Joseph Smith and His Family

This morning I woke up early with normal stomach pains that I've been battling for a handful of years now so in order to try to fall back asleep and attempt to subside the pain in a different way than normal I decided to pull out my Joseph Smith books, study a little more about what he had done. I came across a few passages that were from his letters while he was in Liberty jail and they mentioned his family. I am always amazed with what he had to say and what he did for them but it hit home a little bit more this time I think because a family is the thing I want more than anything. I'd like to share some of these passages I found. Not all are from his letters from Liberty.

Joseph and his family had family prayer:
Words of William Holmes Walker from his diary found in the BYU library: My Father sent me to Nauvoo on some business with the Prophet. I arrived at his house just as his family was singing, before the accustomed prayer. His wife, Emma, was leading the singing. I thought I had never heard such sweet, heavenly music before. I was equally interested in the prayer offered by the Prophet. Much pleased with my visit, and my business accomplished satisfactorily, I returned home in a few days. (TK, p. 147)

How we should treat each other:
Letter to the elders of the church, Kirtland, 1 September 1835: Fathers should be kind to their children, husbands to their wives, masters to their slaves or servants, children obedient to their parents, wives to their husbands, and slaves or servants to their masters. (HC 2:263-64)

Select letters to his family from Liberty and Richmond jail:
Letter to Emma Smith, Richmond, Missouri, 12 November 1838. Written two weeks after he was first incarcerated on 31 October 1838: God grant that I may have the privilege of seeing once more my lovely family in the enjoyment of the sweets of liberty and social life; to press them to my bosom and kiss their lovely cheeks would fill my heart with unspeakable gratitude....Tell little Joseph he must be a good boy. Father loves him with a perfect love. He is the eldest [and] must not hurt those that are smaller than him, but comfort them. Tell little Frederick Father loves him with all his heart. He is a lovely boy. Julia is a lovely little girl. I love her also. She is a promising child. Tell her Father wants her to remember him and be a good girl. Tell all the rest that I think of them and pray for them all....Little Alexander is on my mind continually. Oh my affectionate Emma, I want you to remember that I am a true and faithful friend to you and the children forever. My heart is entwined around yours forever and ever. Oh may God bless you all, amen. (PWJS, pp. 367-68; standardized).

Letter to Emma Smith from Liberty Jail, 4 April 1839: I think of you and the children continually....I want to see little Frederick, Joseph, Julia, and Alexander, Joanna, and old Major [their horse]....I want you should not let those little fellows forget me. Tell them Father loves them with a perfect love, and he is doing all he can to get away from the mob to come to them. Do teach them all you can, that they may have good minds. Be tender and kind to them. Don't be fractious to them, but listen to their wants. Tell them Father says they must be good children and mind their mother. My dear Emma, there is a great responsibility resting upon you, in preserving yourself in honor and sobriety before them, and teaching them right things to form their young and tender minds, that they begin in right paths, and not get contaminated when young by seeing ungodly examples. (PWJS, PP. 426-27; standardized)

Joseph Smith Jr. was a beloved son, brother, father, and husband. As we see through just these few quotes he had an extreme amount of love for his children and wife. Not only did he express it but so did others mention in their diaries. I think to my own parents, namely my father and the amount of love that he has for my brothers and my mother that I can't help but imagine if he were in a similar situation to Joseph he'd write very similar letters filled with compassion and love.

I am grateful for the plan of salvation that makes it clear to me that my family will be sealed to me and me to them for all eternity. Someday I will have my own family and I am so grateful for them already. I was so close to one woman that I was able to imagine and even plan what it would be like to have a family with that my level of understanding and love increased for my future family. It did not work with this sister and my heart is still heavy over it. My understanding and perspective of the great plan of salvation has helped me to move forward day by day. I don't know how people can move forward without this knowledge. Joseph revealed this knowledge, this probably is a major factor as to why he loved his family so much. I hope to have that same happiness with a family of my own someday.

Joseph Smith's Last Dream

I thought I would share a very interesting dream that I have never heard of, I am going to assume most of you have not either. There is no greater respect that I have than I do for these three brothers.

Sure the dream may not be true, but it sure seems very fitting for the outcome of the three and their tremendous faith to serve the Lord with all that they have.

How Do You Know It's True?

How do you know it is true? How do you know anything is true? You pray and have faith that it will be answered.

Lately, I have been thinking much of my own testimony and the testimony of others for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I think of the many people I taught on my mission that were able to take the challenge of testing whether the Book of Mormon were true or if Joseph Smith is a true prophet. Those that were honest and seeking for knowledge gained a witness mostly through prayer and manifestations of how they felt.

Because prayer is something that Heavenly Father has commanded us to do, Satan then tells us not to pray.
It reminds me of a photo I have seen in emails forwarded around as you can see yourself down below.

How silly people must think I am for encouraging them to speak to someone who knows all and is willing to tell you if you but only ask. A desire to know if the first step, that often takes a lot of humbling of yourself. Then the next step is to show faith and pray about the matter. And when you pray, you must pray with the intent to act upon that answer (Moroni 10:3-5). 

So how do you know you got an answer and that it is a from God? Often people describe it as a burning in the bosom or chest. Others describe it as a feeling of peace or calmness. Others say it is a feeling of understanding and knowledge. I have felt it in many different ways. I, too, like those I taught on my mission was challenged by missionaries to know if the gospel of Jesus Christ were true and if Joseph Smith really did see God the Father and Jesus Christ. I was almost 10 years old when the missionaries came over for dinner and shared a message and asked me to pray. After they left, I quickly went up to my room and knelt by my bedside and asked Father in Heaven if the Book of Mormon were true and and if Joseph Smith received a vision. After I asked the question, I waited a few seconds and then began to feel serene peace and a strong thought to my mind that the answer to my question was yes. 

I have used this prayer and answer as an anchor to my testimony and an example to anything else I may ask. I do know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that Joseph Smith really did see our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true and living church here on the earth. I know the priesthood that was restored is a manifestation of God's love for his children. Even in my weakest moments I cannot deny this answer to my prayer. Just as Joseph said when asked about his experience said, "For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it..", I too can say the same thing and have dedicated my life on the basis of this knowledge. 

Tar and Feathering of the Prophet Joseph Smith

As of lately, I have been reading the Joseph Smith Papers. It is compilation of the words, writings, teachings, of Joseph Smith. I cannot express my great gratitude towards this man. It was his sacrifice that allowed us to receive the restored gospel in our day. I decided to write down the dramatic experience of Joseph's tar and feathering in Hiram, OH March 24th, 1832. Not too many people know about the specific details that went on. Thanks to the help of Susan Easton Black and some further research of my own, I compiled this amazing story of personal sacrifice of the prophet Joseph Smith. 

While Joseph Smith was in Hiram, OH he was betrayed by a fellow friend and member of the church, Symons Ryder. Symons fell away from the church after Joseph Smith spelled his name wrong which is still spelled wrong in today's edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. He began to be irritated with all that Joseph had going on for him, he was worried a temple would be built next to his farm and would not have anything of it. On March 24th, 1832 Symons says this is the night Joseph dies. He sends letters to places all around Hiram, to all those that despise the prophet and the Mormon church. The men that volunteer know that close to midnight, they are to meet in the brickyard of Hiram. When the men get to the brickyard, they become drunk with whiskey as to be out of their minds to accomplish their plans of murdering Joseph.

Because of jealousy, pride and anger sixty men plot to kill Joseph Smith in the night. Twelve men approach the house of Joseph and Emma. Joseph and Emma are laying in the front room with their two newly acquired twins who were ill. Suddenly Emma begins to hear what she thinks is knocking against the house, like a tree blowing in the wind. Within a few moments the twelve men broke through the front door into the front room and Emma wakes Joseph up by screaming "Murder!" After the scream the twelve men are now beginning to grab Joseph. One of the men, Warren Waste, whom had prior to this event bragged in the saloon about being able to take down Joseph, made a mistake. He grabs Joseph's right leg, which is the strong leg, and is kicked in the face so hard that knocks Mr. Waste out of the front bedroom out onto the front porch. Years later, Mr. Waste was asked if Joseph was a prophet. He said he didn't know about that but he knew that he was the strongest man he had ever tangled with in the Ohio's. Another man in the room, Carnit Mason, grabs Joseph's head and eventually grabs his hair. He pulls so hard on his hair that he pulls out part of Joseph's scalp. Years later, a short man and an ancestor of mine Levi Hancock, was walking the Streets of Nauvoo and saw Joseph. Levi said to Joseph, "Joseph, I understand you lost part of your hair in the tar and feathering, could you show me?" Joseph bends over and shows that yes, Joseph was missing part of his scalp. Levi Hancock is my ancestor. 

Eleven of the twelve men now succeed in taking Joseph outside. They get him out to the porch. Warren Waste is now standing up after being kicked in the face; he is bleeding tremendously from the wound. He notices the blood on his hands and is very upset. He chokes Joseph trying to strangle him; he does so until Joseph loses consciousness. The interesting part about this is that the other mobbers are the ones who stopped Mr. Waste from killing Joseph, because they wanted Joseph to die another way, they already planned a premeditated murder. Joseph is now taken about thirty yards farther from the house. When Joseph regains consciousness he now sees all sixty men around him and there he sees his stride, Sidney Rigdon. Sidney was pulled out of his home by his feet and hit his head on the frozen ice causing it to bleed profusely and was lying in a pool of his own blood; Joseph thought his friend Sidney was dead. For the first time now, Joseph speaks to his captors and says, "You will spare my life won't you?" At which point, they say, "Call unto your God for mercy, for we will show you none." 

They now take him 30 yards further and take off all of his clothing except his shirt collar. It used to be back then that men's shirts were flat without collars, but the important people would put on a collar to show respectability, much like we do when we enter church in a suit and tie. Joseph, once naked, is then put on boards and suddenly he is introduced to the man who had been determined to kill him, Dr. Dennison. Dr. Dennison was the doctor that delivered baby Joseph in Sharon, Vermont December 23rd, 1805. Dr. Dennison was known for saying, "If I had known what this baby would become I would have smothered the gus." Dr. Dennison was planning to kill Joseph by castrating him. He has a knife in his hand and comes close to Joseph. As he comes closer to Joseph, his hand with the knife begins to shake and he eventually drops the knife. This was the plan of the mob to have Joseph be killed by castration but they had back up plans in case their first plan did not work. Once the doctor drops the knife, he pulls out of his pocket a vile of nitric acid. The doctor's plan is to put this nitric acid into Joseph's mouth and have him swallow it. Once it is swallowed it causes a cruel death of burning the body from inside out. The doctor attempts to put this small vile into Joseph's mouth, but Joseph keeps his teeth clenched very tightly as to not let anything pass through. Between the clenched teeth and the pushing so hard with the vile, one tooth or another will be broken off. It is not until 1843, when a dentist joins the church in Nauvoo, Joseph will get his teeth fixed. From 1832 to 1843, you could always tell Joseph was preaching because he had a whistle. 

Once the vile was dropped, the mob wondered how do they kill him? All of a sudden you hear, "Symon, Symon, where is the tar bucket?" Some run to get a tar bucket, some break into the home of Sidney Rigdon and grabbed pillows. Joseph now describes that a man fell on him like a mad cat and scratched him well. When the tar is ready and the paddle is put into his mouth, Joseph has no fight left. He knows he is going nowhere and he is done. They splash the tar all over his body and throw the feathers from the pillows over the tar. The last Joseph heard was, "The Mormons are coming." When you say the Mormons are coming, you have Orin Porter Rockwell and similar members who are there to protect Joseph. The mob disperses and leaves Joseph for dead in the street. 

When the tar was put into his mouth, Joseph fell unconscious. He regains himself and rips out the tar of his mouth, when he does so he loses consciousness again. Joseph later regained consciousness and crawled back to the front porch of his home. He discovers Emma and the future Relief Society sisters walking and worried on the porch. Joseph is not happy to have company. Joseph now yells to Emma, "Throw me a blanket." Emma is sure it is Joseph and looks towards the direction of the voice spoken, she sees the tar on him and concludes that it is blood and faints straight onto her back. Emma is helped by the other sisters there and Joseph receives his blanket. Many men come to find Joseph and see him at his home. The men then excuse the ladies from helping Joseph and send them to take care of the sick children. They then pull out their knives and begin to scrape away the tar off Joseph's body. These were not normal knives, they were corn husker knives, thick bladed and dull. 

The next day is church and Joseph speaks as usual, no matter what happens to him, it seems he preaches the gospel. After church, they break the ice on the river and Joseph baptizes three people. In coming days, Joseph and Emma lose one of their twins very likely because of the freezing air that entered the home when the mob came. Joseph and Emma had already lost three children prior to this child. 

Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. No greater man has ever lived and done a greater work, save Jesus Christ alone. I love Joseph; he is my brother and friend. Through the song, "Praise to the Man" (my favorite), we learn that "sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven." Joseph sacrificed everything to do the will of God, to bring the restoration of the gospel in this last and great dispensation. And now we see the blessings in this church because of what Joseph sacrificed. What can we learn from Joseph? What are we doing to sacrifice so that we too may have the blessings of heaven unto ourselves and unto the rest of the world? 
Millions truly have come to know who Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God and millions and millions more will still come to learn. Praise to the man Joseph Smith and his endless glory with the almighty God.