2003-4-25 06:55:00
Looks like Keith has been doing some research into early Mormon as evidenced by his post from the writings of David Whitmer.
It is interesting that David Whitmer was one of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon who testified that he saw an angel descend from heaven and show him the plates from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. Even though he became disenchanted with Joseph he never denied his witness. He was of the mindset that the Bible and Book of Mormon contained all that God wanted them to know at the time and was greatly offended that Joseph kept introducing new doctrines. The doctrine that there is a Hierarchy of Gods and the God over us was once a man who evolved on another earth about drove him and many others angry with rage.
There were secret organizations within the church that were for a devious purpose, but theses were at odds with Joseph rather than being controlled by him.
An action or a true event is a much more powerful witness to the nature of a man than words that are not possible to verify. I am including below three of my favorite miraculous incidents from the life of Joseph Smith.
The first was mentioned by David Whitmer in Keith's post. When Joseph was sentenced to death and placed in prison, Whitmer acts as if he deserved that and more, but the true story is very inspiring. Joseph was sentenced to be shot the next morning and his life was miraculously saved
Hugh B. Brown, a past LDS apostle relates the following: I am greatly impressed by the courage of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Dr. Heidenreich, a former minister from New York who joined the Church came to see me yesterday for a few moments. He said, "The thing that I am grateful for is that the Prophet Joseph Smith had the courage to finish his job in the face of the most difficult situations and circumstances." I have thought of this often and have tried to put myself in his place. He was a young man full of life and hope and expectations, hounded and persecuted and driven, beaten, mobbed, imprisoned, murdered, when at any time he could have said, "It is a hoax, it is not true, I am sorry I said it, I withdraw what I said." If he had said those things, the persecution would have stopped, he would have been turned loose to do as he pleased and would have had no more notice from the public, and he would have not died as he did.
One of the incidents by which I have always been stirred, and which I would like to bring to you this morning is when the Prophet was in Richmond Jail. General Clark was in charge, and the record says he was determined that his prisoner should die. He made preparations for the commission of that murder before he had even decided the charge that he was to bring against his prisoners. And while the matter was pending Brother Jedediah M. Grant -- the father of Heber J. Grant, our president -- who was then a young man, put up at the same tavern with the general in Richmond. He saw Clark select the men to shoot Joseph Smith and his fellow prisoners, and he heard that the day of the execution was fixed -- Monday, November 12, 1838. He saw the men who were selected. He saw them load their rifles with two bullets each, and after this was done he heard Clark say to them, "Gentlemen, you shall have the honor of shooting the Mormon leaders on Monday morning at eight o'clock." Others were in the jail with the Prophet, and among them was Parley P. Pratt. Here briefly is his account of that memorable night:
"In one of those tedious nights we had lain as if asleep until the hour of midnight had passed, and our ears and our hearts had been pained while we had listened for hours to the obscene jests, the horrid oaths, the dreadful blasphemies and filthy language of our guards, Colonel Price at their head, as they recounted to each other their deeds of rapine, murder, robbery, etc., which they had committed among the "Mormons" while at Far West and vicinity. They even boasted of defiling by force wives daughters and virgins, and of shooting or dashing out the brains of men, women, and children.
"I had listened till I became so disgusted, shocked, horrified, and so filled with the spirit of indignant justice, that I could scarcely refrain from rising upon my feet and rebuking the guards; but had said nothing to Joseph, or any one else, although I lay next to him and knew he was awake. On a sudden he arose to his feet, and spoke in a voice of thunder, or as the roaring lion, uttering as near as I can recollect the following words:
"'Silence ye fiends of the infernal pit. In the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke you, and command you to be still; I will not live another minute and hear such language. Cease such talk, or you or I die this instant.'
"He ceased to speak. He stood erect in terrible majesty. Chained and without a weapon; calm, unruffled, and dignified as an angel, he looked upon the quailing guards, weapons were lowered or dropped to the ground; whose knees smote together and who, shrinking into a corner or crouching at his feet, begged his pardon, and remained quiet till a change of guards.
"I have seen ministers of justice, clothed in magisterial robes, and criminals arraigned before them, while life was suspended on a breath, in the Courts of England; I have witnessed a Congress in solemn session to give laws to nations; I have tried to conceive of kings, of royal courts, of thrones and crowns; and of emperors assembled to decide the fate of kingdoms; but dignity and majesty have I seen but once, as it stood in chains, at midnight, in a dungeon in an obscure village of Missouri."
Thank God for the spirit of his chosen servant. Thank God for sustaining him by His Holy Spirit.
Personally, I would like to be able to so live as to be partially worthy to shake his hand when he comes again. Hugh B. Brown, The Abundant Life, p.336-339
This second incident is told by my Great Great Grandfather:
Healing of the Sick by the Prophet Joseph Smith at Nauvoo
By Wilford Woodruff
While I was living in this cabin in the old barracks, we experienced a day of God's power with the Prophet Joseph. It was a very sickly time and Joseph had given up his home in Commerce to the sick, and had a tent pitched in his dooryard and was living in that himself. The large number of Saints who had been driven out of Missouri, were flocking into Commerce; but had not homes to go into, and were living in wagons, in tents, and on the ground. Many, therefore, were sick through the exposure they were subjected to. Brother Joseph had waited on the sick, until he was worn out and nearly sick himself.
On the morning of the 22nd of July, 1839, he arose reflecting upon the situation of the Saints of God in their persecutions and afflictions, and he called upon the Lord in prayer, and the power of God rested upon him mightily, and as Jesus healed the sick around Him in His day, so Joseph, the Prophet of God, healed all around on this occasion. He healed all in his house and dooryard, then, in company with Sidney Rigdon and several of the Twelve, he went through among the sick lying on the bank of the river, and he commanded them in a loud voice, in the name of Jesus Christ, to come up and be made whole, and they were all healed. When he healed all that were sick on the east side of the river, they crossed the Mississippi River in a ferryboat to the west side, to Montrose, where we were. The first house they went into was President Brigham Young's. He was sick on his bed at the time. The Prophet went into his house and healed him, and they all came out together. As they were passing by my door, Brother Joseph said: "Brother Woodruff, follow me." These were the only words spoken by all the company from the time they left Brother Brigham's house till they crossed the public square, and entered Brother Fordham's house. Brother Fordham had been dying for an hour, and we expected each minute would be his last.
I felt the power of God that was overwhelming His Prophet.
When we entered the house, Brother Joseph walked up to Brother Fordham, and took him by the right hand; in his left hand he held his hat.
He saw that Brother Fordham's eyes were glazed, and that he was speechless and unconscious.
After taking hold of his hand, he looked down into the dying man's face and said: "Brother Fordham, do you not know me?" At first he made no reply; but we could all see the effect of the Spirit of God resting upon him.
He again said: "Elijah, do you not know me?"
With a low whisper, Brother Fordham answered, "Yes!"
The Prophet then said, "Have you not faith to be healed?"
The answer, which was a little plainer than before, was: "I am afraid it is too late. If you had come sooner, I think it might have been."
He had the appearance of a man waking from sleep. It was the sleep of death.
Joseph then said: "Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ?"
"I do, Brother Joseph," was the response.
Then the Prophet of God spoke with a loud voice, as in the majesty of the Godhead: "Elijah, I command you, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, to arise and be made whole!"
The words of the Prophet were not like the words of man, but like the voice of God. It seemed to me that the house shook from its foundation.
Elijah Fordham leaped from his bed like a man raised from the dead. A healthy color came to his face, and life was manifested in every act.
His feet were done up in Indian meal poultices. He kicked them off his feet, scattered the contents, and then called for his clothes and put them on. He asked for a bowl of bread and milk, and ate it; then put on his hat and followed us into the street, to visit others who were sick.
The unbeliever may ask: "Was there not deception in this?"
If there is any deception in the mind of the unbeliever, there was certainly none with Elijah Fordham, the dying man, nor with those who were present with him, for in a few minutes more he would have been in the spirit world, had he not been rescued. Through the blessing of God, he lived up till 1880, in which year he died in Utah, while all who were with him on that occasion, with the exception of one, are in the spirit world.
(Wilford Woodruff, _Leaves from My Journal_, pp. 62-65)
This third incident is a miracle that happened at his death, a final testimony that he was a servant in the light and not the dark.
When he was in prison in Carthage, Illinois (June 1844) a mob of about 200 conspirators were allowed by the guards to burst into the prison and kill Joseph and his brother. After being wounded he leaped to the prison window and was shot again and fell to the ground below.
Here are some witnesses as to what happened next.
"...he fell outward into the hands of his murderers, exclaiming, 'O Lord my God!' He fell partly on his right shoulder and back, his neck and head reaching the ground a little before his feet, and he rolled instantly on his face. "From this position he was taken by a man who was barefoot and bareheaded, and having on no coat, his pants rolled up above his knees, and his shirt sleeves above his elbows. He set Joseph against the south side of the well curb, which was situated a few feet from the jail, when Col. Levi Williams ordered four men to shoot him. They stood about eight feet from the curb, and fired simultaneously a slight cringe of the body was all the indication of pain visible when the balls struck him, and he fell on his face. "The ruffian who set him against the well curb now gathered a bowie-knife for the purpose of severing his head from his body. He raised the knife, and was in the attitude of striking, when a light, so sudden and powerful, burst from the heavens upon the bloody scene (passing its vivid chain between Joseph and his murders), that they were struck with terror. This light, in its appearance potency, baffles all powers of description. The arm of the ruffian that held the knife fell powerless, the muskets of the four who fired fell to the ground, and they all stood like marble statues, not having the power to move a single limb of their bodies. "The retreat of the mob was as hurried and disorderly as it possibly could have been Col. Williams Hallooed to some who had just commenced their retreat to come back and help to carry off the four men who fired, and who were still paralyzed. They came and carried them away by main strength to the baggage wagons, when they fled towards Warsaw. (Millennial Star, Vol. 24, page 487)
"William T. Head, an officer in Captain Lawn's company, and tarrying in Carthage, testified that he saw a certain man raise a large knife to strike off the head of Joseph, when, all at once, and in the midst of a clear day, with no cloud in sight, 'a terrible clap of thunder rolled heavily, and forked lightnings flashed in the face of the murderers, and perfectly paralyzed a number of them.
'The ruffian, who had raised his knife and had sworn with a dreadful oath to take the head off Joseph, stood perfectly paralyzed, his arm uplifted with the knife suspended in air, and could not move a limb. His comrades carried him off, and all fled in terror from the scene.'
These particulars, and many others, were related to me by brother Beckwith previous to his death, and afterwards by his widow and father-in-law, and others who were conversant with them, and are believed to be correct.
- Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt Deseret Book Company, 1938; pages 425,426
Mary Lightner, a Mormon who lived near Carthage at that time, wrote:
"A number of men came and called us to the door and said 'The Smiths are dead, and they do say a great light appeared when they were killed.' I said, 'That should prove to you that Joseph was a true Prophet and a man of God.' One answered, 'It proves that the Lord was well pleased with what was done.'" (Biographical Sketch of Mary Lightner, p.11)
The official Church Sunday School Catechism for 1882 reads:
"Q.--What was done by the mob after he had fallen from the window?
A.--Joseph was lifted up and placed against the curb of a well.
Q.--What did Williams, the commander of the mob order?
A.--He ordered four men to shoot him.
Q.--Did they do so?
A.--Yes; they stood about eight feet from the well and all fired at once.
Q.--What was done next?
A.--A man with a bowie knife raised his hand to cut off Joseph's head.
Q.--What prevented him committing this brutal act?
A.--A vivid flash of lightning caused his arm to fall powerless."
(Deseret Sunday School Catchism No.1, p.51)
A Missionary's Witness
I would like to give credit to Almon and his family for inviting Mom and I to have one of the most pleasant trips to his place in Morton, Illinois. They took us to many places of interest which relate to the early period of the church. One of the most interesting places we visited was Carthage Jail. It was of special interest to me because of the following incidents of my life. The story is related as follows.
In 1923 I was called to go on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One day while tracking I walked upon the porch of a large white house and there sat an old man. Before I was able to introduce myself he said, "You're a Mormon Elder". I replied, "yes". Then he asked me to sit down because he would like to tell me a story. This is his story: "When I was a small boy my parents lived in Carthage, Illinois and as a small boy I remember standing in the crowd that had gathered at the jail when Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith were killed. I saw the men drag the body of Joseph Smith and lean it up against the curb of the well and then a man in the mob drew a large knife from his belt and approached the body of Joseph. At that moment a streak of light or power come from out of the sky and struck this man and he became paralyzed. Then I remember seeing two men come and throw him into a wagon as if he were a sack of dirt and they hauled him away. It was common talk at our table and in our house that Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet." The old gentleman commented that he was not a Mormon but that if he did join any church it would be the Mormon Church. He said that he had been away from the Mormons for many years but that he could always recognize a Mormon Elder. Written January 14 1973, by Almon G. Clegg upon request of his son Almon H. Clegg.
One More Witness:
Ammon, my father, was 7 years old at the time Joseph Smith was martyred. He and an older brother were returning home with a cow they had been hunting. It was getting late when they saw a beautiful light in the heavens. The older brother marveled at the thought of lightning in a cloudless sky. My father, being only 7, thought nothing of it until later. He listened to stories of the prophet's martyrdom, and as he grew older, he felt sure he had seen the light at the time of the prophet's death. From a history written by Susan Harmon Loosli, daughter of Ammon Harmon
Copyright 2003 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved