Leonard Rich

Leonard Rich (1800 – 1868) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and one of the inaugural seven Presidents of the Seventy. Rich was born in Connecticut in 1800 and was a farmer. In 1833, he baptized Truman Angell, [cite book |last=Angell |first=Truman O. |authorlink=Truman Angell |coauthors= |editor=Kate Carter |others= |title=Our Pioneer Heritage |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition=10 |series= |date= |year=1967 |month= |publisher= |location= |language= |isbn= |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages=196 |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= ] architecht of the Salt Lake Temple. In 1834, the high council rebuked him for "breaking the Word of Wisdom and selling revelations at exorbitant prices." [cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor=B. H. Roberts|others= |title=History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date= |year=|month= |publisher=Deseret News |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |language= |isbn= |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages=2:25-27 |chapter=Minutes of February 12, 1834 |chapterurl= |quote= ] That same year he was part of Zion's Camp.

In January 1837, Rich signed the new constitution of the Kirtland Safety Society. [Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate, 3 (March 1837)] On April 6 of that year, he and other presidents of the Seventy who were ordained high priests prior to their call were released. That fall, he dissented from the church [cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor=B. H. Roberts|others= |title=History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date= |year=|month= |publisher=Deseret News |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |language= |isbn= |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages=1:405 |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= ] and in December the church excommunicated him. [cite book |last=Quinn |first=D. Michael |authorlink=D. Michael Quinn |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title=Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition=2 |series= |date= |year=1994 |month= |publisher=Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |language= |isbn= |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages=574 |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= ]

In 1845, Reuben McBride reported that Rich was a leader of rioters who broke into and took possession of the Kirtland Temple. [cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor=B. H. Roberts|others= |title=History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date= |year=|month= |publisher=Deseret News |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |language= |isbn= |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages=7:484|chapter= |chapterurl= |quote=Apostates...have broken into the House of the Lord, and taken possession of it, and are trying to take possession of the church farm.]

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