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The Isaac Morley Farm Photo courtesy of Alexander L. Baugh

Isaac Morley joined the Church in Kirtland in November 1830, one of the first converts of the area. He was later called to serve as a counselor to the presiding bishop, Edward Partridge in 1831. His farm served as the principle gathering place of the Saints in Kirtland after the revelation for the Saints to gather to the Ohio was given in Doctrine & Covenants Section 37.¹ Also, while living on the Morley Farm, Joseph and Emma had twins who passed away shortly after being born. Shortly thereafter, Julia Murdock, wife of John Murdock, passed away after giving birth to twins, and Joseph and Emma adopted their children.

It was while on this farm that Joseph made the prophecy that the Church would fill the whole earth. Wilford Woodruff described the event as follows:

"When we got together the Prophet called upon the Elders of Israel with him to bear testimony of this work.When they got through the Prophet said, 'Brethren I have been very much edified and instructed in your testimonies here tonight, but I want to say to you before the Lord, that you know no more concerning the destinies of this Church and kingdom than a babe upon its mother's lap. You don't comprehend it.' I was rather surprised. He said 'it is only a little handful of Priesthood you see here tonight, but this Church will fill North and South America it will fill the world.'" ²

Additionally, while in a schoolhouse on the farm, Joseph Smith, Jr., Lyman Wight, and Harvey Whitlock were opened to a vision of God the Father, and Jesus Christ.

Isaac Morley later moved to Far West, was ordained to be the patriarch of Far West, and traveled west with the Saints after their expulusion from Nauvoo.

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SOURCES

¹ Milton V. Backman, Jr., The Heavens Resound: A History of the Latter-day Saints in Ohio, 1830-1838 (Salt Lake City: Desert Book Co., 1983), 70.

² Wilford Woodruff, Conference Report, (April 1898).