John Murdock

John Murdock Jr. (July 15, 1792 – December 23, 1871) was an early convert to the Latter Day Saint movement and was a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Mentioned twice in the Doctrine and Covenants, he devoted most of his life to full-time missionary service for the LDS Church. He was the first mission president for the LDS Church in Australia where he oversaw the official organization of the church in the country and its early growth. A compatriot of Joseph Smith, Murdock attended School of the Prophets and participated in Zion's Camp. After the death of his first wife in childbirth, Joseph and Emma Smith adopted his infant twins. Julia Murdock Smith, who survived to adulthood, was the eldest child and only daughter of the Smiths.

Biography Early life and religious conversion John Murdock was born on July 15, 1792, in Kortright, New York, to John Murdock and Eleanor Riggs. His mother died when he was four years old. Prior to joining the Church of Christ, Murdock had belonged to many churches. First, he affiliated with the Dutch Lutheran Church. He next became a Methodist. He was also briefly part of a Baptist congregation, which he left because he did not agree with their support of Calvinist doctrines. In 1827, Murdock joined the Campbellites. Murdock was one of the first converts to the church and one of the first full-time missionaries.

First, Murdock accompanied Hyrum Smith, Lyman Wight, and John Corrill on a mission to Independence, Missouri— by way of Pontiac, Michigan. It was canonized in Doctrine and Covenants 52:8. Murdock had become ill in the early part of August, delaying the missionary party on the way to Missouri, resulting in a chance encounter with Joseph Smith on his way from Independence.

In 1833, Murdock attended the School of the Prophets.

Joseph Smith called Murdock on a mission to the Eastern states in Doctrine and Covenants 99:1.

In April 1834, Murdock joined Zion's Camp. After Zion's Camp, Murdock also served on the high councils in Missouri. Murdock and Charles W. Wandell established the mission in Sydney on 31 October 1851. They printed 2,000 copies of Proclamation to the People of the Coasts and Islands of the Pacific, which they successfully sold. They exerted their time and resources to proselyte using pamphlets and printed many others.

In April 1858, bishop David Evans and Murdock had a disagreement which led Murdock to solicit help from the president of the LDS Church, Brigham Young. During a sermon, Evans encouraged the congregation to lie about practicing polygamy to protect themselves from the United States government which Murdock publicly disagreed with. This embarrassed Evans who, in retaliation, removed Murdock's name from the list of high priests in the congregation. Murdock refused to attend church for several months. Murdock brought the issue to the attention of Brigham Young who commanded that Murdock's name be restored on the records of the high priests.

In 1867, Murdock and his wife Sarah separated. She remained in Lehi with her son George. In October, Murdock traveled to Beaver, Utah, to be with his sons, Orric and John Riggs, who would care for him in his illness. In his last years, Murdock wrote his daughter Julia, urging her to come visit him, but the visit never occurred. He died on December 23, 1871, in Beaver.

Family John Murdock married Julia Clapp on December 14, 1823. With Clapp, Murdock had five children. Their first son, Orrice, was born in 1824, and John Riggs and Phebe followed in 1825 and 1828, respectively. However, Clapp died after delivering twins on April 30, 1831. The twins, Joseph and Julia, were adopted by Joseph and Emma Smith; however, only Julia survived to adulthood. Murdock's son Joseph died before he reached one year old and Phebe died of cholera at age six. Murdock married his second wife, Amoranda Turner, on February 4, 1836; however, Turner died in 1837. He married his third wife, Electa Allen, on May 3, 1838. She died in 1845. While Murdock had three children with Allen, only one of them survived their time in Nauvoo, Illinois. Murdock married his fourth wife, Sarah Zufelt, on March 13, 1846.