Nauvoo Reunion Part 3

 Wednesday, June 27th we traveled back across the Mississippi River to Carthage Jail.  We were lucky enough to visit this site on the anniversary of the martyrdom 168 years earlier.

 Joseph Smith agreed to go to jail when the governor of Illinois promised to protect them.  Hyrum Smith, John Taylor and Willard Richards accompanied him.  John Taylor was asked to sing "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" by the prophet. 

 In 1844, William Law, a disaffected Mormon, published a paper full of slander aimed at the Prophet Joseph Smith, calling for Joseph to be arrested and hung.  Non-Mormon neighbors were furious and a riot followed.  Joseph and Hyrum Smith and others were arrested for inciting the riot. The governor promised the men that if they submitted to the arrest and went to jail in Carthage, he would protect them. The men agreed to go to jail and undergo a trial. While in Carthage, Joseph was threatened numerous times.

 On the morning of June 27th, 1844, while at Carthage Jail, Joseph wrote a letter to his wife, Emma. "I am very much resigned to my lot, knowing I am justified, and hove done the best that could be done. Give my love to the children and all my friends ... May God bless you all".

 During the afternoon the four men in the jail (Joseph, Hyrum, John Taylor and Willard Richards) were in considerably low spirits. John Taylor was asked by Joseph to sing the hymn “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief.” One part of the hymn was especially fitting to their current situation:

In pris’n I saw him next—condemned

To meet a traitor’s doom at morn;

The tide of lying tongues I stemmed,

And honored him ‘mid shame and scorn.

My friendship’s utmost zeal to try,

He asked, if I for him would die;

The flesh was weak, my blood ran chill,

But my free spirit cried, ‘I will!’

Then in a moment to my view

The stranger started from disguise.

The tokens in his hands I knew;

The Savior stood before my eyes.

He spake, and my poor name he named,

‘Of me thou hast not been ashamed.

These deeds shall thy memorial be;

Fear not, thou didst them unto me.

 Shortly after 5:00 in the afternoon, a mob of 100 men with their faces blackened headed for Carthage, stormed the jail, and began firing through the door. Hyrum was shot in the face. Joseph leaned over his brother and exclaimed, “Oh dear, brother Hyrum!” John Taylor was hit a number of times. One shot hit his pocket watch, another his wrist, another his left knee, and a final shot hit his left hip. Joseph Smith went to the window, knowing that there was no safety in staying in the room.  It was then he was shot and was killed. Willard Richards, who had been told by the Prophet that he would be safe only had his ear slightly grazed.

 The mob ran outside to make sure Joseph was dead. Fearing the mob would return, Willard Richards hid John Taylor, who was still alive under a mattress in another cell room. The mob did not return. Joseph Smith’s brother Samuel had heard about the threats on Joseph’s life and was on his way to Carthage. He arrived that same evening and was the one who wrote the letter back to Nauvoo telling the Saints that their prophet and his brother Hyrum were dead.

 I love the hymn "Praise to the Man".  The time we were in Carthage this familiar song kept coming to my mind. 

Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah.
Jesus' anointed, "that Prophet and Seer,"
Blessed to open the last dispensation;
Kings shall extol him, and nations revere.

Praise to his mem'ry, he died as a martyr;
Honored and blest is his ever great name;
Long shall his blood, which was shed by assassins,
Plead unto heav'n, while the earth lauds his fame.


Great is his glory, and endless his priesthood,
Ever and ever the keys he will hold;
Faithful and true, he will enter his kingdom,
Crowned in the midst of the prophets of old.


Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven;
Earth must atone for the blood of that man!
Wake up the world for the conflict of justice,
Millions shall know "brother Joseph" again.


Hail to the Prophet, ascended to heaven,
Traitors and tyrants now fight him in vain,
Mingling with God's he can plan for his brethren,
Death cannot conquer the hero again.



The downstairs kitchen and bedroom.



A holding cell downstairs where the men spent their first night.

 

The holding cell upstairs where the men were kept until the jailer let them stay in his room because of the oppressive heat. 



The door through which the first shots were fired.  The small rectangular block of wood above the handle was taken out by previous owners of the home and later returned and restored.

After Carthage, we traveled about 30 minutes to the west to Nauvoo.  Along the way we stopped at the Mississippi so Addison and I could take a closer look at the lily pads!

 After checking in to our cabins, we headed down to the play - Sunset on the Mississippi.  It was fantastic!  Both the couple and younger missionaries put this play on. The younger missionaries are on a 3 month performing mission.  McKenna was so interested - this is the kind of mission she would love!

 
After Sunset on the Mississippi, I went up to the front to see if I could find some relatives serving missions in Nauvoo.  I found Carl and Joy Heaton and Carolyn Grygla!  The Grygla's gave us their front row seats to watch the BYU Living Legends performance that followed Sunset on the Mississippi.  It turned out to be great!  We loved it!  

 This dancer had a special connection with McKenna - He would make gestures that he wanted to call McKenna throughout this dance.

 Leighton loved all the dancers and this one with the twirling dresses had her up and dancing right along with them!

 This dance was an interpretation of Joseph Smith's first vision.  It was beautiful!

 By far - our kid's favorite dance was the Indian hoop dance.  It is amazing to watch them add one more and one more hoop and see all the patterns they make with them!

 These poor kids dancing up there on the stage!  We looked up and saw all the bugs the lights were attracting and asked some of them if they caught a few.  The response?  More than a few!

McKenna's new friend!  A great start to our Nauvoo Reunion!