Joseph Smith Jr and Emma Hale Smith Historical Society

10/27/2026

For generations, many people have known Joseph Smith's story, but far fewer have truly understood the faith, sacrifice, and testimony of his wife, Emma Hale Smith. The award-winning film Emma Smith: My Story helps change that.

Produced through the efforts of the descendants of Joseph and Emma Smith in partnership with resources and footage connected to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this inspiring film brings Emma's voice to life and reveals her vital role in the Restoration of the Gospel.

Through historical research, family records, and powerful storytelling, viewers come to know Emma not as a historical footnote, but as a woman of remarkable faith, courage, and devotion. The film highlights her unwavering support of the Prophet Joseph Smith, her personal witness of sacred events, and the sacrifices she made to help bring forth the restored gospel.

Many viewers have shared that the film transformed their understanding of Emma, strengthened their testimonies, and deepened their appreciation for the Restoration. Some who once knew only criticism and misconceptions about Emma came away seeing her as a pillar of strength and a faithful partner in the Lord's work.

If you want to better understand the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the extraordinary woman who stood beside him, Emma Smith: My Story is a film you won't forget. It is a moving tribute to faith, family, sacrifice, and the eternal truths of the restored gospel.

🎬 Stream or purchase your copy today and experience Emma's story for yourself. You will gain a deeper appreciation for the Restoration, a stronger testimony of Joseph Smith's prophetic calling, and a renewed understanding of the faithful woman who helped make it all possible.

Please comment if you have seen the movie.
As of October 2026, Emma Smith: My Story is available in several places:

Our web site - www.josephsmithjr.org
Tubi – Stream free with ads.
Amazon Prime Video – Available to rent or purchase digitally. Current listings show rental and purchase options.
DVD – Physical copies are available through Amazon.
YouTube – A full-length version has been posted by the SparkTV channel. Availability can vary by region.

10/20/2026

🌿 Honoring the Women Who Helped Restore Temple Blessings in Nauvoo

As descendants of Joseph Smith, we carry a sacred heritage—one rooted not only in the Prophet’s revelations, but also in the faith and devotion of the women who stood beside him in Nauvoo.

In the spring of 1842, just days before the first full endowments were given, Joseph met with 200 Relief Society sisters in the upper room of the Red Brick Store. There, he revealed their divinely appointed role in the unfolding temple work. Eliza R. Snow recorded his remarkable promise that he was “going to make of this Society a kingdom of [priestesses] as in Enoch’s day and as in Paul’s day.”

He taught that the sisters would receive sacred privileges and keys “in connection with their husbands,” enabling them to call upon God and receive answers. He promised that if they lived up to their covenants, “the angels cannot be restrain’d from being your associates.”

Emma Smith, our grandmother, received her initiatory ordinances directly from Joseph and then personally administered washings and anointings to the wives of the First Presidency and the Twelve. Other faithful sisters—Elizabeth Allred, Elizabeth Durfee, Mercy Fielding Thompson—helped prepare the first temple clothing and received early endowments under Joseph’s direction.

These women were not spectators. They were builders of Zion, bearers of priesthood power, and foundational participants in the restoration of temple blessings.

Today, as their descendants, we honor their courage, their purity, and their unwavering devotion. Their legacy continues to illuminate our own temple worship and strengthens our commitment to preserve the truth of Joseph and Emma’s lives.

May we live worthy of the promises they received—and the heritage they left in our care.

10/13/2026

I posted last week after seeing the forensic evidence the Dan Larson daguerreotype was a picture of Joseph Smith. There was many responses that the image of Joseph Smith was not important only the message.

In no way do I want to convey the image is more important. So why is the image important?

Knowing what Joseph Smith actually looked like does matter — and not for shallow or sentimental reasons. It matters because identity, history, and legacy are human things, not abstract ideas. When people say “it’s not important,” they’re usually reacting to the debate around the daguerreotype, not the deeper significance of what a true image represents.

I have a testimony and strong belief in the message of Jesus Christ. But the image of him enhances or visualizes that message. True Christians understand adding the image with the message means to them. Same for Joseph Smith.

Joseph Smith’s legacy has been shaped by admiration, misunderstanding, and sometimes hostility. Without a verified image, portrayals have often been exaggerated, romanticized, or distorted.

A real photograph:

stabilizes public perception

reduces speculation

provides a factual anchor in conversations about his life and character

It becomes harder to dismiss him as a caricature when you’re looking into the eyes of the actual man.

For me

— and for thousands of Smith descendants — this isn’t academic.
It’s family.

Seeing the authentic face of a great‑great‑grandfather:

deepens heritage

strengthens identity

affirms lineage

creates emotional continuity across generations

It’s the difference between reading about an ancestor and meeting one.

Joseph and Emma lived extraordinary, difficult, courageous lives.
They sacrificed, suffered, and built something that shaped millions.

Preserving Joseph’s true image is part of preserving their story — not as icons, but as a husband and wife who walked through real trials together.

For descendants, for historians, and for anyone who cares about truth in the historical record, knowing what Joseph actually looked like strengthens our connection to him. It grounds memory in something real. It reminds us that Joseph and Emma walked through their extraordinary lives as flesh‑and‑blood people whose choices shaped millions.

www.josephsmithjr.org

10/06/2026

Joseph Again . When the daguerreotype of Joseph Smith first surfaced, I was a skeptic. I wasn’t convinced it truly captured the face of my great-great-great-grandfather.

The evidence, research, and firsthand sources presented to me painted a different picture. They built a case that became impossible to ignore. Today, I’m convinced this image is Joseph Smith — taken shortly before he was killed. And this documentary only strengthens that conviction.

If you personally feel inclined to dismiss the image, that’s your choice. But at least give yourself the fairness of watching the evidence laid out in this film. See it, weigh it, and then decide.

🎬 Showtimes & Theaters
https://brotherjosephagain.com/tickets/

This documentary is worth your time — especially if you care about truth, history, and the legacy Joseph Smith left behind.

Pre-order tickets to see Brother Joseph Again in theaters.

10/06/2026

❤️ Joseph Smith’s Final Charge: A Family United for Eternity

As descendants of Joseph Smith Jr. and Emma Hale Smith, we feel a deep responsibility to preserve and testify of the truth of their lives. One of the most sacred parts of Joseph’s ministry was the commandment he received from the Lord to build a temple—a holy place where families could be sealed together for all eternity through the ordinances of Jesus Christ.

History records that Joseph knew he would not live to see the Nauvoo Temple completed. Because of this, he spent the final months of his life carefully teaching and preparing the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In the upper room of the Red Brick Store, Joseph administered the ordinances to them and instructed them in every detail, telling the Twelve that the future of the temple work rested on their shoulders.

Multiple historical sources confirm Joseph’s urgency and foresight:

🔹 He declared to the Twelve:
“I roll the burden of the kingdom onto you.”
(Willard Richards Journal; also documented in the History of the Church)

🔹 He taught that the sealing ordinances were essential for the Saints and must continue even if he were taken from them.
(Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and others later testified of Joseph’s deliberate instruction)

🔹 He made sacred promises to Emma, including the tender assurance that she would have all of her children.
This promise reflects Joseph’s understanding of the eternal nature of families and the sealing power that would bind parents and children together forever.

Joseph’s final efforts were not about buildings—they were about families. He knew that the temple ordinances would bless not only his own posterity, but every family willing to enter into Christ’s covenant.

Today, we honor Joseph’s sacrifice by keeping the commandment Jesus Christ gave him:

✨ Be sealed as families.
✨ Help our ancestors receive those same blessings. We have gathered Joseph's posterity and provided the ordinances for sealing families to them.
✨ Ensure that no link in our family chain is left unfinished.

As his family, we testify that Joseph’s teachings were true, his mission divine, and his love for Emma and their children eternal. The greatest way we can honor him is to continue the work he gave everything to establish.

Let us go to the temple.
Let us gather our families.

www.josephsmithjr.org

09/29/2026

🌿 Emma Hale Smith’s Final Vision — A Legacy of Faith Passed to Her Son 🌿
As her posterity, we cherish every glimpse into the heart and faith of Emma Hale Smith. Near the end of her life, Emma shared an experience so tender and profound that her son, Alexander Hale Smith, carried it with him for the rest of his days — a testimony that life continues beyond the veil and that families are meant to be together.

Emma told Alexander that Joseph had appeared to her and shown her a beautiful mansion prepared for her. She said simply, “Joseph, this is my home.”
Inside, she saw a nursery — and there, lovingly cared for, was her little Don Carlos, the infant she had lost decades earlier. Emma was promised that she would have all her children again. That assurance filled her with peace.

Alexander never forgot this moment. It shaped his own deep belief in life after death, in resurrection, and in the reality of the world to come. He taught that God’s promises are tangible, that the redeemed will live again, and that families are not separated forever.

Emma’s final vision wasn’t just a comfort to her — it became a gift to her son, and through him, a gift to all of us who descend from her. She instilled in Alexander a faith that is practical, hopeful, and centered on eternal family.

Today, we honor Emma’s courage, her devotion, and the quiet spiritual strength she passed to her children — a legacy that still guides her posterity. Her descendants have honored Emma's request by having all the temple ordinances established by her husband completed for her children. And we carry her faith forward. 🌿

www.josephsmithjr.org

We remember Emma.
We honor her vision.

09/21/2026

✨ September: The Beginning of Joseph’s Divine Calling
As members of the Smith family, we honor and remember the sacred events that unfolded in September 1823, when God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ continued preparing young Joseph Smith for the work that would change the world.

After Joseph’s First Vision, the Lord forgave his sins and instructed him to join none of the existing churches. He also told Joseph that “he had a work to do.”

That work began to unfold in a remarkable series of heavenly manifestations:

🌟 First Night — September 21–22, 1823
On this night, the angel Moroni appeared three times in Joseph Smith’s bedroom.
He taught Joseph about the ancient record written on gold plates and quoted prophecies from the Bible concerning the Restoration and the gathering of Israel.

🌄 The Next Day — September 22, 1823
Moroni appeared twice more—once in a field near Joseph’s home, and again at the Hill Cumorah, where Joseph saw in vision the location of the plates.

📅 Annual Meetings — 1824–1826
On September 22 of each year, Moroni met with Joseph again, continuing his mentorship and preparing him for the sacred responsibility of receiving and translating the record.

📖 Remaining Visits — 1827–1829
During these years, Moroni appeared many additional times, guiding Joseph through obtaining the plates, using the interpreters, and translating what would become the Book of Mormon.

❤️ Our Family Remembrance
As descendants of Joseph Smith Jr., we hold these events close to our hearts.
We honor the young prophet who saw the Father and the Son, who was told he had a divine work to do, and who faithfully followed the instructions given by Moroni over those sacred years.

These visits did not just shape Joseph’s life—they changed the world.
They brought forth scripture, restored priesthood authority, and opened a new era of God’s dealings with His children. The angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith at least 20 to 22 times between 1823 and 1829.

Today, we remember.
We honor.

And we recommit ourselves to preserving and sharing this heritage that began on a September night in 1823 and continues to bless millions across the earth.

www.josephsmithjr.org

09/15/2026

“The Priesthood is an everlasting principle, and existed with God from eternity, and will to eternity… The keys of the kingdom… consist in the key of knowledge.”
— Joseph Smith, History of the Church 3:386

This is one of Joseph’s clearest teachings: priesthood is eternal, it is God’s own authority, and it is the channel through which His knowledge, ordinances, and covenants flow to His children.

When we talk about the Restoration, we often think of Joseph Smith’s visions, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and the miracles that marked the beginning of a new gospel era. But there is one truth that stands above all others in defining what makes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints different from every other denomination:

👉 The priesthood — and the authority of that priesthood.

Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
He translated ancient records by the gift and power of God.
He restored doctrines long lost to the world.

But the power that makes all of this meaningful — the power that binds families, performs saving ordinances, and governs Christ’s Church — is the holy priesthood.

Joseph taught:

“The Priesthood is an everlasting principle… and the keys of the kingdom consist in the key of knowledge.”

Through Joseph Smith, that eternal priesthood authority was restored to the earth. It is the same authority held by ancient prophets, the same power Christ gave His Apostles, and the same keys that direct His Church today.

Because of the priesthood:
🔹 We are baptized with God’s authority.
🔹 We receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
🔹 We make covenants that bind us to Christ.
🔹 Families are sealed for eternity.
🔹 The Church is guided by revelation, not opinion.

This is why the Restoration matters.
This is why Joseph Smith’s calling matters.
This is why the priesthood matters.

The priesthood is the living link between heaven and earth — restored so every child of God can receive His power, His ordinances, and His blessings again.

www.josephsmithjr.org

09/08/2026

Emma Hale Smith left one of the clearest, most direct firsthand testimonies of the Book of Mormon’s divine origin. Her statements are unusually valuable because she was present during the translation, served as Joseph’s scribe, handled the covered plates, and observed the process more closely than almost anyone else.

“I did not attempt to handle the plates, other than I have told you… I was satisfied that it was the work of God.”

To prove this, simply read the Book of Mormon, ask God with real intent, and judge for yourself.

Emma Hale Smith left one of the clearest, most direct firsthand tes...

09/01/2026

Emma Hale Smith knew hardship intimately.
She buried children, crossed frozen rivers alone, faced mobs, rebuilt her life more than once, and carried burdens most of us will never fully understand. Yet her strength was never about being naturally tough—it was about what she found through faith, courage, and the sustaining power of Jesus Christ.

In the short clip I’m sharing today, Julia Smith tells Emma, “You don’t have your mother’s strength.”
Emma’s response is simple, profound, and true for every one of us:

“Strength is not what you have. Strength is what you find.”

The gospel of Jesus Christ is exactly where we find that strength.
Not in our natural abilities.
Not in our circumstances.
Not in our confidence.
But in Him.

Christ is the One who lifts, steadies, heals, and empowers us to face whatever comes. Emma discovered that strength again and again—and so can we.

If you’re carrying something heavy today, remember:
You don’t have to possess strength to move forward.
You just have to reach for the Savior who gives it.

Emma Hale Smith knew hardship intimately. She buried children, cr...