Joseph Smith's Assassination The Death of the First Mormon Prophet

Suite 101 .com ^ | Oct 18, 2007 | Shawn Landis

[restornu]

The events that took place after the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor led to the assassination of Joseph Smith by an angry mob.

Joseph Smith is vilified by people who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or the other Restorationist groups that split off from the main organization after its founder's death. But those who belong to what is termed the Restorationist Movement remember him as a martyr, and the prophet's assassination lives on as an important moment in their faith.

[elmer fudd]

Perhaps you would believe John Taylor?

"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! 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. I afterwards understood that two or three were wounded by these discharges, two of whom, I am informed died." (History of the Church, Vol. 7, p. 100, 102 & 103)"

[rabidralph]

Didn’t South Park do an episode and explain all of this?

[DManA]

My turn: Joseph Smith, FALSE prophet. Real Prophets warned us they would be coming.

[zerosix]

Er, which "prophecies" that Jos. Smith (the "Prophet) predicted, have ever come true?

One has to point to at least some of his "prophecies" to claim to be a "prophet."

[whipitgood]

I wonder what the Nauvoo Expositor printed in it's first issue? What was so bad that Joseph Smith ordered the destruction of the Expositor's presses? Didn't Joseph Smith know about the Constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech?

[bethelgrad]

What’s the deal with all the Mormon spam lately?

[Tennessee Nana]

You are not the first, nor will you be the last, to blaspheme his name
_________________________________________

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

The false prophet Joseph Smith is not God...

He was only a man...A stupid, evil one but still just a man..nothing godlike about him...ever..then or now or in the future..

It is impossible to blaspheme the false prophet Joseph Smith...

yes, the false prophet Joseph Smith did say he was bigger than Jesus...

The Beatles said much the same thing...

But the false prophet Joseph Smith is dead and in Hell...

And most of the Beatles are also dead...

But Jesus is ALIVE...and is God..and is to be worshipped...

Even the false prophet Joseph Smith is bowing his knees to Jesus...

Phi 2:10 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Phl 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth;

Phl 2:11 And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-12

[Mr Rogers]

Did you realize I was quoting the LDS Church’s own history - not my Baptist interpretation?

I would put a far less favorable light on Smith. The problem he had wasn’t a religious one, but political. Mormons voted as a solid block any way he told them to, and their neighbors didn’t take kindly to Joseph Smith being able to put people in state office.

[Tennessee Nana]

I wonder what the Nauvoo Expositor printed in it’s first issue?
______________________________________________

They exposed the false prophet Joseph Smith as a polygamist...

In other words he was married to one woman, Emma, and had at least 30 one night stands and girlfriends..

he was a big time adulterer...

he also ran a scam in a bank etc..

So the newspaper exposed him

[Spunky]

bump for later read

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP

[SoConPubbie]

Can you provide any references for this?

I would love to know if there are any links or books where I can verify this.

Thanks in advance.

[sevenbak]

Try this, for starters, given some 20 years prior to the Civil War.

THE
DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS
OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
SECTION 87
Revelation and prophecy on war, given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, December 25, 1832. HC 1: 301–302. This section was received at a time when the brethren were reflecting and reasoning upon African slavery on the American continent and the slavery of the children of men throughout the world.
1–4, War foretold between the Northern States and the Southern States; 5–8, Great calamities shall fall upon all the inhabitants of the earth.

1 VERILY, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls;
2 And the time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at this place.
3 For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then war shall be poured out upon all nations.
4 And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshaled and disciplined for war.
5 And it shall come to pass also that the remnants who are left of the land will marshal themselves, and shall become exceedingly angry, and shall vex the Gentiles with a sore vexation.
6 And thus, with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full fend of all nations;
7 That the cry of the saints, and of the blood of the saints, shall cease to come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, from the earth, to be avenged of their enemies.
8 Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen.

[higgmeister]

Since I don’t remember the words, and only the tune.....

Who is the tall dark stranger there?
Maverick is the name.
Riding the trail to who knows where
Luck is his companion
Gamblin' is his game.

Smooth as a handle on a gun
Maverick is the name.
Wild as a wind in Oregon
Blowin' up a canyon
Easier to tame.

Riverboat ring your bell!
Fare-thee-well Annabelle!
Luck is the lady that he loves the best!

Natchez to New Orleans
Livin' on jacks and queens
Maverick is the legend of the West.

Riverboat ring your bell
Fare-thee-well Annabelle!
Luck is the lady that he loves the best!

Natchez to New Orleans
Livin' on jacks and queens
Maverick is the legend of the West.
Maverick is the legend of the West.

[Spunky]

I have a friend who's heritage is in the RLDS (followers of Joseph Smith's son, Joseph Smith III,) who commented to me it is easier for her to just believe and have faith than to have to study to disprove it all.

I have heritage in both the LDS and RLDS and in the 1980's when church historians from both groups were finally allowed access to the archieves and began printing the whole story I decided to read everything I could to learn all the truth. I don't believe in blind faith.

[Tennessee Nana]

#29 and #32

[FastCoyote]

If people want to read some sources that are first hand that show what a corrupt hooligan Joseph Smith really was, here’s the reading you have to do:

Governor Thomas Ford: his first hand account of both sides of the story and how he averted massive bloodshed at his own peril. If anyone is a hero, Ford is, not Smith and his pepperbox pistol and calls for the Mormon Legion to save him.

http://solomonspalding.com/docs/frd1854c.htm#pg313

But to see what a skunk Joe Smith was, read the Nauvoo Expositor, the newspaper whose press was destroyed to stop revelations of Smith’s wife stealing, land speculating, fugitive harboring, vote buying, and self ordination as king setting up a secessionist scenario.

http://solomonspalding.com/docs/exposit1.htm

But to get the full flavor, you should read Ebeneezer Robinson’s account as a faithful Mormon, and how Joe Smith had his “revelation” that tithing was needed so he could pay off his debts from having run the Kirtland Bank scam.

http://www.sidneyrigdon.com/RigWrit/M&A/Return1.htm

But even before that, you all need to be aware that Smith almost got a thousand people killed at Far West in Missouri because he was an egocentric maniac just like Jim Jones. Reed Peck was a Mormon follower of Smith who even did jail time at Liberty with Smith, so the nasty history of what Smith was doing comes from the inside from followers.

http://www.mormoninformation.com/reedpeck.htm

Here are some words of Reed Peck discussing his feelings towards his commander, Joseph Smith:

[You may here ask in conclusion of the story how Joseph Smith retains the confidence of his followers and even bind them more closely to the cause when the ultimate of all his plan has been a total failure He tells them as an excuse for being in the hands of his enemies after the delivery of so many brave speeches “that he was betrayed” The very men who risked their lives at his request [p. 140] to open a communication with the army are now branded as traitors When no others would venture we we stepped forward and were instrumental in saving the lives of hundreds perhaps by bringing about a treaty Propositions were made to us and we faithfully reported the same to the presidency and they undestood the whole matter, still Joseph pretends to the church that he was betrayed by us as christ was by Judas

You may ask how he can expect to support his church as a man of God when [p. 141] facts are exhibited to the world in their true light You may ask how the church can proclaim their innocence to the world with the hope of being believed after having been engaged in the devastation of a part of Davies County & numerous acts of oppression in Caldwell If the character of a few among the Mormons who were opposed to their acts of violence and their genral course in Caldwell can be blackened they may assert their title to the character of christs with the fear of contradiction The few whom I have [p. 142] infrequently mentioned as being as being opposed in principle to their conduct were the chief witnesses summoned in the examination an the Mormons are exerting themselves to make the great public believe that their testimony is false To cast a shade over our character in the eye of the world for the purpose perhaps of weakening our testimony which in time will be made public they accuse us of treachery, perjury and cowardice In behalf of the innocent part of the community I informed Genl Doniphan [p. 143] that there were many individuals among the Mormons who were as warmly opposed to the wicked transactions in Davies and the oppressive influence by which the church is led as any man in his army could be If the order of the Governor had been in hand and an immediate attack intended would not thus have averted the blow If it would have been believed the Mormons certainly would have been pleased if I had told him that they were all opposed to robbing and oppressions

[p. 144] I intended to take a course that would save the greatest number from misery whether guilty or innocent knowing that the guilty had been made so by placing too much confidence in the divine authority of their leaders, believing that God would shield them from harm and prevent the consequences that would naturally flow from their conduct - I did them a service but still the sacrifice of my character is necessary to support one of more importance I have been informed that the army were [p. 145] generally acquainted with the course pursued by John Corrill myself and some others for six months preceding the war - therefore no one can accuse us of cowardice for we knew that our innocence among men secure our Safety ]

I have tons of other historical documents regarding the Kirtland bank fraud and Smith’s looking for buried treasure in homes, and of his defrauding merchants and his low character in general. But you get the idea. So when this poppycock comes up that “Joseph Smith was martyred”, I can only say Mormons in general are lucky they ween’t wiped out in a Civil War at Nauvoo that Lt. General Smith (as he was fond of being called), which is what would have happened if Smith hadn’t been taken out.

[wideawake]

The enormous amount of LDS propaganda posted lately is an attempt to counteract the nasty publicity historical LDS doctrine is getting in the wake of the YFZ Ranch story.

The FLDS' primary justification for their lifestyle is their claim that they are only emulating the lifestyle of the first LDS believers.

[Tennessee Nana]

Nauvoo Expositor (part 1)First and only issue: June 7, 1844
(Published by William Law)

Page Three...

CIRCUIT COURT.
The May Term of the Circuit Court of this county closed on the 30th ult. after a session of ten days. We understand a large number of cases were disposed of, none, however of a very important character. The cases wherein Joseph Smith was a party, were transferred by a change of venue, to other courts; that of A. Sympson vs. J. Smith, for false imprisonment, to Adams County; that of F.M. Higbee vs. Joseph Smith, for slander and that of C.B. Foster vs. Joseph Smith, and J.W. Coolidge for false imprisonment, and that of A. Davis vs. Joseph Smith, and J.P. Green, for trespass, were all transferred to the County of McDonough. The Grand Jury found two bills against Smith, one for perjury, and another for fornication and adultery; on the first of which Smith delivered himself up for trial, but the State not being ready, material witnesses being absent, the case was deferred t the October term.

http://solomonspalding.com/docs/exposit1.htm

[FORTRUTHONLY]

Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God. You are not the first, nor will you be the last, to blaspheme his name and tell lies about him.

Blaspheme can only be done if you take God's and the Lord's name in vain. Joseph Smith was just a man. So was Buddha and Mohammad. Who is your saviour, Christ or Smith?