Refugees moved as individuals, by families, or in small clusters of wagons whenever they were ready. Not six months before the death of Joseph, he called his wife Emma into a secret council, and there he told her the truth, and called upon her to deny it if she could. [80] The Mormons, Quincy Whig, March 2, 1839. To do so, would be to act with extreme cruelty. Joseph was susceptible to vomiting anyway. They got some better, Caroline said. 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. [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. Aroet Hale said a Mr. Stilson employed his father. [37] David Rogers Report, 1839, in William Rogers and Elizabeth Bessie Ritchie with Their Ancestors and Descendants (Salt Lake City: Leo R. Rogers, 1981), 230. 2022 FAIR Conference videos are now available to watch! They started in February, but it was bitter cold, and they suffered fearfully, Caroline said. 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. She stood by her husband even when they faced strains in their marriage. So without further ado, here is my list of 21 reasons leaving the Mormon Church might be a great idea, even if it is true. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. It was difficult, dramatic, sometimes harrowing, and only partly organized. She is known in Church history for being well educated and was able to act as a scribe for Joseph when he was translating the plates because of it. Learn about and browse the pages of the first hymnal of the Church. 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. 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. 1856Emma takes in orphaned Elizabeth Agnes Kendall, eight years old, and rears her as her own daughter . The refinement, the charity of our age, will not brook it. . Levi Ward Hancock continued as a President of the Seventy, marched to California in the Mormon Battalion, was a pioneer in Manti and southern Utah, and served as a patriarch. June 1831 Copyright 1997-2023 by The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved. [18], Far West was ill equipped to become a refugee center for Saints displaced by Missouri militia. They say father was a fallen prophet. 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. During Sunday dinner on November 5, Joseph became ill, rushed to the door, and vomited so violently that he dislocated his jaw. Food was scarce, and housing inadequate. Her first three died so quickly they were not even named. Only his mother and sisters had shoes, but these wore out and became almost useless before they reached Illinois. Bishop Partridge felt the poor could be better served if scattered in various communities and not gathered in one place. 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. [89] Leo R. Rogers, Willis Rogers and Elizabeth Bessie Ritchie with Their Ancestors and Descendants (Bountiful, UT: L. R. Rogers, ca. She worried if John had escaped Missouri or been caught. I asked my mother one day, why don't Grandma laugh with her eyes like you do, and my mother said because she has a deep sorrow in her heart. He remained her companion until her death on 30 April 1879 at the age of 75 in Nauvoo. 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. Succeeded Smith as leader of the LDS Church. Mobbers shot cows while girls were milking them. You might notice something a bit surprisingtheres no musical notation! Your email address will not be published. 3. 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. [18] Diaries of William Huntington, typescript, in Miscellaneous Mormon Diaries, vol. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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.. Is there a list anywhere of all the composers who had songs in Emmas 1835 hymnal? 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. Bidamon was support for Emma in raising her five children. The views expressed by individual users are the responsibility of those users and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. Emma Smith would make tremendous sacrifices for the gospel of Jesus Christ, for her husband, and for the church. The exodus had no large, organized wagon trains. [6], In the exodus, Mormon militiamen were the first to leaveor rather escape. When the family arrived opposite Quincy, they became ice bound for two weeks. While they waited, a Brother Brunson came from Quincy and asked campers to donate their outfits to go back and assist in removing the poor. Sarah later became Emmas first counselor in the Nauvoo Relief Society. 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. Some of Emmas friends, as well as many members of the Smith family, alienated themselves from Youngs followers. [89] In consequence of the sale of Lands in Jackson County, William Huntington, head of the Committee of Removal, said, We ware able to remove All the poor who had a desire To leave the state by April 13, the day he left Far West. 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. rev. Until that time, Emma had been largely written out of official LDS history. After losing twins, she adopted a set of twins, but one died after being exposed to the cold when a mob invaded their home while the children were ill. One child died at the age of fourteen months and another died less than a year later. 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. Events of the 1838 Mormon War soon escalated, resulting in Joseph's surrender and imprisonment by Missouri officials. She joined in his efforts to protect them from thieves and acted on occasion as his scribe. At Huntsville, the driver said his horses could not go on, so the Knights unhitched the wagon and camped. in getting one single wagon to convey beds, clothing, and provisions for our family, and luggage. They formed the first wave of the exodus. In 1842, when the Ladies' Relief Society of Nauvoo was formed as a . But Brigham died before she had the opportunity to speak with him. This article examines the results of the Religious Landscape Study conducted in 2014 by the Pew organization, looking specifically at information related to the questions of who is leaving The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, why they leave, where they go, and what factors seem to contribute to their exodus. 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. 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 views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. Emma Smith would make tremendous sacrifices for the gospel of Jesus Christ, for her husband, and for the church. Seeing the injuries, she rushed back to her house and brought back camphor, brown paper, and a pan of warm water. John and his son Orrice walked. During the exodus, Truman Angells wife Elizabeth, already ill, took a cold upon cold and was expected to die. They had a reasonably good relationship despite these challenges. Print. The Thomas family stayed strong in the faith and emigrated to Utah in 1849. The group then included one man, two women, and children ages seven, four, three, and one. 801-422-6975. The exodus from Missouri generated a rich store of documents and records. He told the Butlers to go to his butcher shop and take meat when they wanted some. What happened to Emma Smith? Shortly after her baptism in July 1830, Emma Smithwas called by God to compile a hymnbook to edify the Church. 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. Delewski thinks she may have been the most promising of the Hale children because she had a rare additional year of schooling. John later filed claim for the loss of 240 acres of land, three yoke of oxen, a corn crop, and hogs. Newel Knight had a wagon but no team. 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. 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. Some sneaked southward to the Missouri River and took boat passage to St. . A Comfort unto My Servant, Joseph. Women of faith in the latter days. [108] According to calculations found in Samuel H. Williamson, Six Ways to Compute the Relative Value of a U.S. Dollar Amount, 1790 to Present, MeasuringWorth, 2008, a dollar in the year 2007 is 29.99 times what a dollar is 1839 was worth based on consumer price indexes. 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 . The last words out of Emmas mouth when she died were Joseph. John said that Quincy residents generally were kind to the Saints all over the place. The Butlers stayed in Quincy for three or four weeks. And the last words out of Brighams mouth, and he died before Emma, were Joseph,' Elggren said. On January 16, the imprisoned First Presidency sent instructions to Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young that said, Inasmuch as we are in prison, . [57] Quoted in Lyman O. Littlefield, Reminiscences of Latter-day Saints (Logan, UT: Journal Company Printers, 1888), 7273. Given these losses, it appears to me that Emma managed quite well.". Brigham also doubtless considered Emma dishonest and a liar because she continued to insist that her husband had never taught the doctrine of plural marriage. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. [103] Kenney, Wilford Woodruffs Journal, 1:330, entry for May 4, 1839. When did Emma Smith leave the church? [125] Photocopy of order, filed June 25, 1976, copy in authors file; also see transcript in LDS Church News, July 3, 1976, 4. 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. We had the last company of the poor with us that could be removed.[96], But the exodus was not quite complete because five prisoners were still in Liberty Jail and six in Richmonds jail, including King Follett, who had just been arrested that month while trying to leave Missouri. [4], November 1 brought heartbreak for all Saints in Far West. 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. He had even dislocated his jaw while vomiting once before; and five weeks after the 1843 dinner episode, he was sick again, vomiting more violently than ever. John Lowe Butler, thirty, and wife Caroline, twenty-six, converts in Kentucky three years earlier, lived in Mirabile just south of Far West with their four children. [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). She endured the jeering and insults of mobs. Joseph and Emma Smith's sorrow over this matter was, for the most part, very private, according to Delewski. The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of FAIR, its officers, directors or supporters. [20] The Life of Joseph Holbrook, 18061871, typescript, 46, Perry Special Collections. About sunset we landed in Quincy, Lucy said. However, President Young advised the Saints to gather in order to help each other better. A woman should give her greatest priority to her home: her husband, her family, and the opportunity to child-bearing. Those refer to the meter used in the hymn text. [26], Some opinions downstate held that Mormons would not have to leave at all. [61] That same day, Eliza R. Snow and relatives, who had wintered seven miles from Far West, started for Illinois. She had to provide for the family after being deprived of the corn they had grown on their farm, which vigilantes had prevented them from harvesting. Emma and her family were forced to leave the state with the majority of Latter . [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. Im guessing something to do with the meter, but I cant figure it out! My family . The Joseph Smith Papers project explains that Emmas work laid a foundation for the continued role of music in Latter-day Saint worship. Emma contributed in creating a distinct identity for the church because this hymnbooks lyrics emphasize key tenets of the religion.. 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. . A later First Presidency report about the exodus noted that women and children marked their footsteps on the frozen ground with blood, it being the dead of winter.[54] Was this an exaggeration? Mormons believe family life continues after death. Joseph quickly shut the door when he heard Emma coming, but Emma kept knocking and called out Eliza's . At Far West on February 22, Eliza R. Snow reported that a man had just arrived from Illinois who had counted 220 wagons between Far West and the Mississippi.[60] If that figure is accurate, and if wagons helped transport an average of four people each, then the man had passed about a thousand Saints on the road. Why did God ask Emma Smith to accept the plates? Delewski also explored the effect the practice of plural marriage had on Emma and Joseph Smith's relationship. We have to look at her entire life, not just one portion of it. [75] Wandle Mace Autobiography, typescript, 3132, Perry Special Collections. Provo, UT 84602 [32] The committee surveyed the needs and weighed requests for help. Emma raised her as her own daughter, and Elizabeth Agnes eventually married Emma's biological son, Alexander Hale Smith. That is her divine mission. Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Kent P. Jackson (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010), 34790. 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. 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.. Joseph had been translating the Bible before he was imprisoned, and Emma also carried these documents with her, hidden in bags under her skirts. Though there probably was an argument, the poisoning accusation was unfounded. In the October session of General Conference 1866, Brigham Young made these comments: "To my certain knowledge, Emma Smith is one of the damnedest liars I know of on this earth; yet there is no good thing I would refuse to do for her, if she would only be a righteous woman; but she will continue in her wickedness. A few days later, Martha gave birth to a son she named after the Prophet. By October 1839, King Follett had his trial, and because the charges of robbery were unsubstantiated, he was set free. [86] Truman O. Angell Journal, reprinted in Kate B. Carter, comp., Our Pioneer Heritage (Salt Lake City: Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 1967), 10:199. Church Service When Joseph returned to Harmony, he received a revelation for Emma, now known as Doctrine and Covenants 25, calling her an elect lady and encouraging her to comfort and support Joseph in his afflictions. We are a volunteer organization. Though Joseph died at a young age, Julia was raised by Emma to adulthood. Abraham O. Smoot became mayor of Salt Lake City and then Provo, president of the Utah Stake, and a promoter of Brigham Young Academy. 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. 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. "My belief is that the Book of Mormon is of divine authenticityI have not the slightest doubt of it," she testified in an interview she gave late in life. [72] Roberts, Comprehensive History, 2:3. Then on November 5 and 6, 1999, a Quincy History Symposium honored the citys humanitarian efforts for Saints who fled Missouri. Print. They organized into a company with Rich as captain. [96] Manuscript History of Brigham Young, Church History Library, 28. [19] John P. Greene, Facts Relative to the Expulsion of the Mormons or Latter-day Saints from the State of Missouri, Under the Exterminating Order (Cincinnati: R. P. Brooks, 1839), 8. Here Samuel had hired a house and we moved into it, with four other families.[53]. 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. 343-362. February 11, 1843, is promoted as another date when Emma may have become aware of Joseph's plurality. She was a schoolteacher and even owned items of value, including cows. It's not. "[2], Furthermore, Brigham and Emma did not agree on the disposition of Joseph's estate. Then he had to be very careful for days to avoid capture. [125] Animosity toward Missourians by Mormons and by Missourians toward Mormons lasted for generations. Newel and all men in the city had to surrender their arms. The Atonement of Christ Redeems Us from the Fall. 7 Are Joseph and Emma Smiths descendants Latter-day Saints? 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. Joseph Smith's death on June 27, 1844, created tremendous upheaval for Emma. "Some people might say that something about her changed, and that is why she did not come to Salt Lake Valley," Delewski said. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Also there were Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith, who were soon to be ordained as Apostles. Emma served as a scribe during his first efforts to translate the Book of Mormon. Innumerable able-bodied men needed jobs. Quincy, he said, was full of memberseven though Saints were scattering out from there almost constantly. 1981), 23031. She had sufficient faith to avoid looking at the plates even when they were in her bedroom or kitchen, although she frequently felt them and moved them out of her way as she worked. 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. He delegated a great deal of the Church's interaction with Emma to Almon Babbitt, a man greatly lacking in tact: Almon Babbitt's airbordered on the pompousBabbit provided Joseph with legal advice that resulted in the destruction of the Expositor, then he refused to help when Joseph was jailed in Carthage saying, 'You are too late. Yet I knew little of these things, for our branch of the family was far removed from our Smith heritage. [28] Greene, Expulsion of the Saints from Missouri, 8. 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 . Then three hundred militiamen escorted them away to face trial and prison. All the same, she continued to have a testimony of his role as a prophet and she carried out her duties faithfully. Another died young at age 26. A storehouse of historical documents and records. An old man who was sympathetic to the needy Saints hired John to teach his children and grandchildren and neighbors children. Why did Emma Smith leave the LDS Church? 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. 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). In fact, he generally took another man with him or even asked a father or brother to approach the woman. Elder Kimball said he stayed behind to assist members of the Committee of Removal and to wait upon those in prison. In Far West he had to hide out in the woods during daytime. 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. They passed Saints heading east, including Elder John E. Page, who turned around and joined them. Following Joseph's murder, Emma refused to go west with the Saints. Hope this helps! [114] Close Friends as Witnesses: Joseph Smith and the Joseph Knight Families, in Joseph Smith: The Prophet, the Man, ed. Because if the LDS Church is false, none of those things matter! . [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. She held on to her faith in God, in the gospel, and in Joseph Smith as a prophet throughout it all. He raised his hand and stopped me saying Hush, Hush. Huntington said that Joseph had come by ferryboat about 8:00 a.m. and was drest in an old pair of boots full of holes, pants torn, tucked inside of boots, blue cloak with collar turned up, wide brim black hat, rim sloped down, not been shaved for some time, looked pale & haggard. Dimick asked if he wished to see his father and mother, but Joseph wanted to see Emma and the children first. However, she was never really an active member of that church, nor did she become active in any other church. According to historian Richard Bushman, Joseph saw polygamy simply as a way to join families together for eternity. He did not court the women or put his proposals in romantic terms. The Smoots lacked a team, so their wagon was useless. Because of his position in the Illinois militia, he was often referred to as "Major" Bidamon. Anson Call. Snow was six inches deep. [2] Leland H. Gentry, A History of the Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri, from 1836 to 1839 (PhD diss., Brigham Young University, 1965), 27385; Stephen C. LeSueur, The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1987), 15053. Health problems and deaths. [35], On February 11 the committee accepted applications for assistance, and the next day they appointed Theodore Turley to superintend the management of the teams provided for removing the poor. The plan was for some wagons to go east, unload passengers and belongings at the Mississippi, and then return empty to help others move out.