Richard R. Lyman
Encyclopedia
Richard Roswell Lyman was an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1918 to 1943. He was excommunicated
in 1943 for unlawful cohabitation
, a result of a polygamous relationship. In 1954 Lyman was rebaptized
. His full priesthood
blessings were restored posthumously in 1970. Lyman is the most recent apostle of the LDS Church to have been excommunicated.
Lyman was born 1870 in Fillmore
, Utah Territory
, and was closely related to many early leaders of the LDS Church. His father Francis M. Lyman
was the son of Amasa M. Lyman, both of whom served as apostles in the LDS Church. His mother was Clara Caroline Callister, whose grandfather was John Smith
, Joseph Smith's uncle, and a Presiding Patriarch in the Church. Clara Caroline Callister's mother was Caroline Smith Callister, the only sister of the Apostle George A. Smith
, who had served with Brigham Young
as a counselor in the First Presidency
of the church.
Lyman was ordained an elder in the church on August 29, 1891 by Joseph F. Smith
. He graduated from high school at Brigham Young Academy (BYA) in Provo, Utah
in 1889 with a Normal Certificate, then taught at Brigham Young College
in Logan, Utah
, and later studied at the University of Michigan
. He had planned on marrying Amy Brown, who he met while a student at BYA but delayed this while he attended the University of Michigan. Lyman was a teacher and civil engineer and was known for his work on the Utah State Road Commission. He did graduate studies at Cornell University
and the University of Chicago
.
Lyman was married to Amy Brown
on September 9, 1896 by Joseph F. Smith
. From 1895-1896 Lyman taught at BYA. Amy Lyman
would serve as the eighth general president of the Relief Society
from 1940 to 1945.
Lyman was ordained an Apostle April 7, 1918.
In 1943, the First Presidency discovered that Lyman had long been cohabitating with a woman other than his legal wife. In 1925 Lyman had begun a relationship which he defined as a polygamous marriage. Unable to trust anyone else to officiate due to the church's ban on the practice, Lyman and the woman exchanged vows secretly. By 1943, both were in their seventies. Lyman was excommunicated on November 12, 1943 at age 73. The Quorum of the Twelve provided the newspapers with a one-sentence announcement, stating that the ground for excommunication was violation of the Law of Chastity
, which any new marriage post-second manifesto
constituted. (Plural marriages performed between 1890 and 1906 were allowed to continue to practice polygamy until those polygamists died off.) For years after his excommunication, some apostles worried that Lyman might join the Mormon fundamentalist movement.
Later, Lyman returned to the LDS Church through rebaptism on October 27, 1954. He died at Salt Lake City, Utah
.
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
in 1943 for unlawful cohabitation
Cohabitation
Cohabitation usually refers to an arrangement whereby two people decide to live together on a long-term or permanent basis in an emotionally and/or sexually intimate relationship. The term is most frequently applied to couples who are not married...
, a result of a polygamous relationship. In 1954 Lyman was rebaptized
Rebaptism (Mormonism)
Rebaptism is a practice in some denominations of the Latter Day Saint or Mormonism movement.The Latter Day Saints were headquartered in Nauvoo, Illinois. Many who were already baptized members of the church, were rebaptised either to show a renewal of their commitment to the movement or as part of...
. His full priesthood
Priesthood (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , the priesthood is the power and authority to act in the name of God for the salvation of humankind...
blessings were restored posthumously in 1970. Lyman is the most recent apostle of the LDS Church to have been excommunicated.
Lyman was born 1870 in Fillmore
Fillmore, Utah
Fillmore is a city in Millard County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,253 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Millard County. It is named for the thirteenth US President Millard Fillmore....
, Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
, and was closely related to many early leaders of the LDS Church. His father Francis M. Lyman
Francis M. Lyman
Francis Marion Lyman was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was the President of the Quorum from 1903 until his death....
was the son of Amasa M. Lyman, both of whom served as apostles in the LDS Church. His mother was Clara Caroline Callister, whose grandfather was John Smith
John Smith (1781-1854)
John Smith , known as Uncle John, was an early leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
, Joseph Smith's uncle, and a Presiding Patriarch in the Church. Clara Caroline Callister's mother was Caroline Smith Callister, the only sister of the Apostle George A. Smith
George A. Smith
George Albert Smith was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and as a member of the church's First Presidency.-Childhood:Smith was born in Potsdam, St...
, who had served with Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
as a counselor in the First Presidency
First Presidency (LDS Church)
The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...
of the church.
Lyman was ordained an elder in the church on August 29, 1891 by Joseph F. Smith
Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr. was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. He graduated from high school at Brigham Young Academy (BYA) in Provo, Utah
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
in 1889 with a Normal Certificate, then taught at Brigham Young College
Brigham Young College
Brigham Young College was a college and high school in Logan, Utah. It was founded by Brigham Young on 6 August 1877, 23 days before he died. He deeded several acres of land to a board of trustees for the development of a college. This was just two years after he founded Brigham Young Academy in...
in Logan, Utah
Logan, Utah
-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
, and later studied at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. He had planned on marrying Amy Brown, who he met while a student at BYA but delayed this while he attended the University of Michigan. Lyman was a teacher and civil engineer and was known for his work on the Utah State Road Commission. He did graduate studies at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
Lyman was married to Amy Brown
Amy B. Lyman
Amy Brown Lyman was the eighth general president of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1940 to 1945....
on September 9, 1896 by Joseph F. Smith
Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr. was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. From 1895-1896 Lyman taught at BYA. Amy Lyman
Amy B. Lyman
Amy Brown Lyman was the eighth general president of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1940 to 1945....
would serve as the eighth general president of the Relief Society
Relief Society
The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, USA and has approximately 6 million members in over 170 countries and territories...
from 1940 to 1945.
Lyman was ordained an Apostle April 7, 1918.
In 1943, the First Presidency discovered that Lyman had long been cohabitating with a woman other than his legal wife. In 1925 Lyman had begun a relationship which he defined as a polygamous marriage. Unable to trust anyone else to officiate due to the church's ban on the practice, Lyman and the woman exchanged vows secretly. By 1943, both were in their seventies. Lyman was excommunicated on November 12, 1943 at age 73. The Quorum of the Twelve provided the newspapers with a one-sentence announcement, stating that the ground for excommunication was violation of the Law of Chastity
Law of Chastity
The law of chastity is a moral code defined by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . According to the church, chastity means abstinence from sexual relations before marriage, and complete fidelity to one's husband or wife during marriage...
, which any new marriage post-second manifesto
Second Manifesto
The "Second Manifesto" was a 1904 declaration made by Joseph F. Smith, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , in which Smith stated the church was no longer sanctioning marriages that violated the laws of the land and set down the principle that those entering into or...
constituted. (Plural marriages performed between 1890 and 1906 were allowed to continue to practice polygamy until those polygamists died off.) For years after his excommunication, some apostles worried that Lyman might join the Mormon fundamentalist movement.
Later, Lyman returned to the LDS Church through rebaptism on October 27, 1954. He died at Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
.