March 13, 2020

Episode 198 – Higbee Dissent

On this episode, the Fosters, the Higbees, and the Laws in May of 1844 continue at the forefront of our examination. This week we focus in on the Higbee brothers, Chauncey and Francis (Frank). The Higbee families joined the church in 1832 during the Kirtland era before moving to Jackson County, Missouri to join the Mormon settlement there. They were forcefully removed from the county with the rest of the Mormons in late 1833 through early 1834. Francis helps with the Kirtland Temple construction then returns to Missouri to rejoin the rest of the Higbee families. When Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and the Quorum of Apostles are removed from the Kirtland leadership, Francis and Chauncey join their families in defending the Mormon settlements during the 1838 Missouri-Mormon conflict. Francis Higbee even joins the Danites (Joseph’s underground enforcement squad). Francis and two of his uncles are arraigned in the November Court of Inquiry when the Mormon settlements surrendered. The Higbees were released and helped the Mormons resettle in Illinois after the Extermination Order by Governor Lilburn Boggs. Francis and Chauncey both team up with John C. Bennett during his public defection and expose publishing efforts. Both Francis and Chauncey would remain on the blacklist of dissenters from that time forward. Both deal with public character assassination by the prophet and his cronies. Both deal with the fallout of polygamy and the clandestine leadership keeping it under wraps. Both join hands with the Fosters and Laws in May of 1844.

Links:

JS Nauvoo Journal
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/journal-december-1842-june-1844-book-4-1-march-22-june-1844/1#full-transcript

Chauncey Higbee
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/person/chauncey-lawson-higbee

Francis Higbee
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/person/francis-marion-higbee

Council of Fifty Minutes
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/council-of-fifty-minutes-march-1844-january-1846-volume-1-10-march-1844-1-march-1845/98#full-transcript

JS Discourse 24 March 1844
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/discourse-24-march-1844-a-as-reported-by-wilford-woodruff/1

1842 Chauncy Higbee excommunication minutes
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/testimony-against-chauncey-l-higbee-25-may-1844/2#facts

Nauvoo Neighbor 1 May 1844
http://boap.org/LDS/Nauvoo-Neighbor/1844/5-1-1844.pdf

Elias Higbee
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/person/elias-higbee

Isaac Higbee
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/person/isaac-higbee

Missouri-Mormon War Court of Inquiry minutes
https://www.sos.mo.gov/cmsimages/archives/resources/findingaids/miscMormRecs/doc/Pages_97to109.pdf

Buckeye Laments by Gary Bergera
https://mormonpolygamydocuments.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/JS0170.pdf