1841-42.
CARLIN SENDS OUT THE OLD ORDER FOR ARREST--JOSEPH NURSES THE
SHERIFF--THE TRIAL--DON CARLOS SMITH DIES--VISIT FROM SAC AND FOX
INDIANS--BAPTISM FOR DEAD BEGUN--FIRST RELIEF SOCIETY ORGANIZED.
The bright days of prosperity seemed to have come to the Church with
the spring of 1811. At a general conference held on the 6th of April,
the corner stones of the temple at Nauvoo were laid and three days
later Lyman Wight was ordained an Apostle. This made the quorum of the
Twelve complete. All the other eleven were successfully engaged in the
ministry.
When the summer came, Hyrum and William Law went on a mission to
the east, and Joseph went down the Mississippi to Quincy with them.
Governor Carlin lived here and the Prophet visited him, and the two
men had a long friendly talk. The governor had commissioned Joseph
lieutenant-general of the Nauvoo Legion only three months before, and
nothing was said of the order for the arrest of the Prophet that had
been sent out in September of the preceding year.
After Joseph had set out for Nauvoo, Carlin found the old order and
put it into the hands of the sheriff and sent him with a number of
men, one of them a Missourian, to capture the Prophet. They found and
arrested him about twenty-five miles from Nauvoo, but when the man from
Missouri began to threaten and curse, most of those who had come with
the sheriff, being honorable men, withdrew and would have nothing to do
with the arrest. Joseph went back to Quincy and his trial was set by
Stephen A. Douglas for three days later, the 8th of June, at Monmouth,
Warren county.
Sheriff King, who had made the arrest, went back with Joseph to Nauvoo,
but on the way became very sick. The Prophet took him to his own home,
and he himself nursed the officer most carefully. Early on the morning
of the day before the trial, with about twenty good friends, Joseph
started for Monmouth and reached there the following day. The people
were very curious to see him. The different ministers had stirred up a
great deal of hatred, and a mob tried to seize him but the sheriff kept
them back. The trial did not take place that day and Joseph was held
secure in prison until the 9th.
Six prominent lawyers with bravery enough to defend an unpopular cause,
appeared in court for Joseph, and they advanced two strong reasons
why the Prophet should not be sent back to Missouri. The first one
was that the order for arrest, having been sent out once and returned
to Governor Carlin, became void and could not be served again; and
the second was, that the action of Missouri had been illegal and the
indictment of the Prophet was obtained through fraud and bribery.
Stephen A. Douglas was the judge, and he ordered the Prophet to be set
free on account of the reason given. Many of the lawyers on the other
side had been hired by religious people and some had even come from
Missouri to take part in the case.
Mr. O. H. Browning, who later became secretary of the interior in
President Johnson's cabinet, was the principal attorney for Joseph,
and after arguing upon the points of law, he spoke of the injustice of
sending the Prophet back to Missouri to be murdered by the ruffians of
that state. He told of the sufferings the Saints had endured, and so
pitiful was the story that many were weeping when he closed. These were
the last words of his address:
Great God! have I not seen it? Yes, mine eyes have beheld the
blood-stained traces of innocent women and children in the drear
winter, who had traveled hundreds of miles barefoot through frost
and snow, to seek a refuge from their savage pursuers. It was a
scene of horror, sufficient to enlist sympathy from an admantine
heart. And shall this unfortunate man, whom their fury has seen
proper to select for sacrifice, be driven into such a savage land,
and none dare to enlist in the cause of justice? If there was no
other voice under heaven ever to be heard in this cause, gladly
would I stand alone, and proudly spend my last breath, in defense
of an oppressed American citizen.
Elder Amasa Lyman, who was with Joseph at this trial, delivered a
sermon at the request of a number of people, on the evening of this
day, and a much better feeling for the Prophet and the Saints sprang up
as a result. Many, of course, remained bitter and spread all kinds of
lies concerning Judge Douglas and the trial, but all fair-minded people
said that the decision was just. There was much rejoicing when the
Prophet reached Nauvoo, for all expected that this would be the end of
persecution from Missouri.
In July and the following months, six of the Apostles came home from
their mission to England, and this brought joy to the heart of Joseph.
The burden of governing the Church was growing very heavy, and he
needed these true, prudent men about him to aid in the great work.
They were all dear friends of his, and he bore them a love that only
faithful followers of Jesus can feel for one another. But his happiness
for their return and his release from danger was saddened by the death
of Don Carlos, his youngest brother, who died on the 7th of August.
When only fourteen years of age, this boy had begun his missionary work
and traveled with his father preaching the Gospel. He had gone on other
missions later and at the age of nineteen was ordained president of the
High Priest's quorum. At the time of his death, in his twenty-sixth
year, he was one of the city councilors and brigadier-general of the
Nauvoo Legion.
About this time the Prophet was visited by a large band of Sac and
Fox Indians. Some of them had read the Book of Mormon and wished to
know more about the man who had interpreted this great record of their
fathers. Joseph told them of the beginning of their people, and that
God had promised they should be white and beautiful again when they
became righteous. He counseled them to bury the hatchet forever and to
live no more for war and slaughter but to turn to lives of peace. When
he had finished, Keokuk, one of the chiefs, said, "I believe you are
a great and good man; I look rough, but I also am a son of the Great
Spirit. I have heard your advice; and we intend to quit fighting, and
follow the good advice you have given us."
At a general conference, held in the grove at Nauvoo, beginning October
2nd and lasting for three days, the doctrine of baptism for the dead
was publicly preached by the Prophet. This had been taught already
to the Apostles and others, but not to the whole Church. The Saints
were filled with joy when they learned that their fathers, mothers
and other relatives and all the spirits that had passed away without
a knowledge of the truth might yet receive salvation equal to their
own. Some baptisms had already been performed, but now the Prophet
said that there should be no more until they could be carried on in
the temple. It was a month before the baptismal font was ready for
use, and soon after it was dedicated by President Young, baptizing was
again commenced. In February, 1842, Apostles John Taylor and Wilford
Woodruff began to publish _The Times and Seasons_, and in the next
month Joseph became editor of this paper. This was the fourth Church
paper that had been set up and published. In this same month of March,
under the direction of the Prophet, the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo
was founded. You all know how much good the Relief Societies are doing
at the present time, and this was the first in the Church. Emma Smith,
Joseph's wife, was made president and Eliza R. Snow was secretary.