Joseph F. Smith’s mother met his father only a short time before they were married, soon after she had come to Kirtland, Ohio to join other church members converted in Canada. At the suggestion of his brother the Prophet Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith married Mary Fielding after Hyrum’s first wife Jerusha passed away eleven days after the birth of their sixth child. One of their daughters had died when she was almost three some years before, so Mary took over a household where she became the instant mother for five children aged two months to ten years, and had two elderly dependents, “Aunty” Grinnels who had cared for the baby after its mother’s death, and “Old George” Mills, who acted as a handyman.

Hyrum and Mary were married the day before Christmas in 1837. She became pregnant with Joseph F. in the spring around the time they were evacuating from Kirtland, moving to Far West, Missouri. On October 27, 1838, Missouri Governor Boggs issued an order declaring that all Mormons must be treated as enemies and exterminated or driven from the state of Missouri. The following week, Hyrum was taken from his home at gunpoint to join other imprisoned church leaders. After kangaroo court-martials, they were imprisoned in Liberty Jail. A few days later, Mary went into labor early and delivered her firstborn on November 13, 1838. His name Joseph recalled both Hyrum’s younger brother the Prophet and Mary’s oldest brother, who was serving a mission in their home province in England.

Mary became very ill soon after the birth and was on her sickbed for months. Luckily her sister Mercy had given birth to a daughter a few months earlier and was able to nurse Joseph as well.

In January a mob broke into the house, forced the inhabitants out, and ransacked their possessions. Joseph had been laid down for a nap previously and ended up covered by overturned bedding. He was blue when his family found him after the mob left, but luckily was able to start breathing again.(1)
In February Hyrum’s brother Don Carlos made Mary a bed in the back of a wagon, laid Joseph in her arms, and drove the forty miles to Liberty Jail together with Mercy and her baby Mary Jane so that Hyrum could see his son for the first time. According to Mercy,

“Shortly after our return to Far West we had to leave our cold, unfinished house and start in lumber wagons for Illinois, my sister again being placed on a bed in an afflicted state. This was about the middle of February, the weather extremely cold. I still had the care of both babies.”(2)

Nearly everything of value had been carried off by their enemies.(3) They were forced to give up all their livestock, farm implements, furniture, and farm land and travel more than two hundred miles to leave Missouri for Illinois, Mary still on her sickbed in the back of a wagon. Three or four weeks after they arrived she began to mend, and felt her health was as good as ever by June.(4)

Mary stayed with Mercy and her husband in Quincy, Illinois until April when Hyrum and the other leaders were able to escape with the connivance of the officers who were charged to transport them from the Liberty Jail to a different county.(5) Hyrum soon made arrangements to move his family and they settled in Commerce, Illinois. The city’s name was changed to Nauvoo. On May 14, 1841, Mary gave birth to Joseph F.’s younger sister, Martha Ann. That August two uncles, Don Carlos Smith and Mercy’s husband Robert B. Thompson, died of pneumonia. In September Joseph F.’s 7-year-old brother Hyrum Jr. died.
Still, Joseph experienced a relatively happy childhood. They had a dog, old Tige, who would go to the store with a note in a basket and come back with whatever their grandmother had sent for. Tige also caused a ruckus by sleeping in the clothes Joseph’s teenage sister Lovina left on the floor; she raised the roof with a tantrum when she came back from a party and he beat a hasty retreat out of the room.(6) Once Joseph found several dollars in his father’s desk, collected to help in building the temple, that he put in his pocket and went out to play. One of his neighbors took him to his mother—he never forgot his fright when he was told he was a thief.(7)

Before Hyrum left for Carthage in late June 1844, he prayed with his loved ones and bid all goodbye except Joseph, who was out playing. Hyrum mounted his horse and was about to ride away when he saw Joseph not far away in the street. He rode over, picked Joseph up, held him, kissed him, and told him to be a good boy while papa was away, then put him down and rode off. It was the last time Joseph would see his father.(8)

A few nights later on June 27th, Mary was keeping vigil over three-year-old Martha Ann who had a severe case of measles and congestion in her lungs, when there was a knock at the door and a messenger, George D. Grant, delivered the news that her husband had been killed. She stepped back and calmly exclaimed, “It cannot be possible, can it?” His answer was, “Yes, it is too true.” She fell back against the cupboard and he helped her to a chair.(9) Joseph would always remember his mother’s screams and the weeping and sobbing through that night, as well as standing in Joseph and Emma Smith’s home and having his mother lift him up to look upon the faces of his father and the Prophet for the last time.(10) Joseph was only 5 years old.

7-9 years old: Fatherless

The family remained in Nauvoo until the summer of 1846, when Mary loaded their possessions on a wagon and took along all their livestock to cross the Mississippi River to Iowa in a flat boat, under threat from a mob army before the battle of Nauvoo.(S ) They pitched camp and listened to the bombardment under the trees on the bank of the river.(11) They camped there as Mary left to exchange their property in Illinois for wagons, oxen, horses, cows, etc., in order to travel across Iowa to Winter Quarters. Joseph was not quite eight but had charge of one of the ox teams most of the way. They arrived on October 21, 1846, and stayed there two winters, trying to gather sufficient teams and necessities to journey across the plains. They lived in a crude log house with a dirt floor that they built and daubed with clay.(12)

Joseph worked as a herd boy during this time, caring for his mother’s cattle. In the fall of 1847, when he was eight and a half, he had to defend the herd against Indians.

One bright morning in company with my companions, namely, Alan Burdick, almost a young man grown, and very sober, steady boy, Thomas Burdick, about my own age, but a little older, and Issac Blocksome, a little younger than myself, I started out with my cattle… to go to the herd grounds about one and a half or two miles from the town (Winter Quarters). We had two horses, both belonging to the Burdicks, and a young pet jack belonging to me. Alden proposed to take it afoot … and gather some hazel nuts for the crowd, while we took out the cattle and we would meet at the spring on the herd ground. This arrangement just suited us, for … Alden … operated as an extinguisher upon our exuberance of youthful feelings. I was riding Alden’s bay mare; Thomas, his father’s black pony, and Isaac, my jack. On the way we had some sport with “Ike” and the jack, which plagued “Ike” so badly that he left us with disgust, turning the jack loose with the bridle on, and he went home. When Thomas and I arrived at the spring we set down our dinner pails, mounted our horses and amused ourselves by running short races, and jumping the horses across ditches, Alden not having arrived as yet. While we were thus amusing ourselves, our cattle were feeding along down the little spring creek towards a rolling point about half a mile distant. The leaders of the herd had stretched out about half way to this point, when all of a sudden a gang of Indians, stripped to the breach-clout, painted and daubed and on horse-back, came charging at full speed from behind this point, towards us.

 

Thomas Burdick immediately started for home, crying “Indians!” “Indians!” Before he reached the top of the hill, however, for some cause he abandoned his pony, turning it loose with bridle and rope, or lariat attached. My first impression, or impulse was to save the cattle from being driven off, for in a most incredible short time, I thought of going to the valley; of our dependence upon our cattle, and the horror of being compelled to remain at Winter Quarters. I suited the action to the thought, and at full speed dashed out to head the cattle and if possible turn them towards home. I reached the van of the herd just as the greater number of Indians did. Two Indians had passed me, in pursuit of Thomas. I wheeled my horse in almost one bound and shouted at the cattle which, mingled with the whoops of the Indians and the sudden rush of a dozen horses, frightened the cattle and started them on the keen run towards the head of the spring, in the direction of home. As I wheeled I saw the first Indian … He was a tall, thin man, riding a light roan horse, very fleet; he had his hair daubed up with stiff white clay. He leaped from his horse and caught Thomas Burdick’s, then he jumped on his horse again and started back in the direction he had come. While this was going on the whole gang surrounded me, trying to head me off, but they did not succeed until I reached the head of the spring, with the whole herd under full stampede ahead of me, taking the lower road to town, the road Alden had taken in the morning. Here my horse was turned around at the head of the spring and down the stream I went at full speed till I reached a point opposite the hill, where other Indians had concentrated and I was met at this point by this number of Indians who had crossed the stream to head me off. This turned my horse, and once more I got the lead in the direction of home. I could outrun them, but my horse was getting tired or out of wind and the Indians kept doubling on me, coming in ahead of me and checking my speed, till finally, reaching the head of the spring again, I met, or overtook, a platoon which kept their horses so close together and veering to right and left as I endeavored to dodge them, that I could not force my horse through. I was thus compelled to slacken speed and the Indians behind overtook me; one Indian rode upon the left side and one on the right side of me, and each took me by an arm and leg and lifted me from my horse; they then slackened their speed until my horse run from under me, then they chucked me down with great violence to the ground. Several horses from behind jumped over me, but did not hurt me. My horse was secured by the Indians and without slacking speed they rode on in the direction from whence they had come. About this moment a number of men appeared on the hill with pitchforks in hand, whom Thomas had alarmed with the cry of “Indians!” These men were on their way to the hay field, and … as the men appeared on the hill, an Indian who had been trying to catch the jack with corn, made a desperate lurch to catch the animal and was kicked over, spilling his corn, which in his great haste to get away before the men could catch him, he left on the ground. The jack cooly turned and ate the corn, to the amusement of the men on the hill as well as my own.

At this point I thought I better start after Thomas, and as I reached the top of the hill I saw him just going down into the town… the men returned with the pitchforks to their wagons and I continued on to the town. …My folks were glad to see me, you may be sure. A company was formed and on horses started in pursuit of the Indians, and a second company on foot with Thomas and myself to pilot them, went in pursuit of the cattle. …we hunted most of the day and not finding our cattle we returned home disheartened, and I was filled with fears that we would not now be able to journey to the valley. When we returned home we learned that Alden had found the cattle and they were all home, safely cared for, and so this trouble was soon forgotten. Thomas’ horse was recovered, but the one I was riding was not found. It cost the Indians too much for them ever to part with it.(13)

Many of the cattle and horses died during the winter and the jack, a pet donkey, was traded off for provisions.(14) Despite the hardship of not having enough teams to pull everything separately, Mary loaded up her old wagons, seven in number, including a large family carriage, or spring wagon, fastened two wagons together and yoked up the cows and calves and young steers and what oxen they had to commence the journey. Mary’s household had dwindled from about twenty eating at Hyrum’s table to nine in her household crossing the plains.(15) The supervisor of public cattle sternly informed her that there was no use for her to attempt to cross the plains that year and advised her to remain at Winter Quarters another year, saying, “If you start out in this manner, you will be a burden on the company the whole way, and I will have to carry you along or leave you on the way.” Mary straightened up and calmly replied, “I will beat you to the valley and will ask no help from you either.” And she did.(16)

Mary located in Mill Creek, south of Salt Lake City, where she had found some natural springs that she got together with forty acres of the surrounding land where she expected to engage in farming with her boys. The first winter she caused a small cabin to be built in which to do the cooking, but they slept in their wagons during the winter of 1848.(17)

In the spring of 1849 they cleared a site not far from the springs and began building a 14’ x 28’ two-room adobe house, which was completed in 1850. It had a dugout barn on the side built of rocks for the animals.(18)

Heber C. Kimball baptized Joseph in City Creek in May 1852, and a few months later took Mary into his home while she suffered from complications of an illness. On September 21, 1852 she passed away. Joseph was thirteen years old.

When Joseph was fifteen he had a rather hard-hearted schoolmaster who would use a leather strap
to discipline the children. Martha was called up to be punished and was told to hold out her hand. Joseph spoke up loudly and said “Don’t whip her with that!” The schoolmaster came after him and, as Joseph later related, “Instead of him whipping me, I licked him good and plenty.”(19)

Joseph wasn’t allowed to go back to the school. For his part, the schoolmaster couldn’t face the class and stopped teaching there as well. The question came up before Brigham Young and other leaders as to what to do with Joseph, and they decided to call him on a full-time mission to Hawaii, at that time still known as the Sandwich Islands. The call was announced from the pulpit at general conference in 1854.(20)

(1) Joseph F. Smith, quoted in Joseph Fielding Smith’s compilation Life of Joseph F. Smith: Sixth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (The Deseret News Press, 1938), p 126.
(2) Mercy Fielding Thompson wrote this on December 20, 1880 as part of a letter deposited in a time capsule Relief Society Jubilee box in Salt Lake City for opening on April 1, 1930. Quoted in Don C. Corbett’s Mary Fielding Smith: Daughter of Britain, (Deseret Book Company, 1966), p 86.
(3) Hyrum Smith in a statement describing the suffering and damages sustained in Missouri, History of the Church, vol III, Deseret Book Company, 1978, p 374.
(4) Mary Fielding Smith in a letter to her brother Joseph, June 1839, quoted in Corbett, 1966, p 99.
(5) Mercy Fielding Thompson in her Letter to Posterity, quoted in Don C. Corbett’s Hyrum Smith—Patriarch, Deseret Book Company, 1963, p 213.
(6) Martha Ann Smith Harris memories noted in Corbett 1963.
(7) Smith 1938, p 128.
(8) Related by Preston Nibley to Corbett, who accompanied his parents and Joseph F. Smith on a trip to Nauvoo. President Smith invited Preston to look around with him, and at a certain point in the road near where he had lived, he told Preston “It was about here where my father picked me up.” Corbett 1966, p 164.
(9) Martha Ann Smith Harris, Message to My Posterity, March 2, 1881, quoted in Corbett 1963, p 425-426 and Corbett 1966, p 162-163.
(10) Preston Nibley, Presidents of the Church, Deseret Book Company, 1941, p 229, quoted in Richard Nietzel Holzapfel & R.Q. Shupe, Joseph F. Smith: Portrait of a Prophet, Deseret Book Company, 2000, p 14
(11) Smith 1938, p 131.
(12) Journal of Mary’s brother Joseph Fielding, volume 5, p 113, LDS Church Historian’s Office, SLC, 1839-1859. Reproduced in mimeograph form, June 1963. Quoted in Corbett 1966, p 205.
(13) Smith 1938, p 134-137.
(14) Corbett 1966, p 226.
(15) Corbett 1966, p 223.
(16) Smith 1938, p 148.
(17) Smith 1838, p157.
(18) Corbett 1966, p 254-255.
(19) Smith 1938, p 229.
(20) Smith 1938, p164-165. Also Holzapfel & Shupe, p. 20-21.

Slide 1 Many individual’s pictures were found by using Google’s search engine, naming the topic or name and “photo”.

Slide 2 A number of relevant photos and a biography of Joseph F. Smith’s life can be found in the Presidents of the Church Student Manual for Religion 345, Chapter 6: Joseph F. Smith—Sixth President of the Church, available online at http://institute.lds.org/manuals/presidents-of-the-church-student-manual/pres-ch-04-06-6.asp. Other chapters provided additional photos for the presentation.

Slide 3 Information on flat boats on the Mississippi River can be found at http://steamboattimes.com/flatboats.html

Slide 4 File photo of “The Mormon pioneers coming off Big Mountain into Mountain Dell. July 1847.” Available on Wikipedia.