Mormonism Essays - Smith Family, Joseph Smith,

Mormonism The summer of 1830, following the organization of the Church, brought further persecution and trials, particularly for the Smith family. Joseph Smith, Sr., father of the Prophet, was one of his most loyal defenders. On one occasion that fall, he was at home with his wife Lucy, and had been "rather ill." A number of neighbors came to call, mostly critical of the reputation of the Smith family. One "Quaker gentleman" came with a note for a fourteen-dollar debt owed him by Joseph Sr., demanding payment, though he apparently was not in great need of the money. Father Smith offered to pay the man six dollars, which was all he had, and arrange to get the rest as soon as possible. According to Lucy, the Quaker man responded, "No, I will not wait one hour; and if thou dost not pay me immediately, thou shalt go forthwith to the jail, unless (running to the fireplace and making violent gestures with his hands towards the fire) thou wilt burn up those Books of Mormon; but if thou wilt burn them up, then I will forgive thee the whole debt." Mr. Smith emphatically declined the offer to free himself of the debt by destroying the books. Instead, Lucy offered the creditor a gold bead necklace, which he also refused. Lucy bore a testimony in reply: "Now, here, sir," I replied, "just look at yourself as you are. Because God has raised up my son to bring forth a book, which was written for the salvation of the souls of men, for the salvation of your soul as well as mine, you have come here to distress me by taking my husband to jail; and you think, by this, that you will compel us to deny the work of God and destroy a book which was translated by the gift and power of God. But, sir, we shall not burn the Book of Mormon, nor deny the inspiration of the Almighty." A constable was waiting outside the door, and though he was quite sick, the father of the Prophet was ordered into a wagon to be taken to jail. To add insult to injury, while Joseph waited in the hot sun, "faint and sick," the constable came back to the house and ate the food Lucy had prepared for her weakened husband. They then departed for Canadaigua, a nearby city, leaving Lucy alone with a small daughter, as all her sons were absent on business or missions. Joseph was verbally abused the whole way, told that if he would only deny his testimony of the Book of Mormon, he would be freed and have the debt excused. He made no reply. When they arrived at Canadaigua he was confined in a dungeon with a convicted murderer. Joseph said later, "I shuddered when I first heard these heavy doors creaking upon their hinges; but then I thought to myself, I was not the first man who had been imprisoned for the truth's sake; and when I should meet Paul in the Paradise of God, I could tell him that I, too, had been in bonds for the Gospel which he had preached. And this has been my only consolation." He was confined for four days with only a bowl of weak broth to eat before his son Samuel returned to plead for his release. He was forced to remain in the city for a month working at a coopering shop to repay the debt. During that month, he took time off to preach on Sundays, and baptized two persons at the end of his term. (See Lucy Mack Smith, _History of Joseph Smith_, pp. 179-186) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 1998, David Kenison and LDS-Gems, [emailprotected] Distributed on the Internet via the LDS-Gems listserver; for more information, see: http://www.xmission.com/~dkenison/lds/ch_hist/ ALL PROPHETS KNEW, TESTIFIED OF HIM - Vivian M. Adams is a gospel doctrine teacher in the Monument Park 16th Ward, Salt Lake Monument Park Stake. - This is the first in a series of articles, to be published weekly through July 2, marking the 150th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum. The two were killed by a mob at Carthage Jail in Carthage, Ill., on June 27, 1844. By Vivian M. Adams When I was a child my father, Bruce R. McConkie, directed that our Sunday School and sacrament meeting talks center on the restoration of the gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I remember well how many times he recited to us the words: