When summer came and the family finally had a crop, Mary insisted that they pay a full and honest tithe. Today her posterity of thousands of… Her faithfulness impressed her children with the importance of tithing. 1 Born at Honeydon, Bedfordshire, England; daughter of Rachel Ibbotson and John Fielding. grandson of the same name, both became Presidents of the Church. I have an honest question. After spending the winter of 1848-1849 in the fort of the Salt Lake Valley, Mary Fielding Smith, widow of church leader Hyrum Smith, decided to live on a farm rather than her assigned "city" plot. She married Heber Chase Kimball (1801-1868) … But in this he was mistaken. Mary responded, “I will beat you to the valley and will ask no help from you either.” The trek proved difficult, but she arrived with her family in Salt Lake on September 23, 1848, a day ahead of the captain who had doubted her. Get this from a library! After two years there and at age 9, he led Old Tom, his ox and best friend on the long trail, to the Salt Lake Valley,” said President M. Russell Ballard, a great-grandson of Joseph F. Smith. crossed to Utah in 1848, her son Joseph was 9 years old. Laughter Amid Trials On December 24, 1837, Mary married Hyrum Smith, the brother of the Prophet Joseph. They agreed. Mary Fielding Smith was a woman of remarkable faith and testimony. Later generations saw her through the eyes of her son, President Joseph F. Smith, who often spoke of her as a model of courage and faithfulness. Mary Fielding Smith – Mormon Pioneer by G.S. Mary Fielding Smith was a woman of remarkable faith and testimony. Mary Fielding Smith died September 21, 1852, probably from pneumonia, at the age of fifty-one. Each time, they were healed instantly. husband of Mary, did not, that we know of, have more than one wife, but Mary the wife of Joseph had another husband." During her stay at Winter Quarters, some of her oxen had been stolen, and many of her cattle and horses had died in the severe winter. They found Mary kneeling in prayer, asking the Lord to help them recover their lost team. Would you deny me a blessing? She married Hyrum Smith (1800-1844) 24 December 1837 in Kirtland, Geauga County, Ohio, United States. Mary Fielding Smith: Her Ox Goes Marching On. Had this happened, she could not have continued on the journey to the Valley. Be true to the truth. Mary remembered this and thought that in such desperate circumstances, when she needed the ox to keep God’s commandment to gather to the Valley, that God would also heal her ox. As you may know, she was the mother of the prophet Joseph F. Smith, and she died when her … Despite all difficulties, Mary and her family arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on September 23, 1848, a full day before the rest of the company. [Myrth Elizabeth Burr] MARY FIELDING SMITH: HER OX GOES MARCHING ON Lavina Fielding Anderson I should preface these remarks by establishing two things. If I did not pay my tithing I should expect the Lord to withhold His blessings from me; I pay my tithing, not only because it is a law of God but because I expect a blessing by doing it.”. She remained independent, raising chickens, sheep, and cattle. Joseph F. and his uncle Joseph Fielding went with her. Mary Fielding Smith was the wife of Hyrum Smith, the mother of Joseph F. Smith, and grandmother of Joseph Fielding Smith.. She was born on July 21, 1801, in Bedfordshire, England. Hopkinson . "Mary Fielding Smith . History of the Saints presents the story of Mary Fielding Smith from early years in England, through her conversion and gathering with the Saints. When Mary 3 Baptized, 1836. Strong oxen were necessary to making the trip west in safety. Up to this time one of the teams had two wagons and when we reached a hill, we uncoupled one wagon, taking one at a time. Wikipedia Biographical Summary "...Mary Fielding Smith Kimball (July 21, 1801 – September 21, 1852) was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement, the second wife of LDS Church leader Hyrum Smith and the mother of Joseph F. Smith. Producing a bottle of consecrated oil, Mary Smith asked her brother and James Lawson if they would please administer to the ox just as they would do to a sick person, for it was vital to her interest that the ox be restored that she might pursue her … . In despair, they returned to camp. Food and shelter were scarce. She was the wife of Hyrum Smith; her oldest son, Joseph Fielding Smith, and her grandson of the same name, both became Presidents of the Church. As a single parent, through her strong faith in the priesthood, she called upon and relied on that power to raise and bless her children in love and the light of the gospel. 2 Immigrated to Toronto, Upper Canada, 1834. Mary Fielding Smith, mother of a prophet : her trek West. Be true to the faith. She moved her children, stepchildren, and hired hands to a remote 40-acre farm in the Millcreek area where they built this home for themselves. She was widely respected and admired during her lifetime. She was Although administration to the sick had only been used for humans, Mary believed that the Lord would heal the animal that she needed so desperately. Such courage and faith characterized this determined, resourceful pioneer mother. She quickly found the consecrated (prayed over) oil and asked some of the men to give the ox the priesthood blessing or prayer normally given to sick humans. One morning they woke up to find that the oxen had strayed from camp. Soul, heart, and hand; faithful and true we will ever stand. Here is the account of her pioneering trek from Winter Quarter’s to Salt Lake. The man who supervised the cattle in the company urged Mary to stay behind, saying, “If you start out in this manner, you will be a burden on the company the whole way, and I will have to carry you along or leave you on the way.”, Undaunted, Sister Smith told him, “I will beat you to the valley and will ask no help from you either.”. When Mary crossed to Utah in 1848, her son Joseph was 9 years old. Though this slowed their progress, they managed to make it the twenty-seven miles from Winter Quarters to the Elk Horn River, where their company was forming and where they hoped to obtain more oxen or horses. She wrote to her brother, “Though I have been left, for near six months, in widowhood, in the time of great affliction, and was called to take joyfully or otherwise the spoiling of almost all our goods, … yet I do not feel the least discouraged.”. On 29 January 1839, Mary Fielding Smith and Mercy Fielding Thompson, Mary’s sister, visited Liberty Jail and spent the night.3 On this occasion, Mary brought Joseph F. with her, he having been born on 13 November 1838 at Far West, Missouri, two weeks after Joseph’s and Hyrum’s arrest and incarceration. I What an amazing story of perseverance. Dec 29, 2013 - LDS Bronze sculpture of Mary Fielding Smith praying for her sick ox with her son Joseph Fielding Smith. Mary’s son Joseph, then nine years old, was given the job of driving one of the ox teams. Mary got a bottle of consecrated oil and asked two brethren to administer to the sick ox. LDS Bronze sculpture of Mary Fielding Smith praying for her sick ox with her son Joseph Fielding Smith. Mary's faith and courage helped teach her son as the Mormon pioneers traveled westward to Utah. The deceased was truly a “mother in Israel” and her name, and deeds, will be held in everlasting remembrance, associated as they are, with the persecutions of the saints and those tragic scenes that can never be forgotten. Because they didn’t have enough oxen to pull their wagons, they tied two wagons together and used their few oxen to pull both wagons at once. History of the Saints presents the story of Mary Fielding Smith. . He that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven (D&C 58:2). I clearly remember being taught that Mary blessed the oxen herself because no one – no man – would help her; the lesson being that you shouldn’t let the unrighteousness of others stop you from seeking the help and blessings of God. Mary Fielding Smith weathered social pressures, freezing cold temperatures, and people who didn't believe in her abilities. Even if it is the … History of the Saints presents the story of Mary Fielding Smith. She continued on, and true to her word, Mary arrived in the valley a whole day before the rest of the company (I Walked to Zion ; “Mary Fielding Smith—Mother in Israel”). In 1834, Mary migrated to Toronto, Canada, where her brother Joseph and her sister Mercy, had moved two years earlier. Afton Felt: Interview by Ron; House on 700 North-Provo (WIP)Romance 1942 Style – Paul almost misses his promised goodbye kiss to Afton; Work Ethic Breed in their children Paul and Afton She was indeed a Saint! Mary retorted, “William, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. The Virgin Mary is known by many names, such as the Blessed Virgin, Mother Mary, Our Lady, Mother of God, Queen of Angels, Mary of Sorrows, and Queen of the Universe.Mary serves as the patron saint of all human beings, watching over them with motherly care due to her role as the mother of Jesus Christ, whom Christians believe is the world's savior. Accounts of the personal testimonies of the early saints, their struggles, their persevering attitude, our pioneer heritage, and Divine revelations from God. She was pure! Her wagon master didn't want her and her children on the trip, but she told him not only will I not be a burden but I will beat you to the valley. Strong oxen were necessary to making the trip west in safety. Mary Fielding was born July 21, 1801, in Honidon, Bedfordshire, England. Sitting in front of the Mary Fielding Smith home at This Is the Place Heritage Park in Salt Lake City on a bright June morning weeks before Pioneer Day, the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reflected on his pioneer heritage and what it means to be a pioneer to the Latter-day Saints today. Mary Fielding Smith Kimball (July 21, 1801 – September 21, 1852) was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement, the second wife of Latter Day Saint leader Hyrum Smith, and the mother of Joseph F. Smith, who became president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Recognizing the importance of her husband’s work, Mary supported Hyrum through all the persecutions he suffered for his belief in the Gospel. After the blessing, the ox got up and was soon ready to pull the wagon again. One time they traveled to St. Joseph, Missouri, to get supplies for the westward trek. Despite her many trials—she was very ill for four months following the birth of her son, her husband was in jail, and a mob had broken into her home to steal her husband’s possessions—Mary never ceased to believe in the Lord. was the widow of Hyrum, the Prophet Joseph's older brother. In this city, the 21st of Sept. last, MARY, relief of the martyred Patriarch, HYRUM SMITH, aged 51 years and 2 months. Stories of Faith--The Early Mormon Saints and Pioneers, Wilford and Phebe Woodruff Lose a Daughter, Mary Fielding Smith's Oxen are Administered To, "Widow Smith" Arrives in the Salt Lake Valley. One day one of her best oxen became very sick, lay down, and was apparently near death. Unselfishly she cared for Hyrum’s five small children, whose mother had died earlier. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Mary Fielding Smith, Daughter of Britain: Portrait of Courage. She paid tithing, even in her poverty. Preparing to migrate west with the Saints in 1848, Mary Fielding Smith faced many hardships. Joseph Fielding Mary Fielding Smith Joel Terry "In the spring of '48 there was a move westward and the widow went to Elkhorn. Lavina Fielding Anderson. At her funeral, Joseph F. said, “Nothing beneath the celestial kingdom can surpass my deathless love for the sweet true, noble, soul who gave me birth—my own, own mother! Mary Fielding Smith was born in England and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Canada. Mary Fielding Smith remained faithful to the end of her life. Mary Fielding Smith, Daughter of Britain: Portrait of Courage - Kindle edition by Corbett, Don Cecil. "His Mother's Faith'' Mormon Pioneer Bronze Sculpture by LDS Artists Stan Watts and Kim Corpany Contact ATLAS BRONZE CASTING by phone: 1(801)967-0557 Hyrum and Mary also had two children of their own—Joseph F. Smith, later the sixth President of the Church, and Martha Ann. Mary's faith and courage helped teach her son as the Mormon pioneers traveled westward to Utah. When the time came for Mary Fielding Smith and her group to go west, many of her animals had died from severe winter weather. Mary prepared for the journey as best she could; however, she had to attach two wagons together because she did not have enough oxen and drivers, and instead of sturdy ox … Click here to read the article. Mary Fielding Smith remained faithful to the end of her life. She was good! Preparing to migrate west with the Saints in 1848, Mary Fielding Smith faced many hardships. One year later they moved to Kirtland, Ohio, to live with the Saints there. When William Thompson, a tithing clerk, saw her, he questioned her need to pay tithing, because she was so poor. She then started toward the river and soon found the oxen by a clump of willows. From her birth and upbringing in rural England, through her conversion and gathering with the Saints, to her marriage to Hyrum Smith and subsequent grief at his martyrdom. The first winter in the Salt Lake Valley was hard for the Smith family. Janet Peterson and Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Sharing Time: Temples Are Places of Service, Camilla and Mandi Rogers of Santa Fe, New Mexico, “Mary Fielding Smith—Mother in Israel,” Friend, July 1993, 32, (All quotations are from the Life of Joseph F. Smith, by Joseph Fielding Smith, pages 120–159, and Gospel Doctrine, by Joseph F. Smith, page 542.). Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. 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