But fairly soon after that the Saints were asked to leave Jackson County, so the new temple didn't get built. Joseph Smith and the Latter Day Saints leadership had always asked for help from the US government. [104] Donna Toland Smart, Exemplary Elder: The Life and Missionary Diaries of Perrigrine Sessions, 18141893 (Provo, UT: BYU Studies and Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History, 2002), 43. A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Church of the Latter Day Saints was published in 1835. That is her divine mission. On February 19 or 20, Joseph Smiths parents, Joseph Sr. and Lucy, finally joined the exodus. LDS Church History documents that their mormon founder, Joseph Smith, lied to a large group of people about his having multiple wives. Thats likely why its content was acceptable for the Ensign nearly a century after the Church had begun distancing itself from polygamy. . Though there probably was an argument, the poisoning accusation was unfounded. In History of the Church Vol. Hi Nathan, thanks for your interest in Emma Smiths hymnbook! [70], Saints chose to go to Quincy for several reasons. So she made a deal with Abraham O. Smoot and Martha, his bride of three months. 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]. Levis nearly five-year-old son Mosiah recalled, The snow was deep enough to take me to the middle of the thigh, and I was bare footed and in my shirt tail. They hitched their horse old Tom to the cart, Mosiah said, and father drove the horse and carried the rifle on his shoulder. I found my family in good health though in the mud and snow half a leg deep in the camp. . You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. a much-debated stair-pushing catfight with Eliza R. Snow. Browse the pages of the original 1835 hymnbook. 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. [123] Butler denounced the hard-heartedness that Missourians had shown his wife and children and Church authorities. [6], In the exodus, Mormon militiamen were the first to leaveor rather escape. In a remarkable twist of irony, her version of history is increasingly the LDS Churchs as well. William G. Hartley, The Saints Forced Exodus from Missouri, in Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer, ed. A day or two later, a ferry finally dodged through the ice and brought the women and children across.[59]. 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. Understanding how early Saints worked earnestly to build up the Church helps us better appreciate the value of their work. [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. 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. [79] Smith, History of the Church, 3:270. [8] After eleven days travel, they reached white Settlements on the Desmoine River in Iowa. 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. [107] Johnson, ed., Mormon Redress Petitions, xixxxvii. Emma and her family were forced to leave the state with the majority of Latter . [51] Elder Heber C. Kimball sent his family with the Youngs. Why did Emma Smith leave the LDS Church? She would smile with her lips, but to me, as small as I was, I never saw the brown eyes smile. Newel prayed for help, for I knew not how to extricate myself but as I had never been forsaken by my Heavenly Father I commited myself and family into his care. For a week they were stranded, but finally a man asked his son to drive the Knights the rest of the way. 185 Heber J. 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. 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. Sidney Rigdon had been released in January. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. [122] James Galligher Petition in Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions, 218. Joseph Smiths parents. But only three of the two dozen adults in Knight family network faltered. This difficult situation was complicated by the immense demands on Brigham Young's time. She even owned cows and other items, possibly given as payment from students. Its an improvement that shes discussed at all. Its seven members, soon expanded to eleven, agreed to move first the families of the Presidency and of the other prisoners. For more coverage of Sunstone sessions, visit MormonTimes.com and go to the "Studies & Doctrine tab," then click on "doctrine discussions." Don Carlos [her son], with his family and the remainder of his baggage, was crowded into a buggy, and went in the same company with us. They encountered continuous rains and had to travel through mud. [40] [Auto]Biographical Sketch of George Washington Gill Averett, typescript, 8, in Miscellaneous Mormon Diaries, vol. [75] Wandle Mace Autobiography, typescript, 3132, Perry Special Collections. That party came to include Brigham Young, Orson Pratt, and John Taylor. Her funeral was held May 2, 1879, in Nauvoo with RLDS Church minister Mark Hill Forscutt preaching the sermon. Alpheus Cutler placed it in position. Emma Smith would make tremendous sacrifices for the gospel of Jesus Christ, for her husband, and for the church. [64] History of Zera Pulsipher As Written by Himself, typescript, 1516, Perry Special Collections. 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. Their hospitality stemmed more from pity than anything else. "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. Their tough experiences produced definite impactsboth short- and long-termon Missouri and Illinois, on the course of the Church, and on individual members.[1]. Because of his position in the Illinois militia, he was often referred to as "Major" Bidamon. Some participants in the Missouri exodus vented powerful feelings of anger, horror, outrage, and persecution. The animosity toward Emma Smith after the death of Joseph Smith quickly became evident. 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. 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. While living in Pennsylvania, she rode a horse to warn Joseph Smith of people coming after the gold plates. For example, did Charles Wesley have any songs in her hymnal? 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. To add an RSC website shortcut to your home screen, open the website in the Safari browser. 4, Missouri (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2004), 28889, 361, 402. They left Far West on February 14. An old man who was sympathetic to the needy Saints hired John to teach his children and grandchildren and neighbors children. At times, deep snows rubbed their wagon hubs during the journey. 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. [101] Cited in Baugh, We Took Our Change of Venue, 52. Great questions! Twas a very cold and blustering night. They put clothes over the wagon tongue to make a tent and put their beds underneath. What happened to Emma Smith? Its a beautiful article, but its not a fully honest one; polygamy is not mentioned once anywhere. They held a short conference in one of the homes and excommunicated thirty-one unworthies. In addition to the Apostles, six members of the Committee and about a dozen other members were present. The religion he founded continues to the present day, with millions of global adherents. [114] Close Friends as Witnesses: Joseph Smith and the Joseph Knight Families, in Joseph Smith: The Prophet, the Man, ed. 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. . [31] Smith, History of the Church, 3:25054. [33] They sent agents eastward to deposit corn for Saints to use along the way, to contract for ferries, and to ensure security for the travelers. Saints gathered for a general conference on May 46 held in a Presbyterian campground two miles north of Quincy. When one was unable to find employment, she hired Jane Manning herself. According to the official narrative, Emma stayed behind in Nauvoo rather than joining the majority of the Saints in Utah because she was a widow caring for five young children and Josephs aging mother, not because she believed that, as she expressed it at the time, the Twelve have made bogus of it.. [84] William Cahoon noted that a family named Travis offered him employment;[85] Mr. Travis also hired refugee Truman Angell to frame a barn. Is probably the most famous Latter Day Saint polygamist with 55 wives. Emma Smith is one of the most fascinating characters of the Restoration. I fitted up a small wagon, procured a span of ponies, and sent my Wife and three children, in company with Bro. 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.. [124] Berrett and Parkin, Sacred Places: Missouri, 329, 402, 411. While Joseph was in jail, Emma made the decision to flee with the rest of the Saints to Quincy. A decision to continue to gather. Delewski also explored the effect the practice of plural marriage had on Emma and Joseph Smith's relationship. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". As a youth she learned to canoe on the Susquehanna River and became accomplished with horses. During Sunday dinner on November 5, Joseph became ill, rushed to the door, and vomited so violently that he dislocated his jaw. The Saints exodus from Missouri took place mostly during winter and involved four main arenas: Far West, Missouri; Quincy, Illinois; a road network between the two cities; and the west shore mudflats across the Mississippi River from Quincy. 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. On this same day, there was a skirmish between the mob and the Saints west of Big Blue River. I hope this helps too! On 23 December 1847, Emma Smith married Lewis Bidamon, who was not a member of the Church. The group then included one man, two women, and children ages seven, four, three, and one. Whatever the situation, Emma eventually found herself unable to cope with polygamy. Then three hundred militiamen escorted them away to face trial and prison. They ran out of provisions and became so weak they couldnt continue, so they held a council and prayed to know where to hunt. Emma and her family were forced to leave the state with the majority of Latter Day Saints. [49] Brother Markham then drove the wagon back to Far West to bring others out. Brigham Youngs family was also stranded at Huntsville, having too many goods for their wagon to haul. [87], It is not known how many Saints temporarily took refuge in Quincy. He told her of the time she undertook to poison him, and he told her that she was a child of hell, and literally the most wicked woman on this earth, that there was not one more wicked than she. 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. She was not perfect and made choices that seem hard for us to understand today. 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. 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. On January 16, the imprisoned First Presidency sent instructions to Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young that said, Inasmuch as we are in prison, . Modern Mormons are beginning to come to terms with Emma as the elect lady God declared her to be in a revelation, but a very real and human one at the same time who fought for God as long as she had to before choosing the calmer life she longed for. The leather binding, the marbled inside cover, and the worn pages are beautiful and unforgettable. 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. [22] Aroet Lucius Hale, age ten, recalled that while his father was helping others, My dear mother was lying sick in a wagon box in a tent.[23] James Carroll said that his family had to remain in an open frame in the Cold weather when the Snow fell in torrents and would Blow upon us in the Night and we with our Little ones would have to Crawl out of our Beds while the[y] were Coverd frequently with Snow that would blow in to the frame from the north and we had to endure it.[24] William F. Cahoon said, Both me and my family Suffred much on account of Could & hunger because we was not permitted to go out Side of the guard to obtain wood and provision.[25], After her husband John left, Caroline Butler faced three difficult tasks. This forced expulsion of Saints from Missouri produced short- and long-term consequences, as enumerated here for various of the parties involved. Adams County, organized in 1825, was named after John Quincy Adams, who that year became Americas sixth president, and the town of Quincy received his middle name. "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. When did Emma Smith leave the church? Eventually, however, she encountered a trial that became more than she thought she could handle. FAIR is controlled and operated by the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR). John later filed claim for the loss of 240 acres of land, three yoke of oxen, a corn crop, and hogs. [85] William Cahoon, Autobiography, in Susan Easton Black, QuincyA City of Refuge, 73, n. 34. 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. I asked my mother one day, why don't Grandma laugh with her eyes like you do, and my mother said because she has a deep sorrow in her heart. Joseph Smith, Jr. was born on 23 December 1805, in Sharon, Vermont. Your email address will not be published. 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. [3], By October 1838, Newel and Lydia Knight and their three children were among the Saints living in and near Far West, the Churchs headquarters city. Many found refuge not only in Quincy but throughout Adams County and all over western Illinois. For your free copy of the Bible, go to Free Holy Bible and for a free Book of Mormon, go to Free Book of Mormon, Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. However, President Young advised the Saints to gather in order to help each other better. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. [121] James Galligher claimed he was exposed to the weather in which sickness followed & the loss of one of my Children.[122] Innumerable such examples can be cited. They asked a committee of Latter-day Saints to provide them facts about the needy. Within three weeks, the press got wind of the authors ecclesiastical silencing and began to report about itthereby tripling sales of the book. 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. Snow was six inches deep. How old was Emma Smith when Joseph Smith died? 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. ( 6-8 Oct 1866, 36th Semi-Annual Conference, Bowery, G. S. L. City. Emma: People say all kinds of things, but Julia I know better. 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. See discussion in Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery. Their difficult trip to Mississippi River took twelve days: We had snow and rain every day but 2. Mormon regard for Quincy. Her husband, on the other hand, had only a handful of years of formal education. Emma and Brigham also disagreed about which parts of Joseph's estate were personal property, and which belonged to the Church.[1]. 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); [57] Quoted in Lyman O. Littlefield, Reminiscences of Latter-day Saints (Logan, UT: Journal Company Printers, 1888), 7273. Learn how . Emma Smith was born in 1804 in Pennsylvania and had unusual opportunities for a girl in her time. Young put on board some of his goods into the wagon carrying the Knights, and both families resumed their journeys. He was the son of Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith. In July 1830, Joseph Smith received a revelation addressed specifically to Emma. 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. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Either Brigham Young was not aware of Babbitt's propensity for alienating those around him or, like Joseph before him, he overlooked his faults because he needed his legal knowledge. . 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. Food was scarce, and housing inadequate. [91] On April 18, when a group of anti-Mormons found him at the public square, they threatened to blow his brains out and tried to ride over him with their horses. And where shall they be sent? the newspaper asked. [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. 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. . Many of them started from scratch and built up religious communities in Illinois and Iowa. Joseph taught what God revealed, nothing more. And even when people did leave, they left reverently, speaking only in whispers. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 6 What did Lucy Mack Smith say about Emma Smith? After 17 years of marriage, Emma's second husband, Lewis Bidamon, had a child with another woman named Nancy Abercrombie. First, Emma had intense anxiety over the protection of Joseph's and Hyrum's bodies. Later witnesses would be permitted to view the plates, but God asked Emma to accept them on faith, a testimony that God recognized her as a woman of great faith. He sealed that witness with his life. Though there probably was an argument, the poisoning accusation was unfounded. Many could not get into houses, Newel said, and had to take shelter in wagons, tents, and under bedclothes and while in this situation we had a severe snow storm, which rendered their suffering intense. An acre of land in front of Lucy Mack Smiths home became completely covered with beds, lying in the open sun, where families were compelled to sleep, exposed to all kinds of weather. Houses in Far West were so full, Mother Smith said, that people could not find shelter. . Nontraditional. Learning that Missouri militia were looking for them, they set out for Iowa thrugh the wilderness, enduring snow and cold with little to eat. Among the twenty-eight men in this group were Samuel Smith and Phineas and Lorenzo Young. The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of FAIR, its officers, directors or supporters. After his death she resisted encouragement to deny his role as a prophet. John was one of dozens of Mormon militiamen who fled from Missouri in November. John marked time until his family and his mother and brothers could join him in Quincy. We put our goods into the wagon a second time, but the wagon was wanted for Emma and her family, so our goods were again taken out.[48] Stephen Markham, a member of the Committee of Removal, helped Emma Smith leave on February 7. A test passed by the faithful. 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. When the man saw the Saints plight, he told his tenants to go elsewhere, for the Mormons were coming and they had no place to go and he was going to let his apartments to them. He invited John to bring his family up to one of his houses where they could live for a while. Taking a direction shown him by the Spirit, Samuel and two others found a wigwam where an Indian woman baked cakes for all the company. 6, p. 408-412 it records an "Address of the Prophet" on Sunday, May 26, 1844 where Joseph Smith states: "What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only . 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. What experience do you need to become a teacher? Thank you so much. It nearly broke both of our hearts. Although their marriage was often troubled following the introduction of polygamy, Emma continued to care for Joseph. 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. You may be able to get in touch with someone who can answer that question here: Joseph Smith PapersContact Us. It notes, Many of them crossed into Illinois at Quincy and were made welcome by the people here. In recent years, several related commemoration events have taken place in Quincy.[113].