Jason W. Briggs

{{Infobox Latter Day Saint biography | name = Jason William Briggs | image = Jason W. Briggs.jpg | image_size = | alt = Photo of Jason W. Briggs | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1821|06|25|mf=yes}} | birth_place = [[Pompey, New York]], United States | death_date = {{Death date and age|1899|01|11|1821|06|25|mf=yes}} | death_place = [[Denver]], Colorado, United States | portals = CoC  | position_or_quorum1 = [[Council of Twelve Apostles (Community of Christ)|Council of Twelve Apostles]] | called_by1 = | start_date1 = 1853 | end_date1 = 1885 | end_reason1 = Not sustained as Apostle at the 1885 conference. }}

'''Jason William Briggs''' (June 25, 1821 – January 11, 1899) was a leader in the early history of the [[Latter Day Saint movement]] and was instrumental in bringing about the 1860 "Reorganization" of the church, which resulted in the establishment of the [[Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints]].

==Early membership== Briggs was born on June 25, 1821, in [[Pompey, New York]], to Hugh Lackey Briggs and Polly Briggs (née Damon). In 1841 at [[Potosi, Wisconsin]], he was baptized into the [[Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)|Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints]] by William O. Clark. By 1842, Briggs had been ordained an [[Elder (Mormonism)|elder]] of the church and he organized and became the head of a [[Branch (Mormonism)|branch]] in [[Beloit, Wisconsin]]. By 1843, Briggs had organized a second branch in [[Waukesha, Wisconsin]].

In 1844, the movement's founder, [[Joseph Smith]], was [[death of Joseph Smith|killed]] and a [[Succession crisis (Mormonism)|succession crisis]] ensued. [[Brigham Young]], president of the [[Quorum of the Twelve|Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]], assumed control of the church's headquarters in [[Nauvoo, Illinois]]. Briggs became convinced that Young's organization had fallen into [[Apostasy in Christianity|apostasy]] and by 1846 he and his branches affiliated with [[James J. Strang]], who had organized a new church headquarters in nearby [[Voree, Wisconsin]].

Briggs was a fervent opponent of [[polygamy]], and when Strang began to practice [[plural marriage]] openly, Briggs broke with his [[Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)|organization]]. He affiliated briefly with [[William Smith (Mormonism)|William Smith's]] organization of the church before learning that William, too, had been practicing plural marriage.

=="New Organization"== After these set-backs, Briggs despaired that the Latter Day Saint movement had irrevocably fallen into iniquity. He later reported that on November 18, 1851,<ref name="Reorganized">{{cite news|title=Reorganized Church, Latter-Day Saints, to Observe Centennial|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/12352217/jason_w_briggs_18211899/|newspaper=The Press Democrat|date=April 25, 1952|page=15|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate = July 14, 2017}} {{Open access}}</ref> on the prairie near Beloit, he was pondering this concern when the "Spirit of the Lord" came upon him and spoke, saying: :Verily, verily, saith the Lord, even Jesus Christ unto his servant, Jason W. Briggs, concerning the church: Behold I have not cast off my people; neither have I changed in regard to Zion. Yea, verily, my people shall be redeemed, and my law shall be kept which I revealed unto my servant Joseph Smith...

According to Briggs, the Lord further explained that "in mine own due time will I call upon the seed of Joseph Smith," (i.e., one of his sons), "and will bring one forth, and he shall be mighty and strong, and he shall preside over the high priesthood of my Church...". And finally, Briggs said the Lord assured him "that which ye received as my celestial law," (i.e., plural marriage), "is not of me, but is the doctrine of [[Balaam|Baalam]]."

After reporting that he received this guidance, Briggs began to coordinate with leaders of branches in Wisconsin and Illinois, including [[Zenas H. Gurley Sr.]] who resolved with him to wait for a leader to be raised up "from the seed of Joseph." They began to establish a "New Organization" of the church and Briggs was called to preside over its first conference on June 12, 1852, in Beloit.<ref name="Reorganized"/> In 1853, Briggs was called as an [[Apostle (Latter Day Saints)|apostle]] and sustained as President of the Quorum of the Twelve and as the "Representative President of the Church."

Important leaders, including [[William Marks (Mormonism)|William Marks]] and Aaron Smith (former leader of a Strangite schismatic group), joined the movement.

On April 6, 1860, at a [[Amboy Conference|General Conference]] of the New Organization of the church in [[Amboy, Illinois]], [[Joseph Smith III]] joined with the group and was sustained to follow in his father's role as [[President of the Church#President of the Community of Christ|President of the Church]].

==Disagreements and disfellowship== By 1885, Briggs was out of harmony with Joseph Smith III. Briggs was [[theological liberal]] and was aware of "[[higher criticism]]" of the Bible being taught at the time in German universities. Like these [[Tübingen school|German scholars]], Briggs believed that scripture was contextually understood and that revelation was never a final process, but progressively revealed over time. Such views angered more conservative members. Briggs also attacked the idea of the [[pre-existence]] of souls, then a cherished doctrine; he also questioned whether the church should again attempt a gathered community due to the disastrous results in Joseph Smith's lifetime. While many of Joseph Smith III's actual positions mirrored Briggs's thoughts, Briggs presented them more stridently than Smith ever did. Furthermore, Briggs angered Joseph Smith III by his constant reminders that [[List of Joseph Smith's wives|Joseph Smith had practiced polygamy]], contrary to what Joseph Smith III believed. In addition, Briggs sparred with Smith over who should be allowed to print their views in the RLDS periodical, the ''[[True Latter Day Saints' Herald]]''.<ref>{{Harvnb|Launius|1988|pp=273-286}}.</ref> At the 1885 RLDS conference, Briggs was not sustained in his position as Apostle and in 1886 he withdrew from the Reorganization. Briggs died on January 11, 1899, near [[Denver, Colorado]].

==See also== *[[Edmund C. Briggs]]

==Notes== {{Reflist|2}}

==References== *{{Cite book |first=Inez Smith |last=Davis |title=The Story of the Church: A History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and of Its Legal Successor, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints |edition=12th |publisher=Herald House |year=1981}} *{{Cite book |first=Roger |last=Launius |author-link=Roger Launius |title=Joseph Smith III: Pragmatic Prophet |location=Urbana, Illinois |publisher=University of Illinois Press |year=1988}}

==External links== *{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027051009/http://www.geocities.com/scott_norwood/Briggs.html |date=October 27, 2009 |title=Who's Who in the RLDS History: Jason W. Briggs }} {{s-start}} {{s-rel|cc}} {{succession box | title = [[Council of Twelve Apostles (Community of Christ)|Council of Twelve Apostles]]| | years = 1853–1885 | before = — | after = James W. Gillen }} {{s-end}} {{CofCApostles}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Briggs, Jason W.}} [[Category:1821 births]] [[Category:1899 deaths]] [[Category:American Latter Day Saint missionaries]] [[Category:American leaders of the Community of Christ]] [[Category:Apostles of the Community of Christ]] [[Category:Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) members]] [[Category:Community of Christ missionaries]] [[Category:Doctrine and Covenants people]] [[Category:Latter Day Saint missionaries in the United States]] [[Category:People from Grant County, Wisconsin]] [[Category:People from Pompey, New York]] [[Category:Presidents of the Council of Twelve Apostles (Community of Christ)]]