Sarah M. Cleveland
First Counselor of the General Presidency of the Relief Society
March 17, 1842 (1842-03-17) – 1844
Called byEmma Smith
SuccessorZina D. H. Young
Personal details
BornSarah Marietta Kingsley
(1788-10-20)October 20, 1788
Becket, Massachusetts, United States
Died1856[1]
Plymouth, Illinois, United States[1]
Spouse(s)John Howe[1]
John Cleveland
ParentsEbenezer Kingsley

Sarah Marietta Kingsley Cleveland (October 20, 1788 - 1856[1]) was the first counselor to Emma Smith in the presidency of the Relief Society from 1842 to 1844.

Cleveland was born in Becket, Berkshire County, Massachusetts[2] to Ebenezer Kingsley. She was married to John Cleveland and later to the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith. Her husband was a judge in Nauvoo, Illinois, and unlike her did not join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; he was a Swedenborgian. Cleveland remained in Nauvoo with her husband when the main body of the Latter Day Saints moved to what later became Utah Territory.

Marriage to Joseph Smith

A letter from John L. Smith, Sarah Kingsley’s son-in-law, to the First Presidency, dated March 8, 1895, states: "In the days of Joseph. Mother [Sarah M. Kingsley (Howe)] Cleveland by advice, was sealed to the prophet in Nauvoo but lived with her [non-LDS] husband John Cleveland." Sarah was also resealed to Joseph Smith vicariously in the Nauvoo Temple in 1846.[3]

Sources

  1. ^ a b c d "BYU Studies: Biographical Registers - C". Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  2. ^ Madsen, Carol Cornwall (1994). In Their Own Words: Women and the Story of Navoo. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book. p. 120. ISBN 0-875797709.
  3. ^ Brian Hales, "Sarah Kingsley", Joseph Smith's Polygamy.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints titles First First Counselor in the generalpresidency of the Relief Society 1842 – 1844 VacantTitle next held byZina D. H. Young as First Counselor in the generalpresidency of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 
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