RLDS Church History Context

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Source: Church History Vol. 3 Chapter 39 Page: 755

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755 if so he gave his life in a good cause and I, as his daughter, rejoice in the gospel that he loved."

At the time of his death the Saints' Herald contained the. following tribute from the pen of its editor, Joseph Smith: "Brother Powers was one of the best and ablest men of the church; or in the northwest. A man full of the tenderest solicitude for the good of the human race; loving and kind. His rest must needs be glorious."

His faithful wife still survives him. Her daughter writes of her as follows: "Mother is seventy-six years old, and since a hard sick spell two years ago has not been able to walk, or to sit up for more than a few moments at a time, but she is as patient and faithful as a saint should be. Her memory is quite good, and she has always been strong in her belief of the restored gospel."

DAVID NEWKIRK.

David Newkirk was a brother of Reuben Newkirk, whose biography is contained in this volume. He was born in the State of Ohio; the exact date is unknown to us. About 1849 he was married to Miss Rosanna Robs; but of the children born to them we have no information. He, also, was a miner, and with his brother spent much of his life in the lead mines of southern Wisconsin. He also heard the doctrine of the church at the same time that his brother did, and was baptized by Elder H. P. Brown, about 1851, having prior to that time belonged to the Presbyterian Church. He was one of the signers of the protest spoken of in the biography of Elder Z. H. Gurley, page 745. He was therefore one of the first to prepare the way for the eorganization. At the April Conference of 1853 he was ordained a seventy, and occupied in this position until April, 1855, when he and Samuel Powers were chosen and ordained to fill vacancies in the Quorum of Twelve occasioned by the expulsion of H. H. Deam and John Cunningham.

David Newkirk was ordained an apostle under the hands of J. W. Briggs, D. B. Rasey, and Z. H. Gurley. He occupied this position for about ten years, being dropped for inactivity, April 7, 1865. Although not zealous in his ministerial

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