Joseph married Elizabeth Fernyhough on Feb 9, 1836 in St. George, England, and together they had four children with only two living to adulthood: Thomas Frain and William Frain. The family was converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1839. The Dobson family began preparing to move to Nauvoo, Illinois in 1841 when Joseph moved by himself to prepare for his family to move west. He sailed on the same ship as President Brigham Young.

In 1842, the remaining Dobson family members began their trek to Nauvoo, meeting Joseph in New Orleans, Louisiana. They all moved to Nauvoo soon after. On Sep 25, 1843 Elizabeth died. After his wife's death, Joseph did his best to take care of his children and be their provider, first selling their home. The boys were passed from family to family to be taken care of while Joseph worked, and he did so working for John Taylor's father, James Taylor.

While this was all going on, Joseph Smith was assassinated on June 27, 1844. The Dobson family reunited and moved out to Winter Quarters for protection in 1846. On July 1, 1846, Catpain James Allen arrived in Winters Quarters to speak to President Brigham Young with a request from United States President James K. Polk to have 500 men enlisted to help fight in the Mexican-American War. President Young accepted the call, and asked for men in the area to enlist. After taking his sons to trustworthy people, Joseph enlisted.

While trying to go back to Utah, Joseph found it very difficult with sickness and people not helping him due to them only wanting gold. Finally, after some time, he made it to the Salt Lake Valley in the fall of 1848.

While in Salt Lake, Joseph purchased a plot of land in Salt Lake City, and worked building his home and on church property. After he did not find his boys in Salt Lake, he went east to Winters Quarters, got them back, and moved back to Salt Lake in 1850.

Joseph and family were asked by Church leaders to move to Richmond.