This remarkable event is free, but space is limited. Then, because it was planting season, they moved about ten miles out and rented a farm. Was also Governor of Utah Territory from February 3, 1851 to April 12, 1858. Emma Smith's personality and background, her almost nomadic search for a home, the loss of so many she loved and the stresses of plural marriage all played a part in her decision to remain in Nauvoo. She was baptized on 28 June 1830, shortly after the Church was organized. The hymnbook she created included familiar favorites from other denominations and hymns newly written specifically for the Latter-day Saints. She handled nearly every trial with grace. "Joseph did not marry a wilting violet," Delewski said. Here Samuel had hired a house and we moved into it, with four other families.[53]. We all just made it on the opposite bank when the ice started to snap and pile up in great heaps, and the water broke thru! Joseph Smiths parents. On horseback, he, fellow Kentuckian David Lewis, and Elias Higbee endured December snows, cold, and meager food to reach Quincy, Illinois. At Quincy, where some Church members lived, John taught school for a short period. There are several reasons Emma stayed in Nauvoo after Joseph Smith's death, but a few in particular stand out. Here is a link to LDS.org that lists all the meters used in the hymnbook. The Church News asked Church historians to answer the question "What should Church members know about Emma Hale Smith?" Here's what they had to say: 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. Modern DNA has ruled out all children Fran Brodie had proposed were his through other marriages. She then became a temple worker, helping others with their first temple experiences. Although she never lost her faith in the Mormon religion and in the sacred nature of the Book of Mormon, she had no testimony of Brigham Young and other polygamous LDS leaders. [92] Smith, History of the Church, 3:32223. They pulled out of Far West on February 18, leaving behind a house and farm. I fitted up a small wagon, procured a span of ponies, and sent my Wife and three children, in company with Bro. 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. 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. 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]. The weather was cold and severe, with snow to the depth of 1 foot. to ignore it entirely. 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. Bushman, Richard L., and Jed Woodworth. Along the way, he said he had to stop among strangers with my daughter who had given birth to a child on the prairie.[64] Elisha Whiting said his family was driven in the month of March through cold storms of snow and rain, having to make our beds on the cold wet ground which when we arose in the morning we often found drenched with water and then obliged to load our wet bedding into the waggon and move slowly forward.[65], About March 18, Wilford Woodruff, in Quincy and newly back from a mission, went to the river and looked across and saw a great many of the Saints, old and young, lying in the mud and water, in a rainstorm, without tent or covering. His wife joined the Reorganized LDS Church (now Community of Christ) and the family moved to Independence in 1870. She worked hard to support his mission. [103] Kenney, Wilford Woodruffs Journal, 1:330, entry for May 4, 1839. [96] Manuscript History of Brigham Young, Church History Library, 28. [86], As soon as John Butlers family arrived, they had no place to go and it was bitter cold, John said. First, Emma had intense anxiety over the protection of Joseph's and Hyrum's bodies. Are Joseph and Emma Smiths descendants Latter-day Saints? 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. [84] Aroet Hale, Autobiography, typescript, 6, Perry Special Collections. Her husband, on the other hand, had only a handful of years of formal education. ", 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. Bidamon was support for Emma in raising her five children. [80] The Mormons, Quincy Whig, March 2, 1839. By age 40, Emma had lost her husband, her mother and father, her father-in-law, three brothers-in-law and five children. They numbered twelve families with more than sixty souls, having surnames of Knight, DeMille, Peck, Slade, Culver, and Stringham. 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. Innumerable able-bodied men needed jobs. On the Joseph Smith Papers website, readers can turn through the original hymnbook page by page. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. The Thomas family stayed strong in the faith and emigrated to Utah in 1849. [119] Henry Jackson petition in Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions, 247. A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Church of the Latter Day Saints was published in 1835. She said she was sorry to see the Mormons suffer so much and be driven from their homes. She even owned cows and other items, possibly given as payment from students. Those coming from outside Far West suffered because as John Greene wrote, we have been robbed of our corn, wheat, horses, cattle, cows, hogs, wearing apparel, houses and homes, and indeed, of all that renders life tolerable.[19] On November 9 the Missouri Republican Daily reported that the Saints situation was a case of great difficulty because they are generally poor and facing starvation. To reach safety in Illinois, the closest state, they had to cross the broad Mississippi River, and Quincy had ferryboat facilities. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. I now saw my little daughter, Nancy Jane, for the first time about two months old. She moved from Pennsylvania to New York to Ohio to Missouri and then Illinois. In a remarkable twist of irony, her version of history is increasingly the LDS Churchs as well. [85] William Cahoon, Autobiography, in Susan Easton Black, QuincyA City of Refuge, 73, n. 34. [114] John Lowe Butler became a trusted workhorse for Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, serving as one of Josephs official, ordained bodyguards and later as a bishop in Spanish Fork, Utah. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. She joined in his efforts to protect them from thieves and acted on occasion as his scribe. They had a reasonably good relationship despite these challenges. [106] Fortunately, 678 petitions survive. When one was unable to find employment, she hired Jane Manning herself. Memoirs of Joseph Smith III (18321914), ed. To understand her, we have to place her in her own setting and time, not in our own. When Saints pulled out of Far West, their houses, barns, fences, stores, schools, farms, farm equipment, household goods, livestock, and stored grain fell into non-Mormons hands. However, she was never really an active member of that church, nor did she become active in any other church. in getting one single wagon to convey beds, clothing, and provisions for our family, and luggage. In January some Missourians gave Levi Hancock, one of the seven presidents of the Seventy, three days to leave. 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. John Murdock's wife also dies after delivering twins the same day. 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. Emma Smith would make tremendous sacrifices for the gospel of Jesus Christ, for her husband, and for the church. She had sufficient faith to avoid looking at the plates even when they were in her bedroom or kitchen, although she frequently felt them and moved them out of her way as she worked. Saints gathered for a general conference on May 46 held in a Presbyterian campground two miles north of Quincy. [56], The Hammer family. 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. [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. We finally got across, and we were so glad, for before we reached the other side, the river had started to swell and break up. 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. Donate to us by shopping at Amazon at no extra cost to you. The John Murdock family left on February 4 without any team or animal or carriage of any kind. They put Mrs. Murdock and the household furniture in a Brother Humphreys wagon. [125] Animosity toward Missourians by Mormons and by Missourians toward Mormons lasted for generations. 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. 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). After one severe storm, Daniel said, Our corn bread was frosen so hard I had to take the ax and break it and give it to the children to gnaw at, the bread looking like chunks of ice. As many as one hundred families were camped along the banks, he said. She was not perfect and made choices that seem hard for us to understand today. View our community standards here. 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. [72] Roberts, Comprehensive History, 2:3. 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.' Albert Rockwood and his family left Far West with another family on January 10. Their difficult trip to Mississippi River took twelve days: We had snow and rain every day but 2. 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. Speaking of Smith's "eternity-only" marriages to already married women, the church writes, " These sealings may also be explained by Joseph's reluctance to enter plural marriage because of the. [112] A Proclamation to the Saints Scattered AbroadGreeting, Times and Seasons, January 15, 1841, 6. What are various methods available for deploying a Windows application? The Saints of the Colesville Branch settle in Thompson. Delewski thinks she may have been the most promising of the Hale children because she had a rare additional year of schooling. That did not stop Emma, a visionary woman in her own sense of the word. Succeeded Smith as leader of the LDS Church. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Why didnt Emma Smith go west with the Saints? Emma had been disappeared. Nontraditional. 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.. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. . [77], On February 23, the Quincy Whig reported that Saints were coming in from all quarters and that for several days they have been crossing at this place, bringing with them the wreck of what they could save from their ruthless oppressors. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992. However, a significant number had taken refuge in St. Louis, a Missouri city that became an oasis of tolerance for Mormons. He referred to a handmade chart that showed the homes Emma Smith had during her 17-year marriage to Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 1 Why did Emma Smith leave the LDS Church? [120] Levi W. Hancock petition in Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions, 225. 3 Why didnt Emma Smith go west with the Saints? She wore it in a locket the rest of her life, even after she remarried. On Nov. 4th, astoundingly, Richard McCarty obtained a warrant for the arrest of the men who had caught him in the act of looting the Gilbert store, charging them with assault and false imprisonment. Mental and emotional scars. [73], Church members living in Quincy and nearby tried to help the refugees when they crossed the river. This made the poisoning accusation plausible for him. It's dangerous and it ruins lives, even if the members don't understand that that's what's happening to them. God commanded and Joseph obeyed. This tendency toward privacy continued even after Joseph Smith's death. They formed the first wave of the exodus. 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. . A woman should give her greatest priority to her home: her husband, her family, and the opportunity to child-bearing. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. During this last bout, Joseph said gratefully, "My wife waited on me. [24] James Carroll Petition in Clark V. Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions: Documents of the 18331838 Missouri Conflict (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1992), 155; see biographical sketch in Donald Q. Cannon and Lyndon W. Cook, eds., Far West Record (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983), 252. https://www.lds.org/music/index/hymns/title-tune-meter?lang=eng&_r=1. If they choose to remain, we must be content. There are several reasons Emma stayed in Nauvoo after Joseph Smith's death, but a few in particular stand out. 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. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. [1] William G. Hartley, Almost Too Intolerable a Burthen: The Winter Exodus from Missouri, 18381839, Journal of Mormon History 18 (Fall 1992): 640. Twas a very cold and blustering night. They put clothes over the wagon tongue to make a tent and put their beds underneath. Bushman reports that Emma and Joseph had many intense discussions about his polygamy and their relationship was periodically strained. Further, the committee agreed to find employment for those able and willing to labor. The city cemeterys tombstones marking where some two hundred Saints are buried are long gone, and the site has become farmland. They left Far West on February 14. Today, the world is divided into two, torn apart on whether or not to believe the story due to the lack of evidence. [117] Weakened by the rigorous trek in midwinter after the severe ordeal of persecution in Missouri, the exiles who were camped along the Mississippi River began to feel the effects of the hardships such that almost every family succumbed to the ague and bilious fever (Ivan J. Barrett, Joseph Smith and the Restoration [Provo, UT: BYU Press, 1973], 439). Some church members inappropriately rejected her because of her rejection of polygamy and her outspokenness on the subject. William G. Hartley, The Saints Forced Exodus from Missouri, in Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer, ed. She was a schoolteacher and even owned items of value, including cows. Shortly, twelve mobbers with rifles entered the tithing office and broke windows, tables, chairs, and seventeen clocks into matchwood. One threw iron pots at Theodore Turley, hitting him in the shoulder. Three days later they reached De Witt, where they sold a property deed and bought a yoke of steers for $25 and a wagon for $30. [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. And even when people did leave, they left reverently, speaking only in whispers. During Sunday dinner on November 5, Joseph became ill, rushed to the door, and vomited so violently that he dislocated his jaw. But in a series of new essays, it describes the now-banned practice in detail. When those families reached Illinois early in 1839, they were poor, worn out, and ragged looking. [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. He remained her companion until her death on 30 April 1879 at the age of 75 in Nauvoo. She, in turn, was instructed by Joseph to officiate in these ordinances for the women, which she did until shortly before his martyrdom. 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]. Joseph and Emma apparently discussing the nastiness of cleaning up from cleaning up spit on the . You've read 0 of 5 of todays most popular posts. 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. [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. When the Mormons left for Utah, she elected to remain behind. 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 did Emma Smith leave the church? By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 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. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. They reached the bank of the Mississippi in eight days and found the river frozen over. Emma had 11 children (two were the adopted Murdock twins), and six children died in infancy. [51] Elder Heber C. Kimball sent his family with the Youngs. On February 19 or 20, Joseph Smiths parents, Joseph Sr. and Lucy, finally joined the exodus. She endured the jeering and insults of mobs. 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]. Enter your email to receive updates on our LDS Living content, 2022 LDS Living A Division of Deseret Book Company, The Joseph Smith and Emma Hale Smith Historical Society, There is room for my brown paper-doll family: 2 gospel truths I learned as a young girl that carry my faith, Special Church Historians Press symposium to highlight women, religion, and records, See the stunning winners of the Churchs International Art Competition. From there, refugees had to cross the South and North Fabius rivers and mudflats to reach the Mississippi opposite Quincy. Josephs death occurred on 27 June 1844. . When eternal marriage was first introduced, many families carried out sealings with friends and those they wanted to be eternally associated with, not entirely understanding what the revelation meant. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. The Smith family. Mormon regard for Quincy. I have witnesses of this scene all around, who can testify that I am now telling the truth. Grant Building Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Im interested in seeing which traditions she drew from. 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. She finally gained a sense of stability and a place to raise her children when she moved into the Mansion House in Nauvoo. Susan Easton Black and Charles D. Tate Jr. (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1993), 27184. [114] Close Friends as Witnesses: Joseph Smith and the Joseph Knight Families, in Joseph Smith: The Prophet, the Man, ed. [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. 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. Joseph had been translating the Bible before he was imprisoned, and Emma also carried these documents with her, hidden in bags under her skirts. 2022 FAIR Conference videos are now available to watch! 1) Formal Dress. 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. Finally, Brigham was Joseph's successor, and Emma challenged that succession by supporting her son, Joseph Smith III, as the 'proper' leader, and as one who would not teach the hated doctrine of polygamy (which Emma falsely claimed Brigham had foisted on the Church). When the Twelve returned from Far West in early May, they rejoiced to see him a free man in Illinois. [29] Smith, History of the Church, 3:249. While Joseph was in jail, Emma made the decision to flee with the rest of the Saints to Quincy. [82] Lucy Smith said ladies in Quincy sent them every delicacy which the city afforded.[83] Residents proffered employment. She found them both bleeding badly. Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805 - June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and the founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement.At the age of 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon and by the time of his death, 14 years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers. 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. If Mormonism is not true, it is a fraudulent version of Christianity and an enormous sham. 16, Lee Library, 67; Joseph Smith, History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ed. B. H. Roberts, 2nd ed. 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. See discussion in Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery. 801-422-6975. Both routes merged southwest of the town of Palymra, twenty miles south of Quincy. Emma was a significant part of the church while her husband was alive. Slipping through the guard, he had to cross a creek by taking off his clothes and wading across the bitter cold water. At times, deep snows rubbed their wagon hubs during the journey. [58], The Butlers and Smoots reached the Mississippi on March 10 or 11. " Delewski said. When the boy, Charles, was 4 years old, Emma took him in and raised him as her own. A stone weighing about a ton was rolled to the southeast corner of the site. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. We were not permitted to leave Far West, Anson Call said, only to get our firewood. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". She was baptized for the dead on behalf of her mother and sister. Elggren believes they had that face-to-face after they had both died. To his military leaders, it decreed, The Mormons must be treated as enemies and must be exterminated or driven from the state, if necessary for the public good.[2] Four days later, that order reached Church leaders and members in northwest Missouri. Lorenzo said that his pants were so shredded by bushes that he refused to face Iowans until someone brought him better pants. One day while Martha was sitting in the front of the wagon with three-year-old Keziah Butler on her lap, one of the horses began to kick. They organized into a company with Rich as captain. [87] Hartley, My Best for the Kingdom, 9192. 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. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. The second day we had to cross a long prairie, and were not able to reach the settlement. [71], Quincy is on the east bank of the Mississippi on a limestone bluff 125 feet above the river. "My belief is that the Book of Mormon is of divine authenticityI have not the slightest doubt of it," she testified in an interview she gave late in life. It does not store any personal data. 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. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 2011. . They passed Saints heading east, including Elder John E. Page, who turned around and joined them. If you look in the back of an LDS hymnbook, there is a whole section talking about meter as well. 8 What did Emma Emma do for the LDS Church? Then he had to be very careful for days to avoid capture. These may have been given as payment for teaching. [79] Smith, History of the Church, 3:270. [30] A second meeting on January 29 heard a partial report from the committee, after which Brigham Young proposed that Saints covenant to stand by and assist each other to the utmost of our abilities in removing from the state, and that we will never desert the poor who are worthy until they are safely out of state. Emma and Josephs descendants grew up separated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hi Nathan, thanks for your interest in Emma Smiths hymnbook! Early Life and Marriage of Emma Smith. They developed communities, farms, roads, livestock herds, commerce, and trade in parts of Adam and Hancock counties, Illinois, and in Lee County, Iowa. [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. Her funeral was held May 2, 1879, in Nauvoo with RLDS Church minister Mark Hill Forscutt preaching the sermon. John marked time until his family and his mother and brothers could join him in Quincy.