Erastus Snow

Who was Erastus Snow?

Erastus Fairbanks Snow, born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1849 to 1888. Snow was also a leading figure in Mormon colonization of Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.

Snow Canyon State Park, Snow College and the town of Snowflake, Arizona are named after Erastus Snow.

Snow joined the church in Vermont in the early 1830s. One of the missionaries who taught him was Orson Pratt. His brother, Zerubbabel Snow, joined the church before he did.

He moved to Kirtland, Ohio but spent most of the time on missions, primarily in Pennsylvania. He later served a mission to Salem, Massachusetts where he baptized several converts including Nathaniel Ashby, a man with whom he shared a duplex when they both resided in Nauvoo, Illinois.

Erastus Snow was in the first Mormon pioneer company to cross the plains. He was one of the first two Mormons to enter the Salt Lake Valley, the other being Orson Pratt.

Snow was ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve on February 12, 1849. This was the same day Charles C. Rich, Lorenzo Snow and Franklin D. Richards were ordained.