Jared Carter (Latter Day Saints) facts for kids

Jared Carter (born June 14, 1801 – died July 6, 1849) was an important early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He joined the Church of Christ in 1831. Soon after, he served as a missionary in the northeastern United States. He was mentioned in a special message, section 79 of the Doctrine and Covenants, which encouraged him to keep sharing his faith. People have called him "one of the Church's great missionaries" from the 1830s. In 1834, Carter became a member of the first Presiding High Council in Kirtland, Ohio. He later became the president of this council in 1837. After a time away from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he rejoined it while living in Chicago. He passed away in DeKalb County, Illinois.

Jared Carter's Early Life and Faith

Jared Carter was born on June 14, 1801, in Killingworth, Connecticut. His parents were Gideon Carter and Johanna Sims. He was the fifth of their six children. When Jared was nine, his family moved to Benson, Vermont.

On September 20, 1823, he married Lydia Ames in Benson. They had nine children together. By 1831, he lived in Chenango, New York, and worked with leather.

Discovering the Book of Mormon

In January 1831, Jared was on a business trip in Lisle, New York. There, he learned about the Book of Mormon from John Peck. After reading parts of the book, Jared felt it was a message from God. He said it made him not want to do his business anymore.

On February 20, 1831, Jared Carter was baptized into the Church of Christ. Hyrum Smith baptized him in Colesville, New York. It was a cold winter day, but Jared felt so much warmth from God's spirit that he did not feel the cold water. He then moved with other church members to Thompson, Ohio, and later to Kirtland, Ohio.

Jared Carter's Role in the Latter Day Saint Movement

In June 1831, Jared Carter became a priest in the church. This happened after a message in Doctrine and Covenants 52:38 told him to take on this role. That same month, he went to a church meeting. There, he found out his brother Simeon had also joined the church around the same time.

In September, Jared became an elder. He saw many miracles of healing in his early years in the church. These experiences made his faith stronger.

Jared Carter's Missionary Journeys

After becoming an elder, Jared was asked to be a missionary in the eastern United States. He left Ohio on September 22, 1831. He and Ebenezer Page traveled to Jared's old hometown of Benson, Vermont. They wanted to share their new faith with Jared's family and friends.

Twenty-seven people in that area decided to join the church. Their old church building, which had been for another group, soon became a Latter-day Saint meeting place. On this mission, Jared also helped heal the leg of John Tanner. John Tanner was a person who helped the early church with money. This healing led John Tanner to join the church. Jared also baptized Zera Pulsipher, who became an important church leader.

Jared returned to Kirtland in February 1831, after five months of missionary work. A message in Doctrine and Covenants 79 encouraged him to keep preaching. Between 1831 and 1834, Jared served missions in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Michigan Territory, and Upper Canada. He started the first Latter-day Saint group of new members in Michigan.

Jared also taught his brother John about the church, and John became a leader too. His other brother, Gideon, and his sisters, Prudence and Susanna, also joined the faith. Jared and his brothers helped many people in New England and eastern New York join the church. They baptized between 138 and 170 people whose names were recorded. They also baptized about 185 more people whose names were not written down.

Serving on the Kirtland High Council

In May 1833, Jared Carter became a high priest. He was asked to help gather building materials for a school in Kirtland. In August of that year, he joined the committee for building the Kirtland Temple. He worked on building the temple.

On February 17, 1834, Jared became one of the first members of the presiding high council in Kirtland, Ohio. This was an important leadership group in the church. As a member of this council, Jared helped deal with community concerns when a bank started by the church, called the Kirtland Safety Society, had problems.

Jared became the president of the Presiding High Council of Kirtland on September 9, 1837. He continued to be a member when the church moved its main offices to Far West, Missouri. He spoke up for people like Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Lyman E. Johnson when their church membership was being reviewed. Jared Carter is mentioned in several special messages from Joseph Smith, which are in the Doctrine and Covenants. One message, section 79, is directly for Jared.

Jared Carter's Later Life and Passing

After the death of Joseph Smith, Jared Carter supported James Strang as the next leader. Because of this, he was no longer a member of the main church. Jared joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) in 1846. However, he was no longer a member of that church within a few months.

After this, Jared rejoined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Chicago. By January 1847, he was fully welcomed back into the church. He moved to DeKalb County, Illinois, where he passed away on July 6, 1849. Some of his children stayed members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.