to ignore it entirely. Jeremy made the Letter available online. 5 Women Who Are Witnesses of the Physical Golden Plates Delewski shared many of the words used to describe Emma: "Quick wit and pleasant personality," "intelligence," "fearless integrity," "kindness of heart," "discretion," "benevolent," "hospitable," "motherly in nature to young people," "very high-spirited," "dignified," "courage," "zeal," "patience," "no gossiper," "commanding presence" and "innate refinement.". Nontraditional. Exmormons are told to leave quietly with their tails between their legs. He sealed that witness with his life. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In May that year the Mormon History Association held their annual meetings there. These include the petitions for redress, prison letters, other correspondence, diaries, autobiographies and memoirs, pamphlets, newspaper articles, and a mass of official Missouri government records. She was finally confirmed in August 1830. The animosity toward Emma Smith after the death of Joseph Smith quickly became evident. I fitted up a small wagon, procured a span of ponies, and sent my Wife and three children, in company with Bro. First, Emma had intense anxiety over the protection of Joseph's and Hyrum's bodies. I'll share specifics later, but I wanted to share some excellent resources for all of you to dive into to read and listen to church history from Clayton himself. They restarted on February 14 and reached the Mississippi two weeks later, on March 1, where they camped and waited for more than a week.[47]. That is a great question! This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Mormons believe family life continues after death. Some sneaked southward to the Missouri River and took boat passage to St. Time and again, she was uprooted, often without warning and frequently without time to pack her belongings. [2] Leland H. Gentry, A History of the Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri, from 1836 to 1839 (PhD diss., Brigham Young University, 1965), 27385; Stephen C. LeSueur, The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1987), 15053. When one was unable to find employment, she hired Jane Manning herself. Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805 - June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and the founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement.At the age of 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon and by the time of his death, 14 years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers. In September 1843, Emma was the first woman to receive the endowment. Why (and how) Were Latter-day Saints Forced Out of Jackson County It was enough to make the heart ache to see the children, sick with colds, and crying around their mothers for food, whilst their parents were destitute of the means of making them comfortable.[21], Northwest Missouri winters can be harsh. Emma Hale Smith was the seventh of nine children. [13], During November 1838, Latter-day Saint settlements in Caldwell and Daviess counties endured a military occupation. The Church News asked Church historians to answer the question "What should Church members know about Emma Hale Smith?" Here's what they had to say: When the time came for Joseph Smith to retrieve the golden plates hidden in ancient times by an angela book today called the Book of Mormonshe went with him, praying at the wagon while he went to open the box. A woman should give her greatest priority to her home: her husband, her family, and the opportunity to child-bearing. Why I Left The Mormon Church And Why It's A Cult - Peaceful Dumpling But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. He also owned and rented out ten or twelve small houses he had built. . At Adam-ondi-Ahman, Saints in October 1838 were building about 150 log houses, but most of them were not finished by the time the Saints left. The river froze over & we were obliged to camp close to the river 3 days and nights before we could cross in the boat, 6 waggons were with us at the time.[41], By mid-January, Saints were leaving Far West daily. Is there a list anywhere of all the composers who had songs in Emmas 1835 hymnal? . Another story about bleeding feet involves Nancy Hammer, whose husband Austin was murdered in the Hauns Mill Massacre a few months earlier. Initially, when Joseph admitted to her that he had received a revelation about polygamy and was told he absolutely must carry it out, she accepted it. There are several reasons Emma stayed in Nauvoo after Joseph Smith's death, but a few in particular stand out. In a remarkable twist of irony, her version of history is increasingly the LDS Churchs as well. [58] Hartley, My Best for the Kingdom, 8790. On February 19 or 20, Joseph Smiths parents, Joseph Sr. and Lucy, finally joined the exodus. Give us employment, the Saints pleaded, rent us farms, and allow us the protection and privileges of other citizens., The Quincy citizens committee passed a resolution which said that the Saints are entitled to our sympathy and kindest regard. Any Saints who because of sickness or destitution found themselves homeless, the committee decided, should appeal directly for assistance. 40 Wives [7], The shortest way out of state was to go north sixty to eighty miles into unsettled regions of present-day Iowa. In total, these petitioners losses totaled $2,275,789an average of $3,761 per petitioner. Not six months before the death of Joseph, he called his wife Emma into a secret council, and there he told her the truth, and called upon her to deny it if she could. Emma: Because it was the price of faith. Find out how to attend either in person or virtually: The winners of the Church History Museums 12th International Art Competition have been announced, and the artwork is breathtaking. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 2011. Emma had been disappeared. A few ancient metal plates that were described as being similar to the Mormon origin were discovered by archaeologists in recent years but the golden plates havent been found yet. It's not. They left Far West on February 14. Emmas disappearance from LDS history was so total that Linda says when she and Valeen co-authored an article about her for the Ensign in 1979, it was the first writing about her to appear in any official church publication in 113 years. Some of Emmas friends, as well as many members of the Smith family, alienated themselves from Youngs followers. Survey explains reasons why Mormons leave fold The sight filled my eyes with tears, while my heart was made glad at the cheerfulness of the Saints in the midst of their affliction.[66] He visited Saints on his side of the river who were camped in a sufering Condition with Cold, rain & mud & some want of food.[67], Fugitive Joseph Holbrook, two months after leaving his expectant wife and three children back on January 20, learned of their arrival at the Mississippi River late in March. Further, the committee agreed to find employment for those able and willing to labor. "I will suggest that she didn't change. She had a lock of his hair cut and given to her. Though there probably was an argument, the poisoning accusation was unfounded. John Lowe Butler, for one, wanted his written record to stand as a witness against Missourians who were cruel to his suffering family during the exodus and earlier. [25] William F. Cahoon Petition in Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions, 15253. Her first three died so quickly they were not even named. . 3. Quincy, he said, was full of memberseven though Saints were scattering out from there almost constantly. She helped to care for Josephs mother and her mother-in-law noted that few women had endured as many trials as she had with so much grace. When we came to within six miles of the Mississippi river, the weather grew colder, and, in the place of rain we had snow and hail. They walked six miles across low and swampy ground, sinking to their ankles in mud. [96] Manuscript History of Brigham Young, Church History Library, 28. The mormon church is excellent with marketing, so many assume it's just a slightly strange but happy family filled religion. Along the way, he said he had to stop among strangers with my daughter who had given birth to a child on the prairie.[64] Elisha Whiting said his family was driven in the month of March through cold storms of snow and rain, having to make our beds on the cold wet ground which when we arose in the morning we often found drenched with water and then obliged to load our wet bedding into the waggon and move slowly forward.[65], About March 18, Wilford Woodruff, in Quincy and newly back from a mission, went to the river and looked across and saw a great many of the Saints, old and young, lying in the mud and water, in a rainstorm, without tent or covering. He looked at Emma Smith's decision to remain in Nauvoo through the eyes of a therapist. During the exodus, Truman Angells wife Elizabeth, already ill, took a cold upon cold and was expected to die. At the time of the third printing, however, Vals bishop received a call from a higher-up in Salt Lake who said that two girls had written a book about Emma Smith and were not to be invited to speak about the topic in sacrament meetings. She moved away from Nauvoo for a while to avoid danger, but eventually returned to her former home. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. He remained her companion until her death on 30 April 1879 at the age of 75 in Nauvoo. Those coming from outside Far West suffered because as John Greene wrote, we have been robbed of our corn, wheat, horses, cattle, cows, hogs, wearing apparel, houses and homes, and indeed, of all that renders life tolerable.[19] On November 9 the Missouri Republican Daily reported that the Saints situation was a case of great difficulty because they are generally poor and facing starvation. She seems, among other things, to have been worried about providing for her children, as well as protecting them from the violence which had claimed Joseph. She said she was sorry to see the Mormons suffer so much and be driven from their homes. What is the LDS divorce rate? Required fields are marked *. . Much business of consequence was accomplished during the day, Elder Woodruff noted, adding, It truly gave us great Joy to once more sit in conference with Br. Source: The Joseph Smith Paper The animosity between Brigham Young and Emma had multiple grounds: personal, religious, and financial. Many found refuge not only in Quincy but throughout Adams County and all over western Illinois. Mormon Church Admits Founder Joseph Smith Had Up To 40 Wives : The Two-Way : NPR. Innumerable able-bodied men needed jobs. If you look in the back of an LDS hymnbook, there is a whole section talking about meter as well. Emma died in Nauvoo on April 30, 1879, at age 75. . A few days later, the horses ran away. The religion rapidly gained converts, and Smith set up . A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Church of the Latter Day Saints was published in 1835. in getting one single wagon to convey beds, clothing, and provisions for our family, and luggage. 6 What did Lucy Mack Smith say about Emma Smith? . Mercy should be the watchwordnot blood, not extermination, not misery.. Fugitive John Butler, in Quincy, learned of their arrival, and he rowed across the river in a canoe, dodging ice. [100], In the morning of April 22, Dimick Huntington, at Emma Smiths request, went down to the rivers edge to inquire about news from the west, and spotted the Prophet. In History of the Church Vol. They moved into a Brother Wiswangers crowded home. Some of them are still included in the current hymnbook that was published 150 years later in 1985. So she made a deal with Abraham O. Smoot and Martha, his bride of three months. Joseph. In the middle of the 19th century it was common, according to Delewski, for a mother to lose more than one child to the birthing process or disease. He operated a large butcher shop by the river and a wholesale store by the boat landing. On four she had to move because of disruption caused by neighbors. We put our goods into the wagon a second time, but the wagon was wanted for Emma and her family, so our goods were again taken out.[48] Stephen Markham, a member of the Committee of Removal, helped Emma Smith leave on February 7. In July 1830, Joseph Smith received a revelation addressed specifically to Emma. Years later, in the anti-Emma atmosphere of Utah, Brigham Young spoke of a meeting where Joseph accused his wife of slipping poison into his coffee. When those families reached Illinois early in 1839, they were poor, worn out, and ragged looking. Donate to us by shopping at Amazon at no extra cost to you. "My belief is that the Book of Mormon is of divine authenticityI have not the slightest doubt of it," she testified in an interview she gave late in life. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". he spoke to her in that council in a very severe manner, and she never said one word in reply. 801-422-6975. In 1984, Linda wrote, with Valeen Tippetts Avery, Mormon Enigma:Emma Hale Smith, which has stood for nearly three decades as the definitive biography of Emma. She later married Major Lewis Bidamon, who had supported the Mormons during the trials, but was not a member. When the two authors began piecing together Emmas life, there was only one small manila folder about her in the entire LDS Archives. [22] Aroet Lucius Hale, age ten, recalled that while his father was helping others, My dear mother was lying sick in a wagon box in a tent.[23] James Carroll said that his family had to remain in an open frame in the Cold weather when the Snow fell in torrents and would Blow upon us in the Night and we with our Little ones would have to Crawl out of our Beds while the[y] were Coverd frequently with Snow that would blow in to the frame from the north and we had to endure it.[24] William F. Cahoon said, Both me and my family Suffred much on account of Could & hunger because we was not permitted to go out Side of the guard to obtain wood and provision.[25], After her husband John left, Caroline Butler faced three difficult tasks. The authors were alarmed, though Linda was comforted by her stake president, who told her, You are my parishioner, and I will see you through this no matter how long it takes.. Extermination order not rescinded for 137 years. They held a short conference in one of the homes and excommunicated thirty-one unworthies. In addition to the Apostles, six members of the Committee and about a dozen other members were present. [82] Lucy Smith said ladies in Quincy sent them every delicacy which the city afforded.[83] Residents proffered employment. Events of the 1838 Mormon War soon escalated, resulting in Joseph's surrender and imprisonment by Missouri officials. Every thing my family took with them out of Missouri, could have been packed on the backs of two horses; the mob took all the rest.[52]. What are various methods available for deploying a Windows application? Emma Smith played an important part in the Restoration of the gospel, and today, more than two centuries after her birth on July 10, 1804, Church members can still learn from Emma's example. They belonged to a large, extended family headed by Joseph Knight Sr., who converted to Mormonism in New York state in 1830, the year the Church was organized. President Sidney Rigdon, Bishop Edward Partridge, and a few others felt the Saints could avoid problems like the ones they had in Missouri by spreading out rather than gathering together into Latter-day Saint communities. Only his mother and sisters had shoes, but these wore out and became almost useless before they reached Illinois. He crossed the river and found some hundred of the brethren waiting for the new ferry boat to be completed, which was done the next day. [50], The Young and Kimball families. Susan Easton Black and Richard E. Bennett (Salt Lake City: Millennial Press, 2000), 134. Albert Rockwood and his family left Far West with another family on January 10. Brigham Young/Polygamy - FAIR (Later, on April 6, 1830, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be officially organized there.) After a long time, Mother Smith said, We succeeded . In fact, he generally took another man with him or even asked a father or brother to approach the woman. There was scarcely a day while we were on the road that it did not either snow or rain, son John said. What Do We Know About Mormon Leader Joseph Smith's Wives? In 1842, when the Ladies' Relief Society of Nauvoo was formed as a . While in Liberty Jail, Joseph Smith had instructed them to compile statements and affidavits about their losses and sufferings with the design of securing redress from the federal government for the losses they suffered in Missouri (Doctrine and Covenants 123:113).