Dave Butler (22:29)
And then 15 others all go with. They weren't arrested. They had no charges against them. But they were like, we're going to ride with you also. But I've always loved that line. And maybe in connection to the fact that he was so good at asking for forgiveness. Right. That there's a reason that any and every single one of us can have a soul that's as calm as a summer's morning in the middle of just a wild world. And that's because of the grace of Jesus Christ. Like, there it is again. That sermon of what he brings to you is calmness of soul as he rides into this experience. So from here, he'll get on the road and ride over to Carthage, and we want to meet you over there. Joseph and Hyram and the guards and all the friends who came with them would have gotten here to Carthage at about midnight that night that they left Nauvoo. They would have spent that first night down in the jail cell down here. Interestingly, the jailer and his wife and, like, at least eight kids, I can't remember. They had a really big family, lived in this little jailhouse as well. They went to trial the next day and were acquitted of their charges of the riot of the Nauvoo Expositor. But then they held them on treason charges, so they held them here. There's not too much about what happens during those days. That second night, I love this line from Dan Jones. He says, we spent the night in prayer all Together, which made this prison become a gateway to heaven. And it's so neat to think about how when God comes into a place, it becomes heaven. We saw that with Liberty Jail. Remember when Joseph came out of there and says that that place was a temple prison to me, all these friends that were there with him, one by one, Joseph sent them off on. On little errands until there was just a small group that was left. The night before the martyrdom, the day before the martyrdom, they're actually just walking around the jail. The family, like, loves and trusts them. They end up sleeping in the bedroom upstairs. A lot of the guards, Joseph, Smithal and all, and the prisoners will bear their testimony of the Book of Mormon. And some of them actually quit their post because they're like, I can't guard a man like this. I believe his story. And they ended up quitting. So it's just so interesting that this place becomes like this holy spot, a place of teaching and a place of finding God while they're here. The night before the martyrdom, it's about midnight and Joseph is sleeping on the floor and there's a gunshot. And Dan Jones, it startles him. And Joseph calls him down to where he is on the floor. And he asks Dan Jones, are you afraid to die? And Dan Jones says, do you think it's come to that? And he gives this prophecy, he says, not for you. You will yet live and teach the gospel in your native land and bring thousands unto the truth. And if you. If you've seen the front of Preach My Gospel. Not the front, just the front page inside there. You know, Dan Jones is this, like, quintessential, like, missionaries, all missionaries, hero. Because he does leave and go on a mission to Wales and brings thousands of Welsh saints into the church. He was such a loyal companion and friend of Joseph, we actually named our little boy Jones after him, which is so cool. So it's the day of the martyrdom. It's Thursday. There's only four of them left in the jail at that point. Joseph Smith, Hyrum, Willard Richards and John Taylor. The rest of the Quorum of the Twelve, he has sent them off to the east coast on missions. Willard Richards is just another one of his loyal friends. And let's just talk about him for a second. Joseph called him the Doctor. He loved him. As they were coming to Carthage, as things were getting more serious, one of the things Willard Richards said to Joseph is, if they hang you for treason, I will be hung in your place. Joseph said, one of the things I fear Most is being hung. And he says, you can't do that for me, Willard. And he says, I absolutely will. Willard's the one that Joseph gave a prophecy to. And he says, there will come a day when your friends will fall to your right and your left, and you will be in a hailstorm of bullets, and not a hole will pierce your garments. And he says, do you believe me, Willard? And he says, no. He said, why? And he says, because I'm 200, 300 pounds and I've been in a hailstorm before, and they all hit me. So he's got these two loyal friends, his loyal brother. They're in the prison. It's Thursday, July 27th. June 27th. Excuse me. It's in the afternoon. They're reading Scripture. It's a contemplative day. And Joseph asked John Taylor if he'll sing one of his favorite hymns. And he does. And it wasn't called this back then, but today it's a poor wayfaring man of grief. And John Taylor had a beautiful soprano voice, and he sang that hymn. And Joseph asked him, will you sing it again? And John Taylor said, I don't feel like singing. And he said, you just start and you'll get the spirit of it. And it's soon after finishing that that the mob will break through the door. 150 to 200 people with blackened faces. They come up the stairs and the door handle doesn't work. The lock doesn't work. So all four of them are pushing against the door. Their guns are kind of getting through. And Willard Richards has his cane and he's hitting their muskets up. They found over 30 gunshot potholes in the ceiling from them defending the door. And it's at that time when those of you who've been here will know or know the story, that Hyrum's leaning up against the door, putting his weight up against it, when the gunshot comes through the door and hits Hyrum just right next to his nose and falls back yelling, I'm a dead man. And Joseph will leave the door and goes. And he holds Hyrum while he dies. John Taylor said, the facial expression of Joseph Smith while he held his brother will be seared in my memory forever. And then it's not long after that where the mob will break through and John Taylor will be shot and wounded, and Joseph will head to the window. This spot right here. It was in his nature to be a rescuer, I think, to lead the mob away from the other men who were there and will fall out of that window. And the very last words that he says are, O Lord, my God. People have made some speculations about those words, but we talked about this earlier today and it's our belief that the Savior came to meet him, his. His servant. And if we're wrong on that, we're fine to be wrong on that one. But that, that line, I love that he says, my God. It's a word that shows relationship. It's a word that shows that we did this journey together. And that's. And. And that that summer afternoon ends with two testators sealing their. Their witness with their blood and two apostolic witnesses of the event.
