Joseph and Emma’s Family

Family of Joseph Smith Jr. and Emma Hale Smith

Joseph Smith Jr. was born on December 23, 1805, in Sharon, Vermont.

Emma Hale was born on July 10, 1804, in Harmony, Pennsylvania. They married January 18, 1827, in South Bainbridge, New York. They were the parents of 11 children, listed here in order of birth. Joseph was martyred on June 27, 1844, in Carthage, Illinois. Emma died on April 30, 1879, in Nauvoo, Illinois.

Alvin Smith was born and died on June 15, 1828, in Harmony, Pennsylvania.

Twins Thadeus and Louisa Smith were born and died on April 30, 1831, in Kirtland, Ohio.

Adopted twins Joseph and Julia Murdock were born to John and Julia Murdock, on May 1, 1831, in Kirtland, Ohio. When mother Julia died in childbirth, John Murdock allowed friends Joseph and Emma Smith to adopt the twins.

Joseph Murdock Smith, adopted son, died on March 30, 1832, in Hiram, Ohio, from exposure caused when a mob attacked the Prophet.

Julia Murdock Smith, adopted daughter, married Elisah Dixon in 1848 in Nauvoo, Illinois. They had no children. After Elisah died in 1850 in Galveston, Texas, Julia married John J. Middleton in 1852 in Nauvoo, Illinois. He died about 1869 in St. Louis, Missouri. They had no children. Julia died on September 10, 1880, in Nauvoo, Illinois, at the age of 49. Julia has no known descendants.*

Joseph Smith III was born on November 6, 1832, in Kirtland, Ohio. He married Emmeline Griswold on October 22, 1856, in Nauvoo, Illinois. They had five children. After Emmeline’s death on March 25, 1869, in Plano, Illinois, he married Bertha Madison on November 12, 1869, in Sandwich, Illinois. They had nine children. After Bertha’s death on October 19, 1896, in Lamoni, Iowa, he married Ada Rachel Clark on January 12, 1898, in Waldemar, Dufferin, Ontario, Canada. They had three children. Joseph III died December 10, 1914, in Independence, Missouri, at the age of 82. He has 352 known descendants.*

Frederick Granger Williams Smith was born on June 20, 1836, in Kirtland, Ohio. He married Anna Marie Jones on September 13, 1857, in Steubenville, Ohio. They had one child. Frederick died April 13, 1862, in Nauvoo, Illinois, at the age of 25. He has no known living descendants.*

Alexander Hale Smith was born on June 2, 1838, in Far West, Missouri. He married Elizabeth Agnes Kendall on May 23, 1861, in Nauvoo, Illinois. They had nine children. He died August 12, 1909, in Nauvoo, Illinois, at the age of 71. He has 1,569 known descendants.*

Don Carlos Smith was born on June 13, 1840, in Nauvoo, Illinois. He died on August 15, 1841, in Nauvoo, Illinois.

(Scene of Emma with baby from the film Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration)

Thomas Smith was born and died on February 6, 1842, in Nauvoo, Illinois.

David Hyrum Smith was born on November 17, 1844, in Nauvoo, Illinois. He married Clara Charlotte Hartshorn on May 10, 1870, in Sandwich, Illinois. They had one child. David died August 29, 1904, in Elgin, Illinois, at the age of 59. He has 27 known descendants.*

Left: illustration of Joseph and Emma by Paul Mann; above: A Fathers’s Gift, by Liz Lemon Swindle, Foundation Arts, may not be copied

Illustrations of Emma and Joseph by Paul Mann; inset photographs from the film Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration, by Matthew Reier; inset portraits courtesy of the Community of Christ Church