Page:History of Utah.djvu/128



76 TIJE STORY OF MORMONISM.

Kigdon was a native of Pennsylvania, and was now thirty-seven years of age. He worked on his father's farm until he was twenty-six, when he went to live with the Rev. Andrew Clark, and the same year, 1819, was licensed to preach. Thence he went to Warren, Ohio, and married; and after preaching for a time he vv'as called to take charge of a church at Pittsburgh, where he met w^ith success, and soon became very popular. But his mind was perplexed over the doc- trines he was required to promulgate, and in 1824 he retired from, his ministry. There were two friends who had likewise withdrawn from their respective churches, and with whom he conferred freely, Alex- ander Campbell, of his own congregation, and one Walter Scott, of the Scandinavian church of that city. Campbell had formerly lived at Bethany, Virginia, where was issued under his auspices a monthly jour- nal called the Christian Baptist. Out of this friend- ship and association arose a new church, called the Campbellites, its doctrines having been published by Campbell in his paper. During the next two years Kigdon was obliged to work in a tannery to support his family; then he removed to Bainbridge, Ohio, where he again began to preach, confining him- self to no creed, but leaning toward that of the Camp- bellites. Crowds flocked to hear him, and a church was established in a neighboring town through his in- strumentality. After a year of this work he accepted a call to Mentor, thirty miles distant. Slanderous reports followed him, and a storm of persecution set in against him; but by his surpassing eloquence and deep reasoning it was not only soon alla3^ed, but greater multitudes than ever waited on his ministra- tions.

mon concluded to accept its doctrines, and together with his wife was bap- tized into the church, which now numbered about twenty in tliis section. Millennial Star, iv. 181-4; v. 4-7, 17; Tiine^ and Season-^, iv. 177, 193-4. Rigdon had for nearly three years already taught the literal interpretation oi scripture prophecies, the gathering of the Israelites to receive the second com- ing, the literal reign of the saints on earth, and the use of miraculous gifts in the church. Gannisoii' a Mormons, 101.