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The Prophet Joseph Smith

By Elder Francis M. Gibbons of the Seventy, presented on February 28, 1991

Prayer, the foundation of Joseph’s power
- His well-known prayers include in the Grove, with the appearance of Moroni, and with the appearance of John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John.
- He prayed “…for the opening of the hearts of the brethren from the East to loan us $430.00”.
- He prayed “…that the Lord would protect our printing press from the hands of evil men and give us means to send forth his record, even his gospel.”
- Joseph, along with others, “…met in the council room and bowed down before the Lord and prayed that He would furnish the means to deliver the farm from debt, that they might be set at liberty, and also that we might prevail against that wicked man, Hurlburt, that he might be put to shame.”
- He prayed for health: “I went out into the field and bowed before the Lord and called upon HIm ini might prayer (in behalf of his sister-in-law), and the word of the Lord came unto me saying, ‘My handmaid shall be delivered of a living child and will be spared.”
Joseph’s visit with Moroni
- Moroni’s caution that he had a great work to do, and that his name would be known for good and evil throughout the world.
The vast extent of Joseph’s visions
- John Taylor wrote: “When Joseph Smith was raised up as a Prophet of God, Mormon, Moroni, Nephi, and others of the ancient prophets who formerly lived on this continent, and Peter and John and others who lived on the Asiatic continent, came to him and communicated to him certain principles pertaining to the gospel.”
- John Taylor also wrote: “The principles which he had, placed him in communication with the Lord, and not only with the Lord, but with the ancient apostles and prophets, such men, for instance, as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, Adam, Seth, Enoch, and Jesus and the Father, and the apostles that lived on this continent, as well as those who lived on the Asiatic continent. He seemed to be as familiar with these people as we are with one another. If you were to ask Joseph what sort of a looking man Adam was, he would tell you at once. He would tell you his size and appearance and all about him.”
The Prophet’s enemies
- His enemies were typified by Philastus Hurlburt, an apostate, and by Isaac Hale Emma’s father.
- The early anti-Mormon book written by E. B. Howe was based principally upon spurious affidavits prepared by Dr. Hurlburt.
Joseph’s influence upon older men
- Throughout his life, the Prophet exerted a powerful influence upon independent men of good reputation who were a generation or more older than he was. These men included Josiah Stowell, Joseph Knight, Martin Harris, Peter Whitmer Sr., Sydney Rigdon, W. W. Phelps, Edward Partridge, Frederick G. Williams, and Joseph’s uncles, John and Silas Smith.
Translation and publication of the Book of Mormon
- Joseph received the plates in September 1827
- He intermittently used his wife, Emma, as a scribe until the early part of 1828.
- By February of 1828, he had copied figures from the plates which were given to Martin Harris, who took them to Dr. Charles Anthon.
- From April to Jun 1828, Martin Harris served as Joseph’s scribe, during which 116 pages of manuscript were copied. After Martin lost the manuscript pages, the Urim and Thummim was taken away from the Prophet.
- In July 1818, the Urim and Thummim was returned to Joseph briefly, and through it he received Section Three of the Doctrine and Covenants. In this section, Joseph was severely reprimanded and warned and called to repentance: “But remember, God is merciful; therefore, repent of that which thou hast done which is contrary to the commandment which I gave you, and thou are still chosen, and art again called to the work; except thou do this, thou shalt be delivered up and become as other men, and have no more gift.” Doctrine and Covenants 3:10-11.
- Later that summer, the Prophet received a revelation which is now Section 10 of the Doctrine and Covenants, in which he was warned not to retranslate that portion of the Nephite record that had been lost. He was also given this wise counsel: “Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means provided to enable you to translate, but be diligent unto the end. (Doctrine and Covenants 10:4).
- From the summer of 1828 until the first months in 1829, very little was done in the way of translation. It was a period of great discouragement for the Prophet. In February 1920, the Prophet’s father, Joseph Smith Sr., visited him at Harmony, Pennsylvania, to comfort and encourage him. It was on that occasion that Joseph received Section 4 of the Doctrine and Covenants, which was a blessing that he conferred upon the head of his father.
- In March 1829, Joseph received Section 5 of the Doctrine and Covenants, in which he was told that there would be Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon. Also, the Lord gave the Prophet this counsel about continuing with the translation: “Yea, for this cause I have said, Stop, and stand still until I command thee, and I will provide means whereby thou mayest accomplish the thing which I have commanded thee. (Doctrine and Covenants 5:34)
- Oliver Cowdery arrived in Harmony in April 1829. Shortly afterward, the Prophet received, through the Urim and Thummim, what is now Section 6 of the Doctrine and Covenants. This is the section which contains this statement, directed to Oliver Cowdery: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, blessed are thou for what thou hast done, for thou hast inquired of me, and behold, as often as thou hast inquired thou hast received instruction of my Spirit. If it had not been so, thou wouldst not have come to the place where thou art at this time. Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten thy mind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been enlightened by the spirit of truth. Yea, I tell thee, that thou mayest know that there is none else save God that knowest thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart.” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:14-16)
- Later in April, the Prophet received, through the Urim and Thummim, what is now Section 7 of the Doctrine and Covenants, in which the Lord answered the question that Joseph and Oliver had discussed, as to whether John the Beloved had tarried in the flesh or had died.
- Later, in April of 1829, Joseph received two revelations, now appearing as Sections 8 and 9 of the Doctrine and Covenants. In Section 8, the Lord gave Oliver the key by which translation of ancient records could be accomplished: “Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation, behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground. Therefore this is thy gift; apply unto it, and blessed art thou, for it shall deliver you out of the hands of your enemies, when if it were not so, they would slay you and bring your soul to destruction.” (Doctrine and Covenants 8:2-4). In Section 9, the Lord gently chides Oliver for his impatience in wanting to translate: “Be patient, my son, for it is wisdom in me, and it is not expedient that you should translate at this present time.” (Doctrine and Covenants 9:3) Also, the Lord gave to Oliver further insight into the process of translation: “But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind, then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; there, you shall feel that it is right. But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me.” (Doctrine and Covenants 9:8-9)
- As to the process of translation, the Prophet emphasized that it was not a mechanical procedure, but that it was necessary that he be in tune spiritually before he could translate through the Urim and Thummim. He cited instances when there was discord between him and Emma, and it was necessary that he resolve those differences before he could translate.
- In May of 1829, Joseph received a revelation through the Urim and Thummim, now known as Section 11. In it, Hyrum was restrained from preaching until he had been baptized and had received the priesthood. He was told: “Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.” (Doctrine and Covenants 11:21) This revelation also began with the words, “A great and marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.” (Doctrine and Covenants 11:1)
- On May 15, 1829, John the Baptist appeared to Joseph and Oliver, who had raised a question about baptism because of things they had found in the translation. Section 13 contains the language used by John the Baptist in conferring the Aaronic Priesthood upon Joseph and Oliver. The Melchizedek Priesthood was restored later.
- During this period, Joseph and Oliver were informally teaching the principles they had learned from the Book of Mormon to various individuals, some of whom were baptized in the summer of 1829, including Samuel Smith, who was the first person baptized after Joseph and Oliver: Hyrum Smith, and David and Peter Whitmer Jr. were also baptized at this time.
- The translation of the Book of Mormon was completed in late June or early July of 1829. It is apparent that no more than about 90 days were occupied in the translation of the greater portion of the Book of Mormon, beginning in April 1829, when Oliver Cowdery arrived, and continuing to late June or early July when the translation was completed.
- From July 1829 to March 1830, the Prophet and his associates were involved in arranging for the publication of the Book of Mormon, which was first published in March 1830, the month before the Church was officially organized. In the vaults of the Church Historical Department are approximately 140 pages of the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon, most of which, apparently is in the handwriting of Oliver Cowdery. These pages contain very little punctuation. To look at these pages gives the impression of it being merely a ‘bucket of words’. The appearance of these pages conforms with the explanation made by Oliver and others as to the procedure used in the translation. The Prophet would interpret from the plates, would dictate, and his scribe would write what he dictated, and the next day they would start again and continue without editing or repeating words from the previous day. The punctuation of the Book of Mormon, the correct spellings of words, and the division of the book into books, chapters, and verses were all done later. Aside from these mechanical changes, the Book of Mormon is essentially a first draft, never having been changed or edited after it had been dictated by the Prophet during the three month period!
- “The existence of Hebrew phrasing and wording, the chiasmus, the precision of the language, the depth of the meaning, and the scope of the narrative all testify that Joseph Smith was not the author of the Book of Mormon. These are matters of interest, not of proof. The only sure way to know of the truth of the book is through the Spirit.” — A. Hyatt Verrill
The organization of the Church and how the Church grew
- The principle of common consent followed from the beginning. At the first worship service following the organization of the Church, the main speaker was Oliver Cowdery.
- The First Presidency was not put in place until March 8, 1833 (refer to Doctrine and Covenants 90), the original Twelve Apostles were not called until 1835, and the Seventy were put in place later. At the time of the designation of the First Presidency (Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams), the only other formal officers of the Church were Bishops Newell K. Whitney and Edward Partridge, who had been appointed to care of the needs of the poor people who gathered in Kirtland.
Kirtland, the first gathering place
- The first contact of the Church with Kirtland was the result of a revelation received in September 1830 at Fayette, New York for Oliver Cowdery to go west to preach the gospel to the Lamanites (Doctrine and Covenants 28:8-9). Peter Whitmer Jr. was designated to go with him. Later, Parley P. Pratt and Ziba Peterson joined them.
- Traveling west, the group stopped in Kirtland, Ohio. They probably did this because Parley P. Pratt had once lived there and had been a minister in a Christian sect there. The party spent some time in Kirtland proselyting, and within two to three weeks, 127 were converted and baptized, including Sidney Rigdon, Edward Partridge, W. W. Phelps, Frederick G. Williams, Newell K. Whitney, and Lyman Wight. This number soon increased to about 1000 converts, according to Parley P. Pratt. Before the party left to go on to the west, Sidney Rigdon, Edward Partridge, and Lyman Wight and others were ordained to the priesthood.
- In December 1830, Sidney Rigdon and Edward Partridge traveled to Fayette to visit the Prophet Joseph Smith. During this visit, the Prophet received three revelations. One was for Sidney Rigdon (Section 35), in which he was instructed to act as a “protector and a spokesman for the Prophet.” In the blessing given to Edward Partridge (Section 36), he was described by the Prophet as being “a pattern of piety” and was instructed to proclaim the gospel “…as with the voice of a trump.” it is understood that Elder James E. Faust of the Twelve is a direct descendant of Edward Partridge. The third revelation the Prophet received at this time (Section 37) commanded that the Church “…should assemble together at the Ohio against the time that my servant Oliver Cowdery shall return unto them.” This was the first explicit direction given to the saints to gather together in one place.
- Pursuant to the revelation, Joseph traveled to Kirtland at the end of January 1831. According to the well-known story, upon arrival there, he alighted from a sleigh, walked into the store of Newell K. Whitney, and said, “Newell K. Whitney, thou art the man. You prayed me here, now what do you want of me?”
- Following the arrival of Joseph, several hundred Saints gathered to Kirtland from Palmyra, Manchester, Fayette, and Colesville, and other communities in the East. Because many of them lacked means, Newell K. Whitney and Edward Partridge were appointed as bishops to care for the needs of these new arrivals. This left the Prophet free to take care of his spiritual ministry. He became heavily involved with Sidney Rigdon in a revision of the scriptures. He also received many revelations during the Kirtland period. Parley P. Pratt left a fascinating report of how the Prophet received these revelations: “After we had joined din prayer in this translating room, he dictated in our presence the following revelation……Each sentence was uttered slowly and very distinctly, and with a pause between each, sufficiently long for it to be recorded, by an ordinary writer, in long hand. This was the manner in which all his written revelations were dictated and written. There was never any hesitation reviewing, or reading back, in order to keep the run of the subject; neither did any of these communications undergo revisions, interlining, or corrections. As he dictated them so they stood, so far as I have witnessed; and I was present to witness the dictation for several communications of several pages each.” (Pratt, pages 61-62)
- Among those who gathered to Kirtland and who there met the Prophet Joseph Smith for the first time were Brigham Young, John Taylor, and Wilford Woodruff. Brigham Young left this account of his first meeting with the Prophet Joseph Smith: “We proceeded to Kirtland and stopped at John P. Greene’s, who had just arrived there with his family. We rested a few minutes, took some refreshments and started off to see the Prophet. We went to his father’s house and learned that he was in the woods chopping. We immediately repaired to the woods, where we found the Prophet, and two of his three brothers, chopping and hauling wood. Here my joy was full at the privilege of shaking the hand of the prophet of God, and receiving the sure testimony, by the spirit of prophecy, that he was all that any man could believe him to be as a true prophet. He was happy to see us and bid us welcome. We soon returned to his house, with him accompanying us.” (History of the Church, 1:297)
- As indicated above, it was at Kirtland that the organization of the Church began in earnest. It was here that the First Presidency was revealed, as well as the Quorum of the Twelve and the Seventy. It was in Kirtland that the Prophet first encountered physical violence when he was beaten, tarred, and feathered. It was in Kirtland that Joseph Smith met his first major defeats and bitter opposition within the Church. Here, his lack of skill and understanding in legal and business matters led him and the Church into great difficulty financially. But his lack of legal training or good legal counsel was illustrated by the creation of the Kirtland Anti-Banking Society.
- While he was in Kirtland, Joseph directed the establishment of the first colony of Saints in Missouri, traveled there with Sidney Rigdon, designated the site of the temple, and prepared a description of the land of Zion. It was during the Kirtland period that the first Church publications were commenced. The Evening and Morning Star was organized in Missouri, and the Messenger and Advocate in Kirtland. The prophet reflected on the significance of the Church having an official publication when he received the first issue of these publications. “In July we received the first number of The Evening and Morning Star, which was a joyous treat for the Saints. Delightful, indeed, was it to contemplate that the little band of brethren had become so large, and grown so strong, in so short a time as to be able to issue a paper of their own, which contained not only some of the revelations, but other information also, which would gratify and enlighten the humble inquiries after truth. So embittered was the public mind against the truth, that the press universally had been arrayed against us, and although many newspapers published the prospectus of our paper, yet it appeared to have been done more to calumniate the editor, than give publicity to the forthcoming periodical. Editors thought to do us harm, while the Saints rejoiced that they could do nothing against the truth but for it.” (History of the Church, 1:273)
- It was during the Kirtland period that the revelations were first compiled into one volume, and it was there that the Book of Abraham was translated. It was in Kirtland that the School of the Prophets was organized. Also, a conference was held in Kirtland on June 30, 1931, where over 2000 members were in attendance, representing members who had gathered from many different communities in the East. This was 14 months after the Church was organized. Zion’s Camp and the dedication of the Kirtland Temple occurred during these times. A conference was held in Kirtland on September 17, 1837, at which he spoke on the subject of the gathering and the duties of the different quorums in relation thereto. The minutes of this conference recorded: “It appeared manifest to the conference that the places appointed for the gathering of the Saints were at this time crowded to overflowing, and that it was necessary that there be more stakes of Zion appointed in order that the poor might have a place to gather to. Wherefore, it was moved, seconded, and voted unanimously that President Joseph Smith Jr. and Sidney Rigdon be requested by the conference to go and appoint other stakes or places of gathering.” (HC 2:513) In Far West, on November 6, 1837, it was decided to petition the trustees of Far West to alter the plat of the township to provide for four acre lots on each block. It was concluded that “…there was sufficient room in this country for the churches to continue gathering from abroad.” When Joseph and Sidney returned to Kirtland, they found: “…a powerful group of erstwhile supporters now in open rebellion against Joseph and the Church. This group was led by Warren Parrish, John F. Boynton, Luke S. Johnson, and Joseph Coe; this group had publicly renounced Joseph and set up a new religious cult, which they called the ‘Church of Christ’. So belligerent and aggressive were the dissenters that they had become a dominant force in Kirtland, intimidating those who remained loyal to the prophet. In the forefront of the rapidly diminishing group who remained steadfast was Brigham Young, but even his iron will could not withstand the violent spirit of apostasy that prevailed, and he was forced to leave Kirtland a few days before Christmas.” The Prophet fled Kirtland in mid January 1838 to escape mob violence.
Missouri period
- Shortly after arriving in Missouri, Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer and Thomas B. Marsh and other leaders were excommunicated or disfellowshipped from the Church. It was here that Joseph began in earnest to dictate the history of the Church. The Prophet left Far West in May 1838 with a large group of brethren “…for the purpose of visiting the north country, and laying out a stake of Zion, making locations and laying claims to lands to facilitate the gathering of the Saints, and for the benefit of the poor.” They spent about 2 weeks exploring the area northward along the Grand River and its tributaries. During this trip, Joseph selected a townsite that he named Adam-ondi-Ahman. By this time, he had received word of the success of the missionaries in Great Britain, and the laying out of these stakes was intended to provide places for the new converts when they gathered to Zion.
- In Missouri, tithing was mandated for the first time (Doctrine and Covenants 119), the Council on the disposition of Tithes was defined (Doctrine and Covenants 120), and the Twelve were instructed to prepare to go abroad (Doctrine and Covenants 118).
- The great influx of Latter-day Saints aroused fears by the old settlers, who sought to restrict their political influence by preventing the Saints from voting. When the Latter-day Saints sought to enforce their right to vote, the mob was inflamed against them. A direct confrontation occurred between the Saints and the old settlers when, at DeWitt, they threatened the Saints with death if they did not leave the state. The mob set a deadline of October 1 for the departure. They blockaded the town, placing guards at all of the main access roads. The Saints appealed to Governor Boggs, requesting that the militia quell the mob. The governor answered that “the quarrel was between the Mormons and the mob”, and it would be necessary for them to “fight it out”. This position of the governor presented the Saints with the alternative of leaving the state, or of using their own power to enforce their rights. When the Saints chose to defend their own rights, the enemies of the Church charged Joseph Smith with being a Mohammed. They also charged Joseph with forming the Danites, an aggressive Mormon group of fighters. It was during this time that Thomas B. Marsh and Orson Hyde were misled by the charges of the Prophet’s enemies, which resulted in their being disciplined, and they were dropped from the Twelve. Elder Hyde soon learned of his error and came back and was reinstated in the Twelve. However, his actions caused him to lose his position of seniority in the Twelve, and this, in turn, resulted in his not becoming the next President of the Church.
- Elder Parley P. Pratt described this time of dilemma in these words: “After the evacuation of DeWitt, when our citizens were officially notified that they must protect themselves, and expect no more protection from any department of the state government, they assembled in Far West to the number of 1000 men, and resolved to defend their rights to the last. A call was made upon every person who could bear arms to come forward in defense of our houses, homes, wives, and children, and the cause of our country and our God.” It was at this time that the Battle of Crooked River occurred. The battle occurred when several Saints were taken prisoner, and the Mormon forces sought to free them. The Latter-day Saints lost three men in the attack, including David W. Patten of the Twelve. Several others were wounded. It was the Battle of Crooked River that caused Govern Boggs to issue the order to exterminate the Latter-day Saints. Not long thereafter, the Haun’s Mill massacre occurred. It was then that the Prophet decided to discontinue efforts to use self-defense in protecting the rights of the Latter-day Saints, and he decided to leave Missouri. Before he could leave, Colonel George M. Hinkle, a nominal member of the Church, entered into an agreement with Generals Lucas and Doniphan, which provided that: 1) The Prophet and others were to surrender and to be tried and punished 2) The property of the Saints was to be confiscated to indemnify their enemies 3) The Saint not imprisoned were to leave the state 4) The Saints were to relinquish their firearms. Colonel Hinkle had no authority to enter into such an agreement, but, pursuant to it, the Prophet and others were arrested, a court marital was held, and Joseph and Hyrum and others were sentenced to die. They were saved by the protest of General Doniphan, who told General Lucas that the military tribunal had no authority to try the prisoner, and that if he went forward with the executions, General Doniphan would hold him personally responsible.
- Joseph and his brethren in the Richmond and Liberty Jails:
  - It was at Richmond that Joseph rebuked the guards who were cursing the prisoners and using foul language. It is noted, parenthetically, that David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdery (brothers-in-law) are both buried in Richmond. The old jail no longer stands.
  - Joseph’s deference to his brother, Hyrum, was magnanimous while they were both imprisoned in this jail.
  - Emma Smith and Mary Fielding, the wives of Joseph and Hyrum, visited them while they were in Liberty Jail, traveling there in a buckboard from Far West. Mary had her new baby with her, Joseph F. Smith, who later became the President of the Church.
- The expulsion of the Saints from Missouri was made under the direction of Brigham Young because Joseph and Hyrum were imprisoned at Liberty. In a sense, this was a prelude to training by Brigham Young, who led the exodus from Nauvoo.
Nauvoo period
- After the old Commerce townsite was obtained in Illinois, Joseph set in motion the wheels to develop the area, preparing for the influx of members which he knew would come. By now the converts from Great Britain were arriving in large numbers, and many of them came by ship to New Orleans, and then up the Mississippi River to Nauvoo. Shortly after settling in Nauvoo, the Twelve left on their mission to Great Britain. Joseph personally instructed the members of the Twelve before they left. The following quotation from some of his instructions indicate the manner an substance of his training: “A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or sooner; those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.” (History of the Church, 3:381)
- Because of the difficulties the Saints had experienced in other communities in the East, Joseph and his brethren were able to obtain a broad city charter that invested the City of Nauvoo with extraordinary authority and power. For instance, the courts of Nauvoo had the authority to issue writs of habeas corpus. The charter empowered the city to raise a militia called the Nauvoo Legion. It was authorized to organize its own university. Joseph became the commanding general of the Nauvoo Legion and headed the city government. Parenthetically, from this experience the members of the Church developed fuzzy ideas about the line of demarcation between ecclesiastical and civil authority. This was perpetuated after the Saints came west when, in the early years, Brigham Young was the governor of the territory and also the head of the Church. It was this failure to differentiate between civil and ecclesiastical authority that, in the years that followed, caused numerous problems for the Latter-day Saints, problems which still continue to some degree.
- In Nauvoo, the principles of vicarious work for the dead and plural marriage were introduced by the Prophet Joseph Smtih. It was the latter principle which was a principal cause of the enmities that developed against the Church during this era. The revelation on plural marriage, dated July 12, 1843 (Doctrine and Covenants 132) was dictated by the Prophet to William Clayton, his secretary, in the presence of Hyrum Smith. William Clayton left this account of the incident: “On the morning of July 12, 1832, Joseph and Hyrum Smith came into the office in the upper story of the brick store on the bank of the Mississippi River. There were talking on the subject of plural marriage.” In the discussion that followed, Hyrum persuaded Joseph to reduce the revelation to writing. Continuing with the narrative, William Clayton said: “He then requested me to get paper and prepare to write. Hyrum very urgently requested Joseph to write the revelation by means of the Urim and Thummim, but Joseph, in reply, said he did not need to, for he knew the revelation perfectly from beginning to end. Joseph and Hyrum then sat dawn, and Joseph commenced to dictate the revelation on celestial marriage, and I wrote it, sentence by sentence, as he dictated. After the whole was written, Joseph asked me to read it through slowly and carefully, which I did, and he pronounced it correct. He then remarked that there was much more that he could write on the same subject but what was written was sufficient for the present.” It appears that Joseph actually received this revelation as early as 1831. He received it, as was true with any other revelations, because of an earnest question he had put to the Lord in prayer while he and Sidney Rigdon were engaged in revising the Bible at Kirtland in the early 1830’s. Joseph had begun to wonder about the propriety of the ancient patriarchs having more than one wife. It was then that he received the revelation, but it was never reduced to writing until July 12, 1843. Apparently, Joseph had revealed this revelation to some of the brethren in the interim, who had unwisely talked about it, and it was this fact which apparently resulted in rumors that circulated from time to time during that interval that the Church taught and practiced polygamy.
- Change in the role of the Twelve: When the Twelve returned from England in 1841, Joseph was beset with much opposition in high places. This included opposition from John C. Bennett, who had been one of his counselors. Perhaps for this and other reasons, when the Twelve returned, Joseph placed these faithful brethren in key positions in the Church hierarchy. This took place at a conference held August 16, 1841. In the morning session that day, the Prophet had sent Brigham Young to the conference and had also instructed him to conduct the meeting. This was an unusual thing at the time, because the Twelve’s authority up until then had been restricted to building up the Church through proselyting. Feeling uneasy, Brother Young made explanations to the conference in that meeting. The minutes of the meeting reflected his concern: “The speaker hoped that no one would view him and his brethren as aspiring, because they had come forward to take part in the proceedings before the conference; he could assure the brethren that nothing could be further from his wishes, and those of his quorum, than to interfere with Church affairs in Zion and her stakes. He had been in the vineyard so long, he had become attached to foreign missions, and nothing could induce him to turn therefrom and attend to the affairs of the Church at home out a sense of duty, the requirements of heaven, or the relations of God; to which he would always submit, be the consequence what it might.” Echoing the sentiments of their leader, the brethren of the quorum responded with an Amen.” This unusual procedure of having the Twelve take charge of a conference at the headquarters of the Church created no small stir among local members and leaders. There was busy speculation between the morning and afternoon sessions as to what this meant. The uncertainty was removed at the afternoon session when Joseph made an important announcement. The minutes of that meeting read: “President Joseph Smith proceeded to state to the conference at considerable length the object of their present meeting and in addition to what President Young had stated in the morning said that the time had come when the Twelve should be called up to stand in their place next to the First Presidency and attend to the settling of emigrants and the business of the Church at the stakes and assist to bear off the kingdom victoriously to the nations.” (History of the Church 4:402)
Events leading to the Martyrdom of Joseph Smith
- Beginning in July of 1842, John C. Bennett, over a period of three months, published a series of scandalous letters in the Sangamo Journal in Springfield, bitterly attacking the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Church. The tone of these letters was set in the first letter, when Mr. Bennett said, “I write you now from the Mormon Zion, the city of the Saints, where I am threatened with death by the Holy Joe and his Danite band of murderers.” These scurrilous letters were later revised and published in a book entitled, The History of the Saints, or an Expose of Joe Smith and Mormonism. When it was completed, this book, along with Eber D. Howe’s book, Mormonism Unveiled, became the standard anti-Mormon books which were relied upon by most of the subsequent books written against the Church and its leaders.
- On May 6, 1842, Governor Boggs was shot. Based on information fed by John C. Bennett, Missouri’s governor indicted the Prophet as an accessory to the shooting and sought to extradite Joseph to Missouri. The Illinois governor honored the order, and Joseph was arrested August 8, but promptly obtained a write of habeas corpus. Prior to a hearing, the city council adopted a special ordinance to allow the court to examine the origin, validity, and legality of the indictment. This legal maneuver created such a furor that Joseph went into hiding for four months. During this period, he wrote at length on the subject of vicarious work for the dead, now included as Section 128 of the Doctrines and Covenants. Another letter written during this period commented on the troubles he had faced all his life and ended with, “But nevertheless, deep water is what I am wont to swim in. It all has become second nature to me, and I feel like Paul, to glory in tribulation, for to this day has the God of my fathers delivered me out of them all, and will deliver me from henceforth: for behold, and lo, I shall triumph over all my enemies, for the Lord God hath spoken it.” (Doctrine and Covenants 127).
- The extradition issue was decided favorably for the Prophet at last, the Illinois court holding that Missouri could not extradite Joseph on a writ based upon alleged misconduct in Illinois. Later, John C. Bennett was instrumental in obtaining another writ of extradition from Missouri, based on the stale charge of treason. Joseph avoided extradition by obtaining a write of habeas corpus from the Nauvoo Court, which, based on the special ordinance, looked into the merits and declared the Missouri indictment invalid.
The run for President of the United States
- The decision to run for this high office was made on January 29. 1844. Thirty-seven special conferences were scheduled to be held through the country before the autumn election. Missionaries were sent into all 26 states to both preach the gospel and to advance the Prophet’s candidacy. There were 49 missionaries in New York alone. These missionaries carried with them the Prophet’s platform, which included:
  - A decrease in the size of Congress, and a decrease in their salary.
  - Prison reform, with an emphasis on rehabilitation.
  - Abolition of slavery, to be accomplished by the purchase of the slaves from their owners.
  - Development of a national banking system.
  - Annexation of Texas, Mexico, Oregon, and Canada.
  - Vesting power in the president to suppress mobs and to intervene in state affairs to protect civil liberties.
The Expositor affair
- A number of conspirators, including the Prophet’s counselor, William Law and his wife, Wilson Law, Chauncy Higbee, and Robert D. Foster and his wife, sought to bring about the downfall of the Prophet. William Law, A Canadian, had invested heavily in Nauvoo real estate. He bitterly opposed the principle of plural marriage, which Joseph had revealed to his inner circle. Fearful that publicity about plural marriage would destroy the value of his property, William Law began to plot to bring Joseph’s downfall, on the grounds that he was a fallen prophet.
  - Conspirators circulated a false rumor that Joseph had sought to seduce the wives of William Law and Robert D. Foster. The Prophet defused this rumor when, on March 24, 1844, he mentioned this in a public meeting, vigorously denied the charges, and accused William Law and others of plotting his death.
  - On April 18, 1844, the Law brothers, William Law’s wife, and Robert D. Foster were excommunicated. Mrs. Foster avoided being disciplined when she denied that the Prophet had ever sought to seduce her. Shortly afterward, the conspirators announced plans to publish a newspaper in Nauvoo called The Expositor. Also, William Law organized a Church which he called the Reformed Church. The only issue of The Expositor was published June 7, 1844. This issue portrayed Joseph as a fallen prophet, ambitious, and power hungry. A fictional story implied that the missionary effort abroad was merely a lure to trap unsuspecting women to polygamy. The language in which these charges were couched was both vulgar and intemperate. For example, Joseph was characterized as “…one of the blackest and basest scoundrels that has appeared upon the stage of human existence since the days of Nero and Caligula.” The solution, according to The Expositor, foreshadowed the bloody killings which were to take place in less than three weeks. “Let us arise in the majesty of our strength and sweep the influence of tyrants and miscreants from the face of the land, as with the breath of heaven.”
  - Unfortunately for the Prophet Joseph Smtih, there was a germ of truth in the charge, because he had taken a plural wife in 1841 and had privately taught the principle to some of his inner circle. He, therefore, could not and did not deny the charge of plural marriage. He sought to eliminate The Expositor. The Prophet went before the Nauvoo City Council and sought to obtain an ordinance to abate the paper as a public nuisance. There was some common law authority to support such an ordinance. Although the City Councill was not unanimous, the ordinance was adopted and the mayor was ordered to abate the nuisance. He did so on June 10, 1844, an hour after the Council issued the order. The press was destroyed and the type was scattered.
  - Newspapers in Quincy, La Harpe, and Warsaw published bitter editorials denouncing the action. Thomas C. Sharp, the editor of the Warsaw Signal, wrote: “We hold ourselves at all time in readiness to cooperate with our fellow citizens, to exterminate, utterly exterminate the wicked and abominable Mormon leaders.” These events lead surely and inevitably to the martyrdom of the Prophet an his brother, Hyrum, the story of which is frequently repeated and well-known.

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