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Murdock, John Murray, a Patriarch and president of the High Priests quorum of the Wasatch Stake of Zion, Utah, was born Dec. 28, 1821, at Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland, the son of James Murdock and Mary Murray. He was baptized Nov. 29, 1850, by Thomas Hittly; ordained a Priest in 1851, by Andrew Ferguson; emigrated to Utah in 1852, and resided in Salt Lake City until the time of the "Move" in 1858, when he settled temporarily in Goshen, Utah county, but located permanently in Heber City, Wasatch county, in 1860, where he still resides. He was ordained a High Priest by Bishop Edward Hunter, in Salt Lake City, in 1858, and set apart as first counselor to Bishop Jacob Weiler, of the Third Ward. In other respects he has always been a diligent Church worker and has filled many offices both of an ecclesiastical and civil nature. He participated in the Johnston army campaign in 1857-58, served in the Walker and Black Hawk Indian wars and shared in the privations incident to pioneer life in the early days in Utah. He married his first wife (Ann Steel) Feb. 25, 1848, at Kirklannel, Dumfrieshire, Scotland; she bore him fifteen children. At the time of his emigration to Utah, he was accompanied by his wife and two children. A third child, a daughter (Mary), was born to them en route, at what is now Kansas City, Mo. which at that time was the outfitting place for the emigrants crossing the plains to Utah. In 1862 (Aug. 8th) Elder Murdock married Isabella Crawford, by whom he is the father of seven children. In civil affairs, and in public life generally, Brother Murdock has always taken a most active part, and has filled many offices of responsibility and trust; thus he served as treasurer of Wasatch county and was county surveyor one term. He has presided over the High Priests quorum in the Wasatch Stake since 1877. Prior to that time (Jan., 1861 to 1877) he presided over the High Priests in a more local capacity. He was ordained a Patriarch May 14, 1899, by Apostle Francis M. Lyman. Andrew Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4 vols. Salt Lake City 2:12 |
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