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. They numbered twelve families with more than sixty souls, having surnames of Knight, DeMille, Peck, Slade, Culver, and Stringham. If Brigham Young had one constant character trait, it was his absolute faithfulness to Joseph Smith. One of her grandchildren, Emma Belle Smith Kennedy, wrote: "Her eyes were brown and sad. 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. . In April 1839, Eliza R. Snow wrote a poem titled To the Citizens of Quincy to thank Ye noble, genrous hearted Citizens.[111] It was published on page 1 of the Quincy Whig on May 11, 1839. [1] William G. Hartley, Almost Too Intolerable a Burthen: The Winter Exodus from Missouri, 18381839, Journal of Mormon History 18 (Fall 1992): 640. Emma and Brigham also disagreed about which parts of Joseph's estate were personal property, and which belonged to the Church.[1]. Much business of consequence was accomplished during the day, Elder Woodruff noted, adding, It truly gave us great Joy to once more sit in conference with Br. Brigham Young University Joseph and Emma Smith's sorrow over this matter was, for the most part, very private, according to Delewski. The river froze over & we were obliged to camp close to the river 3 days and nights before we could cross in the boat, 6 waggons were with us at the time.[41], By mid-January, Saints were leaving Far West daily. There are several reasons Emma stayed in Nauvoo after Joseph Smith's death, but a few in particular stand out. William G. Hartley, The Saints Forced Exodus from Missouri, in Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer, ed. 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. Here is a link to LDS.org that lists all the meters used in the hymnbook. This most likely caused people to behave differently than they might have in gentler circumstances. On two additional occasions she was driven from her home at the threat of her life.". [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. While Joseph was in jail, Emma made the decision to flee with the rest of the Saints to Quincy. 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. He rode with the Mormon militia who fought in the Battle of Crooked River. Because if the LDS Church is false, none of those things matter! The biography Linda and Valeen published with Doubleday several years later was not so guarded, detailing Josephs many polygamous alliances, his repeated lies to Emma about those marriages, and her conflicts with his plural wivesincluding a much-debated stair-pushing catfight with Eliza R. Snow. As one said, those who moved during the winter traveled in colde weather thinly clad and porly furnished with provisions.[40] Women without their husbands had harder times of it than those with husbands. Emma, however, was the only sibling not to inherit a family name. She was not perfect and made choices that seem hard for us to understand today. 1856Emma takes in orphaned Elizabeth Agnes Kendall, eight years old, and rears her as her own daughter . Print. 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.. [76] Smith, History of the Church, 3:262. During this time, their relationship improved and Joseph may have agreed to stop taking on additional wives. That is her divine mission. When he reached the Clevelands, Emma recognized him as he dismounted from his horse and met him half way to the gate.[101], A Quincy newspaper reporter publicized the arrival of Joseph Smith and his prison companions, concluding with a favorable description of the Church President and Prophet: We had supposed from the stories and statements we had read of Jo Smith (as he is termed in the papers) to find him a very illiterate, uncouth sort of man; but from a long conversation, we acknowledge an agreeable disappointment. Conflicts between church members and neighbors also continued to escalate, and eventually Young made the decision to relocate the church to the Salt Lake Valley. . [5] Gentry, Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri, 32527; Alexander L. Baugh, A Call to Arms: The 1838 Mormon Defense of Northern Missouri (PhD diss., Brigham Young University, 1996), 34047. Because the Missouri militia wanted to arrest him, he fled from home on November 2, leaving Caroline and the children to fend as best they could. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. After they left, the mob plundered thousands of dollars worth of property donated to help the poor move. In the middle of the 19th century it was common, according to Delewski, for a mother to lose more than one child to the birthing process or disease. Their chief settlement was Far West in Caldwell County. He went to the room where the Committee of Removal was meeting and told them to wind up affairs and be off to save their lives. [75] Wandle Mace Autobiography, typescript, 3132, Perry Special Collections. John was one of dozens of Mormon militiamen who fled from Missouri in November. Emma raised her as her own daughter, and Elizabeth Agnes eventually married Emma's biological son, Alexander Hale Smith. Extermination order not rescinded for 137 years. Browse the pages of the original 1835 hymnbook. Fanny lived in the Smiths' house with Emma, which caused much tension. 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. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. In the meantime, Emma assumed that because these men represented the Twelve they acted on direct orders from Brigham. Within three weeks, the press got wind of the authors ecclesiastical silencing and began to report about itthereby tripling sales of the book. [88] Richard E. Bennett, Quincythe Home of Our Adoption, 101. 3 Why didnt Emma Smith go west with the Saints? Exmormons are told to leave quietly with their tails between their legs. Years later, in the anti-Emma atmosphere of Utah, Brigham Young spoke of a meeting where Joseph accused his wife of slipping poison into his coffee. Emma did, from time to time, offer approval of specific marriages. 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. Events unfolded rapidly, with men from the neighboring towns staging raids on Nauvoo, trying to once again, drive out the Saints and claim their. 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. The Lord says in Doctrine and Covenants 25:12, My soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.. The day has gone by when masses of men can be outlawed, and driven from society to the wilderness, unprotected. John later filed claim for the loss of 240 acres of land, three yoke of oxen, a corn crop, and hogs. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Brigham interpreted Emma's refusal to answer as an admission of guilt.. John, tall and strong, had fought off Missourians trying to block Mormons from voting. He could scarcely refrain from weeping.[105], Once safely in Illinois, the Saints still had some unfinished business related to their expulsion from Missouri. Nov. 10, 2014. The Mormon church has said for the first time that its founder Joseph Smith had up to 40 wives. We invite you to give back. Joseph Smith's death on June 27, 1844, created tremendous upheaval for Emma. [58], The Butlers and Smoots reached the Mississippi on March 10 or 11. Emma was a significant part of the church while her husband was alive. Five reasons best explain why Saints moved during winter conditions: (1) by January, armed patrols were showing up and threatening the Saints, so in the January 26 public meeting the people agreed to begin moving immediately; (2) the Saints had been told that Joseph Smith would not be released from prison until they all had left Missouri, so the sooner that happened, the better;[39] (3) individuals were running out of food and supplies; (4) in February, Far West experienced some stretches of weather that seemed favorable for traveling; and (5) wagons going to Illinois and then returning to take others needed four to six weeks to make the two trips before the late March deadline. 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. The next morning our beds were covered with snow, Lucy said, and they were unable to light a fire. February 11, 1843, is promoted as another date when Emma may have become aware of Joseph's plurality. A storehouse of historical documents and records. [122] James Galligher Petition in Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions, 218. On February 19 or 20, Joseph Smiths parents, Joseph Sr. and Lucy, finally joined the exodus. 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. 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. Lorenzo said that his pants were so shredded by bushes that he refused to face Iowans until someone brought him better pants. 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. "Remember, Emma was a woman of refinement and education. Those who hired him found him to be the best employee theyd ever hired. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Emma died in Nauvoo on April 30, 1879, at age 75. [14] Autobiography of Anson Call, typescript, 13, L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University. . But the youngest wife sealed to Smith was only 14 years old when she married him . In a remarkable twist of irony, her version of history is increasingly the LDS Churchs as well. Book Of Mormon Videos Why did Emma Smith leave the LDS Church?-----Our main goal is creating educational content. On horseback, he, fellow Kentuckian David Lewis, and Elias Higbee endured December snows, cold, and meager food to reach Quincy, Illinois. The large body of displaced Saints became an economic force and political presence in Illinois and Iowa Territory. [97] Liberty Jail prisoners were Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Lyman Wight, Alexander McRae, and Caleb Baldwin. a boy whom many Saints felt to be Smiths rightful prophetic heir, The biography Linda and Valeen published with Doubleday several years later. Its an outstanding and award-winning biography that was the product of countless hours of primary research. When did Emma Smith leave the church? She joined in his efforts to protect them from thieves and acted on occasion as his scribe. When asked if he had read the biography, Elder Oaks said he had seen several excerpts from it, and found that the authors views of Joseph Smith were nontraditional.. Its an improvement that shes discussed at all. "As a therapist, based on these words alone, I would have to say, 'Why would anyone even ask why she remained in Nauvoo?' [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. Winter exposure and food shortages in Caldwell County and during exodus caused health problems for many and a host of deaths during 1839. At times he hid in members homes as he headed east. Health problems and deaths. In the same year, Smith founded the Church of Christlater known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintsin Fayette Township. At Adam-ondi-Ahman, Saints in October 1838 were building about 150 log houses, but most of them were not finished by the time the Saints left. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Its seven members, soon expanded to eleven, agreed to move first the families of the Presidency and of the other prisoners. The Atonement of Christ Redeems Us from the Fall. What does the L.M., C.M. The oxen they had left could not pull all the load, so Newel unloaded part of his and Brigham Youngs goods and left them in the care of a friendly resident. Emma: Because it was the price of faith. Then, because it was planting season, they moved about ten miles out and rented a farm. These souls, by and large, were poor, bedraggled, and sickly. To do so, would be to act with extreme cruelty. I have witnesses of this scene all around, who can testify that I am now telling the truth. Being forced from Missouri posed a test of faith that most Saints passed, but some failed, as the extended Knight family illustrates. Uncertain which policy to push, the conference voted against accepting the land offer (Journal History, February 1, 1839). "When Emma died, she was surrounded by her family and friends. These hymns had a great influence on the Saints during the early days of the Church. The exodus had no large, organized wagon trains. [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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". . [65] Elisha Whiting Petition, in Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions, 374. [34] Saints used existing roads as much as possible, although some took detours to avoid problems with local residents or to avoid being recognized. If you look in the back of an LDS hymnbook, there is a whole section talking about meter as well. I understand Long meter and Common meter, but what is PM? The last words out of Emmas mouth when she died were Joseph. Brigham, after all, saw Emma as fighting against the man Brigham revered as the Prophet, and he knew that Emma knew that Joseph taught plural marriage. 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. In total, these petitioners losses totaled $2,275,789an average of $3,761 per petitioner. Emma Smith had so much on her plate, so its inspiring to learn how she was willing to contribute to the growth of the Church while she was dealing with everything else. [79] In its March 2 issue, the Quincy Whig termed the Saints crossing the Mississippi River objects of charity. Because they had been thrown upon our shores destitute, through the oppressive people of Missouri, common humanity must oblige us to aid and relieve them all in our power.[80], On March 5, Bishop Partridge reported from Quincy to Joseph Smith, The people here receive us kindly and are willing that we should enjoy the privileges guaranteed to all civil people without molestation.[81], Joseph Sr. and wife Lucy rented a house or part of it on the northeast corner of Sixth and Hampshire streets. The Butler and Smoot families. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Emma: People say all kinds of things, but Julia I know better. After a long time, Mother Smith said, We succeeded . When Elizabeth died in childbirth, young Elizabeth Agnes was leftwith her stepfather and, soon after, a new stepmother. [29] Smith, History of the Church, 3:249. . Emma had been disappeared. Because Joseph Smith was in prison during the exodus, attention focuses here on Joseph Smiths parents, his wife Emma, Elders Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, and four selected families: the John and Caroline Butler family, the Newel and Lydia Knight family, the Daniel and Martha Thomas family, and the Levi and Clarissa Hancock family. You might notice something a bit surprisingtheres no musical notation! [34] Smith, History of the Church, 3:255. Joseph Smith and the Latter Day Saints leadership had always asked for help from the US government. 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. Her husband Joseph Smith had been killed in 1844, and after his death Emma Smith decided to remain in Nauvoo. 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. A stone weighing about a ton was rolled to the southeast corner of the site. 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. Learn how . 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. [63] Eliza R. Snow, an Immortal: Selected Works by Eliza R. Snow (Salt Lake City: Nicholas G. Morgan Sr., 1957), 1011. 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). They lived with his family and then with hers for a time. Why did Emma Smith opt to stay in Nauvoo? In an essay published on its website quoting "careful estimates", the church said the wives. In 1842, when the Ladies' Relief Society of Nauvoo was formed as a . Training experience for 1846 exodus. Latter-day Saint widow Elizabeth Kendall and her family first became acquainted with Emma at the Mansion House in Nauvoo. After deliberating on the best means to finish the job, we have thought that considering the bad state of the roads, the expense of ferrage in consequence of high water, that the teams are all nearly worn out, and the brethren here very poor and very much scattered that the best solution was to forward the remainder of the poor brethren by water. By contracting with a steam boat, the poor brethren might all be removed at once and the Far West committee would be free to get out of the state. [62] Eliza Roxey (Snow) Smith, Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow (Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1884), 45. The group then included one man, two women, and children ages seven, four, three, and one. . 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. She had a lock of his hair cut and given to her. [95] At that point, Brigham Young felt that the covenant to move the poor Saints had been fulfilled: We had entered into a covenant to see the poor Saints all moved out of Missouri to Illinois, that they might be delivered out of the hands of such vile persecutors, and we spared no pains to accomplish this object until the Lord gave us the desires of our heart. . Below Ill list the link that I found talking about it, although I cant guarantee their accuracy! All the same, she continued to have a testimony of his role as a prophet and she carried out her duties faithfully. [125] Animosity toward Missourians by Mormons and by Missourians toward Mormons lasted for generations. When the Mormons left for Utah, she elected to remain behind. [86], As soon as John Butlers family arrived, they had no place to go and it was bitter cold, John said. She taught school before she met Joseph Smith. Sarah later became Emmas first counselor in the Nauvoo Relief Society. The five Apostles who were presentBrigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, John E. Page, and John Taylorordained Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith as Apostles and two men who had just been liberated from the Richmond prison, Darwin Chase and Norman Shearer, as Seventies. 1 Why did Emma Smith leave the LDS Church? the management of the affairs of the Church devolves on you, that is the Twelve . Required fields are marked *. It wasnt just that she was the mother of, It wasnt just that she clashed with Young so severely that he once claimed that more hell was never wrapped up in any human being than there is in her., And it wasnt just that she later helped her son found. Emma and Joseph's descendants grew up separated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Albert Rockwood and his family left Far West with another family on January 10. [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 it entered his stomach he went to the door and threw it off. 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. H. Redmond, History of Quincy and Its Men of Mark (Quincy, IL: Heirs and Russell, 1863), 15; Richard E. Bennett, Quincythe Home of Our Adoption: A Study of the Mormons in Quincy, Illinois, 18381839, 8788, and Susan Easton Black, QuincyA City of Refuge, 69, in A City of Refuge. 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. Mormon leaders have acknowledged for the first time that the church's founder and prophet, Joseph Smith, portrayed in church materials as a loyal partner to his loving spouse Emma . Following Joseph's murder, Emma refused to go west with the Saints. Find out a few things you may not have known about this prominent woman in Church history. [17] Dean C. Jesse and David J. Whittaker, The Last Months of Mormonism in Missouri: The Albert Perry Rockwood Journal, BYU Studies 28 (Winter 1988): 2729. The family filled the cart with corn. [12] John Butlers escape route apparently was across northern Missouri. A few days later, Martha gave birth to a son she named after the Prophet. Why? A woman living in a nearby house ran to find out what was wrong. Carolines third task was to find some way to move the family and belongings from Missouri before spring. [90] Diaries of William Huntington, 8; Isaac Leany Petition in Johnson, ed., Mormon Redress Petitions, 485. [20] The Life of Joseph Holbrook, 18061871, typescript, 46, Perry Special Collections. However, she was never really an active member of that church, nor did she become active in any other church. 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 . Emma and Joseph eloped on January 18, 1827, in South Bainbridge, New York, and then went to live with the Smith family. The way that current materials deal with the conflict with Brigham Young is . [36] With Joseph Smiths approval, leaders in Far West decided to sell Church properties in Jackson County to help raise money for the exodus. . Jeremy made the Letter available online. She was baptized on 28 June 1830, shortly after the Church was organized. 40 Wives Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Kent P. Jackson (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010), 34790. [95] Kenney, Wilford Woodruffs Journal, 1:329. Given that Brigham was blamed by Emma for being the inventor of plural marriage, he probably felt rather ill-used by her. They organized into a company with Rich as captain. At night they would build fires if they could find firewood. Joseph Knight Jr., for one, claimed $200 for a mill burned down, $50 for a house burned, $50 for 3 acres of land and 50 peach trees, $25 for hay and corn, $475 for losses of land and town properties, and $150 for expenses for moving twice. [57] Quoted in Lyman O. Littlefield, Reminiscences of Latter-day Saints (Logan, UT: Journal Company Printers, 1888), 7273. 185 Heber J. Emma crossed the ice carefully, walking apart from the wagon. He could find no way to bring the Butlers wagon across the river, so he spent the night with his family. [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. Answer (1 of 10): At the time of her husbands death, not much changed. 16, Lee Library, 67; Joseph Smith, History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ed. 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]. Learn about and browse the pages of the first hymnal of the Church. There was scarcely a day while we were on the road that it did not either snow or rain, son John said. "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. In order to understand this, we need to look at her personality and what she experienced prior to the death of Joseph.".