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At twenty years of age on Apr. 5, 1859 Joseph F. Smith married his first cousin sixteen year old Levira Annette Clark Smith. The following Apr. he was called on a mission to England. He arrive home in Sept. 1863 to find his wife in a nervous state which required his constant nursing for six weeks. In Feb. of 1864 he was called to assist the missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands from whence he returned in December. Upon his return he was employed at the Church Historian’s Office.
It was while he was working there that the command came to him from President Brigham Young to enter plural marriage. This he did with the consent of Levira. It was in the hall of the Historian’s Office that he proposed to Julina Lambson, niece of George A. Smith and his wife Bathsheba W. Bigler who was living with her aunt and uncle. They were married May 5, 1866.
Julina moved into the little house with Joseph and Levira who has been ill off and on for several years. Julina helped Levira and they got along well together until Julina’s first baby was announced. Levira’s mother, with whom Levira had stayed while Joseph was on his two missions, was upset at this and filled Levira with the thought that Joesph wouldn’t love her as much now. She implanted doubts about the church until Levira finally went to Pres. Young and, unknown to Joseph, expressed her desire for a divorce saying that she would prefer going with her mother to California and starting a new life. It was a difficult and sad time for them all. Levira prevailed and the divorce was granted.
When Julina and Joesph’s oldest daughter Josephine was seven months old Pres. Young commanded Joseph to take another wife. Upon being told this he and Julina drew up a list of eligible girls. Looking the list over they both chose the same name–that of Sarah Ellen Richards. When Joseph asked her to marry him she said she would rather have him than any other single man. They went to Provo for their honeymoon. When they came back Joseph, Julina and Sarah lived together and got along beautifully.
Pres. Young commanded him to take another wife so they held a family council and decided to Julina’s sister Edna “since she was there most of the time anyway.” They build on to the house and lived there happily. Edna and Julina would cook at the Endowment House to earn tithing scrip to pay for the little meat they had.
When among the three wives there were 12 children Joseph was commanded again to take a wife. However, this time he was told to marry Heber C. Kimball’s daughter Alice as she was divorced and she and her children needed support. The three wives were unhappy that they had no choice in the matter this time, but concluded to support their husband in this as in all else.
Alice had a home of her own so at this time it was decided that each wife should have a home of her own. Julina was happy where she was so she stayed there. Sarah and Edna each had a new home on the block arranged so that all the back yards came together.
Later President John Taylor advised Joseph that it was time he took another wife. At that time President Taylor lived in the Gardo House and the Apostles held their meetings there. They often stayed for lunch served by the girls of the household. Among these was President Taylor’s pretty niece Mary Taylor Schwartz. Upon the advice to marry again Joseph chose this young lady.
Such happy homes of Mamas, Children, and Papa filled with love and harmony could not have happened without the gospel of Jesus Christ under which polygamy was undertaken only at the command of the President of the Church, and the wise, loving, ever concerned father and the remarkable women he chose as wives.
–Told by Edith Smith Patrick