Emma was baptized in colesville, new york, on june 28, 1830. Emma as scribe emma, having been a rural school teacher of consider able native talents,8 was also joseph smith s first scribe and may have transcribed more of the book of mormon than anyone else except for oliver cowdery. Emma hale smith, and perhaps her brother reuben hale, help as scribes for a portion of the book. Mormon is a nickname sometimes given to members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, often inadvertently called the mormon church.
Although emma smith, jss brother samuel smith, and possibly others served as scribes for js over the next several months, progress was slow and sporadic. We know martin harris acted as scribe for the entire 116 lost pages of manuscript from apriljune 1828. Later, he switched to a different method with one seer stone inside a hat, but im confused as to how it was supposed to help in translation. As the scribe of twothirds of the first manuscript of the book of mormon, she had a signficant impact on that effort. Martin harris, oliver cowdery, john whitmer, and emma smith served as josephs scribes during the translation of the book of mormon see church history in. Throughout the years, she has remained a complex topic for both mormons and nonmormons. From the approximate book of mormon translation timeline. Note that the translation was supposed to be by the power of god, not by josephs personal linguistic skill. Why joseph smiths dictation of the book of mormon is. Initially, he is said to have used two stones set in frames as glasses to see the new translation. The handwriting of this scribe matches handwriting of a partially extant copy of a 9 december 1830 revelation created in ohio around early 1831. Emma smith wife of joseph smith emma hale smith 18041879.
The lost 116 pages were the original manuscript pages of what joseph smith, founder of the latter day saint movement, said was the translation of the book of lehi, the first portion of the golden plates revealed to him by an angel in 1827. She soon began selecting the hymns to be sung in church meetings, working with w. Joseph smith and his scribes wrote of two instruments used in translating the book of mormon. Scripture info book of mormon witnesses emma smith. But if she was doing the first several dozen pages of the book of lehi. In an interview conducted by her son joseph smith iii in 1879, emma smith, wife of the prophet joseph smith, expressed her faith in the restored church of jesus christ, which was established in 1830 after the prophet had translated the book of mormon and published it to the world. A historical and biographical commentary of the doctrine and covenants.
The book of mormon was translated by the gift and power of god. Emma smith was far more involved in the coming forth of the book of mormon than some people may realize. Emma smith, who assisted joseph as a scribe as he translated the book of mormon, gave the following statement in an interview with her son, joseph smith iii, a few months before she died. However, she had to wait for two months before she was confirmed, as joseph was arrested the next day for his preaching about the book of mormon. As a firsthand witness of the translation process when she acted as his scribe, emma could testify that her husband had no notes, drafts, or books with him while he. Answering a question posed by her son joseph smith iii in 1879, emma smith indicated that the prophet joseph smith could not have been the author of the book of mormon, for he had neither the writing abilities nor adequate knowledge of ancient israel.
She attended school, and was well educated for a girl of that day. According to religion professors amy eastonflake and rachel cope, emma smith was arguably more intimately involved in the coming forth of the book of mormon than any person besides joseph. Emma smith witnesses of the golden plates and book of mormon. Then in winter 182829 joseph smith papers or febmarch 1829 fair, emma acted as scribe as joseph translated sporadically. Emma had already assisted joseph as a scribe during the early stages of the book of mormon translation. Attacks against the book of mormon have experienced a kind of mission creep since its publication in 1830. Read what emma smith, the wife of joseph smith, had to say about life with joseph and. Emma smiths copy of the book of mormon discovered lds daily. Another testament of jesus christ have been provided by those who helped the prophet, joseph smith, as scribes.
According to witnesses of the translation, when joseph looked into the instruments, the words of scripture appeared in english. These pages, which had not been copied, were lost by smiths scribe, martin. Unfortunately, no known identifiable or significant samples of martin harriss or christian whitmers handwriting. Martin harris returns from to new york to harmony and begins to scribe for joseph as he translates the book of lehi. Evidence that the new testament phrases in the book of. Her story is complex and has been the subject of great debate both by mormons and those who are not mormon. Emma smith, the wife of the prophet joseph smith, served as his initial scribe in translating the gold plates into the book of mormon. There were a number of periods when joseph smith dictated or wrote the text of what became the book of mormon. Emma smith bidamon a witness of the book of mormon. For instance, oliver cowdery first wrote the name coriantumr phonetically. By its own terms, the book of mormon is a translation of an ancient book. In the current book of mormon, the walls of jerusalem are only mentioned in the early chapters of 1 nephi such as 1 nephi 4. When he was 24, smith published the book of mormon. Joseph smithseer stonesrock in hat used for book of.
Joseph smith translates some of the characters himself. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers and founded a religion that continues to the present with millions of global adherents. How did emma smith help bring forth the book of mormon. I once felt of the plates, as they thus lay on the table, tracing their outline and shape. Critics began by labeling the book bungling and stupid, joe smith a perfect ignoramus, and they claimed any blunderhead, with the bible at his side, might have written it. At the home of john quincy adams, they found an 1841 copy of the book of mormon that originally belonged to someone very special in church history emma smith, wife of the prophet joseph smith. Emma as scribe general discussions mormon dialogue. Thus, the unidentified scribe is narrowed to someone who served as scribe both in fayette in 1829 and ohio in 1831. Book of mormon central, why was a stone used as an aid in translating the book of mormon. She was welleducated and even had an extra year of school outside of the normal grammar school. Oliver cowdery, emma smith, martin harris, john whitmer. Now, consider that famous story, told by emma smith, of a time when she was acting as a scribe for joseph smith during the translation of the book of mormon. These pages, which had not been copied, were lost by smith s scribe, martin harris, during the summer of 1828 and are presumed to have been destroyed.
Once they settled in, joseph began work on the book of mormon, with emma acting as a scribe. With which religious sect did the unusual excitement first commence in palmyra, new york in 1820. Book of mormon manuscript excerpt, circa june 1829 1. In these various capacities, she was both an active. She sacrificed comfort, privacy, hardship, and many demands with what appears to be steadfast character and a strong spirit and sense of self, even. Byu professor royal skousen, the foremost expert on the book of mormon original manuscripts, surmises the number of words in the blocks of recited text was 20 to 30. Emma hale smith, prophets wife, elect lady, polygamys foe is a biography of emma hale smith, wife of joseph smith jr. The wikipedia article on the golden plates says that joseph smith translated the golden plates into the book of mormon with the help of seer stones. In 1842, when the ladies relief society of nauvoo was formed as a womens service organization, she. The translation of the book of lehi is completed, resulting in 116 pages of translated text. Top a deep sorrow in her heart emma hale smith, in heroines of the.
Her witness as an intimate observer and participant of the coming forth of the book of mormon is convincing. Emma hale smith the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. It is an extremely wellresearched biography with extensive documenting notes, showing the vast amount of research done by the authors. Emma hale smith, and perhaps her brother reuben hale, help as scribes for a portion of the book of lehi, while martin harris is on his way. Emma hale smith bidamon july 10, 1804 april 30, 1879 was the first wife of joseph smith and a leader in the early days of the latter day saint movement, both during josephs lifetime and afterward as a member of the reorganized church of jesus christ of latter day saints rlds church. Most of the descriptions of the process of translating the book of mormon. Emma hale smith bidamon was born on july 10, 1804, to isaac and elizabeth hale. Emma smithwitness of the book of mormon one people. The scribes of the book of mormon manuscripts who were native, american speaking made almost 4 000 errors in both of them.
Phelps to print some of them in 1832 in church newspapers at a time when male clergy typically assumed responsibility for hymn selection. This book flows much, much better than most biographies. Assisted js as scribe during translation of book of mormon at harmony, 1828, and joined him during completion of translation at peter whitmer sr. December 23, 1805 june 27, 1844 was an american religious leader and founder of mormonism and the latter day saint movement. As church membership mushroomed, and it became clear the book of mormon is pretty. The plates often lay on the table without any attempt at concealment, wrapped in a small linen tablecloth, which i had given him to fold them in. How old was joseph smith when moroni first appeared to him.
She also took care of the domestic chores needed for the survival and comfort of those more actively involved in the. Emma smith was far more involved in the coming forth of the book of. There are three aspects to his work, with him acting as 1 the main scribe for joseph smith in taking down josephs dictation of the text, 2 the main copyist for producing the copy text for the 1830 printer, and 3 an assistant in various tasks involved in the printing of the 1830 edition of the book of mormon. Joseph and emma s first child, alvin, was born but died shortly thereafter. She helped joseph smith retrieve the plates, participated in the translation as a scribe, and recorded her physical encounters with the covered plates. Smith completed the book of mormon without retranslating the book of lehi. He then immediately crossed out his phonetic spelling and spelled the name as we now have it in the book of mormon. Emma smith and the translation of the book of mormon. She grew up in harmony, pennsylvania, along the banks of the susquehanna river on a acre farm.
I am not mormon, but emma smith was a woman ahead of her time, in that she was welleducated, intelligent, literate, and knew her own mind. However, to more fully substantiate my claims, i would like to confirm differences between those scripts and their normal ones to confirm my position. As you read this statement, look for evidence that emma believed that the book of mormon was translated by the gift and power of god. By 1879, emma s children were leading the rlds branch of mormonism, and shoring up josephs prophetic reputation and the miraculous origin of the book of mormon. Relief society timeline mormon womens studies resource. Emma hale smith bidamon july 10, 1804 april 30, 1879 was the first wife of joseph smith. Emma smith on the book of mormon translation process. Emma does mention, however, and so does david whitmer, the prophets spelling out of unfamiliar names, letter by letter, especially if asked by the scribe. Why was emma smith a witness to the book of mormon. In my opinion this testifies of an influence of evil spirits, and, accordingly, the book of mormon as a hoax. Emma hale smith bidamon emma hale smith bidamon was born on july 10, 1804, to isaac and elizabeth hale. This is the 2nd edition biography of emma smith, wife of joseph smith, jr. Emma hale smith, prophets wife, elect lady, polygamys foe, 18041879. Many people have focused almost entirely on the decisions she made in the last years of joseph smith s life and after his death, and sometimes those events trouble mormons and please non.
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