Isaac Russell

Early life Isaac Russell was born at Windy Haugh, near Alston, Cumberland, England, to William Russell and Isabella Peart. He was the youngest of thirteen children. In 1817 the family emigrated from England to Upper Canada.

Latter Day Saint movement Russell and his family were baptized into the Church of the Latter Day Saints on May 21, 1836, by Parley P. Pratt, along with the families of John Taylor, Joseph Fielding, and others. However, the Alston, England church members were visited by apostle Willard Richards, who convinced them of Russell's apostacy, and they remained faithful to the main body of the church.

On April 26, 1839, Russell, along with most, if not all, of his Missouri followers were excommunicated.

Death Russell stayed in Far West, among anti-Mormon mobs, never rejoined the Latter Day Saints, and died in 1844 on his farm near Richmond, Missouri, of "swamp fever." His youngest child, Isabella Russell, born a year before his death, later wrote his biography. Isaac's widow Mary Russell and their children never denied their faith in Joseph Smith and were never excommunicated. In 1861, after saving enough money, they moved to Salt Lake City, Utah Territory and lived among friends and family in the Latter-day Saint community.