Milestones in the very eventful life of Emma Hale Smith Bidamon!

Courtesy of www.josephsmithjr.com
(Please see the above website for much more commentary and detail)


10 July 1804
Born at Harmony, Pennsylvania.

18 Jan 1827
Marries Joseph Smith, Jr., at South Bainbridge, New York.

15 Jun 1828
Son Alvin is born and dies; buried at Harmony.

28 Jun 1830
Emma baptized at Colesville, New York.

Aug 1830
Emma confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Jan 1831
Emma’s last farewell to her parents.

2 Feb 1831
Arrival at Kirtland, Ohio.

30 Apr 1831
Twins are born and die at Morley Settlement.

May 1831
Joseph and Emma adopt Julia and Joseph Murdock, twin infants of Joseph and Julia Murdock, after their mother dies from complications relating to childbirth.

24 Mar 1832
Joseph Smith beaten by mob at Hiram, Ohio; baby Joseph exposed to cold during mobbing.

27 Mar 1832
Joseph Murdock Smith, age ten months, dies as result of exposure.

6 Nov 1832
Son Joseph Smith III born at Kirtland, Ohio.

9 Dec 1834
Emma receives her patriarchal blessing.

1835–1836
Hymnal compiled by Emma published.


The Lord asked Emma “to make a selection of sacred hymns.” (D&C 25:11.) The hymnal, compiled in 1835, was actually published in 1836. (Courtesy of LDS Archives.)

20 Jun 1836
Son Frederick Granger Williams Smith is born at Kirtland, Ohio.

Jan 1838
Smith family flees Kirtland, Ohio; travels across Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.

Feb 1838
Family crosses frozen Mississippi River into Iowa.

14 Mar 1838
Family arrives at Far West, Missouri.

2 Jun 1838
Son Alexander Hale Smith is born at Far West, Missouri.

Nov 1838
Church leaders are arrested. Joseph is imprisoned in Liberty Jail. Emma visits him three times: 8 December 1838; 20 December 1838; and 21 January 1839.

7 Feb 1839
Emma and family leave Far West, Missouri.

14 Feb 1839
Emma and children arrive at Quincy, Illinois.

22 Apr 1839
Joseph arrives at Quincy after nearly six months of unjust confinement in Missouri.

9 May 1839
Smiths move to Commerce (Nauvoo), Illinois.

13 Jun 1840
Son Don Carlos is born.

15 Aug 1840
Baptism for the dead is taught by Joseph Smith; Emma is baptized soon after in the Mississippi River in behalf of her mother and sister.

7 Aug 1841
Joseph’s brother, Don Carlos, dies.

15 Aug 1841
Son Don Carlos, age fourteen months, dies.

6 Feb 1842
Birth of unnamed stillborn son.

17 Mar 1842
Relief Society is organized; Emma chosen as president.

Summer/Fall 1842
Joseph is in hiding. Emma and children are ill; Emma nearly dies. Joseph returns home to bless his family.

17 Aug 1842
Emma writes a letter to Governor Carlin defending Joseph.

18 Jan 1843
Grand celebration at Joseph and Emma’s home for their sixteenth wedding anniversary and his acquittal.

Spring 1843
Joseph becomes mayor of Nauvoo.

28 May 1843
Emma sealed to Joseph for eternity.

31 Aug 1843
Smiths move into the Mansion House.

By 28 Sep 1843
Emma receives her endowments.

Fall 1843
Emma supervises women’s temple ordinances October 1843 through February 1844.

17 May 1844
Joseph accepts nomination to run for president of the United States.

22 Jun 1844
Joseph is ordered to Carthage, Illinois, for hearings; faced with the prospect of certain death, Joseph crosses to Iowa side of the Mississippi River.

23 Jun 1844
Joseph and Hyrum decide to go to Carthage, Illinois.

24 Jun 1844
Emma and Joseph see each other for the last time.

27 Jun 1844
Emma serves dinner to Governor Ford and sixty of his men in Nauvoo Mansion House about 5:00 p. m. Emma learns about 10:00 p. m. that Joseph and Hyrum have been shot and killed.

17 Nov 1844
Son David Hyrum Smith is born.

Feb 1846
Emma remains in Nauvoo when Saints go west.

12 Sep 1846
Emma leaves with her family as mobbers invade Nauvoo; she goes to Fulton, Illinois, then returns four months later.

23 Dec 1847
Emma marries “Major” Louis C. Bidamon.

1856
Emma takes in orphaned Elizabeth Agnes Kendall, eight years old, and rears her as her own daughter.

14 May 1856
Lucy Mack Smith dies, having spent the last three years of her life in Emma’s care.

22 Oct 1856
Joseph III marries Emmeline Griswold.

1857
Emma’s nephew Samuel H. B. Smith visits her.

13 Sep 1857
Son Frederick Granger Williams Smith marries Annie Marie Jones.

6 Apr 1860
Son Joseph III becomes president of RLDS.

23 Jun 1861
Son Alexander Hale Smith marries Elizabeth Agnes Kendall.

13 Apr 1862
Son Frederick Granger Williams Smith dies.

1866
Emma gives Joseph’s revision of Bible to Joseph III to print.

About 1870
Emma begins caring for Charles, six-year-old son of Louis Bidamon and Nancy Abercrombie.

10 May 1870
Son David Hyrum marries Clara C. Hartshorn.

1871
Emma and family move into rebuilt Nauvoo House, later renamed Riverside Mansion.

1875
Emma’s sons leave Nauvoo; Alexander moves to northern Missouri, and Joseph III moves to Iowa.

1877
Emma’s adopted daughter, Julia, suffering from cancer and deserted by her husband, comes to live with Emma.

17 Jan 1877
Emma’s son David Hyrum committed to Illinois State Asylum.

Feb 1879
Last testimony given by Emma in an interview with her sons. Emma testifies that Joseph Smith was a prophet, relates her experience with the Book of Mormon, testifies of her belief in the divine origin of the Book of Mormon.

30 Apr 1879
Emma dies in her seventy-fifth year, on the anniversary of the death of her Kirtland twins.