The Latter-Day Prophet: History of Joseph Smith Written for Young People

by George Q. Cannon

CHAPTER XV.

1832-1833.

THE VISIT TO MISSOURI—JOSEPH POISONED—BRIGHAM YOUNG AND HEBER C. KIMBALL COME TO KIRTLAND—PROPHECY OF CIVIL WAR—FIRST PRESIDENCY ORGANIZED.

Joseph's visit to Missouri in the spring of 1832 was not alone to escape the mob, although his life was in danger in Ohio. It seemed necessary for him to see and encourage the Saints in Zion and to attend to other matters.

The little party hurried away from Kirtland and the bad men who wished to kill them followed. Thus they went until they reached Cincinnati, when their enemies gave up the chase. On the journey the boat on which the brethren rode caught fire twice, but no one was hurt. Joseph during his life had many adventures.

Two days after reaching Independence, on the twenty-sixth of April a general council of the Church was held, and Joseph Smith, Jr., was sustained as President of the High Priesthood. The Prophet had been ordained to this position at a conference in Amherst, Ohio, January 25, 1832, and when the Saints in Zion accepted him he stood at the head of the Church as President. You remember that Joseph was accepted as first Elder when the Church was organized and he had continued to preside over and to lead it. But now the Lord desired to make the organization more complete, and he was called to be President and Frederick G. Williams to be counselor to him, though Elder Williams was not ordained to this position until a year later.

While the Prophet was at Independence much other business was carried on, and the most important of this was the order to print three thousand copies of the Book of Commandments. This was the first book containing the revelations from the Lord to the Prophet. At a later time these were printed in the Doctrine and Covenants. At the same conference Elders W. W. Phelps, Oliver Cowdery and John Whitmer were appointed to review and prepare for the press such revelations as should be deemed proper for publication.

After a very pleasant two week's visit among the Saints Joseph departed for home. His journey was made most of the way in a stage. The great railroads now running through the states of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio were unheard of then. Only the year before, 1831, the first engine and train of cars in America were run over a fifteen mile track westward from the city of Baltimore in Maryland. So you see that it took many days to go the distance that can be traveled in one day now, and there was certainly far less comfort and perhaps even less safety in traveling by stage than by railroad.

On this particular journey, while passing through the southern par of Indiana, Joseph and his companions had a thrilling adventure and serious accident. The stage horses became frightened and ran away. It was very dangerous to remain inside, for the high coach was likely to be tipped over and wrecked, and they also found it dangerous to get out. Joseph and Bishop Whitney tried it, and Joseph reached the ground safely. Bishop Whitney, however, was not so fortunate. His foot slipped into the swiftly whirling wheel and the bones of his foot and leg were twisted and broken, and then he dropped, limp and bleeding, into the road.

Joseph took his friend to an inn at Greenville and for nearly a month cared for him tenderly. At the end of this time the Prophet rose one day from the table, walked to the door and began vomiting frightfully. Blood and poison came up, and so violent was the retching that his jaw was thrown out of place, and the poison acted so powerfully on him that it loosened his hair. With his own hands he replaced his jaw and then hurried to Bishop Whitney's bed. Bishop Whitney laid his hands upon his head and rebuked the evil power that was afflicting him, and instantly he was completely healed.