Jesse Gause was born about 1784 in East Marlborough,
Virginia, the son of William Gause and Mary Beverly Gause. He was active
as a Quaker and served as an official in that sect. Resigned from the Quakers
and associated himself with the Shakers before 1830.
He married Martha Cuntry and the couple had five
known children
It was while a practicing Shaker that he was taught
by the Elders. He was baptized October 22, 1831. He was ordained a High
Priest on or before March 8, 1832 and a Revelation dated March 15, 1832
confirmed the appointment and his call with Sidney Rigdon to serve as counselors
in the Presidency of the High Priesthood to Joseph Smith.
He was called to serve a Mission to Pennsylvania
in August of 1832 with Zebedee Coltrin.
However he and Coltrin parted company about the nineteenth of August and
he neither returned to the Church nor continued his mission. Having proved
unfaithful, he was excommunicated December 3, 1832.
Jesse might have become a leading figure of early
Church history. Instead he fell unobtrusively away and was not heard of
again. He is believed to have died about 1836. In his behalf, it may be stated that he is not known to have opposed by word or deed either the Church or the Prophet.
