During Sunday dinner on November 5, Joseph became ill, rushed to the door, and vomited so violently that he dislocated his jaw. 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. Her love for Joseph was still quite deep, as was her love for her children.". 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. 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. By 1838 Quincy had a strong population base of sixteen hundred residents, mostly Germans and New Englanders, and several industries and businesses, including its share of coopers and cabinet-makers, saddlers and leather-makers, and a pork packing and meat processing center. Quincy was on its way to prosperity. The weather was cold and severe, with snow to the depth of 1 foot. Some of Emma's friends, as well as many members of the Smith family, alienated themselves from Young's followers. I hope this helps too! She was not perfect and made choices that seem hard for us to understand today. [9] The men split into two groups to avoid attention. [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. They pulled out of Far West on February 18, leaving behind a house and farm. She even owned cows and other items, possibly given as payment from students. There are several reasons Emma stayed in Nauvoo after Joseph Smith's death, but a few in particular stand out. A woman should give her greatest priority to her home: her husband, her family, and the opportunity to child-bearing. This most likely caused people to behave differently than they might have in gentler circumstances. She is remembered for her unrelenting strength and ability to overcome hardships. [56], The Hammer family. I understand Long meter and Common meter, but what is PM? She said, The teams were puffing and the wagons dragging so heavily that we were all on foot, tugging along as best we could.[63], During Zera Pulsiphers exodus that March, he and his son-in-law lost horses. At the time of her birth, her parents had a good relationship with a prominent local family, which may have affected her name selection. Copyright 1997-2023 by The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved. [99] At that point the Saints exodus from Missouri was finished, and Governor Boggss extermination order had basically succeeded in removing Saints from northwest Missouri. Answer (1 of 10): At the time of her husbands death, not much changed. 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. 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. Question: Why did Emma Smith and Brigham Young dislike one another? The next day, Richards wrote that Joseph was "busy with domestic concerns." Print. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. [118] Dean R. Zimmerman, I Knew the Prophets: An Analysis of the Letters of Benjamin F. Johnson to George F. Gibbs Reporting Doctrinal Views of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young (Bountiful, UT: Horizon, 1976), 1011. Those who hired him found him to be the best employee theyd ever hired. Brigham interpreted Emma's refusal to answer as an admission of guilt.. . She compiled the first hymnbook. With other refugees, she and six children ages two through nine accompanied their small wagon, pulled by a blind horse. Their hospitality stemmed more from pity than anything else. To understand her, we have to place her in her own setting and time, not in our own. 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. Social conversation and discretion were traits for which she was well-known. 1856Emma takes in orphaned Elizabeth Agnes Kendall, eight years old, and rears her as her own daughter . The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. [90] Diaries of William Huntington, 8; Isaac Leany Petition in Johnson, ed., Mormon Redress Petitions, 485. Required fields are marked *. Is probably the most famous Latter Day Saint polygamist with 55 wives. [116] A plague of sickness that befell Nauvoo residents in the summer of 1839 was due in large measure to physical debility caused by sufferings during the previous year. Hope this helps! Reaching the river, they joined Saints waiting to cross who had no shelter. Despite her parents disapproval, she eventually eloped. 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. [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. Joseph Smith, when asked, advised leaders to obtain properties where the Saints could collect rather than scatter, and he developed Nauvoo to be the next gathering place.[115]. 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. She was told that her calling was to be a support and comfort to . In response, when Saints reached safety they began filling out petitions for redress and having them notarized by justices of the peace and court clerks in two counties in Iowa and ten in Illinois. Early Life and Marriage of Emma Smith. He operated a large butcher shop by the river and a wholesale store by the boat landing. Following Josephs murder, Emma refused to go west with the Saints. 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. 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. 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. 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. William G. Hartley, The Saints Forced Exodus from Missouri, in Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer, ed. (Emma's schism church.) Both the Church and Joseph Smith personally were heavily in debt at the time of the martyrdom. Here is a link to LDS.org that lists all the meters used in the hymnbook. Only his mother and sisters had shoes, but these wore out and became almost useless before they reached Illinois. At Adam-ondi-Ahman they obtained provisions from fellow Saints. [77] Kenney, Wilford Woodruffs Journal, 1:32930. 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. Huntington estimated that in Daviess County the Saints lost nearly thirty thousand bushels of corn because of the militia takeover. . [34] Smith, History of the Church, 3:255. [28] Greene, Expulsion of the Saints from Missouri, 8. 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. We had heavy loads, were obliged to walk from 2 to 8 miles a day thro mud and water, camped out on the wet ground 3 nights before we arrived at the River. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. Newel Knight had a wagon but no team. He also owned and rented out ten or twelve small houses he had built. Is there a list anywhere of all the composers who had songs in Emmas 1835 hymnal? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. It was enough to make the heart ache to see the children, sick with colds, and crying around their mothers for food, whilst their parents were destitute of the means of making them comfortable.[21], Northwest Missouri winters can be harsh. William G. Hartley was a professor emeritus of history at Brigham Young University when this was published. Joseph Smiths parents. They numbered twelve families with more than sixty souls, having surnames of Knight, DeMille, Peck, Slade, Culver, and Stringham. Your email address will not be published. Because Joseph Smith was in prison during the exodus, attention focuses here on Joseph Smith's 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. Smith's wives were believed to be between the ages of 20 and 40 at the time they were "sealed" or married to him. Though there probably was an argument, the poisoning accusation was unfounded. 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. Brigham Young and his family, with several others, Kimball said. 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.". 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. She handled nearly every trial with grace. 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. The day has gone by when masses of men can be outlawed, and driven from society to the wilderness, unprotected. February 11, 1843, is promoted as another date when Emma may have become aware of Joseph's plurality. Give us employment, the Saints pleaded, rent us farms, and allow us the protection and privileges of other citizens., The Quincy citizens committee passed a resolution which said that the Saints are entitled to our sympathy and kindest regard. Any Saints who because of sickness or destitution found themselves homeless, the committee decided, should appeal directly for assistance. [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. He helped shepherd Saints across Missouri by advancing with one part of the camp as rapidly and as far as possible and then returning with the teams to move others out. That did not stop Emma, a visionary woman in her own sense of the word. After 17 years of marriage, Emma's second husband, Lewis Bidamon, had a child with another woman named Nancy Abercrombie. [107] Johnson, ed., Mormon Redress Petitions, xixxxvii. Joseph and Emma Smith's sorrow over this matter was, for the most part, very private, according to Delewski. The response, signed by Elias Higbee and John P. Greene, stated that if we should say what our present wants are, it would be beyond all calculation; as we have been robbed of our corn, wheat, horses, cattle, cows, hogs, wearing apparel, houses and homes. Twenty widows were entirely destitute. My God is it you Bro. [103] Kenney, Wilford Woodruffs Journal, 1:330, entry for May 4, 1839. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 2011. [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. Understanding how early Saints worked earnestly to build up the Church helps us better appreciate the value of their work. It was the anniversary of the death of the twins she lost in Kirtland. [108] The extended Knight familys losses were at least $14,562, or about $320,000 in todays currency. 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). Turley, Richard E., and Brittany A. Chapman. 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 next day, Missouri troops brought Joseph and Hyrum Smith and five other prisoners into town in wagons to pick up personal effects and say good-bye. To begin again in Illinois was heartbreaking. [90], By mid-April, the mobs lost patience with the Saints still in Caldwell County. [101] Cited in Baugh, We Took Our Change of Venue, 52. Before long, typhoid fever came into West Lebanon and "raged tremendously.". He covered Joseph Smith's reluctance for years to keep this commandment of the Lord and how it was also very difficult for Emma Smith. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. "Emma seemed to wax and wane in her acceptance of the practice," Delewski said. 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. [62] Eliza Roxey (Snow) Smith, Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow (Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1884), 45. [23] Heber Quincy Hale, Bishop Jonathan H. Hale of Nauvoo: His Life and Ministry (Salt Lake City: the author, 1938), 64. [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. With discomfort on both sides, she soon found herself outside the mainstream of the church. In order to do so, she crossed the frozen Mississippi river with two children clinging to her skirts and two in her arms. On May 10, Joseph Smith and his family moved into a small, two-story log house at Commerce, fifty miles north of Quincy, hoping that I and my friends may here find a resting place for a little season at least.[110] Church headquarters moved there, as did large numbers of the exiled Saints. [26], Some opinions downstate held that Mormons would not have to leave at all. [44] Ebenezer Robinson, Items of Personal History of the Editor, Including Some items of Church History Not Generally Known. [32] The committee surveyed the needs and weighed requests for help. By primitive Missouri roads, the distance from Far West to Quincy was about 180 miles. The poem praised those Who have put forth your liberal hand to meet / The urgent wants of the oppressd and poor! In 1841 Joseph and Hyrum Smith and Sidney Rigdon, the First Presidency, issued a proclamation of appreciation, saying, It would be impossible to enumerate all those who in our time of deep distress, nobly came forward to our relief and like the good Samaritan poured oil into our wounds and contributed liberally to our necessities as the citizens of Quincy en masse and the people of Illinois generally seemed to emulate each other in the labor of love.[112], In Quincys Washington Park stands a simple historical marker erected in 1976 to memorialize the Saints exodus. How others feel about her decision, Delewski said, depends upon their own knowledge and understanding. In an essay published on its website quoting "careful estimates", the church said the wives. Seeing the injuries, she rushed back to her house and brought back camphor, brown paper, and a pan of warm water. On the Joseph Smith Papers website, readers can turn through the original hymnbook page by page.

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