Mormons believe that Jesus once lived in the Americas. Some of them once believed he lived on the outskirts of Walla Walla, WA from 1868-188
On This Day (December 25) in 1824 Joseph Morris is born in Burwardsley, Chestershire, England. He becomes an early convert to Mormonism and emigrates to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1853.
Morris's his holier-than-though attitude quickly earns him the nickname "Praying Joe" and an excommunication from the Mormon church. Morris begins preaching that Christ will return on December 31, 1861 to smite the Mormons. Only his followers will be saved.
A small group of Morrisites holes up in Kington Fort to wait out the apocalypse, and settle into an armed standoff with the territorial government. After months of armed conflict they surrender on June 15, 1862… and Morris himself is summarily executed by overzealous Mormon militiamen.
The surviving Morrisites flee the Utah territory spread out over the west, and start their own Mormon splinter groups. Some of which got quite weird indeed.
(Learn more about the whole sad story in our episode "Unto Us A Child Is Born": https://order-of-the-jackalope.com/unto-us-a-child-is-born/)
