Clayton’s Struggle | James B. Allen, Trials of Discipleship: The Story of William Clayton, A Mormon

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James B. Allen has done us all a great favor by writing this interesting biography of William Clayton, a disciple of Joseph Smith. There are many biographies of Mormon leaders, but few about Mormon followers. This study is long overdue. 

Allen defines discipleship not as “perfection but rather a struggle for perfection, and in this struggle a person often must wrestle with himself even more than with others” (p. 2). William Clayton struggled as a disciple because he was a strict believer in perfection in an imperfect world. Possibly an alcoholic, Clayton seems to have continually punished himself for his failures. 

Called to be the branch president in Manchester before he emigrated, Clayton seemed to enjoy being a leader. But his continuous frustration as a follower suggests that he was unable to reconcile the difference between his own and his leaders’ perceptions of his abilities. He yearned for recognition and positions of greater responsibility. But even when Joseph Smith elevated him to the circles of power, Clay ton’s jobs were as a clerk and messenger. Brigham Young also gave Clayton opportunities to “lead,” but Clayton carried such rigid expectations about the relationship between follower and leader that few were able to live up to his high standards. Clay ton was especially offended by those who enjoyed the privileges of rank over the lot of ordinary folk, though he himself was always well connected. He knew people all over the territory and once used his connections to successfully prevent his run away wife from selling the sewing machine he had given her, even though she was in Payson and he was in Salt Lake City. 

Clayton could be stubbornly independent from those in authority. When astrology was introduced to Mormon leaders, Brigham Young professed to believe but warned others of its dangers. But Clay ton persisted in dabbling with the belief as if he were in the grip of some overpowering habit. Possibly he equated astrological forecasts with the power of prophecy. 

Clayton’s most disappointing experience with leadership was his mission to England, his homeland, where he was given leadership responsibilities in Manchester. The calling was a step forward for Clayton. Then he became ill and one evening drank a glass of gin to give him strength to return to his lodging. The alcohol was too much for the weakened missionary. Ashamed of his lack of decorum, Clayton’s leaders quickly disciplined his unacceptable behavior by taking away his leadership duties. Clayton was forgiven after explaining the circumstances but was nevertheless sent home without fulfilling his mission. 

In demand as a secretary and accountant in Salt Lake City, Clayton helped organize the Zions Cooperative Mercantile Institution. He zealously threw himself into the effort. But he was again frustrated by the contradictions of human frailties, especially those of his leaders, compared to the human potential in which he so firmly believed. These distractions from his own accounting and auditing business resulted in financial failure and further disappointment. 

Allen admits a great admiration for Clayton, even while revealing his weak nesses as well as his strengths. I too learned to admire Clayton as an individual and as a participant in the formative years of Utah settlement. Allen’s unique portrayal and interpretation of William Clayton, a disciple, and the records he left contribute as well to our understanding of the Mormon community under Brigham Young. 

Trials of Discipleship: The Story of William Clayton, A Mormon by James B. Allen (Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1987), 383 pp., $12.95.