At my firesides for the past 20 years, I have been telling people who didn’t understand why Emma stayed behind, that I felt there was a much bigger reason than just wanting to be buried beside her husband and family—though she may not have realized it at the time. If she had not stayed in […]
Kimberly Smith’s Statement on the LDS Church’s Big Announcement Read More »
Across the fields of western Illinois, there is a little-known trail, which follows the footsteps of the prophet Joseph Smith as he left Nauvoo for the last time, and rode 21 miles to his eventual death at the hands of a mob at Carthage Jail. The “martyrdom trail,” as it is known, takes a long
The Forgotten Trail: A Solemn Journey to Carthage Jail Read More »
One of the best parts about living in a small town is the community events. I especially love the LDS church history events. This Saturday, February 3, 2024, there’s a special annual event called the Nauvoo Exodus Commemoration. Finding A Safe Haven Living here now, when the population is around 1,000, it’s difficult for me
We Are All Refugees Read More »
On Friday, September 22 at the Nauvoo Stake Center, a chapel full of people came to learn about the history of the life of Joseph Smith. That particular Thursday and Friday marked the bicentennial of an important event in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On those dates in 1823,
The Book of Mormon: A Wondrous Work Read More »
In honor of Pioneer Day (July 24, 1847) when the first company of pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, I’d like to take you on a “walk” through the Nauvoo Pageant. Experience the Magic Before it even begins, you’re in love. On your way to pageant, you pass the Mississippi River. Wait, look! The
Sunsets, Music, And Dancing: The Magic Of Summer In Nauvoo Read More »
The sister post to this article about Mary Fielding Smith’s experience at the martyrdom of her husband Hyrum can be found at Pioneering Sisterhood here. P.S. Dear Emma, I am very much resigned to my lot, knowing I am justified and have done the best that could be done. Give my love to the children.1
“I am Strong Now,” Emma on the Day of the Martyrdom Read More »
On June 27, 1844, the prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were murdered at Carthage Jail. The events of the day are familiar to Latter-day Saints: the plaintive singing of A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief, the frantic storming of the mob, and the volley of bullets into the upper room, which would send
Death of the Prophet: the Martyrdom of Joseph Smith Read More »
Imagine Nauvoo in 1847. The prophet has been murdered. The Saints have been expelled. The once bustling and beautiful city of thousands of Saints now stands “desolate” and “deserted.” After the Battle of Nauvoo, three cannons sit abandoned at the entryway to the temple. Their barrels bear down upon the barren City of the Saints,
Emma at the Old Stone Church in Nauvoo Read More »
Joseph and Emma were never meant to be together. She was rich. He was poor. She was well-educated. He was just a farm boy. Honestly, when Emma met Joseph she probably should’ve just looked the other way. Not only that, her parents were also entirely opposed to the marriage. But yet, Emma still chose to
Why Joseph and Emma’s Heartbreaking Love Story Matters to Me Read More »
Memorial Service This summer my family and I participated in a memorial service at Smith Family Cemetery in Historic Nauvoo for the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith (June 27, 1844).1 The service included prayer, music, scriptures, and quotes all crafted into a dramatic retelling of that fateful June-day when
Battles with Grief: Then and Now Read More »
