25 Jul - Liberty Jail

On the way to Liberty, we learned some fun facts:
An entire wreckage of a ship was discovered in the flood plains of the Missouri in this area and is on display in a local museum. One LDS boat, the Saluda, was sunk when the boiler blew up. Many were killed and wounded.
Pioneers used oats to filter the mud out of the water of the Missouri to use as drinking water.

When George Hinkle betrayed the brethren in Far West, the prophet gave comfort to them.
“Joseph Smith spoke to me and the other prisoners, in a low, but cheerful and confidential tone; said he: ‘Be of good cheer, brethren; the word of the Lord came to me last night that our lives should be given us, and that whatever we may suffer during this captivity, not one of our lives should be taken.’” (Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, p. 192)

The prophet and 5 other brethren arrived at the jail December 1, 1838. Lyman Littlefield said that the people were surprised that the prisoners looked like ordinary men. He befriended them while they were incarcerated and gave them supplies, paper, pens and ink, etc. During their time in the jail, their families and friends visited them. Emma visited Joseph. His son, Joseph III remembers visiting the jail when he was 6. He even spent one night with his father in the jail. Hyrum was in the jail with his brother. His wife, Mary Fielding Smith, brought their newborn son, Joseph F. Smith, to the jail so his father could give him a name and a blessing. Joseph Fielding Smith, son of Joseph F. and grandson of Hyrum, dedicated the site.

Others in the jail were Alexander McRae, Lyman Wight, Caleb Baldwin, and Sidney Rigdon. Sidney was so ill, he had to plead his case before the judge from a stretcher. The people had compassion on him and collected money for him to pay his fines. The men were in this jail for 4 months and 6 days. This was during the winter of 1838-39 when both the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers froze over. They were cold, but he Saints were also suffering and could not send them extra blankets because they had none. The jail walls were 4 feet thick and had 2 levels. Even the jailer on the top floor was locked in. Sometimes the prisoners were allowed on this top floor when visitors came.

During their time in the jail, they were cold and suffering. Worse yet, they didn’t know what was happening to the Saints and that weighed on everyone’s mind, especially the Prophet. He prayed for comfort and guidance and the Lord answered. Doctrine and Covenants sections 121, 122, and 123 contain these revelations. BH Roberts wrote that it was “more a temple than a prison, so long as the Prophet was there. It was a place of meditation and prayer…Joseph Smith sought God in this rude prison and found Him.”
They were allowed to escape on April 6, 1839. They then joined the Saints in Quincy.

Elder Maxwell wrote, “It wasn’t until the prophet was physically confined that his mind was fully liberated…The double walls, four feet thick, kept Joseph and his companions in, but they could not keep the spirit and revelation out.”

Remember the promise that was made to Joseph? The Lord fulfilled that promise and none of them lost their lives.