[9] The men split into two groups to avoid attention. By October 1839, King Follett had his trial, and because the charges of robbery were unsubstantiated, he was set free. They reached the bank of the Mississippi in eight days and found the river frozen over. [90], By mid-April, the mobs lost patience with the Saints still in Caldwell County. Abraham agreed to drive the Butlers wagon and two-horse team for Caroline, and Caroline let the Smoots put their baggage in the Butler wagon. [49] Brother Markham then drove the wagon back to Far West to bring others out. 1) Formal Dress. These may have been given as payment for teaching. . . 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. [125] Animosity toward Missourians by Mormons and by Missourians toward Mormons lasted for generations. Terrie, you are a treasure. 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. All Rights Reserved. Smith's wives were believed to be between the ages of 20 and 40 at the time they were "sealed" or married to him. There are several reasons Emma stayed in Nauvoo after Joseph Smith's death, but a few in particular stand out. He told her that the judgments of God would come upon her forthwith if she did not repent. While locals let the suffering Saints crowd into farms, sheds, huts, and tents, they judged the refugees to be generally of the poorer and more illiterate classes.[78] On February 25, Quincy leaders met and adopted measures to provide relief. This book contains copies of the individual and group petitions and provides excellent explanations about each of the petition drives and how the petitions were used by the Church to seek redress for its members. [1] William G. Hartley, Almost Too Intolerable a Burthen: The Winter Exodus from Missouri, 18381839, Journal of Mormon History 18 (Fall 1992): 640. Her first three died so quickly they were not even named. [58] Hartley, My Best for the Kingdom, 8790. [36] Brigham H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Century I (reprint, Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 1965), 1:510511, and Smith, History of the Church, 3:26163. She was not perfect and made choices that seem hard for us to understand today. She wore it in a locket the rest of her life, even after she remarried. On two additional occasions she was driven from her home at the threat of her life.". Far West had a population by then of about five thousand Saints, and another five thousand lived in at least nineteen other Latter-day Saint communities in Caldwell County. Emma Hale Smith - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Joseph Smith, Jr. was born on 23 December 1805, in Sharon, Vermont. They averaged ten miles per day. Brigham interpreted Emma's refusal to answer as an admission of guilt.. 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. Twice she undertook to kill him. [61] That same day, Eliza R. Snow and relatives, who had wintered seven miles from Far West, started for Illinois. There are several reasons Emma stayed in Nauvoo after Joseph Smith's death, but a few in particular stand out. . [18] Diaries of William Huntington, typescript, in Miscellaneous Mormon Diaries, vol. [42] Joseph Holbrook and two other men, to escape those that would like to do us harm, moved out the night of January 20. Under these conditions, one could reasonably conclude that she did not travel west in order to avoid losing any more of her children. [108] The extended Knight familys losses were at least $14,562, or about $320,000 in todays currency. 3 The process, like so many other endeavors in her life, [32] Committee of Removal members were William Huntington, Charles Bird, Alanson Ripley, Theodore Turley, Daniel Shearer, Shadrach Roundy, and Jonathan H. Hale. Joseph Smith. Emma Hale Smith was the seventh of nine children. Such souls will have to suffer for the ill treatment of the Saints, he wrote, adding that they need not think that they will escape, for the Lord is just and He will punish those that have ill treated His children (Hartley, My Best for the Kingdom, 89). 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. [27] Gentry, Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri, 41419. After losing twins, she adopted a set of twins, but one died after being exposed to the cold when a mob invaded their home while the children were ill. One child died at the age of fourteen months and another died less than a year later. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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. Her family was religious, devoutly Christian. On March 21 Wilford Woodruff said the apostolic company passed through Huntsville and found the roads were full of Saints that were fleeing Missouri.[93] On April 24 they met three members of the Committee of Removal who had just been driven from Far West, who also joined them. If that were the only document people used to learn about Joseph Smith and his life, they would naturally assume that he was married once, to Emma, and not to approximately three dozen other women. Mormon Takeover of the West and Why - stolenhistory.net 11. In jail in Richmond were Parley P. Pratt, Norman Shearer, Darwin Chase, Luman Gibbs, Morris Phelps, and King Follett. Innumerable able-bodied men needed jobs. The city cemeterys tombstones marking where some two hundred Saints are buried are long gone, and the site has become farmland. Hope this helps! Events unfolded rapidly, with men from the neighboring towns staging raids on Nauvoo, trying to once again, drive out the Saints and claim their. 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]. . Emma Smith was born in 1804 in Pennsylvania and had unusual opportunities for a girl in her time. Louis. 343-362. What experience do you need to become a teacher? Caroline Butler, whose husband had fled Missouri in November, couldnt care for her four young children, ages seven years to two months, and drive her wagon at the same time. 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. In December 1838 and early January 1839, the Missouri state legislature, by a close vote, refused to overturn Governor Boggss extermination order. 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. The animosity toward Emma Smith after the death of Joseph Smith quickly became evident. Emmas life was a complex one. He operated a large butcher shop by the river and a wholesale store by the boat landing. It was the anniversary of the death of the twins she lost in Kirtland. In mid-February, Anson Call headed east. The following article was originally publishedin December 2015. 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. After 17 years of marriage, Emma's second husband, Lewis Bidamon, had a child with another woman named Nancy Abercrombie. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Joseph taught what God revealed, nothing more. 1981), 23031. the Gospel Doctrine manual for church history. Is probably the most famous Latter Day Saint polygamist with 55 wives. [52] Heber C. Kimball Journals, 18381839, in Porter, Brigham Young and the Twelve, 134. The Saints' Forced Exodus from Missouri, 1839 - Religious Studies Center They formed the first wave of the exodus. Mental and emotional scars. 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. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. . According to historian Richard Bushman, Joseph saw polygamy simply as a way to join families together for eternity. Whatever the situation, Emma eventually found herself unable to cope with polygamy. 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. [16] Baugh, A Call to Arms, 395; Reed Peck Manuscript, 29. [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. On February 7 and 8, both men visited Liberty Jail, then returned to Far West. Hi Nathan, thanks for your interest in Emma Smiths hymnbook! Nontraditional. Joseph Smith documented liar - LDS Facts He finally broke with all organized religion. 4 (2000): 622. He told the Butlers to go to his butcher shop and take meat when they wanted some. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". That is a great question! 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); [7] William G. Hartley, My Best for the Kingdom: The History and Autobiography of John Lowe Butler, a Mormon Frontiersman (Salt Lake City: Aspen Books, 1993), 8184; Baugh, A Call to Arms, 39296. Slipping through the guard, he had to cross a creek by taking off his clothes and wading across the bitter cold water. To understand her, we have to place her in her own setting and time, not in our own. John was one of dozens of Mormon militiamen who fled from Missouri in November. The large body of displaced Saints became an economic force and political presence in Illinois and Iowa Territory. They threatened to send the committee to hell jumping and put daylight through them. The men gathered up what they could and hastily fled from Far West within the hour. . 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. Throughout the years, she has remained a complex topic for both Mormons and non-Mormons. [86], As soon as John Butlers family arrived, they had no place to go and it was bitter cold, John said. (Emma's schism church.) Emma raised her as her own daughter, and Elizabeth Agnes eventually married Emma's biological son, Alexander Hale Smith. Thats likely why its content was acceptable for the Ensign nearly a century after the Church had begun distancing itself from polygamy. rev. Because if the LDS Church is false, none of those things matter! She is known in Church history for being well educated and was able to act as a scribe for Joseph when he was translating the plates because of it. . "As a therapist, based on these words alone, I would have to say, 'Why would anyone even ask why she remained in Nauvoo?' Why did Emma Smith leave the LDS Church? Many of them started from scratch and built up religious communities in Illinois and Iowa. . [97] During a change of venue from Daviess to Boone County, Joseph Smith and the four others who had been in Liberty Jail were allowed to escape on April 16, and they found their way to Illinois safely. 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 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. Why did Emma Smith opt to stay in Nauvoo? [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. Aroet Hale said a Mr. Stilson employed his father. 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. May 1831 New York branches arrive in Ohio. She frequently found herself living in the homes of others and just as frequently took complete strangers into her own home. [59] Hartley, My Best for the Kingdom, 90. 4 How many wives did Joseph Smith have LDS? They lived with his family and then with hers for a time. [41] Jesse and Whittaker, Albert Perry Rockwood Journal, 34. That night at the prayer meeting, Richards, wrote in code that Joseph and Emma did not dress in the usual special clothing, a sign they were too much at odds to participate. 185 Heber J. [109] Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions, xixxxvii. The hymnbook she created included familiar favorites from other denominations and hymns newly written specifically for the Latter-day Saints. 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. Emma Smith - Wikipedia Because Joseph Smith was in prison during the exodus, attention focuses here on Joseph Smiths 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. Mormon Church Admits Founder Joseph Smith Had Up To 40 Wives This is why, according to Delewski, the movie "Emma Smith: My Story" shows her outriding Joseph Smith. 5 How old was Emma Smith when Joseph Smith died? Latter-day Saint widow Elizabeth Kendall and her family first became acquainted with Emma at the Mansion House in Nauvoo. [3] LaMar C. Berrett and Max H. Parkin, Sacred Places: A Comprehensive Guide to Early LDS Historical Sites, vol. However, the hymns Emma selected were particularly special. DVD Review: Emma Smith: My Story - Mormonism Research Ministry At Quincy, where some Church members lived, John taught school for a short period. 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. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992. In the past three decades, there has been more published about Emma Smith in official church channels, including the new Daughters in My Kingdom manual, which mentions her very positively as the founder of the Relief Society, and the Gospel Doctrine manual for church history, which holds her up as an examplesomewhat reproachfullyof how to support ones spouse. We reserve the right to not approve any comments that do not meet our community standards. Since she left no journal, we dont really know what the entire truth about Emma Smith isbut we do know she was remarkable. [98] Alex Baugh, We Took a Change of Venue for the State of Illinois: The Gallatin Hearing and the Escape of Joseph Smith and the Mormon Prisoners from Missouri, April 1839, in A City of Refuge, 3166. [Deseret News Weekly 15:364, 10/10/66, p 4-5 and 15:372, 10/17/66, p 4-5; MS 28:764, 774]) off-site. It would be 2 months before she could be confirmed as a member of the Church. As they moved on they found camp fires and tent poles already struck nearly all the way after this, apparently provided by the Committee of Removal. 4, Missouri (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2004), 28889, 361, 402. But only three of the two dozen adults in Knight family network faltered. Her mother-in-law, Lucy Mack Smith, said of her: I have never seen a woman in my life, who would endure every species of fatigue and hardship, from month to month, and from year to year, with that unflinching courage, zeal, and patience, which she has ever done; for I know that which she has had to endure she has breasted the storms of persecution, and buffeted the rage of men and devils, which would have borne down almost any other woman.. The CES Director apparently never got around to responding. [100] Stanley B. Kimball, The Saints and St. Louis, 18311857: An Oasis of Tolerance and Security, BYU Studies 13 (Summer 1973): 489519. Required fields are marked *. . 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. What Do We Know About Mormon Leader Joseph Smith's Wives? The Apostles group arrived at Far West soon after midnight on April 26. Health problems and deaths. [30] John Taylor, Alanson Ripley, Brigham Young, Theodore Turley, Heber C. Kimball, John Smith (the Prophets uncle), and Don C. Smith (the Prophets brother). [77] Kenney, Wilford Woodruffs Journal, 1:32930. She, in turn, was instructed by Joseph to officiate in these ordinances for the women, which she did until shortly before his martyrdom. Is there a list anywhere of all the composers who had songs in Emmas 1835 hymnal? Time and again, she was uprooted, often without warning and frequently without time to pack her belongings. Unfortunately, Apple's iOS doesn't support home screen shortcuts in the Chrome browser. 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. Emma Smith was the wife of the first Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith.

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