The Women of MormondomTullidge, Edward W. (Edward William)
History
The Women of Mormondom
Tullidge, Edward W. (Edward William)
Latter Day Saint churches -- History; Latter Day Saints -- History; Polygamy
"In the spring of 1840 our family moved to Nauvoo, in Illinois.
Here I continued my punctuality in attending meetings, had many
opportunities of hearing Joseph Smith preach, and tried to profit
by his instructions, and received many testimonials to the truth of
the doctrines he taught. Meetings were held out of doors in pleasant
weather, and in private houses when it was unfavorable. I was present
at the laying of the cornerstones of the foundation of the Nauvoo
temple, and had become acquainted with the prophet Joseph and his
family.
"On the 25th of July, 1841, I was united in holy marriage to George
Albert Smith, the then youngest member of the quorum of the twelve
apostles, and first cousin of the prophet (Elder Don Carlos Smith
officiating at our marriage). My husband was born June 26th, 1817, at
Potsdam. St. Lawrence county, N. Y. When I became acquainted with him
in Virginia, in 1837, he was the junior member of the first quorum of
seventy. On the 26th day of June, 1838, he was ordained a member of
the High Council of Adam-Ondi-Ahman, Davies county, Missouri. Just
about the break of day, on the 26th of April, 1839, while kneeling on
the corner-stone of the foundation of the Lord's house in the city of
Far West, Caldwell county, Missouri, he was ordained one of the twelve
apostles. Two days after we were married, we started, carpet bag in
hand, to go to his father's, who lived at Zarahemla, Iowa Territory,
about a mile from the Mississippi. There we found a feast prepared for
us, in partaking of which my husband's father, John Smith, drank our
health, pronouncing the blessings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob upon us.
I did not understand the import of this blessing as well then as I do
now."
--
Here we meet another of these Spartan women of Mormondom in the person
of Louisa F. Wells, the senior wife of Lieutenant-General Daniel H.
Wells.
In July, 1837, her father, Absalom Free, who had embraced Mormonism in
Fayetteville, St. Clair county, Ill., in the year 1835, emigrated with
his family to Caldwell county, Mo.
In Caldwell, Brother Free purchased a farm and built a good house.
He was of the well-to-do farmer class. With his ample means he soon
collected a fine farming outfit, and before him was the promise of
great prosperity.
The saints had been driven out of Jackson county, and mobs were
ravaging in Davies county, but there was peace in Caldwell until the
Fourth of July, in 1838, when the anti-Mormons, who were waiting and
watching for a pretext, took occasion, from some remarks made by
Elder Sidney Rigdon, in a commemorative speech at the celebration, to
commence a crusade against the city of Far West.
When the father of Louisa joined the organization for defence of the
city of Far West, he left a sick son at home, with the women folks of
his own and five other families, who had gathered there. These were
left to defend their homes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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