Surprising Statment By Emma Smith About Joseph

[cdowis]

I seem to remember that Brigham gave blame to Emma for Joseph's death. She was very instrumental in convincing JS to give himself up, and there was some incident where she refused to allow his horse to be used in a plan for his escape.

[Tacenda]

I seem to remember that Brigham gave blame to Emma for Joseph's death. She was very instrumental in convincing JS to give himself up, and there was some incident where she refused to allow his horse to be used in a plan for his escape.

This is a far cry of the portrayal given by the church. Surely polygamy destroyed their marriage when JS chose not to cleave unto his wife only.

[Deborah]

Can someone please give me a reference from scripture where a prophet can fall. Prophets can fail to do what they are called to do, but the Lord will chastise them and they remain his prophets. Jonah is a perfect example. Prophets may need to repent like any of us but as I recall from the scriptures it is not the prophet who "falls" but the people who refuse to listen to him.

[alter idem]

I seem to remember that Brigham gave blame to Emma for Joseph's death. She was very instrumental in convincing JS to give himself up, and there was some incident where she refused to allow his horse to be used in a plan for his escape.

I think a lot of these stories came from the later years when the Reorganized church sent missionaries out to Utah to proselyte and there was a concerted effort to blacken Emma's character.

I recall that Hyrum also thought they should give themselves up but no one blamed him for getting them killed.

[Glenn101]

This is a far cry of the portrayal given by the church. Surely polygamy destroyed their marriage when JS chose not to cleave unto his wife only.

I believe that Joseph's marriage to Emma was still strong on the day of his death. Here is a quote from her: "I desire with all my heart to honor and respect my husband as my head, ever to live in his confidence and by acting in unison with him retain the place which God has given me by his side...."

The full context of that quote can be found here.

Glenn

[why me]

Here's the context of the quote:

https://dcms.lds.org...1&change_lng=en (images 73 and 74).

To me it sounds like an outburst from someone that had been provoked about a sensitive topic.

Technically, he did give up polygamy before he was murdered. I don't see him marrying anyone in 1844. His last sealing was in November 1843. And perhaps this is what emma meant.

[why me]

This is a far cry of the portrayal given by the church. Surely polygamy destroyed their marriage when JS chose not to cleave unto his wife only.

Emma saw two josephs after he was murdered: the kirkland Joseph and the nauvoo joseph. She preferred the kirkland joseph. But she loved both josephs She was no fan of polygamy that one can find with the nauvoo joseph. And she considered him just a little too revolutionary in Nauvoo. It was a trying time for her. But in the end, she could not take the suffering any longer: the mobs, the burnings, the deaths etc. She wanted to have peace in her life. But she still taught her children from the book of mormon and if she had any doubts about joseph, she kept silent. And I am sure that Bidamon asked her plenty of questions about that time and she remained faithful to the restoration and to her experience.

"I know it was hard for Emma, and any woman to enter plural marriage in those days," wrote Emily Partridge Young, a plural wife, "and I do not know as anybody would have done any better than Emma did under the circumstances" (Woman's Exponent 12 [Apr. 1, 1884]:165).

Edited September 9, 2012 by why me

[Alan]

As I have stated before, Joseph himself publicly denied he had any wife other than Emma and that anyone who claimed differently was a liar.

That's enough for me.

[Tacenda]

Emma saw two josephs after he was murdered: the kirkland Joseph and the nauvoo joseph. She preferred the kirkland joseph. But she loved both josephs She was no fan of polygamy that one can find with the nauvoo joseph. And she considered him just a little too revolutionary in Nauvoo. It was a trying time for her. But in the end, she could not take the suffering any longer: the mobs, the burnings, the deaths etc. She wanted to have peace in her life. But she still taught her children from the book of mormon and if she had any doubts about joseph, she kept silent. And I am sure that Bidamon asked her plenty of questions about that time and she remained faithful to the restoration and to her experience.

"I know it was hard for Emma, and any woman to enter plural marriage in those days," wrote Emily Partridge Young, a plural wife, "and I do not know as anybody would have done any better than Emma did under the circumstances" (Woman's Exponent 12 [Apr. 1, 1884]:165).

I have no doubt that Emma loved loved Joseph, she was amazingky devoted. I can't for the life of me see a just God doing this to her. Sorry Why Me.

[ERayR]

I have no doubt that Emma loved loved Joseph, she was amazingky devoted. I can't for the life of me see a just God doing this to her. Sorry Why Me.

Perhaps it is because with the rest of us mere mortals you don't have a clear view of the big picture.

[Darth_Bill]

n/a

Edited September 10, 2012 by Darth_Bill

[why me]

I seem to remember that Brigham gave blame to Emma for Joseph's death. She was very instrumental in convincing JS to give himself up, and there was some incident where she refused to allow his horse to be used in a plan for his escape.

We need to be careful. Much was said based on rumor. The problem with this relationship between emma and brigham was the rumor mill. They were separated by immense geography and so, the word about each other often came from second hand sources. And we know how that works.

[why me]

As I have stated before, Joseph himself publicly denied he had any wife other than Emma and that anyone who claimed differently was a liar.

That's enough for me.

Joseph needed to keep the practice secret: keeping the knowledge away from the mobs. If not, all the saints were in danger of extinction. The practice was known among many of the saints.

[why me]

I have no doubt that Emma loved loved Joseph, she was amazingky devoted. I can't for the life of me see a just God doing this to her. Sorry Why Me.

We need to see emma from her viewpoint. First, she suffered greatly because of mob violence. And as a mother lived in fear for her children and for herself and for her husband.

What should have god done about polygamy? Cancel it because of emma? And think of Joseph. If he were a prophet and reluctant to engage in polygamy which seems likely since it was years between fanny and the others, what went through his mind? I feel sorry for him because he needed to do something after much procrastination. Why think that polygamy is 'gold' for the guy? Think about it a little.

And what about the other women who received a spiritual experience that convinced them that the principle was correct? Where did that experience come from?

Edited September 10, 2012 by why me

[The Nehor]

I credit Brother Lund with writing a ripping yarn that probably taught more people about the early Saints than dozens of dry institute manuals. I enjoyed them immensely and they led to my wanting to know more of the dry but factual history of the Saints.

I remember back in the 90s when the series first came out we had someone quote an incident from the book as an example in Sunday School. It was understood that this was an historical fiction account but it was mildly amusing to the teacher. He scored his points at the end of class when he said "remember to read the assignment for next week. Our readings will be from gospel of "the Work and the Glory" volume ___ chapter ___."

The class burst into laughter including the brother who shared the fictional example.

My Mission President told the story of interviewing a recent convert. He asked how she was doing on scripture reading. She responded that she was on Volume 4. Yeah......he said he barely resisted the urge to bang his head on his desk.

[Alan]

Joseph needed to keep the practice secret: keeping the knowledge away from the mobs. If not, all the saints were in danger of extinction. The practice was known among many of the saints.

No, sorry, I don't believe that.

[Storm Rider]

I guess that I am one of those judgmental people that have never quite bought into the new and improved version of Emma that the Church has attempted to foster. She was as frail and fallible as all others. She was neither noble or ignoble. She was a woman that endured horrible things and really did have a difficult time supporting her husband as a prophet.

I never understood her marriage to Bidamon; her bitter feelings (quite mutual) toward Brigham; and her staying in Nauvoo.

The saints left; she stayed behind. That pretty much sums up what I think of her.