Mark Bigler

From the journal of his nephew Henry Bigler:

“At the time the Elders made their appearance in the neighborhood and began to preach (1834) the inquiry was who are they and where did they come from and my Uncle Mark Bigler who was always full of his fun and had no faith in any religion and had been heard to say he would go four miles the darkest night he ever saw to see a old heaghott. I was at work for my uncle at the time the inquiry was made and asked where did these Mormon Elders come from? My uncle said they had come from the moon and had found a new road to Heaven 400 miles nearer than the old route. But how did they get down? The answer was they greased themselves and slid down a rainbow. But up to this time he had not heard them preach. He soon went to hear them and believed their preaching. He invited them to his house. His house was a home for the Elders”.

After joining the Church, Mark took his son Jacob, not yet baptized to Far West, Missouri where they met the Prophet Joseph Smith and other members of the Church. They sold their property and bought land in Missouri, but were expelled by the Extermination Order. Mark passed away after being welcomed by the good people of Quincy, Illinois.

Research Notes

Possible people to investigate as the officiator at his baptism: Lorenzo D. Barnes, Samuel Ganes, Jedidiah M. Grant

Sources

1 Page 188 A Profile of Latter-day Saints of Kirtland, Ohio and Members of Zion’s Camp

2 Page 166 Nauvoo, 1839-1846 by Lyman D. Platt

3 Page 120 History of the Church

4 Page 104 Mormon Manuscripts to 1846. A Guide to the Holdings of the Harold B. Lee Library by Hyrum Andrus