Owen Russell Loomis Crosier was born on February 2nd, 1820, in Canandaigua, New York. He had a sister, Nancy Amelia, who was two years older than him. His first name was that of his mother’s favorite Methodist preacher. Russell Loomis was his maternal grandfather’s name. He never really got to know his mother, Nancy Loomis. Sadly, she died when he was only two years old, shortly after the birth of his brother Archibald in 1822. His father, a rugged, hardworking cooper (barrel maker) drowned in Lake Ontario barely three weeks after his mother’s death. Crosier and his siblings were left as orphans. A respectable Methodist farmer named Stephen Thatcher adopted Owen. He taught Crosier solid religious values. He only attended school three months per winter for ten or eleven years because he was needed on the farm. Nevertheless, he was a good student who studied hard. Owen learned to enjoy farming, and for many years remained a dedicated farmer even when his religious duties absorbed his time in his older years.
At the age of 16, during a Methodist revival, he was converted and baptized. While still young, Owen met a Doctor name Franklin Hahn and also befriended a farmer named Hiram Edson. These two befriended Crosier and took him in. They provided him a home and encouraged him to continue his studies, and offered to support him. Owen thus attended Genesee Academy and Wesleyan Seminary at Lima, New York. After graduating he worked as a school teacher, in various different towns in New York State.
In the Fall of 1843, when Crosier was 23 years old, he accepted the Millerite message. He loved the message and began preaching right away. Owen was issued a preaching license by the Wesleyan Church after it separated from the Methodist Church. As a result of his preaching on the prophecies, Dr. Hahn, His mentor from his youth, accepted the Adventist message.
In the summer of 1844, at the age of 24 Owen dedicated himself full-time to preaching. Together with Hiram Edson and Dr. Franklin Hahn, he began publishing a periodical called The Day Star.
Crosier spent October 22, 1844, the night of the Great Disappointment, with his friends waiting for Jesus to come. He was with Hiram Edson and some others.
As the hours passed, Hiram Edson reflected on the events of the previous year. He believed he had been given the power from on high to heal the sick. Also, as a result of his preaching, many hundreds of his friends turned to Jesus. His confidence soon returned, and he suggested that he and some friends (Crosier was one of them) visit some nearbyAdventists(or Millerites) to encourage them. On the morning of October 23, 1844 they walked through Edson’s cornfield to avoid the mocking jeers of his neighbors who had refused to believe the Advent message.It was in this cornfield that Edson received the inspiration from God about the sanctuary in heaven, which explained the Millerites’ disappointment. The error was not in the date, but in the event. Jesus had begun His work as High Priest in the Most Holy Place in heaven.
As soon as Edson received the new light, he and Crosier continued on their way with new earnestness and zeal. They went to visit as many of the disappointed believers as quickly as possible to encourage them. Crosier stated, “When the light came, showing that this had been the object of prophecies, what a joy this light was to us. Very early in the morning I was on horseback going from place to place to cheer those whom I could reach.”
Shortly afterwards, Edson, Crosier and Hahn began to study the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, in depth. They wanted to put their study into print as soon as possible, to encourage the disappointed Advent believers far and wide. Crosier was selected to write out their findings and he published an article of their findings in their paper theDay-Dawn. The article explained how there was a sanctuary in heaven, that Christ, the heavenlyHigh Priest, was to cleanse.
Joseph Bates and James White were among those Millerites who, after reading the article, were convinced of the heavenly sanctuary truth. The three men did a lot more research and wrote a second, more in-depth article in the Day Star on February 7, 1846, in which they expanded the subject. Of this article, Bates stated: “But allow me first to recommend to your particular notice, O. R. L. Crosier’s article in the Day Star Extra, for the 7th of February, 1846, from the 37th to the 44th page. Read it again. In my humble opinion it is superior to any thing of the kind extant.”
Ellen White recommended it. “The Lord showed me in vision, more than one year ago, thatBrother Crosier had the true light, on the cleansing of the Sanctuary, etc., and that it was His will, that Brother C. should write out the view which he gave us in theDay-Star Extra, February 7, 1846. I feel fully authorized to recommend thatExtrato every saint.”–A Word to the Little Flock, p. 12
The development of the doctrine of the heavenly sanctuary was the only contribution Crosier made to the teachings of Adventism. This doctrine was unique to the Seventh-day Adventist Church at that time. Today, it is still not commonly taught in Christian churches. The plan of salvation is perfectly typified and beautifully explained by the services carried out in the tabernacle Moses built,
Crosier and the others continued to study and write about the Sanctuary message in the years following. In order to print the Day Star of March of 1845, in which Crosier had another article, Hiram’s wife sold her silverware to finance the writing.
In the fall of 1845, Elder Bates presented the Sabbath message to a group at Edson’s home. Crosier was present and he accepted the light and kept the Sabbath.
Crosier continued to study and write. On February 7 1846, he printed another more complete writing about the Sanctuary, and again in December of 1846, he wrote another article and this time he also advocated the Sabbath.
This was Crosier’s final contribution to the Adventist message. At this time he was 26 years old.
Sadly, it was not long after that, that he apostatized. The very next year (1847), Owen separated from the Sabbath keeping Adventists and ended up opposing both the seventh-day Sabbath and the sanctuary teachings.
We do not know the reasons behind his departure, but we do know that he joined Joseph Marsh and the Advent Christian Church working as an evangelist for them. They were a branch of the Millerites that did not accept the Sabbath nor the Sanctuary. On July 10, 1853 he married Maria Polly Alger who belonged to the same religious organization. Having repudiated his early beliefs on the Shut Door and the Sanctuary he published its “defects” from 1847–1849.
Owen Crosier, died at the age of 92 on September 15, 1912, inGrand Rapids, Michigan, and was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:12. “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.” 2 Corinthians 13:5
It is sad to hear stories of men who had been so faithful, and led by the Lord, who end up apostatizing in their later years. We all must be careful to not make the same mistakes. Without Christ, we are tempted to become proud and we will thus surely fall. Examine yourself daily and say like the Apostle Paul, “I die daily.” 1 Corinthians 15:31. The Lord desires to lead all people to Him. Unfortunately, even though some may start their walk with Him, that does not guarantee that they will continue with Him until the end of their lives. Many have departed from the faith. As we continue with the LORD, we must consistently examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith, and safeguard ourselves from error. Let us continue learning from the mistakes of others in the past so we may not make the same mistakes in the future. “When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.” Ezekiel 33:13. We do not know if Owen Crosier ever repented in the end of his life. We do know that he did not return and take up his membership with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Only God is judge and may God be merciful to each and every one of us, is our prayer.
