Millen Atwood
Pre-Campaign
Born: 24 May 1817, Mansfield, Connecticut
Baptized: 25 Aug. 1841, Mississippi River at Nauvoo
Married: No
Occupation: Stonemason
Church Experience: Ordained an elder 10 Apr. 1842. Mission with James W. Cummings in 1842 to Connecticut.
Other: Heard the gospel in 1840 from future electioneer Joseph T. Ball. In 1841, traveled from Connecticut to Nauvoo with 30 converts to meet Joseph and chose baptism there. The group purchased a farm outside of town.
Campaign
Age: 27
Assignment: Called sometime before 24 May 1844. He was assigned to go to his home state of Connecticut, but appears to have not left the Chicago area before Joseph was killed.
Electioneering Experience: Experienced severe persecution in and around Chicago. A mob surrounded him and threatened to tar and feather him if he continued to talk about Joseph. He was also threatened with being put in jail. Attended Chicago conference on 25-26 May 1844. He preached "from the first three verses in Isaiah 61 regarding preaching to the captive...then showed that Joseph Smith had come to bring in the acceptable year of the Lord, to liberate captives, abolish slavery, open prisons set all men free, and comfort all that mourn." He also spoke in tongues with other electioneers. The meeting was well attended and well received by Chicagoans. However, after the conference he and the other elders had to leave Chicago due to persecution and threats from others. He continued to move east, reaching his father's house in Connecticut on 18 Jul 1844. Remained preaching in Connecticut until Mar 1845.
Location 27 Jun. 1844: Most likely somewhere in upstate New York.
Post-Campaign
1 Jan 1846: Nauvoo. He was endowed as a seventy 23 Jan 1846.
1850: Salt Lake City as a stonemason with $300 of real estate which was average compared to his neighbors.
1860: Salt Lake City.
1870: Salt Lake City as a farmer with $10,000 of real estate and $500 of personal wealth, well above and average respectively to his neighbors.
1880: Salt Lake City as a farmer.
Family: Married (30 yrs old) to Relief Cram (27 yrs old), 20 Apr 1848 in Winter Quarters. He married plurally (39 yrs old) on 9 Feb 1857 to Esther Millard-Young (29 yrs old) in Salt Lake City. He had 6 children, one who died as a toddler when her clothes caught fire from the fireplace. Died 17 Dec 1890 in Salt Lake City.
Synopsis: Worked as a stonemason on the Nauvoo temple. Was part of the pioneer company of 1847. Returned to Nauvoo in 1848 to retrieve masonry tools. Was a policeman in Salt Lake City. Served a mission to Scotland and England from 1852-56. Was part of the ill-fated Willie handcart company of 1856. Served on the Salt Lake high council 1873-1881. Bishop of the Salt Lake 13th ward 1881 to his death in 1890