Episode 111: Before They Were Famous: Daniel H. Wells

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (0:21)
Daniel H. Wells awoke early on a September morning in 1846 to the sound of gunfire outside his home. He dressed quickly and saddled a white horse in the corral beside his house.
Arming himself with a pair of pistols and a rifle, he mounted and rode east across open fields in the direction from which the shots were coming. Others, mostly on foot, hurried after him. They arrived at a defensive line of entrenchments and wooden barricades that spread east and west from Barlow's barn quickly took up firing positions alongside those already engaged. In front of the defenders, a large opposing force of about 1200 well-armed men was advancing in a bunched column from the southeast in a determined effort to reach Mahalan Street, the main avenue leading west into the city of Nauvoo. The attackers were supported by half a dozen artillery pieces that repeatedly hurled round shot into the defenders' breastworks and beyond into their homes and farm buildings. As the oncoming troops neared one side of the line behind which Daniel stood, still astride his horse, it became apparent to him that they would overrun the severely outnumbered defenders within minutes. With that realization, he became an instant general and acted decisively to direct the course of battle.
Hi, this is Lindsay Hansen Park.

**Bryan Buchanan** (2:12)
And this is Bryan Buchanan.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (2:13)
Bringing you the story of Mormonism from the shadow of the Everlasting Hills, straight out of Zion. This isn't your grandpa's Mormon history.

**Bryan Buchanan** (2:41)
This is the tale of Mormon saints and sinners from our roots until present day.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (2:46)
Gird your loins, lock your hearts and pay your tithing, because we're bringing you the story of Mormonism in all its paradisiacal glory.

**Bryan Buchanan** (2:54)
It's the Sunstone History Podcast.
Well, friends, it's time to bring back another episode of Before They Were Famous. I know you've been missing this series, so we thought we'd kick off this season highlighting the life of Daniel Hanmer Wells.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (3:29)
You might have heard of him, or you may not have. Certainly, if you were living in the Salt Lake Valley in those early years, you would have known to respect this dude. He would go on to lead several military organizations for the church and start a guerrilla war against the US Army.

**Bryan Buchanan** (3:45)
I hate to make this joke, especially since a grouchy review on iTunes said our jokes were too cheesy.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (3:51)
Oh, see, here's the thing, cheesy is being kind.
Our jokes are so damn nerdy at this point, I don't even care if you don't like our nerdy jokes. You can take your business to another saloon.

**Bryan Buchanan** (4:04)
Screw the reviewer, I'm making the cheesy joke anyway. We're gonna get into the life of Daniel H. Wells. Friends, stop, it's Hanmer time.
Lindsay, did you know that before he was an apostle, John A. Witzow's nickname was Bad A. Witzow?

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (4:31)
That sounds made up at best.

**Bryan Buchanan** (4:33)
We're still looking into it. Born in Norway, John A. Witzow was renowned for his expertise in irrigation and dry farming. His pioneering work pushed the boundaries of and contributed significantly to advancements in agricultural practices. Moreover, his forays into the field of biochemistry exemplified his relentless pursuit of scientific understanding. Witzow's journey came with challenges, especially after he was called as an apostle in the LDS Church. As president of both Utah State Agricultural College and the University of Utah, he faced controversies and obstacles head on. Additionally, he played a significant role in overseeing the expansion of the LDS gospel in both Europe and the United States.
He was highly esteemed within his church due to his ability to provide thorough and insightful explanations of various aspects of church doctrine and reconcile them with scientific truths.
Throughout the early to mid 20th century, he symbolized to many members the successful integration of religious faith with a secular knowledge, inspiring countless individuals to embrace both realms in harmony.
John A. Widso, Scientist and Theologian, 1872 to 1952 by Thomas G. Alexander. New from Signature Books. Get it from Benchmark Books or the ghost of bad A. Widso will have some words.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (5:59)
Before we get into all the chaos of the Utah period, we're gonna give you some background on Mr. Wells because he had an unusual start to Mormonism, but a predictable finish.

**Bryan Buchanan** (6:11)
That's what Eliza R. Snow said.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (6:13)
Cheesy jokes.
Okay, Daniel Hanmer Wells was born this time of year on October 27th, 1814 in Trenton, New York. His family was quite wealthy. In fact, his father, Daniel Wells, was an on-again, off-again governor of Connecticut.