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. Fanny lived in the Smiths' house with Emma, which caused much tension. Answer (1 of 10): At the time of her husbands death, not much changed. 2022 FAIR Conference videos are now available to watch! 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. I could have commanded some two thousand dollars but now I had only 1 yoke of old oxen and 2 cows left.[20], Two families moved in with Newel Knights family. Joseph and Emma adopt the Murdock twins nine days after birth. She led the Relief Society, an auxiliary for the women of the church that was organized to educate the women and to allow them to serve others. [82] Lucy Smith said ladies in Quincy sent them every delicacy which the city afforded.[83] Residents proffered employment. She would lose many of her children. [120] Levi W. Hancock petition in Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions, 225. Food was scarce, and housing inadequate. [3] LaMar C. Berrett and Max H. Parkin, Sacred Places: A Comprehensive Guide to Early LDS Historical Sites, vol. She compiled the first hymnbook. Joseph Smith Foundation director, author, film producer, speaker. [60] Eliza R. Snow to Esqr. 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. We will look forward to reading more of your work. . More than 1,400 descendants of 1839 exiled Mormons came to Quincy and, attired like pioneers, represented their ancestors and walked across the Memorial Bridge to reach Quincy from Missouri. Not for Daniel Stillwell and Martha Payne Jones Thomas and their family. Shortly after her baptism in July 1830, Emma Smithwas called by God to compile a hymnbook to edify the Church. 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. For more coverage of Sunstone sessions, visit MormonTimes.com and go to the "Studies & Doctrine tab," then click on "doctrine discussions." [4], November 1 brought heartbreak for all Saints in Far West. They organized into a company with Rich as captain. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. (Later, on April 6, 1830, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be officially organized there.) We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Huntington estimated that in Daviess County the Saints lost nearly thirty thousand bushels of corn because of the militia takeover. 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. The second day we had to cross a long prairie, and were not able to reach the settlement. 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. However, President Young advised the Saints to gather in order to help each other better. Elder Young, when his life seemed in danger, left Far West for Illinois on February 14, but Elder Kimball stayed behind to help with the removals.[38]. Joseph Smith and the Latter Day Saints leadership had always asked for help from the US government. Some of Emma's friends, as well as many members of the Smith family, alienated themselves from Young's followers. Alpheus Cutler placed it in position. Other scribes would do the majority of the translation, but she filled in as needed. Tears roll down Emily Rennie's face as she recalls a church counsellor telling her she needed to give up her child for adoption because he was conceived out of wedlock one of the most . She was not perfect, but what is amazing is that she was as perfect as she was given the powerful trials and persecutions she experienced. First, Emma had intense anxiety over the protection of Joseph's and Hyrum's bodies. But fairly soon after that the Saints were asked to leave Jackson County, so the new temple didn't get built. One is that Emma had lived her adult life moving from place to place and house to house, crossing frozen rivers and walking in lots of mud and snow. They asked a committee of Latter-day Saints to provide them facts about the needy. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Albert Rockwood and his family left Far West with another family on January 10. The day has gone by when masses of men can be outlawed, and driven from society to the wilderness, unprotected. 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. In December 1838 and early January 1839, the Missouri state legislature, by a close vote, refused to overturn Governor Boggss extermination order. The topic of this video has been pro. The Apostles group arrived at Far West soon after midnight on April 26. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Mormon Church distributes free copies of the King James Version of the Bible and the Book of Mormon. You've read 0 of 5 of todays most popular posts. During this last bout, Joseph said gratefully, "My wife waited on me. Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Kent P. Jackson (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010), 34790. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. [73], Church members living in Quincy and nearby tried to help the refugees when they crossed the river. [25] William F. Cahoon Petition in Johnson, Mormon Redress Petitions, 15253. 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). 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. Before long, typhoid fever came into West Lebanon and "raged tremendously.". [102] See Missouri Republican (St. Louis), May 3, 1839. The CES Director apparently never got around to responding. . [67] Scott G. Kenney, ed., Wilford Woodruff Journal, 18331898, Typescript, Vol. The mormon church is excellent with marketing, so many assume it's just a slightly strange but happy family filled religion. Why Emma Smith didn't let the destruction of her first - LDS Living 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. [87] Hartley, My Best for the Kingdom, 9192. Events of the 1838 Mormon War soon escalated, resulting in Joseph's surrender and imprisonment by Missouri officials. Some of Emmas friends, as well as many members of the Smith family, alienated themselves from Youngs followers. Its almost as if youre holding the hymnbook in your own hands. Another attraction was that unsettled lands were available in the vicinity. She even owned cows and other items, possibly given as payment from students. They reached the bank of the Mississippi in eight days and found the river frozen over. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Sarah later became Emmas first counselor in the Nauvoo Relief Society. [50], The Young and Kimball families. 5 How old was Emma Smith when Joseph Smith died? 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). 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. Samuel said they traveled the most secluded route they could find. [1] William G. Hartley, Almost Too Intolerable a Burthen: The Winter Exodus from Missouri, 18381839, Journal of Mormon History 18 (Fall 1992): 640. Your email address will not be published. -Stephanie. [49] Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery, Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1984), 79. rev. There can be no question, though, that she made sacrifices far beyond what most Mormons would be asked to make, and that she experienced more than her fair share of suffering. [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. In January some Missourians gave Levi Hancock, one of the seven presidents of the Seventy, three days to leave. 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. Which is another way of saying that a particular view of history does not suit institutional needs in the moment. Here Samuel had hired a house and we moved into it, with four other families.[53]. ", Delewski said, "If someone with Emma's experience came to me, I would talk about these deaths and see what effects sorrow had had upon her. Quincy, he said, was full of memberseven though Saints were scattering out from there almost constantly. [71] In 1837 the population was 1,653 according to Pat. The city cemeterys tombstones marking where some two hundred Saints are buried are long gone, and the site has become farmland. When did Emma Smith leave the church? What does the L.M., C.M. To fulfill their instruction, some members of the Twelve left Quincy on April 18, 1839, to travel secretly to Far West. In that revelation she was designed the "Elect Lady" which Joseph later explained means one elected "to preside.".