Background
Thatcher, Moses was born on February 2, 1842 in Sangamon Company, Illinois, United States. Son of Hezekiah and Alley (Kitchen) T., of Virginia.
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Thatcher, Moses was born on February 2, 1842 in Sangamon Company, Illinois, United States. Son of Hezekiah and Alley (Kitchen) T., of Virginia.
Mormons; family followed Saints to Utah, 1847. Went to California, 1849. Returned to Utah, 1858.
Became Mormon missionary at 15.
Together, with the main body of the church, they began their trek westward in 1846 and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in September 1847. Hezekiah and Alena, with seven of their eight living children (including Thatcher), departed for California in 1849, seeking to acquire wealth through the Gold Rush. They returned to Utah Territory in 1857.
Thatcher was called to serve a mission for the church at age 15, from which he returned in 1858.
In 1859, the family settled in Cache Valley, where Thatcher helped Hezekiah locate canal and mill sites. From 1860 to 1861, Thatcher studied at the University of Deseret.
From 1866 to 1868, he served a second mission, this one to the United Kingdom and France. He later served as the church"s first mission president in Mexico.
He was called to replace Orson Hyde, who died on November 28, 1878.
From 1880 to 1898, Thatcher was the second assistant to Wilford Woodruff in the superintendency of the Young Men"s Mutual Improvement Association (YMMIA). (Apostle Anthon Lund also did not sign the document due to his absence while presiding over the church"s European Mission)
However, Thatcher was not excommunicated from the church and retained his position in the leadership of the YMMIA. Thatcher remained supportive of the church after being removed from the Quorum, testifying on many occasions of the divinity of the work and the divinity of the calling of its leaders. Matthias F. Cowley was called to replace Thatcher in the Quorum of the Twelve.
Thatcher held the priesthood office of apostle until his death.
After being removed from the quorum, Thatcher testified in the Reed Smoot hearings held before the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections. He was supportive of the church and its positions.
Thatcher died at his home on August 21, 1909 in Logan, Utah. He is buried in the Logan Cemetery.
He was one of only a few members of the Quorum of the Twelve to be dropped from the Quorum but to remain in good standing in the church and retain the priesthood office of apostle. Thatcher was called to be an apostle and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in April 1879.
Married 1861, Lettie Farr.
