Seymour Brunson
Seymour Brunson (September 18, 1798 – August 10, 1840)[1][2] was an early Mormon convert. He is most noted since it was at a speech given at his funeral that Joseph Smith first presented the doctrine of Baptism for the Dead.
Brunson was born in Orwell, Vermont.[2] In 1813, at the age of 14, he enlisted in the United States military as a 16-year-old and served during the War of 1812.[3]
In 1823, Brunson married Harriet Matilda Gould. They eventually had seven children.
Brunson was baptized a member of the Church of Christ in early 1831. He served as a missionary in both Ohio and Virginia and then moved to Daviess County, Missouri just south of Far West. After a year he moved into the town. In April 1838 it was Brunson who brought the charges against Oliver Cowdery that led to Cowdery's excommunication. During that fall Brunson served as a major in the Davies County militia. After this he moved to Quincy, Illinois for a short time and then on to Nauvoo, Illinois.[3]
At Nauvoo, Brunson served as a member of the High Council[4] and as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Hancock County Militia. He also served as one of Joseph Smith's bodyguards.[1]
Notes
- 1 2 Black, Susan Easton (February 21, 2003). A Voice of Gladness for the Living and the Dead (PDF). [Family History Fireside—Joseph Smith Building]. Brigham Young University. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
- 1 2 These birth details come from Susan Easton Black's article. However other sources identify Brunson's birth date as December 1, 1798 or September 18, 1799. Some other sources also identify Brunson's birth place as Plattsburgh, New York or in Virginia. See the sources listed at Seymour Brunson Timeline by David W. Johnson.
- 1 2 Johnson, David W. (1998). "Seymour Brunson Timeline". Archived from the original on 2009-10-23. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
- ↑ Richard O. Cowa, Temples to Dot the Earth (Salt Lake City:Bookcraft, 1989) p. 45
Sources
- Brunson, Lewis (1992). "Short Sketch of Seymour Brunson, Sr" (PDF). Nauvoo Journal. 4: 3–4. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
- BYU Studies–Mormon Biographical Register–B