William Clayton (Mormon) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids William Clayton |
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| Member and Clerk of the Council of Fifty | |
| March 11, 1844 – December 4, 1879 | |
| Called by | Joseph Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 17, 1814 Penwortham, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
| Died | December 4, 1879 (aged 65) Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, United States |
| Resting place | Salt Lake City Cemetery 40°46′37.92″N 111°51′28.8″W / 40.7772000°N 111.858000°W |
| Known For | An early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement, clerk and scribe to Joseph Smith, and credited with inventing a version of the modern odometer |
| Spouse(s) | 10 |
| Children | 42 |
| Parents | Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley |
William H. Clayton (born July 17, 1814 – died December 4, 1879) was an important early leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He worked closely with the church leader Joseph Smith as his clerk and scribe. William Clayton was born in England. He was also a pioneer journalist, an inventor, a songwriter, and a musician in America.
William Clayton was born in Penwortham, England. His parents were Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. He was the oldest of 14 children in his family. He married Ruth Moon on October 9, 1836.
Contents
Joining the Church and Early Service
In 1837, William Clayton learned about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Church leaders Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde taught him. He was baptized on October 21, 1837. He became a priest in December and a high priest in April 1838. William's parents and siblings also joined the church.
William left his job as a factory clerk to serve as a missionary in England. He helped start a church branch in Manchester. In 1838, he was a helper to the British mission president Joseph Fielding.
Moving to America
In September 1840, William Clayton led a group of new church members from Britain to the United States. He and his family first tried farming in Iowa Territory. Later, they settled in Nauvoo, Illinois, where many Latter-day Saints lived.
In Nauvoo, William Clayton was in charge of keeping important church records. He also held many other jobs in the church and the community:
- He was a recorder and clerk for the Nauvoo City Council.
- He was elected as the treasurer of Nauvoo.
- He served as a secretary for the Nauvoo Masonic Lodge.
- He was an officer in the Nauvoo Music Association.
- He was a member of the Council of Fifty, an important church group.
- He was part of Joseph Smith's special prayer group. This is where the first temple ceremonies were introduced.
William Clayton's Journals
William Clayton kept detailed personal journals. These journals describe daily life in America in the mid-1800s. They also show how the Latter-day Saint faith grew and changed.
After Joseph Smith died, William Clayton helped finish Smith's official church history. His personal journals were a main source for this history. Sometimes, parts of his journals were used in official church writings without saying where they came from. His notes helped put together a famous sermon by Joseph Smith called the "King Follett Discourse". Published parts of Clayton's journals also describe the Nauvoo Temple in detail. They tell about the Latter-day Saints' efforts to complete temple ceremonies before they had to leave Illinois.
Journey to the West
In February 1846, William Clayton left Nauvoo with the first group of Latter-day Saints moving west. He spent the winter of 1846–47 at Winter Quarters, Nebraska. The next year, he was part of the first group of Mormon pioneers to cross the plains. Their goal was to find a new home for the Latter-day Saints in the West.
William Clayton was a scribe, writing down notes for Brigham Young during the journey. The group traveled along the Platte River into what is now Wyoming. They crossed the continental divide and finally reached the Great Salt Lake Valley in modern Utah.
Pioneer Journal and Guidebook
William Clayton's journal from this pioneer journey was later published. It is the most famous account of the expedition. He wrote that the land in the Salt Lake Valley would be easy to clear because it had few trees. He was also worried about how little rain there seemed to be.
Later, William Clayton wrote and published The Latter-day Saints' Emigrants' Guide. This book gave very careful directions for the route from Winter Quarters to Salt Lake City. It also suggested good places to camp. The guide used his special invention, the odometer, to give the most accurate distances of that time. It was a very helpful guide for Mormon pioneers. Other pioneers going to Oregon and California also used it.
Writing "Come, Come, Ye Saints"
In April 1846, William Clayton wrote the words to a famous Latter-day Saint hymn, "Come, Come, Ye Saints". He was camped near Locust Creek in Iowa at the time. The hymn uses the music of an old English song called "All is Well." He wrote the hymn after getting good news from his family still in Nauvoo. One of his wives, Diantha, had given birth to a healthy baby boy, William Adriel Benoni Clayton.
In his journal, William wrote that he "composed a new song—'All is well.'" He felt thankful for his son and prayed for his and his mother's safety. He also hoped they would meet again soon. Today, this hymn reminds Latter-day Saints of the challenges and faith involved in their journey west. Some of William Clayton's other poems have also been set to music and are used as hymns.
The Roadometer Invention
William Clayton is known for inventing a version of the modern odometer. He created it during the journey across the plains from Illinois to Utah. He got help from Orson Pratt, a church leader and mathematician. William was supposed to record how many miles the group traveled each day. At first, he did this by tying a red flag to a wagon wheel and counting its turns.
After three weeks, William got tired of counting the wheel's turns himself. He also had to calculate the distance by multiplying the turns by the wheel's size. He talked with Orson Pratt and came up with a new idea. They designed a set of wooden gears attached to the wagon wheel's hub. This machine would "count" and record the wheel's turns. The company's carpenter, Appleton Milo Harmon, built the device. William Clayton's journal says: "About noon today Brother Appleton Harmon completed the machinery on the wagon called a 'roadometer' by adding a wheel to revolve once in ten miles, showing each mile and also each quarter mile we travel, and then casing the whole over so as to secure it from the weather." The "roadometer" was first used on May 12, 1847.
Life in Utah
After settling in Utah, William Clayton continued to keep church records. He also worked in public and private businesses. He became an auditor for Utah Territory. He was also the recorder of marks and brands for animals. He held both jobs until he died.
William Clayton also worked as the treasurer for the Deseret Telegraph Company. He was also the secretary for Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI), a church-based business. In his private life, he collected debts, filed land claims, and helped people with legal issues. He also lent money, sold goods, farmed, and invested in mining.
William Clayton was very active in cultural activities in the Salt Lake Valley, especially music. He passed away in Salt Lake City on December 4, 1879. He was buried at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
