Yes lets keep the facts straight.
Joseph Smith died like he lived. leading a mob or running from one. He also shot back, no lamb to the slaughter, he shot three and killed two of the mob. I like that part.
Joseph Smith died like he lived. leading a mob or running from one. He also shot back, no lamb to the slaughter, he shot three and killed two of the mob. I like that part.
You might want to follow your own advice. Nauvoo, Illinois; Kirkland, Ohio; and Independence, Missouri were hardly the products of a mob. All were beautiful cities carved out of the wilderness. Nauvoo was on a swamp that the Saints had to drain before they could build. Most were sick with disease from living in the swamp while they worked.
Joseph Smith most certainly did go like a lamb to the slaughter. He had left Navuoo and was heading west. He was with trusted and loyal companions. He was safe.
He was met by a group from Nauvoo begging him to return, fearing that there would be retribution against the city if they learned Joseph Smith had left and was unreachable.
Joesph Smith voluntarily turned and headed back to Nauvoo, knowing he would be arrested and likely killed.
The gun was smuggled into Joseph as he was in the jail cell. He fired on the mob after they put a bullet in the head of his brother.
So what we had was one pistol that fired twice against a mob of over a hundred that riddled Joseph's body with bullets and shot his brother through the head.
To call this a gunfight instead of cold-blooded murder is an insult.