Endless Life Society
From Kook Science
| Endless Life Society | |
|---|---|
| Formation | c. 1833 |
| Purpose/focus | Christian community |
| Headquarters | Columbus, Kentucky |
| Founder | Alexander McDaniel |
The Endless Life Society was a congregation of Christian believers led by the Rev. Dr. Alexander McDaniel, who taught that moral living would grant adherents endless life in this world, and toward which end sought to build a new community in Kentucky. Among the adherents was Leonard "Live-Forever" Jones, who was the most notorious member of the society, receiving subsequent publicity for his eccentricity.
Resources
Petitions to Government
- "Doc. No. 118. Memorial of Alexander McDaniel, Leonard Jones, and Others, Subjects of Endless Life", The Executive Documents, 23d Congress, 1st Session, 1833-4, 3, February 17, 1834, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3983232;view=1up;seq=477
- "Doc. No. 191. Memorial of Alexander McDaniel, Leonard Jones, and Others", The Executive Documents, 23d Congress, 2d Session, 1834-5, 5, February 9, 1835, https://books.google.com/books?id=booFAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA10-PP1
Government Responses
- "Rev. Doctor Alexander McDaniel's requested land lease is granted by G.A. of Kentucky", Journal of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Frankfort: Albert G. Hodges, Printer for the State, p. 200, https://books.google.com/books?id=DTUwAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA200, "[Feb. 8, 1834] - Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: That there shall be granted unto the Rev. Doctor Alexander McDaniel during his natural life one hundred and sixty acres of any of the lands west of the Tennessee river which he may select belonging to the state of Kentucky upon the said McDaniel's paying into the public treasury the sum of forty dollars..."
- "Mr Lyon of Kentucky presented the petition of Alexander McDaniel, Leonard Jones, and others", The Congressional Globe: Containing Sketches of the Debates and Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Congress, 1, Washington: Blair & Rives, p. 221, https://books.google.com/books?id=H78T4lHs45oC&pg=RA1-PA221, "[McDaniel, et al.] profess to have attained the power of endless existence on this earth, and praying for a grant of public land on the Mississippi, whereupon to erect a city of refuge; the grant to extend only during the natural life of McDaniel who is now sixty-four years of age, and in case of his death to revert to the Government, with all the improvements thereon."
Articles
- "'Endless Life' Society", The Liberator (Boston, Mass.: William Lloyd Garrison and Isaac Knapp) 3 (5): 3, February 2, 1833, https://archive.org/stream/liberator1833garr#page/n19
- "Endless Life Society", Universalist Union 2 (31): 246, June 10, 1837, https://books.google.com/books?id=1AhKAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA246 — in which a reader encloses the Liberator article with a note that McDaniel has passed