Willard Richards

Willard Richards (1804-1854)

Willard Richards was a "Thompsonian botanical physician" and member of the First Presidency. Photograph courtesy LDS Church Archives.

Family Background

1804. June 24: Born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Brigham Young was his first cousin, and Joseph Smith his fourth cousin. In 1838, while serving a mission in England, he married Jennette Richards, one of the first English converts. Many English Saints opposed the marriage, feeling that Richards should devote himself "wholly to the ministry."

Jennette died at Nauvoo in 1845. After her death, Richards married Nanny Longstroth (1843), and later Sara Longstroth (1843), Susannah Lee Liptrot Walker (1843), Amelia Perrson (1845), Alice Longstroth (1845), Mary Thompson (1846), Ann Rees Babcock (1846), Jane Hall (1846), Susannah Bayless (1847), and Rhoda Harriet Foss (1851).

"Physician"

1830s. While traveling with his "electro-chemistry" show, Richards became interested in herbal medicine and joined the Friendly Botanic Society in 1833. The following year, he paid $20 to attend the six-week course of Samuel Thompson, founder of the Thompsonian method of herbal medicine. Completion of the course earned him the title used throughout his life— "Dr. Willard Richards."

Parley P. Pratt's wife, Mary Ann Frost, described Dr. Richards's treatment for measles: "We were liberally dosed with composition, lobelia, etc. To me the red pepper was something dreadful, and taking the composition through straws did not help the matter much—and oh, how I did long for a drink of cold water. But we got well… and I will not condemn the bridge that brought us safely over."

Three of Richards's sons became prominent Utah physicians, and more than thirty of his grandsons and great-grandsons earned M.D.s or Ph.D.s.

Convert

1835. While practicing medicine in Boston, Richards read the Book of Mormon his cousin Brigham Young had left with Lucius Parker. After reading half a page, he concluded, "God or the Devil has had a hand in that Book, for man never wrote it."

He read the book through twice in ten days, then "commenced settling his accounts, selling his medicine, and freeing himself from every incumbrance, that he might go to Kirtland 700 miles west, the nearest point he could hear of a Saint, and give the work a thorough investigation: firmly believing, that if the doctrine was true, God had some greater work for him to do than peddle pills."

Richards was baptized "on the 31st of December, at the setting of the sun… under the hands of President Brigham Young, in the presence of Heber C. Kimball, and others, who had spent the afternoon in cutting ice to prepare for the baptism."

Apostle

1837. Richards was in the first group of missionaries sent to England.

1840. While on a second mission to England, he was one of six called to fill vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve. He was ordained in England by Brigham Young.

Near Martyr

1844. June 27: Richards was with Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, and John Taylor in Carthage Jail when a group of armed men broke in, killing Joseph and Hyrum, and seriously wounding Taylor. Richards escaped with a slight wound on one ear lobe.

A few hours after the murders, Richards sent the first message to Nauvoo: "CARTHAGE JAIL, 8:05 o'clock, p.m., June 27th, 1844: Joseph and Hyrum are dead. Taylor wounded, not very badly. I am well. Our guard was forced, as we believe, by a band of Missourians from 100 to 200. The job was done in an instant, and the party fled towards Nauvoo instantly. This is as I believe it. The citizens here are afraid of the Mormons attacking them. I promise them no!"

"Keeper of Rolls":

1845. Willard Richards was toasted by W. W. Phelps as "Keeper of Rolls"—not a pun on his nearly-three-hundred-pound physique. Richards had been appointed Church historian and general clerk in 1842 and had served as Joseph Smith's private secretary, recorder of the Nauvoo City Council and clerk of the municipal court, and recorder of the Council of Fifty.

He was the first postmaster of "Great Salt Lake City of the Great Basin Kingdom," and the editor and proprietor of the Deseret News from 1849 to 1854.

Member of the First Presidency

1847. Called to be Brigham Young's first counselor in the newly reorganized First Presidency.

Death

1854. March 11: Died in Salt Lake City at the age of fifty from "the Palsy," an ailment which had afflicted him since before joining the Church. Shortly before his death he told the Deseret territorial legislature, "Death stares me in the face, waiting for its prey." Buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.

Sources
Barrett, Gwynn W. "John M. Bernhisel: Mormon Elder in Congress." Utah Historical Quarterly 36 (Spring 1968):143-167.
Deseret News, 16 March 1854.
Jenson, Andrew. LDS Biographical Encyclopedia. 4 vols. Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson Historical Company, 1901-1936.
Times and Seasons, 5:76.

	A Book of Mormons Richard S. Van Wagoner and Steven C. Walker Copyright 1982, Signature Books Salt Lake City, Utah Contents


	Family Background 1804. June 24: Born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Brigham Young was his first cousin, and Joseph Smith his fourth cousin. In 1838, while serving a mission in England, he married Jennette Richards, one of the first English converts. Many English Saints opposed the marriage, feeling that Richards should devote himself "wholly to the ministry." Jennette died at Nauvoo in 1845. After her death, Richards married Nanny Longstroth (1843), and later Sara Longstroth (1843), Susannah Lee Liptrot Walker (1843), Amelia Perrson (1845), Alice Longstroth (1845), Mary Thompson (1846), Ann Rees Babcock (1846), Jane Hall (1846), Susannah Bayless (1847), and Rhoda Harriet Foss (1851). "Physician" 1830s. While traveling with his "electro-chemistry" show, Richards became interested in herbal medicine and joined the Friendly Botanic Society in 1833. The following year, he paid $20 to attend the six-week course of Samuel Thompson, founder of the Thompsonian method of herbal medicine. Completion of the course earned him the title used throughout his life— "Dr. Willard Richards." Parley P. Pratt's wife, Mary Ann Frost, described Dr. Richards's treatment for measles: "We were liberally dosed with composition, lobelia, etc. To me the red pepper was something dreadful, and taking the composition through straws did not help the matter much—and oh, how I did long for a drink of cold water. But we got well… and I will not condemn the bridge that brought us safely over." Three of Richards's sons became prominent Utah physicians, and more than thirty of his grandsons and great-grandsons earned M.D.s or Ph.D.s. Convert 1835. While practicing medicine in Boston, Richards read the Book of Mormon his cousin Brigham Young had left with Lucius Parker. After reading half a page, he concluded, "God or the Devil has had a hand in that Book, for man never wrote it." He read the book through twice in ten days, then "commenced settling his accounts, selling his medicine, and freeing himself from every incumbrance, that he might go to Kirtland 700 miles west, the nearest point he could hear of a Saint, and give the work a thorough investigation: firmly believing, that if the doctrine was true, God had some greater work for him to do than peddle pills." Richards was baptized "on the 31st of December, at the setting of the sun… under the hands of President Brigham Young, in the presence of Heber C. Kimball, and others, who had spent the afternoon in cutting ice to prepare for the baptism." Apostle 1837. Richards was in the first group of missionaries sent to England. 1840. While on a second mission to England, he was one of six called to fill vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve. He was ordained in England by Brigham Young. Near Martyr 1844. June 27: Richards was with Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, and John Taylor in Carthage Jail when a group of armed men broke in, killing Joseph and Hyrum, and seriously wounding Taylor. Richards escaped with a slight wound on one ear lobe. A few hours after the murders, Richards sent the first message to Nauvoo: "CARTHAGE JAIL, 8:05 o'clock, p.m., June 27th, 1844: Joseph and Hyrum are dead. Taylor wounded, not very badly. I am well. Our guard was forced, as we believe, by a band of Missourians from 100 to 200. The job was done in an instant, and the party fled towards Nauvoo instantly. This is as I believe it. The citizens here are afraid of the Mormons attacking them. I promise them no!" "Keeper of Rolls": 1845. Willard Richards was toasted by W. W. Phelps as "Keeper of Rolls"—not a pun on his nearly-three-hundred-pound physique. Richards had been appointed Church historian and general clerk in 1842 and had served as Joseph Smith's private secretary, recorder of the Nauvoo City Council and clerk of the municipal court, and recorder of the Council of Fifty. He was the first postmaster of "Great Salt Lake City of the Great Basin Kingdom," and the editor and proprietor of the Deseret News from 1849 to 1854. Member of the First Presidency 1847. Called to be Brigham Young's first counselor in the newly reorganized First Presidency. Death 1854. March 11: Died in Salt Lake City at the age of fifty from "the Palsy," an ailment which had afflicted him since before joining the Church. Shortly before his death he told the Deseret territorial legislature, "Death stares me in the face, waiting for its prey." Buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. Sources Barrett, Gwynn W. "John M. Bernhisel: Mormon Elder in Congress." Utah Historical Quarterly 36 (Spring 1968):143-167. Deseret News, 16 March 1854. Jenson, Andrew. LDS Biographical Encyclopedia. 4 vols. Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson Historical Company, 1901-1936. Times and Seasons, 5:76.