Joseph Leslie Broadbent (June 3, 1891 – March 16, 1935) was a

religious Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...

leader in the early stages of the

Mormon fundamentalist Mormon fundamentalism (also called fundamentalist Mormonism) is a belief in the validity of selected fundamental aspects of Mormonism as taught and practiced in the nineteenth century, particularly during the administrations of Joseph Smith, Br ...

movement. Broadbent was born to Amanda Hermandine Twede and Joseph Samuel Broadbent, who served as mayor of

Lehi, Utah Lehi ( ) is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. The population was 75,907 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, up from 47,407 in 2010, and it is the center of population of Utah. The rapid growth in Lehi is due, in part, to t ...

, from 1922 to 1928. In 1910, Broadbent left his studies at

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

to serve a

mission Mission (from Latin 'the act of sending out'), Missions or The Mission may refer to: Geography Australia *Mission River (Queensland) Canada *Mission, British Columbia, a district municipality * Mission, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

for

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

(LDS Church). In June 1915, he married Rula Louise Kelsch, and through his association with her family came to know John Wickersham Woolley. Among his other wives were Fawnetta Jessop, who married him in October 1925, and Irene Locket and Anna Kmetzsch, who had married him by 1933. In 1927, Broadbent published the pamphlet "Celestial Marriage", which advocated the practice of

plural marriage 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 ...

. This was one of the first Mormon fundamentalist tracts and was a factor in his subsequent

excommunication Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in Koinonia, communion with other members o ...

by the LDS Church in July 1929. Broadbent was ordained an Apostle (Latter Day Saints), apostle in the Mormon fundamentalist organization called the Council of Friends (Woolley), Council of Friends by Lorin Calvin Woolley on March 6, 1929, and on May 15 was given the title of "Second Elder of the Church, second elder" by Woolley. Upon Woolley's death in 1934, Broadbent succeeded him as priesthood president. Among Mormon fundamentalists, the succession was largely uncontroversial, and Broadbent traveled widely in support of the fundamentalist movement. In February 1935, he and a number of other fundamentalist leaders visited Millville, Utah, for a meeting with co-religionists. The next month, Broadbent died from pneumonia. According to his friend Louis Kelsch, on the day of his death Broadbent said that he had not experienced any personal vision of heavenly messengers. However, Broadbent also commented, "If they come to get me, I can tell them that I am still in the work," as he pointed to religious books he planned to mail.

References

External links

Mormonfundamentalism.com biography of Joseph Leslie Broadbent
{{DEFAULTSORT:Broadbent, J. Leslie 1891 births 1935 deaths 20th-century Mormon missionaries American Latter Day Saint leaders American Mormon missionaries in England Brigham Young University alumni Mormon fundamentalist leaders People excommunicated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints People from Lehi, Utah Religious leaders from Utah