| Witnesses
against Emma's Actions
Brigham
Young, August 9, 1874
Now Latter-day Saints, I want to say this to you,
when a man lifts his heel against the counsel that we give him, I know that man
will apostatize, just as sure as he is a living being, unless he repents and refrains
from such conduct. Brother George A. Smith has been reading a little out of the
revelation concerning celestial marriage, and I want to say to my sisters that
if you lift you heels against this revelation, and say that you would obliterate
it, and put it out of existence if you had the power to nullify and destroy it,
I say that if you imbibe that spirit and feeling, you will go to hell, just as
sure as you are living women. Emma took that revelation, supposing she had all
there was; but Joseph had wisdom enough to take care of it, and he had handed
the revelation to Bishop Whitney, and he wrote it all off. After Joseph had been
to Bishop Whitney's he went home, and Emma began teasing for the revelation. Said
she--"Joseph, you promised me that revelation, and if you are a man of your
word you will give it to me." Joseph took it from his pocket and said--"Take
it." She went to the fire-place 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 hell for her as sure
as he ever gets her.
JD17:160-161
Orson
Pratt, October 7, 1869
We have not time to read the revelation this afternoon;
suffice it to say that God revealed the principle through His servant Joseph in
1843. It was known by many individuals while the Church was yet in Illinois; and
though it was not then printed, it was a familiar thing through all the streets
of Nauvoo, and indeed throughout all Hancock county. Did I hear about it? I verily
did. Did my brethren of the Twelve know about it? They certainly did. Were there
any females who knew about it? There certainly were, for some received the revelation
and entered into the practice of the principle. Some may say, "Why was it
not printed, and made known to the people generally, if it was of such importance?"
I reply by asking another question. Why did not the revelations in the Book of
Doctrine and Covenants come to us in print years before they did? Why were they
shut up in Joseph's cupboard years and years without being suffered to be printed
and sent broadcast throughout the land? Because the Lord had His own time again
to accomplish His purposes, and He suffered the revelations to be printed just
when He saw proper. He did not suffer the revelation on the great American war
to be published until some time after it was given. So in regard to the revelation
on plurality; it was only a short time after Joseph's death that we published
it, having a copy thereof. But what became of the original? An apostate destroyed
it; you have heard her name. That same woman, in destroying the original, thought
she had destroyed the revelation from the face of the earth. She was embittered
against Joseph, her husband, and at times fought against him with all her heart;
and then again she would break down in her feelings, and humble herself before
God and call upon His holy name, and would then lead forth ladies and place their
hands in the hands of Joseph, and they were married to him according to the law
of God. That same woman has brought up her children to believe that no such thing
as plurality of wives existed in the days of Joseph, and has instilled the bitterest
principles of apostacy into their minds, to fight against the Church that has
come to these mountains according to the predictions of Joseph.JD13:194 Joseph
Smith was commanded to take wives, he hesitated and postponed it, seeing the consequences
and the trouble that it would bring and he shrank from the responsibility, ...
but it was not until he had been told he must practice it or be destroyed that
he made the attempt - in 1841 he had wives sealed to him - ... Emma, his wife
yielded but it was not without considerable argument that she consented and with
her own hand gave to Joseph Smith four wives in the new and everlasting covenant
... Soon after the marriage of Joseph to the four ladies ... Emma repented of
having given them to Joseph and told Joseph that if [he] would not give them up,
she would bring him up before the law and became very bitter about this time under
this threat.RPJS347-348 Eliza
R. Snow, September 9, 1869
The prophet Joseph Smith said this Organization
existed in ancient times and that the allusion to elect Lady meant the same as
President of a Society.
Ward Relief Society Minute book "A" 1868
to 1877, page 21-31, Provo Ward Brigham
Young
I never saw the day in the world that I would not almost worship
that woman, Emma Smith, if she would be a saint instead of being a devil. I feel
so today. There is no good thing in a temporal point of view that I would withhold
from her; anything that is in my power to do for her, I would willingly do with
all my heart, and with an open hand. ... Emma is naturally a very smart woman;
she is subtle and ingenious, and she has made all her children believe that myself,
brother Kimball, and the other members of the Twelve laid the plot which terminated
in the death of the Prophet. This charge is especially laid to myself. ... She
has made her children inherit lies. TO MY CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE EMMA SMITH IS ONE
OF THE DAMNEDEST LIARS I KNOW OF ON THIS EARTH; yet there is no good thing I would
refuse to do for her, if she would only be a righteous woman; but she will continue
in her wickedness. Not six months before the death of Joseph, he called his wife
Emma into a secret council, and there he told her the truth, and CALLED UPON HER
TO DENY IT IF SHE COULD. He told her that the judgments of God would come upon
her forthwith if she did not repent. HE TOLD HER OF THE TIME SHE UNDERTOOK TO
POISON HIM, AND HE TOLD HER THAT SHE WAS A CHILD OF HELL, AND LITERALLY THE MOST
WICKED WOMAN ON THIS EARTH, THAT THERE WAS NOT ONE MORE WICKED THAN SHE. He told
her where she got the poison, and how she put it in a cup of coffee; said he,
"You got the poison so and so, and I drank it, but you could not kill me."
When it entered his stomach he went to the door and threw it off. He spoke to
her in that council in a very severe manner, and SHE NEVER SAID ONE WORD IN REPLY.
I HAVE WITNESSES OF THIS SCENE ALL AROUND, WHO CAN TESTIFY THAT I AM NOW TELLING
THE TRUTH. TWICE SHE UNDERTOOK TO KILL HIM.BYA5:8; Gen. Conf., 7 Oct. 1866 Brigham
Young
Bro. George A. Smith saw Young Joseph a few years ago and judging
from what they and the other boys say they do not believe their father as a prophet
of God, but they think he was a consummate scoundrel in religious matters. I know
what Emma believes and have known it all the day long, and yet there is not that
woman on the earth that I would delight to honor more with the whole family if
they would let me do it. IN JOSEPH'S DATE SHE TRIED TO THROW ME, BR. HEBER, BR.
WILLARD RICHARDS AND THE TWELVE APOSTLES OUT OF THE CHURCH, AND TRIED TO DESTROY
THE WHOLE CHURCH AND I KNOW IT. JOSEPH HIMSELF TESTIFIED BEFORE HIGH HEAVEN MORE
THAN ONCE THAT SHE HAD ADMINISTERED POISON TO HIM. THERE ARE MEN AND WOMEN PRESENT
TODAY WHO CAN BEAR WITNESS that more hell was never wrapped up in any human being
than there is in her. She gave him too heavy a dose and he vomited it up and was
saved by faith.
BYA, vol. 4 Gen. Conf. 7 Oct. 1863 Br
Snow ... also related that when Emma, Joseph's first wife, heard of the Revelation
SHE SOUGHT THE LIFE OF JOSEPH AND TRIED TO POISON HIM, but he was delivered by
the Power of God ...
Diary of Charles Lowell Walker vol. 1, p. 438, 17 December
1876 Brigham
Young
... and SHE (Emma Smith) 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 HELL FOR HER AS SURE AS HE EVER GETS HER.
JD 17:159 Benjamin
F. Johnson
I was appointed with Bishop N. K. Whitney to visit Sister Emma
for the last time, and if possible persuade her to remain with the Church. Nearly
all night we labored with her, and all we could learn was that she was willing
to go with the Church on condition she could be the leading Spirit. So we left
her, and she did lead all who would follow her so long as she lived.
My Life's
Review, p. 107 Wilford
Woodruff
He [Brigham Young] said Emma had instilled into the minds of her
children that it was President Young who had caused the death of Joseph and Hiram
Smith. ... President Brigham Young said he thought that Joseph would have as hard
work to dig her out of Hell in the next world as he did in this. WWJ4:486 Discuss
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The Pioneers went through great harship in their quest to build Zion
