David W. Patten
| David W. Patten | |
|---|---|
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| Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| February 15, 1835 – October 25, 1838 | |
| Latter Day Saint Apostle | |
| February 15, 1835 – October 25, 1838 | |
| Reason | Initial organization of Quorum of the Twelve |
| Reorganization at end of term |
No apostles immediately ordained |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Wyman Patten November 14, 1799 Vermont |
| Died | October 25, 1838 (aged 38) Ray County, Missouri |
David Wyman Patten (sometimes referred to as David Warren Patten) (November 14, 1799 – October 25, 1838) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was killed at the Battle of Crooked River and is regarded as a martyr by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He is referred to twice in the LDS Church's Doctrine and Covenants—once in section 114 and posthumously in section 124.
Patten was born to Benoni and Edith Cole Patten in Vermont, and moved to Theresa, New York, as a young child. He was the 11th of 13 children. He was around 6'1" and of a dark complexion. As a youth, Patten moved to the town of Dundee in eastern Michigan. While there, at the age of 28 he married Phoebe Ann Babcock in 1828. The two had one stillborn child; they had no children live to adulthood. Patten allied himself with the local Methodist congregation during this time, all the while professing a belief that there was "no true religion on the earth."
In 1830, Patten heard about the publication of the Book of Mormon. He became "greatly agitated in mind and desired to see it." That summer, he had the opportunity to read the preface and the Testimony of the Three Witnesses that was attached to the book. Two years later, Patten learned that his brother John had recently joined the Church of Christ (the original name of the church founded by Joseph Smith). Excited, David rode three hundred miles to his brother's house in Fairplay, Indiana, to investigate the church. On June 15, 1832, Patten was baptized by his brother.
Patten served several short missions for the church, and was one of the first missionaries to visit the southern United States. Two days after his baptism, Patten was ordained an elder by Elisha H. Groves, and soon after sent on a mission to Michigan Territory. On this trip, he was accompanied by another recent convert, Joseph Wood. Together, the two traveled for 23 days without much food or money, instead relying on nearby families for sustenance and a place to sleep. This assignment lasted "a short season," during which time Patten baptized his wife. Healing was a distinctive feature of Patten's missionary labors. Abraham O. Smoot said that "he never knew an instance in which David's petition for the sick was not answered." Patten described some accounts of his healing: "Jesus called upon me to lay hands on [Brother] Coltrain who accidentally burned his hand and he received no harm. Brother William Smith had a pain in his eye and I laid my hand on him in the name of Jesus Christ and the pain left him."
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