“But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.” [That is, the Hebrew children, for they were the ones the king sought to destroy.]
“Therefore, God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
“And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
“And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.”
Where is the mother that will not join in saying that King Pharoah was an oppressor, a tyrant and a murderer? Yet God’s ways are so kind, good merciful and wise that we are led to praise His holy name forever. God raised up a Moses, whose mother kept him hid three months, after which she put him in an ark of bulrushes, while his sister acted as a spy and watched over him at a distance. King Pharoah’s daughter to her bath drew near;[p.25]the babe’s cries inclined her heart to the young Hebrew, the spy was at hand, the real mother was procured, who received pay for minding her own child. Moses finally became the adopted son of the king’s daughter, whom she named Moses, because she drew him out of the water, as found in the 2nd chapter of Exodus. The life and history of Moses is well known to every Bible student, as the deliverer of ancient Israel, and I ask, is it more marvelous to accept a modern Moses in the person of Joseph Smith, the Prophet whom God raised up in our day?
Again, if the selection by Jesus of Peter the fisherman to be the chief apostle had taken place in our day, it would probably have seemed as surprising as the choosing of Joseph Smith for his work. The fellow apostles of Peter were all unlearned, except Paul.
It is just as easy for our Lord to accomplish His purposes now through the agency of unlearned men as it was anciently. Godhasestablished a Church through the agency of this young man, which has caused the wisdom of the wise to perish.
The story of Joseph Smith’s first vision is a very simple and beautiful one. It will be remembered he was but a boy fourteen years of age when this event occurred. He had been, previously, in a disturbed state of mind concerning religion. In the neighborhood where he dwelt there had been great excitement, on account of a religious revival. At the meetings he attended he learned that the various sects were very much opposed to each other. In the midst of this tumult and war of words and opinions, Joseph felt grieved and asked himself, “What is to be done? Who of all these are right? And how shall I know?”
One day Joseph read in the first chapter of James as follows:
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
Using Joseph’s own words, he said:
“Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did.* * *Unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible. At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God.* * *So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally. After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from[p.26]the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spoke unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other, ‘This is my beloved Son, hear him!”
“My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right—for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong—and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight.* *‘They teach for doctrine the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.’ He again forbade me to join any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time.
“Some time afterwards the vision was made known to a Methodist preacher, who treated it with contempt, saying it was all from the devil; that there was no such thing as visions or revelations in these days; that all such things had ceased with the Apostles, and that there never would be any more of them.”
The ministers and others persecuted him, which caused him deep sorrow, although an obscure boy, and under the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his daily labor. But, strange to say, he became very prominent and conspicuous, and evil was spoken of him continually. Nevertheless, he had seen a vision, and, like Paul before King Agrippa, related the account of the vision he had, when he “saw a light and heard a voice.” Still, there were a few who believed him. Some said he was dishonest; others said he was mad; and he (like Joseph) was ridiculed and reviled; but all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision—he knew he had—and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise. Joseph Smith said:
“I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God? or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? for I had seen a vision. I knew it. I knew that God knew it; and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.”
For over three years Joseph continued his labors daily until the 21st of September, 1823. After retiring to his bed in quite a serious mood, he shortly betook himself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God for a manifestation of his standing before Him. While thus engaged he received the following vision, using his own words:
“While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when a personage appeared at my bed-side; he had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness,* * *his hands were naked, and his arms also a little above the wrist,* * *his head and neck were also bare.* * *his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but no so very bright as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him I was afraid, but the fear soon left me.
“He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues; or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people.* * *While he was conversing with me about the plates, the vision was opened to my mind that I could see the place where the plates were deposited, and that so clearly and distinctly, that I knew the place again when I visited it. After this communication, I saw the light in the room begin to gather immediately around the person of him who had been speaking to me, and it continued to do so until the room was again left dark, except just around him,[p.27]when instantly I saw, as it were, a conduit open right up into heaven, and he ascended up till he entirely disappeared, and the room was left as it had been before this heavenly light had made its appearance.”
This vision was repeated three times during the night, and the angel each time instructed him of great events, such as famine, war, pestilence and grievous judgments, which were to come in this generation. He also reminded him that his name should be known for good and evil, and that wicked men would seek to destroy him, which was literally fulfilled.
In 1517, Mexico, then unknown to the world, though teeming with its millions of Lamanites, was discovered by Cortez; and the gold plates that Joseph Smith received contain their history, which I advise all men to read.
Furthermore, the angel said that the fulness of the everlasting gospel was contained in the record that was about to be delivered to him, which was the same as that taught by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Thus comes unto us knowledge unveiling the mystery surrounding the American Indians which has puzzled the most profound historians of our age to explain. For all this useful knowledge we are indebted to God, the giver of all good.
Although the Prophet was manifestly unlearned at this time, as evinced by the spelling written by him over the seven lines of characters, shown in another place in this pamphlet, he afterwards became proficient as a scholar, and studied the classic languages at the School of the Prophets in Kirtland, Ohio. This school was established, by command of the Lord, for the purpose of educating the Elders and others in the history of nations, countries and people; thus laying up treasures of knowledge and useful information.
The Prophet, however, was not dependent upon scholastic learning, for God revealed to him line upon line, here a little and there a little, enabling him to become efficient in organizing the Church in its perfect order; so much so, that the learned theologians and others of the present day are adopting many of the doctrines revealed to him.
The description of the breast-pate, as given by the mother of Joseph, is very interesting. She was favored with handling it, but it was covered with a thin muslin cloth, through which she could see the glittering gold. It was concave on one side and convex on the other. It would extend from the neck downwards as far as the center of the stomach of a man of extraordinary size. Attached to it were four straps of the same material, for the purpose of fastening it to the breast; two of these ran back so as to fasten over the shoulders, and the other two were designed to fasten to the waist. Mother Smith said the straps were the width of her two fingers, for she measured them. They had holes in the ends for convenience in fastening. Although the Urim and Thummim and breast-plate go together, it was not necessary for them always to remain attached to each other. Mother Lucy Smith also saw and handled the interpreters, and described them as “two diamonds set in silver bows, much like old-fashioned spectacles, only much larger.” She also said that the breast plate was worth more than $500.
Soon after Joseph received the plates and other articles, the angel left him to manage the work[p.28]entrusted to him, which responsibility he felt very seriously. He first concealed the secret treasure in a secluded place, excepting the Urim and Thummim, which he kept with him. Soon after Joseph arrived at home he explained to his parents the necessity of keeping the sacred relics under lock and key, and until such time as proper precaution was taken, he had hidden them away securely. Then said the mother:
“Order a chest at once.”
“But we have not a dollar in the house to pay for it,” said Joseph.
“God will provide, my son,” said the confidential mother. “Go, promise part cash and part trade,” which was done, and the same day Mrs. Wells, of Macedon, gave Joseph work at digging a well, promising cash for the work. The mother reminded the son of the Lord’s providence, so soon fulfilled.
While Joseph was working for Mrs. Wells, to supply their daily wants and to pay for the chest in which the plates were to be secured, a mob of twelve men, headed by Mr. Willard Chase, a Methodist class leader, and a certain conjurer whose special business was to divine the hiding place of the gold plates, were heard to say:
“We will have that gold Bible in spite of all the devils in hell.”
Father Smith, knowing that the plates were secreted away from home, felt deep anxiety concerning their safety, and he induced Emma, the Prophet’s wife, who was living with the family, to go on horseback to give warning to Joseph of the intentions of the mob. From an impression Joseph had, he looked with the Urim and Thummim, which he had with him, after which, meeting his wife with a smile, he informed her that the plans of the mob would prove futile; that the plates were safe. However, he returned home with his wife, and in the evening, after procuring the chest, Joseph started for the plates, but as he was returning home with them, he was waylaid and attacked three times, but he finally escaped, although bruised and weary, bringing the plates home in safety.
This was one of his first lessons and a fulfillment of the angel’s words to him.
Not long after this first experience, the Prophet was warned of a second attempt to rob him of the treasure.
On this occasion he remembered the angel’s charge in regard to using every precaution, and the promise that if he was prayerful and careful he should not lose them. A stone of the old-fashioned hearth was removed and the plates and the breast-plate were concealed in a cavity under the hearth. The stone had just been replaced, when a large armed mob came rushing uproariously around the house. The door was thrown open and were in the house, Joseph at their head, rushed out, when the mob fled without their booty. A third attempt to obtain the plates was also unsuccessfully made. This time the treasures were hid in some flax in the loft of a cooper shop, and an empty box was hidden under the floor. It was said that a young woman, aided by a peepstone, pointed out the cooper shop as the repository of the “Gold Bible.” During the night the place was rummaged, the floor torn up and the box broken to pieces. This was another experience, but the treasures were still safely preserved. It was manifested to the Prophet that a facsimile of characters must be copied[p.29]and sent to the most learned professors of the country, and that Martin Harris should be the bearer of them. Before the Prophet could accomplish this desired object, however, he was compelled to seek peace in Pennsylvania, for the whole country around seemed determined to give Joseph no peace whatever. While the servant of God was on his way from his father’s house, to seek a peaceful retreat, he was stopped on the highway twice by a mob of fifty men, but as the necessary precaution had been observed by hiding the plates in a barrel of beans, again they were preserved.
The trying scenes which this young man had to pass through, having been compelled to leave his home and country by reason of the persecutions heaped upon him in his young married life, were of a heart-rending character, besides the labor of translating the Book of Mormon, and organizing the Church, which he was instructed to do. It became all the more difficult to perform this great work because new revelation came so much in contact with the traditions of the different religious sects of the day, each one differing from the other, yet each one claiming to be the right Church. Just imagine this unlearned youth, possessing no funds only as he earned them by his daily labor, under these circumstances, with increasing responsibilities of family, and home. Without God’s aid it would border on insanity to entertain a faint hope of success in so stupendous an undertaking. Had it not been that the Lord had promised to help him, his heart would have failed him by the way. But there was encouragement found in the words of the prophet Isaiah, 29th chapter, where the prophet, speaking of the very time and condition surrounding the youth, used these words:
“Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish ... They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.” (Isaiah 29:14, 24)
Tens of thousands have proven those words to be true. I was personally favored with many conversations with the three witnesses whom God raised up, one of whom was Martin Harris, a near neighbor of Joseph Smith. In 1871, while I was emigrating Martin Harris from Kirkland, Ohio, during our journey of over 2,000 miles, he related many little incidents which occurred in those early times.
One of the incidents that interested me most was when, on a certain occasion, Martin’s neighbors prevailed upon him to drink some wine with them with the evident intention of getting him to deny his testimony to the Book of Mormon. Martin drank but little, while his neighbors partook more freely. When they were in high glee they asked him if he really believed that he saw the angel of which he had testified.
“No,” said Martin, “I do not believe it.”
“Now,” said they, “we know you are an honest man.”
“Stop a moment,” said Martin, “and properly understand me. My reason for not believing it is that knowledge surpasses belief. Gentlemen, it was in open day when I saw the angel and I testify to you that I know my testimony is true. I do not believe it is true; I know it is.”
The reader can imagine the chagrin that his neighbors felt at this[p.30]unexpected outcome of their efforts to entrap him.
Martin told me that, knowing the indigent circumstances of the Prophet, he felt it was his duty to aid in the great work by giving Joseph fifty dollars to help advance the Lord’s work. This occurred just prior to Joseph’s leaving Manchester for Harmony, Penn. The Lord raised tip a friend in time of need. The Lord remembered Martin for the timely aid, although it was many days afterwards. Martin also stated that he had hired Joseph to work for him on his farm many times and paid him fifty cents per day, which was the usual price paid for hired help at that time. He also said that he had hoed corn with Joseph often, and that the latter was a good hand to work.
The Prophet found a short season of rest with his father-in-law at Harmony, Penn., where he succeeded in copying the seven lines of characters, which, by a previous arrangement, were taken to Professor Anthon, of New York, as explained in the next chapter.
Soon after Martin Harris returned from New York, he commenced to write for the Prophet while he translated from the gold plates. Martin often related to the writer the mode of translation. He said that the Prophet possessed a seer stone as well as the Urim and Thummim, by means of which he could translate the characters. On one occasion Martin placed in a hat a stone very much like the Prophet’s seer stone, and after the Prophet had looked an unusual length of time, he raised his head, saying, “Martin, what in the world is the matter? all is dark as Egypt.” Martin smiled, and confessed. Joseph said, “Martin, why did you do this?” Martin answered: “To stop the mouths of fools, who tell me you know all this by heart, and are deceiving me.”
Father Sanford Porter, while living in Jackson County, Mo., in 1832, Was desirous to know how the Prophet translated the characters which were engraven on the gold plates, and made it a matter of prayer. While the Prophet was receiving a revelation in Jackson County, Missouri, Father Porter was present in the room and while observing that the Prophet would speak a sentence to be written by a scribe engaged for that purpose, the scribe would say, “It is written,” and if written correctly the sentence before the Prophet would disappear and another sentence would appear likewise, but if not written correctly by the scribe the sentence would remain, and after the necessary correction had been made, the sentence would disappear.
Many years ago Father Porter related to me that it was shown unto him, that by the aid of the Urim and Thummim the Prophet could see a sentence as if in gold letters, which he would read, and when it was written another sentence would appear. Martin Harris stated to me as above that when he had written the sentence that was presented, if written correctly it would disappear and another sentence would appear, and so continue. At the conclusion of the revelation Joseph was receiving, Father Porter said that the Prophet remarked that he had never found such great faith as was manifested in that house on that occasion.
The writer is satisfied that there never was a greater prophet, seer and revelator on this earth than Joseph Smith, the Prophet of God.[p.31]
The Seven Lines of Characters that were translated by Joseph Smith are taken by Martin Harris to Prof. Anthon, fulfilling the words of the Prophet Isaiah, 29th chapter: “Read this, I pray thee, but he says, I cannot, for it is sealed.”
Theseven lines of characters presented in the accompanying engraving were copied by the hand of Joseph Smith in Harmony, Pennsylvania, in the year 1827, he then being in the twenty-second year of his age. They were copied from a book of gold plates which he found hidden in a stone box, the box being nicely jointed together and set in cement. The six slabs of stone forming the box were so dressed that they were smooth and square on the inside, but rough on the outside. Indeed, they were so rough that the capstone, which was crowning, looked something like a cobblestone, for at the time of being found a small portion was laid bare and protruded from the hill side. No one, unless in possession of the knowledge of what was therein contained, would have paid any attention to the stone in passing.
Most certainly, it was very ingeniously constructed and hidden in a very choice spot of ground. It was first found in the spring of 1823, and the young man who found it was only in the seventeenth year of his age. He was too young and inexperienced at that time to receive so valuable a treasure, for it must be in weight about forty pounds or more of pure gold, and in sheets that were very thin like unto thin sheets of tin plate; and they were covered with engravings of a very curious workmanship, showing great skill by those who were the engravers. There were several different persons who did the work of engraving. The plates contained a history which reached out over a period of a thousand years, beginning 600 B. C., and continuing until 420 AD. The history had necessarily to be very brief, and when translated was called the Book of Mormon—that is, the portion which was translated, for there is a portion yet held in reserve, which was sealed with three extra rings, and which will yet, in the due time of the Lord, be revealed and translated.
All these plates were fastened together with three great rings, so that each plate could be turned over in the same manner as if hinged together. So we are led to see that these people were very skilled, and were also careful in preserving their history. That history brings to light who the people were that left so many ruined cities, towers, temples and other relics, many of which are found with hieroglyphics of a similar character to the seven lines presented. The Book of Mormon, translated from those plates, makes a book of 623 pages, and is at the present time printed in about fifteen different languages. In the box with the gold plates was a breast-plate made of gold and valued at about five hundred dollars. Attached to this breast-plate was a Urim and Thummim or interpreters. The latter was in form like unto an old-fashioned pair of spectacles, two clear stones set in rims of silver. I have conversed with Martin Harris, who handled them, and he said he had placed them as he would a pair of spectacles, but they were too large for him, as if they had been made for a larger race of people than the present generation.
This Urim and Thummim was[p.32]similar to what we read of in the Bible of olden times and which only belonged to seers, revelators and prophets. These were hidden with the book, to help the one to whom they should be entrusted to translate them correctly.
The Seven Lines of Characters
The Seven Lines of Characters[p.33]
The hill from whence those plates were taken is fully described in another chapter.
I will vouch for the correctness of the characters, as I have compared them with the original copy, which is still in existence, intact, just as it was when Martin Harris, as a messenger, took it with the translation Joseph Smith had made, to Professor Anthon of New York. The copy here presented was traced from the original copy, and this engraving, made by Mr. John Held, of Salt Lake City, is an exact reproduction of it.
In the year 1871 I was favored with the privilege of bringing Martin Harris from Kirtland, Ohio, to Utah. While on our journey, I had many opportunities of conversing with him upon this subject, as well as upon many other incidents which occurred at the early period of the translation. Soon after presenting the seven lines of characters to Professor Anthon, be (Martin Harris) aided the young Prophet by acting as scribe during a portion of the translation. The learned Professor Anthon, after having the lines of characters presented to him, examined them carefully, and gave a certificate stating that they were Egyptian characters and had been correctly translated. Mr. Harris, with the certificate, started to leave, but when he had advanced as far as the door, the Professor called to him, asking where he obtained those plates. Harris replied:
“In a hill near Palmyra, New York.”
“Then bring the book to me and I will translate the plates for you.”
“I can not do so,” said Martin, “for a part of them is sealed.”
“Then,” replied Mr. Anthon, “I cannot read a sealed book,” upon which he recalled the certificate and tore it up.
Martin Harris said to me, “At that time I was not aware that the Prophet Isaiah, in the twenty-ninth chapter of his writings, had predicted that those exact words would be uttered and the prophecy thus fulfilled by Prof. Anthon. For the better information of the reader we will refer to the book of Isaiah, beginning at the 11th and 12th verses, which reads as follows:
“And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he said, I cannot, for it is sealed. And the book [not the words or seven lines of characters] is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
It is well known that Joseph Smith was not learned, and claimed to be only a farmer’s boy without the opportunities for a scholastic education; for he had, as Peter the fisherman, to work for his living.
Permit me to offer some striking evidence to show that the Prophet was not learned, by the word directly over the lines of characters. How natural it would be for a boy unlearned to leave out the silent h and further to substitute the o for the e, as it is written by his own hand, thus—Caractors. This I offer as evidence of the fulfillment of Isaiah’s words, 29th chapter and 12th verse, “I am not learned.”[p.34]
Well, indeed, may the prophet say in the same chapter:
“Cry ye out, and cry; they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.”
I ask what kind of drunkenness can this mean, unless as really inferred by Isaiah’s own words: “For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.”
At the time the book came forth there were upon the earth no prophets or seers to guide the people. There had been prophets from the time of Adam to Moses and from Moses to Jesus Christ, John the Revelator being the last prophet of that time, 96 AD.
And the Book came forth and a new prophet arose after that long period, and at a time when people were drunken with confusion regarding the true religious light, for there were about six hundred different religious sects staggering against each other, each one claiming to be the true church that Christ established, with one lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all.
Every Bible student should know that Jesus placed in his church: first, twelve apostles, then seventies, elders, pastors, teachers, gifts and blessings for the perfecting of the saints. After the apostasy from the Church of Christ, the mother of harlots made all nations drunken with the wine of her fornication, divided up into fragments, without prophets, seers or revelators. It was in this condition, as the prophets have foretold, when the boy Prophet began so marvelous a work, and which cost him his life to establish.
The Prophet Joseph and others Sentenced to be Shot on the Public Square at Far West, in the Presence of their Friends.—The Execution Deferred, and the Prisoners afterwards sent to Liberty Jail.
TheLiberty Jail, which is fast going into ruins, is situated in the city of Liberty, Clay County, Missouri. It is inland three miles from the Missouri River and about ten miles from Independence in Jackson County, and Independence is eleven miles from Kansas City of the same state.
There are many reasons why this jail should become conspicuous and be preserved in history, but the principal one is that there Joseph Smith, the Prophet, in the fall of 1838 and spring of 1839, at the time of Governor L. W. Boggs’ exterminating war against the Mormons, was most unjustly and wickedly imprisoned. In 1838, the Prophet and others were betrayed into the hands of the Missouri mob by Colonel George M. Hinkle, the mob being headed by General Samuel D. Lucas. The prisoners were tried under martial law and sentenced to be shot on the following day on the public square in Far West, in the presence of a multitude of the followers of “Joe” Smith, as they chose to call him. This was intended, no doubt, as a sample of Missouri charity, sympathy and humanity, and as a[p.35]lesson for Mormons for daring to believe as conscience dictated, and for exercising as American freemen the privileges guaranteed by a Constitution believed to be inspired. The writer speaks for himself, as one for whom he had deep sentiments of regard, as a true Prophet, who was sent of God to re-establish the fullness of the everlasting gospel.
The Liberty Jail
The Liberty Jail[p.36]
But God overruled the horrible edict that the Prophet and his companions should be shot on the public square on the following day at 8 o'clock a.m. This was on the 31st of October, 1838. General Doniphan denounced the proposed act as “cold-blooded murder,” threatening to withdraw his brigade from the scene of the intended massacre.
This turned the tide of events and Lucas and his murderous colleagues began to hesitate and finally to reconsider their action. That General Lucas was acting under Governor Lilburn W. Boggs’ orders is evident by the utterances made unto us who were compelled to assemble together on the public square at Far West, where we were harangued by General Clark at considerable length. The speech was very abusive, as can be learned by reading it farther on in this pamphlet. Before introducing the speech we will state a number of interesting facts which occurred about that time. There was in existence the Fifty-third Regiment of Missouri Militia, under the command of Col. George M. Hinkle, who held a commission signed by the Governor of the state.
There was times of trouble when it became necessary for Colonel Hinkle to call out the militia, consequently our movements were in accordance with the laws of Missouri. On the 30th of October, 1838, Neil Gillam was at the head of a mob who were disguised as wild Indians. They were painted, and Gillam himself was arrayed as an Indian chief. The mob had been burning houses and driving the Mormons’ stock away from their owners, taking prisoners, etc. Colonel Hinkle ordered out a company of militia, about 150 in number, to endeavor to learn the intentions of Gillam and others, who were camping on Log Creek, near Far West. I was one of those under Col. Hinkle, and we all were on horseback. We soon learned that their intentions were hostile. A flag of truce in the hands of Charles C. Rich was shot at during the day, and our company was cut off from Far West by a line of battle being formed between us and our homes. Colonel Hinkle returned from the front of our line with his military coat off, saying that there were hardly enough of us to allow a mouthful apiece for the numerous hosts before us. He seemed excited and fearfully frightened, and for this and other reasons I have always believed this accounted for his conduct on that occasion. We retreated fifteen miles (instead of five miles, from where we were), to Far West, arriving about the time the troops were nearing the city. They were marching with red flags, which were interspersed and mixed up with Gillam’s command of painted faces. Our company coming into Far West on the gallop, created quite a sensation, as we were mistaken for the enemy coming in from two different points. We, however, soon proved ourselves to be friends, and were just in time to extend the line already formed in defense of the[p.37]city. Our adversaries were in the ratio of about ten to one of us, which looked rather serious for a little handful of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Prophet came along after our arrival and said:
“Fear them not; God is for us, and there are more for us than there are against us [meaning the hosts of heaven were on our side.] God and liberty is the watchword,” said Joseph. “Fear them not, for their hearts are cold as cucumbers.”
Night was fast approaching, and flags of truce were passing between the two lines, by which we learned that this formidable army was sent out by Governor Boggs with orders to exterminate us. It was finally concluded not to murder us that night, so the army withdrew until the next morning, when they intended to make a final end of Mormonism. They camped for the night on Goose Creek, one mile away from the city. Thus ended one of the most eventful days of our lives. It fell to my lot to stand guard that night, and the worst confusion and disorder ever witnessed by human beings existed in the enemy’s camp. This, with unearthly yelling and howling, produced a real pandemonium very much resembling my idea of hell. A sort of breast-work was constructed during the night, made principally of wagons, house logs, etc. A dark and dreary night was that. On the following day, October 31st, we were preparing to meet death, if necessary, rather than surrender our religion to a mob. We trusted in the Lord, however, and a better way was prepared. Colonel Hinkle had been communicating with the enemy during the day, and in the afternoon Joseph Smith and others passed over the breast-works near where I and others were on duty. Colonel Hinkle lead the party to meet the enemy, where he betrayed them into their hands. This treachery on his part turned out for the best, for God suffers offences to come, as in the case of Judas, “but woe to him by whom they come.”
On the following day, November 1st, 1838, we were marched into a hollow square just outside of the city, where we delivered up about 630 guns, grounded our arms, and advanced to the center of the square, where the small arms and swords were left in a pile. The late Bishop McRae gave six cuts with his sword and a pointer in the ground and left his sword sticking there. We were left without the means of self-defense and at the mercy of a conscienceless set of ignorant, prejudiced people, many of whom, like St. Paul before his conversion, acted as if they were doing God’s service in destroying property and abusing the Mormons. My widowed mother’s house was plundered and my sister, now living here in Utah, had her clothes taken from her in open day, leaving her destitute of her necessary apparel.
General Wilson, who was one of the mobbers in Jackson County, was in company with Joseph Smith soon after he was condemned to be shot. Joseph asked General Wilson what he had done that he should be treated with such indignity, stating that he had always been a supporter of the Constitution and of good government. Wilson’s reply was:
“I know it, and that is the reason I want to kill you, or have you killed.”
Subsequently this same Wilson said to P. P. Pratt and others:
“We Jackson County boys know how it is,[p.38]and therefore have not the extreme hatred and prejudice which characterizes the rest of the troops. We know perfectly well from the beginning that the Mormons have not been the aggressors at all. As it began in 1833 in Jackson County, Mo., so it has been ever since.… We mob you without law; the authorities refuse to protect you according to law, you then are compelled to protect yourselves, and we act upon the prejudices of the public, who join our forces and the whole is legalized for your destruction and our gain … When we drove you from Jackson County we burned 203 of your houses, plundered your goods, destroyed your press, type and paper, books, office and all—tarred and feathered old Bishop Partridge—as exemplary an old man as you can find anywhere. We shot down some of your men, and if any of you returned the fire, we imprisoned you and had you on trial for murder. D—d shrewdly done, gentlemen; and I came d—d near kicking the bucket myself; for on one occasion while we were tearing down houses, driving families and destroying and plundering goods, some of you good folks put a ball through my son’s body, and another through the arm of my clerk, and a third pierced my shirt collar and marked my neck. No blame, gentlemen; we deserved it, and let a set of men serve me as your community have been served, and I’ll be d—d if I would not fight till I died.”
Most certainly this was an honest confession, and I can certify to nearly all of his acknowledgments, for I have been driven from my home and robbed of my hard-earned property more than once. There are many others besides General Wilson who have acknowledged to the same things, for I have personally heard them.
When the brethren were being hurried away, as prisoners, from their homes, P. P. Pratt says:
“I went to General Moses Wilson in tears, and stated the circumstances of my sick, heart-broken, destitute family, in terms which would have moved any heart that had a latent spark of humanity yet remaining, but I was only answered with an exultant laugh and a taunt of reproach by this hardened murderer. Halting at the door of Hyrum Smith, I heard the sobs and groans of his wife at Hyrum’s parting. She was then near confinement and needed more than ever the comfort and consolation of a husband’s presence. As we returned to the wagon we witnessed the sad, parting of Sidney Rigdon and his family, and in the same wagon was Joseph Smith, while his aged father and mother came up overwhelmed with tears, and took each of the prisoners by the hand with a silence of grief too great for utterance.
Little encouragement was left to those grief-stricken parents, for they knew so well that they were in the hands of a mob who had snatched and dragged them away as if they were murderers. Fresh to their minds was recalled a scene that took place in earlier days, when, close to their own thresholds, a demon in human form, in the dark hour of the night, had fired at their son, just barely missing him. There were fifty-six citizens thus dragged away from their homes, without any earthly hope of deliverance, only as in God they put their trust. Judge King said to H. C. Kimball:
“Joe Smith is not fit to live.”
For further light concerning the good or evil wishes of this great mob of Missourians, we will now return to the public square to hear the abusive words of General Clark. Addressing the Mormons he said:
“It now devolves upon you to fulfill a treaty that you have entered into.
“1st.—Your leading men be given up to be tried according to the law. This you have already complied with.
“2nd.—That you deliver up your arms. This has been attended to [which we did, surrounded by the mob, some of whom I heard say, ‘Now we have got their arms, it is as good as death to them.']
“3rd.—That you sign over your properties to defray the expenses of the war. This you have also done.
“4th.—That you leave the state forthwith. And whatever may be your feelings concerning this, or whatever your innocence, it is nothing to me. General Lucas (whose[p.39]military rank is equal to mine) has made this treaty with you, and I approve of it. I should have done the same. I am determined to see it executed. The character of this state has suffered almost beyond redemption. And we deem it as an act of justice to restore her character to its former standing among the states by every proper means. The orders of the Governor to me were, that you should be exterminated, and not allowed to remain in the state. And had not your leaders been given up, and the terms of the treaty complied with, before this time you and your families would have been destroyed and your houses in ashes.
“There is a discretionary power vested in my hands, which, considering your circumstances, I shall exercise for a season. You are indebted to me for this clemency. I do not say you shall go now, but you must not think if staying here another season or of putting in crops; for, if you do, the citizens will be upon you. If I am called here again in case of non-compliance of a treaty made, do not think that I shall do as I have done now. You need not expect any mercy, but extermination. For I am determined the Governor’s orders shall be executed.
“As for your leaders, do not think, do not imagine for a moment, do not let it enter into your minds, that they shall be delivered and restored to you again for their fate is fixed, their die is cast. Their doom is sealed. I am sorry, very sorry, gentlemen, to see so many intelligent men found in this situation. Oh! if I could invoke the Great Spirit, the unknown God—[I suppose without body, parts or passions]—to rest upon and deliver you from that awful chain of superstition, and liberate you from those fetters of fanaticism with which you are bound, that you no longer do homage to a man! My advice is that you become as other citizens, let by a recurrence of these events you bring upon yourselves irretrievable ruin.”
It vividly recurs to my mind that at the closing of General Clark’s hard talk, G. M. Hinkle also spoke to the large body of Saints, saying:
“I would advise you all to do as I have done, for I have got my hand out of the lion’s mouth, and I intend to keep it out hereafter.”
It may not be out of place to relate a statement made to me by E. B. Tripp, who authorizes me to use his name, regarding George M. Hinkle, whose hand he said was out of the lion’s mouth (taking his own word for it.) Elder. E. B. Tripp says:
“In 1852, I lived in Wapelo, Louisa Co., Iowa G. M. Hinkle, a stranger to me, came into my drug store. He introduced himself to me, saying: ‘This is Mr. Tripp, I understand. I hear that you are going to Utah, and I would like to have a private talk with you. I am the man who betrayed Joseph Smith and others into the hands of the mob in Missouri. I am a miserable man, and scarce know what to do with myself. I would be willing to lay down my life if this would atone for the sin I committed. What can I do, Mr. Tripp, for I know Mormonism is true?”
This is the substance of the conversation as reported by Brother Tripp, who save him some good advice before he parted with him. Thomas B. Marsh, one of the Twelve Apostles, apostatized during this dark hour of Missouri persecution. I saw him and heard him speak then, and also when he came to Utah and was rebaptized. I heard him confess with deep regret, saying:
“Look at my trembling limbs and see the fate of an apostate, for I am a wreck, but Mormonism is true, and I advise you not to do as I have done, in my apostasy.”
Gen. John C. Bennett, who once flourished in Nauvoo, apostatized because of his iniquities. He died in Polk City, Iowa, a miserable wreck, debased and degraded. When I was in Iowa on a mission I learned of a party who once had a rope around his neck and over a limb. At that time he barely escaped being hung up like a dog.
Prior to Joseph and Hyrum Smith, and others, being marched to Liberty jail, General Lucas allowed the prisoners to see for a few moments, in the presence of their guards, their weeping[p.40]wives and children. Most of them were not permitted to speak, being merely allowed to look at them before being hurried away.
Mary Fielding Smith, wife of Hyrum Smith, a few days after his painful parting from her husband, became a mother. The favored child thus born amidst those warlike scenes is today known as Joseph Fielding Smith, Counselor to the First Presidency.
The brethren were taken to Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, to be murdered by those who only a few years before drove the Saints from the country, murdering some, tarring and feathering others, and expelling the remainder without color of law. Notwithstanding this, on Sunday, November 4th, 1838, the Prophet preached to many who gathered around them. The officers, finding that the people’s feelings were softened into tears of sympathy, had them removed to Richmond, where they were chained down as felons and then removed to Liberty jail.
In September, 1888, in company with Elder Andrew Jenson and Bishop Black, of Deseret, I visited this place, also Far West and Adam-Ondi-Ahman. This trip brought vividly before me many sayings of the Prophet, more particularly of his speaking of the Garden of Eden, which he said was situated at Independence, which is only about ten miles to the northwest of Liberty jai. The Prophet said it had been manifested unto him that here was where our Father Adam was placed, and where his home was until his fall, when he was driven out into the dreary world, and from thence he took his departure northeast about seventy miles, to where a stake of Zion was located, and it was named Adam-Ondi-Ahman by revelation. This knowledge makes this land, which is good and greatly blessed, all the more attractive to the Saints, and creates a desire to cherish not only the memory of the land, but this loathsome jail as well, which is now going to ruins.
The Bible tells us about the Garden of Eden, and why not locate it here in this goodly land as well as any other part of the earth? Many changes have taken place since Adam’s time, as, for instance, the great deluge and the division of the earth in the days of Peleg. Again, at the crucifixion, when the solid rocks were rent, mountains cast up, and great convulsions took place on the face of the whole earth. All of these events would naturally tend to make it difficult to locate the Garden without revelation, and this is how I became informed on this subject. I was with the Prophet Joseph Smith sixty miles northeast of Liberty jail in 1838, less than one year before he was imprisoned there. We were standing with others on the hill Adam-Ondi-Ahman. The Prophet said, pointing to a mound of stones:
“There is where Father Adam built an altar when he was driven from the Garden of Eden and offered up sacrifice unto the Lord.”
He further said that the Garden of Eden was in or near Independence, the center stake of Zion. I thought it a great privilege to be at that time with the Prophet, and to hear his words regarding the mound and pile of rocks laid up at so early a period of the world’s history.
Three years ago I visited the same altar with deep interest, and also the spot of ground where the Prophet received the revelation, wherein Adam-Ondi-Ahman is named as the place where Adam shall come to visit his[p.41]people, or the Ancient of Days shall sit, as spoken of by Daniel the Prophet. Doc. and Cov., Sec. 115, page 415. The Prophet said that this Michael is Adam.
I quote the following from the revelation:
“Is there not room enough upon the mountains of Adam-Ondi-Ahman … the land where Adam dwelt? … Therefore come up hither to the land of my people, even Zion.’—Doc. and Cov., sec. 117, v. 8
Having lived and worked at the tin business in sight of this dungeon where the Prophet was so unjustly imprisoned and suffered so much, this knowledge of the country was welcome news to me. On one occasion, as I was informed by the late Bishop Alexander McRae, who was imprisoned in this same jail, and as he substantially related to me, five of the prisoners, viz: Joseph Smith, Hyrum, his brother, Caleb Baldwin, Lyman Wight, Sidney Rigdon and Bishop McRae were taking supper together. All but Brother McRae partook of tea, as they were glad to get anything to sustain life. Soon afterwards five of the inmates were taken sick and some of them were blind for three days, after which they were afflicted with sore eyes for a long time. Bishop McRae escaped this affliction as he did not partake of the tea. All of the six prisoners agreed that poison had been put in the tea, but how and by whom was unknown to them.
While the prisoners were confined in this jail, young Joseph Smith and Emma, his mother, visited their husband and father. It was at this time that Joseph’s son, now the leader of the Reorganized church, claims to have received a blessing under the hands of his father. Joseph F. Smith, with his mother, visited his father in this same jail, and although but an infant, received a blessing under his hands. Owing to the delicate state of her health, Joseph F.’s mother had to be taken on a bed in a carriage, to see, perhaps for the last time, her husband as a prisoner for the gospel’s sake. The meeting and parting on that occasion must have been heartrending under the circumstances. Very few can now realize such days as those of the imprisonment at Liberty jail.
From the day that Joseph Smith received the plates at the hands of Moroni, the angel, until his incarceration in Liberty jail, his life was one of persecution, trial and imprisonment, so much so that on one occasion Joseph was led to pray:
“O God! where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye—yea, thy pure eye—behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people, and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries? Yea O Lord, how long shall they suffer these wrongs and unlawful oppressions, before thine heart shall be softened towards them, and they bowels be moved with compassion towards them? O Lord God Almighty, maker of the heaven and earth, and seas, and all things that in them are, and who controlleth and subjecteth the devil and the dark and benighted dominion of Sheol! Stretched forth thy hand; let think eye pierce; let thy pavilion be taken up; let thy hiding place no longer be covered; let thine ear be inclined; let thine heart be softened, and thy bowels moved with compassion towards us.* * *Remember thy suffering Saints, O our God.”
The Prophet loved the Saints, and he knew of their extreme suffering, and their moving through mud and rain, in poverty, leaving their homes and all behind them, while he, with his brethren, was in a dungeon liable to be poisoned at any time. They knew their lives were not safe in such[p.42]a mobocratic state as was Missouri then. However, Joseph had consolation, dark as it appeared, for he promised his brethren that not one of their lives should be lost. In the midst of their cries unto the Lord, he was answered thus:
“My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversary and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. Thou art not yet as Job; thy friends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job.* * *Wo unto all those that discomfort my people, and drive, and murder, and testify against them, saith the Lord of Hosts. A generation of vipers shall not escape the damnation of hell.* * *Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly. Then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God, and the doctrine of the Priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth, and they dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee for ever and ever.”
When I looked upon the Liberty jail in 1834, again in 1838-39, and for the last time in 1888, in the last stages of decay (it being 54 years from the time I first saw it), my soul was moved upon with deep emotion, for thoughts of the past crowded upon my mind. Indeed, I felt almost bewildered, and as if in a dream. It was only four years and nine months after the Prophet left this dungeon that he was murdered, dying as a martyr in Carthage jail, Hancock County, Illinois, on the memorable 27th of June, 1844.
Elder Jenson, Bishop Black and myself obtained a photograph of the jail as a relic, from which the engraving illustrating this article has been taken. The jail was built about 1830, of hewn oak logs, and was only 14 by 14-1/2 feet in the clear. Soon after a stone wall two feet thick was added, leaving a space of twelve inches between the logs and the stone wall, which was filled in with loose stones, thus making a wall four feet thick.
In order to show how particular the Prophet was regarding revelations which he received from the Lord, I will relate an incident which occurred in Liberty jail. While the Prophet was receiving a revelation, the late Bishop Alexander McRae was writing as Joseph received it. Upon this occasion Brother McRae suggested a slight change in the wording of the revelation, when Joseph sternly asked:
“Do you know who you are writing for?”
Brother McRae, who at once discovered his mistake, begged the Prophet’s pardon for undertaking to correct the word of the Lord.
In March, 1839, and less than one month before leaving the jail, Joseph received the word of the Lord, as follows:
“The ends of the earth shall inquire after thy name, and fools shall have thee in derision, and hell shall rage against thee, while the pure in heart, and the wise, and the noble, and the virtuous, shall seek council, and authority, and blessings constantly from under thy hand. And thy people shall never be turned against thee by the testimony of traitors. And although their influence shall cast thee into trouble, into bars and walls, thou shalt be had in honor, and but for a small moment and thy voice shall be more terrible in the midst of thy enemies than the fierce lion, because of thy righteousness; and thy God shall stand by thee forever and ever. If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea; if thou are accused of all manner of false accusations; if thy enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother, and brethren and sisters; and if, with a drawn sword, thine enemies tear thee from the[p.43]bosom of thy wife and of thine offspring, and thine elder son (Joseph), although but 6 years of age, … and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb; and if thou should be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all; art thou greater than he? Therefore hold on thy way, and the Priesthood shall remain with thee, for their bounds are set and they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you for ever and every.”
The Assassination of Generals Joseph and Hyrum Smith in Carthage, Hancock Co., Ill., June 27, 1844, while under the pledged protection of the Governor of the State.
Theengraving presented on another page is a true representation of the jail at Carthage, Illinois, wherein Joseph Smith, revered by the “Mormon” people as a prophet of God, and his brother Hyrum were foully murdered in 1844. A sketch of the building was made by the late Robert Campbell soon after the massacre, from which the illustration accompanying this sketch was made.
The mob of eighty men, whose faces were painted black, were under the direction of the notorious Captain Williams, who is represented in the picture as standing just back of the four men who are shooting the Prophet as he is lying partially stunned against the well curb. The Captain is directing the murder, as is to be seen in the engraving. Farther to the right is Captain Smith, with his company of Carthage Greys, who were entrusted with the care and custody of the prisoners under the pledge of the Governor of the state for their safety.
In the afternoon of the day of the murder, the mob were concealed in the woods about three-quarters of a mile northwest of the jail, where they had previously marched. The front of the jail is to the south. Communication for some time was kept up between the mob and the Carthage Greys by couriers, until a perfect understanding was effected between the two mobs, for by this mutual understanding the State troops had become identified with the murder. The diabolical plot was so arranged that the troops had their guns loaded only with blank cartridges. From the situation of affairs, the disbanding of the troops at Carthage (except those treacherous Greys), and the Governor being at the same time in Nauvoo disarming the Nauvoo Legion, looks like a very deep plot for the murder of those two innocent prisoners. What makes it still more apparent that the State was guilty of this foul deed, is the fact that not one of those who were immediately connected with the murder were ever convicted, while many of them roamed at large, although well known to the community as having taken part in[p.44]the murder, some even boasting of having participated in the vile act. One man in particular, who lived in what was known as Morley’s settlement, near Carthage, openly claimed to have helped in the massacre.
While I was in St. George about two years ago I read from a record book the following:
“Mr. Meradis Perry, a near neighbor of ours, was one of the mob who killed Joseph Smith. He came home from Carthage sick and begged my father to kill him; ‘for,’ said he, ‘I can neither eat nor sleep. When I close my eyes I can see Joseph Smith before me; I am a miserable man.’ My father told him that he was in the hands of the Lord, and he would deal with him as seemed good onto himself; that Joseph was a true prophet sent of God, and his blood, with that of his brother, would cry from Carthage jail against his murderers as did Able’s against his slayer. My father, James Bellows, lived near Morley’s settlement.”
The daughter of Jas. Bellows, who has the record named, vouches for the above, having seen the mobber. She says he was a miserable human being.
The mob came from the woods, entered the stairway door, crowded upstairs, and commenced pressing in the door where the prisoners were confined. They were unable to open the door for a while, when shots were fired through the door. All was commotion and confusion. A ball passing through the door pierced Hyrum Smith on the side of his nose just below the eye, when he fell prostrate on the floor, exclaiming: “I am a dead man.”
The Prophet thought that by leaping from the window of the upper story would attract the attention of the rabble and thus save the lives of his friends. Willard Richards is to be seen looking from the window of the prison upon the heart-rending scene without being able to render the Prophet of God any assistance in his dying moments.
It is possible that while the martyr was holding on to the window sill he received some of his wounds, before falling to the ground. As he reached the ground he cried out: “O Lord, my God!”
Each received four balls. John Taylor and Willard Richards, two of the Twelve Apostles, were the only ones in the room at the time besides the two martyrs. John Taylor was wounded severely with four balls, but after much suffering he recovered, and lived a life of usefulness, and finally presided over the Church, until his death. Willard Richards escaped without a hole in his robe, and died in peace in his Utah home many years after.
Thus two of the most noble sons of God have sealed their testimony with their blood, and henceforth are numbered with those whom John saw under the altar,—“the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying: How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that live on the earth? And white robes were given every one of them: and it was said unto them, that they should rest for a little season, until their fellow servants and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”
As Jesus our Saviour was crucified and his disciples martyred, and not one of their murderers ever brought to justice (only as God punished them), so has it been in this enlightened age of the world with assassins who have been equally guilty.
The picture, although a sad one, is[p.45]a true representation of the tragedy, and will never be forgotten by those who once behold it. Hyrum Smith was 44 years old in February, 1844, and Joseph Smith was Only 38 in December, 1843. They were martyred on the 27th of June, 1844. The late President John Taylor’s watch was struck with a bullet while in his pocket, and stopped between 4 and 5 o'clock.
Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith
Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith[p.46]
I first saw Joseph Smith in 1844 at my mother’s house. It was late in the spring season. I also heard him bear his testimony many times with a power that was not gainsaid by those who heard him testify with regard to the visions which he had been favored with. Some of his hearers said:
“Well, if it is true it will stand.”
When I heard the three witnesses testify to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and that they had in open daylight both seen and heard the voice of the angel, I knew their testimony was true. My first impression of Joseph nearly sixty years ago was that he was a true prophet, and I formed a love for him which increased with our acquaintance. I was with him in the state of Missouri during those trying scenes until his imprisonment in Liberty jail, and subsequently in Illinois, and with the bereaved family and thousands of Latter-day Saints shed a tear over his remains as he lay silently in death’s embrace. I took a last look at him in the Nauvoo Mansion in June, 1844.
Joseph Bates Nobles stated to me that he was with the Prophet when he was going voluntarily to give himself up to the pretended requirements of the law, on which occasion he said:
“I am going like a lamb to the slaughter, but I am calm as a summer’s morning; I have a conscience void of offence towards God and towards all men. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me—'He was murdered in cold blood.’”
Hyrum also knew of their doom, for on the morning just before leaving for the murderous prison he turned down the leaf of the fifth chapter of the Book of Ether, which reads as follows:
“And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto the gentiles grace, that they might have charity. And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me, if they have not charity, it mattereth not unto you, thou hast been faithful; wherefore, thy garments are clean. And because thou hast seen thy weakness, thou shalt be made strong, even to the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my father. And now I —— bid farewell unto the gentiles; yea, and also until my brethren whom, I love, [and all who knew him well knew of his mercy and benevolence], until we shall meet before the judgment seat of Christ, where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood.”
They were innocent of crime, as had been proven many, many times. It was a conspiracy of “traitors and wicked men,” and their blood, as I saw it on the floor of Carthage jail in 1844, soon after their martyrdom, and again in 1888, is still there as a witness against the murderers.
The jail is now transformed into a comfortable private residence, and is occupied by Mrs. Elizabeth Mathews Browning, her husband having deeded it to her. Many years ago the county sold the premises to Mr. B. F. Patterson, subsequently he sold it to Mr. Jas. M. Browning, who in turn deeded it to his wife. While being shown around the premises, in its varied parts, by Mrs. Browning, we came to where the well curb once stood, which is now substituted by a bed of lilies of the valley, being assured that the spot[p.47]will ever be held in remembrance. The house has an addition of an east wing, and the rude fence has been remodeled into a nice picket fence. Just prior to leaving Carthage, the kind lady of the house took us up stairs, where the mob entered. We saw the bullet hole through the door. Although repaired somewhat, we saw where the bullet went that killed Hyrum. Other bullet marks were also visible. Although the floor was carpeted, we were assured by Mrs. Browning that the blood stain still remains, and cannot be washed away.
At the time of the Prophet’s martyrdom, many marveled why Joseph was taken away from the Church; but since that time we have learned that it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to them by whom they come. God suffered his Son Jesus to be crucified. It was necessary to accomplish certain ends. Many have marveled because of his death, but it was needful that he should seal his testimony with his blood, that he might be honored and the wicked be condemned. When Mr. O. H. Browning, pleading for the Prophet, gave a recitation of what he himself had seen at Quincy, Illinois, on the banks of the Mississippi River (when the Saints were expelled from Missouri), so sad were the scenes depicted that the spectators were moved into tears. Judge Douglass himself and most of the officers wept. In conclusion, Mr. Browning said:
“Great God! have I not seen it? Yes, my eyes have beheld the blood-stained traces of innocent women and children in the drear winter, who have traveled hundreds of miles barefoot, through frost and snow, to seek refuge from their savage pursuers. ‘Twas a scene of horror sufficient to elicit sympathy from an adamantine heart. And shall this unfortunate man, whom their fury has seen proper to select for sacrifice, be driven into such a savage land and none dare to enlist in the cause of justice? If there was no other voice under heaven ever to be heard in this cause, gladly would I stand alone and proudly spend my last breath in defense of an oppressed American citizen.”
Judge Douglass dismissed Joseph on the 10th of June, 1841. Again in May, 1843, he was kidnapped in Dixon, Ill., but before his enemies succeeded in dragging him over the line into Missouri, he obtained the aid of three lawyers, who finally secured his release on habeas corpus. While in custody, Mr. Reynolds of Missouri several times cocked his pistol on Joseph, threatening to shoot. The latter bared his breast, saying:
“Shoot away! I have endured so much I am weary of life; kill me, if you please.”
After repeated failures to have him executed in a legal way, his enemies said:
“If we cannot reach him by law, powder and ball shall,” which was at last fulfilled at the well-curb at Carthage jail.
“Our Patriarch and Prophet, too,Were massacred; they bledTo seal their testimony,—They were numbered with the dead,Ah, tell me, are they sleeping?Me thinks I hear them say,’Death’s icy chains are bursting,’Tis the Resurrection day!’”
* * * * * * * * * *
“Oh, wretched murd’rers, fierce for human blood!You’ve slain the Prophets of the living God,Who’ve borne oppression from their early youth,To plant on earth the principles of truth.”