Sidney Rigdon, a former confidante and first counselor to Joseph Smith, discusses the fierce leadership battle that erupted after the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. He highlights the tensions between himself and Brigham Young, who emerged as a strong leader amid a chaotic succession process. Rigdon reveals how his influence waned due to accusations and a deepening rift with Smith. The conversation culminates in the pivotal vote that determined the church's direction, showcasing the complexities of their intertwined legacies during a defining moment in history.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Sidney Rigdon's Shifting Role
Sidney Rigdon, Joseph Smith's close associate since 1830, initially served effectively as scribe and counselor.
However, Joseph later questioned Rigdon's stability and sought to remove him from leadership in 1843.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Rigdon's Early Influence
Sidney Rigdon, 12 years Joseph's senior, converted after a powerful spiritual experience and brought many early members.
He became Joseph's scribe and collaborated closely on the Bible translation and early revelations.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Rigdon's Declining Health
After a severe mob beating, Rigdon's health and mental stability declined, marked by episodes of erratic behavior.
While he still had moments of brilliance, Joseph Smith expressed concerns about his reliability.
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In August 1844, there were two major contenders to assume leadership of the church following the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. On the one hand was Sidney Rigdon, a gifted man who had been at Joseph Smith’s side as his confidante since 1830. Sidney initially proved quite effective as Joseph’s scribe and mission companion, and later as his first counselor. Over time, however, Joseph lost confidence in Sidney’s stability and, therefore, his ability to serve effectively as his counselor. Things came to a head in 1843 when, at a Church conference, Joseph officially sought to vote Sidney out of the First Presidency for his suspected role in a kidnapping attempt against Joseph to get him back to Missouri. And although they appear to have reconciled to some degree prior to Joseph’s death, the question remained: did Joseph intend for Sidney to preside over the Church following his death?
On the other hand there was Brigham Young and the Quorum of the Twelve apostles. It seemed that at the same time Sidney’s star was falling, that of Brigham Young and the Twelve was rising. As time passed, their leadership only proved more and more vital and trustworthy. From leading the frantic exodus out of Missouri to Quincy, Illinois while Joseph was in Liberty Jail, to leading crucial missions to England where thousands of converts were brought into the Church, the Twelve, under Brigham Young’s leadership, were proving to be not only reliable but critical to the success and growth of the Church. And following his death, multiple members of the Twelve attested to a private meeting Joseph held with them that previous Spring wherein he officially commissioned and empowered them to lead the Church should his enemies kill him.
In this episode of Church History Matters, we explore all of this in detail and set the stage for the watershed Church meeting held on August 8 1844 where Church members get to vote on who they will follow.
Church History Matters 