It can scarcely be said that either Lyman Wight or Bishop George
Miller sought to lead the church; but they were guilty of
insubordination to the constituted authorities and lead away parties
with them, and illustrate the truth of President Young's prediction
about the failure of such persons, hence we consider their course.
Lyman Wight was a strong, bold man; fixed in his friendship for the
prophet Joseph, and true to him under many trying circumstances; but
withal rather difficult to control, and after the death of Joseph soon
manifested a disposition of insubordination to authority. As far back
as February, 1844, he had expressed a desire to go to Texas, and after
the death of the prophet seemed determined that the church should be
removed there. For some time a number of persons had worked under his
and Bishop George Miller's direction in the pineries of Wisconsin,
getting out lumber for the Temple. In the latter part of August, 1844,
President Young desired him to return to the pineries and continue his
labors; but he refused and expressed a determination to carry out his
own views, and be the controller of his own conduct regardless of the
counsel of the presiding quorum. He therefore went to Texas instead of
to Wisconsin, taking a small company of saints with him and settling
in Texas, not far from the present site of Austin.
For his insubordination Lyman Wight was excommunicated from the
church, the action being taken in Salt Lake City, 1848. The company of
saints that followed him were soon scattered as sheep that have
wandered from the fold and the care of the shepherd; but some few of
them finally found their way back into the church. Lyman Wight lived
in obscurity in Texas, unknown by the world, unhonored, without a
following, and died outside the church of Christ, with which he had
suffered so much during the persecutions it passed through in
Missouri.
Bishop George Miller was closely associated with Lyman Wight in his
rebellion against the authority of President Young. As already stated
they had been associated in directing the labors of the brethren
working in the pineries, and on returning to Nauvoo both had
manifested a spirit of insubordination to authority. Bishop Miller,
however, did not immediately follow Lyman Wight to Texas, but remained
with the church some two years longer, and was among the first to
cross the Mississippi in the great exodus from Nauvoo. During the
subsequent journey through what was then the wilderness of Iowa, he
manifested a disposition to draw off with his company from the main
camp; and when the great body of the exiled saints wen into Winter
Quarters, near Council Bluffs, Bishop Miller and his company were more
than a hundred and fifty miles north at the junction of the Running
Water and the Missouri River, where they remained during the winter of
1846-7.
In the spring of 1847, when the saints were making ready for their
journey to the west, Bishop Miller urged the advisability of changing
their destination, and going to Texas, where Lyman Wight had already
settled. The bishop's views being rejected, he withdrew from the camp,
followed by a few over whom he had influence, and with them he joined
Lyman Wight in Texas. The union, however, was of short duration. The
spirit which led them to rebel against President Young would not
permit them to live in peace together. They soon quarrelled and
separated, Miller making his way to Wisconsin where he joined James J.
Strang. He was excommunicated from the church for his rebellion at the
same time as Lyman Wight, in Salt Lake City, 1848. Of the
circumstances under which he died we have not learned, we only know
that he died out of the church of Christ and in obscurity. The
rebellion of these two prominent men in the church, and their effort
to lead away a party therefrom, brought neither honor or fame to them
nor even wealth--they did not prosper. In January, 1841, the Lord had
said to Lyman Wight:
It is my will that my servant Lyman Wight should continue in
preaching for Zion, in the spirit of meekness, confessing me
before the world, and I will bear him up as on eagle's wings, and
he shall beget glory and honor to himself, and unto my name. That
when he shall finish his work, that I may receive him unto myself,
even as I did my servant David Patten, who is with me at this
time, and also my servant Edward Partridge, and also my aged
servant Joseph Smith, Sen., who sitteth with Abraham at his right
hand, and blessed and holy is he; for he is mine.[A]
[Footnote A: Doc. and Cov. sec. cxxiv, 18, 19.]
Of Bishop Miller, the Lord said:
I say unto you, my servant George Miller is without guile; he may
be trusted because of the integrity of his heart; and for the love
which he has to my testimony, I, the Lord, love him! I therefore
say unto you, I seal upon his head the office of a Bishopric, like
unto my servant Edward Partridge, that he may receive the
consecrations of mine house, that he may administer blessings upon
the heads of the poor of my people, saith the Lord. Let no man
despise my servant George, for he shall honor me.[A]
[Footnote A: Doc. and Cov. sec. cxxiv, 20, 21.]
What a splendid prospect was opened before these men! to what heights
they could hope to ascend--even to the companionship of God! Here was
honor, glory, exaltation held out to them, within their reach; but
they pushed it all aside--exchanged it all for the "wo" of them who
are cut off from the church of Christ--who are overcome of the
world![A] And instead of living among the saints, honored as God's
servants, supported by the faith, prayer, love and confidence of the
church of Christ, they lived and finally died in wretched obscurity--
unwept, unhonored and unsung, their lives and their ending only
important as illustrating the truth of the prophetic words of him who
said:
[Footnote A: Doc. and Cov. sec. 1, 8.]
_All that want to draw away a party from the church after them,
let them do it if they can, but they will not prosper!_