[Polygamy] Olive Frost (Age 27): In October 1839, twenty-three year old Olive Frost was living in Dixfield, Maine pursing her interest as a tailoress. In a later biography Olives sister, Mary Ann, wrote, Elder Duncan McArthur visited that place and preached the Gospel as taught by the Latter-day Saints, in such plainness that her willing mind, already prepared by earnest prayer, soon comprehended its vast importance, and she received it joyfully.
Mary Ann had joined the church three years earlier and moved to Kirtland, Ohio. There she met and married Apostle Parley P. Pratt. In the spring of 1840, Mary Ann, Parley and their three children left for England on a mission. They stopped in Maine and persuaded Olive to go with them. Mary Ann wrote, [Olive] willingly forsook father and mother, brothers and sisters, and braved the dangers of the great deep, to aid in spreading the Gospel in a foreign land. These two sisters were the first missionary women of this dispensation to cross the sea going and coming. Sister Olive was not afflicted with seasickness, and was therefore enabled to devote herself to her sick sister and care of the family
Their mission complete, Olive and the Pratts arrived in Nauvoo in April 1843. There, Olive lived with some old friends from Maine, Patty and David Sessions. She also socialized with Eliza R. Snow. Both Patty and Eliza had become wives of Joseph Smith a year earlier and Olive, herself, was soon introduced to plural marriage. Mary Ann remembers, She seemed to realize and appreciate the magnitude of the great and important mission allotted to woman in the perfect plan of this Gospel dispensation, and she desired to do her part in the good work. She freely accorded to man the title of king, and joyfully accepted the place of queen by his side. It was at this time that the principle of plurality of wives was taught to her. She never opposed it, and, as in the case of baptism, soon accepted it to be her creed, in practice as well as in theory. She was married for time and all eternity to Joseph Smith...
About the same time as her marriage to Joseph, Olive joined and participated in the Relief Society womens organization. Said Mary Ann, She was very zealous in soliciting aid for and in visiting those who were needy and in distress. Her heart was always tender towards suffering of every kind, and it gave her unbounded joy and satisfaction to be able to relieve it.
After a year of marriage, Olive lost her husband, when Joseph Smith was killed in Carthage. The writings of Nauvoo resident, Ettie Smith, indicate the strong attachment Olive must have had for Joseph, When the dead bodies arrived at Nauvoo, the spiritual wives of the late prophet, before unknown with certainty, now disclosed by cries, and a general uproar, their secret acceptance of the new doctrine. One of them, Olive Frost, went entirely mad...
Olive lived in Nauvoo for another year, until she became ill and died on October 6, 1845. (1)
-- Jul 1, 1843
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] July 1st 1843 The Municipal Court opened at 8 oclock AM. President Joseph Smith made some remarks to the lawyiers his Council As he was a prisioner before the Court. President Joseph Smith then called upon Hiram Smith, Brigham Young P P Pratt Lyman Wight & Sidney Rigdon who were duly sworn & gave in their testimony, which occupied most of the day. They went through the whole seene of the persecution from Jackson county to the time of their expulsion from the State by force of Armes & it was Certainly the most heart rending seene or rehearsal of it that ever saluted the ears of any tribunal in a cifilized government. It would have disgraced an arab or Hotentot.
Not ownly theft, Arson, Burgalry, prisons Chains, expulsion rape & Murder were practiced upon the Saints without any redress. But even President Joseph Smith with his companions in prision loaded with chains were FED with nothing for FIVE Days in succession but the Flesh of their OWN BRETHREN which was actually cooked & given to them to eat & while hearing this part of the testimony my Blood boiled within & the spirit of war rested upon me for the space of two days. The Lawyiers were shocked to the soul. Each one made a speach at the close of the testimony & they exhorted us to stand for our rights. Stand or fall sink or swim live or die the whole testimony will be published to the world in pamphlet form & probably other wise & will stand as a history to future generations of the unparelled persecution of the State of Missouri against the Saints of the last days.
July 2d Sunday Met at the grove near the temple. A large Congregation assembled & was addressed in an interesting manner by Elder O Hyde from the 3 ch. of the Epistle of John the Divine 2, 3 & 4 verses & said much to the edifycation of the people.
After elder Hyde Closed, Mr Walker & three other Lawyers spoke in rotation & upheld President Joseph Smith in his procedings & spoke of the unlawful conduct of his enemies.
July 3d A special conference of elders was Called & one or two appointed to go to each county in the State of Illinois. An address was deliverd to the Elders By President Rigdon who made some useful remarks. Among others he Said, all that greatness consisted in in public speaking with any man was in delivering a chain of Ideas that the man had well matured speaking of things that he knew & not of things that he did not know. For should he speak of things he does not know he would set a trap to be caught in. But when a person understands the subject thorougholy upon which he is speaking he knows how to defend it. This is all the greatest man on earth can do is to tell the truth & speak of things he knows. The Elders were also addressed by Elder B Young. (2)
[Joseph Smith] Joseph is tried before the Nauvoo Municipal Court on the writ of habeas corpus and is discharged from the previous arrest warrant. Despite the fact that the previous arrest was made illegally, the warrant has still been issued by the governor of the state. Thus, the city of Nauvoo has, in effect, overruled an order by the state. This will have future unfortunate implications as Gov. Ford and other once friendly neighbors begin to distrust the political power of Nauvoo. Heber C. Kimball and Orson Pratt start on missions to the East (the rest of the Twelve are to meet them in Pittsburgh). (3)
Footnotes:
1 - Remembering the Wives of Joseph Smith, http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/
2 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993
3 - Conklin, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology
LDS History Timeline
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