Shadrach Roundy (January 1, 1789 – July 4, 1872 Jenson, Andrew. ''

Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia ''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'' (abbreviated ''LDS Biographical Encyclopedia'') is a four-volume biographical dic ...

'' (Salt Lake City, utah: Deseret news Press, 1936) vol. 4, p. 717. ) was an early

Latter Day Saint The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by J ...

leader born in

Rockingham, Vermont Rockingham is a Town in Windham County, on the southeastern Vermont border in the United States, along the Connecticut River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,832. Rockingham includes the incorporated villages of Bellows Falls and Sa ...

. Roundy was the second oldest (59) member of

Brigham Young Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his death in 1877. During his time as ch ...

's Company, which arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, and was one of the advance party which arrived in the valley ahead of the main party in order to start planting crops. He was one of the three men who, on July 23, 1847, were the first Mormon pioneers recorded to plow soil in what became

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

. He is also mentioned in and was a bodyguard of

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, ...

. He was a

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

in Winter Quarters, Nebraska, a member of the first High Council organized in the Salt Lake Valley, again a bishop in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...

, a senator in the first legislature of the provisional

State of Deseret The State of Deseret (modern pronunciation , contemporaneously ) was a proposed state of the United States, proposed in 1849 by settlers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in Salt Lake City. The provisional stat ...

Role during Mormon expulsion from Missouri

Roundy played a very important part in the removal of the

Latter Day Saints The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by Jo ...

from

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

. So much of the Mormons' property had been either destroyed or taken over by mobocrats that a number of destitute refugees found it impossible to move themselves and families to safety. The timing of the expulsion during the winter of 1838-39 also greatly aggravated conditions, but the more fortunate promised to assist those in need. Quoting from a meeting held at Far West on January 29, 1839: Roundy was the ninth to sign the covenant, which bound the signers to give freely of all their "available property, to be disposed of by a committee who shall be appointed for the purpose of providing means for the removing from this State of the poor and destitute who shall be considered worthy, till there shall not be one left who desires to remove from the State." Accordingly, a committee composed of Roundy and six others directed the removal of the exiles, and provided means of conveyance, food, clothing, and temporary shelters for the destitute.

Nauvoo Years (1839–46)

After their removal from Missouri, the majority of Latter Day Saints fled to Western Illinois, eventually concentrating at Commerce (renamed Nauvoo),

Hancock County, Illinois Hancock County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 17,620. Its county seat is Carthage, and its largest city is Hamilton. The county is made up of rural towns with many farmers. Hanc ...

. Although the Latter Day Saints were only in Hancock County for seven years, it provided a home where they experienced many changes and developments. During this time period Roundy was active in both civil and ecclesiastical affairs. Roundy was a member of the Nauvoo Police force beginning in 1843. He was also one of twelve men on the Board of Control for the Nauvoo Agricultural and Mechanical (or Manufacturing) Association. Roundy protected

on at least two occasions. Once, while a group of men led by

William Law William Law (16869 April 1761) was a Church of England priest who lost his position at Emmanuel College, Cambridge when his conscience would not allow him to take the required oath of allegiance to the first Hanoverian monarch, King George I. P ...

tried to enter the Smith home Roundy held them back with his cane. On another occasion he accompanied Smith to Monmouth, Illinois, for a trial. Roundy helped prepare the

Red Brick Store The Red Brick Store in Nauvoo, Illinois, was a building that was constructed and owned by Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Original building Smith constructed the Red Brick Store in 1841. The building became a center of ...

for some of the first endowments performed in Nauvoo. Shortly before the exodus from Nauvoo, Roundy was assigned to explore

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

(apparently the plan was never carried out) as an option for settlement in the West opposed to the Great Basin.

Latter life in Utah

Roundy was bishop of the 16th Ward in Salt Lake City from 1849 until 1856. Roundy died in Salt Lake City. He is the 3rd great-grandfather of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City cast member Whitney Rose.

Notes

References

*Pollock, Gail ''SHADRACH TREKS WESTWARD''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roundy, Shadrach 1789 births 1872 deaths American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Bodyguards Clergy from Salt Lake City Doctrine and Covenants people Latter Day Saints from Missouri Latter Day Saints from Utah Latter Day Saints from Vermont Mormon pioneers