Erastus Snow

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Erastus Snow (November 9, 1818 – May 27, 1888), born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1849 to 1888. Snow was also a leading figure in Mormon colonization of Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.

Snow Canyon State Park (near St. George, Utah) and the town of Snowflake, Arizona (along with William J. Flake) are named after Erastus Snow.

Snow joined the church in Vermont in the early 1830s. One of the missionaries who taught him the restored gospel was Orson Pratt. His brother, Zerubbabel Snow joined the church before he did.

He moved to Kirtland, Ohio but spent most of the time the church was in Kirtland on missions, primarily in Pennsylvania. He latter served a mission to Salem, Massachusetts where he baptized several converts including Nathaniel Felt. His success here was viewed as a fulfillment of the Lord's statement in Doctrine and Covenants Section 111 that he had people in Salem.

Erastus Snow was in the first Mormon pioneer company to cross the plains. He was one of the first two Mormons to enter the Salt Lake Valley, the other being Orson Pratt.^[1]

Snow was ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve on February 12, 1849. This was the same day Charles C. Rich, Lorenzo Snow and Franklin D. Richards were ordained.

In October 1849 general conference, Snow was called to lead a mission to Scandinavia. He had as a companion a Danish convert, Peter O. Hansen, who had joined the church in Boston. They focused most of their efforts on Denmark, but another convert had joined them, John E. Forsgren, who preached the gospel in Sweden.^[2][3] While serving as a missionary in Denmark, Snow baptized the first Icelanders to join the church, ordained them to the priesthood, and sent them back to Iceland to preach the gospel.^[4] Before the end of his mission Snow began the publication of a church periodical in Danish.

[edit] See also

• Hurricane, Utah

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Allen, James B. and Glen M. Leonard. "The Story of the Latter-day Saints" 2nd Edition. p. 256-257.
2. ^ Deseret Morning News Church Almanac, p. 319
3. ^ Mulder, William. "Homeward to Zion" (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1957)
4. ^ Larson, Karl Andrew. Erastus Snow: The Life of a Missionary and Pioneer for the Early Mormon Church. (University of Utah Press:Salt Lake City, 1971) p. 225.

[edit] External resources

• The Utah History Encyclopedia

Preceded by Lorenzo Snow

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles February 12, 1849–May 27, 1888

Succeeded by Franklin D. Richards

v • d • e Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

J. Smith • Cowdery • Harris • Whitmer • Marsh • Patten • B. Young, Sr. • H.C. Kimball • Hyde • M'Lellin • P.P. Pratt • L.S. Johnson • Wm. Smith • O. Pratt • Boynton • L.E. Johnson • Page • J. Taylor • W. Woodruff • G.A. Smith • W. Richards • Wight • H. Smith • A.M. Lyman • Benson • Rich • L. Snow • E. Snow • F.D. Richards • J.M. Grant • Wells • G.Q. Cannon • J.A. Young • J.W. Young • J.F. Smith, Sr. • B. Young, Jr. • Carrington • Thatcher • F.M. Lyman • J.H. Smith • Teasdale • H.J. Grant • J.W. Taylor • M.W. Merrill • Lund • A.H. Cannon • M.F. Cowley • A.O. Woodruff • Clawson • Smoot • H.M. Smith • G.A. Smith • Penrose • G.F. Richards • Whitney • McKay • Ivins • J.F. Smith, Jr. • Talmage • S.L. Richards • R.R. Lyman • M.J. Ballard • Widtsoe • J.F. Merrill • Callis • Clark • A.A. Hinckley • Bowen • S.Q. Cannon • Lee • S.W. Kimball • Benson • Petersen • M. Cowley • Moyle • Stapley • Romney • L. Richards • Bennion • Evans • Morris • Brown • Hunter • G.B. Hinckley • Tanner • Monson • Dyer • Packer • Ashton • McConkie • Perry • Haight • Faust • Maxwell • Nelson • Oaks • M.R. Ballard • Wirthlin • Scott • Hales • Holland • Eyring • Uchtdorf • Bednar • Cook

v • d • e Members of the Council of Fifty of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Jos. Smith • Badlam • Bernhisel • Cahoon • Clayton • Cutler • A. Fielding • Haws • H.C. Kimball • Miller • Phelps • O. Pratt • P.P. Pratt, Sr. • L. Richards • W. Richards • G.A. Smith • H. Smith • E. Snow • J. Taylor • Wasson • Whitney • Woodworth • B. Young, Sr. • Emmett • Hyde • Woodruff • Adams • Babbitt • Bonney • Eaton • J. Fielding • Johnson • Lee • Lott • A.M. Lyman • C.C. Rich • E. Smith • John Smith • Thayre • Yearsley • Bent • Brown • James • Marks • Parker • Rigdon • Rockwell • O. Spencer • Greene • Coolidge • Hollister • W. Smith • Wight • J.M. Grant • Dunham • Foster • D. Fullmer • Morley • Pack • Page • Rockwood • Roundy • Turley • Jos. Young • Daniels • D. Spencer • P. Young • Carrington • Farnham • J.S. Fullmer • Shumway • G.D. Grant • Benson • Bullock • Heywood • P. Richards • W. Snow • D.H. Wells • John Young • L. Snow • F.D. Richards • G.Q. Cannon • B. Young, Jr. • J.A. Young • Burton • Clinton • Hunter • C.S. Kimball • D.P. Kimball • P.P. Pratt, Jr. • J.C. Rich • Sharp • J.F. Smith • Smoot • Stout • G.J. Taylor • H.P. Kimball • H.J. Richards • J.W. Young • Hooper • A.M. Cannon • Cluff • Jennings • F.M. Lyman • Nuttall • Preston • F.S. Richards • J.H. Smith • S.S. Smith • W.R. Smith • W.W. Taylor • Thatcher • J.F. Wells • Farr • Van Cott • Caine • Reynolds • Winder • Gibbs • Penrose • Clawson • H.J. Grant • Hardy • Teasdale • Peterson • Shurtliff • Budge • Murdock • Hatch • Layton • A.H. Cannon • J.Q. Cannon • J.W. Taylor • S.B. Young