“I covenanted with God if He would let me live I would endeavor to get that religion that would enable me to serve him, ... whether it was in the Bible or wherever it might be found.” — Lucy Mack Smith
Lucy Mack Smith was born on July 8, 1775, in Gilsum, New Hampshire, to Solomon Mack (a veteran of the Revolutionary War)2 and Lydia Gates Mack.1 In January 1796, at age 20, Lucy married Joseph Smith Sr. in Tunbridge, Vermont.4 Together they had 11 children, though two passed away before reaching adulthood.
After multiple crop and business failures, the Smiths were forced to move once more.5 Joseph Sr. set out first for upstate New York, preparing the way for the rest of the family. Lucy then brought the children on the 300-mile trek from Norwich, Vermont, to their new home in Palmyra, New York.6
Lucy was committed to finding the true church of Jesus Christ and often took her children to various church meetings.7 When facing a severe illness (before Joseph Jr. was born), she feared dying before discovering the truth and felt separated from the Savior and unprepared for the afterlife. Lucy prayed for survival, promising to find the true church, and the voice of the Lord told her she would find it.7 Lucy was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 1830, the day the Church was formally organized.8
1. Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1844–1845, Book 2, 4, josephsmithpapers.org
2. "Solomon Mack," josephsmithpapers.org
3. "Lucy Mack Smith," josephsmithpapers.org
4. "Lucy Mack Smith," josephsmithpapers.org
5. "Early Struggles of the Smith Family," Curtis Ashton
6. Saints, Volume 1, Chapter 1, 5-8