Luke S. Johnson - Church Membership and Service

Church Membership and Service

Johnson was baptized into the Church of Christ on May 10, 1831 by Joseph Smith, Jr. By October 1831, he had been ordained an elder and went on a mission to southern Ohio with Robert Rathburn. Later in 1831, he joined Sidney Rigdon in preaching the gospel in areas of Pennsylvania and Ohio. Their efforts brought about fifty new members into the young church, including Rigdon's mother and other members of the Rigdon family.

Johnson was ordained to the office of high priest by Joseph Smith, Jr. on October 25, 1831. With Seymour Brunson and Hazen Aldrich, he served as a missionary in Ohio, Virginia, and Kentucky in 1832 and 1833, baptizing more than a hundred persons on their journey. He was a member of the Kirtland high council which was formed on February 17, 1834. On June 26, 1834, Johnson marched with Zion's Camp, suffering with cholera on the journey. At age 27, Johnson was chosen and ordained one of the original members of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles on February 15, 1835. Shortly after the Council was formed, the new Apostles were sent on missions. Johnson served in the Eastern United States, New York and Upper Canada. He returned to Kirtland, Ohio in late 1836.

Johnson defended Joseph Smith from criticism on several occasions. But, in 1837, he became alienated from Smith, in part because of financial losses suffered in the failure of the Kirtland Safety Society. He was disfellowshiped at Kirtland, Ohio on September 3, 1837. Johnson was later received back into fellowship for a short time, but was excommunicated and dropped from the Twelve at Far West, Missouri on April 13, 1838. After leaving the church, Johnson moved to Cabell County, Virginia, where he taught at Marshall Academy and then studied medicine, ultimately setting up a medical practice in Kirtland.

Correction: The common conclusion that Luke was excommunicated seems to be incorrect. Minutes of the disciplinary council herein referred to held in Far West on April 13, 1838 (many writers have mistakenly quoted this date), include an excommunication for Luke's brother, Lyman, but NOT for Luke. There is no record that Luke ever lost his membership. He was, in fact, rebaptized in Nauvoo, but rebaptism was a common practice at the time with many members seeking rebaptized for a variety of reasons (marriage, etc.)-- sort of a recommitment to the Gospel. The practice was finally discontinue in 1893 by the Church's First Presidency. Luke was not in Far West at the time of the referred to disciplinary council; Lyman was. In fact, Luke was never in Far West. He remained in Kirtland, Ohio with his family until 1847 when he traveled alone to Nauvoo and asked to join with the saints again. Mike Caldwell, Johnson Family Researcher.

In 1846, after the death of Smith, Johnson requested permission to address an assembly of the saints in Nauvoo, Illinois. He said: "I have stopped by the wayside and stood aloof from the work of the Lord... But my heart is with this people. I want to be associated with the saints, go with them into the wilderness and continue with them to the end." Johnson's brother-in-law, Apostle Orson Hyde rebaptized him into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on March 8, 1846. However, he never again served in the higher councils of the LDS Church.

Johnson traveled with Brigham Young and Wilford Woodruff to Utah, serving as a captain of ten, as part of the first group of 143 Mormon pioneers in July 1847. He also served as a Captain of Fifty in the Daniel A. Miller/John W. Cooley Company (1853), while traveling with members of his family. Johnson settled in Clover, Tooele County, Utah where he served as Bishop of a local LDS congregation. He is the only man in the LDS Church that served as a bishop after having served as an apostle. He died December 9, 1861 in the home of Orson Hyde in Salt Lake City and was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery.