Emma Smith to Emma Pilgrim

A letter that Emma Smith Bidamon wrote to Emma Pilgrim in 1870 is often quoted to support the "stone-in-the-hat" (SITH) narrative. In this letter she writes that her husband translated "the first part" "by the use of the Urim and Thummim, and that was the part that Martin Harris lost. after that he used a small stone, not exactly black, but was rather a dark color."

Her claim in this letter contradicts accounts from Joseph Smith, his mother Lucy Mack Smith, Oliver Cowdery (a scribe), Martin Harris (a scribe), David Whitmer (until he changed his story), Joseph's brother Samuel (a scribe), and John Whitmer (another scribe), all of whom said that Joseph used the Urim and Thummim.

Note: William E. McLellin associated with Granville Hedrick (often misspelled as "Hedrich") during the 1860s and 1870s, though the nature and extent of their association evolved over time. Granville Hedrick was a leader of a small faction within the Latter Day Saint movement, known as the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) or the "Hedrickites," based in Independence, Missouri. McLellin, a former apostle in the early Latter Day Saint church who had been excommunicated in 1838, became involved with various splinter groups after his departure from Joseph Smith’s church, including a brief formal affiliation with Hedrick’s group.

Historical records indicate that McLellin joined Hedrick’s Church of Christ in 1869, though his official membership was short-lived, lasting only about a year or two. Despite this brief formal connection, McLellin maintained a longer, informal association with the Hedrickites into the 1870s. During this period, he lived in Independence, Missouri, where the Hedrickites were centered, and he reportedly acted as an enthusiastic supporter of their efforts to acquire the Temple Lot—a significant piece of land designated by Joseph Smith for a future temple. Media reports from the 1870s describe McLellin as an unofficial "tour guide" for the Temple Lot property, which the Hedrickites purchased between 1867 and 1877, suggesting he was actively engaged with their cause, even if not always as a formal member.

McLellin’s involvement with Hedrick’s group aligns with his broader pattern of seeking a religious community that reflected his continued belief in the Book of Mormon while rejecting many later developments in the church under Joseph Smith and his successors. His association with Hedrick in the 1860s and 1870s, particularly around the Temple Lot, reflects a shared interest in reclaiming early Latter Day Saint ideals, though McLellin’s independent streak and theological differences likely limited the depth of his commitment to Hedrick’s organization. By the time of his death in 1883, McLellin was still in Independence, living near the Hedrickite community, further indicating a sustained, if informal, connection during this timeframe.