Lucy Smith was born 8 July 1775 in Gilsum, Cheshire County, New Hampshire to Solomon Mack (1732-1820) and Lydia Gates (1732-1818) and died 14 May 1856 Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois of unspecified causes.
Lucy Mack Smith was the mother of Joseph Smith, Jr. She is noted for writing the memoir: Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations. Lucy Mack Smith was a great and important leader of the gospel restoration movement during Joseph's life.
- Main Biography - Lucy Mack Smith: A Woman of Great Faith - LDS Ensign Nov 1972 - Mother of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Biography
Lucy Mack Smith - Mother of Mormon Church Founder, Joseph Smith, Jr.
Early Family Life
Lucy Mack was born on 08 July 1775 in Gilsum, New Hampshire as the youngest of eight children born to Solomon Mack and Lydia Gates. Her older brother Jason eventually formed his own religious community, and her two sisters both had spiritual experiences giving them confirmation that their sins were forgiven and that they should call others to repentance.
Marriage and Children with Joseph Smith, Sr.
Lucy married Joseph Smith, Sr. in January of 1796. She brought with her a reasonable dowry provided by her brother Stephen and his business partner, plus the good moral example of her parents, and a solid grounding in religious faith. Her combined strength and spirituality made her perfect to be the matron of the religious movement that would be called Mormonism.
Later Years
Grave of Joseph Smith Sr and Lucy Mack Smith in Nauvoo IL.
In the confusion that followed the martyrdom of her sons, Joseph and Hyrum, Lucy supported the authority of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Brigham Young. She became a symbol of continuity from the charismatic church to the organized church endowed with the spirit. She intended to travel to Utah Territory to join the Saints as soon as a settlement was established and resided with Emma Smith in Nauvoo. She died in Nauvoo in 1856. Lucy bore eleven children, and all but four preceded her in death.
Smith Family Cemetery at Smith Homestead in Nauvoo IL
The Smith Family homestead in Nauvoo is the final resting place for Lucy and several members of her family.
Timeline
- 1775-Jul-08 : Birth in Gilsum NH
- 1796-Jan-24 : Marriage to Joseph Smith, Sr. at Tunbridge VT, as so stated by Lucy in her book. There they being operating a family store and farm.
- 1797 : Birth and death of Infant son. History of Firstborn Son - Joseph Smith Sr Patriarchal Blessing Book is the primary source of this info.
- 1798 : Birth of Alvin Smith (1798-1823), first child to survive to adulthood
- 1800 : Birth of Hyrum Smith (1800-1844)
- 1803 : Birth of third child, Sophronia
- 1803 : Lucy faces major illness diagnosed at the time as "confirmed consumption" expected to be fatal
- 1805 : moved to Sharon VT after farm failure
- 1805-Dec-23 : Birth of Joseph Smith, Jr. at Sharon VT
- 1808 : family moved back to Tunbridge VT
- 1808 : Birth of Samuel Harrison Smith
- 1810 : Family moves to Royalton, VT
- 1810 : Birth of Ephraim, who dies in infancy at Royalton VT
- 1811 : Birth of William at Royalton VT
- 1811 : Family moved to Lebanon NH - older children are enrolled in school there.
- 1812 : Birth of daughter Catharine at Lebanon NH
- 1813 : Typhoid epidemic afflicts six year old Joseph. Over 6,000 deaths in the Connecticut River Valley.
- 1813 : Family moves to Norwich VT to work as tenant farmers.
- 1815-Apr-14 : Volcanic Eruption of Mount Tambora (Indonesia) is the only confirmed VEI-7 Event in the last 1600 years. It causes massive crop failures throughout New England. 1816 became known as the "Year Without a Summer" because of the effect on North American and European weather.
- 1816 : Birth of son Don Carlos
- 1816 : Smith Family moves to Palmyra NY.
- 1820-Spring : First Vision of Joseph Smith Jr
- 1821 : Birth of last child, daughter Lucy Smith
- 1830-Apr-06 : Son Joseph organized the new Mormon Church
- 1840 : Death of husband, Joseph Smith Sr.
- 1844-Jun-27 : Martyrdom of her sons Joseph & Hyrum
- 1856 : Death in Nauvoo, living in home of Emma Smith
Children
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Lovina Mack (1762-1789) | |||
| Lovisa Mack (1762-1794) | |||
| Lydia Mack (1674-1826) | |||
| Stephen Mack (1766-1826) | 15 June 1766 Marlow, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States | 11 November 1826 Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan, United States | Temperance Bond (1771-1850) |
| Jason Gates Mack (1766-1835) | |||
| Daniel Gates Mack (1770-1851) | |||
| Solomon Mack (1773-1851) | |||
| Lucy Mack (1775-1856) | 8 July 1775 Gilsum, Cheshire County, New Hampshire | 14 May 1856 Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois | Joseph Smith (1771-1840) |
History Book
Lucy Mack Smith is also well known for her biography that she wrote about her famous son - which covers a lot of elements of Smith Family History:
- History of Joseph Smith by his Mother by Lucy Mack Smith - Formatted for easy reading on the Kindle and other ereading devices, with internal links to scriptures cited and footnotes.
Burial Site
Smith Family Cemetery, in Nauvoo, Illinois, is the final resting place of this person and several other historical figures in the early LDS Church including the prophet Joseph Smith (1805-1844), his wife Emma Hale (1804-1879), brother Hyrum Smith (1800-1844) and several family members. Additionally their parents are buried there.
Overlooking the Mississippi River, the cemetery is located on Water Street, and is open 24 hours a day to visitors.
References
- History of Joseph Smith by his Mother by Lucy Mack Smith - Formatted for easy reading on the Kindle and other ereading devices, with internal links to scriptures cited and footnotes.
- Joseph Smith Sr Family Organization - Genealogical Association in Husband's Name
- MormonWiki - Biographical Info
- Wikipedia Article - Biographical Info
- Grave of Lucy Mack Smith - Find A Grave Memorial #6337498
- The Path to Palmyra - June 2015 Ensign Article by Matthew S Hollan - recounts many events from the family life of Joseph Smith.
- Joseph Smith Immigrant Ancestors - Early New England Immigrant Ancestors of Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith. Includes 1620 Mayflower Pilgrims.