Amasa Lyman - Charges of Heresy and Excommunication

Charges of Heresy and Excommunication

In 1860, Young appointed three of the twelve Apostles: Lyman, Charles C. Rich, and George Q. Cannon, to the presidency of the Church's European Mission. On 16 March 1862, Lyman preached a sermon in Dundee, Scotland, which all but denied the reality of and the necessity for the atonement of Jesus Christ, which was a central tenet of the LDS Church. His speech appeared to have been overlooked for years. Perhaps a political challenge prompted Lyman's being brought before the Quorum of the Twelve on 21 January 1867 to answer for his heretical words. Lyman confessed his error and apologized to the Quorum personally. He wrote a letter of apology to the general membership, published in the Deseret News.

But, months later, Lyman began publicly preaching the substance of his 1862 Dundee speech. As a result of his failure to live up to his confession and apology, the church stripped Lyman of the Apostleship on October 6, 1867; he was excommunicated from the church on May 12, 1870.

Lyman died at Fillmore, Millard County, Utah Territory. He and seven of his eight wives were the parents of a total of 38 children. Lyman never returned to the church after his excommunication.

By direction of Church President Joseph F. Smith on January 12, 1909, Lyman was posthumously reinstated as a church member and an Apostle.