Talk:Emma Smith

Emma's knowledge of Joseph's plural marriages
Given the flat denials of Emma regarding plural marriage, how are we able to say with any certainty what Emma knew and didn't know? I guess the bottom line of my question is whether we should be hedging statements about what she knew. It of course implies serious character defect on Joseph's part (not that that is unusual) to say Emma knew nothing of plural marriage for 10 years. I just want to know we are stating the unbiased facts. Tom Haws 21:40, Feb 23, 2005 (UTC)

The article doesn't have much to do with facts. It is rumor and mistakes. If Emma wrote and said what she knew, shouldn't we regard that as fact instead of what the author is trying to make it appear to be?


 * I think this area is hard to know anything with certainty because people on all sides of the issue were trying to frame the issues in relation to the Succession crisis etc. I think the reason people say she knew was she was present for some of the ceremonies, but I think she could deny she knew because she didn't want to believe the implications etc. I was reading the Dialog special issue on Joseph Smith a couple months ago - I'll look through it because it has some well researched comments on this issue Trödel| talk 22:42, 23 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Where are the fact relating to her presence at any such event? Where is this evidence? Apparently this is once again rumor.

These passages should be ironclad or hedged a bit: "Joseph had continued to practice plural marriage in secret, taking additional polygamous wives without Emma's knowledge. In Nauvoo, he began to privately teach other men in the church the doctrine." "It was also in Kirtland, however, the Emma's husband began to teach and practice the doctrine of "plural marriage"—although at this stage he kept all of these relationships secret from Emma." Tom Haws 23:26, Feb 23, 2005 (UTC)

Where again is the fact in this supposed knowledge? History says he did not practice polygamy and many writings, etc., point to the lack of evidence and the Mormon's even admit this is speculation rather than fact.


 * I think if you want to hedge the text more or rephrase it, that's fine. However, I think we can say with a good deal of certainty that Emma knew about some of the "marriages."  The records are pretty clear.  I think Emma's denials should be viewed no differently than Joseph (Jr.)'s denials.  Publically, Joseph Jr. repeatedly condemned polygamy and repeatedly denied his involvement in polygamy.  However, despite these statements, it is clear he was involved in it.  Emma's policy of public denial --- like Joseph III's --- can be seen as a continuation of Joseph Jr.'s policy, honoring the apparent wishes of the deceased prophet.  --John Hamer 23:58, 23 Feb 2005 (UTC)

So basically what you're saying is, you have a secret way of knowing what a person who lived many years ago said in private. And that means that all of her statements, every single one of her statements and all the supporting documents are to be thrown out for a bunch of rumors. Interesting - I thought this was supposed to be about facts.


 * I feel unqualified, especially with true experts present, to make the changes. From your summary above, it sounds like the two sentences I marked should be corrected though.  Would you do it so it is right? Tom Haws 17:59, Feb 24, 2005 (UTC)

I believe from some of my own research (which should NOT be used as primary reference material) that Emma knew about most if not all of the marriages. However, like many in the early church made a covenant not to discuss it, and to deny it at all costs. It wasn't until 1852 that it was officially endorsed as a practice and doctrine of the LDS church, so until then (even though it was publicly known leaders practiced) it was vehemently denied. Even Young offered to marry Emma

Wives of Joseph Smith Category
I don't understand why placing Emma Smith under the categories of Joseph Smith's wives in insulting. She was his wife, and as you said the most important one. Also, removing a factual tag because it's "insulting" is POV. -FlyingToaster (talk) 05:33, 25 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Excuse me, but you just reverted three edits, which is vandalism. I am a frequent editor of all LDS Movement articles, so if you have a particular cited challenge to any of my edits, go ahead. RE: the new category of 'wives of JSJR.' created by Descartes1979, this was a very contentious set-up, which did not happen without some controversy. Smith herself denied throughout all records any knowledge or involvement, regardless of whatever secondary sources now claim; factual is one thing, allegations another. In the meantime, I've reverted your rollback of several unconnected edits as unjustified. Best, A Sniper (talk) 05:38, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

RE: my revert
I reverted the most recent edit as it implied the RLDS as being a 'new organization' without allowing the facts to speak for themselves. The RLDS narrative is that they were a reorganization as opposed to a 'new' one. Best, A Sniper (talk) 02:48, 16 March 2009 (UTC)

Emma Smith: My Story
Should there be some mention of the 2008 film: 'Emma Smith: My Story'; [official site: http://www.emmasmithmovie.com/] -- Perhaps in the External links section? ~Eric F 184.76.225.106 (talk) 01:33, 16 March 2012 (UTC)
 * Only if it is qualified to be a pro-LDS piece made by the Mormon members of the Joseph Smith Jr. family organization (run by Michael Kennedy of Salt Lake). Best, A Sniper (talk) 02:16, 16 March 2012 (UTC)

Name of the church in 1839
An editor has made a good faith edit claiming that the name of the church in 1838 was The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have corrected this to point out that the name was Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and to mention in the edit summary that the church in Utah did not add 'The' to the name and being using 'Latter-day' until several years later. Best, A Sniper (talk) 00:39, 22 March 2013 (UTC)

Emma Smith: Polygamy - Note referencing Journal of Mormon History, Spring 2005, Volume 31, p. 70.
Note 17 under the section on Polygamy references a page in an article on the Kinderhook plates. Surely this reference is incorrect? "Over the years, many RLDS Church historians attempted to prove that the practice had originated with Brigham Young.[17]" 17 = Journal of Mormon History, Spring 2005, Volume 31, p. 70.

http://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2383&context=facpub — Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.121.59.118 (talk) 21:03, 17 March 2017 (UTC)

Introduction
I cleaned up the photo, that is several months old David Hyrum Smith born in November, citation added. I gave Emma a nationality in the introduction and made her ID independent from "the wife of ..." Plus, controversial or not, if Joseph Smith had multiple wives, Emma was his first. ~ Fimbriata (talk) 16:05, 11 August 2022 (UTC)