Eliza's Petition

[Zakuska]

When the Releif Society was formed Eliza and Emma made a petition to the Governor at Quincy Illinous denying Smith was involved in Polygamy.

Snow moved west with her family and the body of the Church, first to Adam-ondi-Ahman, a short-lived LDS settlement in Missouri, and then to Nauvoo, Illinois. In Nauvoo, Snow again made her living as a school teacher. It is alleged she secretly wed Joseph Smith., on 29 June 1842, as a plural wife. Derr claimed that Eliza wrote fondly of Joseph â??my beloved husband, the choice of my heart and the crown of my lifeâ?.^[1] However, Snow organized a petition in Summer 1842, with a thousand female signatures, denying Smith was connected with polygamy.^[2] Furthermore, as Secretary of the Ladies' Relief Society she organized the publishing of a certificate in October 1842 denouncing polygamy and denying Smith as its creator or participant.^[3]

1 ^ Derr, J.M., p. 87

2 ^ Times and Seasons 3 [August 1, 1842]: 869

3 ^ Times and Seasons 3 [October 1, 1842]: 940

4 ^ See Charles Davis Tillman.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliza_Roxcy_Snow

Does anyone have a copy of this Petition... Uncle Dale? Anyone?

Or where could we get it. Was it printed in the Times and Seasons?

Its talked about in this Ensign Articel too. http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgne..._&hideNav=1

[emeliza]

Uncle Dale probably won't be on this week. If you are wanting a response to him ask either next week or the following. You can probably send him a PM too, but he might not answer it for a couple weeks.

[AndyOne]

Look here: http://www.restorationbookstore.org/articl...-vol1/chp10.htm

[kamenraider]

Joseph Smith Fought Polygamy?!? LOL!

Here's one of them:

We the undersigned members of the ladies' relief society, and married females do certify and declare that:

we know of no system of marriage being practised in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints save the one contained in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and we give this certificate to the public to show that J. C. Bennett's "secret wife system" is a disclosure of his own make.

Emma Smith, President,

Elizabeth Ann Whitney, Counsellor,

Sarah M. Cleveland, Counsellor,

Eliza R. Snow, Secretary,

Mary C. Miller,

Catharine Pettey,

Lois Cutler,

Ann Hunter,

Leonora Taylor,

Jane Law,

Sarah Hillman,

Sophia R. Marks,

Rosannah Marks,

Polly Z. Johnson,

Angeline Robinson,

Abigail Works.

--Times and Seasons, Vol.3, No.23, pg. 940.

[Jason]

J. C. Bennett's "secret wife system" was an instrument of his own making, and it wasn't the same as the Church's system of plural marriage later used in Utah.

[Grace de Maya]

Its talked about in this Ensign Articel too. http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgne..._&hideNav=1

The Ensign article only mentions this:

When the Relief Society was organized in March 1842 by the Prophet, Eliza was appointed secretary. Emma Smith, wife of the Prophet, was Relief Society president, and together the two women presented a petition, signed by several hundred Relief Society members, to Governor Carlin at Quincy, Illinois, asking for his protection from the illegal suits pending against Joseph Smith.

Is this the same one you are talking about? Because it doesn't say anything about polygamy.

And what "system of marriage" was in the Doctrine and Covenants in 1842?

Editing to add: Here's an D&C from 1835:

http://www.rickgrunder.com/BooksForSale/dc35m/dc35m.htm

Was this the one the Relief Society was referring to? Or was another version published between then?

Edit again to answer my question:

http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/basic/s...e/editions.html

They must have been referring to the 1835 edition. D&C section 132 wasn't in the D&C in 1842!

[NauvooSaint]

The rule of 'marriage' referred to was the original section 101 in the 1835 D&C. In later editions it was 109 and was published in every edition of the D&C until 1876 when the LDS removed it and added 132 (supporting polygamy) for the first time. Joseph published the section on 'Marriage' during his time as editor of the 'Times and Seasons' and it was published another time as well.

The RLDS church has retained the section on 'Marriage' in all it's editions through the years. It's currently RLDS D&C section 111 and marriages are performed quoting a portion of it.

[NauvooSaint]

The following is a copy from 'Times and Seasons'. You'll notice the article on 'Marriage' from the D&C was on the proceeding page of the petition by the Relief Society.

[Joseph Antley]

This is interesting. Both Emma and Eliza had to have been aware of plural marriage at the time of this petition, right?