- John R. Murdock (Mormon)
John R. Murdock was the leader of the most Down-and-Back companies in
Latter-day Saint history.The son of John Murdock, he not only lead several down and back companies but also served several missions in the eastern United States. He was also a prominent leader of the church in
Beaver, Utah .Murdock was born in 1826. After living with the Cornelius Lott family in Nauvoo, Murdock fell in love with and married Lott's daughter Almira Henrietta Lott. [cite book |last=Whitney |first=Orson F. |authorlink=Orson F. Whitney |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title=History of Utah |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date= |year=1892-1904 |month= |publisher=G.Q. Cannon |location=Salt Lake City |language=English |isbn= |oclc=4995807 |doi= |id= |pages=190 |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= ]
From 1861-1863 Murdock served as Mayor of
Lehi, Utah . [Jenson, Andrew. "Encyclopedia History", p. 424]For a time Murdock served as the regional presiding bishop in Beaver County, Utah. [http://byustudies.byu.edu/shop/pdfsrc/23.2Pace.pdf]
Murdock was the first president of the Beaver Stake when it was organized in 1869. He served in this position until 1891. [ Jenson, Andrew. "Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1941) p. 53] Murdock was a member of the aportionment and boundaries committee of the 1895 Utah State Constitutional Convention. [ [http://www.le.utah.gov/documents/conconv/05.htm State of Utah Constitutional Convention - Day 5 ] ]
Murdock was closely involved with the movement to start a secondary school in Southern Utah, which is why when it was finally began at Beaver it was named the Murdock Academy. [ [http://historytogo.utah.gov/utah_chapters/statehood_and_the_progressive_era/southernutahsfirsthighschool.html Southern Utah's First High School ] ] This institution functioned as a branch of Brigham Young Academy, the predeccesor of
Brigham Young University . [Jenson, Andrew. "Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints". (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1941) p. 555]Murdock died in 1913.
References
*Tanner, Joseph M. "A biographical sketch of John R. Murdock" (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret News Press, 1909).
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