...then do you believe that Emma agreed with him? She didn't even follow the pioneers to Utah. Is there anywhere that I can read up on this? I'd like to know more about her struggle.

Regardless,it blows HUGE holes in the OFFICIAL LDS INC Account and Brigham Young promoted notion that the MORmONS had to leave The U.S. to avoid being persecuted & killed. ALL that MORmONS really needed to do was abide by the law & stop threatening their neighbors. Emma got along just fine in Illinois and the US. MORmON went out to Utah, killed ppl & continued to raise Hell & the ire of the US government.

But also, there's always the possibility that she was just going along with the whole scam. So it might have not even been a struggle at all.

http://www.facebook.com/notes/adilson-clayton-de-souza/letter-of-emma-hale-smith-in-nov20-1845-to-the-editor-of-the-new-york-sun/249108368433670


Seems to me her true feelings are coming through in this letter written not too long after his death. Maybe she never did believe in him.

Same here. Material not available. However I just Googled it and found this article about it - EXCEPT this article was saying that the letter was claimed to be a forgery and that Emma wrote to the newspaper saying so. It did not say, however, if they knew for a fact that Emma was the one who actually wrote the denial letter.

http://www.rickgrunder.com/Newspapers%20for%20Sale/EmmaLetter/emmaletter.htm

I tried to follow that link, but it says that item is no longer available.

...many of the Mormons will, no doubt, remove in the Spring, and many more will remain here; and nothing would give me greater pleasure than to have a mixed society, in Nauvoo as in other cities, and all exclusive religious distinctions abolished.
I must now say, that I never for a moment believed in what my husband called his apparitions and revelations, as I thot him laboring under a diseased mind; yet, they may all be true, as a Prophet is seldom without credence or honor, excepting in his own family or country: but as my conviction is to the contrary, I shall educate my children in a different faith, and teach them to obey and reverence the laws and institutions of their country. Shall I not, sir, be protected in these resolutions against the annoyance of the men I now oppose, for they will no doubt seek my life?



She thought that he was delusional...wow!

http://www.sidneyrigdon.com/dbroadhu/NE/miscne04.htm here's the link, and it's halfway down the page. :)

Turns out she was just playing along. Sad.

for god revealed the revised and reformed truth to many more righteous and better prophets who broke off from Smith's mormonism over and over and over . . . .

For example:

FOUNDED BETWEEN 1830 AND 1844

* Pure Church of Christ, Wycam Clark, 1831
* The Independent Church, Hoton, 1832
* Church of Christ, Ezra Booth, 1836
* Church of Christ, Warren Parrish, 1837
* The Church of Jesus Christ, the Bride, The Lamb's Wife, George M. Hinkle, 1840
* Church of Christ, Hyrum Page, 1842
* Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, F. Gladden Bishop
* True Church of Jessu Christ of Latter Day Saints, Law, Foster, Higbee, 1844
* Church of Christ, William Chubby

NON-EXTANT MOVEMENTS FOUNDED 1844-1860

* Church of Christ / Church of Jesus Christ of the Children of Zion, Sidney Rigdon, 1844
* Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, James Emmett, 1844
* Church of Christ, S. B. Stoddard, Leonard Rich, James Bump, 1845
* Indian Mormon, 1846
* Church of Christ, William McLellin, David Whitmer, 1847
* Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, William Smith, 1847
* Congregation of Jehovah's Presbytery of Zion, Charles B. Thompson, 1848
* Church of Christ, James C. Brewster, 1848
* Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Lyman Wight, 1849
* The Bride, The Lamb's Wife or Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Jacob Syfritt, 1850
* Church of Christ, Hazen Aldrich, 1851

EXTANT MOVEMENTS

Splinter Groups and Sub-movements of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, James J. Strang, 1844

* Church of Christ, Aaron Smith, 1846
* Church of the Messiah, George J. Adams, 1861
* Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)
* Holy Church of Jesus Christ, Alexandre R. Caffiaux
* House of Ephraim and House of Manasseh of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Jerry Sheppard
* The True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, David L. Roberts
* Marriage Counseling Group
* Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, John J. Hajicek
* Strangite Believers in Pennsylvania

Splinter Groups and Sub-movements of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Brigham Young, 1847

* Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or Church of the First Born, Joseph Morris, 1861
* The Prophet Cainan or Church of Jesus Christ of the Saints of the Most High God, George Williams, 1862
* Morrisite Group, John Livingston, 1864
* Church of Zion, William S. Godbe, 1868
* Church of the First Born, George S. Dove, 1874
* Priesthood Groups (Fundamentalists), 1890
* United Order of Equality, Ephraim Peterson, 1909
* The Church of Jesus Christ of Israel, J. H. Sherwood
* Order of Aaron, Maurice L. Glendenning
* Church of Freedom of Latter Day Saints, 1950s
* Zion's Order of the Sons of Levi, Marl V. Kilgore, 1951
* The Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times, Joel F. LeBaron
* The Church of the Firstborn, Ross W. LeBaron, 1955
* Perfected Church of Jesus Christ of Immaculate Latter Day Saints, William C. Conway, 1958
* Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, John Forsgren, 1960
* Church of Jesus Christ, William Goldman, 1960
* LDS Scripture Researchers/Believe God Society, Sherman Russell Lloyd, 1965
* The Church of the Body and of the Spirit of Jessu Christ, Max Powers, 1965
* United Order of the Saints of Guadeloupe, Michel Gamiette, 1966
* United Order of the Family of Christ, David E. Desmond, 1966
* Split from Zion's Order of the Sons of Levi, Eldon Taylor, 1969
* Homosexual Church of Jesus Christ, Denver, Colorado, 1972
* Latter Day Saints Church, N.S. Park, 1972
* The Church of the Lamb of God, Ervil M. LeBaron, 1972
* The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Mikhail Krupenia, 1972
* The New Jerusalem Group, Kathryn Carter, 1972
* The Watchmen on the Towers of Latter Day Israel, Miltenberg, Braun, 1973
* Church of Jesus Christ in Solemn Assembly, Alexander Joseph, 1974
* Evangelical Church of Christ, Church of the New Covenant in Christ, John W. Bryant, 1974
* Split form Zion's Order of the Sons of Levi, Barton Kilgore, 1975
* Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Robert Simons, 1975
* Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times, Bruce Wakeham, 1975
* Aaronic Order Break-off, 1977
* Christ's Church, Inc., Gerald Peterson, 1978
* Church of Jesus Christ, Art Bulla, 1978
* The Restorers or School of the Prophets, Robert C. Crossfield, 1979
* Zion's First International Church, LeeAnn Walker, 1980
* The Free Will Mormon Church, Franklin Lee Coleman, 1980
* Church of Jesus Christ, Jorge Mora, 1981
* Sons Ahman Israel, Davied Israel, 1981
* Samoan LDS Church, New Zealand, 1981
* The Millennial Church of Jesus Christ, Leo P. Evoniuk, 1981
* Peyote Way Church of God, Immanuel P. Trujillo, 1981
* The Chruch of Jesus Christ of the Saints in Zion, Ken Asay, 1984
* Break from the Church of Jesus Christ in Solemn Assembly, 1984
* Church of Jesus Christ of All Latter-day Saints or Restoration Church of Jesus Christ, Antonio A. Feliz, 1985
* Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints, Robert P. Madison, 1985
* Church of Christ the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times, Siegfried J. Widmar, 1985
* Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Fundamentalists, Wight Family, 1985
* Mormon Fundamentalists, England, Alan and Marian Munn, 1986
* Church of Jesus Christ Omnipotent, 1987
* Community of Zion, Central Utah Division
* Church of the First Born, General Assembly

Splinter Groups and Sub-movements of The Church of Jesus Christ, Alpheus Cutler, 1853

* Church of Jesus Christ, Clyde Fletcher, 1953
* The Restored Church of Jesus Christ, Eugene O. Walton, 1979

Splinter Groups and Sub-movements of The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1851-1860

* Church of the Christian Brotherhood, Richard C. Evans, 1917
* The Church of Christ, the Order of Zion, John Zahnd, 1918
* The Church of Jesus Christ, Thomas W. Williams, 1925
* Church of Jesus Christ Restored, Stanley M. King, 1970
* New Jerusalem Church of Jesus Christ, Barney Fuller, 1975
* Church of Christ Restored, Paul Fishel, 1976
* True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Forrest Toney, 1980
* Church of the Restoration or Churches of Christ in Zion, Robert Chambers, 1981
* Lamanite Ministries for Christ or New Covenant Ministries for Christ, 1984
* Restoration Branches Movement, 1984
* Church of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, A. Lee Abramson, 1985
* Church of Jesus Christ, Zion's Branch, John Cato, 1986
* Church of Christ, David Clark, 1986
* Independent Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Christopher C. Warren, 1986
* Native Indian Church

Splinter Groups and Sub-movements of The Church of Jesus Christ, William Bickerton, 1862

* Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ, Allen Wright, 1907
* Primitive Church of Jesus Christ, James Caldwell, 1914

Splinter Groups and Sub-movements of Church of Christ (Temple Lot), Granville Hedrick, 1863

* Church of Christ, Independent, Informal, Frank F. Wipper, 1927
* The Church of Christ, Otto Fetting, 1929
* Church of Christ, P.A. Ely, 1929
* Church of Christ, C.W. Humphrey, 1929
* Church of Christ, Samuel Wood, E.J. Trapp, 1930
* Church of Christ (Restored), A.C. DeWolf, 1936
* Church of Christ, E. E. Long, Thomas Nerren, 1936
* Church of Christ, Paul Hilgendorf, 1942
* The Church of Christ With the Elijah Message, W. A. D. Draves, 1943
* Church of Christ, Pauline Hancock, 1946
* Antarctica Development Interests or the New American's Mount Zion, John Leabo, 1955
* Church of Christ at Zion's Retreat, Gerald Hall, 1973
* The Church of Israel, Dan Gayman, 1973
* Break from the Church of Christ (Hancock), Davison, Michigan, 1973
* The Church of Christ, Restored Gospel 1929, 1985

And the newest one is probably Christopher Nemelka in Ogden who claims to have translated the Book of Lehi by the gift and power of god, who has given him all truth:

* 1987: http://mormonmatters.org/2009/09/13/have-you-read-the-sealed-portion-of-the-book-of-mormon-yet/


(thanks to 4mormon.org for this list)
(http://4mormon.org/about-us/home.php)

Very interesting list - I had NO idea!

My favorite is:
Perfected Church of Jesus Christ of Immaculate Latter Day Saints, William C. Conway, 1958

Tnanks for your work, Rodolfo.

Lots of fuel to the fire of my internet searches when work is slow...

Fascinating list!

Tom in Paris

It's interesting that she was just playing along while at the same time she was teaching her kids that polygamy was wrong, and that she stood by her son JS III when he accepted the call to be the head of the RLDS church.

She apparently taught him a more protestant understanding and that was the direction that the new church took. Keeping the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants but rejecting Polygamy and the new theology that emerged in Nauvoo. They also made it a point of being good neighbors and got along rather well by not trampling people like the church had done previously, and was still doing in Utah.

She had also apparently entertained various notions about other groups that splintered from her husbands church. It makes me wonder if she was always playing along or if she said she was in order to deflect potential backlash from those who still distrusted mormons of any stripe.

To answer your question though, Mormon Enigma is a great place to start.

deeply contemplating the meaning of Joseph Smith's life and prophetic claims. Mostly his knowledge was likely limited to the fact that Joseph Smith was the recently deceased leader of the sizable Mormon population in Illinois and was Emma's deceased husband. Who knows what Emma told him in their private moment?

I don't think Emma really believed in Joe's prophetic calling.

The picture of Emma's and Joe's marriage that the LDS ChurchCo organization likes to portray is so unrealistic that it's laughable. It would be like portraying the last 10 years of Hillary's and Bill's wedding as a non-stop love and mutual admiration party, in which both Bill and Hill are 100% faithful to their wedding vows and prim, proper and prudish to the extreme.


The impression I get from what records are available is that Emma was pretty much disillusioned with Joe and his religious nutbaggery for quite a long time.

But it was the family's business--or, at least, Joe's religious scam was the business that the family relied upon for their income. So she played along in public as best she could and possibly even enjoyed some of the rewards that came along.

She was too close to him and knew him too long not to know that he was a fraud.

They say actions speak louder than words. When Joe was out of the picture, it didn't take her long to figuratively give the finger to his "successor" Brigham Young. (Brigham Young did steal the family business away from the Smiths, after all. And may have even had a hand in the rapid demise of the three Smiths who stood in his way--Joe, Hyrum and Sam.)

In fact, I'd like to see a t-shirt sold in Nauvoo souvenir shops. The picture on the t-shirt would show Brigham in a wagon full of loot heading out of Nauvoo and looking back at the city. It would also show Emma glaring at Briggy and standing in front of Nauvoo with her middle finger fully raised to the upright position in the manner of the true order of the giving of the finger. Maybe the caption would be "Til We Meet Again" or something like that. ;o)

included with it from sidneyrigdon.com:

Note 1: The Nauvoo Times & Seasons published in its issue for Jan. 15, 1846 the following note of response and refutation to the letter printed by the Sun: Nauvoo, Dec. 30th 1845. -- To the Editor of the New York Sun; Sir: I wish to inform you, and the Public through your paper, that the letter published Tuesday morning, December 9th, is a forgery, the whole of it, and I hope that this notice will put a stop to all such communications. -- EMMA SMITH.

Note 2: While the letter published by the Sun of Dec. 9, 1845, subscribed by "Emma Smith," was probably not sent to that paper by her directly, its still remains arguable that one of her close associates penned the communication and that she secretly allowed the act -- perhaps in carrying out some defensive "blackmail" against her Brighamite opponents in Nauvoo. It is, for example, not inconceivable that a confidant of Mrs. Smith (such as her brother-in-law William) might have taken her words from some other, private communication, added to them, and submitted the results for publication, hoping all the while to thus induce her to admit in public things she had thus far been saying only in private. As things turned out Emma did not follow Brigham Young west; did not raise her children to be Mormons; and did not have any respect for the motives and intentions of "The Twelve" in their subsequent leadership of the Saints.

Note 3: Oddly enough there was very little journalistic reaction to the purported Emma Smith letter. A few papers (like the Quincy Whig & Warsaw Signal) noticed the letter in passing; Sidney Rigdon's Pittsburgh Messenger & Advocate paid it some attention; but, for the most part, the strange communication went unmentioned, outside of the columns of the New York Sun, after its initial appearance there. Its partial reprinting in the Portland Transcript marks a rare exception to this tendency among the papers of the time.