“...The matter of their having one six-barrelled and one single-barrelled pistol with them when assailed was because friends on parting from them left these fire arms with them as stated in a former chapter, under circumstances alike honorable and justifiable. These arms offered but a meager defense against the overwhelming odds of the assailants; nor did the Prophet use the pistol left with him until he had seen his brother shot to death from his side—not until he had looked into the dead face of that brother, calm but bullet-torn, did the war spirit native to his race—his revolutionary ancestry—rise within him and impel him to the conflict at the door where muskets were belching fire and death, where he stood for one splendid moment as some avenging spirit returning the fire of the mob. Much less or far more than mortal man must he have been not to have done what he did. And what he did in that supreme moment of trial and death, does not depreciate him in the esteem of Christian men, nor make him less a martyr to the mission given him of God. President McKinley’s and Roosevelt’s United States secretary of state, John Hay, was right when he said Joseph Smith put up a “handsome fight” in the prison; but it in no way detracts from the solemn fact of his martyrdom, and emphasizes the glory of his manhood.” (Comprehensive History of the Church, Vol.2, Ch.59, p.316 - p.317)”
You’ll have to accept the fact that many of us do not believe he was a Prophet. You will also need to accept the fact that he didn’t die without a fight. I’m not blaming him for fighting, but fight he did. Maybe he was trying to save his life, or maybe he figured to take some with him.
I don’t care what you believe. Let each man/woman believe as he/she will.
I believe Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God and your revisionist history is a lie. But you believe your version and will stake your life on it; then you are for lynch-mob justice.
I love my Church. It is the true Church. Jesus Christ is the Head. We have a Prophet today, a Prophet for the whole world, but only a remnant recognize him.
But I believe he was a Prophet!
I Truly believe he was a Prophet!
He was truly a FALSE Prophet for repeating the LIES that were told to him when he was merely a 14 yo, ignorant farmboy with NO bible knowledge.
If he had known ANYTHING about the Scriptures, he would have KNOWN the two 'personages' were NOT Jesus and the Father!