Edward Partridge: First Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
by Hartt Wixom
Perhaps no man faced a greater challenge in the early days of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, save Joseph Smith himself, than its first bishop, Edward Partridge. This is his story.
It was he who was sent by the Mormon prophet to establish the New Zion in Missouri. Little did either man likely know at the time what a firestorm of opposition awaited Edward in the discharge of his duties. Probably even Daniel of the Old Testament did not require more courage in the Lion' s Den than did Edward in trying to acquire and distribute fairly Missouri lands for the saints in fulfillment of Doctrine and Covenants, Section 57.
Yet, in spite of his position as first bishop of the "Restored Church," the man labeled by Joseph Smith as a "pattern of piety . . . pure in heart, a man without guile as was Nathanael of Old," Edward died in relative obscurity in the early days of Nauvoo.
For 157 years there was not even a grave marker placed over his burial site. it would seem that a man so prominent in LDS history just "dropped out of sight" and was forgotten. Edward Partridge, for whatever reason, has only recently begun to receive a modicum of the recognition he deserved during his life span of 46 years.
183 pages
Published: 1998
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