Joseph Smith first arrived in the area of Harmony, Pennsylvania, in 1825. He had been hired by Josiah Stowell, of South Bainbridge, New York, to dig for Spanish treasure.
During the short time of his employ, Joseph and other workers boarded at the homestead of Isaac and Elizabeth Hale of Harmony. It was there that he met Emma Hale, daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth.
Joseph Smith left Harmony and worked for Stowell and, later, for Joseph Knight of Colesville (now Nineveh), New York. During that time he continued to visit Emma at her parents’ home in Harmony as circumstances would allow.
Their relationship blossomed and led to their marriage in January 1827. Following their marriage, Joseph and Emma moved to Manchester, New York, where they boarded with Joseph’s parents.
After he had obtained the golden plates, Joseph and Emma moved back to Harmony in December 1827. They left for a period of time to complete the translation of the Book of Mormon at Fayette, New York, but they maintained Harmony as their residence until fall of 1830. There is presently no extant record of Emma ever seeing her parents again.
After living out their days, Isaac and Elizabeth Hale passed away and were buried in the little cemetery adjacent to the Smith Harmony home. A new period-style home was built on the original site and dedicated Sept. 19, 2015, by President Russell M. Nelson, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.