Amasa Lyman
1813–1877 (63 years)
Hometown: Lyman, New Hampshire
Biography
Amasa Mason Lyman was an early apostle who was excommunicated in 1870 for apostasy, becoming one of the most significant church leaders to leave the faith. A native of New Hampshire, Lyman joined the church in 1832 and became close to Joseph Smith, even briefly serving as a counselor in the First Presidency.
Lyman was a practicing polygamist with nine wives. He served as a leader in the San Bernardino colony in California and later presided over the European mission. However, his theological views began to drift from mainstream Mormonism.
In the 1860s, Lyman began teaching that Christ’s atonement was not necessary for salvation and that salvation came through individual progression and good works. These teachings contradicted core LDS doctrine. He was initially dropped from the Quorum of the Twelve in 1867, then excommunicated in 1870.
After excommunication, Lyman joined the Godbeite movement, a group of intellectual dissenters who rejected Brigham Young’s authoritarian leadership and embraced spiritualism. He remained affiliated with this group until his death in 1877. His blessings were posthumously restored in 1909.
Served Under
Church presidents during this leader's apostolic service:
Wives (9)
Amasa Lyman was a polygamist with 9 marriages. 2 of these wives were teenagers at the time of marriage.
Marriage Age Comparison
9 wives · Ages at marriage
| # | Name | Marriage Date | Her Age | His Age | Age Diff | Children |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisa Maria Tanner | Jun 10, 1835 | 23 | 22 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Caroline Ely Partridge | Sep 6, 1844 | 20 | 31 | 11 | 4 |
| 3 | Eliza Maria Partridge | Sep 28, 1844 | 24 | 31 | 7 | 5 |
| 4 | Dionitia Walker | c. Jul 1, 1845 | c. 24 | 32 | 8 | 5 |
| 5 | Paulina Eliza Phelps | Jan 16, 1846 | 24 | 32 | 8 | 7 |
| 6 | Maria Louisa Tanner ⚠ | Jan 17, 1846 | 15 | 32 | 17 | 5 |
| 7 | Priscilla Turley ⚠ | Jan 17, 1846 | 17 | 32 | 15 | 5 |
| 8 | Lydia Partridge | Feb 7, 1853 | 39 | 39 | — | 3 |
| 9 | Eliza Ann Neff | Apr 20, 1853 | 19 | 40 | 21 | 0 |
Children (38)
With Louisa Maria Tanner (4 children)
With Caroline Ely Partridge (4 children)
- Martha Lydia Lyman (b. Apr 1, 1853)
- Frederick Rich Lyman (b. Oct 12, 1856)
- Annie Lyman (b. Jul 2, 1860)
- Walter Clisbee Lyman (b. Oct 1, 1863)
With Eliza Maria Partridge (5 children)
- Don Carlos Lyman (b. Jul 14, 1846)
- Platte De Alton Lyman (b. Aug 20, 1848)
- Caroline Eliza Lyman (b. Aug 1, 1851)
- Joseph Alvin Lyman (b. Dec 13, 1856)
- Lucy Zina Lyman (b. Aug 26, 1860)
With Dionitia Walker (5 children)
With Paulina Eliza Phelps (7 children)
- Oscar Morris Lyman (b. Dec 16, 1847)
- Mason Roswell Lyman (b. Jul 5, 1851)
- Clark Lyman (b. Oct 5, 1853)
- Charles Rich Lyman (b. Feb 18, 1857)
- William Horn Lyman (b. Feb 19, 1859)
- Solon Ezra Lyman (b. Aug 9, 1863)
- Laura Pauline Lyman (b. Aug 19, 1865)
With Maria Louisa Tanner (5 children)
- Matilda Lyman (b. Nov 14, 1836)
- Francis Marion Lyman (b. Jan 12, 1840)
- Ruth Adelia Lyman (b. Aug 1, 1843)
- Amasa Mason Lyman Jr. (b. Feb 22, 1846)
- Maria Louisa Lyman (b. May 8, 1849)
With Priscilla Turley (5 children)
- Theodore Kimberley Lyman (b. Apr 13, 1853)
- Ira Depo Lyman (b. Apr 30, 1855)
- Isaac Newton Lyman (b. Oct 18, 1857)
- Albert Augustus Lyman (b. Oct 5, 1859)
- Stephen Alonzo Lyman (b. Aug 11, 1865)
With Lydia Partridge (3 children)
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