[74] Greene, Expulsion of the Saints from Missouri, 40. So adamant was Emma on this point that the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held it as an article of faith, and Emma's children never accepted the idea that Joseph had instituted plural marriage. [29] Smith, History of the Church, 3:249. Both the Church and Joseph Smith personally were heavily in debt at the time of the martyrdom. She was well-educated and taught school. This is why, according to Delewski, the movie "Emma Smith: My Story" shows her outriding Joseph Smith. Then on November 5 and 6, 1999, a Quincy History Symposium honored the citys humanitarian efforts for Saints who fled Missouri. were destroyed or lost.[92], A year earlier, Joseph Smith had received a commandment for the Twelve to leave for missions over the great waters from the Far West temple site on April 26, 1839 (Doctrine and Covenants 118). Why (and how) Were Latter-day Saints Forced Out of Jackson County She worked hard to support his mission. DVD Review: Emma Smith: My Story - Mormonism Research Ministry At Adam-ondi-Ahman they obtained provisions from fellow Saints. During November and December, Joseph C. Kingsbury and Caroline, his wife of two years, lived in a little cabin with meager provisions. [8] After eleven days travel, they reached white Settlements on the Desmoine River in Iowa. Emma and Josephs descendants grew up separated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At times he hid in members homes as he headed east. The Apostles group arrived at Far West soon after midnight on April 26. Another attraction was that unsettled lands were available in the vicinity. 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. A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Church of the Latter Day Saints was published in 1835. It would be 2 months before she could be confirmed as a member of the Church. [80] The Mormons, Quincy Whig, March 2, 1839. Alpheus Cutler placed it in position. [108] The extended Knight familys losses were at least $14,562, or about $320,000 in todays currency. Some of them are still included in the current hymnbook that was published 150 years later in 1985. The Church was already in a period of great stress and grief as people struggled to decide who the next prophet would be and they faced the realization that they were again in great danger with an uncertain future. So Levi rigged up a foot lathe and soon had two hubs turned out and built a cart. [57] Quoted in Lyman O. Littlefield, Reminiscences of Latter-day Saints (Logan, UT: Journal Company Printers, 1888), 7273. On the Joseph Smith Papers website, readers can turn through the original hymnbook page by page. [70] John Taylor, Brigham Young, Isaac Higbee, Israel Barlow, John P. Greene to Dear Brethren, March 29, 1839, at Quincy, reprinted in Kate B. Carter, comp., Our Pioneer Heritage (Salt Lake City: Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 1960), 3:122. They asked a committee of Latter-day Saints to provide them facts about the needy. Eventually, however, she encountered a trial that became more than she thought she could handle. Some participants in the Missouri exodus vented powerful feelings of anger, horror, outrage, and persecution. [125] Animosity toward Missourians by Mormons and by Missourians toward Mormons lasted for generations. "I will suggest that she didn't change. Emma was the seventh of nine children. June 1831 These hymns had a great influence on the Saints during the early days of the Church. [100] Stanley B. Kimball, The Saints and St. Louis, 18311857: An Oasis of Tolerance and Security, BYU Studies 13 (Summer 1973): 489519. As a youth she learned to canoe on the Susquehanna River and became accomplished with horses. Religious founder Joseph Smith killed by mob - HISTORY Emma Hale Smith - Mormonism, The Mormon Church, Beliefs, & Religion Here is a link to LDS.org that lists all the meters used in the hymnbook. [50], The Young and Kimball families. [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. Deseret News Archives, Deseret News Archives. [19] John P. Greene, Facts Relative to the Expulsion of the Mormons or Latter-day Saints from the State of Missouri, Under the Exterminating Order (Cincinnati: R. P. Brooks, 1839), 8. She was finally confirmed in August 1830. They left Far West on February 14. What Do We Know About Mormon Leader Joseph Smith's Wives? For example, in the support materials for the Joseph Smith manual, polygamy is once again nowhere mentioned. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Why did Emma Smith leave the LDS Church? The religion he founded continues to the present day, with millions of global adherents. She carried two children while two others hung on to her skirt. She would lose many of her children. We will look forward to reading more of your work. Richard Bushman writes of the poisoning accusation: Through the late fall and winter of 1843 and 1844, Joseph and Emma's relationship broke down only once. After Joseph Smith died, Emma Smith moved away from Nauvoo for about six months before returning. Within three weeks, the press got wind of the authors ecclesiastical silencing and began to report about itthereby tripling sales of the book. My God is it you Bro. . 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. Why did Joseph Smith marry women who were already married - LDS answers Print. 8 What did Emma Emma do for the LDS Church? My mother called my legs pipe stems, and my arms straws! he said. Health problems and deaths. Holbrook left behind his wife Nancy, who a week later gave birth to their fourth child, and three small children ages seven, five, and two. Finally, in some respects, the exodus from Missouri was a training exercise for the Saints exodus from Nauvoo seven years later. Susan Easton Black and Charles D. Tate Jr. (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1993), 27184. Twas a very cold and blustering night. They put clothes over the wagon tongue to make a tent and put their beds underneath. Is there a list anywhere of all the composers who had songs in Emmas 1835 hymnal? 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. . 5 Women Who Are Witnesses of the Physical Golden Plates Emma knew better, but she also knew that a polygamous history would not serve her needs. In September 1843, Emma was the first woman to receive the endowment. The next morning our beds were covered with snow, Lucy said, and they were unable to light a fire. 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). FAQs - Joseph Smith Jr and Emma Hale Smith Historical Society That covenant became the foundation for the Churchs emigration programs from then until 1869, producing the Perpetual Emigrating Fund in 1849, the handcart program from 1856 to 1860, and the 1860s team trains going down and back from Utah to provide transportation to Utah for emigrants in need.[126]. Shortly after Joseph's brother, William, was born in 1811, the Smiths moved to the small community of West Lebanon, New Hampshire. What a cold night that was! Mosiah recalled: The next morning the river was frozen over with icegreat blocks of frozen ice all over the river, and it was slick and clear. He also owned and rented out ten or twelve small houses he had built. Their chief settlement was Far West in Caldwell County. Many were stripped of clothing and bedding, John P. Greene reported, and many without cattle, horses, or waggons, had no means of conveyance.[28] To provide them help required leadership. According to historian Richard Bushman, Joseph saw polygamy simply as a way to join families together for eternity. He did not court the women or put his proposals in romantic terms. [107] In todays currency, that equals $52,325,000 total, or $77,000 per petitioner. Brigham Young, in danger from anti-Mormons, joined the exodus on February 14. About sixty individuals in that network restructured their everyday lives in or near Nauvoo and continued to follow Joseph Smith. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Huntington estimated that in Daviess County the Saints lost nearly thirty thousand bushels of corn because of the militia takeover. Accordingly, our goods were taken out. They waited until another team came for them. A stone weighing about a ton was rolled to the southeast corner of the site. [51] Elder Heber C. Kimball sent his family with the Youngs. About Terrie Lynn Bittner The late Terrie Lynn Bittnerbeloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friendwas the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. . There are several reasons Emma stayed in Nauvoo after Joseph Smith's death, but a few in particular stand out. Required fields are marked *. Saints gathered for a general conference on May 46 held in a Presbyterian campground two miles north of Quincy. FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While Joseph was in jail, Emma made the decision to flee with the rest of the Saints to Quincy. However, the LDS church cites Fanny as Smith's first plural wife, noting that the pair married in Kirtland, Ohio in the mid-1830s, when Smith would have been about 30 himself. They collected donations of furniture, farm implements, and money from farm sales. Despite her parents disapproval, she eventually eloped. Emma raised her as her own daughter, and Elizabeth Agnes eventually married Emma's biological son, Alexander Hale Smith. When the boy, Charles, was 4 years old, Emma took him in and raised him as her own. The way that current materials deal with the conflict with Brigham Young is . [110] Smith, History of the Church, 3:349. How others feel about her decision, Delewski said, depends upon their own knowledge and understanding. 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. Emma, however, was the only sibling not to inherit a family name. In May that year the Mormon History Association held their annual meetings there. Latter-day Saint widow Elizabeth Kendall and her family first became acquainted with Emma at the Mansion House in Nauvoo. However, the hymns Emma selected were particularly special. Mercy should be the watchwordnot blood, not extermination, not misery.. John Murdock's wife also dies after delivering twins the same day. Joseph and Emma apparently discussing the nastiness of cleaning up from cleaning up spit on the . Uncertain which policy to push, the conference voted against accepting the land offer (Journal History, February 1, 1839). On 23 December 1847, Emma Smith married Lewis Bidamon, who was not a member of the Church. 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 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). [34] Saints used existing roads as much as possible, although some took detours to avoid problems with local residents or to avoid being recognized. The story of how the word of wisdom came to be is commonly told by the church and fairly simple (see this video), Emma was tired of cleaning up the tobacco after the School of the Prophets met together in her house. "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. She wrote to him that only God knew how hard it was for her to flee her home with her children, abandoning all her possessions and leaving her husband to endure whatever was to come. They got some better, Caroline said. The old man for whom John taught school treated them generously. 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. Early Life and Marriage of Emma Smith. Then three hundred militiamen escorted them away to face trial and prison. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Bushman, Richard L., and Jed Woodworth. [13] Hartley, My Best for the Kingdom, 8284. Emma Smith, My Story Removes False Traditions Why is Emma Smith honored by the Church and its members? - Ask Gramps But fairly soon after that the Saints were asked to leave Jackson County, so the new temple didn't get built. Question: Why did Emma Smith and Brigham Young dislike one another? They were enough to wear out any woman and if she, in the end, was tired of fighting her way through life, that can be understood. [77] Kenney, Wilford Woodruffs Journal, 1:32930. . 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. In the future Brigham would have his own falling out with Babbitt and the rift would become so widely known that, when Indians killed Babbitt on the Western plains in 1856, Eastern newspapers erroneously reported that Brigham had ordered him killed. Snow was six inches deep. "Every symptom of poison," Richards noted in Joseph's diary. To fulfill their instruction, some members of the Twelve left Quincy on April 18, 1839, to travel secretly to Far West. When I reflect on how I found the gospel, I realize that my familys experiences informed two important pieces of my testimony. 7 Are Joseph and Emma Smiths descendants Latter-day Saints? Exmormons are told to leave quietly with their tails between their legs. She was left alone with her five children, including her adopted daughter and four sons. Her family stayed behind after the Saints went West, and Elizabeth eventually remarried, the same year that Emma remarried. In the meantime, Emma assumed that because these men represented the Twelve they acted on direct orders from Brigham. One Latter-day Saint and two Missourians were killed. William E. McLellin, apostle and apostate, died in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, April 24, 1883, and is buried in Woodlawn Municipal Cemetery of the same city. [4], November 1 brought heartbreak for all Saints in Far West. [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. Taken from The Return, typescript, 243, Perry Special Collections. 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. 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. However, she was never really an active member of that church, nor did she become active in any other church. Mental and emotional scars. [90] Diaries of William Huntington, 8; Isaac Leany Petition in Johnson, ed., Mormon Redress Petitions, 485. Under these conditions, one could reasonably conclude that she did not travel west in order to avoid losing any more of her children. https://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/HTML/what_is_meter.htm. [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. Their first twenty miles was through snow six inches deep. Another story about bleeding feet involves Nancy Hammer, whose husband Austin was murdered in the Hauns Mill Massacre a few months earlier. . Brigham also doubtless considered Emma dishonest and a liar because she continued to insist that her husband had never taught the doctrine of plural marriage. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. She was able to utilize the properties she owned to support her family, but with difficulty, particularly since she was left to cover Josephs many debts. In honor of the 175th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, LDS Living is sharing a series of articles about early Church history and some of its key figures. 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. She, in turn, was instructed by Joseph to officiate in these ordinances for the women, which she did until shortly before his martyrdom. Brigham Youngs family was also stranded at Huntsville, having too many goods for their wagon to haul. Learn about and browse the pages of the first hymnal of the Church. 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.". How come Joseph Smith's wife, Emma, joined the RLDS church instead of Given that Brigham was blamed by Emma for being the inventor of plural marriage, he probably felt rather ill-used by her. Emma Smith's Hymnbook - Latter-day Saint Insights "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. [69] Kenney, ed., Wilford Woodruffs Journal, 1:322. [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. During the vandalism spree, a great portion of the records of the committee, accounts, history, etc. 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. In fear of threats that the bodies would be stolen or desecrated, coffins filled with sandbags were used in the public funeral of the two martyrs. We are sensible, brethren, that you have done all that you could do in removing the poor Saints, they said, adding that nor have we, brethren, been backward in exerting our energies for that purpose. [4] William G. Hartley, Stand by My Servant Joseph: The Story of the Joseph Knight Family and the Restoration (Salt Lake City: Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History at Brigham Young University and Deseret Book, 2003); and William G. Hartley, Newel and Lydia Bailey Knights Kirtland Love Story and Historic Wedding, BYU Studies 39, no. Which is another way of saying that a particular view of history does not suit institutional needs in the moment. Thats likely why its content was acceptable for the Ensign nearly a century after the Church had begun distancing itself from polygamy. They reached Quincy on January 29 and found ourselves in a land of Freedom once more by the help of God and his blessings. Holbrook observed that brethren were continually coming to Quincy from the Missouri as I had done.[43] In late January, Ebenezer Robinson and three other men walked from Far West to Quincy through the snow.[44]. 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. [94], In the dark the group reached Tenneys Grove and there added to their group the last company of the poor needing help to reach Quincy. The animosity between Brigham Young and Emma had multiple grounds: personal, religious, and financial. Many people have focused almost entirely on the decisions she made in the last years of Joseph Smiths life and after his death, and sometimes those events trouble Mormons and please non-Mormons. Emma contributed "in creating a distinct identity for the church" because this hymnbook's lyrics "emphasize key tenets of the religion." Understanding how early Saints worked earnestly to build up the Church helps us better appreciate the value of their work. She compiled the first hymnbook. In the same year, Smith founded the Church of Christlater known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintsin Fayette Township. [92] Smith, History of the Church, 3:32223. Elder Young, when his life seemed in danger, left Far West for Illinois on February 14, but Elder Kimball stayed behind to help with the removals.[38]. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. At night they would build fires if they could find firewood. Many nights the floors, upstairs and down, were covered with beds so closely it was impossible to set a foot anywhere without stepping on someone elses bed.[75], Emma Smith and the children arrived on February 15. It's Official: Mormon Founder Had Up to 40 Wives He told here where she got the poison, and how she put it in a cup of coffee; said he 'You got that poison from so and so, and I drank it, but you could not kill me.' Brigham, after all, saw Emma as fighting against the man Brigham revered as the Prophet, and he knew that Emma knew that Joseph taught plural marriage. 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. 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. They lived with his family and then with hers for a time. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. It does not store any personal data. Newel Knight had a wagon but no team. . ", 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. They had fulfilled the commandment. She held on to her faith in God, in the gospel, and in Joseph Smith as a prophet throughout it all. Her financial state was precarious because there had not been a clear line between the family money and the church money, with Joseph often going into debt to help support the church. After a quick Google search, I found out that PM probably stands for peculiar meter. I hadnt heard of that before, and it isnt in the current edition of the LDS hymnbook. [90], By mid-April, the mobs lost patience with the Saints still in Caldwell County. Why I Left The Mormon Church And Why It's A Cult - Peaceful Dumpling While living at the Morley farm near Kirtland, Emma Smith gives birth to twins, who die shortly after birth. 4 How many wives did Joseph Smith have LDS? [52] Heber C. Kimball Journals, 18381839, in Porter, Brigham Young and the Twelve, 134. 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. When the two authors began piecing together Emmas life, there was only one small manila folder about her in the entire LDS Archives. Since he did father many children with Emma, parenthood was possible, but there is, at this time, no biological proof of traditional marriage relationships and the only accounts came from others, not the women or Joseph. All Rights Reserved. He finally broke with all organized religion. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Isaac Laney said the committee had moved all but thirty or forty families when armed men from Daviess County ordered him and others to be out of the County by the next Friday night which was giving us Six dayes for to do that that Requird a month. So the committee urgently hired teams and sent families to Tenneys Grove, twenty miles away, with a minimum of personal belongings. Whats especially interesting to me about the unfolding historiography of Emma Smith is that she herself would have been happy with the disappearance of polygamy and Josephs other wives from Mormonisms official party line. "Remember, Emma was a woman of refinement and education. Both screamed loudly, and Caroline ran back to aid them. Joseph Smith did not have a Will but like today when the husband dies the surviving spouse is still entitled to a certain part of her husband's assets as defined by law, even without a will; but Emma would still have to go through court probate to obtain these assets.