Hi Don,
Great job back at Yale! It is super that you could spend two days with the Quinn collection.
I’ve isolated the items I’d like you to focus on from that list, and made a few comments. If something looked intriguing and it’s not included below, feel free to ask me why it isn’t on this list.
Thanks for all your help! It is exciting to see things take shape.
Brian
D. Michael Quinn Papers—Addition—Uncat WA MS 244 (Accession:19990209-c)
Box 1—Card file—Topic: Polygamy, Joseph Smith's
William Write letter, ca May 1931, "I was well acquainted with two of Joseph's wives, LaVina and Eliza. I cam to Utah in '69, and rented LaVina [Elvira Cowles?] Holmes farm. Before Joseph was shot, He asked Jonathan Holmes if he would marry and take care of LaVina, but if LaVina wanted him to take care of her he would take her. He would fill that mission to please his Father in Heaven." (Box 65, CR 1/44, CHD)
[[The call number shows the source of this item to be in the church records series.]]
[[The account is a bit difficult to understand. It appears to say that Joseph Smith married Elvira, but asked Jonathan Holmes to take care of her, stating that he (Joseph) would take care of her if she preferred. But it can be read other ways as well. Based on the information in Compton's book, Elvira and Jonathan were engaged by September 1842 and married in December, while Joseph Smith didn't marry her until June 1, 1843. Perhaps the idea is supposed to be that, although she was sealed to Joseph Smith, Holmes was to continue to care for her temporally…?
Note that the couple remained together after Joseph Smith's death.]]
COULD THIS BE ANOTHER “FRONT HUSBAND” LIKE KINGSBURY?
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D. Michael Quinn Papers—Addition—Uncat WA MS 244 (Accession:19990209-c)
Box 1—Card file—Topic: Polygamy, Joseph Smith's
Orson Hyde holograph statement c.1869.
[[Source location not given by Quinn; may be in CHD affidavit collection.]]
[[Orson Hyde re: JS sealing him to Mary Ann Price:]]
"But before we were sealed he wanted Mary Ann himself. But while she highly respected the man, she declined the change of her affections…"
THIS SHOWS JS RESPECTED OTHERS’ FEELINGS
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[[Quinn variously places the Zina interview, in typescript form in the Zina D. H. Young Papers (apparently at the CHD); and in the Emmeline B. Wells Diary, Oct 1, 1898, at BYU). And he variously dates the interview as undated, 1898, and October 1898. He consistently states that it was performed by D. W. Wight.]]:
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I am collecting accounts of how Joseph Smith taught others about polygamy. Is there a way to get the fuller account of this?
D. Michael Quinn Papers—Addition—Uncat WA MS 244 (Accession:19990209-c)
Box 1—Card file—Topic: "Polygamy, Joseph Smith's" and"Hyrum Smith, RE Polygamy"
Desdemona Fullmer Autobiography:
"having been convinced of the truth of poligamme I therefore enter'd into the Order but I dared not make it known not even to my parents or I was forbidden by the Prophet for it would endanger the life of Joseph and also many of the Saints…[had a night vision in which an angel tells her that the polygamy doctrine was true]…Emma Smith tried upon on[e] occasion to poison me [Nov 5, 1843] but I dreamt a dream and I told Joseph my dream and he told me that she would do so if she had the opportunity in consequence of which I requested Bro. Joseph to find me a boarding place away from her where I could live in safety which he did and conveyed me in a Buggy to the place. After a while the news came to me that Joseph himself was poisoned and two or three more were poisoned in the Mantion House… I asked him how he came to be poisoned he said that Emma give it to me a tea." tells of Hyrum Smith's rejection of polyg & later acceptance—dating her departure from NauvooMansion late winter or early spring 1843.
After she left Mansion House to avoid being poisoned by Emma Smith because of her mg to JS, "After I left brother Joseph's House Sister Hyrum Smith wanted me to come for the winter with her to work tailoring as that is trade and while I was liveing at their house Hyrum had by some way lernt something about Poligamy So one evening while the family of us ware sitting arround the ire he said to me I will ask you a fair question will you answer me Yes Sir Bro. Hyrum he Said Soposing Bro Joseph would Say to you that he had a revelation from God that it was right for him to have another wife besids Emma would you believe it was of God…[she asks him if he believes JS is a prophet, "Yes," & she says that as he is a prophet she can't pick and choose which revelations she will believe]…and our conversation ended for that evening Soon after of a morning he made mention of the subject in the following words Said he if I knew –that any- or tho't that any women in his house believed in Such doctrine as Polygamy I would kick them 40 Rods from his house and follow them and kick them still further Soon after that I made tracks not feeling it safe to stay thare any longer and went to another place to live and while liveing thar a few weeks afterwards Bros Joseph and Hyrum came a long and call'd thare and Brother Hyrum wanted to talk with me and said do you remember how I talk'd when was at my Home Yes Sir I do he said Now I have come to make it right with you I hurt your feelings I ask your forgiveness and whare I have said anything against the Doc of Poligamy in public or in private I must take it all back for the Lord has shown unto me that I was wrong and that Joseph was right then he (Hyrum) preach'd to me and exorted me much and said that I had done God Servis and for me to hold on to the faith that was taught me by Joseph and much mor he said to me on the subject that I cannot write."
Desdemona Fullmer undated statement, CHD:
"when the brick store house was finished [Jan. 1, 1842], I was sealed to Broth Joseph by Brigham Young."
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D. Michael Quinn Papers—Addition—Uncat WA MS 244 (Accession:19990209-c)
Box 1—Card file—Topic: Polygamy, Joseph Smith's
[[Quinn also mentions an affidavit by her dated March 23, 1877, but does not state location of document—Quinn polygamy chronology card file places it in the Susa Young Gates Collection, USHS]]
DO WE HAVE THIS?
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D. Michael Quinn Papers—Addition—Uncat WA MS 244 (Accession:19990209-c)
Box 1—Card file—Topic: Polygamy, Joseph Smith's
L. John Nuttall Notes for J. Taylor Office Jrnl, HDC, d1346:
Nov 23, 1880, Joseph C. Kingsbury asked John Taylor that an $8000 debt to the church "be remitted in consideration of services he had rendered in Nauvoo, and after leaving there, to the Prophet Joseph, in keeping one of his wives, Sarah Whitney, daughter of Bishop N. K. Whitney."
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D. Michael Quinn Papers—Addition—Uncat WA MS 244 (Accession:19990209-c)
Box 1—Card file—Topic: Polygamy, Joseph Smith's
Matthew Phelps Fifield (b. 1830) said that when his family lived in Nauvoo ca 1843 that the father of Sarah Ann Willes, who was a neighbor, "was much exercised over the abduction of his daughter by a brother in the Church named John Scott," and asked the Fifield family to join in rescuing her from Scott. En route the group met J.S. who asked them to join a group (37 in all) and "He explained [[to them]] the principle of Celestial and plural marriage, He made plain to those present how John Scott was justified in marrying another wife while his wife was still alive." Matthew Phelps Fifield affidavit, May 31 1906, L[[d?]] 2725
[[Call number suggests that this is in the CHD Joseph Smith polygamy affidavit collection—so it may be in the items received from Mike Marquardt.]]
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D. Michael Quinn Papers—Addition—Uncat WA MS 244 (Accession:19990209-c)
Box 1—Card file—Topic: Polygamy, Joseph Smith's
Unpublished Family History of Job Welling Family, by Phebe Louisa Welling, Feb 9th, 1938:
"I heard my mother [Elvira Ann Cowles Holmes] testify that she was indeed the Prophet's (Joseph Smith) plural wife in life and lived with him as such during his lifetime."
[[Phebe Louisa Holmes Welling lived from 1851 to 1939; so she completed this history shortly before she died.]]
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D. Michael Quinn Papers—Addition—Uncat WA MS 244 (Accession:19990209-c)
Box 1—Card file—Topic: Polygamy, Joseph Smith's
Minutes of trial of Laws, Apr 18, 1844, [Jacob Scott says Wm Law stated yesterday]:
"spoke against Joseph—William Laws' rights. Went to Wm wife to attempt to seduce her.—Joseph wanted her to come into the order, not privilege to seled [sic] unless he obed, & marry more privilege seald to him—watch his opportunity Wm out bedroom attempt to take her a bed.—Repent & kill him—spare his life she told her husband get time told William—Joseph swore & c—Wm told Joseph Wm wife lied some when Joseph said you did Joseph acknowledged--& sealed William & wife."
[[No other citation is provided—Nauvoo High Council?]]
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D. Michael Quinn Papers—Addition—Uncat WA MS 244 (Accession:19990209-c)
Box 1—Card file—Topic: Polygamy, Joseph Smith's
Joseph E. Robinson Diary
26 Oct. 1902:
"During the afternoon I called on Aunt Lizzie---finding her not quite so well but cheerful etc. She told me again of the attempts made by the Josephites to get her to deny the fact that she knew Joseph Smith had more than two wives. Said he married a Pratt girl and that Olive Frost had a child by him and that both died."
15 Oct 1902, "Mother Knell got on train at Layton also "Robert and Aunt Lizzie" her brother and sister." (Joseph E. Robinson Diary)—NOTE: ROBINSON MARRIED A DAUGHTER OF JAMES KNELL, b. 1828
[[The above 15 Oct 1902 entry is likely included by Quinn to help identify "Aunt Lizzie." However, Quinn is probably mistaken on a few points. Joseph E. Robinson married a daughter of Benjamin Knell, born 1836. And Quinn may have misread the name of aunt in question. While there is a "Lillie" in the Knell family, I have yet to locate a "Lizzie." And it isn't clear what, if any, connection there was between the Knells and the Pratts or Frosts. The Knell family appears to have come to the US in 1850s. However, it is possible that Lizzie/Lillie had some inside connection. It will be difficult to tell unless or until we can identify her, which we probably could by reference to the original journal.]]
18 June 1905, "In Bible Class this a.m. old Wm Clark was in attendance [brother of Ezra T. Clark] and spoke of his acquaintance with Joseph the Prophet and the early leaders and of Joseph following him in preaching one day at Nauvoo in 1840 where he intimated the justification of a plurality of wives the first Clark had heard of it from the leading brethren."
[[Note Clark's use of the phrase "from the leading brethren," which implies that he had previously heard polygamy taught by local leaders or rank-and-file members.]]
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D. Michael Quinn Papers—Addition—Uncat WA MS 244 (Accession:19990209-c)
Box 1—Card file—Topic: Oliver Cowdery
Bro. Lysander Gee went with me….Coming home Bro Gee told me that he had known Oliver Cowdery personally & that to his knowledge Cowdrey [sic] had committed adultry [sic] had committed adultry [sic] before he lost his faith."
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D. Michael Quinn Papers—Addition—Uncat. WA MS. 244; Accession 19990201-h, Box 1—Quinn, card file "Mormon Polygamy Chronology, 1829-1902"
Brigham Young Collection Minutes, Feb 27 1845:
"Phelps sd. 6 or 8 went over the boundaries of the U.S. to preach—Jos. went to prayer—he then commenced a revelation that Martin was to marry among the Lamanites…it was a long revelation."
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D. Michael Quinn Papers—Addition—Uncat. WA MS. 244; Accession 19990201-h, Box 1—Quinn, card file "Mormon Polygamy Chronology, 1829-1902"
John Murdock Diary, p. 66—May 29, 1835:
"to Rufus Harwood's wer [?] Angelica [New York?] conversed with Anderson a Methodist Priest he lied & scandelized Br Joseph the Prophet & said he sanctioned uphold & upheld Whoredom & He bore testimony against him."
[[Angelica, New York is an out-of-the-way village in the southwestern part of the state, near Pennsylvania. It is somewhat remote from most sites of church-history interest in New York.]]
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D. Michael Quinn Papers—Addition—Uncat. WA MS. 244; Accession 19990201-h, Box 1—Quinn, card file "Mormon Polygamy Chronology, 1829-1902"
Orson Pratt 1835-1837 Journal, June 10, 1836:
Despite some eradications in Orson Pratt's Jrnl it is evident that on this date James Blakeslee was tried and temporarily disfellowshipped for making a possible marriage proposal as an already married man to "Sally" [Sarah] M. Bates, engaged to Orson Pratt, "…such as telling he that she had won his affections & that he loved her as much as he did his own wife; requesting her to break her engagements with m a young man with whom she had some acquaintance & remain single saying that he did not think that his own wife would live a great while…"
[[Sarah Pratt had received a polygamous proposal of sorts as far back as 1836!]]
D. Michael Quinn Papers—Addition—Uncat. WA MS. 244; Accession 19990201-h, Box 1—Quinn, card file "Mormon Polygamy Chronology, 1829-1902"
[[Luman A. Shurtliff jrnl. pp. 116-118, says he stated in March 1838 that polygamy would be accepted in church—pp. 116-118—Do we have this? NO – I DON’T THINK SO If not, I will locate and transcribe.]]
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D. Michael Quinn Papers—Addition—Uncat. WA MS. 244; Accession 19990201-h, Box 1—Quinn, card file "Mormon Polygamy Chronology, 1829-1902"
Oct 27, 1840 [?]
"Joseph Smith and Zina Huntington was sealed Oct 27, 1840 by Dimick B. Huntington in Nauvoo." (WW's Historian's Private Journal, after July 1, 1866)
Dec 11, 1840 [?]
"Joseph Smith and Presinda Huntington was sealed Dec 11, 1840 by Dimick B. Huntington in Nauvoo." (WW's Historian's Private Journal, after July 1, 1866)
[[Quinn may have made an error here, accidentally calling Wilford Woodruff's "Historian's Office Journal" his "Historian's Private Journal." Or perhaps these notations are in the WWJ.]]
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D. Michael Quinn Papers—Addition—Uncat. WA MS. 244; Accession 19990201-h, Box 1—Quinn, card file "Mormon Polygamy Chronology, 1829-1902"
Joseph Fielding Journal, September 2, 1841: I don’t think this excerpt is found in Andrew F. Ehat, "'They Might Have Known That He Was Not a Fallen Prophet'—The Nauvoo Journal of Joseph Fielding." BrighamYoungUniversity Studies 19 (Winter 1979): 146-148. Hence, we may need to review the entire journal for the period.
pp 73-74
"There has been a certain Principle manifested here [England]…there has been a select little company…they obtained Manifestations which it was not lawful to tell to the common Saints….it was shewn to them who should be Companions in another World, that they would not be united as they are now, (these were mostly Females)…I did not get to know of the new Companion Revelation till a short time ago I then said it was not of God, and if one of the Twelve should sanction it, I should still reject it…"
[[continuing same entry, pp. 76-77 appears to further discuss a form of promiscuous spiritual wifery, in England and in the US. Will transcribe from the original, at CHD.]]
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[[Affidavit of William M. Thompson, Aug 23 1854[[?!]]—that E was offended by J's hints against her—she's his greatest enemy etc.—have seen cited—GET]]
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D. Michael Quinn Papers—Addition—Uncat WA MS 244 (Accession:19990209-c)
Box 1—Card file—Topic: Polygamy, Joseph Smith's
Misc Minutes, B.Y. Collection:
Sept 2, 1850, Joseph E. Johnson "sd. he was familiar with the first frigging—that was done in his house with his mother in law—by Joseph."—appears to refer to Mary Heron (Snider)(b. Nov. 10 1804)
Here’s another claim that must be analyzed.
1