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

by George Q. Cannon

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.