Without Disclosing My True Identity
never sought for power or position among the people. They also never dreamed a dream
while the LDS religion was being established (although in Joseph Sr.’s case, he had
experienced dreams leading up to Joseph’s role).
None of the three had any desire to be one of the Three Witnesses to the plates. Even
if they’d had the desire, Joseph would not have allowed them to be one of the witnesses.
Joseph knew that the witnesses had to be men of such nature who would eventually turn on
him as a prophet and leader of a religion, but never negate their witness to the Book of
Mormon. In contrast, Joseph’s father and brothers never turned on him. Of all the eleven
men who gave their signed affidavits that they had seen the plates,^6 only these three men
stayed loyal to Joseph and did not become his enemy.
In addition to the support of these three men, the “Three Nephites” (so-called) were
Joseph’s semi-immortal sounding board. They listened patiently to his complaints about the
people and the work that was required of him. Besides his dear wife, Emma, Joseph’s fully
mortal sounding board was his father and two brothers, who would share frequent
conversations with Joseph, usually while working together outside of the home. Whenever
they could find the opportunity—and always away from the itching ears of mother Lucy—
Joseph would release pent-up emotions and discuss personal things that he would never
have discussed with any others. Although he found greater solace when in the presence of
the Brothers, with whom he could always express his true identity and discuss any and
everything he wanted, Joseph’s time with his father and brothers allowed him the much-
needed mortal support system that would encourage and motivate him.
Emma also provided Joseph with important mortal support and companionship that
he needed throughout his life. In her arms, he felt a release, not only physically in the intimate
moments they shared, but also from her common sense and her relatively sound emotional
behavior during events that would have destroyed women of lesser strength. Emma was the
perfect buffer between Joseph and his mother. Lucy loved Emma because of her good nature
and the obvious affection and devotion she showed to Joseph. Lucy often questioned Emma
about what her son was thinking, what he was doing, and how he was doing it. Lucy’s
incessant badgering would have driven Joseph to frustration. Instead, Emma provided the
buffer that allowed him to interact with a mother whom he sincerely loved, but whom he
knew was not one of the “new bottles” into which could be placed the “new wine.”
Joseph’s True Family
Lucy’s biography is one of the main sources from which historians have gleaned
their information as they attempted to write a history of a man who told the world, “No
man knows my history.”^7 As mentioned throughout this biography, Lucy’s recollection of
events was often rampant with imagination, embellishment, and the sincere desire of a
grieving mother to defend the character of her beloved son. If someone would have asked
the real Joseph Smith what he thought of his mother while he was alive, he would have
answered similar to how Jesus reportedly answered concerning his own:
Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his
hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For
whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my
brother and sister, and mother.^8