1842.
BENNETT'S PLOTS TO DESTROY THE PROPHET--A PROPHECY--JOSEPH CHARGED WITH
BEING AN ACCESSORY TO THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF BOGGS--HIS ARREST
AND TRIAL--SET AT LIBERTY.
There are few things that will drive the Spirit of the Lord away from a
man or woman or a boy or girl so quickly as impurity. Hundreds of men
have fallen in this Church, some from the position of Apostles even,
because they were not virtuous. There are few instances that illustrate
this better than the fall of John C. Bennett. He was a man of great
ability, had a good education and had become very prominent among
the Saints. But he did not resist temptation, and the Spirit of God
withdrew from him. Then he began to draw others into his wickedness.
He told a number of men and women that the Prophet had said that the
members of the Church need not be chaste. Some of them sinned with him.
He even went further, and began plotting to kill Joseph.
Bennett was major-general of the Nauvoo Legion and on the 7th of May,
1842, a sham battle was arranged, in which the twenty-six companies of
the Legion, numbering two thousand men, were to take part. Joseph was
lieutenant-general and he took his place with the visitors, in such a
position as to be able to overlook the battle. Bennett, the traitor,
tried to get him alone into a certain position in the ranks, where, as
later turned out, he could be shot by some of Bennett's friends, and,
amid the noise and smoke, the real person could never be told. The
Spirit of the Lord prompted Joseph not to go, and revealed to him the
wickedness of his former friend, so the plot failed. Shortly after this
Bennett resigned his position as mayor and was cut off the Church, but
with tears in his eyes he pleaded for his standing, and mercy was shown
unto him.
After forgiveness had been given he went before Daniel H. Wells,
who was not then a member of the Church, and stated upon his oath
that Joseph had never taught him "anything contrary to the strictest
principles of the Gospel, or of virtue, or of the laws of God or man,
under any circumstance, or upon any occasion, either directly or
indirectly in word or deed." He also made public confession of his
wrongdoing and all the falsehoods he had told concerning the Prophet.
It was not long, however, before he again fell into sin, and then
he was cut off the Church and the world was warned against him as a
wicked, impure man. He now turned his spite upon the Prophet and the
Church and became the author of the most frightful lies. It was largely
due to him that persecution again sprang up. John C. Bennett might have
lived an honorable life, held important positions of trust and been a
favored servant of God, if he had resisted temptation. He now became an
enemy of the truth, was a murderer in his heart, and after a short life
of crime, died a most wretched death.
One day Joseph crossed the Mississippi river from Nauvoo to Montrose,
on the Iowa shore, in company with a number of prominent Free Masons.
He was waiting for them in the shade of the Masonic building while
they finished up their business on the inside, when the subject of
the Missouri persecutions came up and Joseph made a prophecy. He said
that the Saints would continue to suffer much affliction and would be
driven to the Rocky Mountains. Many would apostatize, others would be
put to death or lose their lives through exposure and disease, but some
of those present would live to go and help make settlements and build
cities and see the Saints become a mighty people in the midst of the
Rocky Mountains. This prophecy was made on the 6th of August, 1842,
five years before any Latter-day Saint ever saw the valley of the Great
Salt Lake.
Two days after this, on the 8th of August, the Prophet and Orrin Porter
Rockwell were arrested by the sheriff and two deputies of Adams county,
on the charge of murder. Three months before, Lilburn W. Boggs was
found one night lying in his bed at his home in Independence, Jackson
county, with three bullet wounds in the head. These were not fatal and
he soon recovered. The report was spread that the Mormons had done this
to punish Boggs for the murders of the Saints which he had sent the
mob to do; but there was no evidence to show that any member of the
Church had been in the slightest degree connected with the crime. In
the latter part of July, almost three months after the shooting, Boggs
swore out a complaint against Orrin P. Rockwell for having tried to
murder him, and against Joseph Smith as his aid in the crime.
Boggs had applied to Governor Reynolds of Missouri, and Reynolds had
applied to Governor Carlin of Illinois, for the arrest of the Prophet
and Brother Rockwell as fugitives from justice. Thousands of people had
seen Joseph at Nauvoo on the day that Boggs had been shot. Certainly he
had not been in Missouri, and therefore had not fled from the state.
According to his right, the Prophet demanded that they be taken to the
city court of Nauvoo for a hearing. This the officers refused to allow
but seeming not to know what their duties really were, they went back
to Quincy to consult with Governor Carlin. When they came back, two
days later, Brother Rockwell had gone east, and Joseph had hid himself,
not wishing to be taken, contrary to law, back to Missouri. The sheriff
tried to frighten Emma into telling where Joseph was, by threatening
her if she refused, but it was of no use.
During more than four months the Prophet was hiding at Nauvoo and the
neighboring country, though once he same suddenly before the people and
preached to them. During this time he wrote important letters to the
Saints, especially on the subject of baptism for the dead. All kinds
of tricks were tried in order to capture him. A reward of $1,300 was
offered for his arrest, and the threat was made that if he was not
found the mob would come upon Nauvoo and burn the city. On hearing this
last, the Prophet told Wilson Law, who had been made major-general,
that though the Saints would make every sacrifice that God or man
could require at their hands to preserve peace, yet they should defend
themselves if necessary.
At length, relying on the advice of Mr. Butterfield, an able lawyer who
had become Joseph's attorney, and the promise of Thomas Ford, who had
been elected governor of Illinois after the end of Carlin's term, the
Prophet permitted himself to be arrested by Wilson Law on the 26th of
December, and, with a company of brethren, set out for Springfield, the
capital of Illinois, to be tried before the circuit court.
On the last day of the year 1842, the Prophet was released by Judge
Pope on two thousand dollar bonds to appear for trial the following
week. The court house was crowded with people. Some were friendly to
the Prophet and others were his enemies, but all wished to see him.
After he was set free, he went to visit Governor Ford and on his way he
passed between two walls of people. Soon after this a loose team went
dashing past the State house and somebody called out, "Joseph Smith the
Mormon Prophet is running away." The legislature at once dismissed and
the members came running out of doors to take part in the excitement.
The Prophet had grown to be a very interesting person to them. Next
morning being Sunday, the State house was offered for the purpose of
holding a meeting. Orson Hyde and John Taylor preached to a great
congregation.
The trial was held on the 4th of January, 1843, and after a powerful
argument by Mr. Butterfield, Judge Pope decided that the whole action
of the Missouri and Illinois officers, in trying to take the Prophet
and carry him away for trial, was illegal. By this decision Joseph
was given his liberty again. He returned to Nauvoo on the 10th of
January and the Saints were overjoyed to see him in safety again. The
Twelve Apostles set apart the 17th of that month as a day of humility,
fasting, praise, thanksgiving and prayer. This day was kept, and all
were truly grateful to God for having preserved the Prophet's life.
Next day Joseph and Emma gave a banquet to many of the Saints in honor
of the fifteenth anniversary of their marriage.