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William E. McLellin (1806–1883) (also
spelled M'Lellin) was an early leader in the
Latter Day Saint movement.  One of the original
members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,
McLellin later broke with church founder, Joseph
Smith Jr.  

McLellin was born in Tennessee in 1806, a son of
Charles McLellin. He married for the first time on
July 30, 1829.  However his wife, Cynthia Ann
McLellin, died young and he was a widower by 1832.
 

=== Church service ===

McLellin first had contact with the missionaries
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
in Paris, Tennessee during 1831.  He traveled to
Missouri to further investigate the church, and
was baptized and ordained an elder in 1831. 
During 1831, he traveled with Hyrum Smith, and
preached in Tennessee.  He then relocated to
Kirtland, Ohio.  

In 1832-33, he served a mission for the church,
traveling with Parley P. Pratt.  However, in a
revelation to Joseph Smith, Jr. on March 8, 1833,
it was said that the Lord was "...not pleased with
my servant William E. M'Lellin."  An experienced
teacher, and self proclaimed physician, McLellin
taught penmanship in the Kirtland School for
temporal education in 1834. He served as a member
of the Church's high council in Clay County,
Missouri, also in 1834, and was chosen and
ordained to be one of the original Twelve Apostles
on February 15, 1835, at age 29.

When the Doctrine and Covenants was about to be
published, some church members criticized the
wording of some of the revelations. According to
Joseph Smith, the Lord issued a challenge to see
if the wisest member of the church could invent a
revelation comparable to the least of the
revelations. If they could, then the members of
the church would be justified in claiming that the
revelations did not come from God. (D&C
67:6–7) William McLellin was thought to be
the smartest member of the church at that time. He
was chosen for this task, and he failed. (History
of the Church, 1:226)

=== Disassociation with the church ===

McLellin's LDS church association came to an
abrupt halt in 1838, when he declared that he had
no confidence in the presidency of the Church. 
This may have been due to the failure of
Kirtland's financial institution, the Kirtland
Safety Society in 1837.  He was excommunicated on
May 11, 1838.  After this, McLellin actively
worked against the LDS Church and its leaders,
joining violent mobs, and, according to
contemporaries, ransacking and robbing Joseph
Smith's home and stable while he was being held in
prison.  

A contemporary account revealed the following
incident: 

:"While Joseph was in prison at Richmond, Mo., Mr.
McLellin, who was a large and active man, went to
the sheriff and asked for the privilege of
flogging the Prophet; permission was granted, on
condition that Joseph would fight.  The sheriff
made McLellin's earnest request known to Joseph,
who consented to fight, if his irons were taken
off.  McLellin then refused to fight, unless he
could have a club, to which Joseph was perfectly
willing; but the sheriff would not allow them to
fight on such unequal terms."(Jenson, Vol.1:83)

After Smith's assassination, McLellin accepted the
succession claims of many Latter Day Saint
leaders, including Sidney Rigdon, James J. Strang
and David Whitmer.  He died on April 24th, 1883,
at Independence, Jackson County, Missouri.

==References==

* Allen, James B. and Leonard, Glen M.  The Story
of the Latter-day Saints.  Deseret Book Co., Salt
Lake City, UT, 1976.  ISBN 0-87747-594-6.

* Jenson, Andrew. editor. LDS Biographical
Encyclopedia. 

* Ludlow, Daniel H.,  A Companion to Your Study of
the Doctrine and Covenants, Deseret Book Co., Salt
Lake City, UT, 1978.  ISBN 1-57345-224-6.

* Shipps, Jan and Welch, John W. eds.). The
Journals of William E. McLellin, 1831-1836.
University of Illinois Press: 1994.


== External link ==

*
http://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/w/o/wol3/mlellwe
1.htm Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages

start box
series box |
 title= Quorum of the Twelve Apostles |
 years= February 15, 1835–May 11, 1838 |
 before=Orson Hyde |
 after= Parley P. Pratt |

end box

	Web Quotableonline.com Frasescelebres.org Greatbookscollection.org

William E. McLellin (1806–1883) (also
spelled M'Lellin) was an early leader in the
Latter Day Saint movement.  One of the original
members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,
McLellin later broke with church founder, Joseph
Smith Jr.  

McLellin was born in Tennessee in 1806, a son of
Charles McLellin. He married for the first time on
July 30, 1829.  However his wife, Cynthia Ann
McLellin, died young and he was a widower by 1832.
 

=== Church service ===

McLellin first had contact with the missionaries
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
in Paris, Tennessee during 1831.  He traveled to
Missouri to further investigate the church, and
was baptized and ordained an elder in 1831. 
During 1831, he traveled with Hyrum Smith, and
preached in Tennessee.  He then relocated to
Kirtland, Ohio.  

In 1832-33, he served a mission for the church,
traveling with Parley P. Pratt.  However, in a
revelation to Joseph Smith, Jr. on March 8, 1833,
it was said that the Lord was "...not pleased with
my servant William E. M'Lellin."  An experienced
teacher, and self proclaimed physician, McLellin
taught penmanship in the Kirtland School for
temporal education in 1834. He served as a member
of the Church's high council in Clay County,
Missouri, also in 1834, and was chosen and
ordained to be one of the original Twelve Apostles
on February 15, 1835, at age 29.

When the Doctrine and Covenants was about to be
published, some church members criticized the
wording of some of the revelations. According to
Joseph Smith, the Lord issued a challenge to see
if the wisest member of the church could invent a
revelation comparable to the least of the
revelations. If they could, then the members of
the church would be justified in claiming that the
revelations did not come from God. (D&C
67:6–7) William McLellin was thought to be
the smartest member of the church at that time. He
was chosen for this task, and he failed. (History
of the Church, 1:226)

=== Disassociation with the church ===

McLellin's LDS church association came to an
abrupt halt in 1838, when he declared that he had
no confidence in the presidency of the Church. 
This may have been due to the failure of
Kirtland's financial institution, the Kirtland
Safety Society in 1837.  He was excommunicated on
May 11, 1838.  After this, McLellin actively
worked against the LDS Church and its leaders,
joining violent mobs, and, according to
contemporaries, ransacking and robbing Joseph
Smith's home and stable while he was being held in
prison.  

A contemporary account revealed the following
incident: 

:"While Joseph was in prison at Richmond, Mo., Mr.
McLellin, who was a large and active man, went to
the sheriff and asked for the privilege of
flogging the Prophet; permission was granted, on
condition that Joseph would fight.  The sheriff
made McLellin's earnest request known to Joseph,
who consented to fight, if his irons were taken
off.  McLellin then refused to fight, unless he
could have a club, to which Joseph was perfectly
willing; but the sheriff would not allow them to
fight on such unequal terms."(Jenson, Vol.1:83)

After Smith's assassination, McLellin accepted the
succession claims of many Latter Day Saint
leaders, including Sidney Rigdon, James J. Strang
and David Whitmer.  He died on April 24th, 1883,
at Independence, Jackson County, Missouri.

==References==

* Allen, James B. and Leonard, Glen M.  The Story
of the Latter-day Saints.  Deseret Book Co., Salt
Lake City, UT, 1976.  ISBN 0-87747-594-6.

* Jenson, Andrew. editor. LDS Biographical
Encyclopedia. 

* Ludlow, Daniel H.,  A Companion to Your Study of
the Doctrine and Covenants, Deseret Book Co., Salt
Lake City, UT, 1978.  ISBN 1-57345-224-6.

* Shipps, Jan and Welch, John W. eds.). The
Journals of William E. McLellin, 1831-1836.
University of Illinois Press: 1994.


== External link ==

*
http://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/w/o/wol3/mlellwe
1.htm Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages

start box
series box |
 title= Quorum of the Twelve Apostles |
 years= February 15, 1835–May 11, 1838 |
 before=Orson Hyde |
 after= Parley P. Pratt |

end box