Joseph Smith’s cousin and the “Dance of Death”

I remember the Saturday night dances well growing up in Calgary, Alberta. To be honest dancing is a large part of who we are as latter-day Saints. A big reason why I married my best friend is because I drove her to and from the dance festival practices that the two of us were involved with. The Green and Gold and Harvest Balls used to be popular in the Church, but have since phased out. With each temple dedication comes the festivities the day before, which include the ethnic dances of the country in which the temple is to be dedicated. Yes, dancing has always been a part of the Church, in fact, both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young encouraged dancing, which was completely against their other religious counterparts of their day. Not all Church members felt this way though. Jesse N. Smith stated what dance was the “Dance of death?”

     a.      The Round Dance

     b.      The Waltz

     c.       The Square Dance

     d.      The Mexican Hat Dance

Yesterday’s answer:

(C)   Prairie Gum

The following from the journal of Jesse N. Smith dated August 23, 1864:

Rained last night. Road heavy. At noon I gathered prairie gum, the first I had tasted since my boyhood. Overtook Hyde’s and Snow’s trains at Antelope Creek; traveled about 35 miles.

Oliver R. Smith, ed., The Journal of Jesse Nathaniel Smith-1834-1906 (Provo: Jesse N. Smith Family Assn., 1970), 172.