An Elect Lady

I just finished the book I've been reading: Emma Smith, and Elect Lady. Here are a couple of highlights:

Her son, Joseph Smith III asked her about the plates- here is her response:

The plates often lay on the table without any attempt at concealment, wrapped
in a small linen table cloth, which I had given him to fold them in. I
once felt the plates, as they lay on the table, tracing their outline and
shape. They seemed to be pliable like thick paper, and would rustle wit h
a metallic sound when the edges were moved by the thumb, as one does sometimes
thumb the edges of a book...I moved them from place to place on the table, as it
was necessary in doing my work.

In her 74th year she said of her husband, Joseph Smith,

"I believe he was everything he professed to be."

A quote form her patriarchal blessing:

"The holy angels shall watch over thee; and thou shalt be saved in
the kingdom of God even so, Amen."

Hey Ladies, You'll Like this one...

I have a new quote to share from the book I am reading: Emma Smith, an Elect Lady:

A little background first- When Joseph and Emma were living in Commerce, IL, their home was a resting and stopping point for many visitors.

When one Latter-day Saint observed the dilemma Joseph faced with frequent guests and penniless converts and that he had reduced himself to "woman's work," he concluded the issue was home management and suggested the root of the problem was Emma. "I said to him, Brother Joseph, my wife does much more hard work than does your wife." The Prophet Joseph replied, "if a man cannot learn in this life to appreciate a wife and do his duty by her, in properly taking care of her, he need not expect to be given one in the hereafter." The flippant advisor wrote, "His words shut my mouth as tight as a clam. I took them as terrible reproof. After that I tried to do better by the good wife I had and tried to lighten her labors."\

Now there's a quote that any woman can appreciate. :)

Increase my Productivity

I am reading a new book. It is: Emma Smith, an Elect Lady by Susan Easton Black. I personally LOVE Susan Easton Black. In college I never met any of her sons, but I wanted to marry one just so that I could be her daughter-in-law. Then I would also be "Sister Black." How cool would that be? OK- now you all know that I am psycho. But I'm not too worried- I only have about 3 readers :)

Below is a passage from the book, Emma Smith, An Elect Lady, by Susan Easton Black, of course:

David Whitmer remembered one morning as Joseph was preparing to translate passages from the gold plates:

Something went wrong about the house and he was put out about it. Something
that Emma, his wife had done. Oliver and I went up stairs, and Joseph came up
soon after to continue translation, but he could do nothing. He could not
translate a single syllable. He went downstairs, out into the orchard and made
supplication to the Lord; was gone about an hour- came back to the house, and
asked Emma's forgiveness and then came up stairs where we were and the
translation went on all right.

It seems more obvious that Joseph needed the spirit to do his work, but I know that I need the spirit to do my work well also. If I don't feel as if I have the spirit with me- I should spend an hour doing what I need to to get it, and then go forward and have a productive day.

The Power of Deliverance

But behold, I Nephi will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he has chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty, even unto the power of deliverance.
1 Nephi 1:20

I think it is natural to want "immediate deliverance." Elder Maxwell said that some of us (like myself) want to go through life with all "green lights and empty parking spaces." Which sometimes might come, but generally there are a good number of red lights and full parking lots in our journey through life.

I love this scripture, where Nephi tells me the secret is remaining strong in faith, which will result in the tender mercies of the Lord, leading me to deliverance.