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. [77] Kenney, Wilford Woodruffs Journal, 1:32930. They ran out of provisions and became so weak they couldnt continue, so they held a council and prayed to know where to hunt. 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. Many of the Saints were converts who had sung hymns before. [12] John Butlers escape route apparently was across northern Missouri. For the official Church websites, please visit churchofjesuschrist.org or comeuntochrist.org. Out went everything by the log, Martha said, the looking glass by a stump. That night Martha, soon to give birth, became ill, so Daniel rigged up a bed frame made of forked sticks and rope strands, and then drove in the frozen ground four six-foot poles topped by cross poles, hung quilts all around, and left openings at the bottom so the heat of the log fire would shine in to keep them warm. Far West Saints met in a public meeting on January 26 to consider measures to expedite the move out of state, given the seeming impossibility of moving in consequence of the extreme poverty of many.[29] A seven-man committee was appointed to find out how many needed help and how much help members could give to those in need. Those refer to the meter used in the hymn text. [Isaac] Streator, Feb. 22, 1839, in Eliza R. Snow Letter from Missouri, BYU Studies 13 (Summer 1973): 549. [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. All the same, she continued to have a testimony of his role as a prophet and she carried out her duties faithfully. [72] Roberts, Comprehensive History, 2:3. On February 19 or 20, Joseph Smiths parents, Joseph Sr. and Lucy, finally joined the exodus. It is possible that polygamy would have come more easily if it had not been added to an already extraordinary number of other trials and if she had not been the first wife to face it in the Church. They took what scanty provisions we could muster. They walked and slept under the sky. Bushman, Richard L., and Jed Woodworth. Aroet Hale said a Mr. Stilson employed his father. Quincy, he said, was full of memberseven though Saints were scattering out from there almost constantly. Events of the 1838 Mormon War soon escalated, resulting in Joseph's surrender and imprisonment by Missouri officials. 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). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. When one was unable to find employment, she hired Jane Manning herself. . Their numbers exceed 5,000 peoplewithout any means and literally beggarsto be thrust upon the charities of Illinois, Iowa, or Wisconsin. Joseph Holbrook, thirty-two, said his wife Nancy had verry poor health that fall and winter because of being exposed to inclement weather by having to remove from place to place as our house had been burned and we were yet left to seek a home whenever our friends could accommodate us and for my safety. Saints in flourishing condition but a few months before, he said, were now destitute. 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]. Emma crossed the ice carefully, walking apart from the wagon. Nov. 10, 2014. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Levi Ward Hancock continued as a President of the Seventy, marched to California in the Mormon Battalion, was a pioneer in Manti and southern Utah, and served as a patriarch. Mormons believe family life continues after death. [22] William Huntington Diary, 7; Lyndon W. Cook, Joseph C. Kingsbury: A Biography (Provo, UT: Grandin Book, 1985), 61. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". [108] The extended Knight familys losses were at least $14,562, or about $320,000 in todays currency. Heres what they have planned, Why the Christian flag can fly on this government flagpole, Breaking the fast: Eid ul-Fitr is an occasion of peace, The unique stories and struggles of Latino Muslims, The Black church, religious freedom and gay rights. It is fairly well known that these twins were adopted by Emma and Joseph as infants shortly after their own set of newborn twins died. The mormon church is excellent with marketing, so many assume it's just a slightly strange but happy family filled religion. Its an improvement that shes discussed at all. Linda requested and was granted a meeting with some general authorities, including Dallin Oaks, to discuss the ban and discover what aspects of the book had been found objectionable. [20] [76] They moved in with Judge John Cleveland and his Latter-day Saint wife, Sarah, four miles east of Quincy. Are Joseph and Emma Smiths descendants Latter-day Saints? [72] It is about 130 miles upriver from St. Louis and 45 miles directly south of where Nauvoo now is. Emmas life was a complex one. Emma died in Nauvoo on April 30, 1879, at age 75. She had no example to follow and no real support group, as later women would have. Triggered by Missouri governor Lilburn Boggss October 1838 extermination order against them, some ten thousand Saints engaged in a mass exodus, many going to Quincy, Illinois. [96] Manuscript History of Brigham Young, Church History Library, 28. They lived with his family and then with hers for a time. It does not store any personal data. and P.M. refer to at the beginning of each hymn? But fairly soon after that the Saints were asked to leave Jackson County, so the new temple didn't get built. 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. Later, when Brigham Young was the prophet, the practice would be refined so that the first wife had to approve each subsequent wife, but as we also see in the Bible, refinements of new practices often come over time as prophets continue to pray for guidance. The following article was originally publishedin December 2015. She was baptized for the dead on behalf of her mother and sister. Brigham interpreted Emma's refusal to answer as an admission of guilt.. 3 The process, like so many other endeavors in her life, In 1888 a Lyman Wight cabin was the only building standing in Ahman, and by 1970 it was totally gone.[124]. Illinois law at the time held that no church could hold more than ten acres of property, and so much of the church's properties were held in Joseph's name. He looked at Emma Smith's decision to remain in Nauvoo through the eyes of a therapist. Yet I knew little of these things, for our branch of the family was far removed from our Smith heritage. Five reasons best explain why Saints moved during winter conditions: (1) by January, armed patrols were showing up and threatening the Saints, so in the January 26 public meeting the people agreed to begin moving immediately; (2) the Saints had been told that Joseph Smith would not be released from prison until they all had left Missouri, so the sooner that happened, the better;[39] (3) individuals were running out of food and supplies; (4) in February, Far West experienced some stretches of weather that seemed favorable for traveling; and (5) wagons going to Illinois and then returning to take others needed four to six weeks to make the two trips before the late March deadline. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". He had no steady occupation and was involved intensely with religion. And where shall they be sent? the newspaper asked. However, she had to wait for two months before she was confirmed, as Joseph was arrested the next day for his preaching about the Book of Mormon. Until that time, Emma had been largely written out of official LDS history. Emma Smith The essentialeven phenomenalrole Emma played in bringing forth the Book of Mormon has been re-examined on many fronts. Emmas role in Mormon history is as enigmatic as ever. . [1] William G. Hartley, Almost Too Intolerable a Burthen: The Winter Exodus from Missouri, 18381839, Journal of Mormon History 18 (Fall 1992): 640. Your email address will not be published. [51] Ronald K. Esplin, The Emergence of Brigham Young and the Twelve in Mormon Leadership, 18301841 (PhD diss., Brigham Young University, 1981), 370; Times and Seasons, September 1840, 165. Accordingly, our goods were taken out. They waited until another team came for them. [35], On February 11 the committee accepted applications for assistance, and the next day they appointed Theodore Turley to superintend the management of the teams provided for removing the poor. The plan was for some wagons to go east, unload passengers and belongings at the Mississippi, and then return empty to help others move out. Bishop Partridge felt the poor could be better served if scattered in various communities and not gathered in one place. Three or four Latter-day Saint families lived in his houses adjoining the Butlers, and the man treated them all with kindness, which seemed a new thing to us, John confessed. They reached the bank of the Mississippi in eight days and found the river frozen over. Delewski thinks she may have been the most promising of the Hale children because she had a rare additional year of schooling. Did Emma Smith leave the LDS Church? The Thomases complied. I, 29 December 1833 to 31 December 1840 (Midvale, UT: Signature Books, 1983), 322. Winter exposure and food shortages in Caldwell County and during exodus caused health problems for many and a host of deaths during 1839. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. [4], November 1 brought heartbreak for all Saints in Far West. [39] Joseph Holbrook said that Saints understood that if the Church would make haste and move as fast as possible it would [do] much to the relieve our brethren who were now in jail as our enemies were determined to hold them as hostages until the church left the state so that every exertion was made in the dead of the winter to remove as fast as possible (Life of Joseph Holbrook, 46). She said she was sorry to see the Mormons suffer so much and be driven from their homes. Its seven members, soon expanded to eleven, agreed to move first the families of the Presidency and of the other prisoners. [73], Church members living in Quincy and nearby tried to help the refugees when they crossed the river. That is her divine mission. . In the meantime, Emma assumed that because these men represented the Twelve they acted on direct orders from Brigham. So, he said, Sold my cook stove and the only cow the mob had not killed. With that money he hired a man with a team to drive him, Lydia, and their three children east. Mormon Church Admits Founder Joseph Smith Had Up To 40 Wives : The Two-Way : NPR. Mormon women have the specific responsibility to be righteous daughters of God; good, faithful wives; and loving mothers. 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. [111] Starting with this poem, Eliza R. Snow published a total of eighteen poems in the Quincy Whig during the 183941 period. Why did God ask Emma Smith to accept the plates? [122] James Galligher Petition in Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions, 218. Her funeral was held May 2, 1879, in Nauvoo with RLDS Church minister Mark Hill Forscutt preaching the sermon. On two additional occasions she was driven from her home at the threat of her life.". . The exodus from Missouri generated a rich store of documents and records. Was also Governor of Utah Territory from February 3, 1851 to April 12, 1858. 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. Mobbers shot cows while girls were milking them. Mental and emotional scars. [120] Levi W. Hancock petition in Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions, 225. . by Terrie Lynn Bittner | May 3, 2013 | Joseph Smith | 2 comments. 5 How old was Emma Smith when Joseph Smith died? "Joseph did not marry a wilting violet," Delewski said. Also there were Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith, who were soon to be ordained as Apostles. 1) Formal Dress. Joseph was susceptible to vomiting anyway. In order to understand this, we need to look at her personality and what she experienced prior to the death of Joseph.". We have to look at her entire life, not just one portion of it. Baggage filled the wagon, so Martha and Caroline sometimes took turns riding next to Abraham, the driver, while the other walked with and carried children. I fitted up a small wagon, procured a span of ponies, and sent my Wife and three children, in company with Bro. [62] After a night of rain, which changed to snow and covered the ground in the morning, she said, we thawed our tent which was stiffly frozen, by holding and turning it alternately before a blazing fire, until it could be folded for packing, and, while we all shivered and shook with cold, we started. Sun melted the snow, increasing the depth of the mud and rendering travel almost impossible. By primitive Missouri roads, the distance from Far West to Quincy was about 180 miles. What does the L.M., C.M. Emma Smith had so much on her plate, so its inspiring to learn how she was willing to contribute to the growth of the Church while she was dealing with everything else. She endured the jeering and insults of mobs. . Ever since the Prophet Joseph died as a martyr in Carthage, Illinois, some Latter-day Saints have felt disappointment that Joseph's wife Emma did not go with the Church in the westward exodus of the Saints in 1846-47. After the church dispersed in 1844, those folks who did not head west with Brigham Young kind of scattered until April 6, 1860 when Joseph's son, Joseph Smith III, was ordained prophet-president (Hence the name Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of LDS) The church did not bring into our beliefs doctrines dealing with the practice of secret . [11] Charles C. Rich, A Sketch that I was an eye witness to in the state of Missouri, holograph, Charles C. Rich Papers, Church History Library, Salt Lake City. She worked hard to support his mission. Emma certainly made errors in judgment, as do we all. Five of her children survived to adulthood: Julia, Joseph III, Freddie, Alexander and David Hyrum. Susan Easton Black and Charles D. Tate Jr. (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1993), 27184. 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. Church leaders told fugitive Charles C. Rich to flee north into the wilderness and take all that I Could find of the Brethren that was in the Crooked river Battle. So he and others left Far West at midnight on November 1. It was difficult, dramatic, sometimes harrowing, and only partly organized. The last words out of Emmas mouth when she died were Joseph. She would smile with her lips, but to me, as small as I was, I never saw the brown eyes smile. Emma Smith was born in 1804 in Pennsylvania. This was exactly what she had tried to institute herself as a theological agent in her own right, so much so that when the Reorganization was founded in the 1860s she declared that Joseph had never been married to anyone but herself. [124] Berrett and Parkin, Sacred Places: Missouri, 329, 402, 411. Fanny lived in the Smiths' house with Emma, which caused much tension. Delewski is a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of experience working in mental health. 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. He could find no way to bring the Butlers wagon across the river, so he spent the night with his family. On March 5, Bishop Edward Partridge reported in Quincy that ice had been running for three days so that no one could cross the Mississippi. The CES Director apparently never got around to responding. Mormon Church Admits Founder Joseph Smith Had Up To 40 Wives : The Two-Way The Church of Latter-day Saints never denied polygamy was part of its history. It was the anniversary of the death of the twins she lost in Kirtland. Samuel said they traveled the most secluded route they could find. The biography was an instant commercial success, selling out its first two printings. 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. Then three hundred militiamen escorted them away to face trial and prison. There are several reasons Emma stayed in Nauvoo after Joseph Smith's death, but a few in particular stand out. A painting by C. C. A. Christensen, Exodus of the Saints from Missouri, is the only depiction the author has seen of winter exodus experience. On February 19 the committee sent Charles Bird to visit Caldwell County and William Huntington Far West to determine how many families still needed assistance to move and to solicit means to help them. Caroline went ahead and brought back some elders from a camp ahead to give Martha and Keziah blessings. [16] Baugh, A Call to Arms, 395; Reed Peck Manuscript, 29. The author analyzes such factors as social/political issues, gender, race . On the anniversary of her birth, which. It was that she hated polygamy and flatly refused to countenance its presence among the Mormon people. In fact, he generally took another man with him or even asked a father or brother to approach the woman. The Saints persecution in several states and then expulsion by order of a state governor helps explain why they obtained a charter for a self-defensive city-state in Nauvoo with the Nauvoo Legion; why some Saints justified retaliation against persecutors; why many gladly exited the United States and headed toward Mexican territory in 1846; and why many Saints, if not the Church, expressed distaste for judges, courts, deputies, the federal army during the Utah War, and antipolygamy laws.