“When she returned home, which was about two weeks after her arrival in Harmony (the name of the place where Joseph resided) she endeavored to dissuade her husband from taking any farther part in the publication of the record; but Mr. Harris paid no attention to her, but returned and continued writing.” — Lucy Mack Smith¹

Martin Harris served in the New York Militia during the War of 1812, and afterward he became a prosperous landowner in Palmyra.² Lucy, a Quaker born and raised in Palmyra, married her first cousin, Martin, at the age of 16.³ They met Joseph Smith in 1827 and both became witnesses to the gold plates, with Lucy having a visionary dream in which an angel showed her the plates⁴ and Martin serving as one of the Three Witnesses.² Over time, Lucy grew skeptical and insisted Joseph was a fraud, marking their relationship with skepticism, faith, and tension.⁴

1. Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1845, Chapter 24, 125, josephsmithpapers.org

2. "Harris, Martin," josephsmithpapers.org

3. "Harris, Lucy Harris," josephsmithpapers.org

4. Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1845, Chapter 24, 120-126, josephsmithpapers.org