Harvey G. Whitlock

Who was Harvey G. Whitlock?

Harvey Gilman Whitlock was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement and one of the witnesses to the Book of Commandments. He was among those Latter Day Saints driven by mobs from Jackson County, Missouri in the summer of 1833. From 1835 he was in and out of multiple Latter Day Saint groups several times.

Whitlock was a native of Massachusetts. He joined Joseph Smith's Church of Christ by 1831 and was an early missionary in Amherst, Ohio. Whitlock was among those who were directed to go to Missouri by a revelation of Smith. He later returned to Ohio and then moved his family to Missouri. He was viewed as such a leader in the church that he was specifically targeted for early expulsion from Missouri.

In 1835, Whitlock was excommunicated. In November 1835, he sent a letter expressing repentance to Smith and Smith directed Whitlock to come to Kirtland, Ohio. In January 1836, Whitlock was rebaptized at Kirtland and restored to his priesthood.

Whitlock again withdrew from the church in 1838. In 1846, he became a member of Sidney Rigdon's church.