Question
Gramps,
As far as you know, are there descendants of Joseph Smith’s in-laws (Emma’s parents and siblings; maybe even cousins) who were baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in their mortal lives?
Albert
Answer
Albert,
As far as the historical evidence currently shows, very few did. In fact, there is no clear evidence that Emma’s parents or most of her siblings were ever baptized into the Church during their lifetimes. Emma herself appears to have been the only member of her immediate family who fully embraced the restored gospel during the early years of the Restoration.
That may surprise some people because Joseph and Emma spent important years living near the Hale family in Harmony, Pennsylvania. The Book of Mormon translation took place there, John the Baptist restored the Aaronic Priesthood nearby, and several early revelations were received in that area. Emma’s family had a front-row seat to some of the most significant events in Church history.
Yet they largely remained outside the Church.
Emma was born on July 10, 1804, to Isaac and Elizabeth Hale in what later became Harmony, Pennsylvania. She was one of nine children. By all accounts, the Hale family was respectable, hardworking, and religious. Emma herself was known for her deep faith long before she met Joseph Smith.
However, her father, Isaac Hale, never accepted Joseph’s prophetic claims. At first, his objections centered on Joseph’s involvement in treasure-seeking, which Isaac believed reflected poor judgment. He also questioned Joseph’s claims regarding the gold plates and the angel Moroni. These concerns led Isaac to oppose Joseph’s courtship of Emma, which is one reason Joseph and Emma eloped in January 1827 instead of marrying with her parents’ approval.
Despite those disagreements, the relationship between Joseph and the Hale family was not always hostile. After Joseph and Emma married, they lived with Emma’s parents for a short time before moving into a nearby home. Much of the translation of the Book of Mormon took place only a short distance from the Hale farm.
Emma herself accepted the restored gospel and was baptized on June 28, 1830, only a few months after the Church was organized. She would go on to become one of the Restoration’s most important figures, serving as Joseph’s scribe during portions of the Book of Mormon translation, compiling the Church’s first hymnbook, and later becoming the first president of the Relief Society.
Her parents, however, never followed her example.
Isaac Hale died in 1839 without joining the Church. Elizabeth Hale also never became a Latter-day Saint during her lifetime. Historical records consistently describe them as remaining outside the Church, even though they maintained varying levels of contact with Emma through the years.
What about Emma’s brothers and sisters?
This is where history becomes a little less clear. Emma had several siblings, including Jesse, David, Alva, Reuben, and others. Some maintained relationships with Emma, while others had occasional contact with Joseph. Yet historians have found no convincing evidence that any of them were baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during Joseph Smith’s lifetime or afterward. Some eventually lived near areas where Latter-day Saints gathered, but simply living nearby is not the same as joining the Church. The available historical records do not identify any of Emma’s siblings as baptized members of the Church.
Could there have been cousins or more distant relatives who joined?
Possibly.
The Hale family was fairly large, and over the generations it spread into several states. Because nineteenth-century membership records are incomplete in some areas, it is difficult to say with absolute certainty that no cousins or distant relatives ever joined the Church. It would not be surprising if a few more distant relatives accepted the gospel somewhere along the way.
However, no well-known historical records identify a significant number of Emma’s extended Hale relatives as early Church members. If such baptisms occurred, they appear to have been isolated rather than widespread.
One interesting twist comes after Joseph Smith’s death.
Emma remained in Nauvoo rather than traveling west with Brigham Young and the majority of the Saints. Years later, she affiliated with what became known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (now the Community of Christ), which was led by her son, Joseph Smith III. Some members of Joseph and Emma’s descendants became associated with that organization rather than The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, headquartered in Utah.
This sometimes leads people to assume that Emma’s entire family eventually joined one branch of the Restoration movement or another. While some descendants certainly did, the historical record does not show that Emma’s parents or most of her siblings became baptized members of the original Church during their mortal lives.
From an LDS perspective, this history also illustrates an important gospel principle.
Being closely related to a prophet does not automatically produce faith. Jesus Himself taught that “a prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house” (Matthew 13:57). Family members often know a person so well that accepting extraordinary spiritual claims can become especially difficult.
The Restoration offers similar examples. Joseph’s own brothers were not all immediately supportive. Some of the Whitmers eventually left the Church. Martin Harris struggled at times. Even among those who personally witnessed miracles, agency remained intact.
The Lord has always invited people to seek their own witness through the Holy Ghost rather than relying solely on family relationships or personal acquaintance.
That is perhaps one of the lessons we can learn from Emma’s family. They witnessed many remarkable events firsthand, yet each had to choose whether to accept Joseph Smith’s testimony.
Latter-day Saints also believe that mortality is not the end of God’s plan. Through temple work and proxy ordinances, every person who ever lived will eventually have a full opportunity to accept or reject the gospel of Jesus Christ. That includes Emma’s parents, her brothers and sisters, and every other member of the Hale family.
So, based on the best historical evidence available today, the answer is fairly straightforward: Emma Hale Smith was the only clearly documented member of her immediate family to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during her mortal life. Her parents did not join; there is no convincing evidence that her siblings were baptized into the Church, and while it is certainly possible that some more distant relatives eventually became members, history has not identified any significant number of them. Fortunately, Latter-day Saint doctrine teaches that God’s invitation extends to every member of every family, whether in this life or the next.
Gramps
