died before 1862, likely in Jasper County, Missouri. Joseph also died sometime before 1862, likely in Jasper, Missouri.30 

 

Edward Barton Marsh married Eliza Fane, 8 January 1846, in Boons Lick Township, Howard, Missouri. They had two daughters: Mary Louisa Marsh was born 5 January 1847, in Howard, Missouri, and died in 1848. Frances Marsh was also born in Howard County, Missouri, 23 April 1849, and died in 1849. Eliza also died in 1849. Edward then married Minerva Chandler in 1849, and they had four children, two of whom lived into the twentieth century. Edward died 3 October 1868 in Jasper, Missouri.31 

 

Thomas Emerson Marsh married Mary Elmanzo McKee, Joseph’s widow, about 1863, in Santa Clara, California. They had four children, all of whom lived into the twentieth century. Thomas, Mary, their children, and his mother, Elizabeth, must have moved from Missouri to California between 1860 and 1863. They were the only surviving members of Thomas B. Marsh’s family, along with Edward’s two children, who never left Missouri—and apparently none were affiliated with the Church. Thomas Emerson died 4 June 1904, in Saratoga, Santa Clara, California.32 

 

Most of the several entries at FamilySearch for Thomas B. Marsh are quite inaccurate and incomplete. The first entry in a search on FamilySearch for Thomas B. Marsh (GC6J-LNK), with no sources given, shows the correct birth and death dates, but his birth is listed as 1799 in “Acton, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America”. The person submitting this record apparently was unaware of the Revolutionary War and the fact that Massachusetts had been a state since February 6, 1788. His spouse was listed as Annie Marsh, with one child, Douglas J A Marsh, born 1901, 35 years after Thomas B. Marsh’s death. Another listing at FamilySearch gave Thomas Baldwin Marsh, family tree, married to Elizabeth Godkin, with seven children, with very little information. It lists every child as preceding him in death. Another family tree shows no children.

 

The next person to come up on that search is Thomas Baldwin Marsh (KWJR-T83), with the correct birth and death dates, and the correct reference number. That reference shows Thomas as married to Elizabeth Godkin (LKJQ-JXJ), with the correct reference number, but it also shows him married to Hannah Adams (K27R-P7X), 4 October 1857, Great Salt Lake City, Great Salt Lake, Utah Territory.

 

The official biography on the Church History Topics website states, “In 1857 he sought readmittance and was baptized in Florence, Nebraska, where he was assisting Church emigration. Eventually settling in Utah, Marsh married Hannah Adams, taught school in Spanish Fork, and later moved to Ogden, where he died in 1862.”33 His death date, which was actually 1866, is shown incorrectly in this biography. One wonders where this information came from.

 

Hannah Adams (K27R-P7X) personal information on FamilySearch shows her married to Theodore Johnson (KWJ4-X4Z) 11 September 1854, in Great Salt Lake City, Great Salt Lake, Utah Territory. He died in 1867. It also shows her marriage to Thomas B. Marsh 4 October 1857. Apparently, the only source reference to Hannah Adams Marsh, thus linking her to Thomas B. Marsh, is Find a Grave index, which lists Hannah Marsh (Adams not included), born at the correct time (1815) in England, and buried 4 November 1886, in Salt Lake City. I could not find a source reference to the marriage date of 4 October 1857, or to any indication of why she was not still married to Theodore Johnson, who died in 1867.

 

Theodore Johnson’s (KWJ4-X4Z) personal site shows him married to Marta Ann Bailey (married in 1835), Susanna Behunin Smith (married in 1849), Louisa Kimball (married in 1851), Hannah Adams (married in 1854), and Sarah Philinda Cook (married in 1862). A photograph of his headstone shows him buried beside Sarah Cook. A note on Sarah Cook’s personal data site states only, “Sarah Phylinda Cook married first John Thomas Merrill and then Theodore Johnson. She has been sealed to both men.”

 

Robert Jensen stated in a biography of Susanna Behunin Smith, “In April of 1849…she married Theodore Johnson, as his third wife. They lived in Salt Lake City’s Third Ward. Susanna wasn’t happy with her marriage, however, and took advantage of Utah’s very easy divorce laws and had her sealings to Theodore cancelled the following year, June 1850.”34 

 

 All of this information shows, in my opinion, what an enigma Thomas B. Marsh was, even after coming back into the Church.

  

 Now, back to Thomas B. Marsh’s story. Black stated, “In 1857 Thomas traveled through Iowa and Nebraska. Wandle Mace described him as ‘an old man, a stranger carrying a satchel and wearing a black waterproof coat to shield him from the storm…[with a] palsied frame.’…In the summer of 1857 Thomas joined the Walker company and migrated to the Rockies.” The William H. Walker Freight Train included 86 individuals and 28 wagons when it began its journey from the outfitting post at Florence, Nebraska.35 

 

In his autobiographical discourse, given at The Bowery, September 6th 1857, Thomas stated, “I do not know that I can make all this vast congregation hear and understand me. My voice never was very strong, but it has been very much weakened of late years by the afflicting rod of Jehovah…when men apostatize, they are left to grovel in the dark…I have sought diligently to know the Spirit of Christ since I turned my face Zionward, and I believe I have obtained it. I have frequently wanted to know how my apostacy began, and I have come to the conclusion that I must have lost the Spirit of the Lord out of my heart.

“The next question is, ‘How and when did you lose the Spirit?’ I became jealous of the Prophet, and then I saw double, and overlooked everything that was right, and spent all my time in looking for the evil; and then, when the Devil began to lead me, it was easy for the carnal mind to rise up, which is anger, jealousy, and wrath….I thought I saw a beam in brother Joseph’s eye…I got mad, and I wanted everybody else to be mad…if there are any of you that have the seeds of apostacy in you, do not let them make their appearance, but nip that spirit in the bud; for it is misery and affliction in this world, and destruction in the world to come.

“…I started with but five dollars and ten cents, from Harrison County, Missouri, to come all the way to this valley…before I got out of the State, the Lord had changed my fortune, and I had $55…I traveled on foot in some very cold weather…When I got to Florence…I…read many of the publications and works of the Church, and became strengthened and informed in regard to the Priesthood of the Son of God. Although I knew something about the Priesthood before, so far as the theory was concerned, yet I discovered that I had never properly understood it…Had I known as much of the Church of Jesus Christ and its doctrine before I apostatized as I now know, I think I could not have back-slidden.

“I have now got a better understanding of the Presidency of the Church than I formerly had. I used to ask myself, What is the difference between the President of our Church and a pope? True, he is not called a Pope, but names do not alter realities, and therefore he is a Pope…I see in my meditations how the Priesthood has been restored…I want to learn wisdom, and not to be ruled by my own imaginations…I am not good of hearing…”36 It seems clear to me that by his reference to the prophet being a pope, he still didn’t understand the real power of the priesthood or that of a prophet.

 

Brigham Young then said, “A portion of the congregation have heard what brother Marsh has said; but he spoke so low that you could not all hear…Brother Thomas considers himself very aged and infirm. And you can see that he is, brothers and sisters. What is the cause of it? He left the Gospel of salvation…In conversing with brother Marsh, I find that he is about the same Thomas that he always was—full of anecdotes and chit-chat. He could hardly converse for ten minutes without telling an anecdote. His voice and style of conversation are familiar to me…He has told me that he would be faithful, and that he would do this and the other, but he [does not] know what he will do next week or next year.’”37 

 

John Taylor wrote, ‘After his arrival here, I remember hearing him talk in the Fourteenth Ward meetinghouse. It seemed to me about the most foolish and ridiculous talk, devoid of common sense, common intelligence, and common manhood, that I had heard for a long time. Said I to myself: ‘There is a specimen of apostasy.’”38 

 

“He moved to Ogden, where he died a pauper and an invalid in January 1866.”39

 

This past week, we witnessed the passing of our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, and the smooth succession of our new prophet, President Dallin H. Oaks. Such was not the case for the first succession. Following Joseph Smith’s martyrdom June 27, 1844, there were several would-be contenders for Church leadership—resulting in several splinter groups being formed. Brigham Young was not sustained as Church President until December 27, 1847. Before that, for three years, the Church was run by the Quorum of the Twelve, with Brigham Young as president. He was a strong, dynamic leader, with a powerful voice—just what was needed to keep the Church together and lead thousands of pioneers to the west.

 

One wonders what may have happened had Thomas B. Marsh been President of the Quorum at that time, of course the Lord knew he wouldn’t be. But “spilled milk”, pride, and jealousy caused Thomas to lose his standing in the Church, which would have led to his being President. He lost his family, his health, and the best years of his life.

 

 

Trent Dee Stephens, PhD

 

 

References

2.     Young, Brigham, Journal of Discourses 5,210

4.     Marsh, Thomas Baldwin, History of Thomas Baldwin Marsh, Written by himself in Great Salt Lake City, November, 1857, Millennial Star 26, 1864: pp 359-60; see also FamilySearch: Thomas Baldwin Marsh KWJR-T83 and Elizabeth Godkin LKJQ-JXJ

5.     Marsh, 1857, Millennial Star, p. 360

6.     FamilySearch: Edward Barton Marsh LKJ5-W2Y; James G. Marsh LKJT-PZZ

7.     Marsh, 1857, Millennial Star, p. 360

8.     FamilySearch: Thomas Emerson Marsh LKJT-562; Thomas Emerson Marsh LKJT-RQG

9.     Marsh, 1857, Millennial Star, p. 375

11.  Marsh, 1857, Millennial Star, p. 375

12.  Thomas B. Marsh, Church History Topics; churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/thomas-b-marsh?lang=eng

13.  FamilySearch Nephi Marsh K8YB-MLV

14.  Marsh, Church History Topics

15.  FamilySearch, Jacob Marsh LKJT-BXY

16.  FamilySearch, Joseph G. Marsh, LKJT-16C

17.  Marsh, Church History Topics

18.  FamilySearch Nephi Marsh K8YB-MLV

19.  Marsh, Church History Topics

20.  Ibid

21.  Ibid; Doctrine and Covenants 112:10, 15

22.  FamilySearch, Mary Elizabeth Marsh LKJT-14L

23.  FamilySearch, James G Marsh LKJT-PZZ

24.  Marsh, Church History Topics; see also Marsh, Thomas B, Talk given in the Bowery, September 6th 1857, Introduced by Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 5:206-208

25.  Smith, George A., The leaven of the gospel—the saints should divest themselves of old traditions—policy of making good farms and storing up grain, Journal of Discourses, Volume 3,  p. 283-284

26.  Black, Susan Easton, Who’s Who in the Doctrine and Covenants, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, UT 1997

28.  Black, 1997; see also Journal History 9 August 1857

29.  FamilySearch, Elizabeth Godkin LKJQ-JXJ

30.  FamilySearch, Joseph G. Marsh, LKJT-16C and Mary Elmanzo McKee 9N9Q-18J

31.  FamilySearch: Edward Barton Marsh LKJ5-W2Y

32.  FamilySearch, Thomas Emerson Marsh LKJT-RQG; also Newspapers.com, obituary for Mrs. Mary E. Marsh

33.  Thomas B. Marsh, Church History Topics; churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/thomas-b-marsh?lang=eng

34.  Jensen, Robert J., John Roper and Susanna Smith, FamilySearch, Susanna Behunin Smith’s, KWJY-RTB

35.  Black 1997; see also Journal of Wandle Mace, archives Division, Church Historical Department; also: The Overland Travel Database lists: ("Utah, Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Database, 1847-1868", FamilySearch; familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK9B-CBBK : Wed Feb 19 20:20:45 UTC 2025), Entry for Thomas Baldwin Marsh, 04 Sep 1857

36.  Marsh, Church History Topics; see also Marsh, Thomas B, Talk given in the Bowery, September 6th 1857, Introduced by Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 5:206-209

37.  Young, Brigham, Journal of Discourses 5:209

38.  Black, 1997; also Taylor, John, The Gospel Kingdom, Bookcraft 1964, p. 188

39.  Black, 1997; Thomas Baldwin Marsh KWJR-T83


 
 
 

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