Getting ever-faithful Emma to eventually do so was like pulling teeth (or rocks out of a hat).

That's at least how one chronicler of Mormonism's first "Elect" First Lady's behavior saw it, noting:

"By the early fall of 1830 there was only one person whom Joseph wanted to convert who had still not joined his church. That holdout was his wife, Emma. Why Emma refused to join Joseph's church for six months we do not know, just as we do not know whether she believed in the existence of the golden tablets.

"It was, of course, embarrassing for Joseph to be proselytizing for his new church while he was unable to win the soul of his own wife. Under considerable pressure from Joseph, the woman who had recorded the first words of the Book of Mormon finally became a Mormon herself."

(C. Clark Julius, "Joseph Smith," in "The Philathes," August 1987, at: http://www.lds-mormon.com/jsmith.shtml)


Historical note: While Emma Smith was baptized on 28 June 1830 in Colesville, New York, she was not officially confirmed a member of the Mormon Church until nearly two months after her baptism--in August. The LDS Church's "Encyclopedia of Mormonism" blames the delay in her confirmation on the arrest of her husband, stating that "before she could be confirmed a member of the Church the following day [29 June 1830], Joseph was arrested 'for being a disorderly person and setting the country in an uproar by preaching the Book of Mormon."

That's standard Mormon fare for ya: Blame your problems on those evil non-Mormons.

("Emma Hale Smith, by Carol Cornall Madsen, in "Encyclopedia of Mormonism: The History, Scripture, Doctrine, and Procedure of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Daniel H. Ludlow, ed., Volume 3 (New York: Maxwell Publishing Company, 1992], p. 1323)
_____


Not only was she an "Emma-Come-Lately" to God's One and Only True Church, she was defensive, less than forthcoming, unresponsive and/or just plain inconsistent when faced with pointed questions put to her by people seeking "the facts, ma'am, just the facts."

To be sure, Emma was known to duck and dodge tough inquiries--and even when she did answer them, to contradict herself (both arguably good indicators of someone who's busy spinning fabrications).

On other occasions, when pressed hard by skeptical inquirers, Emma was known to snap back with erupting confessions that may well have been closer to reality than she would have liked to have offered--and if given another bite at the apple--would not have cared to admit.

For instance, when Emma was asked by one questioner about the alleged prophetship of her gun-downed husband, she blurted out:

"Madam, my husband was but a man except when the spirit of God was upon him."

Talk about damning with faint praise.

Playing the wounded Joan of Arc for the Mormon God, she then complained that the questioner had been "rude."

Oh, boo hoo. Wasn't that what under-age Helen Mar Kimball said when she found out the her arranged marriage to Joseph Smith involved more than, ahem, just a ring?

Emma was also known to go into clam-up mode in the face of focused inquiries put to her about her dealings with both the Mormon and Reorganized LDS Churches. (That's not a particularly good sign for someone claiming to be a devoted truth-teller).

Case in point: Emma was described as being "somewhat evasive" when accused by a Mormon Utah missionary who came to Nauvoo to demand an accounting from her of how she had used "[her] influence to have [her] son Joseph installed as the president of the Reorganiz[ed Church], knowing as you must have done, that the men who would confer upon him this authority were apostates and [that] some of them had been cut off from the church"--and then criticized, as well, for havng "unwisely aided and abetted . . . opposition [to the Mormon Church then being led by Brigham Young]."

When the interrogator drove the point home by shoving a photograph of Young at her with the comment, "After all, Emma, he appears to be pretty well preserved personally, and the Church has not lost any of its strength either numerically or otherwise from the oppposition which I think you have unwisely aided and abetted," she abruptly "ended the conversation."

While Emma did not always refuse to answer questions put to her, her rigid reaction under fire earned her a reputation of "withdraw[ing] from pointed questions, " which led her to being "considered evasive by [those] who came with specific inquiries."

Those inconvenient specific inquiries.

Other times Emma sounded downright defiant.

For instance, when for interview purposes she was asked on the record by her own sons, Alexandar and Joseph Smith, in February 1879 in Nauvoo, "What about the revelation on polygamy? Did Joseph Smith have anything lie it, What of spiritual wifery?," Emma (despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary) retorted:

"There was no revelation on either polygamy or spiritual wives. . . . There were some rumors of something of the sort which I asked my husband. He assured me that all there was of it was, that, in a chat about plural wives, he had said, 'Well such a system might possibly be, if everybody was agreed to it, and would behave as they should; but they would not, and besides, it was contrary to the will of heaven.' . . . No such thing as polygamy, or spirtual wifery, was taught, publicly or privately, before my husband's death, that I have now, or ever had any knowledge of."

In answer to the question, "Did he [Joseph Smith 'the prophet'] not have other wives than yourself?," she insisted:

"He had not other wife but me; nor did he to my knowledge ever have."

Pressed more intently by her son Joseph who inquired, "Did he not hold marital relations with women other than yourself?," Emma cagily replied:

"He did not have improper relations with any woman that ever come to my knowledge."

Uh-huh. (Translated, with firm finger wag: "He did not have sexual relations with that woman . . .")

Mormon historians Linda King Newell and Valerie Tippets Avery appear to smell a rat in Emma's response:

"[Emma's] choice of 'improper relations' rather than 'marital relations' . . . indicates that she may have been sidestepping her sons' questions very adeptly."

Ya think?

Even when "answering" direct questions from her own sons, she seemed susceptible to sudden memory loss:

"'Was there nothing about spiritual wives that you recollect?' they asked."

Her reply:

"'At one time my husband came to me and asked me if I had heard certain rumors about spiritual marraige, OR ANYTHING OF THE KIND; and assured me that if I had, they were without foundation, that there was no such doctrine, and never should be with his knowledge, or consent. I know that he had no other wife or wives than myself, in any sense, either spiritual or otherwise.' (original emphasis in Emma's son Joseph record of the interview, which he recorded)."

"Interestingly," the authors also note that her post-assassination second husband, Major Lewis C. Bidamon, was not said by Emma's son Joseph to have "record[ed] whether the Major confirmed the consistency of Emma's answers about plural marriage."

Hmmmmmm.

Looking at erratic Emma's behavior, skeptical-sounding Newell and Avery observe:

"Later accounts of [Emma's son] Jospeh's interviews and conversations with people in Utah show that, as a lawyer, he knew how to ask questions that supply him with the answer he sought. he also knew when not to cross-examine so as not to get more information than he wanted."

Sounds like not only did Emma have things to hide, her sons were complicit in helping her hide them.

By the way, "the original notes of [that] interview are still extant."
_____


Poor Emma. Even when appearing to be playing fast and loose with the truth she couldn't seem to keep her stories straight (which is typical of someone who is loosely lying).

A month after being interviewed by her own children, Newell and Avery note that "the son of Thomas B. Marsh, an early Apostle in the church, stopped to see Emma. When he asked her if Joseph had been a polygamist, Emma 'broke down and wept, and excused herself from answering directly, assigning as a reason . . . that her son Joseph was the leader of the Re-organized Church.' Marsh interpreted Emma's response as a 'tactic acknowledgement to him that her husband was a polygamist.'"

Again, the authors don't sound convinced of Emma's truthfulness:

"Emma was weary. The old ghosts still haunted her."

(Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery, "Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith--Prophet's Wife, 'Elect Lady,' Polygamy's Foe'" [New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1984], in Chapter 22, "The Last Testimony 1873-1879," pp. 297, 301-03)
_____


The fact of the matter is that Emma Smith knew quite well that her husband was a cheat and a liar, particularly when it came to chasing skirts in the name of God. (In fact, some reports--including those from friendly sources--have Smith's "number of wives" in the high dozens, ranging from 36 to 48, to 60-plus, to possibly as many as 84).

Contrary to Emma's discredited denials, what she discovered about her husband's hunt for more bed partners she definitely did not like. Anticipating her reaction, Joseph Smith (with the conspiring assistance of his brother-in-crime Hyrum) concocted a "revelation" on polgygamy in 1843 (which is now section 132 of the "Doctrine & Covenants"). It was a plan which they hoped would convince her to meekly go along with his philandering in the name of the Lord.

Smith, however, didn't have the guts to personally deliver what he knew would be seen by his wife as bad news on the multi-wifery front--so he commissioned Hyrum to serve as his message boy, while he (Joseph) hung back for him to return and report:

"The 1843 revelation . . . was apparently given to convince Emma Smith . . . that polygamy was right. William Clayton, who wrote the revelation as Smith dictated it, provides this intimate information:

"'On the morning of the 12th of July, 1843; Joseph and Hyrum Smith came into the office. . . . They were talking on the subject of plural marriage. Hyrum said to Joseph, 'If you will write the revelation on celestial marriage, I will take it and read it to Emma, and I believe I can convince her of its truth, and you will hereafter have peace.'

"Joseph smiled and remarked, 'Well, I will write the revelation and we shall see.' . . .

"Hyrum then took the revelation to read to Emma. Joseph remained with me in the office until Hyrum returned. When he came back, Joseph asked how he had succeeded. Hyrum replied that he had never received a more severe talking to in his life. . . .

"Joseph quietly remarked, 'I told you you did not know Emma well as I did.' Joseph then put the revelation in his pocket. . . .

"Two or three days after the revelation was written Joseph related to me and several others that Emma was so teased, and urgently entreated him for the privilege of destroying it, that he became so weary of her teasing, and to et rid of her annoyance, he told her she might destroy it and she had don so, but he had consented to her wish in this matter to pacify her, relaizing that . . . coud rewrite it any anytime if necessary.'

("History of the Church," by Joseph Smith, introduction to vol. 5), cited in Jerald and Sandra Tanner, "The Changing World of Mormonism" [Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1980. 1981], pp. 218-19, 231-32).


Brigham Young confirmed that Emma did indeed torch the thing:

"'Emma took that revelation, supposing she had all there was; but Joseph had the wisdom enough to take care of it, and he had handed the revelation to Bishop Whitney, and he wrote it all off. . . .

"'She went to the fireplace and put it in, and put the candle under it and burnt it, and she thought that was the end of it, and she will be damned as sure as she is a living woman.

"'Joseph used to say that he would have her hereafter, if he had to go to hell for her, and he will have to go to hel for her as sure as he ever gts her'

("Journal of Discourses," vol. 17, p. 159).


Contrary to the later denials of Emma, she not only knew of Joseph's overt polygamous sleeping-around practices, she fought him tooth-and-nail over them---to the point where it threatened to destroy their marriage. (And Emma solemnly testified that it never was an issue between them? Puleeeeze.):

"Even Joseph Smith's home was not exempt from the problems of plural marriage. The Mormon writer John Stewart said:

"'Thus did Satan sow the seeds of discord in the Prophet's own home, cause a torment of mind to Emma, distress to Joseph, and lay the groundwork of the apostate Reorganized Church, eventually taking Emma and their sons outside the true Church"

("Brigham Young and His Wives," p. 33)


"In his thesis 'Emma Hale--Wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith,' (p. 104 of typed copy], Raymond T. Bailey admitted that it was 'public knowledge that there were quarrels between Emma and Joseph, especially during the Illinois period of their lives.'

"On April 17, 1844, the 'Warsaw Signal' reported that Joseph Smith had 'turned his wife out of doors:

"'"Sister Emma's" offense was that she was in conversation with Mr. E. Robinson and refused, or hesitated to tell, the Prophet on what subject they were engaged. The man of God thereupon flew into a holy passion and turned the partner of his bosom, and the said Rominson, into the street--all of which was done in broad daylight, and no doubt in the most-approved style.'

"In his journal and autobiography, Joseph Lee Robinson (the brother of 'E. Robinson' who is mentioned above) frankly admitted that Joseph and Emma had a fight over the doctrine of polygamy:

"'Angeline, Ebenezer's wife, had some time before this . . . watched Brother Joseph the Prophet [and] had seen him go into some house that she had reported to sister Emma the wife of the Prophet. [I]t was at a time when she [Emma] was very suspicious [and] was determined he should not get another.

"[I]f he did, she was determined to leave and when she heard this she, Emma, became very angry and said she would leave . . . .

"[I]t came close to breaking up his family . . . .

"[The Prophet felt dreadful[ly] bad over it; he sent to my brother's and talked with Angeline on the matter and she would not give hm any satisfaction, and her husband did not reprove his wife, and it came to pass, the Prophet cursed her severely . . . .

"I thought that I would not have a wife of mine do a thing of that kind for a world, but if she had done it she should get upon her knees at his feet and beg his pardon.'

"The book 'Mormon Portraits' provides further insight into Joseph's family troubles [sparked by Emma's fierce pushback against his polygamous tailgating]:

"'Mr. W: "Joseph kept eight girls in his house, calling them his 'daughters.' Emma threatened that she would leave the house, and Joseph told her, 'All right, you can go.' She went, but when Joseph reflected that such a scandal would hurt his prophetic dignity, he followed his wife and brought her back. But the eight 'daughters' had to leave the house.

"'"Miss" Eliza R. Snow, . . . was one of the first (willing) victims of Joseph in Nauvoo. She used to be much at the prophet's house . . . . [H]e made her one of his celestial brides . . . .

"'Feeling outraged as a wife and betrayed as a friend, Emma is currently reported as having had recourse to a vulgar broomstick as an intrument of revenge; and the harsh treatment received at Emma's hands is said to have destroyed Eliza's hopes of become the mother of a prophet's son'

("Mormon Portraits,' by Dr. W. Wyl, 1886, pp. 57-58).


"The Mormon writer Claire Noal acknowledged:

"'Willard realized that Emma had refused to believe that any of the young women boarding at the Mansion when it was first used as a hotel had been married to Joseph. She had struck Eliza Snow at the head of the stairs and Eliza, it was whispered, had lost her unborn child' ("Intimate Discipel: A Portrait of Willard Richards," 1957, p. 407).

"There are some members of the Mormon church who maintain that Joseph Smith did not actually live with his wives here on earth. There is an abundance of evidence, however, to show that he did.

"For instance, Benjamin F. Johnson made the following statement in an affidavit dated March 4, 1870:

"'After a short period, President Smith . . . came against to Macedonia [Ramus], where he remained two days, lodging at my house with my sister as a man and wife (and to my certian knowledge he occupied the same bed with her).'

("Historical Record," vol. 6, p. 222: all the above quoted in Tanner and Tanner, "Changing World of Mormonism," pp. 229-31)


Moreover, Emma was quite aware of the adulterous affair Joseph Smith had with one of his "adopted daughters," Fanny Alger:

"Benjamin Johnson, a close friend of Joseph Smith, described Fanny as, 'very nice and comely, [to whom] everyone seemed partial for the amiability of her character.”

"She is generally considered the first plural wife of Joseph Smith. Although undocumented, the marriage of Fanny and Joseph most likely took place in Kirtland, Ohio sometime in 1833. She would have been sixteen years old.

"At the time, Fanny was living in the Smith home, perhaps helping Emma with house work and the children.

"Ann Eliza Webb recalls:

"'Mrs. Smith had an adopted daughter, a very pretty, pleasing young girl, about seventeen years old. She was extremely fond of her; no mother could be more devoted, and their affection for each other was a constant object of remark, so absorbing and genuine did it seem.'

"Joseph kept his marriage to Fanny out of the view of the public, and his wife Emma.

"Chauncey Webb recounts Emma’s later discovery of the relationship:

“'Emma was furious, and drove the girl, who was unable to conceal the consequences of her celestial relation with the prophet, out of her house.'

"Ann Eliza again recalls:

“' . . . [I]t was felt that [Emma] certainly must have had some very good reason for her action. By degrees it became whispered about that Joseph’s love for his adopted daughter was by no means a paternal affection, and his wife, discovering the fact, at once took measures to place the girl beyond his reach . . . . Since Emma refused decidedly to allow her to remain in her house . . . my mother offered to take her until she could be sent to her relatives . . . .'

"'Book of Mormon witness, Oliver Cowdery, felt the relationship was something other than a marriage. He referred to it as “[a] dirty, nasty, filthy affair . . . ,"

"To calm rumors regarding Fanny’s relationship with Joseph, the [Mormon] church quickly adopted a 'Chapter of Rules for Marriage among the Saints,' which declared, 'Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with . . . polygamy; we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife . . . .” This 'Article on Marriage' was canonized and published in the 'Doctrine & Covenants.' In 1852, the doctrine of polygamy was publicly announced, thus ending eighteen years of secret practice. 'The Article on Marriage' became obsolete and was later removed."

("The Wives of Joseph Smith: Fanny Alger," at: http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/02-FannyAlger.htm)


Mormon historians Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery shed further light on the Joseph Smith/Fanny Alger affair:

"Emma [Smith] took nineteen-year-old Fanny Alger into her home early in 1835. Fanny's parents and brother were members of the church. Benjamin F. Johnson said . . . 'that Joseph LOVED HER.'

"But Joseph loved her indiscreetly, for Warren Parrish told Benjamin Johnson '[t]hat he himself & Oliver Cowdery did know that Joseph had Fanny Alger as a wife, for they were SPIED UPON & found together.'

"William McLellin told his account of Joseph and Fanny Alger to a newspaper reporter in 1875: '[McLellin] . . . informed me of the spot where the first well-authenticated case of polygamy took place, in which Joseph Smith was "sealed" to the hired girl. The "sealing" took place in a barn on the hay mow, and was witnessed by Mrs. Smith through a crack in the door! . . . Long afterward when he visited Mrs. Emma Smith . . . she then and there declared on her honor that it was a fact--"saw it with my own eyes."'

"In an 1872 letter McClellin gave other details of the story. He said that Emma missed both Fanny and Joseph one night and went to look for them. She 'saw him and Fanny in the barn together alone. She looked through the crack and saw the transaction!! She told me this story too was verily true.'

"Joseph's theology may have allowed him to marry Fanny, but Emma was not ready to share her marriage with another woman. When Fanny's pregnancy became obvious, Emma forced her to leave. . . .

"The incident drove a serious wedge between Oliver Cowdery and Joseph. Oliver wrote to his brother Warrent from Missouri on January 21, 1838: '. . . [w]e had some conversation in which . . . [a] dirty, nasty, filthy affair of his and Fanny Alger's was talked over in which I strictly declared that I had never deviated from the truth in the matter . . . . [J]ust before leaving, he wanted to drop every past thing, in which had been a difficulty or difference . . . .'"

(Linda King Newell and Valleen Tippetts Avery, "Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith--Prophet's Wife, 'Elect Lady,' Polygamy's Foe" (Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1984), p. 66, original emphasis)


Historian Fawn Brodie (who placed the age of the orphaned Fanny at 17 when Joseph "seduced" her after she came to live with Joseph and Emma), described the affair as a "breath of scandal hot upon his neck," regardless of "[w]hether or not [she] bore Joseph a child." (Brodie reports, nonetheless, that "[t]here is some evidence that Fannie Alger bore Joseph a child in Kirtland").

Adding intrigue to the tryst, Brodie writes that "[w]hen in later years, polygamy had become an accepted pattern in Mormon life, Joseph's leading elders looked back to the Kirtland days and concluded that Fannie Alger had been the prophet's first wife. But when they questioned her about her relation with Joseph, she replied: 'That is all a matter of my own, and I have nothing to communicate."

Joseph's affair with Fanny was something that Emma could not easily forget. Indeed, Brodie observes that this "unfortunate infatuation" on Joseph's part for a "winsome servant girl" whom Emma had "taken into the family," absolutely incensed her:

"The scandal was insufferable to Emma, who was passionately fond and jealous of her husband. She had, moreover, a keen sense of the propriety and dignity of his office and must have been humiliated for the church itself, which was beginning to atain stature and some degree of stability."

Brodie suggests that the affair ended up having a corrosive effect on Joseph's personal relationship with Emma, as hinted at "in November 1835 [when] he made a public statement [published in the 'Latter-Day Saint Messenger and Advocate'], part of which by its strange emphasis would seem to indicate that his domestic life was far from tranquil: 'Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbanmds as unto the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is head of the Church. . . . Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.'"

(Fawn Brodie, ""No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet," 2nd ed., revised and enlarged (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1983], pp. 181-83, 345)
_____


Sounds like good ol' Emma had a lot to be mad at about with Joseph--not to mention a lot to hide.

And that could have included knowing that her dear husband Joseph was (truth be told) a lying, conniving, untrustworthy snake, donchya think?

But, hey, that just means he "was but a man except when the spirit of God was upon him."



Edited 51 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2010 07:55AM by steve benson.

Steve

I googled Emma Smith being baptised and came up with a June 28, 1830 date, when she was baptised in Colesville by Oliver Cowdery. That would be a 3 month lag, not a six month lag, from the April 6 church organization date.

As I say, a minor point.

But I agree with the rest of it that I think Emma knew it was all a con and tried to cover up JS's polygamy.

It appears she had cold feet, but for other reasons.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/2010 07:07PM by steve benson.

In the name of health it was done--twice in the increasingly frigid waters of the Mississippi River during Illinois' encroaching winter weather of October 1842, then again in the Nauvoo temple font a month later:

"Michael Quinn noted that the practice became quite regular in Nauvoo . . .

"In time, baptisms for health were extended to the outlying branches of the Church, as indicated by the baptisms for health performed in October 1843 at Philadelphia by Jedediah M. Grant.

"Although some were baptized for health purposes in the Nauvoo Temple font, still others resorted to the Mississippi River for this ordinance.

"The most notable example occurred when Joseph Smith baptized his wife Emma twice in the Mississippi River on 5 October 1842 because of her serious ill health, and then went with her on 1 November 1842, 'to the temple [the font being the only part completed] for the benefit of her health.'

"The Prophet’s anxiety for his wife to receive baptism for health was such that a non-Mormon businessman reported that Joseph Smith had interrupted a business interview because 'Mrs Smith lay Dangerously ill at the time and they ware about to administer the Rights of Baptism to her.' Apostle Willard Richards also baptized his wife frequently for her health."

(J. Stapley, "Baptism for Healing," in Splendid Sun," 3 November 2005, at http://www.splendidsun.com/wp/baptism-healing/)
_____


The practice of Joseph Smith-introduced rebaptism was eventually discontinued by order of the Mormon First Presidency:

"Although some rebaptism ordinances, such as for health and rededication, continuedto be performed as late as 1913 in the temples, the LDS Presidency decided during the administration of Joseph F. Smith that since rebaptism ordinances had always been supplementary to such principles and ordinances as individual repentance, partaking of the Sacrament, and priesthood blessing of the sick, it would be wise to discontinue a practice that might tend to diminish the importance of the primary principles and ordinances upon which rebaptism was predicated.

"This has been done as Elder Bruce R. McConkie notes in 'Mormon Doctrine': 'There is no need for and no ordinance
of rebaptism in the Church.'

("D. Michael Quinn, then-assistant professor of history at Brigham Young University, "The Practice of Rebaptism at Nauvoo," in "BYU Studies," vol. 18, p. 230, 1978, at: http://byustudies.byu.edu/PDFLibrary/18.2Quinn.pdf)



Edited 12 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2010 03:35AM by steve benson.

I wonder what the worth of Joseph's estate that Emma got to keep was? Also, I wonder what the real motive of starting the Reorganized Latter Day Saint church was. Attention? Money?

I think Emma enjoyed the attention and praise the sheep give you when you are the wife of a prophet and the money is probably nice as well.

I'm inclined to think that Emma was "more in touch" with her "inner criminal" than JS (who was probably in touch with his "inner horn dog" as evidenced by the efforts he went to to cover up his excesses).

I do see evidence that she slipped "in and out of denial" on this stuff, however...

So once again, I'm gonna engage in some fence-sitting and hope nobody throws anything...

I would like to invite those gals who are willing, since it may involve personal disclosure, to discuss their "experiences with their own dark sides" and what it's like to be involved in a relationship that is as much a conspiracy as a marriage?

Was the attraction Emma had for Joseph the sort we find today about "gals who go for the bad boys?"

I think this one needs to be explored...

This is in answer to our dear Cabbie:
A woman will go through a horrible lot to hide from others what a wicked man does. I did it. Partly it was for financial security, where would I go with 5 kids to raise? And if they took his license away for taking bottles of illegal drugs, who would support us then?

I lied to myself, my bishop and my Dr. when confronted about the issues of his physical abuse. My Dr. suspected physical abuse on more than one occasion and I lied to cover for him. I also told only my closest friend of the humiliations I suffered from his emotional and verbal abuse. For some reason, as the wife, you just feel ashamed, I have no idea why.

He was on drugs for 20 years and within that time I caught him at least 7 times but did not turn him in for fear he would lose his license. Every time I caught him he would promise he would quit and I would believe him, knowing what a chronic liar he was. Finally, when he learned they would give him one second chance he turned himself in, well actually he asked me to do it, so I did, he went through 3 years of rehab. and I thought all would be well. I was so relieved. Then 2 years later, I found the pills again. I nearly lost my mind, but did not turn him in because I knew this time his career would be over. I have no idea since the divorce if he does drugs or has quit. I settled with him and he does not pay me monthly, so I haven't even thought about it.

Living with a bad man is bad enough, but having to let others know how bad it is becomes something that I, for one , just did not want to do. It is complicated and hard to explain, but I ALWAYS covered, well lied for him, even through the last 12 years when I had absolutely grown to hate the man. And lying is the thing I hate most since learning of all the lies in the church, and there I was lying for him. I cannot explain it.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/2010 06:51PM by think4u.

Edward Taylor, one of the Utah Mormon missionaries who pointedly interrogated her in Nauvoo in the spring of 1876 (that is, before she clammed up), reportedly concluded that "from her ['somewhat evasive'] remarks he discovered her intense dislike for Pres. Brigham Young, whom she accused of entirely ignoring Joseph's family. She claimed that the family had a right to not only recognition but to representation [in the Utah church]."

(Newell and Avery, citing Andrew Jenson from "Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia," pp. 255-96, as quoted in "Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith," Chapter 22, "The Last Testimony," p. 297)



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/2010 07:30PM by steve benson.

She knew it was a scam, but as a woman in that era any man was better than the status of a scandalous divorced-wife. She took the spoils of his conned cash and status and expected her children deserved whatever Joseph built up.

Very often cult leaders are discovered to be quite abusive of their wives and children. Who knows what went on behind closed doors.

Steve, thank you for this post. This topic has always fascinated me, and I have always believed that she was in on it from the very beginning, maybe because I know what it is like to be married to a bad man and chronic liar. I tell my story a bit above in response to the S L Cabbie. Anyway, I had not read many of the quotes you gave and really enjoyed reading every word of your post.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/2010 06:53PM by think4u.

I also think that on matters of historical credibility, she was a significantly non-credible and dishonest witness.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2010 12:05AM by steve benson.

Maybe when he raised the subject of a 'destroying angel' she knew EXACTLY what he meant?

She would have known that Joseph had enough fanatical followers willing to do whatever he bid them to do. Governor Boggs comes to mind. Assassination attempt on the State Governor? "The 'fallen' wife of the prophet? No problem, Joe! Just give the word!"

No wonder she kept quiet...

. . . although there is no record that Emma was baptized in May 1829, when Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery said they baptized each other, per the order of a visiting angel.

Maybe she wasn't worthy, being the doubter that she was.

It all gets so confusing.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2010 12:02AM by steve benson.

Well with all that spinning you do:)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2010 02:11AM by steve benson.

How about Phrentology and Darwin Al Hubbard?

Or Darwin Miscavige....I duuno:)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2010 01:58AM by raptorjesus.

looking to others for help. I feel she was a victim, but that does not mean she was not complicit at some point, whether voluntary or not. The one quote about BY makes it sound like it was almost a family business to her. It is interesting that given what a great manipulator he was, and whatever physical, verbal or emotional abuse she endured, that she argued so much, and protested so much. It is also interesting that even though she seemed to be dragged into TSCC, she did not leave him. Maybe she would have left had he lived longer, because his polygamy would have been more difficult to hide. I don’t know the complete history, but she was outspoken. Was she outspoken until the end or did he do something to intimidate her into silence or was she deceived into ignorance much of the time? JS was a great con, so I am sure he thought EHS was a “situation” that he thought he could manage.

I wonder if there is any record of her ever showing any empathy towards the people, especially the women and children, JS victimized? I am not saying ERS did not deserve the broomstick, but did she see him as a victimizer of herself as well as others? Or maybe the ERS incident illustrates how she felt incredibly alone, and unable to find an ally. I have had times where everyone I depended on or needed betrayed my trust, and left me to be victimized. Sometimes she reminds me of a wife in a marriage of convenience, because those women trade off the morality issues for the benefits, but then again her marriage could also certainly appear that way, if she did not know enough about his morality issues at the time. All I can do is speculate, because I have not read enough.

Is there is a record of her ever reaching out for help or expressing concern or empathy for victims or any acknowledgment of what was going on other than arguments between them?

I do not see her as a true believer.

As far as their property, there should be record of that in deeds, probate records, and the census.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2010 01:38AM by atheist&happy:-).

Was she a victim, too? Of course, but in her self-spun web of deliberate deceits, she turned herself into a victimizer, as well--conning others (including Mormons) into believing the discredited notion that Joseph Smith was a moral, caring and devoted husband who would not participate in criminal, fraudulent activity.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2010 02:12AM by steve benson.

I think the lack of evidence for EHS speaking out on behalf of others when this was happening, especially the young ones, does make her complicit, and is worse to me than her later deceptions. I do not know how much she knew, but for me, the Fanny Alger incident would have been enough. FA was a child, and she should have been looking out for her welfare. It reminds me of the women who know their children are being molested, and do nothing or side with their husbands. In later years she could have told the truth, but instead chose to save face, and keep the “family business” with the RLD$ going. To me, what happened in the beginning is very important. For a victim to turn on other victims instead of empathizing with them, especially children, indicates she was willing to sell out her morality to gain something from her marriage, and that she was not a blameless victim.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2010 02:23AM by atheist&happy:-).

Writes Jerald and Sandra Tanner in their book,"The Changing World of Mormonism":

"While Joseph Smith was still living in Ohio, his name was . . . linked with Fanny Alger. The Mormon writer Max Parkin commented about this matter:

"'The charge of adulterous relations "with a certain girl" was leveled against Smith by Cowdery in Missouri in 1837; this accusation became one of the complaints the Church had against Cowdery in his excommunication trial in Far West, April 12, 1838.

"'In rationalizing Cowdery's accusation, the Prophet testified 'that Oliver Cowdery had been his bosom friend, therefore, he entrusted him with many things.'"

("Conflict at Kirtland," 1966, p. 166)


"The reader will remember that Oliver Cowdery was one of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon. In a letter dated January 21, 1838, Cowdery plainly stated that Joseph Smith had an 'affair' with Fanny Alger:

"'When he [Joseph Smith] was there we had some conversation in which in every instance I did not fail to affirm that what I had said was strictly true. A DIRTY, NASTY, FILTHY, AFFAIR OF HIS AND FAMILY ALGER'S was talked over in which I strictly declared that I had never deviated from the truth in the matter, and as I supposed was admitted by himself.'

(letter written by Olivery Cowdery and recorded by his brother Warren Cowdery; see photograph in "The Mormon Kingdom," vol. 1, p. 27, emphasis added by authors)


"Mormon writers admit that there was a connection between Joseph Smith and Fanny Alger. However, they claim that Fanny Alger was Joseph Smith's plural wife and that he was commanded by God to enter into polygamy.

"Andrew Jenson, who was the assistant LDS Church historian, made a list of women who were sealed to Joseph Smith. In this list he said the following concerning Fanny Alger:

"'Fanny Alger, one of the first plural wives sealed to the Prophet.'

("Historical Record," p. 233)


"John A. Widtsoe stated:

"'It seems that Fannie Alger was one of Joseph Smith's first plural wives.'

("Joseph Smith--Seeker After Truth," p. 237)


"The Mormon writer John J. Stewart proves further information:

"'Benjamin F. Johnson, another close friend of Joseph . . . says: 'In 1835, at Kirtland, I learned from my sister's husband, . . . 'that the ancient order of Plural Marriage was agin to be practiced by the Church.' This, at the time, did not impress my mind deeply, although there lived with his family [the Prophet's] a neighbor's daughter, Fannie Alger, a very nice and comely young woman . . . . [I]t was whispered even then that Joseph loved her."

"'Johnson, a Church patriarch at the time of writing, put his finger on the beginning of Oliver Cowdery's and Warren Parrish's downfall--Parrish was the Prophet's secretary: "There was some trouble with Oliver Cowdery, and whisper said it was relating to a girl then living n his (the Prophet's) family; and I was afterwards told by Warren Parrish that he himself and Oliver Cowdery did know that Joseph had Fannie Alger as wife, for they were spied up and found together." . . . Without a doubt in my mind," says Johnson, "Fannie Alger was, at Kirtland, the Prophet's FIRST PLURAL WIFE, in which, by right of his calling, he was justified of the Lord, . . ."

"'One of the charges against Cowdery when he was excommuncated was that he had insinuated that Joseph was guilty of adultery.'"

("Joseph Smith the Mormon Prophet," pp. 103-04; above cited at Jerald and Sandra Tanner, "The Changing World of Mormonism: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Changes in Mormon Doctrine and Practice" [Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1980, 1981], pp. 215-16, emphasis added by authors)
_____


Mormon historians Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery shed further light on the Joseph Smith/Fanny Alger affair:

"Emma [Smith] took nineteen-year-old Fanny Alger into her home early in 1835. Fanny's parents and brother were members of the church. Benjamin F. Johnson said '. . . that Joseph LOVED HER.'

"But Joseph loved her indiscreetly, for Warren Parrish told Benjamin Johnson '[t]hat he himself & Oliver Cowdery did know that Joseph had Fanny Alger as a wife, for they were SPIED UPON & found together.' (original emphasis)

"William McLellin told his account of Joseph and Fanny Alger to a newspaper reporter in 1875: '[McLellin] . . . informed me of the spot where the first well-authenticated case of polygamy took place, in which Joseph Smith was "sealed" to the hired girl. The "sealing" took place in a barn on the hay mow, and was witnessed by Mrs. Smith through a crack in the door! . . . Long afterward when he visited Mrs. Emma Smith . . . she then and there declared on her honor that it was a fact--"saw it with my own eyes."'

"In an 1872 letter McClellin gave other details of the story. He said that Emma missed both Fanny and Joseph one night and went to look for them. She 'saw him and Fanny in the barn together alone. She looked through the crack and saw the transaction!! She told me this story too was verily true.'

"Joseph's theology may have allowed him to marry Fanny, but Emma was not ready to share her marriage with another woman. When Fanny's pregnancy became obvious, Emma forced her to leave. . . .

"The incident drove a serious wedge between Oliver Cowdery and Joseph. Oliver wrote to his brother Warrent from Missouri on January 21, 1838: '. . . [w]e had some conversation in which . . . [a] dirty, nasty, filthy affair of his and Fanny Alger's was talked over in which I strictly declared that I had never deviated from the truth in the matter . . . . [J]ust before leaving, he wanted to drop every past thing, in which had been a difficulty or difference . . . .'"

(Linda King Newell and Valleen Tippetts Avery, "Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith--Prophet's Wife, 'Elect Lady,' Polygamy's Foe" (Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1984), p. 66, original emphasis)



Edited 14 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2010 07:49AM by steve benson.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2010 03:49AM by steve benson.

I thought she was a minor, and have seen ages from 16 to 19 mentioned. Still, they thought of her as a daughter, and she had been in their home from a young age. She should have never been thought of as a wife. I could not find the exact date of this first plural marriage, which is yet another "historic first", like the restoration of the priesthood, left undocumented. What? Something so sacred, and honored left unrecorded? There is so much groundbreaking history that is forgotten in TSCC. They forgot they would need those "important" dates in doctrinal history to hype up later or to keep their story straight.

I like this one:

'Without a doubt in my mind," says Johnson, "Fannie Alger was, at Kirtland, the Prophet's FIRST PLURAL WIFE, in which, by right of his calling, he was justified of the Lord, . . ."'

Adultery, and child abuse rationalized to be "justified of the Lord". The FLD$ have perfected this. I wish I had known these things years ago.

Marriage for eternity is so sacred that JS had to keep his eternal marriage activities in a barn, AND keep them secret from his wife. It is fascinating to compare the propaganda today with the facts of the TSCC's early days of invention.

This should be a huge red flag even to a TBM:

http://www.mormonthink.com/joseph-smith-polygamy.htm

"Joseph's first polygamous marriage was before the sealing authority was given.

Whether Joseph's marriage to Fanny Alger occurred in 1833 or 1835, it was illegal BOTH under the laws of the land AND under any theory of divine authority. Plural marriages are rooted in the notion of "sealing" for both time and eternity. The "sealing" power was not restored under LDS belief until April 1836 when Elijah appeared to Joseph and conferred the sealing keys upon him. There is no dispute at all among Latter-day Saints that prior to that time, the sealing power had not been on the earth since the time the Lord had removed it during the Great Apostasy. Thus, Joseph's "marriage" to Fanny Alger could NOT have been performed by anyone with the "sealing power" (unless it was done by Elijah himself, and no one that we are aware of has ever suggested that). No one on earth had authority either under the laws of man OR under the laws of God as understood and taught by the LDS Church to "marry" Joseph and Fanny. As a result, his marriage to her was a nullity from the beginning both in time and eternity, and any sexual relationship he may have had with her (and to which Oliver attested) can ONLY be fairly described as adulterous.

Joseph's marriage to Fanny is documented on the LDS website, FamilySearch.org."

It is sad to think that if more people had spoken up, we would not have had the collective nightmare known as TSCC.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2010 04:53AM by atheist&happy:-).

The church finds it easy to rewrite history. The heading from D&C 132 shows the church covering for that dirty, nasty affair:

"Although the revelation was recorded in 1843, it is evident from the historical records that the doctrines and principles involved in this revelation had been known by the Prophet since 1831."

>"Bottom line: She lied about what happened, even after Smith was dead, to protect her interests and to make herself look good in the eyes of others . . ."

That's the conclusion I came to as well.

One more aspect of this entire affair of the affairs/marriages may be that Emma knew that a child from one of Joe Smith's other spiritual/celestial wives would be a contender for the throne. There were already too many contenders for the title of Prophet-who-collects-all-tithes. She certainly didn't need more hands dipping into what she would have seen as her treasury.

Thanks to the way Joe Smith ran his scam, Emma was left to protect the church's false front in very difficult circumstances.

Money and shame. Shame and money.

From what little we do have of her own words, Emma was also cognizant of the wound to her pride that additional wives would bring. Money, shame, and wounded pride. But money first -- something she and Joe had in common.

Dear Steve:

Do you know anything about Jane Manning James? Did Joseph Smith have "relations" with her as well?