Emma Smith is the wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon faith. Near the end of Emma's life in 1879, her adopted daughter, Julia Murdock Smith, returns home and shares several hardships she has had. Emma relates to Julia some of her own life's experiences to give her a different perspective and illustrate the importance of maintaining faith amid such trials. She recounts experiences ranging from her childhood with a father that was very strict and who forbade praying in the home, to her courtship and marriage to Joseph Smith, and the challenges she faced in being the wife of the Prophet.