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

by George Q. Cannon

About a week after the terrible attack of the mob militia, before dawn on the morning of November 13th, all the heavens began to glow with splendid light. Stars shot from their places, leaving behind them a radiant train. All the colors of the rainbow were seen. It was like the most magnificent play of the northern lights. The Saints could easily see this glorious sight—few had roofs over their heads to prevent. They rejoiced, for they took it as a sign of God's glory, and it certainly was. Their enemies saw it also, and they, believing like the Saints that the Lord of hosts was showing His power, were terrified.

Just as soon as the leading brethren could cross the river, they sent out a sworn statement of all that the mob had done, to Governor Dunklin. He ordered a special court of inquiry to be held at once. This was done and Col. Pitcher was arrested for court-martial because he had taken the arms from the Saints.

The governor said he would restore the Saints to their homes by force if they wished it, but that he could not keep soldiers there to protect them. They themselves had no weapons, and of course did not care to go back and be butchered by the mob. They asked to be organized into a militia, but though this was legal it was never done.

They sent petitions to President Andrew Jackson, asking that the United States troops might be stationed in Jackson county to protect them. The soldiers had to be placed along the frontier somewhere, and the Saints thought if placed there, the mob would not dare do any violence. The president would not interfere, saying he had no authority to act in this case. On other occasions President Jackson was not so particular about authority when he wanted to carry out his plans. What an exhibition of weakness in our government! The governor of Missouri and the president of the United States both seemed willing to do what the law would permit, and yet over one thousand people were driven from their homes and kept away, although they used all the lawful means to regain them.

It was a terrible winter for the Saints in Missouri. All the comforts they had gathered about them were gone. They not only were without proper shelter from the storms but even lacked food. And while they were in this condition, across the Missouri river the mobs were tearing down and burning their empty houses and destroying their harvested crops. During one week in the spring of 1834, one hundred and fifty homes were consumed by fire.

In the latter part of February a regular court of inquiry was held in Jackson county, and about a dozen of the brethren were called as witnesses. A company of state soldiers went out with them as a guard. No sooner had they reached Independence, however, than a strong mob gathered and they were hurried back to Clay county without going into court at all. Blood would certainly have been spilled if they had stayed.

The court found Col. Pitcher guilty of calling out the militia to crush an uprising when there was no uprising to crush, and of making the Saints give up their arms when they were at peace. When Governor Dunklin received this report he ordered that the arms be returned. His orders were not regarded, and here is where his weakness was shown—a strong man would have enforced his own proper commands. Instead of being given back, the arms were divided among the mob, and the Saints never did obtain them.

On the day following the entrance into Missouri of Zion's Camp, of which you are later to hear much, on the 5th of June, 1834, the brethren wrote to Governor Dunklin telling him that the Saints were ready to be taken back to their homes in Jackson county. You remember that he had promised to protect them until they were again settled but no longer. They had now obtained new arms, Zion's Camp was coming to help them, and they believed that they could now protect themselves if the mob should rise again to hurt them.

In answering, the governor said that a clearer right did not exist than that of the "Mormon" people, who were exiled from their homes in Jackson county, to return and live on their lands. But instead of raising troops to go back with the Saints, he tried to persuade them to come to some terms with their enemies.

Through the efforts of him and other prominent men a meeting was held on the 16th of June in Clay county between members of the mob and members of the Church. Different proposals were made but none were accepted. The mob offered to buy the lands of the Saints if they would promise that no "Mormon" should ever come back, but God had commanded them to build Zion there, and they could not promise that. The Saints offered to buy the lands of all those who did not wish to live in the same county with them, but this did not suit the mob. The meeting grew very exciting and ended by one of the mob stabbing another.