"History of Henry Bailey Jacobs"
by Oa Jacobs Cannon
MS 6891 1
LDS Church Archives
[***]
The persecution began and became so unbearable that through their privations,
and worry and hardships many died. Zina Baker Huntington was one of these. Her
husband had suffered financial losses so The Prophet and Emma took Zina Diantha and
her sister Prescendia into their home to live.
While living with the Smiths Zina met Henry Bailey Jacobs and they decided to
get married.
My mother, Emma R. Jacobs told me that Zina asked the Prophet to perform the
marriage. They went to the Clerk's office and the Prophet did not arrive, so they were
married by John C. Bennet. When they saw Joseph they asked him why he didn't come,
and he told them the Lord had made it known to him that she was to be his Celestial wife.
Henry believed that "whatever the Prophet did was right, without making the
wisdom of God's authorities bend to the reasoning of any man; for God has called and
empowered him, and no man has a right to judge their works." Henry accepted each
sacrifice that was asked of him without complaint, even though his heart was breaking.
Henry and Zina were married March 7, 1841. Zina and the Prophet Joseph were
sealed October 27, 1841, with Zina's brother Dimick officiating and Fanny A. Huntington
present as a witness. This took place just three months before Zina's and Henry's first
son, Zebulon was born, January 2, 1842.
[***]
My husband, Paul B. Cannon, in 1936 had a cousin, Glynn Bennion, who was
writing histories of the early pioneers. He called me and asked what I knew about my
grandfather, Henry Bailey Jacobs. I told him I had never heard anything about him—he
was never talked about. He said that was said because he was a valuable member of the
church.
[***]
[…] When the temple was completed enough to do ordinance work, Brigham
Young took Zina and Henry into the temple to have a second sealing performed for the
Prophet. Much ordinance work was done at this time. Brigham Young stood as proxy
and Henry as a witness.
At this same time, February 2, 1846, Brigham Young married Zina—they
recorded it "sealed for time." Henry is listed as a witness in the record with Dimick
(Zina's oldest brother) performing the marriage.
Here I pause to say I found this record eighteen years ago. I told my mother and
she said it was not true and for me never to reveal it to anyone. My mother had never
known an own mother [i.e., a mother of her own] and Zina D. was a true mother to her.
She loved her very much, and they were very close. Mother said Zina D. had told her
things that she said she had never told her own daughter, so it just wasn't true.
All these years I couldn't believe Henry was aware that [sic] Zina's marriage to
Brigham Young because of the letters he wrote to Zina—first from Nauvoo, June 25,
1846, on his way to New York. Also another letter from New York, August 19, 1846, on
his way to England. I kept this to myself and worried about it these many years.
[***]
[Here reproduces heartfelt letters of Henry to Zina, calling her his "companion,"
etc.]
From material Mary Brown Firmage has put into the Church Historian's Office:
From "Recollections of her great grandmother (Zina D. Young)—On file in the
Church Historian's office—she says:
Prior to the death of the Prophet Joseph, he had;
… Instructed the brethren in the Quorum of the Twelve to marry and care
for the women who were sealed to him, that each should have her choice as to whom she
would be married for time. Twenty-five year old Zina chose Brigham Young, twenty
years her senior and was married to him in the Nauvoo Temple February 2, 1846, for
time. Also on that same day in the Nauvoo Temple her sealing to Joseph Smith received
Temple sanction, according to the Nauvoo Temple sealing book Entry #142. There is in
the book a note which says that Henry Bailey Jacobs was present and expressed his
willingness for the sealing to be done. It makes the point that he expressed this
willingness with witnesses present.
[Oa Cannon:]
Again I am very puzzled because Zina had a husband, there was no divorce, and I recall
in the Doctrine and Covenance [sic] is [sic] says:
Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no
need to break the laws of the land.
Again I find my admiration for Henry B. is increased to be "willing" and so submissive to
the Prophet of God. […]
I will just leave it there! But it did cause great suffering and trial for Henry.
[***]
[The Mary Brown Firmage text above is taken from a letter to her from Jeffery O.
Johnson of the Church Historical Department, dated March 31, 1976:]
[***]
Ron Watt said that you wanted to chek [sic] the marriage of Brigham Young and
Zina Huntington. In the Nauvoo Temple sealing book entry #142 says:
Feb. 2, 1846, Joseph Smith to Zina Diantha Huntington (Jan. 31, 1821,
Watertown, Jefferson Co., N.Y.) Brigham Young for time.
There is in the book a note which says that Henry B. Jacobs was present and expressed
his willingness that the sealing be done. It makes the point that he expressed this
willingness with witnesses present.
[End of relevant excerpts from letter.]
[I wonder if the above isn't a bit of an exaggeration based on Henry Jacobs being present
as a witness. This would obviously express his consent, but would not constitute a
special "note which says that Henry… expressed his willingness…," etc.]
Oa Jacobs Cannon, "History of Henry Bailey Jacobs," MS 6891 1, LDS Church Archives