Mormon Bigfoot

Mormon Bigfoot is a popular appellation for the "very dark" being that "wore no clothing, but was covered with hair," and which claimed to be the Biblical Cain, that was reported to have been encountered by David Wyman Patten (1799-1838), one of the original members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Latter-day Saints, while travelling through the state of Tennessee in either 1835 or 1836.

Smoot's Account of Patten's Account

From: Wilson, Lycurgus A. (1904), Life of David W. Patten: the First Apostolic Martyr, Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News, https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102286982 

(pp. 45-47)

President Joseph F. Smith, Salt Lake City:

Dear Brother:— In relation to the subject of the visit of Cain to Brother David W. Patten in the State of Tennessee, about which you wrote to me, I will say that according to the best of my recollection it was in the month of September, 1835.

It was in the evening, just twilight, when Brother Patten rode up to my father's house, alighted from his mule and came into the house. The family immediately observed that his countenance was quite changed. My mother having first noticed his changed appearance said : "Brother Patten, are you sick?" He replied that he was not, but had just met with a very remarkable personage who had represented himself as being Cain, who murdered his brother, Abel. He went on to tell the circumstances as near as I can recall in the following language:

"As I was riding along the road on my mule I suddenly noticed a very strange personage walking beside me. He walked along beside me for about two miles. His head was about even with my shoulders as I sat in my saddle. He wore no clothing, but was covered with hair. His skin was very dark. I asked him where he dwelt and he replied that he had no home, that he was a wanderer in the earth and traveled to and fro. He said he was a very miserable creature, that he had earnestly sought death during his sojourn upon the earth, but that he could not die, and his mission was to destroy the souls of men. About the time he expressed himself thus, I rebuked him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by virtue of the Holy Priesthood, and commanded him to go hence, and he immediately departed out of my sight. When he left me I found myself near your house."

There was much conversation about the circumstances between Brother Patten and my family which I don't recall, but the above is in substance his statement to us at the time. The date is, to the best of my recollection, and I think it is correct, but it may possible have been in the spring of 1836, but I feel quite positive that the former date is right.

Hoping the above will be satisfactory to you and answer your purpose, I am with the kindest regards, as ever,

Your friend and Brother,

A. O. SMOOT.

Reading

• Bowman, Matthew (Fall 2007), "Mormon Bigfoot: David Patten's Cain and the Conception of Evil in LDS Folklore", Journal of Mormon History (University of Illinois Press) 33 (3): 62-82, https://www.mormondiscussionpodcast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/11/Cain-Bigfoot-Mathew-Bowman.pdf