Alpheus Cutler

Alpheus Cutler (February 29, 1784–August 10, 1864) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and organizer of the Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite).

Cutler was born in Upper Lisle, New York. He married Lois Lathrop of Lebanon, New Hampshire in 1808. Lathrop was a direct descendent of Rev. John Lathrop (1584–1653), and thus a distant cousin of Latter Day Saint prophet Joseph Smith, Jr.

Baptised into the early Mormon church in 1833, Cutler was a member of the Nauvoo High Council, the Anointed Quorum, and the Council of Fifty. By late 1847 Cutler had established a settlement along Silver Creek in Mills County, Iowa near present-day Silver City, Iowa. Increasingly dissatisfied with the leadership of Brigham Young, Cutler next led his followers to a new settlement called Manti near modern-day Shenandoah, Iowa where he established his own branch of the Latter-Day Saints before his death on August 10, 1864.

His wife Lois Lathrop Cutler and a number of his followers moved to Otter Tail County, Minnesota and founded the settlement of Clitherall, near Battle Lake. The settlement thrived for a number of years.

Interestingly, their daughter Louisa Elizabeth Cutler (1816–1854) married Tunis Rappleye (1807–1883), who led the second group of Mormon pioneers (after Brigham Young's group) into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Their marriage produced 10 children and hundreds of descendents.

Alpheus' and Lois' daughters, Clarissa (1824) and Emily (1828) married LDS Church Apostle, Heber Chase Kimball (1801) as polygamous wives. Both later divorced him.

ee also

*Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite)