Charles Frederick Zitting (March 30, 1894 – July 14, 1954) was a
Mormon fundamentalist leader of the community in
Short Creek, Arizona.
Life
Zitting's ancestors came to the United States from
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
,
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, and
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales
* The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...
.
Fundamentalism
Zitting began his rise in the leadership of the Mormon fundamentalist
Short Creek Community when he was arrested on April 1, 1931 on charges of
polygamy
Polygamy (from Late Greek , "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marriage, marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, it is called polygyny. When a woman is married to more tha ...
and bailed out by
Lorin C. Woolley,
J. Leslie Broadbent, and
Joseph W. Musser the next day. After the three paid his bail, Zitting was asked to join the
Council of Friends and was ordained to that position months later. He was set apart as High Priest Apostle the same day he was ordained to the Council.
While serving on the Council of Friends, Zitting largely served under
LeGrand Woolley, who in turn served under
Joseph W. Musser. Woolley led the fundamentalist community at Short Creek while Musser led the community in and around
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
,
Utah
Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
. The group near Salt Lake City would later become known as the
Apostolic United Brethren
The Apostolic United Brethren (AUB) is a Mormon fundamentalist group that practices polygamy and is no longer associated in any way with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The AUB has had a temple in Mexico since the 1990s, an en ...
, while those remaining in the
Short Creek Community would later become the
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (abbreviated to FLDS Church or FLDS) is a Mormon fundamentalist group whose members practice polygamy. It is variously defined as a cult, a sect or a new religious movement. The ...
under
Leroy S. Johnson.
With Musser's death and Woolley's presence in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
, Zitting was left to take charge for the Council of Friends and the Short Creek Community following the
Short Creek raid.
Leroy S. Johnson assisted Zitting in most of the everyday decisions.
Zitting served as the senior member of the Council of Friends for four months until his death. He was survived by "5 wives, 18 sons, 16 daughters and many grandchildren."
See also
*
List of Mormon fundamentalist leaders
*
Mormonism and polygamy
Polygamy (called plural marriage by Latter-day Saints in the 19th century or the Principle by modern fundamentalist practitioners of polygamy) was practiced by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for more ...
Notes
References
*.
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zitting, Charles
1894 births
1954 deaths
American Latter Day Saint leaders
Mormon fundamentalist leaders
People from Weber County, Utah
People from Short Creek Community