Few people in the LDS Church know that Emma Smith married again. This time it was a non-Mormon man by the name of Lewis Bidamon. Dr Mark Scherer details how they met, and how Emma raised Lewis’s child from an affair! We’ll also talk about her grandson, Fred M Smith, who caused a lot of ripples in the RLDS Church. Were you aware of this? What do you make of Emma?
I also asked Mark at Bill Russell’s claim that Fred M Smith was the “worst prophet ever!” Mark said that was a value judgment he didn’t want to weigh in on, but did note Fred’s push for more central authority. I was surprised to learn that Fred offered to resign during World Conference in a dispute with his brother, Israel, who was in the Presiding Bishopric. Israel ended up resigning the bishopric, only to be tabbed prophet at Fred’s death. We also discussed the much more democratic nature of RLDS World Conference vs LDS General Conference. While it sounds nice, legislation can be time-consuming and quite messy, but when a CoC member dissents from the First Presidency, that member isn’t told to talk to their bishop.
In our final conversation with Dr Mark Scherer, retired Church Historian from the Community of Christ, we’ll discuss his final history, “Journey of a People, Vol 3” that discusses the 1984 revelation allowing women to hold priesthood in the Community of Christ. We’ll also hear about an amusing episode where the CoC prophet Israel Smith sustained the LDS prophet David O. McKay during LDS General Conference. According to Mark, it created a firestorm in the RLDS Church! We also discussed the thaw in relations between the LDS & RLDS Churches.
Women’s roles in the LDS temples seem to be expanding, but still short of ordination to the priesthood. While it’s a decades-old practice in the Community of Christ, do you see ordination of women in the future LDS Church? Had you heard the story about Israel Smith & David O McKay?
Wheat & Tares 
Isn’t it interesting that Emma Smith, the wife of the prophet Joseph Smith, would marry outside of the Church? Being the ultimate insider you would think she would have stayed as close to the Church as possible, notwithstanding her conflicts with Brigham Young. But she was like so many others close to Joseph Smith…she went in another direction. Same with the 3 witnesses and many others.
I would ask: when the wife of the prophet and his closest counselors all leave the faith and take their lives in another direction before and after his death, what does that tell you? Were they all too worldly? Did the Lord simply ask too much of them? Or is it possible that they knew what we aren’t supposed to say in polite Mormon circles? I don’t expect perfect harmony among LDS leadership now or in the beginning. But if the first prophet’s wife can’t even stay in the boat maybe the boat is made of paper.
Josh H: I have long viewed it slightly differently than you put it, that BOTH Emma and Joseph founded religions. She remained in the movement but with her son and her lineage as the leadership, not the Q12 (after BY’s three-year coup). There was no way in hell she was going to go with BY who was literally stripping her of her property and her family of what she saw as their patrilineal right to lead. I think she saw very clearly that his power grab was all to her detriment, and he of course upheld polygamy which she found repugnant.
As to her marrying outside the faith, Joseph wasn’t “in the faith” when she married him either. I find it even more interesting that both of her husbands were unfaithful to her, and that she (in both cases) suffered greatly, but still stood by them as they betrayed her. This girl needed some therapy, stat. Or at least much better friends to warn her off these terrible men.
Mark’s recounting of Bidamon’s affair, which resulted in the birth of a baby boy, provides fascinating insight regarding Emma. Because the baby’s mother was apparently incapable of mothering the child, Emma brought him into their home to raise him. Then on her deathbed years later, Emma implored her husband and the woman (who by this time was also a part of the household), to marry after her (Emma’s) death, so the boy would have something resembling a “normal family.”
Thanks Angela. You’re way more diplomatic than I am.
Richard, the situation with Lewis Bidamon and Emma just makes me admire Emma even more.
Rick:
When people refer to the CofC (RLDS) as “Emma’s Church,” I take it as a compliment.
Josh h- I take it as free agency to do what she wants with her time, marriage, body, life. Just like everyone. Nothing more.
I read the book “Mormon Enigma” about Emma Smith nearly 20 yrs ago.
Wow. It turned my world upside down to learn about Joseph’s extensive practice of polygamy— never, ever, mentioned in church, and also about Emma’s life ( and her family) after Joseph died.. Even in Relief Society lessons which talked about Eliza R. Snow it was never mentioned that she was a polygamous wife of Joseph. Eliza wanted her headstone to include her whole name—Eliza Snow Smith.
The Church’s “truth” claims in reality are “do as I say, not as I do.” “We are going to hide our money, hide our past, but require honesty from you.”
Lois, I’m with you. I also read “Mormon Enigma” plus Todd Compton’s eye opening book “In Sacred Loneliness” which is about his polygamous wives. Poor Emma! My heart goes out to her! If you haven’t read it or its companion “In Sacred Loneliness: the Documents” do yourself a favor and read them. Even though there are some teachings that Joseph taught that I agree and resonate with my respect for him as a human being has vanished. If he tried to pull the same tricks with women and teenage girls (especially those who were under what we now consider to be the age of consent) he’d be locked up in prison for a long time possibly for life. And that’s not including financial fraud and other crimes he committed against his followers! Now I know why I could never gain a testimony of him try as hard as I may for many years.
Todd Compton was my missionary companion in Ireland in 1975. He would write the names of the different locks on the doors and compiled them during his whole mission. It was amazing how many lock companies there were in Northern Ireland. As far as polygamy and his book was concerned, the LDS Church was originally offended by it, but later confirmed that he had properly sourced his materials. Yes it is true, that many of the leaders in the early LDS Church practiced Polygamy, just like the Apostles and Prophets did in the Old Testament Hagar bore Ishmael for Abraham. Then ten years later his “first wife” bore Isaac. And then we have King David with two wives who broke his polygamous marriage covenant with those two by committing adultery with (no. 3) Bethsheba who husband Uriah, was fighting David’s battles at the time. Long story short, Polygamy is not a valid excuse for not believing that Joseph Smith was not a true Prophet. He was simply following what God told him to do, like Abraham, David, Solomon and many others. The only valid excuse for not believing in the Church of Jesus Christ that the Prophet Joseph Smith restored is: “It is Simply too good to be true”. And I second that motion! Elder David C. Bruner / LDS.