ASAEL AND MARY DUTY SMITH
Written and compiled by Lavona F. Richardson
June 28, 2014
The family proclamation states that “the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children. The Book of Mormon is a story of families. I am grateful to belong to a family who was instrumental in restoring the Gospel again upon the earth. I share a common ancestor with Joseph Smith. Asael and Mary Duty Smith are grandparents for many families strong in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During their lives they worked to create a strong sense of family togetherness.
Asael and Mary Duty might be considered the first generation Mormon, although they did not actually join the Church. Asael died just six months after it was organized. Mary Duty did come to Kirtland and met her prophet grandson. She planned to have him baptize her but died before she was able to be baptized. She lived only for ten days after arriving in Kirtland and is buried in the cemetery next to the Kirtland Temple. Joseph Smith’s extended family believed in the Church that Joseph Smith was an instrument in restoring and was always very supportive to their nephew and cousin.
Asael prophesied of his grandson Joseph Smith’s destiny. Asael said, “It has been borne in upon my soul that one of my descendants will promulgate a work to revolutionize the world of religious faith” Of this prophecy Joseph Smith later said, “My grandfather, Asael Smith, long ago predicted that there would be a prophet raised up in his family, and my grandmother (Mary Duty) was fully satisfied that it was fulfilled in me.
Asael Smith was not the only American revolutionist who felt a conviction that the true church would one day be restored to the earth. In 1820, the year Asael's grandson Joseph the Prophet, received his first vision, Thomas Jefferson, author of the American Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States, in denouncing the sectarian priests, declared, "The genuine and simple religion of Jesus will one day be restored, such as it was preached and practiced by Himself.. Very soon after His death it became muffled up in mysteries, and has been ever since kept in concealment from the vulgar eye”
In the small township of Topsfield about twenty miles north of Boston, Massachusetts there were five generations of our Smith grandparents. (It was Asael who made the move to another state, Vermont). While living at what is now referred to as the Smith farm site, in Topsfield, Essex, Massachusetts, on March 7, 1744 Samuel Jr. and his wife Priscilla had a son, whom they named Asael. He was the youngest of five children. Asael’s mother died when he was only six months old and he was raised by a step mother. He said that he never felt the love of a mother.
Asael was tall of stature, his body was well proportioned and powerful and he was capable of handling with ease two ordinary men.
Asael was affiliated with the established religion in New England, the Congregationalists, but he later became skeptical of organized religion. To his thinking the teachings of established churches were not reconcilable with scripture and common sense. His belief in God and the government of his day is indicated in this quotation: “For my part, I am so willing to trust the government of the world in the hands of the Supreme Ruler of universal nature, that I do not at present wish to try to wrest it out of His hands, and I have so much confidence in His abilities to teach our senators wisdom, that I do not think it worthwhile for me to interpose, from the little stock of knowledge that He has favored me with, in the affair either one way or the other. He has conducted us through a glorious Revolution and has brought us into the promised land of peace and liberty, and I believe that He is about to bring all the world into the same beatitude in His own time and way; which, although, His ways may appear never so inconsistent to our blind reason, yet may be perfectly consistent with His designs.”
At age twenty-three he married Mary Duty of Rowley, Massachusetts. They were married in the home of Mary’s parents, Moses Duty and Mary Palmer. Asael and Mary were blessed with eleven children: Jesse (1768); Priscilla (1769), Joseph Senior (1771) father of Joseph Smith (1771), Asael Junior (1773), Mary (1775), Samuel (1777), Silas (1779) my grandfather. John (1781) the father of George Albert Smith, Susannah (1783, Stephen (1785), and Sarah (1789).
At great sacrifice to himself and his family, Asael moved from Derryfield, New Hampshire, back to Topsfield where he worked for five years to liquidate the debts his father had been unable to pay before his death. He said that he would not have it said that he died insolvent debtor. Despite the fact that the economy was in a depression and that he had eleven children of his own, Asael was able to pay off his father’s debts within five years. The fact that he also supported his stepmother throughout this time period makes his accomplishments quite remarkable. Asael paid all the debts that was against the estate and left himself almost destitute of means to support his family. Asael worked as a cooper and a farmer in Tunb ridge and eventually purchased more land.
Asael served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. A letter to Jacob Town, dated Jan. 14, 1766, indicated he believed America was the promised land and that the stone is now cut out, as spoken by the prophet Daniel. In 1779 he wrote an “Address to the Family” as a sort of “last words” to them, yet he lived for another 30 years. I am grateful to have a copy of that letter.
Asael Smith began the document saying ,”My dear selfs” It was his intention not to have it read until after his death, but its existence became known and it was read. The following information was taken from this address, which reveals the love he had for his family.
This letter best depicts the sentiments and characters of our grandfather. He first addressed his wife by expressing gratitude for her kindness and faithfulness. He reminded her that if she should marry again, she remember what he had undergone as a result of having a stepmother, and told her not to estrange her husband from his own children or kindred
He encouraged his children to trust in God and to believe in immorality of their soul. . He affirmed that religion was necessary that God is no respecter of persons that marriage is predestined, that children should help one another, that the Constitution of the United States was of God, and that Christ had the most important role in man’s foundation.
“Trifle not in this point; the soul is immortal; you have to deal with an infinite Majesty; you go upon life and death; therefore in this point be serious. Do all to God in a serious manner; when you think of Him, speak of Him, pray to Him, or in any way, make your addresses to His great Majesty, be in good earnest.”
“Trifle not in this point; the soul is immortal; you have to deal with an infinite Majesty; you go upon life and death; therefore in this point be serious. Do all to God in a serious manner; when you think of Him, speak of Him, pray to Him, or in any way, make your addresses to His great Majesty, be in good earnest.”
His closing advice was for them to be grateful for the land of liberty and remain loyal to its objectives. This reveals a man of noble character and child-like humility. His faith and trust in God, in the American Government, in the family unit, is most admirable. Such ideals and attitudes are most significant in the shaping of the personality of his children.
M. Russell Ballard in paying tribute to his grandfather Asael Smith said, “He consistently set an example of honesty and integrity in the face of adversity. His writings reveal a deep faith in Jesus Christ and His resurrection. An unwavering concern for his fellowmen is evidenced in his strong anti-slavery beliefs. In the last message to his family, he exhorted them to ‘Search the scriptures.’ These are qualities that would serve us well to emulate.”
B. H Roberts wrote that Asael was as “man of noble independence of mind, yet of child-like humility”
In 1793 Asael was chosen as one of three Selectmen who managed Tunbridge’s town affairs. He occasionally served as moderator and highway surveyor. He was a man of very liberal views, with thoughts in advance of his time. He was noted for having opinions of his own, which he would not yield, to bigotry or opposition. Some of his children were baptized in the Congregational church at Topsfield, but in his own religious views he was somewhat of a Universalist, holding to the truth that in America all men should have free and equal religious liberty. . . .
Asael was somewhat gifted with the pen and did considerable writing in his day. The documents he left shows his soundness of understanding, clearness in intellect, and refinement of nature. He was affable in manner, possessing a quaint and genial humor and a fund of anecdote. Before Asael moved to Tunbridge, he expressed his humor by listing his taxable property in a poem. It was later recovered among the “scraps on File’ in the town archives of Topsfield, Massachusetts.
To the Selectmen of Topsfield
Asael Smith
Asael was 84 years old when in the fall of 1828 he received a letter from his son, Joseph Smith Sr. which startled the entire family. He stated that his son Joseph had received some remarkable visions. Asael upon receiving the letter said that “he always knew that God was going to raise up some branch of this family to be a great benefit to mankind.” In August of 1830, Joseph Jr. and youngest son, Don Carlos, made them a visit, bringing with them some Books of Mormon. They had not seen each other for almost twenty years, so they rejoiced in being together. Asael read the Book of Mormon through without the aid of glasses, exclaiming “It is of God”, before he died the 31of Oct. 1830.
Both Asael Smith and his wife Mary Duty Smith accepted in full the mission of their grandson, Joseph, and rejoiced greatly in the restoration of the Gospel before their departure from mortal life. Asael and Mary and eight of their children were still alive when the Book of Mormon was first brought to their home. Only his oldest brother Jesse and two sisters (Mary and Susan) failed to believe. This is not to be confused with my Silas’s son Jesse who is my grandfather and who served in various leadership roles in the church throughout his life. Their son Joseph Senior is the father of Joseph Smith and was the Patriarch of the Church, John is the father of George Albert Smith, Asael Jr. and Silas. Their posterity today has produced many hundreds of loyal church members today that have provided lots of church leadership.
I have a copy of the letter that Joseph Smith wrote to my grandfather, his Uncle Silas.
“Kirtland Mills, Ohio, September 26, 1833.
”Respected Uncle Silas: — It is with feelings of deep interest for the welfare of mankind, which fill my mind on the reflection that all were formed by the hand of Him who will call the same to give an impartial account of all their works on that great day to which you and myself, in common with them, are bound, that I take up my pen and seat myself in an attitude to address a few, though imperfect, lines to you for your perusal.
“I have no doubt but that you will agree with me, that men will be held accountable for the things they have done, and not for the things they have not done. Or that all the light and intelligence communicated to them from their beneficent Creator, whether it is much or little, by the same they, in justice, will be judged. And that they are required to yield obedience, and improve upon that and that only, which is given, for man is not to live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.
“Seeing that the Lord has never given the world to understand, by anything heretofore revealed, that he had ceased forever to speak to his creatures, when sought unto in a proper manner, why should it be thought a thing incredible that he should be pleased to speak again in these last days for their salvation?”
Another quote from Joseph Smith’s letter to his Uncle Silas, “If the saints, in the days of the apostles, were privileged to take the saints for example, and lay hold of the same promises, and attain to the same exalted privileges of knowing that their names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life, and that they were sealed there as a perpetual memorial before the face of the Most High, will not the same faithfulness, the same purity of heart, and the faith, bring the same assurance of eternal life, and that in the same manner to the children of men now, in this age of the world
He ends his long letter by saying, “I must now close this subject for the want of time; and I may say with propriety at the beginning; we would be pleased to see you in Kirtland and more pleased to have you embrace the New Covenant. I remain. Yours affectionately, Joseph Smith Junior.
Sometime in 1838 after this letter from Joseph to Silas the Lord gave Hyrum Smith a revelation commanding him to visit his Uncle Silas, for he was ready to be baptized. When he found him he said, “Uncle Silas…the Lord has sent me t baptize you, for the Lord has seen the integrity of your heart but knows your fears with regard to your family, but you need not suffer any anxiety about them, for if you embrace the gospel it will be the means of saving them’ Silas answered that he had no doubt of the truth of the work and the only thing that hindered him from embracing it was that he was afraid that his family would be so much opposed to it that it would ruin the peace. However, upon receiving this message he was baptized, but thorough much tribulation, being much opposed by his neighbors as well as his own family.”
These formative influences of the home, the religion, the education, the community, the progenitors, and the friends, all helped to shape the personality and character of members of the Asael and Mary Duty Smith family. The Smiths were as family of very strong convictions. Their father, Asael Sr., had taught them as best he could by precept and example to defend whatever their opinion to be true, testing their belief with these two means of judgment: sound reasoning and scriptures. So those who accepted these truths did so with whole hearts.
Both Asael Smith and his wife Mary Duty Smith accepted in full the mission of their grandson, Joseph, and rejoiced greatly in the restoration of the Gospel before their departure from mortal life. Asael and Mary and eight of their children were still alive when the Book of Mormon was first brought to their home. Only his oldest brother Jesse and two sisters (Mary and Susan) failed to believe. This is not to be confused with Silas’s son Jesse who is my grandfather and who served in various leadership roles in the church throughout his life. Asael and Mary Duty Smith’s children were all stalwart supporters of their nephew and cousin who was the prophet who the Lord called to be an instrument in restoring the church again on the earth .Their son Joseph Senior is the father of Joseph Smith and was the Patriarch of the Church, John is the father of George Albert Smith, Asael Jr. and Silas. Their posterity has produced many hundreds of loyal church members today that continue to provide lots of church leadership.
Asael was devotedly attached to his wife, his life-long companion who was at his side through over sixty-three years of wedded life. The latter years of his life were spent at the home of his son Silas in Stockholm, St. Lawrence County, New York where he died October 31, 1830 at the age of eighty six.
Mary Duty Smith outlived her husband Asael by six years. In 1836 when their grandmother, Mary Duty Smith was 95 years old, , accompanied by Elias Smith, a missionary grandson, traveled five hundred miles to Kirtland, Ohio, to join her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who had gathered there. Joseph Smith states in his history, “My father, three of his brothers, and their mother, met for the first time for many years. It was as happy day, for we had long prayed to see our Grandmother and uncles in the Church.” The meeting between the grandmother and her prophet descendant and his brother was most touching; Joseph blessed her and said she was the most honored woman on earth.” She completely accepted the testimony of her grandson and fully intended to be baptized. Unfortunately, her age and health prevented this. She died peacefully on 27 May 1836, just ten days after arriving in Kirtland. She was firm in her faith of the gospel that her grandson was an instrument in restoring again upon the earth.
Elder M Russell Ballad in his tribute said, “Asael left a great legacy to his family and the (LDS) Church. He consistently set an example of honesty and integrity in the face of adversity. His writings reveal a deep faith in Jesus Christ and His resurrection. An unwavering concern for his fellowmen is evidenced in his strong anti-slavery beliefs. In the last message to his family, he exhorted them to "Search the scriptures." These are qualities that would serve us well to emulate."
.Both Asael Smith and his wife Mary Duty Smith accepted in full the mission of their grandson, Joseph, and rejoiced greatly in the restoration of the Gospel before their departure from mortal life. I am grateful for the legacy that they left me and their posterity.
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