Lyman Wight

I once heard it said that about 1/3 of the people mentioned I the Doctrine and Covenants left the faith and did not return.  One of those was Lyman Wight.  He joined the Church in 1830, was a part of Zion’s Camp, suffered in Liberty Jail with the Prophet Joseph, was made an apostle in 1841, and was campaigned for the presidency of Joseph Smith when the Prophet died.  It appears that his 14 years in the Church were filled with faithfulness and sacrifice.  His name is mentioned seven times in the Doctrine and Covenants, and he received this counsel from the Lord, “And again, I say unto you that it is my will that my servant Lyman Wight should continue in preaching for Zion, in the spirit of meekness, confessing me before the world; and I will bear him up as on eagles’ wings; and he shall beget glory and honor to himself and unto my name” (D&C 124:18). 

              In 1831 the Lord said this about Lyman Wight, “And let my servant Lyman Wight beware, for Satan desireth to sift him as chaff” (D&C 52:12).  Unfortunately, after the death of Joseph Smith Lyman did not heed this warning, and he broke off from the main body of Saints and led his own group to Texas.  At some point around this time Wilford Woodruff wrote him a letter with these touching words, “Come home to Zion, mingle in our midst, confess and forsake your sins, and do right, as … all men have to do, in order to enjoy the favor of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and have fellowship with the Saints. … We all feel interested in your welfare; you have no enemies here.”  He did not come back, though, and he died outside the Church several years later.  It’s a tragedy to me that he would be so faithful during the life of the Prophet Joseph, suffering in tremendous ways, and fall away after 14 years in the Church.  His story can serve as a warning to all of us; it doesn’t matter how many faithful we have been in the past—we must continue so in the future.  We need to “continue as [we] commenced” as the Lord told Oliver and as Alma commended his son Shiblon (D&C 9:5, Alma 38:2).

              Wilford Woodruff’s letter to Lyman expresses the sentiment that we should all have as we reach out to those who walk no more with the Saints.  Those who no longer continue with the Saints should likewise hear from us, whether through words or actions, that “we all feel interested in [their] welfare.”  The Lord encouraged us, “Unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them (3 Nephi 18:32).  It’s not our job to judge when someone is ready to come back to the gospel, but we must continually extend the hand of fellowship in hopes that someday they will return to the faith.