[97] Liberty Jail prisoners were Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Lyman Wight, Alexander McRae, and Caleb Baldwin. 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. [13], During November 1838, Latter-day Saint settlements in Caldwell and Daviess counties endured a military occupation. At times, deep snows rubbed their wagon hubs during the journey. [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. Brigham Young, remembering the covenant he asked the Saints in Far West to make to help move those in need, had members similarly covenant when preparing to leave Nauvoo for the West. Great questions! She worried if John had escaped Missouri or been caught. [71], Quincy is on the east bank of the Mississippi on a limestone bluff 125 feet above the river. [52] Heber C. Kimball Journals, 18381839, in Porter, Brigham Young and the Twelve, 134. [Isaac] Streator, Feb. 22, 1839, in Eliza R. Snow Letter from Missouri, BYU Studies 13 (Summer 1973): 549. [112] A Proclamation to the Saints Scattered AbroadGreeting, Times and Seasons, January 15, 1841, 6. In mid-February, Anson Call headed east. But only three of the two dozen adults in Knight family network faltered. [64] History of Zera Pulsipher As Written by Himself, typescript, 1516, Perry Special Collections. She also learned how to cook and be a good host when her parents ran a boarding house. Martha, about eight months pregnant, said, To hear them [children] crying at night with their feet cracked and bleeding was hardly bearable. View our community standards here. I'll share specifics later, but I wanted to share some excellent resources for all of you to dive into to read and listen to church history from Clayton himself. Constant delays meant that the Knights did not reach the Mississippi River until early May. They left Far West on February 14. . [51] Ronald K. Esplin, The Emergence of Brigham Young and the Twelve in Mormon Leadership, 18301841 (PhD diss., Brigham Young University, 1981), 370; Times and Seasons, September 1840, 165. Father said, Run, Mosiah, and I did run! Why? 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. Five of her children survived to adulthood: Julia, Joseph III, Freddie, Alexander and David Hyrum. Emma, as she often did, was searching the home for Joseph when he and a girl were missing. [76] They moved in with Judge John Cleveland and his Latter-day Saint wife, Sarah, four miles east of Quincy. Emma Smith The essentialeven phenomenalrole Emma played in bringing forth the Book of Mormon has been re-examined on many fronts. Health problems and deaths. She wrote to him that only God knew how hard it was for her to flee her home with her children, abandoning all her possessions and leaving her husband to endure whatever was to come. She was well-educated and taught school. Here Samuel had hired a house and we moved into it, with four other families.[53]. So, he said, Sold my cook stove and the only cow the mob had not killed. With that money he hired a man with a team to drive him, Lydia, and their three children east. Exmormons are told to leave quietly with their tails between their legs. She is remembered for her unrelenting strength and ability to overcome hardships. First in Ohio and then three times in Missouri, they had practiced starting over. She was a schoolteacher and even owned items of value, including cows. The exodus from Missouri generated a rich store of documents and records. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Caroline said that at one point that winter, Joseph Smith got word to Emma to send him quilts or bed clothes. FAIR is controlled and operated by the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR). and P.M. refer to at the beginning of each hymn? At the time, perhaps ten thousand Mormons were concentrated in two particular counties. . When Elizabeth died in childbirth, young Elizabeth Agnes was leftwith her stepfather and, soon after, a new stepmother. When he was murdered, she bent over him and expressed her sorrow that they had taken him from her. [84] Aroet Hale, Autobiography, typescript, 6, Perry Special Collections. Emma Smith would make tremendous sacrifices for the gospel of Jesus Christ, for her husband, and for the church. Emma and her family were forced to leave the state with the majority of Latter Day Saints. Time and again, she was uprooted, often without warning and frequently without time to pack her belongings. 1) Formal Dress. 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. . How Orrin Hatch protected people of faith, KSL Newsradio is preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary. 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. [42] Jesse and Whittaker, Albert Perry Rockwood Journal, 34. But the way Emmas story is carefully sculpted reveals as much about gender expectations and religious norms in our own era as it did when Brigham Young declared her mormona non grata. She joined in his efforts to protect them from thieves and acted on occasion as his scribe. Delewski thinks she may have been the most promising of the Hale children because she had a rare additional year of schooling. Learn how . by Terrie Lynn Bittner | May 3, 2013 | Joseph Smith | 2 comments. 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. Emma contributed "in creating a distinct identity for the church" because this hymnbook's lyrics "emphasize key tenets of the religion." Understanding how early Saints worked earnestly to build up the Church helps us better appreciate the value of their work. Richard Bushman writes of the poisoning accusation: Through the late fall and winter of 1843 and 1844, Joseph and Emma's relationship broke down only once. It's dangerous and it ruins lives, even if the members don't understand that that's what's happening to them. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1976 reprint), 3:210. Scores of Church members were living there, including Mary Jane York, William Hickman, John P. Greene, and Wandle Mace. [90] Diaries of William Huntington, 8; Isaac Leany Petition in Johnson, ed., Mormon Redress Petitions, 485. After Alvin's untimely death, Joseph was told his replacement would be revealed by revelation. [8] Lavina Fielding Anderson, ed., Lucys Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smiths Family Memoir (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2001), 69192. [75] Wandle Mace Autobiography, typescript, 3132, Perry Special Collections. They say father was a fallen prophet. So, what materials that existed were unfair or inaccurate. [56], The Hammer family. Yet I knew little of these things, for our branch of the family was far removed from our Smith heritage. 3. Find out how to attend either in person or virtually: The winners of the Church History Museums 12th International Art Competition have been announced, and the artwork is breathtaking. A woman should give her greatest priority to her home: her husband, her family, and the opportunity to child-bearing. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 2011. Later, while reading the book History of the Prophet Joseph Smith by His Mother, I found Lucy Mack Smiths tribute to Emma: 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 . During Sunday dinner on November 5, Joseph became ill, rushed to the door, and vomited so violently that he dislocated his jaw. My mother called my legs pipe stems, and my arms straws! he said. [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. He remained her companion until her death on 30 April 1879 at the age of 75 in Nauvoo. Joseph had been translating the Bible before he was imprisoned, and Emma also carried these documents with her, hidden in bags under her skirts. "On three of these moves she had to leave behind most or all of her furniture. Emma eventually forced them to leave, unable to bear the pain of having Joseph's plural wives . 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. Source: The Joseph Smith Paper [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. [73], Church members living in Quincy and nearby tried to help the refugees when they crossed the river. 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. About sixty individuals in that network restructured their everyday lives in or near Nauvoo and continued to follow Joseph Smith. [71] In 1837 the population was 1,653 according to Pat. They reached the bank of the Mississippi in eight days and found the river frozen over. Emma Hale Smith Bidamon passed away in Nauvoo on April 30, 1879 , and is buried next to Joseph. While living in Pennsylvania, she rode a horse to warn Joseph Smith of people coming after the gold plates. 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. Nov. 10, 2014. Emma Smith, first Relief Society President and wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith, had many incredible and difficult experiences in her life. Latter-day Saint widow Elizabeth Kendall and her family first became acquainted with Emma at the Mansion House in Nauvoo. [100] Stanley B. Kimball, The Saints and St. Louis, 18311857: An Oasis of Tolerance and Security, BYU Studies 13 (Summer 1973): 489519. She move 18 times and lived in 13 houses. 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. LDS Church History documents that their mormon founder, Joseph Smith, lied to a large group of people about his having multiple wives. [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. 1 Why did Emma Smith leave the LDS Church? While Joseph was in jail, Emma made the decision to flee with the rest of the Saints to Quincy. She also learned how to cook and be a good host when her parents ran a boarding house. Unfortunately, Apple's iOS doesn't support home screen shortcuts in the Chrome browser. She even owned cows and other items, possibly given as payment from students. The Butler and Smoot families. The Thomases complied. Enter your email to receive updates on our LDS Living content, 2022 LDS Living A Division of Deseret Book Company, The Joseph Smith and Emma Hale Smith Historical Society, There is room for my brown paper-doll family: 2 gospel truths I learned as a young girl that carry my faith, Special Church Historians Press symposium to highlight women, religion, and records, See the stunning winners of the Churchs International Art Competition. If Brigham Young had one constant character trait, it was his absolute faithfulness to Joseph Smith. Later witnesses would be permitted to view the plates, but God asked Emma to accept them on faith, a testimony that God recognized her as a woman of great faith. Finally, in some respects, the exodus from Missouri was a training exercise for the Saints exodus from Nauvoo seven years later. At times he hid in members homes as he headed east. had not heard anything from me during this time, neither dare I write to [them].[68], At a March 17 meeting, Saints in Quincy heard a letter read from the Committee of Removal in Far West asking for teams & money for the removing of fifty families of poor Saints from far west to Quincy.[69] On March 29 the committee in Quincy wrote to their counterparts in Far West sympathizing with their extreme labor and travail to move out the last poor Saints. The views expressed by individual users are the responsibility of those users and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. My 11 year old granddaughter who is not baptized into the LDS Church wanted a poster after which we obtained and she visited with the actors and actresses. Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith . [27] Gentry, Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri, 41419. Thank you so much. Their chief settlement was Far West in Caldwell County. Emma Smith was the wife of the first Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith. [65] Elisha Whiting Petition, in Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions, 374. [74] Greene, Expulsion of the Saints from Missouri, 40. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. He finally broke with all organized religion. After inspections, the Church agreed to buy twenty thousand acres of land at Commerce, Illinois, and across the river in Lee County, Iowa. Along the way, he said he had to stop among strangers with my daughter who had given birth to a child on the prairie.[64] Elisha Whiting said his family was driven in the month of March through cold storms of snow and rain, having to make our beds on the cold wet ground which when we arose in the morning we often found drenched with water and then obliged to load our wet bedding into the waggon and move slowly forward.[65], About March 18, Wilford Woodruff, in Quincy and newly back from a mission, went to the river and looked across and saw a great many of the Saints, old and young, lying in the mud and water, in a rainstorm, without tent or covering. He told here where she got the poison, and how she put it in a cup of coffee; said he 'You got that poison from so and so, and I drank it, but you could not kill me.' The Missouri Arguss editor argued incorrectly on December 20, 1838, that they cannot be driven beyond the limits of the statethat is certain. And even when people did leave, they left reverently, speaking only in whispers. They collected donations of furniture, farm implements, and money from farm sales. he spoke to her in that council in a very severe manner, and she never said one word in reply. Her first three died so quickly they were not even named. Hi Nathan, thanks for your interest in Emma Smiths hymnbook! Who was the oldest president of the LDS Church? 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. Brigham Young University [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. It nearly broke both of our hearts. She taught school before she met Joseph Smith. 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. 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. John Lowe Butler, for one, wanted his written record to stand as a witness against Missourians who were cruel to his suffering family during the exodus and earlier. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Emma and Josephs descendants grew up separated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is why, according to Delewski, the movie "Emma Smith: My Story" shows her outriding Joseph Smith. These souls, by and large, were poor, bedraggled, and sickly.