Son of Richard Ballantyne and Huldah Meriah Clark,
Born at Elk Horn River, Nebraska, June 1, 1848 (Near Omaha)
Blessed at 4 days old by Pat. Isaac Morley June 27, 1848.
Baptized by Richard Ballantyne June 1, 1856, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Confirmed by Richard Ballantyne June 1, 1856
Schooling commenced at Salt Lake City about 1854.
Ordained Elder August 12, 1866 by Richard Ballantyne at Eden, Utah.
Ordained Seventy May 7, 1875 by Barnard White, Ogden, Utah.
Ordained High Priest February 1, 1891 by Apostle Franklin D. Richards and set apart as First Counsellor to Bishop B. White, 3rd Ward, Ogden, Utah.
Married to Mary Ann Stewart Dec. 27, 1875 by Daniel H. Wells in the Endowment House, Salt Lake City.
Endowed Ü Endowment House, Salt Lake City, March 30 1875.
Patriarchal Blessing given by Charles Hyde, Salt Lake City, January 18, 1860-. Patriarchal Blessing given by Thomas Richardson, Ogden, Utah, March 12, 1875.
Mission to Southern States (Tennessee, Virginia). Went November 4, 1879. Returned from mission November 21, 1880 (because of i8llness)
Vocation: farmer, bookkeeper, stock-raiser, etc.
Height 5Í10 1/2î Weight 150 lbs. Chest size 39î. Color eyes, grey. Color hair, brown (now grey Ü 1925. General condition of health, good.
Specially interested in genealogy and Temple work for our dead ancestors.
When I was ordained an Elder, was appointed Secretary for the Quorum Ü 12 Aug. 1866. An Elder, Weber County and subsequently a
Richard Alando Ballantyne was born to Richard Ballantyne and Huldah Meriah Clark on June 1, 1848.
ñLate in the spring of 1848, when the Ballantynes started for Salt Lake Valley in President Brigham YoungÍs company, Huldah was expecting a child. At the Elkhorn River, in Nebraska, thirty miles from Winter Quarters, a temporary camp was established. There was delay while final preparations were being made and the details of company organization were being completed.
ñThen on June 1, before dawn, Richard Ballantyne jumped swiftly from the wagon, anxiously woke a neighbor, and asked him to tell the ñRelief Society sistersî that Huldah needed help. Throughout the dusty day he heard the moans of his wife and the low talk of the women. Finally, in the stifling heat of the covered wagon, a son was born to Richard and Huldah. He was named Richard Alando Ballantyne.
For many days the life of the infant hung in the balance. He suffered from a severe case of canker, and the heart and hardships of the camp did not make it easier for him. One night the worried father lifted him from the rough crib, wrapped a blanket around him, and placed him on a pillow. Then h e carried the baby into the woods, where Richard kneeled and prayed over his son with all the fervency of his soul. He pleaded with the Lord to save the childÍs life. He made a covenant that if the life were spared, the boy would be brought up in the service of the Church. The prayer was answered, and the baby lived to fulfill that promise.
With two wagons and four yoke of oxen, two cows, eight sheep, and provisions to last almost a year, the Ballantynes continued their journey to the Great Salt Lake Valley. For a hundred days this large company of Latter-day Saints battled the dust, wind, and sun. They were threatened by Indians. Babies were born and some died. Old men and women faltered and fell by the way. The smooth young faces of girls became wind-bitten and sun-scorched. City-soft men became hard and rough. Oxen grew lame, were shot, and eaten. Food was rationed. Water was scarce. The trek changed the people even more than previous flights. Yet under all of these conditions the camp danced at night and sang on the way.
In September, 1848, the wagon train descended from the mountains to the Great Salt Lake Valley. It was a forbidding land. There were only about 1800 inhabitants in the settlement at that time, and few permanent structures had been built. It was dry, hot, and sterile. The Ballantynes and the rest of the company settled in the Old Fort and once again grimly set about to build their futures.î
(Sonne, Conrad B. Knight of the Kingdom, Deseret Book, 1949. pp. 43-44)