Biography.guide
Home › People › Missionary › Zenas H. Gurley, Sr.
Portrait of Zenas H. Gurley, Sr.

Zenas H. Gurley, Sr.

1801 – 1871

Leader in the Latter Day Saint movement

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Zenas H. Gurley, Sr.

Lived 1801 – 1871 (aged 70). Zenas H. Gurley, Sr. was a missionary.

Zenas Hovey Gurley Sr. (May 29, 1801 – August 28, 1871) was a leader in the history of the Latter Day Saint movement. He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on April 1, 1838, and became an elder soon thereafter. By the death of Joseph Smith in 1844, Gurley had been ordained a seventy.

Beginning in 1849, Gurley led a branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) in Yellowstone, Wisconsin, in the early years after the succession crisis. In 1852, Gurley broke with James Strang over the issue of plural marriage and was eventually excommunicated from Strang's church.

Along with Jason W. Briggs, Gurley became an important early leader of the "New Organization" of the church that developed in the Midwest in the 1850s. In 1853, he was called as an apostle in the New Organization, which is today known as the Community of Christ. Along with William Marks, Gurley ordained Joseph Smith III as President of the Church in 1860.

Gurley's son Zenas H. Gurley Jr. was called as an RLDS Church apostle in 1873.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Also known as
Zenas Hovey Gurley, Sr.

People in Zenas H. Gurley, Sr.'s life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Zenas H. Gurley, Sr.'s

Frequently asked questions

Who was Zenas H. Gurley, Sr.?

leader in the Latter Day Saint movement

When was Zenas H. Gurley, Sr. born?

Zenas H. Gurley, Sr. was born on 29 May 1801.

When did Zenas H. Gurley, Sr. die?

Zenas H. Gurley, Sr. died on 28 August 1871.

What was Zenas H. Gurley, Sr.'s occupation?

Zenas H. Gurley, Sr. was a missionary.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Zenas H. Gurley, Sr.

· Wikidata: Q8069014

· DBpedia: Zenas H. Gurley Sr.

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Zenas H. Gurley, Sr.. https://biography.guide/zenas-h-gurley-sr/

MLA: "Zenas H. Gurley, Sr.." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/zenas-h-gurley-sr/.

Chicago: "Zenas H. Gurley, Sr.." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/zenas-h-gurley-sr/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:10 UTC