| 641 After leaving Nauvoo he commenced on October 15,1844, the publication of a periodical at Pittsburg [Pittsburgh], Pennsylvania, called The Latter Day Saints Messenger and Advocate. This publication continued for a year or more, and in its columns he and others advocated his claims to the Presidency and denounced the plural wife doctrine taught in Nauvoo. In a letter written to J. Gregg, October 15, 1844, by Elder Rigdon, and published in the first issue of his paper, he makes some very damaging charges against the Twelve, which if true, or the half of them true, will account for some of the conflicting testimony regarding polygamy. He died at Friendship, New York, July 14, 1876.
FREDERICK G. WILLIAMS.
Of the early life of Dr. F. G. Williams we have but little information. When the missionaries (Oliver Cowdery, P. P. Pratt, Peter Whitmer, and Ziba Peterson) visited Western Ohio in 1830, they found him there engaged in the practice of medicine. Dr. Williams was among the first to receive the message, and when the elders moved on westward he accompanied them to Western Missouri and into the Indian country.
Returning to Kirtland he took an active and prominent part in the work incident to the establishment of the church.
On March 18, 1833, he was ordained Second Counselor to Joseph Smith, and for some years at least was faithful to his trust.
In November, 1833, Joseph Smith wrote of him as follows: "Brother Frederick G. Williams is one of those men in whom I place the greatest confidence and trust, for I have found him ever full of love and brotherly kindness. He is not a man of many words, but is ever winning, because of his constant mind. He shall ever have place in my heart, and is ever entitled to my confidence. He is perfectly honest and upright, and seeks with all his heart to magnify his presidency in the Church of Christ, but fails in many instances, in consequence of a want of confidence in himself. God grant that he may overcome all evil."-Times and Seasons, vol. 6, p. 899.
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