why did emma smith leave the lds church

Emma's 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. [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. We were not permitted to leave Far West, Anson Call said, only to get our firewood. . "Every symptom of poison," Richards noted in Joseph's diary. [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. Many of the Saints were converts who had sung hymns before. And the last words out of Brighams mouth, and he died before Emma, were Joseph,' Elggren said. [113] On February 10, 1989, Mayor Vern Hagstrom gave the key to city Elder Loren C. Dunn of the First Quorum of Seventy and declared February 15 the citys Latter-day Saints Day to honor Emma Smiths crossing for the frozen Mississippi River and entering Quincy. "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. She comforted other women, instructed them, and helped them to build their own faith. [87], It is not known how many Saints temporarily took refuge in Quincy. 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. They numbered twelve families with more than sixty souls, having surnames of Knight, DeMille, Peck, Slade, Culver, and Stringham. Emma did, from time to time, offer approval of specific marriages. 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. 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. [114] Close Friends as Witnesses: Joseph Smith and the Joseph Knight Families, in Joseph Smith: The Prophet, the Man, ed. At other times, she found she could not handle the choices she had made, much as Sarah in the Old Testament first encouraged her husband to marry her handmaiden and then discovered it was more than she was prepared to handle. Emma and Brigham also disagreed about which parts of Joseph's estate were personal property, and which belonged to the Church.[1]. Their chief settlement was Far West in Caldwell County. "[2], Furthermore, Brigham and Emma did not agree on the disposition of Joseph's estate. Emma Smith, first Relief Society President and wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith, had many incredible and difficult experiences in her life. He was the son of Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith. The second day we had to cross a long prairie, and were not able to reach the settlement. Finally, in some respects, the exodus from Missouri was a training exercise for the Saints exodus from Nauvoo seven years later. Many found refuge not only in Quincy but throughout Adams County and all over western Illinois. 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. L. Hannah Stoddard is the lead author of Faith Crisis, Volume 1: We Were NOT Betrayed!, Seer Stone v. Urim & Thummim: Book of Mormon Translation on Trial, and Faith Crisis, Volume 2: New Mormon History Exiled from Church Headquarters.She is the executive director of the Joseph Smith Foundation, and producer or director of seven . She admitted that she had been reluctant to give her children any formal religious lifejust personal reading of the Bible and Book of Mormonbecause she was afraid of a return to the many trials she had faced. 4 (2000): 622. 3 Why didnt Emma Smith go west with the Saints? Other scribes would do the majority of the translation, but she filled in as needed. She taught school before she met Joseph Smith. He had been separated from the family for three months or more. Fugitive John Butler, in Quincy, learned of their arrival, and he rowed across the river in a canoe, dodging ice. When I reflect on how I found the gospel, I realize that my familys experiences informed two important pieces of my testimony. [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. To do so, would be to act with extreme cruelty. Baggage filled the wagon, so Martha and Caroline sometimes took turns riding next to Abraham, the driver, while the other walked with and carried children. [9] The men split into two groups to avoid attention. See discussion in Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery. Joseph Smiths parents tried to leave early in February, but Lucy said, Just as we got our goods into the waggon, a man came to us and said, that Sidney Rigdons family were ready to start, and must have the waggon immediately. She was not perfect and made choices that seem hard for us to understand today. Accordingly, our goods were taken out. They waited until another team came for them. The topic of this video has been pro. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. This weekend at the Midwest Pilgrims retreat in Nauvoo, Illinois, I had the opportunity to listen to a fascinating talk by Linda King Newell, co-biographer of Emma Smith, first wife of LDS founding prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. Its a beautiful article, but its not a fully honest one; polygamy is not mentioned once anywhere. First in Ohio and then three times in Missouri, they had practiced starting over. Joseph Knights son Newel was Joseph Smiths close friendthe Prophet had performed his and Lydias wedding in Kirtland, and he had no followers more loyal than Newel and Lydia. Unlike the majority of Latter Day Saints, Emma Smith did not follow Brigham Youngs suggestion that the Latter Day Saints leave Nauvoo and settle in the Salt Lake Valley in present-day Utah. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 2011. 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. When morning came, he and Abraham Smoot crossed to Quincy, leaving their families with the wagon. When one was unable to find employment, she hired Jane Manning herself. Joseph Smith and the Latter Day Saints leadership had always asked for help from the US government. A Quincy Heritage Celebration was held July 24, 1999. You might also enjoy Emma Smith: My Storyor Emma and Lucy. 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.". No portion of this site may be reproduced without the express written consent of The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, Inc. Any opinions expressed, implied, or included in or with the goods and services offered by FAIR are solely those of FAIR and not those of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 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. Snow was six inches deep. [39] Joseph Holbrook said that Saints understood that if the Church would make haste and move as fast as possible it would [do] much to the relieve our brethren who were now in jail as our enemies were determined to hold them as hostages until the church left the state so that every exertion was made in the dead of the winter to remove as fast as possible (Life of Joseph Holbrook, 46). In Daviess County on Caldwell Countys north side, Saints had begun building about 150 log houses at Adam-ondi-Ahman, and as many as 1,500 Saints in total lived in Daviess County. Health problems and deaths. What does the L.M., C.M. . [3] LaMar C. Berrett and Max H. Parkin, Sacred Places: A Comprehensive Guide to Early LDS Historical Sites, vol. In conversation, he appears intelligent and candid, and divested of all malicious thought and feeling towards his relentless persecutors.[102], Joseph Smith quickly finalized plans for a new gathering place for the homeless Saints upriver at Commerce, soon to be renamed Nauvoo. . Susan Easton Black and Richard E. Bennett (Salt Lake City: Millennial Press, 2000), 134. The last words out of Emmas mouth when she died were Joseph. But the youngest wife sealed to Smith was only 14 years old when she married him . Brigham interpreted Emma's refusal to answer as an admission of guilt.. A storehouse of historical documents and records. [100] Stanley B. Kimball, The Saints and St. Louis, 18311857: An Oasis of Tolerance and Security, BYU Studies 13 (Summer 1973): 489519. They got some better, Caroline said. Fanny lived in the Smiths' house with Emma, which caused much tension. Emma died peacefully in the Nauvoo House on April 30, 1879 at the age of 74. [26] Hartley, My Best for the Kingdom, 8586. In addition to grieving the loss of her husband, she was expecting their final child. 2022 FAIR Conference videos are now available to watch! He was not, however, a member of her familys faith and in fact, had received a vision at age fourteen telling him not to join any existing church because none were completely right. But in a series of new essays, it describes the now-banned practice in detail. [119] Henry Jackson petition in Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions, 247. She stood by her husband even when they faced strains in their marriage. Who was the oldest president of the LDS Church? 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. Emma served as a scribe during his first efforts to translate the Book of Mormon. She also learned how to cook and be a good host when her parents ran a boarding house. Many wished to be associated with the prophet for the eternal blessings they felt this would bring. [93] Kenney, Wilford Woodruffs Journal, 1:325. "Emma seemed to wax and wane in her acceptance of the practice," Delewski said. 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. One mobber shot a cow and, while it was still alive, skinned off a strip of hide from its nose to its tail, and tied his horse to a stump with it. That same day Latter-day Saint men assembled at the town square at bayonet point and, one by one, signed deeds that gave their land to the state of Missouri to pay the costs of the Mormon War. On November 6, soldiers took more prisoners and then ordered all Saints out of Missouri by spring. Is there a list anywhere of all the composers who had songs in Emmas 1835 hymnal? Her fugitive son Samuel came from Quincy and arranged for a ferryman to take the Smith party across. 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. And where shall they be sent? the newspaper asked. She was not perfect, but what is amazing is that she was as perfect as she was given the powerful trials and persecutions she experienced. [27] Gentry, Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri, 41419. Linda requested and was granted a meeting with some general authorities, including Dallin Oaks, to discuss the ban and discover what aspects of the book had been found objectionable. Albert Rockwood and his family left Far West with another family on January 10. "Of these 13 locations, only four of them could be called her own," Delewski said. Did Emma Smith leave the LDS Church? . Are Joseph and Emma Smiths descendants Latter-day Saints? 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. We had not the privilege of hunting our cattle and horses.[14] Newel Knight noted that because the Saints were unarmed, they became prey for small parties of armed men insulting our women, driving off our stock, and plundering. To him it seemed as though all hell was aroused to do us injury.[15] Newels cousin Reed Peck said that some horses, wagons and much other property were stolen from the Mormons by some of the militia who were villains enough to plunder.[16] By late November, most crops around Far West were unharvested, and potatoes still in the ground were frose solid. Soldiers rifled through homes, Albert Rockwood said, and our sheep & hogs, & horses [are] drove off before our eyes by the Missourians who come in small companies well armed.[17], In neighboring Daviess County, Missouri militia ordered all the Saints out and gave William Huntington and eleven other Mormons four weeks to round up the Latter-day Saints livestock, wagons, and personal property. 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. Heres what they have planned, Why the Christian flag can fly on this government flagpole, Breaking the fast: Eid ul-Fitr is an occasion of peace, The unique stories and struggles of Latino Muslims, The Black church, religious freedom and gay rights. Her family was fairly well-off financially, and so Emma was well-educated for a woman of her time. 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. 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.. I attended the premier of the Emma Smith Story [with] several of my children and grandchildren. It struck Martha on the knees and little Keziah above the eyes. Another story about bleeding feet involves Nancy Hammer, whose husband Austin was murdered in the Hauns Mill Massacre a few months earlier. She later married Major Lewis Bidamon, who had supported the Mormons during the trials, but was not a member. Joseph and Emma apparently discussing the nastiness of cleaning up from cleaning up spit on the . 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. [28] Greene, Expulsion of the Saints from Missouri, 8. She had a home and her children and she just had to carry on the best she could. Delewski thinks she may have been the most promising of the Hale children because she had a rare additional year of schooling. [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. Then, because it was planting season, they moved about ten miles out and rented a farm. She is remembered for her unrelenting strength and ability to overcome hardships. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 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. Joseph Smiths parents. . Today, the world is divided into two, torn apart on whether or not to believe the story due to the lack of evidence. [82] Lucy Smith said ladies in Quincy sent them every delicacy which the city afforded.[83] Residents proffered employment. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Find out a few things you may not have known about this prominent woman in Church history. 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. More than 1,400 descendants of 1839 exiled Mormons came to Quincy and, attired like pioneers, represented their ancestors and walked across the Memorial Bridge to reach Quincy from Missouri. Events unfolded rapidly, with men from the neighboring towns staging raids on Nauvoo, trying to once again, drive out the Saints and claim their. Jannalee worked as a writer and editor at LDS Living for seven years before hanging up her press badge and starting the journey of stay-at-home motherhood. I fitted up a small wagon, procured a span of ponies, and sent my Wife and three children, in company with Bro. She seems, among other things, to have been worried about providing for her children, as well as protecting them from the violence which had claimed Joseph. [91] Porter, Brigham Young and the Twelve, 137. "I will suggest that she didn't change. . [38] Larry C. Porter, Brigham Young and the Twelve in Quincy: A Return to the Eye of the Missouri Storm, 26 April 1839, in A City of Refuge: Quincy, Illinois, ed. This difficult situation was complicated by the immense demands on Brigham Young's time. Events of the 1838 Mormon War soon escalated, resulting in Joseph's surrender and imprisonment by Missouri officials. Sorry about that! But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Though Joseph died at a young age, Julia was raised by Emma to adulthood. [124] Berrett and Parkin, Sacred Places: Missouri, 329, 402, 411. In a remarkable twist of irony, her version of history is increasingly the LDS Churchs as well. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. . Tucked between popular Church history chapters about Liberty Jail and Nauvoo is a little-known but vitally important chapter dealing with the Latter-day Saints seven-month struggle to survive the winter of 183839 in Missouri and to leave there by spring 1839. [58] Hartley, My Best for the Kingdom, 8790. Hi Nathan, thanks for your interest in Emma Smiths hymnbook! 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. When the river opened, the Thomases used two boats to move their effects across, while Daniel and son Morgan, twelve, stayed behind to ferry the cow across later. All Rights Reserved. Imagine, then, her familys concern when she developed a fondness for Joseph Smith, who was from a poor farm family and had almost no formal educationjust that which his father had given him at home with a small amount of traditional schooling. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1976 reprint), 3:210. He operated a large butcher shop by the river and a wholesale store by the boat landing. 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. Her husband Joseph Smith had been killed in 1844, and after his death Emma Smith decided to remain in Nauvoo. 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. The religion he founded continues to the present day, with millions of global adherents. A number of teams arrived from Illinois to help move the last families. So Levi rigged up a foot lathe and soon had two hubs turned out and built a cart. 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. She seems, among other things, to have been worried about providing for her children, as well as protecting them from the violence which had claimed Joseph. [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. In jail in Richmond were Parley P. Pratt, Norman Shearer, Darwin Chase, Luman Gibbs, Morris Phelps, and King Follett. he spoke to her in that council in a very severe manner, and she never said one word in reply. Browse the pages of the original 1835 hymnbook. The city cemeterys tombstones marking where some two hundred Saints are buried are long gone, and the site has become farmland. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. . Shortly after her baptism in July 1830, Emma Smithwas called by God to compile a hymnbook to edify the Church. Despite her parents disapproval, she eventually eloped. We have to look at her entire life, not just one portion of it. [85] William Cahoon, Autobiography, in Susan Easton Black, QuincyA City of Refuge, 73, n. 34. She held on to her faith in God, in the gospel, and in Joseph Smith as a prophet throughout it all. 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). Reaching the river, they joined Saints waiting to cross who had no shelter. The sight filled my eyes with tears, while my heart was made glad at the cheerfulness of the Saints in the midst of their affliction.[66] He visited Saints on his side of the river who were camped in a sufering Condition with Cold, rain & mud & some want of food.[67], Fugitive Joseph Holbrook, two months after leaving his expectant wife and three children back on January 20, learned of their arrival at the Mississippi River late in March. When did Emma Smith leave the church? Provo, UT 84602 An old man who was sympathetic to the needy Saints hired John to teach his children and grandchildren and neighbors children. She taught school before she met Joseph Smith. [54] The Saints Petition to Congress, November 1839, in Smith, History of the Church, 4:2438; the mention of bloody footsteps is on p. 36. It was the anniversary of the death of the twins she lost in Kirtland. 16, Lee Library, 67; Joseph Smith, History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ed. 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. By Scott D. Pierce. Leaders compiled these petitions and affidavits and presented them three times, possibly four, to U.S. president Martin Van Buren and to Congress, but the federal government refused to act on them.[109]. [10] They crossed the icy Mississippi River, some at Quincy, where Charles C. Rich said, We found friends and was kindly received.[11], Another half dozen Mormon militiamen led by Dimick Huntington left separately. Its almost as if youre holding the hymnbook in your own hands. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. While living at the Morley farm near Kirtland, Emma Smith gives birth to twins, who die shortly after birth. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Then three hundred militiamen escorted them away to face trial and prison. Joseph.[103] Perrigrine Sessions said that Joseph being there gave us much joy to see his face among the Saints and here the voice of inspiration that flowed from his lips this caused our drooping spirits to revive as we were like sheap with out a shepherd that had been scatered in a cloudy and dark day.[104] After Joseph heard the congregation enthusiastically sing the hymn Zion, City of Our God, Wandle Mace observed that Joseph rose to speak but had difficulty controlling his emotions: To look upon the Saints who had been driven from their homes, and scattered as they were, among strangers, without homes, robbed of everything, and to see them under all these trying circumstances assemble to this General Conference from all the region around, and sing of Zion, the city of our God, with so much spirit, showing their love and confidence in the gospel, and the pleasure he felt in meeting with them. She was baptized on 28 June 1830, shortly after the Church was organized. All but the youngest two had to walk every step of the entire distance. They were almost barefooted and some had to wrap their feet in clothes in order to keep them from freezing and protect them from the sharp points of the frozen ground. Son John, nine, later said that often the blood from our feet marked the frozen earth.[57]. . 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. Given that Brigham was blamed by Emma for being the inventor of plural marriage, he probably felt rather ill-used by her.

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