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. Their difficult trip to Mississippi River took twelve days: We had snow and rain every day but 2. One woman's exit from the LDS Church plays - The Salt Lake Tribune While Joseph was in jail, Emma made the decision to flee with the rest of the Saints to Quincy. FAQs - Joseph Smith Jr and Emma Hale Smith Historical Society 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 handled nearly every trial with grace. Why Emma Smith didn't let the destruction of her first - LDS Living They received them as they came, sent forward all who had means and strength into the interior, provided the poor and sick with lodgings, fuel, food and clothing.[74] Wandle Mace opened his house to the refugees. [27] That left the Saints no choice but to leave Missouri as soon as possible. . 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. 1 Why did Emma Smith leave the LDS Church? 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. It was difficult, dramatic, sometimes harrowing, and only partly organized. She frequently found herself living in the homes of others and just as frequently took complete strangers into her own home. . That covenant became the foundation for the Churchs emigration programs from then until 1869, producing the Perpetual Emigrating Fund in 1849, the handcart program from 1856 to 1860, and the 1860s team trains going down and back from Utah to provide transportation to Utah for emigrants in need.[126]. [100] Stanley B. Kimball, The Saints and St. Louis, 18311857: An Oasis of Tolerance and Security, BYU Studies 13 (Summer 1973): 489519. Some church members inappropriately rejected her because of her rejection of polygamy and her outspokenness on the subject. A Comfort unto My Servant, Joseph. Women of faith in the latter days. On January 16, the imprisoned First Presidency sent instructions to Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young that said, Inasmuch as we are in prison, . (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1976 reprint), 3:210. . She compiled the first hymnbook. The way that current materials deal with the conflict with Brigham Young is . Emma Smith was the wife of the first Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith. Its an outstanding and award-winning biography that was the product of countless hours of primary research. Though Joseph died at a young age, Julia was raised by Emma to adulthood. Events of the 1838 Mormon War soon escalated, resulting in Joseph's surrender and imprisonment by Missouri officials. 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. Hundreds still lacked the means to leave. 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. On this same day, there was a skirmish between the mob and the Saints west of Big Blue River. Their tough experiences produced definite impactsboth short- and long-termon Missouri and Illinois, on the course of the Church, and on individual members.[1]. [73], Church members living in Quincy and nearby tried to help the refugees when they crossed the river. See discussion in Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery. [13] Hartley, My Best for the Kingdom, 8284. Given that Brigham was blamed by Emma for being the inventor of plural marriage, he probably felt rather ill-used by her. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. It turned out that such calls had gone out to bishops and stake presidents in several states. "When Emma died, she was surrounded by her family and friends. Latest from Mormon Land: Slowest church growth since 1857; 'surprise Mormon Church Admits Founder Joseph Smith Had Up To 40 Wives Susan Easton Black and Richard E. Bennett (Salt Lake City: Millennial Press, 2000), 134. . "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. Joseph Smith did not have a Will but like today when the husband dies the surviving spouse is still entitled to a certain part of her husband's assets as defined by law, even without a will; but Emma would still have to go through court probate to obtain these assets. That did not stop Emma, a visionary woman in her own sense of the word. 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. [29] Smith, History of the Church, 3:249. They moved into a Brother Wiswangers crowded home. At the time, perhaps ten thousand Mormons were concentrated in two particular counties. 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. [36] Brigham H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Century I (reprint, Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 1965), 1:510511, and Smith, History of the Church, 3:26163. The Thomas family. It took me a minute to find what you were looking at, but if I am correct, I see the PMs in Emma Smiths original hymnbook. The John Murdock family left on February 4 without any team or animal or carriage of any kind. They put Mrs. Murdock and the household furniture in a Brother Humphreys wagon. Joseph was susceptible to vomiting anyway. The comfortable and peaceful life she had led as a girl had done little to prepare her for this new life, but she faced it with faith. He did not court the women or put his proposals in romantic terms. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. In 1842, when the Ladies' Relief Society of Nauvoo was formed as a . . The mormon church is excellent with marketing, so many assume it's just a slightly strange but happy family filled religion. Other scribes would do the majority of the translation, but she filled in as needed. Her husband, on the other hand, had only a handful of years of formal education. [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. [112] A Proclamation to the Saints Scattered AbroadGreeting, Times and Seasons, January 15, 1841, 6. 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. Innumerable able-bodied men needed jobs. Before long, typhoid fever came into West Lebanon and "raged tremendously.". Her judgment lies in God's hands, not in ours or Brigham Young's. . . Emma was the seventh of nine children. That is her divine mission. [97] Liberty Jail prisoners were Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Lyman Wight, Alexander McRae, and Caleb Baldwin. 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. [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. [67] Scott G. Kenney, ed., Wilford Woodruff Journal, 18331898, Typescript, Vol. I am blown away at how single-handedly he is responsible for the majority of what we know about the Nauvoo years and the very adventurous last few years of Joseph Smith's life. [13], During November 1838, Latter-day Saint settlements in Caldwell and Daviess counties endured a military occupation. Thank you for your insight about and compassion for Emma, and for taking the time to write about and share it with us. He could scarcely refrain from weeping.[105], Once safely in Illinois, the Saints still had some unfinished business related to their expulsion from Missouri. . 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. [89] Leo R. Rogers, Willis Rogers and Elizabeth Bessie Ritchie with Their Ancestors and Descendants (Bountiful, UT: L. R. Rogers, ca. She worked hard to support his mission. These include the petitions for redress, prison letters, other correspondence, diaries, autobiographies and memoirs, pamphlets, newspaper articles, and a mass of official Missouri government records. The authors were alarmed, though Linda was comforted by her stake president, who told her, You are my parishioner, and I will see you through this no matter how long it takes.. They started in February, but it was bitter cold, and they suffered fearfully, Caroline said. No one could have recognized them as the prosperous Yankees they had once been in New York before embracing Mormonism. What does the L.M., C.M. There are several reasons Emma stayed in Nauvoo after Joseph Smith's death, but a few in particular stand out. [30] John Taylor, Alanson Ripley, Brigham Young, Theodore Turley, Heber C. Kimball, John Smith (the Prophets uncle), and Don C. Smith (the Prophets brother). Emma Smith would make tremendous sacrifices for the gospel of Jesus Christ, for her husband, and for the church. First in Ohio and then three times in Missouri, they had practiced starting over. I found my family in good health though in the mud and snow half a leg deep in the camp. [7] William G. Hartley, My Best for the Kingdom: The History and Autobiography of John Lowe Butler, a Mormon Frontiersman (Salt Lake City: Aspen Books, 1993), 8184; Baugh, A Call to Arms, 39296. 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. Joseph Smith - Wikipedia President Sidney Rigdon, Bishop Edward Partridge, and a few others felt the Saints could avoid problems like the ones they had in Missouri by spreading out rather than gathering together into Latter-day Saint communities. One Latter-day Saint and two Missourians were killed. What a cold night that was! Mosiah recalled: The next morning the river was frozen over with icegreat blocks of frozen ice all over the river, and it was slick and clear. [124] Berrett and Parkin, Sacred Places: Missouri, 329, 402, 411. [34] Smith, History of the Church, 3:255. [9] The men split into two groups to avoid attention. 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. [56] Daniel Stillwell Thomas Family History, 2729. Newel and all men in the city had to surrender their arms. Training experience for 1846 exodus. 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. [41] Jesse and Whittaker, Albert Perry Rockwood Journal, 34. Each comment will be reviewed by a staff member before it will appear on the site. Seeing the injuries, she rushed back to her house and brought back camphor, brown paper, and a pan of warm water. . In July 1830, Joseph Smith received a revelation addressed specifically to Emma. Both screamed loudly, and Caroline ran back to aid them. Her love for Joseph was still quite deep, as was her love for her children.". Young put on board some of his goods into the wagon carrying the Knights, and both families resumed their journeys. [51] Elder Heber C. Kimball sent his family with the Youngs. Required fields are marked *. He finally broke with all organized religion. During that period, the place was a hive of activity; Joseph Smith and his wife, Emma, and Oliver Cowdery were boarding with the Whitmers, and other people (including curiosity-seekers) were constantly coming and going. Delewski thinks she may have been the most promising of the Hale children because she had a rare additional year of schooling. While locals let the suffering Saints crowd into farms, sheds, huts, and tents, they judged the refugees to be generally of the poorer and more illiterate classes.[78] On February 25, Quincy leaders met and adopted measures to provide relief. 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. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Church leaders told fugitive Charles C. Rich to flee north into the wilderness and take all that I Could find of the Brethren that was in the Crooked river Battle. So he and others left Far West at midnight on November 1. We have to look at her entire life, not just one portion of it. Elggren believes they had that face-to-face after they had both died. Emma Smith and the Pain of Polygamy | by Holly Hardy | Medium The last words out of Emmas mouth when she died were Joseph. Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805 - June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and the founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement.At the age of 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon and by the time of his death, 14 years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers. See http://www.measuringworth.com/calculators/uscompare. Newel Knight had a wagon but no team. Why (and how) Were Latter-day Saints Forced Out of Jackson County Then three hundred militiamen escorted them away to face trial and prison. These souls, by and large, were poor, bedraggled, and sickly. Joseph had been translating the Bible before he was imprisoned, and Emma also carried these documents with her, hidden in bags under her skirts. Bidamon married Nancy Sebree in 1827, with whom he had four children. 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. After a quick Google search, I found out that PM probably stands for peculiar meter. I hadnt heard of that before, and it isnt in the current edition of the LDS hymnbook. Exmormons are told to leave quietly with their tails between their legs. He operated a large butcher shop by the river and a wholesale store by the boat landing. A few days later, the horses ran away. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Twice she undertook to kill him. 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. Emma Hale Smith was the seventh of nine children. The additions were Elias Smith, Erastus Bingham, Stephen Markham, and James Newberry (History of the Church, 3:24954, includes 214 names of those who pledged). [73] Bennett, Quincythe Home of Our Adoption, 86. She also learned how to cook and be a good host when her parents ran a boarding house. The views expressed by individual users are the responsibility of those users and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. 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. Until that time, Emma had been largely written out of official LDS history. Was also Governor of Utah Territory from February 3, 1851 to April 12, 1858. I now saw my little daughter, Nancy Jane, for the first time about two months old. Your email address will not be published. This made the poisoning accusation plausible for him. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. Emma died peacefully in the Nauvoo House on April 30, 1879 at the age of 74. In the meantime, Emma assumed that because these men represented the Twelve they acted on direct orders from Brigham. Find out a few things you may not have known about this prominent woman in Church history. 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. Martha, about eight months pregnant, said, To hear them [children] crying at night with their feet cracked and bleeding was hardly bearable. 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. Saints had until late March to vacate Missouri, but they started leaving in earnest during January. " Delewski said. [87] Hartley, My Best for the Kingdom, 9192. [77] Kenney, Wilford Woodruffs Journal, 1:32930. in getting one single wagon to convey beds, clothing, and provisions for our family, and luggage. Among the stories are: Hidden Mormonism in Orson Scott Card's fiction, Anti-debt diva gives outlandish money-saving ideas, "Travails and triumphs" of Mormon mommies blogging, Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. She said she was sorry to see the Mormons suffer so much and be driven from their homes. [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. 590-592: Stephen M. Veazey, Prophet-President of - Mormon Stories Their first twenty miles was through snow six inches deep. February 11, 1843, is promoted as another date when Emma may have become aware of Joseph's plurality. Survey explains reasons why Mormons leave fold [69] Kenney, ed., Wilford Woodruffs Journal, 1:322. Print. She carried two children while two others hung on to her skirt. Sidney Rigdon had been released in January. The biography was an instant commercial success, selling out its first two printings. At least one man escaped west to Fort Leavenworth. . Which is another way of saying that a particular view of history does not suit institutional needs in the moment. 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. After Brigham Young assumed a leadership role, he and his supporters considered Joseph Smith's physical property as property of the church. [125] Animosity toward Missourians by Mormons and by Missourians toward Mormons lasted for generations. Those coming from outside Far West suffered because as John Greene wrote, we have been robbed of our corn, wheat, horses, cattle, cows, hogs, wearing apparel, houses and homes, and indeed, of all that renders life tolerable.[19] On November 9 the Missouri Republican Daily reported that the Saints situation was a case of great difficulty because they are generally poor and facing starvation. [84] William Cahoon noted that a family named Travis offered him employment;[85] Mr. Travis also hired refugee Truman Angell to frame a barn. Illinois law at the time held that no church could hold more than ten acres of property, and so much of the church's properties were held in Joseph's name. Emma did, from time to time, offer approval of specific marriages. "When people ask what caused a change in Emma Smith's behavior, what they really are asking is, 'Why didn't she go west with the Saints?' Many of the Saints were glad to find shelter in my house from the storms, he said. why did emma smith leave the lds church - ptitbuilding.com This forced expulsion of Saints from Missouri produced short- and long-term consequences, as enumerated here for various of the parties involved. 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. Shortly, twelve mobbers with rifles entered the tithing office and broke windows, tables, chairs, and seventeen clocks into matchwood. One threw iron pots at Theodore Turley, hitting him in the shoulder. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. to ignore it entirely. In honor of the 175th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, LDS Living is sharing a series of articles about early Church history and some of its key figures. Also, three men were sent to locate possible settlement sites up the Mississippi River in Illinois. https://www.lds.org/music/index/hymns/title-tune-meter?lang=eng&_r=1. Learn about and browse the pages of the first hymnal of the Church. After the church dispersed in 1844, those folks who did not head west with Brigham Young kind of scattered until April 6, 1860 when Joseph's son, Joseph Smith III, was ordained prophet-president (Hence the name Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of LDS) The church did not bring into our beliefs doctrines dealing with the practice of secret . The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". It would be 2 months before she could be confirmed as a member of the Church. [117] Weakened by the rigorous trek in midwinter after the severe ordeal of persecution in Missouri, the exiles who were camped along the Mississippi River began to feel the effects of the hardships such that almost every family succumbed to the ague and bilious fever (Ivan J. Barrett, Joseph Smith and the Restoration [Provo, UT: BYU Press, 1973], 439). On February 19 the committee sent Charles Bird to visit Caldwell County and William Huntington Far West to determine how many families still needed assistance to move and to solicit means to help them. [64] History of Zera Pulsipher As Written by Himself, typescript, 1516, Perry Special Collections. A test passed by the faithful. Emma eventually forced them to leave, unable to bear the pain of having Joseph's plural wives . As was common in their day, the early Saints sang the printed lyrics to familiar tunes. She would leave her parents in 1830, never to see them again as she and her family were forced to move from place to place to avoid persecution and violence. Why did Emma Smith leave the LDS Church? - YouTube Triggered by Missouri governor Lilburn Boggss October 1838 extermination order against them, some ten thousand Saints engaged in a mass exodus, many going to Quincy, Illinois. [100], In the morning of April 22, Dimick Huntington, at Emma Smiths request, went down to the rivers edge to inquire about news from the west, and spotted the Prophet. Slipping through the guard, he had to cross a creek by taking off his clothes and wading across the bitter cold water. [93] Kenney, Wilford Woodruffs Journal, 1:325. My God is it you Bro. 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 . My mother called my legs pipe stems, and my arms straws! he said. In September 1843, Emma was the first woman to receive the endowment. [9] Leonard J. Arrington, Charles C. Rich (Provo, UT: BYU Press, 1974), 60; Juanita Brooks, ed., On the Mormon Frontier: The Diary of Hosea Stout, 18441861 (Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press and the Utah State Historical Society, 1964), xvi; Lorenzo Dow Young, Recollections, Four Faith Promoting Classics (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1968), 5254. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". May 1831 New York branches arrive in Ohio. He referred to a handmade chart that showed the homes Emma Smith had during her 17-year marriage to Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith. Because of his position in the Illinois militia, he was often referred to as "Major" Bidamon. -Stephanie. The Missouri Arguss editor argued incorrectly on December 20, 1838, that they cannot be driven beyond the limits of the statethat is certain. 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]. We loaded up our little efects into a wagon and with one small pair of stears we started out with five children [ages twelve, nine, seven, four, and two] in our family and only one pair of shoes amongst them, Daniel wrote.
