Biography
Roger Orton was born 20 January 1799 in Geneseo, Livingston County, New York, United States to Roger Orton (1761-1814) and Esther Avery (1751-1826) and died 24 November 1851 Iowa City, Wright County, Iowa, United States of unspecified causes. He married Clarissa Mary Bicknell (1804-1852) 1822 in Geneseo, Livingston County, New York.
Roger Orton (c. 1799 – 1851) was an early leader and non-functioning member of the First Seven Presidents of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Orton was born in Genesco, New York and married Clarissa Mary Bicknell around 1823. Together they had six children. He was baptized about 1833, and in 1834 he left with Joseph Smith (1805-1844) and others on a mission to Pontiac, Michigan.
Zions Camp Participant
This Judith Mehr rendition depicts struggles endured by members of Zion's Camp, an expeditionary force to help Church members in Jackson County redeem their brethren.
One of the most interesting episodes in the early history of LDS Church was the march of Zion's Camp (1834). The members of the Church in Missouri were being persecuted, and the Prophet Joseph made it a matter of prayer and received a revelation on February 24, 1834. The Lord instructed the Prophet to assemble at least one hundred young and middle-aged men and to go to the land of Zion, or Missouri. (See D&C 130:19–34.)
Zion’s Camp, a group of approximately one hundred and fifty men, gathered at Kirtland, Ohio, in the spring of 1834 and marched to Jackson County, Missouri. By the time they reached Missouri, the camp had increased to approximately two hundred men.
Roger participated in Zion's Camp, where he served as a captain of the camp. During battle practice on the camp, he accidentally sliced open the hand of a participant. Later, through his negligence, he allowed several horses to run off. Instead of going after them himself, he simply informed the owners of what had happened, expecting them to go after the steeds. The horses turned up about ten miles away. The search for the horses delayed the camp's march by a day and earned Orton a "scathing rebuke" from Smith.[1]
In 1837, Daniel S. Miles presented a complaint against Orton for "abusing Elder Brigham Young, and for a general course of unchristianlike conduct." Orton refused to respond, and he was excommunicated.[1] After the death of Joseph Smith, Orton did not support Young's leadership. He remained in Iowa disappointed with the church leadership and disillusioned with his own decisions that had compromised his family's holdings.
Orton was restored to the church sometime before April 1845, when he was named one of the Seven Presidents of Seventies. However, Orton, who had become an alcoholic, never showed up to be ordained and never actively served. He was dropped from the quorum about a year later. He died in Lee County, Iowa in 1851.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Pierpont Orton (1824-1888) | |||
| Amos Orton (1825-) | |||
| Amelia Almira Orton (1827-1922) | |||
| Robert Orton (1834-1901) | |||
| John Orton (1839-1924) | |||
| Netta Orton (1840-1845) | |||
Siblings
Residences
References
- ^ a b "Roger Orton". Grampa Bill. http://www.gapages.com/ortonr1.htm.
See Also
- Roger Orton
- Orton Family
- Orton in Livingston County, New York
- Orton in Wright County, Iowa
- "Roger Orton", Joseph Smith Papers
- wikipedia:en:Roger Orton - Wikipedia