Reminiscences of Joseph, the Prophet, and the Coming Forth of the Book of MormonStevenson, Edward
Religion
Reminiscences of Joseph, the Prophet, and the Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon
Stevenson, Edward
Book of Mormon; Latter Day Saint churches; Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844
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 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.
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."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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