Lorenzo Snow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lorenzo Snow |
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| 5th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | |
| September 13, 1898 – October 10, 1901 | |
| Predecessor | Wilford Woodruff |
| Successor | Joseph F. Smith |
| President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| April 7, 1889 – September 13, 1898 | |
| Predecessor | Wilford Woodruff |
| Successor | Franklin D. Richards |
| End reason | Became President of the Church |
| Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| August 29, 1877 – September 13, 1898 | |
| End reason | Became President of the Church |
| Assistant Counselor in the First Presidency | |
| May 9, 1874 – August 29, 1877 | |
| Called by | Brigham Young |
| End reason | Dissolution of First Presidency upon death of Brigham Young |
| Counselor in the First Presidency | |
| June 8, 1873 – May 9, 1874 | |
| Called by | Brigham Young |
| End reason | Called as Assistant Counselor in the First Presidency |
| Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| February 12, 1849 – June 8, 1873 | |
| Called by | Brigham Young |
| End reason | Called as Counselor in the First Presidency |
| LDS Church Apostle | |
| February 12, 1849 – October 10, 1901 | |
| Called by | Brigham Young |
| Reason | Reorganization of First Presidency; excommunication of Lyman Wight |
| Reorganization at end of term |
Hyrum M. Smith ordained |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 3, 1814 Mantua, Ohio, United States |
| Died | October 10, 1901 (aged 87) Salt Lake City, Utah, United States |
| Resting place | Brigham City Cemetery 41°30′10″N 112°00′28″W / 41.5028°N 112.0078°W |
| Spouse(s) |
Charlotte Squires
(m. 1844; died 1850)Mary Adaline Goddard
(m. 1845; died 1898)Sarah Ann Prichard
(m. 1845; died 1900)Harriet Amelia Squires
(m. 1846; died 1890)Eleanor Houtz
(m. 1848; died 1896)Caroline Horton
(m. 1853; died 1857)Mary Elizabeth Houtz
(m. 1857)Phoebe Amelia Woodruff
(m. 1859)Sarah Minnie Ephramina Jensen
(m. 1871) |
| Children | 42 |
| Signature | |
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Lorenzo Snow (born April 3, 1814 – died October 10, 1901) was an important American religious leader. He served as the fifth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He led the church from 1898 until his death. Snow was the last church president in the 1800s and the first in the 1900s.
Contents
Lorenzo Snow's Early Life and Education
Lorenzo Snow was the fifth child in his family. He was the first son of Oliver and Rosetta Snow. They lived in Mantua, Ohio. His parents had moved from New England to start a farm.
Even though they worked hard on the farm, the Snow family believed in learning. They made sure all their children had chances to go to school. Lorenzo Snow finished his education at Oberlin College. This college was started by two Presbyterian ministers. Later, Snow worked as a school teacher when he was not serving the church.
Discovering Mormonism
In 1831, Joseph Smith, who founded the Latter Day Saint movement, moved close to the Snow farm. The Snow family was Baptist, but they became very interested in this new religion. Lorenzo Snow remembered hearing the Book of Mormon read aloud at his home. He also met Joseph Smith in 1831.
By 1835, Lorenzo's mother and older sister, Eliza, had joined the church. Eliza moved to the church's main city, Kirtland, Ohio. She worked there as a teacher. Eliza encouraged Lorenzo to learn more about Mormonism. In June 1836, Lorenzo visited Eliza. While there, he was baptized by John F. Boynton.
Early Church Service and Missions
In 1837, while living in Kirtland, Lorenzo Snow was asked to serve a short mission in Ohio. He traveled "without purse or scrip," meaning he relied on others for food and lodging. This was hard for him because he was used to taking care of himself.
When he returned in 1838, many church members were having problems. Snow and his family decided to move to Missouri. They joined other Latter Day Saints near Far West. Lorenzo became very sick with a fever. His sister, Eliza, cared for him for several weeks.
After he got better, Snow went on another mission. He traveled to Illinois and Kentucky from late 1838 to early 1839. He then learned that the Latter Day Saints had been forced to leave Missouri. He returned home through Ohio, where he got sick again. He stayed in Ohio, preaching and helping church members. In 1839-40, he taught school in Shalersville, Ohio. He sent money to his family, who had moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. He joined them in May 1840.
Missionary Work in England
Soon after arriving in Nauvoo, Snow was asked to serve as a missionary in England. After a difficult sea journey, he met other church leaders. These included Brigham Young and Parley P. Pratt. Snow worked in the Manchester area. He also had success in Birmingham, where he baptized many people.
Snow was then asked to lead the church members in London. Under his leadership, the number of church members in London grew from about 100 to 400. He finished his mission and returned home on April 12, 1843. He brought 250 British converts with him.
After visiting his family, Snow taught school again in Lima, Illinois. In 1844, he returned to Ohio. He preached, baptized new members, and shared church books. He was in Cincinnati when he heard about the death of Joseph Smith. Snow quickly returned to Nauvoo. After Joseph Smith's death, Snow chose to follow the Quorum of the Twelve, led by Brigham Young. In 1845, Snow helped with work in the Nauvoo Temple.
Lorenzo Snow's Family Life
Before leaving Nauvoo, Lorenzo Snow married several wives. He had a total of 42 children.
- Mary Adaline Goddard (married 1845)
- Rosetta Adaline Snow
- Oliver Goddard Snow
- Isadore Percy Snow
- Sarah Ann Pritchard (married 1845)
- Eliza Sarah Snow
- Sylvia Snow
- Lorenzo Snow, Jr.
- Parinthia Snow
- Laurin Alvirus Erastus Snow
- Charlotte Merrill Squires (married 1846)
- Leonora Charlotte Snow
- Roxcy Armatha Snow
- Harriet Amelia Squires (married 1846)
- Abigail Harriet Snow
- Lucius Aaron Snow
- Amelia Herrietta Snow
- Alonzo Henry Snow
- Celestia Armeda Snow
- Eleanor Houtz (married 1848)
- Amanda Eleanor Snow
- Ida Snow
- Eugenia Snow
- Alphonzo Houtz Snow
- Susan Imogene Snow
- Roxcy Lana Snow
- Hortensia Snow
- Chauncey Edgar Snow
- Caroline Horton (married 1853)
- Clarissa Caroline Snow
- Franklin Horton Snow
- Sarah Augusta Snow
- Mary Elizabeth Houtz (married 1857)
- Lydia May Snow
- Jacob E. Fitzroy Snow
- Virginia Marian Snow
- Mansfield Lorenzo Snow
- Mortimer Joseph Snow
- Flora Bell Birdie Snow
- Phoebe Amelia Woodruff (married 1859). Phoebe was the daughter of Wilford Woodruff.
- Mary Amanda Snow
- Leslie Woodruff Snow
- Orion Woodruff Snow
- Milton Woodruff Snow
- Phoebe Augusta Florence Snow
- Sarah Minnie Ephramina Jensen (married 1871)
- Le Roi Clarence Snow
- Minnie Mabelle Snow
- Cora Jean Snow
- Lorenzo Lamont Snow
- Rhea Lucile Snow
Moving West and Church Leadership
In February 1846, Snow and his family joined a group of people moving west. They crossed the Mississippi River into Iowa. On their journey, Snow became ill. The family stopped at Mt. Pisgah, Iowa. Three of Snow's children were born there, but they did not survive. Snow was asked to lead the church members at Mt. Pisgah. He also helped raise money for other families moving west. The Snow family arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1848.
Becoming an Apostle and Missions Abroad
In 1849, Lorenzo Snow was called to be an Apostle in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. This happened on the same day as Franklin D. Richards, Erastus Snow, and Charles C. Rich.
Soon after, Snow went on a mission to Italy and French-speaking Switzerland. He also sent missionaries to India (1849–52). Snow worked directly in Italy and Switzerland. He also preached in Malta. He had planned to visit India, but could not.
In Italy, Snow began his mission among the Waldensians. These were an old group of Christians living in the Alps. Snow and his companions had little success at first. But after healing a young boy, they began to find people who wanted to join the church. More than 150 Waldensians became members, and 70 later moved to Utah.
In 1850, Snow wrote a pamphlet called "The Voice of Joseph" to help with missionary work in Italy. He also helped get the Book of Mormon translated into Italian.
Contributions in Utah
When he returned to Utah Territory, Snow started a group called the Polysophical Society. This group studied many different kinds of knowledge. He encouraged church members of all ages to join.
In 1853, under the direction of church president Brigham Young, Snow helped more settlers come to Brigham City, Utah. Snow changed the town's name from "Box Elder" to Brigham City. He also helped start the Brigham City Cooperative. This idea inspired other cooperatives like ZCMI. For many years, Snow was both the community and church leader in Brigham City.
In 1864, Snow went on a mission to the Sandwich Islands. While there, he was badly hurt. But he was healed through the power of the priesthood. In 1871, Snow traveled to the Holy Land with other church leaders.
Political Roles and Other Service
Lorenzo Snow was elected to the Utah Territorial Council in 1855. This was the upper house of the territorial legislature. He represented Weber County and other areas.
In 1872, Snow became the president of the council. He held this position until 1881. During this time, he met a political group from Japan. This meeting later influenced his decision to send missionaries to Japan.
Other Important Activities
- He was the President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles from 1889 to 1898.
- He was the President of the Salt Lake Temple from 1893 to 1898.
- From April 1901 until his death, Snow was the general leader of the church's Sunday School.
Church Expansion in Idaho
As the church grew, leaders from the Quorum of the Twelve were sent to other states. In 1888, Snow visited Rexburg, Idaho. He told the local church leaders to start a stake academy. This school eventually became Brigham Young University–Idaho, which was once known as Ricks College.
Leading the Church
When Wilford Woodruff, the church president, died in 1898, Lorenzo Snow became the church's leader. One of the first things he did was to quickly organize the First Presidency again.
When Snow became president, the church faced financial challenges. Snow helped solve this problem by teaching about tithing. Tithing means giving 10 percent of one's income to the church. Snow strongly encouraged this practice. By April 1907, the church's debt was gone because members paid tithing.
On March 31, 1900, Snow and his counselors changed the rule for who would become the next church president. Before this, the oldest apostle would become president. The new rule said the next president would be the person who had been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for the longest time. This change helped ensure strong leadership for the church.
Lorenzo Snow died from pneumonia in Salt Lake City at age 87. Joseph F. Smith became the next church president.
Important Teachings
Lorenzo Snow is famous for a short saying that explains important Latter-day Saint beliefs about becoming more like God: "As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be."
His teachings as an apostle were studied by church members in 2013.
Images for kids
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Lorenzo Snow's signature
