Did Joseph Smith'S Family Have Prayer In The Home As Was Growing Up?

[Scott Lloyd]

My wife just posed a question I could not answer. Perhaps Don Bradley or some other knowledgeable Church scholar here could shed some light on it.

In Joseph Smith — History in the Pearl of Great Price, Joseph writes that prior to his First Vision experience he had never made the attempt to pray vocally. Does that mean that Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack never had family prayer in their home, that the children were never called upon to pray? Was that not a custom in the time and setting in which the Prophet grew up?

Was prayer something that was left up to the local pastor?

[Questing Beast]

I have never heard of the Smith family engaging in "family prayer". Mother Smith would have mentioned it, I think, in her "history of the prophet Joseph Smith by his mother". "Kneel in family prayer daily" (Oaks) was not part of the Smith religious observance....

[DonBradley]

I don't have the source with me, but William Smith indicates that Joseph Smith, Sr., as father, consistently led, as voice, in family prayer. For more on this and related topics, may I suggest my upcoming FAIR presentation. =)

Edited April 9, 2013 by DonBradley

[DonBradley]

The presentation will be on Joseph's First Vision reports in the context of his growing up in the Joseph Smith, Sr. household in the early 1820s.

Don

[Duncan]

I am reading the History of Joseph Smith by his mother Lucy Mack Smith right now. She mentions this episode:

"Sophronia had a heavy siege. The physician attended her eighty-nine days, giving her medicine all the while; but on the ninetieth day, he said she was so far gone, it was not for her to receive any benefit from medicine, and for this cause he discontinued his attendance. The ensuing night, she lay altogether motionless, with her eyes wide open, and with that peculiar aspect which bespeaks the near approach of death. As she thus lay, I gazed upon her as a mother looks upon the last shade of life in a darling child. In this moment of distraction, my husband and myself clasped our hands, fell upon our knees by the bedside, and poured out our grief to God, in prayer and supplication, beseeching him to spare our child yet a little longer.

Did the Lord hear our petition? Yes; he most assuredly did, and before we rose to our feet, he gave us a testimony that she would recover. When we first arose from prayer, our child had, to all appearance, ceased breathing. I caught a blanket, threw it around her, then, taking her in my arms, commenced pacing the floor. Those present remonstrated against my doing as I did, saying, “Mrs. Smith, it is all of no use; you are certainly crazy, your child is dead.” Notwithstanding, I would not, for a moment, relinquish the hope of again seeing her breathe and live.

This recital, doubtless, will be uninteresting to some; but those who have experienced in life something of this kind are susceptible of feeling, and can sympathize with me. Are you a mother who has been bereft of a child? Feel for your heart-strings, and then tell me how I felt with my expiring child pressed to my bosom! Would you at this trying moment feel to deny that God had “power to save to the uttermost all who call on him”! I did not then, neither do I now.

At length she sobbed. I still pressed her to my breast, and continued to walk the floor. She sobbed again, then looked up into my face, and commenced breathing quite freely. My soul was satisfied, but my strength was gone. I laid my daughter on the bed, and sunk by her side completely overpowered by the intensity of my feelings.

From this time forward Sophronia continued mending, until she entirely recovered."

History of Joseph Smith by his Mother Lucy Mack Smith, 1958 ed. p52.

I await Bro. Bradley's presentation!

Edited April 9, 2013 by Duncan

[Duncan]

I don't have the source with me, but William Smith indicates that Joseph Smith, Sr., as father, consistently led, as voice, in family prayer. For more on this and related topics, may I suggest my upcoming FAIR presentation. =)

there is this

William also said: “We always had family prayers since I can remember. I well remember father used to carry his spectacles in his vest pocket, … and when us boys saw him feel for his specs, we knew that was a signal to get ready for prayer, and if we did not notice it mother would say, ‘William,’ or whoever was the negligent one, ‘get ready for prayer.’ After the prayer we had a song we would sing; I remember part of it yet: ‘Another day has passed and gone, We lay our garments by.’”²

https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-2?lang=eng

[Scott Lloyd]

Thanks, all, for the responses.

I suggested Lucy Mack's book as a possible source for an answer, but neither my wife nor I have yet had opportunity to explore it.

Edited April 9, 2013 by Scott Lloyd

[Traela]

When I read that passage of the First Vision, I understand it to mean that JS had not yet prayed vocally about that particular problem. IOW, I do not take it to mean that it was "the boy's first [ever] uttered prayer."

[canard78]

there is this

William also said: “We always had family prayers since I can remember. I well remember father used to carry his spectacles in his vest pocket, … and when us boys saw him feel for his specs, we knew that was a signal to get ready for prayer, and if we did not notice it mother would say, ‘William,’ or whoever was the negligent one, ‘get ready for prayer.’ After the prayer we had a song we would sing; I remember part of it yet: ‘Another day has passed and gone, We lay our garments by.’”²

https://www.lds.org/...pter-2?lang=eng

That would imply they prayed from a prayer book (if he needed his specs). Which wouldn't be unreasonable. I know they weren't Anglicans but the Book of Common prayer (just as an example) had been published in USA in 1790:

The Episcopal Church separated itself from the Church of England in 1789, having been established in the United States in 1607. Its prayer book, published in 1790, had as its sources, the 1662 English book and the 1764 Scottish Liturgy (see above) which Bishop Seabury of Connecticut had brought over following his consecration in Aberdeen in 1784, containing elements of each (Perry 1922). The preface to the 1789 Book of Common Prayer says "this Church is far from intending to depart from the Church of England in any essential point of doctrine, discipline, or worship...further than local circumstances require." There were some notable differences. For example, in the Communion service after the words of institution there follows a Prayer of Oblation from 1549, but into which were inserted the words 'which we now offer unto thee' (in small caps) with reference to the 'holy gifts'. An epiclesis was included, as in the Scottish book, though modified to meet reformist objections. Overall the book was modelled in the English Prayer Book, the Convention having resisted attempts at deletion and revision (McGarvey & Gibson 1907).

I might be completely off though. Perhaps he read something else and then offered prayer.

[Duncan]

That would imply they prayed from a prayer book (if he needed his specs). Which wouldn't be unreasonable. I know they weren't Anglicans but the Book of Common prayer (just as an example) had been published in USA in 1790:

I might be completely off though. Perhaps he read something else and then offered prayer.

that might be or maybe they were singing from a hymnal? no idea!

[Scott Lloyd]

When I read that passage of the First Vision, I understand it to mean that JS had not yet prayed vocally about that particular problem. IOW, I do not take it to mean that it was "the boy's first [ever] uttered prayer."

Possible, I suppose, but examining the context, I doubt it:

It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.

(bold emphasis mine)

[DonBradley]

It appears from William Smith's account that Joseph Smith, Sr. always brought out his spectacles for prayer, and then there was singing after, mostly of a song the family members already knew (and which William could still recall in part several decades later). So it appears that Joseph, Sr. would pray from a book, perhaps following this with further prayer in his own words.

It is in any case clear in William's account that Joseph Smith, Sr. was the one who led the family prayers, and this likely also means he acted as mouth.

Don

[Scott Lloyd]

It appears from William Smith's account that Joseph Smith, Sr. always brought out his spectacles for prayer, and then there was singing after, mostly of a song the family members already knew (and which William could still recall in part several decades later). So it appears that Joseph, Sr. would pray from a book, perhaps following this with further prayer in his own words.

It is in any case clear in William's account that Joseph Smith, Sr. was the one who led the family prayers, and this likely also means he acted as mouth.

Don

Thanks, Don.

[cinepro]

It is in any case clear in William's account that Joseph Smith, Sr. was the one who led the family prayers, and this likely also means he acted as mouth.

Don

Corey Feldman also acted as mouth.