Exceedingly little is known with certainty of True Glidden. He
appears but twice in the History of the Church, once in a list of veterans
of Zions Camp, and once as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy.
We might expect that he was born within the time
period of 1785 and 1820 as he participated in Zions Camp in 1834 and a
birth before 1785 would have likely made him too old too endure the hardships
of the expedition. A birth date after 1820 would have made him too young.
Likely also, he was born in the north-eastern part of the United States
as that is where nearly all of the early members of the Church were born.
And True was an early member of the Church for only four years after its
restoration he volunteered to accompany the Prophet Joseph
Smith on the aforementioned Zions Camp.
With these constraints in mind, Grampa Bill hit the Internet in search of someone
who fits our requirements. Grampa finds the
Human Family Project, which lists a True Edward Glidden who was born 14 September 1811 at Augusta, Kennebec County, Maine, married Harriett L. Wells on 18 April 1841 at Platte County, Missouri, and died 21 June 1889 in Leavenworth County, Kansas. Grampa feels there is a high likliehood that this is our man, though there is nothing in the web site which hints at any affiliation with the Church of their True Edward Glidden.
And our True Glidden was faithful enough to volunteer for and honorably serve in Zion's Camp. In 1835, perhaps due to his valor and faithfulness,
he was ordained a Seventy and called to the First Quorum of the Seventy, thus earning entrance into the ranks of the General Authorities.
And that is the last we hear of Elder Glidden with
any certainty. As mentioned, it is likely that he is the True Gliddon (sic) who was
married to Harriatt (sic) Wells on April 18, 1841 in Platte, Missouri but
even this is not a certainty. We know nothing of his later life and death
nor whether he remained faithful in the Church. It does not appear that he made the trek west with the Saints.
