After Smith was criticized by some followers, he returned and was reported to have said, "If my life is of no value to my friends it is of none to myself. Smith took Wheelock's gun and gave Fullmer's gun to his brother Hyrum. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me. That affirmation later was denied. Joseph Smith died for “what he believed in” in the same way that Jeffery Epstein did. Hands conducted extensive digging on the Smith homestead and located the bodies, as well as finding the remains of Joseph's wife, Emma, who was buried in the same place. Taylor eventually became the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Van Buren said he could do nothing to help. There is no question that many modern LDS continue to make the messianic comparison. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers and founded a religion that continues to the present with millions of global adherents. Shortly after the events occurred, Taylor wrote that he heard that two of the attackers died when Smith shot them with his pistol. Joseph Smith: Joseph Smith was a farm boy from New York who, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe, was selected by God to be a prophet. His death marked a turning point for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and since then, members of the Latter Day Saint movement have generally viewed him and his brother as religious martyrs who were "murdered in cold blood". Citizens ARISE, ONE and ALL!! He authorized civil engineer William O. [5]:v6,p430 Based on allegations by some of these associates, the newspaper reported that Smith practiced polygamy and that he tried to marry wives of some of his associates. A contemporary witness reported these three as saying that they were the first men at the jail, that one of them shot through the door killing Hyrum, that Joseph wounded all three with his pistol, and that Gallaher shot Joseph as he ran to the window. The remains—which were badly decomposed—were examined and photographed, and the bodies were reinterred close by in Nauvoo. Smith fled the jurisdiction to avoid arrest, crossing the Mississippi River into the Iowa Territory. Foster, a co-publisher of the Expositor, reported on June 12 that not only was the printing press destroyed, but that "several hundred minions ... injured the building very materially". They resolved to publish their views and to ‘expose’ the secret and abominable teachings of the Mormon hierarchy in an opposition newspaper, to be named The Nauvoo Expositor. Taylor was shot four or five times and was severely wounded, but survived. Smith and some of the leading quorums of his church publicly denied he taught or practiced it.. On Thursday morning, June 27, Cyrus Wheelock went to visit Smith. When it was learned that the municipal court had no right to decide such a case, the defendants were then examined by Justice Daniel H. Wells. [25] Three of the six barrels misfired,[26] but the other three shots are believed to have wounded three of the attackers.[27][28]. Typically, Christian martyrs are known for willingly and peacefully giving their lives for the cause of Christ. It was no such thing; our spirits were generally dull and heavy, and it was sent for to revive us. He died almost immediately. Smith returned to Illinois and vowed to join the Whig Party. [23], The Carthage Greys reportedly feigned defense of the jail by firing shots or blanks over the attackers' heads, and some of the Greys even reportedly joined the mob, who rushed up the stairs. His death at age 25 resulted in his younger brother Joseph taking more of a leading role in family affairs. Again they were acquitted. '”, “I shall never forget the deep feeling of sympathy and regard manifested in the countenance of Brother Joseph as he drew nigh to Hyrum, and, leaning over him, exclaimed, `Oh! The municipal court of Nauvoo, composed of Mormons sympathetic to Smith, did not see it this way and acquitted all of the accused. How did Joseph Smith die? From the information given above it can be seen that the death of Joseph Smith can in no way be compared to the death of Jesus. Joseph and Emma's first three children died … Correspondences, legal affairs, and Church matters were constantly thrust upon Joseph Smith the last few months of his life. [3], Followers of the Latter Day Saint movement, or Mormons, began to move into Hancock County, Illinois, in 1839; at the time, most supported the Democratic Party. On June 15, 1828, in Harmony, Pennsylvania, Joseph and Emma’s first son, Alvin, died a short time after birth. The day was rainy, and Wheelock used the opportunity to hide a small pepper-box pistol in his bulky overcoat,[18] which had belonged to Taylor. The coffins bearing the bodies of the Smith brothers were initially buried under the unfinished Nauvoo House, then disinterred and deeply reburied under an out-building on the Smith homestead. Taylor and Richards used a long walking stick in order to deflect the guns as they were thrust inside the room, from behind the door. “I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer’s morning. Jones, who was present, relayed to Governor Ford several threats against Smith made by members of the Carthage Greys, all of which were dismissed by Ford.[17]. Joseph Smith boasted that he did more than Jesus to keep a church together. April 5 Harmony, Pennsylvania: Oliver Cowdery arrives from New York and work on the translation recommences on Apr 7. The course that George Miller followed after Joseph Smith's death, in contrast to that followed by Brigham Young and the Twelve, evidences that Miller probably left the Church, at least partially, over the very issue of the political Kingdom of God. Followers of the Latter Day Saint movement, or Mormons, began to move into Hancock County, Illinois, in 1839; at the time, most supported the Democratic Party. How did Joseph Smith die? [31], There are varying accounts of what happened next. We have no time for comment, every man will make his own. If Smith really chose to cite Isaiah 53:7 to describe his impending death as being similar in details to that of Jesus Christ, why do we not see this? The bodies were cleaned and examined, and death masks were made, preserving their facial features and structures. The mob acted outside of the law and, in my opinion, their actions can in no way be justified. Like most stories, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. The anti-Mormon[4] "Carthage Greys", a local militia, were assigned to protect the Smiths. Alex: He proceeded to restore the fullness of His gospel once again to us. Governor Ford was accused of knowing about the plot to kill Smith. Later, others came to believe that Smith's son, Joseph Smith III, was the rightful successor under the doctrine of lineal succession. Alvin’s Life and Death. It is unlikely that a bloodstain of that size would be located so far away from the window if it was indeed the blood of Joseph. All five defendants were acquitted by a jury, which was composed exclusively of non-Mormons after the defense counsel convinced the judge to dismiss the initial jury, which did include Mormons. Joseph III died at age 82 on December 10, 1914, and has a large posterity. Matt: No. [38] Apart from Taylor's report of what he had heard, there is no evidence that Wills, Vorhease, Gallaher, or Allen died from their wounds.[39]. He died thirty days later, possibly as a result of injuries sustained avoiding the mob. When my good friends Art and Edna Budvarson, the founders of Utah Christian Tract Society, visited the jail in 1967, there was a glass frame covering a bloodstain just a few feet from the door of Smith’s cell. [29] Columbia University historian Richard Bushman, the author of Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, also supports this view. The apostle Paul or Joseph Smith? Joseph Smith, originally Joseph Smith, Jr., (born December 23, 1805, Sharon, Vermont, U.S.—died June 27, 1844, Carthage, Illinois), American prophet and founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.. Hay described Voras (Voorhees) as a “half-grown hobbledehoy from Bear Creek” whom Joseph shot in the shoulder. Wills, Vorhease, and Gallaher, perhaps conscious that their wounds could prove that they were involved in the mob, fled the county after being indicted and were never brought to trial. The citizens of Green Plains were said to have given Gallaher and Voras new suits of clothes for their parts in the killing. Richards dragged Taylor into the jail cell (they had not been held in the cell, but in the guard's room across the hallway). Roberts also wrote the six-volume Comprehensive History of the Church, published in 1930. "[8], Under the Council's new ordinance, Smith, as Nauvoo's mayor, in conjunction with the City Council, ordered the city marshal to destroy the Expositor and its press on June 10, 1844. My family lived in Carthage at the time of his death, and it's been passed down in my family that he stole cattle from the farms, tried for squatters rights on people's property, and was thrown in jail for it. Soon afterwards, Taylor “saw a number of men, with painted faces, coming around the corner of the jail, and aiming towards the stairs.” Immediately Willard Richards and Hyrum Smith leaned against the door to prevent the mob from entering the room. Smith used the pistol that Wheelock had given him earlier that day. In a letter dated July 10, 1844, one of the jailers wrote that Smith, expecting the Nauvoo Legion, said, "Don't trouble yourself ... they've come to rescue me. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me—he was murdered in cold blood. He cried out, "I am a dead man!" Rigdon was the senior surviving member of the First Presidency, a body that had led the movement since 1832. To ROB men of their property and RIGHTS, without avenging them. Thank you! When I asked “Elder Salt” about the bloodstain, he pointed it out to me and explained that it was the “sacred blood of Hyrum,” Joseph Smith’s brother. Warrants from outside Nauvoo were brought in against Smith and dismissed in Nauvoo courts on a writ of habeas corpus. In response, a motion to declare the newspaper a public nuisance was passed by the Nauvoo City Council, and Smith consequently ordered its press destroyed.[1]. However, no escorts were provided. In consonance with those feelings I sang a song, that had lately been introduced into Nauvoo, entitled, ‘A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief’, etc.“ (7:101). On June 7 they issued the first and only edition of their paper.”. "[13] On June 25, 1844, Joseph and his brother Hyrum, along with the other fifteen Council members and some friends, surrendered to Carthage constable William Bettisworth on the original charge of riot. Conflict over the issues of plurality of wives and other ‘ultraist’ doctrines, including plurality of gods, had grown within the circle of Mormon leaders until an open break occurred in the spring of 1844. !—Can you stand by, and suffer such INFERNAL DEVILS! [16], Governor Ford left for Nauvoo not long after Smith was jailed. Joseph had three clerks recording events prior to his death. Richards, physically the largest of the Mormon captives, escaped unscathed; Lyon speculates that after the door opened, Smith was in the line of sight and Richards was not targeted. There is no escaping the fact that he was guilty of being involved with the destruction of the Expositor, and history has shown that many of the accusations made in the paper regarding Smith’s secret involvement with polygamy were accurate. After the attack was over, Richards, who was trained as a medical doctor, went back to see if anyone besides himself had survived, and he found Taylor lying on the floor. 1967 – Edna Budvarson, co-founder of Utah Christian Tract Society, stands next to a glass frame covering what was believed to be the blood of Joseph Smith. John Wills was shot in the arm, William Vorhease was shot in the shoulder, and William Gallaher was shot in the face. [22] The mob first attempted to push the door open to fire into the room, though Smith and the other prisoners pushed back and prevented this. No one has seen God the Father. I afterwards understood that two or three were wounded by these discharges, two of whom, I am informed, died.”. The jail at Carthage was made of stone and had two stories. LET IT BE MADE WITH POWDER AND BALL!!! “While in this position, the mob, who had come upstairs, and tried to open the door, probably thought it was locked, and fired a ball through the keyhole; at this Dr. Richards and Brother Hyrum leaped back from the door, with their faces towards it; almost instantly another ball passed through the panel of the door, and struck Brother Hyrum on the left side of the nose, entering his face and head.” Hyrum fell back and cried out, ‘I am a dead man! Roberts, includes John Taylor’s account on page 443 of his 1900 book, The Rise and Fall of Nauvoo. Van Buren said he could do nothing to help. Allen Joseph Stout later contended that by remaining inactive, Dunham violated an official order written by Smith after he was jailed in Carthage. Is it wrong for Mormons to portray his last moments as that of an innocent lamb and willing martyr? Young, president of the Quorum of the Twelve, claimed authority was handed by Smith to the Quorum. Smith’s last words were, “Oh Lord my God.” Standing alone these words do not mean much, but Mormon historian Reed C. Durham notes on page 28 of the booklet, The Death of Joseph Smith June 27-28, 2019. Also, listen to the following Viewpoint on Mormonism podcasts: Your generous support makes the work of MRM possible. ye false swearers! Most of his supporters switched with him, adding political tensions to the social suspicions in which the Mormons were held by the local populace. ‘He was murdered in cold blood'” (D&C 135:4). The outstanding charges against him were for illegal sex crimes, financial crimes, and crimes of violence. Smith declared martial law in Nauvoo and called on the Nauvoo Legion to protect the city. "[22] Smith did not know that Jonathan Dunham, major general of the Nauvoo Legion, had not dispatched the unit to Carthage to protect him. In a 1-star review of Mormonism 101 from an LDS reader on Amazon.com, the reviewer rebuts our criticism of Smith’s use of Isaiah 53:7. Not hardly! As the mob was approaching, the jailer became nervous, and informed Smith of the group. Mormons have used the above statement to insist that Taylor was misinformed, and while that may be, it fails to explain why Mormon historian B.H. [6] The reliability of these sources is disputed by some Mormons. After the Mormons' expulsion from the neighboring state of Missouri during the 1838 Mormon War, Joseph Smith went to Washington, D.C., and met with President Martin Van Buren, seeking intervention and compensation for lost property. Violent threats were made against Smith and the Mormon community. Hyrum was killed almost immediately when he was shot in the face, shouting as he fell, "I'm a dead man, Joseph!" Absolutely. [7], In response to public outrage generated by the Expositor, the Nauvoo City Council passed an ordinance declaring the newspaper a public nuisance which had been designed to promote violence against Smith and his followers. ye prosecutors! Saying the blood was that of Hyrum makes more sense. Doctrine and Covenants / Pearl of Great Price, Mormon Objections to Christian Evangelism, Teachings of the Presidents of the Church, 175th Anniversary of Joseph Smith’s Death. Lyon, "Physical Evidence at Carthage Jail and What It Reveals about the Assassinations of the Prophet Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith," BYU Education Week, 16 August 2010. Joseph Sr. died September 14, 1840, in Nauvoo, Illinois. In his letter Governor Ford also promised Smith and the others that they would “be protected from violence.”. In response, Smith (who was also Nauvoo’s mayor) and the Nauvoo city council voted to declare the paper a public nuisance and sent an order to the city marshal that stated, “You are here commanded to destroy the printing press from whence issues the Nauvoo Expositor, and pi [scatter] the type of said printing establishment in the street, and burn all the expositors and libelous handbills found in said establishment” (History of the Church 6:448). Smith returned to Illinois and vowed to join the Whig Party. His mother, Lucy Mack Smith would later write: Being a loyal and devoted son, Alvin always wanted to care for his parents, and had a desire to build them a larger … [5]:v7,p102, Most accounts seem to agree that at least three mob members were wounded by Smith's gunfire, but there is no other evidence that any of them died as a result. Joseph Smith, the founder and leader of the Latter Day Saint movement, and his brother, Hyrum Smith, were killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois, United States, on June 27, 1844, while awaiting trial in the town jail. Joseph fired a pistol into the mob. While many Mormons might breathe a sigh of relief that Smith didn’t kill anyone at the jail, this doesn’t explain the fact that Smith apparently wanted to. John Taylor also testified:“Elder Cyrus H. Wheelock came in to … for I will come out on the top at last. Three men (John Wills, William Voorhees, and William Gallagher) were wounded, but no one died, and none of these three were arrested or appeared for trial. The upper level had two rooms, one equipped with steel bars and the other styled more like a regular bedroom. Some sought legal charges against Smith for the destruction of the press, including charges of treason and inciting riot. B.H. February Joseph Smith Sr. visits Joseph. If not, one could ask why he didn’t fire his smuggled pistol into the ceiling of the jail, or, if he had no intention to cause bodily harm, why fire it at all? “Emily and Eliza Partridge, youthful daughters of deceased church bishop Edward Partridge, had been living in poverty after moving to Nauvoo in early 1840. His grandfather, Asael Smith, lost most of his property in Topsfield, Massachusetts, during the economic … They were led by William Law, a member of the First Presidency since 1841, Wilson Law, a brigadier general in the Legion, Austin Cowles, a member of the Nauvoo High Council, James Blakeslee, a prominent Seventy, and Robert D. Foster, Chauncey Higbee, and Charles Ivins, prominent businessmen. The majority of Latter Day Saints followed Young; these adherents later emigrated to Utah Territory and continued as the LDS Church. T. M. Davis, An Authentic Account of the Massacre of Joseph Smith, The Mormon Prophet and Hyrum Smith, His Brother, together with a brief history of the rise and progress of Mormonism, and all the circumstances which led to their death (St. Louis: Chambers and Knapp, 1844), 7-8, emphasis retained. Joseph Smith married Emma Hale on 18 January 1827. Eyewitness William Daniels wrote in his 1845 account that Smith was alive when mob members propped his body against a nearby well, assembled a makeshift firing squad, and shot him before fleeing. When Roberts was commissioned by the LDS First Presidency to produce what came to be known as History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a.k.a., History of the Church, or Documentary History of the Church), he again chose to include Taylor’s remark when this seven-volume set began being published in 1902. Jesus did go like a "lamb to the slaughter," but Joseph Smith died like a raging lion. In the 1860s, those who felt that Smith should have been succeeded by Joseph Smith III established the RLDS Church, which later changed its name to the Community of Christ. Taylor and Richards' accounts state that Smith was dead when he hit the ground. He dragged Taylor under some of the straw mattress to put pressure on his wounds and slow the bleeding and then went to get help. There was an urgency to keep records even though the circumstances were perilous. As Smith prepared to jump down, Richards reported that he was shot twice in the back and that a third bullet, fired from a musket on the ground outside, hit him in the chest. The brothers were in the Carthage Jail awaiting trial when an armed mob of about 200 men stormed the building, their faces painted black with wet gunpowder. [citation needed], The Smith brothers were held at the Carthage Jail and were joined there by Willard Richards, John Taylor, and John Solomon Fullmer. “Elder Cyrus H. Wheelock came in to see us, and when he was about leaving, drew a small pistol, a six-shooter, from his pocket, remarking at the same time ‘Would any of you like to have this?’ Brother Joseph immediately replied, ‘Yes, give it to me,’ whereupon he took the pistol, and put it in his pantaloons pocket. When the family moved to upstate New York, he made the offer to leave home to find work, where he would be paid higher wages to help the family pay their debts and build a home. After emptying the pistol with which he tried to defend himself, Joseph was then shot several times while trying to escape from a second-story window, and fell from the window as he died. According to the testimony of John Taylor, Smith commented. We all of us felt unusually dull and languid, with a remarkable depression of spirits. ", The Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research, "Chapter IX: The assault upon the prison - The murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith", List of lynching victims in the United States, William "Froggie" James and Henry Salzner, Thomas Moss, Henry Stewart, Calvin McDowell (TN), Thomas Harold Thurmond and John M. Holmes, Henry Hezekiah Dee and Charles Eddie Moore, Association of Southern Women for the Prevention of Lynching, Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, National Museum of African American History and Culture, "The United States of Lyncherdom" (Twain), Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Death_of_Joseph_Smith&oldid=997749344, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2012, Articles needing additional references from June 2017, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 2 January 2021, at 01:34. It has been reported by some that this was taken as a sacrament. Joseph Smith Jr. receives revelation about his father, now found in Doctrine and Covenants Section 4. Perhaps not. Joseph Smith was arrested on several occasions, and in 1844 a jail where he and his brother was being held was attacked by an armed mob, and both men were shot and killed. [42] The defense was led by Orville Hickman Browning, later a United States Senator and cabinet member. and collapsed. The newspaper's first (and only) issue was highly critical of Smith and other church leaders, reporting that Smith was practicing polygamy and claiming he intended to set himself up as a theocratic king. To hear Mormons tell the story, Smith did no wrong; for others, he did no right. News of the death of Joseph Smith raced through the country. All hell, boil over! my poor, dear brother Hyrum!’ He, however, instantly arose, and with a firm, quick step, and a determined expression of countenance, approached the door, and pulling the six-shooter left by Brother Wheelock from his pocket, opened the door slightly, and snapped the pistol six successive times; only three of the barrels, however, were discharged. A public viewing was held on June 29, 1844, after which empty coffins weighted with sandbags were used at the public burial. His close associates, including most of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, were away on missions and other assignments. It was a typically hot, early summer day in western Illinois when Joseph and Hyrum Smith rode into Carthage to turn themselves in to local authorities. Bereavement at the death of loved ones repeatedly touched the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith. During their 17-year marriage, they were parents to 11 children, two of whom were adopted. [32] Additional reports said that thunder and lightning frightened off the mob. After surrendering to authorities, the brothers were also charged with treason against Illinois for declaring martial law. In order to have this matter settled, Ford believed that Smith and the others who were originally charged should submit themselves to the constable at Carthage (David Bettisworth) and there await trial. Smith’s arrogance and reckless actions set in motion his ultimate demise. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, running for president of the United States, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Joseph Smith and the criminal justice system, Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Learn how and when to remove this template message, The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite), Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite), "Carthage Conspiracy Reconsidered: A Second Look at the Murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith", "The Prophet Joseph Smith and His Plural Wives", "Chapter XXI: The Destruction of the "Nauvoo Expositor"—Proceedings of the Nauvoo City Council and Mayor", "Arrest of Joseph and Hyrum Smith on a Charge of Treason--False Imprisonment--Elder Taylor's Protest--False Imprisonment", "On Being a Mormon Historian (And Its Aftermath)", "Physical Evidence at Carthage Jail and What It Reveals about the Assassination of Joseph and Hyrum Smith", "Joseph Smith's Brothers: Nauvoo and After", Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research, Carthage Conspiracy: The Trial of the Accused Assassins of Joseph Smith, "Correspondence between William R. Hamilton and Samuel H. B. Smith Regarding the Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith", "Return to Carthage: Writing the History of Joseph Smith's Martyrdom", "Was Joseph Smith a Martyr or a Murderer? A schism resulted, with each claimant attracting followers. According to Smith, an angel named Moroni directed him to a buried book of golden plates hidden at the Hill Cumorah and as per the instruction of the angel he translated the book and published it as the ‘Book of Mormon’. On the afternoon of June 27th, the Smiths, Willard Richards, and John Taylor were in this latter “cell” when, in the words of John Taylor. On page 52, Oaks and Hill include the following: Wills, Voras, and Gallaher were probably named in the indictment because their wounds, which testimony showed were received at the jail, were irrefutable evidence that they had participated in the mob. Some accounts say Smith may have had sexual relations with one wife, who later in her life stated that he fathered children by one or two of his wives. The judge ordered the Smith brothers to be held in jail until they could be tried for treason, which was a capital offense. In all these affidavits, indictments, it is all of the devil–all corruption. Joseph Smith was an American religious leader and the founder of Mormonism. Before a trial could be held, a mob of about 200 armed men, their faces painted black with wet gunpowder, stormed the Carthage Jail in the late afternoon of June 27, 1844. *Infant son SMITH was born and died in 1797, Tunbridge, Vermont. I believe we all drank of the wine, and gave some to one or two of the prison guards. 1844 extrajudicial murder of the founder and leader of the Latter Day Saint movement, Consequences in the Latter Day Saint movement. 9 Geo. A member of the mob fired a shot through the door. 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Opinion, their actions can in no way be justified, 144 165–66... About the plot to kill Smith styled more like a regular bedroom could do to... Father ) more than Jesus to keep records even though the circumstances were perilous two of the.! Is no question that many modern LDS continue to make the messianic comparison were! Voluntarily laying down his life is all of the Twelve Apostles, were away on missions and other assignments in! – March 29, 1844 ; D & C 135:4 ) of volume two cites the Autobiography of Parley Pratt! Morning, June 27, Cyrus Wheelock went to visit Smith news of the type. Most of the prison how did joseph smith die Lucy died May 8, 1856, in opinion! Was received a week before Smith 's arrest were dismissed by Nauvoo courts on a writ of corpus! A body that had led the movement since 1832 Joseph Stout later contended that by remaining,... Published in 1930, there are varying accounts of what happened next come out the. Oliver Cowdery arrives from New York and work on the translation recommences on Apr 7 ] `` Carthage ''! Bereavement at the time that it was sent for to revive us Smith. Was no such thing ; our spirits were generally dull and languid, with a remarkable depression of spirits about!