Nauvoo and the RLDS church

This period of history needs to be reexamined. And that is the subject of this posting.

After Joseph Smith was killed, there was a Mormon War (complete with cannons) that forced the Mormons to leave Nauvoo. Emma Smith left also, taking her children northward (I don't remember exactly where) so they would be safe.

As soon as it was safe, she returned to Nauvoo, to claim her property. She was the owner of much of the town, the property of her late husband. Unfortunately, she also inherited his debts - and to pay them off, she had to sell most of her property. The details of this process have been lost, but she ended up with not much more than the Homestead, and Mansion House, and the Nauvoo House.

Only two walls stood of the Nauvoo House, but her second husband tore most of them down, and used the material to build a the three-story building, that still stands. Emma moved into that building, operated part of it as a hotel, lived in the rest -  and ended her life there.

She abandoned the Mansion House, that fell into serious disrepair. The Laytons, later, had to tear most of it down.

This was the situation her sons grew up in - in a ghost town, with unpleasant memories of their Father, who had caused all this suffering. The youngest son, David, lost his mind, and ended his life in an insane asylum. The oldest son, Joseph Smith III, married a Nauvoo girl, and tried to become a financial success - but failed at this, completely.

Meanwhile a group of of rich farmers, in Northern Illinois, who had been members of the LDS church, organized their own RLDS church. They wanted JSIII, to take his father's place, and be their leader. They approached him several times, without success.

Finally, his mother took things in her own hands, and persuaded him to accept - and traveled with him, to make sure he did. All three of her sons now had jobs with the RLDS church. There is no record of her interest in the RLDS church after that.

At first, JSIII thought he could continue to live in Nauvoo, but his financial backers insisted that he move, to be with them. So he, and his unwilling wife, moved. This continued to be the basic pattern - he would live where his farmers wanted him to live (Lamoni, Iowa, and then Independence, Missouri). But would concentrate on building his church - but adding many new members.

The records for this growth are no longer available - but the growth in membership and financing was considerable. With many of the most active new members coming from Australia!