CA Steve Posted March 13, 2021 Posted March 13, 2021 First off let me say how much I enjoy Academia.edu. It monitors what I read and modifies its recommendations to me based on my choices and consistently provides me with papers that fall within my area of interest. I highly recommend it. Recently it referenced me to a paper on Emma Smith by Allan Davis called Adopting Adaptations of Emma Smith: How Shifting from Theatre to Film Impacted the Mormon Church's Discourse Concerning Joseph Smith's Wife. This is a short 11 page paper with an interesting angle on how the discourse in the Mormon Church regarding Emma changed over time and why. Basically according to Davis, Emma life was originally portrayed as a cautionary tale in print and over the pulpit by church leaders of what happened to her as a "consequence of her own choices." Quote Rich’s report to Utah described the dilapidated condition of Nauvoo, noting Emma’s own corresponding degradation. Just as Nauvoo did “not progress in improvements” and stood still “while the whole country [went] ahead,” Emma “look[ed] very old and broken.” Weary, silent, and married to the “drunkard and adulterer” Lewis Bidamon, Emma embodied the consequences of her own choices. Rich declared: “Truly we are creatures of our own agency and are left to choose for ourselves between the good and the evil!” Emma had made her choice and lived with the consequences. Rich’s assessment fit a narrative concerning Emma which LDS church leaders generated over the 25 years since the exodus: Emma’s own sinful pride culminated in a life of darkness and misery. Brigham Young, John Taylor, and Joseph F.Smith each old friends or relatives of Emma Smith and presidents of the LDS Church taught by pulpit and in press the precarious state of Emma’s soul. And though high -ranking church leaders discontinued characterizations of Emma after the death of Joseph F. Smith in 1918, her cautionary-tale persona persisted within Mormon folklore through oral and performative representations until the 1980s While the article focuses on the theater vs film aspect, I found the connection to the change in the Mormon Church's approach to Emma brought on by correlation much more interesting. Quote Though some faithful Latter-day Saints had occasionally challenged the “Fallen Emma” discourse almost since its inception, that depiction remained the authoritative representation of Emma. However, within the last 30 years, that very discourse has all but disappeared. A valiant, patient, long-suffering, loving, and divinely charitable characterization not only replaced the image of the manipulative and faithless shrew, but also silenced the older tradition. what redeemed the representation of Emma Smith and how it was accomplished... all stem back to one of the most significant yet least discussed epistemological shifts in the LDS Church: Correlation. [Davis argues that] Since one of the timeless abstractions taught within Church curriculum is the exalting institution of marriage between one man and one woman, Joseph Smith would have been subject to this principle. His wife must be one of an exemplary nature equal to his own. Emma’s disavowal of polygamy and the fact that she was the only non-secret wife of Joseph make her an idealistic representative partner in a Church that no longer practices polygamy. Enjoy. 2
Kenngo1969 Posted March 13, 2021 Posted March 13, 2021 I love Brother Brigham, but I don't think it is any coincidence that institutional views of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding Sister Emma improved markedly after Brother Brigham died. 2
JLHPROF Posted March 13, 2021 Posted March 13, 2021 I think we've pendulum swung in our views. Brigham was wrong to demonize her the way he did. The popular trend seems to extend our sympathies for her trials to near beatification or deification. As with most of us the real person is far more complicated. 2
Kenngo1969 Posted March 13, 2021 Posted March 13, 2021 1 hour ago, JLHPROF said: I think we've pendulum swung in our views. Brigham was wrong to demonize her the way he did. The popular trend seems to extend our sympathies for her trials to near beatification or deification. As with most of us the real person is far more complicated. While, of course, others' mileage may vary, I think the fact that Sister Emma died with the name of Brother Joseph on her lips (rather than that of anyone else), and that not just once, not just twice, but thrice pretty much makes the question of Sister Emma's fate open and shut.
The Nehor Posted March 13, 2021 Posted March 13, 2021 50 minutes ago, Kenngo1969 said: While, of course, others' mileage may vary, I think the fact that Sister Emma died with the name of Brother Joseph on her lips (rather than that of anyone else), and that not just once, not just twice, but thrice pretty much makes the question of Sister Emma's fate open and shut. Brigham Young said something similar when he died. If this is evidence then I need to remember to do this while dying. Local theologian finds one weird trick to get to exaltation. Devils hate it! 3
Calm Posted March 13, 2021 Posted March 13, 2021 (edited) I think some of the change (past 30 years) related to having a descendant of Joseph and Emma join the Church who became a popular fixture. If I heard about her, she had to be pretty well known back then as I ignore Education Week and such things. Did read the Ensign article she wrote. One of the few that stuck in my mind. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1992/08/my-great-great-grandmother-emma-hale-smith?lang=eng https://www.deseret.com/2010/8/12/20383465/gracia-jones-uniting-a-family It may have just been because my mom had it, but I think Mormon Enigma raised sympathy levels for her big time as well. The authors had published in the Ensign about her as well. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1979/09/the-elect-lady-emma-hale-smith?lang=eng And as women became more vocal, they looked for women to relate to in the early history of Church. Emma being one of the few women mentioned in scripture plus having been present for historical events even if in a supporting role made her an obvious choice. Edited March 13, 2021 by Calm 1
Robert F. Smith Posted March 14, 2021 Posted March 14, 2021 14 hours ago, CA Steve said: First off let me say how much I enjoy Academia.edu. It monitors what I read and modifies its recommendations to me based on my choices and consistently provides me with papers that fall within my area of interest. I highly recommend it. Recently it referenced me to a paper on Emma Smith by Allan Davis called Adopting Adaptations of Emma Smith: How Shifting from Theatre to Film Impacted the Mormon Church's Discourse Concerning Joseph Smith's Wife. This is a short 11 page paper with an interesting angle on how the discourse in the Mormon Church regarding Emma changed over time and why. Basically according to Davis, Emma life was originally portrayed as a cautionary tale in print and over the pulpit by church leaders of what happened to her as a "consequence of her own choices." While the article focuses on the theater vs film aspect, I found the connection to the change in the Mormon Church's approach to Emma brought on by correlation much more interesting................ There was considerable hatred and contempt on both sides -- the RLDS and LDS points of view were diametrically opposed -- except when a real member of the Utah Smith family came into Independence. Then everyone suddenly became gracious. It was family after all. 1
Robert F. Smith Posted March 14, 2021 Posted March 14, 2021 14 hours ago, JLHPROF said: I think we've pendulum swung in our views. Brigham was wrong to demonize her the way he did. The popular trend seems to extend our sympathies for her trials to near beatification or deification. As with most of us the real person is far more complicated. At a meeting of the Mormon History Association (MHA)* many years ago, a non-Mormon scholar who specialized in the New Testament suggested that the LDS and RLDS traditions had come into conflict pretty much the same way it happened in the early Christian Church after the death of Jesus. The question was, Who is now in charge? The Family of Jesus, including Mother Mary and Brother James, or the Apostles? The same problem faced Emma and her son Joseph Smith III versus the hated Brighamites. To the former polygamy was anathema, and to the latter polygamy was central. Emma even denied that Joseph had ever practiced polygamy, and in that position she was followed closely by the RLDS faithful. It was not until the late 1970s that the RLDS Church officially admitted that Joseph was a polygamist, but by then they were moving quickly into full-scale Protestantism (soon becoming the Community of Christ). * John Gager, "Mormonism and Early Christianity," MHA lecture, May 8, 1982, Weber State College, Ogden, Utah, published in Journal of Mormon History, 9 (1982):53-60. 3
JLHPROF Posted March 14, 2021 Posted March 14, 2021 5 hours ago, Robert F. Smith said: The same problem faced Emma and her son Joseph Smith III versus the hated Brighamites. To the former polygamy was anathema, and to the latter polygamy was central. Emma even denied that Joseph had ever practiced polygamy, and in that position she was followed closely by the RLDS faithful. It was not until the late 1970s that the RLDS Church officially admitted that Joseph was a polygamist, but by then they were moving quickly into full-scale Protestantism (soon becoming the Community of Christ). And you still have members of the RLDS/CoC like the Prices denying history because of it. 1
CA Steve Posted March 14, 2021 Author Posted March 14, 2021 (edited) On 3/13/2021 at 12:49 PM, Kenngo1969 said: While, of course, others' mileage may vary, I think the fact that Sister Emma died with the name of Brother Joseph on her lips (rather than that of anyone else), and that not just once, not just twice, but thrice pretty much makes the question of Sister Emma's fate open and shut. Her son Joseph was with her at the time of her death asleep in another room. It is quite possible that she was calling out to him to come into her room. Quote During the night Joseph and Alexander alternated turns at Emma's bedside. Alexander heard her call, "Joseph, Joseph, Joseph," and wakened his brother. Joseph hurried into the room to see his mother raise herself up and extend her left arm. "Joseph!" they heard her say, Yes, yes I'm coming". Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith, Newell and Avery, pg. 304 Edited March 14, 2021 by CA Steve
JLHPROF Posted March 14, 2021 Posted March 14, 2021 Just now, CA Steve said: Her son Joseph was with her at the time of her death asleep in another room. It is quite possible that she was calling out to him to come into her room. Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith, Newell and Avery, pg. 304 You don't think the "yes, I'm coming" indicates which Joseph she was speaking to?
CA Steve Posted March 14, 2021 Author Posted March 14, 2021 (edited) 4 hours ago, JLHPROF said: You don't think the "yes, I'm coming" indicates which Joseph she was speaking to? Several options here. "yes, I'm coming' could be her son Joseph letting her know he was walking into her room to her side, see my edit below for more. It could be Emma talking to who knows? Remember she had lost several of her children so she could be addressing one of them or her parents or?, or It could be Emma talking to her first husband. On Edit. I checked the reference that Avery and Newell provided and it just confuses the issue more. The referenced article in the Zion Ensign here shows that some of the people there interpreted Emma to be talking to her husband while others did not know, it also does not mention Emma saying "I am coming" so we do not know if that was really said or if it was, by whom. Edited March 14, 2021 by CA Steve
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