Born 26 Nov 1772 Oakham, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Married 18 Jan 1796 to Polly Peck
Died 3 Feb 1847 Mt. Pisgah, Harrison County, Iowa
father of Joseph Knight, Jr. b 21 Jun 1808
grandfather of Martha Ann Knight Van Orden b 11 Jun 1833
great grandfather of Julia Ann Van Orden Carpenter b 5 Oct 1857
great great grandfather of Frank Carpenter b 9 May 1886
great great great grandfather of Ora Carpenter Omerza b 7 Aug 1912
great great great great grandfather of Emerick Jay Omerza b 14 Apr 1942
Official Website for the Joseph Knight Sr. and Polly Knight Family Organization Knight Family Reunion 2008 in Flagstaff, Arizona, June 20-21, 2008.
Joseph Knight, Sr. BIO on Saints without halos.com
A fraction of Pickerel Pond on the Joseph Knight farm, Colesville Township, New York, reflects the sky. The Knight family, among the Prophet’s earliest and most faithful supporters, operated a carding mill on the pond’s outlet. Pickerel Pond is immediately east of Nineveh, a village in Colesville Township on the Susquehanna River.
source:“The Way It Looks Today: A Camera Tour of Church History Sites in New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio,” Ensign, Sep 1978, 33
This view shows the Susquehanna River in lower Chenango County, New York near the present-day town of Nineveh. Years ago this was Colesville, New York where the Joseph Knight family resided.
(Mays, K. 2006. Brigham Young University. Harold B. Lee Library)
Joseph Knight, Sr. owned a farm on this site. In 1826, the Prophet Joseph Smith stayed here with the Knight family while he labored as a hired hand for them. The Prophet courted Emma Hale while living here. Following the organization of the Church, the Knight family became the nucleus of the Colesville Branch. Emma Smith and a number of others were baptized on the Knight property. Many of the Colesville Saints moved to Kirtland, Ohio for a short time and then continued on to Missouri. The Knight farm home no longer stands. A newer home on the property is privately owned. Emma Hale Smith was baptized in the Pickerell Pond, which lies on this property. The property is currently owned by Johnny Heart (cartoonist for B.C. and Wizard of Id). (Mays, K. 1999. Brigham Young University. Harold B. Lee Library)
Knight Family History
Joseph Knight, Sr., was well advance in life when the work of God in these last days began to come forth. From the journal of his son, Newel Knight, it is learned that Joseph Knight, Sr. married Polly Peck; that he moved into the state of New York and settled on the Susquehanna river, near the great bend, in Chenango County, in 1809. Two years later he removed to Colesville, Broome County, New York, where he remained nineteen years.
“My father,” says Newel Knight in his journal, “owned a farm, a grist mill and carding machine. He was not rich, yet he possessed enough of this world’s goods to secure to himself and family, not only the necessaries, but also the comforts of life. His family consisted of my mother, three sons and four daughters, he reared in a genteel and respectable manner, and gave his children a good, common school education. My father was a sober, honest man, generally respected and beloved by his neighbors and acquaintances. He did not belong to any religious sect, but was a believer in the Universalian doctrine.”
The business in which Joseph Knight, Sr. was engaged, made it necessary at times for him to hire men, and the Prophet Joseph was occasionally employed by him. From “Joseph Smith the Prophet,” page 49 we find:
“In the winter of 1825 Joseph Smith hired out to Joseph Knight, Sr. a prosperous farmer and mill owner of Broome County, New York. Mr. Knight’s son, Joseph Knight, Jr. [our ancestor] in a statement give to the Church Historian in 1962 relates his father hired Joseph Smith Jr. and that he spent the entire year of 1826 in the employment of Joseph Knight. Mr. Knight’s son says, “Joseph and I worked and slept together. My father said Joseph Smith was the best hand he ever hired. We found him a boy of truth. He was about twenty-one years of age. I think it was November that he made known to my father and I that he has seen a vision; that a personage had appeared to him and told where there was a “gold book” of ancient date buried and if he would follow the directions of the angel he could get it. We were told it in secret. My father and I believed what he told us. I think we were the first to believe after his father’s family.”
From the author, Preston Nibley:
This is most interesting information that these two men, Mr. Knight and his son were the first to believe after his father’s family. The boy (Joseph Smith) must have greatly rejoiced in finding these two loyal friends, and they were to be friends to him throughout life. Years later (August 22, 1842) when Joseph Smith resided in Nauvoo, Illinois and presided over a church with thousands of followers he paid this opulent tribute to his devoted friend, Joseph Knight Sr., who was still with him. “I find my feelings of the 16th inst., toward my friends revived, wile I contemplate the virtues, and good qualifications and characteristics of the faithful few, which I am now recording in the Book of the Law of the Lord, of such as have stood by me in every hour of peril, for these fifteen long years past – say, for instance, my aged and beloved brother, Joseph Knight, Sr., who was among the number of the first to administer to my necessities, while I was laboring in the commencement of bringing forth of the work of the Lord, and of laying the foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For fifteen years he has been faithful, and true, and even-handed, and exemplary, and virtuous, and kind, never deviating to the right hand or to the left. Beyond, he is a righteous man; may God Almighty lengthen out the old man’s days; and may his trembling, tortured, and broken body be renewed, and the vigor of heath turn upon him, if it can be thy will; consistently, O God; and it shall be said of him, by the sons of Israel; therefore his name shall never be forgotten.” (History of the Church, Vol. 5, p. 124).
At the same time there is the following tribute to Joseph Knight’s sons:
“There are his sons, Newel Knight and Joseph Knight Jr., whose names I record in the Book of the Law of the Lord with unspeakable delight, for they are my friends.”
The author says many descendants of Joseph Knight Sr. are among the members of the Church today. They can look back with delight and satisfaction in the fact that their distinguished ancestor was the first to believe in the divine calling of the Prophet Joseph Smith, “after his father’s family.”
To the Knight family, who were greatly attached to him, the young prophet related many of the things God had revealed respecting the Book of Mormon, then as yet to come forth. So far at least was the elder Knight taken into the Prophet’s confidence that he purposely so arranged his affairs as to be at the Smith family residence, near Manchester, a the time the plates of the Book of Mormon were given into Joseph’s possession. Joseph Knight Sr. had driven to the Smith residence with a horse and carriage, and in this conveyance, according to the statement of Lucy Smith, mother of the Prophet, in company with his wife Emma, drove away very early before daylight, on the morning of September 22, 1827 to receive the plates from the angel Moroni. The Prophet’s mother goes more into detail regarding this event:
“On the twentieth of September, Mr. Knight and his friend Stoal [Josiah Stowell], came to see how we were manageing matters with Stoddard and Co., and they tarried with us until the twenty-second. On the night of the twenty-first, I sat up very late, as my work rather pressed upon my hands. I did not retire until after twelve o’clock. Joseph came to me, and asked me if I had a chest with a lock and key. I knew in an instant what he wanted it for, and not having one, I was greatly alarmed, as I thought it might be a matter of considerable moment. But Joseph discovering my anxiety, said, ‘Never mind, I can do very well for the present without it—be calm–all is right.’
“Shortly after this, Joseph’s wife passed through the room with her bonnet and riding dress; and in a few minutes they left together, taking Mr. Knight’s horse and wagon. I spend the night in prayer and supplication to God, for the anxiety of my mind would not permit me to sleep. At the usual hour, I commenced preparing breakfast. My heart fluttered at every footstep, as I now expected Joseph and Emma momentarily, and feared lest Joseph might meet with another disappointment.
“When the male portion of the family were seated at the breakfast table, Mr. Smith inquired for Joseph, for he was not aware that he had left home. I requested my husband not to call him, for I would like to have him take breakfast with his wife that morning.
‘No, no,’ said my husband. ‘I must have Joseph sit down here and eat with me.’
‘Well, now, Mr. Smith,’ continued I, ‘Do let him eat with his wife this morning; he almost always takes breakfast with you.’
“His father finally consented, and ate without him, and no further inquiries were made concerning his absence, but in a few minutes Mr. Knight came in quite distressed.
‘Why, Mr. Smith,’ exclaimed he, ‘my horse is gone, and I can’t find him on the premises, and I wish to start for home in half an hour.’
‘Never mind the horse,’ I said. ‘Mr. Knight does not know all the nooks and corners in the pastures: I will call William; he will bring the horse immediately.’
“This satisfied him for the time being; but he soon made another discovery. His wagon was also gone. He then considered that a rogue had stolen them both.
‘Mr. Knight,’ said I, ‘do be quiet; I would be ashamed to have to go about waiting upon yourself—just go out and talk with Mr. Smith until William comes: and if you really must go home, your horse shall be brought, and you shall be waited upon like a gentleman.’ He accordingly went out, and while he was absent Joseph returned.” (History of the Prophet Joseph by Lucy Mack Smith, pp. 102-103.)
Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were translating and spending all their time with no means to support themselves. The Prophet relates in his History that Joseph Knight Sr., for whom he had formerly worked, “having heard of the manner in which we were occupying our time, very kindly and considerately brought us a quantity of provisions in order that we might not be interrupted in the work of translation by the want of such necessaries of life; and I would mention here, as in duty bound, that he several times brought us supplies, a distance of at least thirty miles, which enabled us to continue the work, when otherwise we must have relinquished it for a season.” (History of the Church, Vol. I, p. 47.)
It was during one of these visits, in May 1829, that Joseph Knight asked the Prophet to inquire the will of the Lord concerning himself. The Prophet did so, and part of the message he received follows:
“Now as you have asked, behold, I say unto you, keep my commandments and seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion.
“Behold, I speak unto you, and also to all those who have desires to bring forth and establish this work;
“And no one can assist in this work, except he shall be humble and full of love, having faith, hope and charity, being temperate in all things whatsoever shall be entrusted to his care.
“Behold, I am the light and the life of the world, that speak these words, therefore, give heed with your might, and then you are called. (Doctrine and Covenants, Section 12.)
Preston Nibley, author of Joseph Smith the Prophet, makes this statement,
“I desire to call attention to the remarkable statement given in the above revelation, namely this: ‘And no man can assist in this work, except he shall be humble and full of love, having faith, hope and charity, being temperate in all things, whatsoever shall be entrusted to his care.’ I have spent nearly seven years of my life in the mission field, and I can testify that the above statement is true, and that it applies to every day of a missionary’s life. The soul of missionary work is expressed in this one sentence, taken from the revelation given to Joseph Knight in May 1829, before the Church was organized.”
In another revelation given to five men at Manchester, New York, April 1830, are these words:
“Behold, I manifest unto you, Joseph Knight, by these words, that you must take up your cross, in the which you must pray vocally before the world as well as in secret, and in your family and among your friends, and in all places.
“And behold, it is your duty to unite with the true church, and give your language to exhortation continually, that you may receive the reward of the laborer. Amen.”
Shortly after April 11, 1830 Joseph Smith went to visit the Knight family at Colesville, with the object of preaching the Gospel and holding meetings with them. “Mr. Knight ad his family were Universalists” related Joseph, “but were willing to reason with me upon my religious views, and were, as usual, friendly and hospitable. We held several meetings in the neighborhood; we had many friends, and some enemies. Our meetings were well attended, and many began to pray fervently to Almighty God, that he would give them wisdom to understand the truth.”
The work that Joseph did here at this time was soon to bear fruit. Newel Knight, son of Joseph Knight, became convinced of the truth as it was by the young Prophet and came to Fayette in “the last week” of May, where he was baptized by David Whitmer.
The Knight Family: Ever Faithful to the Prophet
William G. Hartley, “The Knight Family: Ever Faithful to the Prophet,” Ensign, Jan 1989, 43
Joseph Knight—Friend to the Prophet
Susan Arrington Madsen, “Joseph Knight—Friend to the Prophet,” Friend, Dec 1983, 42
The Joseph Knight Family
Larry Porter, “The Joseph Knight Family,” Ensign, Oct 1978, 39
The Knights and the Trial of Joseph Smith
Diane Mangum, “The Knights and the Trial of Joseph Smith,” New Era, Jul 1986, 14
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