Did he committ himself? How fragile was his mental state at the time?

I don't know who committed him, but it seems a visit to Utah in 1869 was the beginning of his mental problems, which some ascribe to him actually finally accepting that yes, his dear dead daddy really did practice polygamy.

Here's an interesting summary of that visit...

http://www.rickgrunder.com/Manuscripts%20for%20Sale/SmithLetters/emmasons.htm

Thank you for sharing.

It makes me wonder if Joseph Smith would have practiced polygamy if he knew it would be the undoing of his own son.

mrsnotasiplanned Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thank you for sharing.
>
> It makes me wonder if Joseph Smith would have
> practiced polygamy if he knew it would be the
> undoing of his own son.


Probably. An overactive libido combined with a sense of entitlement is a powerful thing to overcome.

Yeah, I don't think he cared one whit about what his kids would have thought. If anything, he'd have wanted them to have harems when they grew up, too.

He figured out a way to get women to have sex with him. Willingly (mostly). As often as he wanted. So he ran with it.

Joseph was such a narcissist I doubt very much he contemplated the ramifications any of his behaviors or actions would have on his children. If he was more concerned about their welfare than his own he'd have never placed them in grave danger the many times he did over the course of his short lived career as a con man.

True.

Considering how his father lived and then died, and the unstable childhood he grew up in for a legacy - is it any wonder he'd grow up to have mental problems?

Maybe it was treatable mental illness for our times. Then people who had mental problems were castoffs and put in insane asylums.

As for who put him there? It has been my understanding it was his family who placed him there, as he was unable to care for himself. His family was ill equipped to care for his needs.

In a biography written by Valeen Tippets Avery in 1998, "In an 1869 letter to his mother, Emma Smith, at age 24, Smith wrote:

Mother I must tell you ... I feel very sad and the tears run out of my eyes all the time and I don't know why. ... strive as I will my heart sinks like lead. ... I must tell someone my troubles."

Today that would be treated as some form of major clinical depression.

On my list of books to read.

There is a play, The Fading Flower, which has a pretty accurate story about David Smith's life, his mission to Utah, conversations with some of his Dad's plural wives, conversation with Brigham Young, and his eventual mental breakdown. I liked the play and I thought it gave an objective view. Here's a link to the play, on Kindle and paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Fading-Flower-Swallow-Sun/dp/0984360379

Thank you for this information. I'm adding it to my list.

IIRC, it was his brother who was the President of the RLDS at the time who had him committed. The reason was ......

David became a necromancer like His father. He listened to and talked with spirits - which made him insane. He was closely associated with Lyman White (or Amasa Lyman) as I recall, who got him started in mediumship. He grew very unstable over a period of years.

There is a book about him that I skimmed through on Google Books. I don't remember the name offhand, but if you're interested, you can search for it using the terms, "David Smith Mormon".

Thanks for the insight. I am so intrigued by the history of Joseph's children. I feel so sad for David. Emma should have been honest with him about polygamy, just like the church should have been with it's members. I don't know how they can say, with a straight face, that they haven't hidden anything. Nine years ago, I spoke with my bishop and stake president about the fact that Joseph was married to other men's wives. They knew nothing of it and denied it. Improperly informing/training leaders is one form of hiding/lying about the truth they didn't want us to know.


So sad that he was in the asylum for 27 years.

you made me google him.