Is probably the most famous Latter Day Saint polygamist with 55 wives. All Rights Reserved. [26] Hartley, My Best for the Kingdom, 8586. LDS Church History documents that their mormon founder, Joseph Smith, lied to a large group of people about his having multiple wives. I being barefooted and the ice so rough, I staggered all over.
Why Did Emma Smith Remain in Nauvoo after the Death of Joseph Smith? 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. Then on November 5 and 6, 1999, a Quincy History Symposium honored the citys humanitarian efforts for Saints who fled Missouri. He told her that the judgments of God would come upon her forthwith if she did not repent. . [126] Hartley, How Shall I Gather? Ensign, October 1997, 517. And when people say she was wrong for remaining in Nauvoo, they are implying they know what she should have done," Richard Delewski said at the Sunstone Symposium on Aug. 13. For example, in the support materials for the Joseph Smith manual, polygamy is once again nowhere mentioned. the Gospel Doctrine manual for church history. In fact, he generally took another man with him or even asked a father or brother to approach the woman. The second day we had to cross a long prairie, and were not able to reach the settlement. . Her love for Joseph was still quite deep, as was her love for her children.". Im interested in seeing which traditions she drew from. Leaders compiled these petitions and affidavits and presented them three times, possibly four, to U.S. president Martin Van Buren and to Congress, but the federal government refused to act on them.[109]. William G. Hartley, The Saints Forced Exodus from Missouri, in Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer, ed. 1 She had been promised in her 1830 revelation: "Thy time shall be given to writing, and to learning much." 2 She probably gathered hymns from her hometown newspaper as well as other papers and denominational hymnals. Many found refuge not only in Quincy but throughout Adams County and all over western Illinois. You might notice something a bit surprisingtheres no musical notation! Quincys compassion, noted historian Richard E. Bennett, saved the saints as a people and may even have saved the Church as an institution.[88], Assigned by the Committee of Removal, David Rogers visited Jackson County on March 15, sold Church properties, raised some $2,700, and brought the funds to Far West by mid-April. [12] John Butlers escape route apparently was across northern Missouri. According to historian Richard Bushman, Joseph saw polygamy simply as a way to join families together for eternity. The first night, our wagon tipped over into the creek. Joseph Smiths parents. At the same time, much of the Church's debt was held by Joseph as a private citizenthus, Emma was liable for Joseph/the Church's debts, but had a less clear claim on the Church's lands that Joseph held as Trustee-in-Trust.[3]. This most likely caused people to behave differently than they might have in gentler circumstances. Their hospitality stemmed more from pity than anything else. Extermination order not rescinded for 137 years. And Brigham, his relationship with Emma strained at best, did not bother to separate the inflammatory rhetoric of Babbitt's letters from the less dramatic probabilities. 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. [7], The shortest way out of state was to go north sixty to eighty miles into unsettled regions of present-day Iowa. [76] They moved in with Judge John Cleveland and his Latter-day Saint wife, Sarah, four miles east of Quincy. Joseph and Emma Smith's sorrow over this matter was, for the most part, very private, according to Delewski. . More than 1,400 descendants of 1839 exiled Mormons came to Quincy and, attired like pioneers, represented their ancestors and walked across the Memorial Bridge to reach Quincy from Missouri. 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. The comfortable and peaceful life she had led as a girl had done little to prepare her for this new life, but she faced it with faith. Because Joseph Smith was in prison during the exodus, attention focuses here on Joseph Smith's parents, his wife Emma, Elders Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, and four selected families: the John and Caroline Butler family, the Newel and Lydia Knight family, the Daniel and Martha Thomas family, and the Levi and Clarissa Hancock family. However, she was never really an active member of that church, nor did she become active in any other church. June 1831 "As a therapist, based on these words alone, I would have to say, 'Why would anyone even ask why she remained in Nauvoo?' Brigham Young University "Joseph did not marry a wilting violet," Delewski said. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. They ran out of provisions and became so weak they couldnt continue, so they held a council and prayed to know where to hunt. With discomfort on both sides, she soon found herself outside the mainstream of the church. A decision to continue to gather. They numbered twelve families with more than sixty souls, having surnames of Knight, DeMille, Peck, Slade, Culver, and Stringham.
How come Joseph Smith's wife, Emma, joined the RLDS church instead of Emma: Because it was the price of faith. A few visitors from Brigham Young's faction of the Latter-day Saints came from Utah Territory to visit Smith at this house.
What Is the CES Letter? - Saints Unscripted [117] Benjamin F. Johnson observed that during the rest of 1839 in the Nauvoo area, the people had flocked in from the terible exposures of the past and Nearly every one was Sick with intemitant or other fevers of which many diedIn this time of great Sickness poverty & death.[118] Henry Jackson claimed the Marchs Stormy blasts of Snow & rain so affected his Sight that he was not able to work.[119] The exodus caused considrable sickness for the Levi Hancock family.[120] Mosiah Hancock, the boy who had crossed the Mississippi ice barefoot, was an emaciated lad for many months. If Brigham Young had one constant character trait, it was his absolute faithfulness to Joseph Smith. Hi Nathan, thanks for your interest in Emma Smiths hymnbook! 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. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. In July 1830 the Lord outlined her mission, in a revelation: Thou art an elect lady, whom I have called. A woman living in a nearby house ran to find out what was wrong. See discussion in Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery. Emma Hale Smith Bidamon (July 10, 1804 - April 30, 1879) was an American homesteader, the first wife of Joseph Smith, and a prominent leader in the early days of the Latter Day Saint movement, both during Smith's lifetime and afterward as a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church). 6 What did Lucy Mack Smith say about Emma Smith? What does the L.M., C.M. These souls, by and large, were poor, bedraggled, and sickly.
Lewis C. Bidamon - Wikipedia Add an RSC shortcut to this device's Homescreen, In the menu, scroll past any icons and tap. Delewski thinks she may have been the most promising of the Hale children because she had a rare additional year of schooling. a much-debated stair-pushing catfight with Eliza R. Snow.
Emma Smith - Wikipedia Events unfolded rapidly, with men from the neighboring towns staging raids on Nauvoo, trying to once again, drive out the Saints and claim their. Provo, UT 84602 But only three of the two dozen adults in Knight family network faltered. Sorry about that! 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. John P. Greene reported that during the months of February and March, the Mormons who were already in Quincy, formed a committee among themselves, to aid to the best of their power the committee of Far West in giving assistance to their suffering brethren. She was often anxious and sad, but she coped. Emma's brothers and sisters were all named after family members, either on her mother's side or her father's. I asked my mother one day, why don't Grandma laugh with her eyes like you do, and my mother said because she has a deep sorrow in her heart. When pressed, Lindas bishop admitted he had received a similar call. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Accordingly, our goods were taken out. They waited until another team came for them.
Why (and how) Were Latter-day Saints Forced Out of Jackson County 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. The lack of a legal will placed both the Church and Emma's family in uncertain financial conditions. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. [45] The Mosiah Hancock Journal (Salt Lake City: reprint by Pioneer Press, n.d.), 11. [108] The extended Knight familys losses were at least $14,562, or about $320,000 in todays currency. [28] Greene, Expulsion of the Saints from Missouri, 8. A stone weighing about a ton was rolled to the southeast corner of the site. Jeremy made the Letter available online. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Smith came and consecrated the Temple Lot in June 1831. Social conversation and discretion were traits for which she was well-known. Minute Book 1, 14 Sept. 1835; Joseph Smith III, "Last Testimony of Sister Emma," Saints' Herald, 1 Oct. 1879, 289; "Hale, Emma," in Black, Membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-1848, 19:846; Newell and Avery, Mormon Enigma, 57; Cook, Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 37. One Latter-day Saint and two Missourians were killed. [82] Bennett, Quincythe Home of Our Adoption, 92. [80] The Mormons, Quincy Whig, March 2, 1839. Some church members inappropriately rejected her because of her rejection of polygamy and her outspokenness on the subject. They pulled out of Far West on February 18, leaving behind a house and farm. You may be able to get in touch with someone who can answer that question here: Joseph Smith PapersContact Us. [59] Hartley, My Best for the Kingdom, 90. [4], November 1 brought heartbreak for all Saints in Far West. [1] William G. Hartley, Almost Too Intolerable a Burthen: The Winter Exodus from Missouri, 18381839, Journal of Mormon History 18 (Fall 1992): 640. But fairly soon after that the Saints were asked to leave Jackson County, so the new temple didn't get built. I now saw my little daughter, Nancy Jane, for the first time about two months old. appoint the oldest of those of the Twelve, who were first appointed, to be the president of your quorum., Brigham Young was the senior Apostle, hence the presiding Church officer on the ground. To reach safety in Illinois, the closest state, they had to cross the broad Mississippi River, and Quincy had ferryboat facilities. Today, the world is divided into two, torn apart on whether or not to believe the story due to the lack of evidence. They appear, so far as we have seen, to be a mild, inoffensive people, who could not have given cause for the persecution they have met with. City leaders and residents suddenly had to deal with a humanitarian crisis thrust upon them. She made an understandable effort to keep some of the property and this put her at odds with Brigham Young, since it was unclear which of those properties belonged to the church and which to her. Her judgment lies in God's hands, not in ours or Brigham Young's. First in Ohio and then three times in Missouri, they had practiced starting over. I am blown away at how single-handedly he is responsible for the majority of what we know about the Nauvoo years and the very adventurous last few years of Joseph Smith's life. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. While living at the Morley farm near Kirtland, Emma Smith gives birth to twins, who die shortly after birth. The temple site has been salvaged and given modern landscaping, but no houses remain. Taking a direction shown him by the Spirit, Samuel and two others found a wigwam where an Indian woman baked cakes for all the company. 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Snow was six inches deep. As one said, those who moved during the winter traveled in colde weather thinly clad and porly furnished with provisions.[40] Women without their husbands had harder times of it than those with husbands. This website is not owned by or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). [99] At that point the Saints exodus from Missouri was finished, and Governor Boggss extermination order had basically succeeded in removing Saints from northwest Missouri. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Winter exposure and food shortages in Caldwell County and during exodus caused health problems for many and a host of deaths during 1839. 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.. ", Delewski said, "If someone with Emma's experience came to me, I would talk about these deaths and see what effects sorrow had had upon her. Anti-Mormons had vowed to keep that ceremony from happening. He raised his hand and stopped me saying Hush, Hush. Huntington said that Joseph had come by ferryboat about 8:00 a.m. and was drest in an old pair of boots full of holes, pants torn, tucked inside of boots, blue cloak with collar turned up, wide brim black hat, rim sloped down, not been shaved for some time, looked pale & haggard. Dimick asked if he wished to see his father and mother, but Joseph wanted to see Emma and the children first. The religion rapidly gained converts, and Smith set up . The episode seems to have been a family quarrel between Joseph and Emmatwo mortals living in something of a fishbowl, under enormous pressures and strains. [85] William Cahoon, Autobiography, in Susan Easton Black, QuincyA City of Refuge, 73, n. 34. Bidamon married Nancy Sebree in 1827, with whom he had four children. When morning came, he and Abraham Smoot crossed to Quincy, leaving their families with the wagon. Josephs death occurred on 27 June 1844. [29] Smith, History of the Church, 3:249. The five Apostles who were presentBrigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, John E. Page, and John Taylorordained Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith as Apostles and two men who had just been liberated from the Richmond prison, Darwin Chase and Norman Shearer, as Seventies. And the last words out of Brighams mouth, and he died before Emma, were Joseph,' Elggren said. [120] Levi W. Hancock petition in Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions, 225. The Saints exodus from Nauvoo took place a year and a half later, leaving Emma, a 41-year-old widow, with her aged mother-in-law, Lucy Mack Smith, and five children, ranging in age from fourteen years to fifteen months old, to care for. Emma Hale Smith Bidamon passed away in Nauvoo on April 30, 1879 , and is buried next to Joseph. [90], By mid-April, the mobs lost patience with the Saints still in Caldwell County. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". While at LDS Living, she particularly enjoyed diving into the past and writing articles about little-known Church history stories or the Salt Lake Temple, though she wrote about a variety of topics. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Emma, as she often did, was searching the home for Joseph when he and a girl were missing. Also, three men were sent to locate possible settlement sites up the Mississippi River in Illinois. She would leave her parents in 1830, never to see them again as she and her family were forced to move from place to place to avoid persecution and violence. Anson Call.
Emma Hale Smith - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [5] Meanwhile, a militia force headed to Adam-ondi-Ahman, made the Mormons there surrender, and on November 10 gave them ten days to relocate to Far West or elsewhere in Caldwell County. Her family had a fair amount of money. Hundreds still lacked the means to leave. She stood by her husband even when they faced strains in their marriage. Aroet Hale said a Mr. Stilson employed his father. Both routes merged southwest of the town of Palymra, twenty miles south of Quincy. Brigham Young, remembering the covenant he asked the Saints in Far West to make to help move those in need, had members similarly covenant when preparing to leave Nauvoo for the West. [34] Smith, History of the Church, 3:255. Required fields are marked *. Their first twenty miles was through snow six inches deep. Brigham Young and his family, with several others, Kimball said. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. 5 How old was Emma Smith when Joseph Smith died? The Knight family. Why did Emma Smith leave the LDS Church? . So, what materials that existed were unfair or inaccurate. [111] Starting with this poem, Eliza R. Snow published a total of eighteen poems in the Quincy Whig during the 183941 period. The animosity toward Emma Smith after the death of Joseph Smith quickly became evident. She endured the jeering and insults of mobs. 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. As was common in their day, the early Saints sang the printed lyrics to familiar tunes. These were the top four reasons for leaving the LDS Church: "I studied church history and lost my belief" (39% primary factor, 81% moderate to strong factor); "I lost faith in Joseph Smith" (39% primary, 84% mod-strong); "I ceased to believe in the church's doctrine/theology" (38% primary, 87% mod-strong); Church Service When Joseph returned to Harmony, he received a revelation for Emma, now known as Doctrine and Covenants 25, calling her an elect lady and encouraging her to comfort and support Joseph in his afflictions. Emma Smith was born in 1804 in Pennsylvania and had unusual opportunities for a girl in her time. [20] The CES Director asked Jeremy to send him a list of issues that had caused him to lose his faith, with the intention of helping him out. [91] On April 18, when a group of anti-Mormons found him at the public square, they threatened to blow his brains out and tried to ride over him with their horses. "Women felt comfortable leaving their children in the church nursery across the hall," she writes, "because the caregivers passed background checks, earned a fair wage, and had a well-managed. Emma certainly made errors in judgment, as do we all. Emma died in Nauvoo on April 30, 1879, at age 75. But the youngest wife sealed to Smith was only 14 years old when she married him . [72] Roberts, Comprehensive History, 2:3. Young put on board some of his goods into the wagon carrying the Knights, and both families resumed their journeys.
Mormon Church Admits Founder Joseph Smith Had Up To 40 Wives Samuel said they traveled the most secluded route they could find. Shortly after Joseph's brother, William, was born in 1811, the Smiths moved to the small community of West Lebanon, New Hampshire. Who was the oldest president of the LDS Church? [60] Eliza R. Snow to Esqr. [101] Cited in Baugh, We Took Our Change of Venue, 52.
William E. McLellin - Mormonism, The Mormon Church, Beliefs, & Religion Here Samuel had hired a house and we moved into it, with four other families.[53]. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. In Daviess County on Caldwell Countys north side, Saints had begun building about 150 log houses at Adam-ondi-Ahman, and as many as 1,500 Saints in total lived in Daviess County. . She had a home and her children and she just had to carry on the best she could. Thomass version is in E. Kay Kirkham, Daniel Stillwell Thomas, Utah Pioneer of 1849, bound typescript, 26; wife Martha Pane Jones Thomass version in Kate Woodhouse Kirkham, ed., Daniel Stillwell Thomas Family History, bound typescript, n.d., n.p., 25; copies in authors possession. The Apostles group arrived at Far West soon after midnight on April 26. Joseph was susceptible to vomiting anyway. Your email address will not be published. While her brothers and sisters attended only the traditional grammar school, Emma went on to do an extra year of schooling beyond that. [84] William Cahoon noted that a family named Travis offered him employment;[85] Mr. Travis also hired refugee Truman Angell to frame a barn.
Joseph Smith - Wikipedia Delewski is a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of experience working in mental health. She had to provide for the family after being deprived of the corn they had grown on their farm, which vigilantes had prevented them from harvesting. [114] Close Friends as Witnesses: Joseph Smith and the Joseph Knight Families, in Joseph Smith: The Prophet, the Man, ed. [31], William Huntington headed up a Committee of Removal. Joseph Smiths parents tried to leave early in February, but Lucy said, Just as we got our goods into the waggon, a man came to us and said, that Sidney Rigdons family were ready to start, and must have the waggon immediately. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. He covered Joseph Smith's reluctance for years to keep this commandment of the Lord and how it was also very difficult for Emma Smith. Mormons believe family life continues after death. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". [88] Richard E. Bennett, Quincythe Home of Our Adoption, 101. Moroni first instructed Joseph to enlist his oldest brother, Alvin, to help him recover the plates. I could have commanded some two thousand dollars but now I had only 1 yoke of old oxen and 2 cows left.[20], Two families moved in with Newel Knights family. That larger move was led by Brigham Young and other Apostles whose first tutorial about moving a mass of people came during the Missouri exodus. https://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/HTML/what_is_meter.htm. [58], The Butlers and Smoots reached the Mississippi on March 10 or 11. In April 1839, Eliza R. Snow wrote a poem titled To the Citizens of Quincy to thank Ye noble, genrous hearted Citizens.[111] It was published on page 1 of the Quincy Whig on May 11, 1839. To add an RSC website shortcut to your home screen, open the website in the Safari browser. In the meantime, Emma assumed that because these men represented the Twelve they acted on direct orders from Brigham. For your free copy of the Bible, go to Free Holy Bible and for a free Book of Mormon, go to Free Book of Mormon, Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Emma was a significant part of the church while her husband was alive. Sister Emma cried and said that they [thieves] had taken all of her bed clothes, except one quilt and blanket, and what could she do? So Caroline and other sisters told Emma to send hers to Joseph, which she did, and they gave her replacement bedding for her family. Under these conditions, one could reasonably conclude that she did not travel west in order to avoid losing any more of her children. She comforted other women, instructed them, and helped them to build their own faith. He finally broke with all organized religion. Sidney Rigdon had been released in January. There can be no question, though, that she made sacrifices far beyond what most Mormons would be asked to make, and that she experienced more than her fair share of suffering. Did Emma Smith leave the LDS Church? Print. They developed communities, farms, roads, livestock herds, commerce, and trade in parts of Adam and Hancock counties, Illinois, and in Lee County, Iowa. A few days later, the horses ran away. [49] Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery, Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1984), 79. [18] Diaries of William Huntington, typescript, in Miscellaneous Mormon Diaries, vol.
Latter-day Saint historian looks at 'complicated' life of Emma Smith But the way Emmas story is carefully sculpted reveals as much about gender expectations and religious norms in our own era as it did when Brigham Young declared her mormona non grata. There are several reasons Emma stayed in Nauvoo after Joseph Smith's death, but a few in particular stand out. After Brigham Young assumed a leadership role, he and his supporters considered Joseph Smith's physical property as property of the church. One of her grandchildren, Emma Belle Smith Kennedy, wrote: "Her eyes were brown and sad. "There's an image for you: a dark-haired 23-year-old woman racing down a country road, her hair probably flying in the wind, in order to notify her husband of an impending emergency," Delewski said. Her first three died so quickly they were not even named. She moved from Pennsylvania to New York to Ohio to Missouri and then Illinois. However, President Young advised the Saints to gather in order to help each other better. Among the stories are: Hidden Mormonism in Orson Scott Card's fiction, Anti-debt diva gives outlandish money-saving ideas, "Travails and triumphs" of Mormon mommies blogging, Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. They formed the first wave of the exodus. Quincy, he said, was full of memberseven though Saints were scattering out from there almost constantly. [56], The Hammer family. The Twelve then offered kneeling prayer at the southeast cornerstone, sang Adam-ondi-Ahman, and dismissed so they could leave there for their missions to England. Bishop Partridge felt the poor could be better served if scattered in various communities and not gathered in one place. Susan Easton Black and Charles D. Tate Jr. (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1993), 27184. [50], The Young and Kimball families. Eventually, however, she encountered a trial that became more than she thought she could handle. Jeremy's response was an 84-page document that came to be known as the "CES Letter.". He went to the room where the Committee of Removal was meeting and told them to wind up affairs and be off to save their lives.
What Do We Know About Mormon Leader Joseph Smith's Wives? In intense cold, Lydia recalled, they sometimes scraped away snow beside the wagon so they could put down their beds at night. She was not perfect and made choices that seem hard for us to understand today. Emma Smith would make tremendous sacrifices for the gospel of Jesus Christ, for her husband, and for the church.