In this installment of Polygamy and Mormon Church Leaders, we’re looking at the life of Dominicus Carter (1806-1884).
The most notable event of Carter’s life is found in the annals of his posterity, and not in any noteworthy, or successful incident commonly seen in Mormon folklore. We found that comments made by descendants reveal the true story of Carter’s life, giving us an inside look at the mindset Mormons still carry with them today.
By and large, Mormons tend to grasp onto the perils of what it was like to live in polygamy, and wear them like a badge of honor instead of denouncing the highly unbiblical way of life. The following comment from one of his descendants sounds like they’re making excuses for Carter’s sinful lifestyle –
‘…while much has been said about his nine wives, he had already lost two of those wives, and three others chose to leave. During most of the Provo years he lived with four wives: Mary Durfee, Polly Miner, Elizabeth Brown and Fannie Nash. At his death all four of those women were at his bedside.’
The martyr syndrome is still ‘alive and kicking’, as they say…
One of two notable items of interest was the birth of his youngest son in 1875. 
Dominicus would’ve been 69 years old at the time, and the date of death for another child was in 1953; that’s 147 years after Carter’s birth. Keep in mind, the average length of one generation is 40 years.
Make no mistake, Carter’s bad habits didn’t exclude him from being classed with other Mormon polygamists. Evidence of this is seen in his wives. Two were sisters, all but two of his nine wives were teenagers, with one who was but a child of 14 years.
You can read more info on Dominicus’ life and that of his wives here.
You might want to update your web site:
He joined the Church in Maine, not Ohio. These are his words: “I first embraced Mormonism in 1834 in the town of Newry, Oxford County, State of Maine. The first Mormon elders I ever heard preach were John F. Boynton and Daniel Bean. They came to my father’s house, and my mother lay very sick. The doctors had given her up. The elders told her they were preaching a new doctrine and they told her that she could be healed if she could have faith, that they would hold hands on her. They did lay hands on her and said, ‘In the name f the Lord Jesus be thou made whole.’ And she was made whole and arose and called for her clothes and said I must go to the water. She walked one-half mile and was baptized in the river called Bear River, and confirmed. And there was a large branch raised up in that place.”
Lydia Smith Carter died during the era of mob violence. A mob forced them (children too) out of their home during winter. She died from the elements of being in the bitter cold (since the mob prevented them from having the shelter of their home after they destroyed it). Today that would be called manslaughter among other things (what the mob carried on that night).
He was also a judge in Provo for many, many years besides being a blacksmith. He conducted bands that entertained many in Provo for many years.
I would say he absolutely honored the 12th Article of Faith. He did not go in to hiding. He willfully went to prison. He believed in God’s laws before man’s laws, but he was subject to man’s laws (the meaning of the 12th Article of Faith) which is why he willfully went to prison (again, he did not hide).
He was an honorable man. He was certainly not perfect. I am sure God is pleased with the way Dominicus Carter lived his life here on Earth. You can relax.
Mat –
First off i wanted you to know we’re praying for you!
I feel we provided enough info on Miss Lydia to show that she died as a result of the events that took place that fateful day @ Haun’s Mill.
As per Mr. Carter, I feel you’ve missed the point of the 12th Article of Faith. He was breaking the law by practicing polygamy, so whether or not he turned himself in is a moot point.
The 12 AoF says they will honor the laws of the land and obviously, this is something he did not do. As a judge, it goes without saying he knew better.
The Lord tells us in His word that our works are as filthy rags – Isaiah 64:6. God doesn’t look at our works, rather, He’s more concerned about our hearts. Mr. Carter’s involvement with polygamy & his position as a judge tells us he had no excuse. If we know these things, you can be assured, the good Lord knows about them as well.
Lastly, the Lord is only pleased w/ us when we’ve accepted His Son. This is something Mormons, by and large, have rejected. I don’t know Mr. Carter’s heart because I’m not God, but we can see what he believed by his actions, and it speaks volumes.
Michelle Grim
Life After Ministries
Are you a descendant? Then if he died still as Mormon, God is not pleased. Why? See the sidebar, “God, Jesus & the Holy Spirit of the Bible”.