Chapter XXII. Incidents of the Prophet's Imprisonment

His Epistle to the Church. A Personal Revelation. Rebuking the Guard.

During the Prophet's incarceration in Liberty jail he addressed several notable epistles to the brethren. We cannot do better than to here reproduce some •of their most striking points. Under date of Dec. 1 6th, 1838, he says :

" * * * Know assuredly, dear brethren, that it is for the testimony of Jesus that we are in bonds and in prison. But we say unto you that we consider our condition to be better (notwithstanding our sufferings) than those who have persecuted us, and smitten us, and borne false witness against us.

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" Dear brethren, do not think that our hearts faint, as though some strange thing had happened unto us, for we have seen and been assured of all these things beforehand, and have an assurance of a better hope than that of our persecutors. Therefore God hath made broad our shoulders for the burden. We glory in our tribulation, because we know that God is with us, that he is our friend, and that he will save our souls. * * * * Let truth

and righteousness prevail and abound in you ; and in all things be temperate ; abstain from drunkenness, and from swearing, and from all profane language, and from everything which is unrighteous or unholy; also from enmity, and hatred, and covetousness. * * * Be honest one with another, for it seemeth that some have come short of these things, and some have been uncharitable. * * * Remember that whatsoever measure you mete out to others, it shall be measured to you again."

This was his diary minute for the close of 1838: " Some time in December, Heber C. Kimball and Alanson Ripley were appointed, by the brethren in Far West, to visit us at Liberty jail as often as circumstances would permit, or occasion required, which they faithfully performed. We were sometimes visited by our friends, whose kindness and attention I shall ever remember with feelings of lively gratitude; but frequently we were not suffered to have that privilege. Our victuals were of the coarsest kind, and served up in a manner which was disgusting.

" Thus, in a land of liberty, in the town of Liberty, Clay Co., Missouri, I and my fellow-prisoners, in chains, dungeons, and jail, saw the close of 1838."

Under date of March 20th, 1839, ne wrote a striking epistle from Liberty jail, from which we extract as follows: "May knowledge be multiplied unto you by the mercy of God, and may faith, and virtue, and knowledge, and temperance, and patience, and godliness, and brotherly kindness, and charity, be in you and abound, that you may not be barren in anything nor unfruitful. * * * O God! where

art thou? And where is the pavillion that covereth thy hiding place ? How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea, thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people, and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries? * * Remember thy suffering saints, O our God ! and thy servants will rejoice in thy name forever."

And this epistle was by no means a mere rhapsody, but filled with solid counsel upon matters then pending. In the second portion of it is the following somewhat unique view of the disposal of affairs in the courts above: "* * There seems to be a whispering that the angels of heaven who have been entrusted with the council of these matters for the last days, have taken counsel together; and among the rest of the general affairs that have to be transacted in their honorable council, they have taken cognizance of the testimony of those who were murdered at Haun's Mills, and also those who were martyred with D. W. Patten, and elsewhere, and have passed some decisions, peradventure, in favor of the saints, and those who were called to suffer without cause. These decisions will be made known in their time, and they will take into consideration all those things that offend."

And concerning the priesthood these ever timely words : " * The rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness. That they may be conferred upon us, is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify

our pride, or vain ambition, or to exercise control, or dominion, or compulsion, upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, amen to the priesthood, or the authority of that man. * * * No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long suffering, by gentleness, and meekness, and by love unfeigned."

And concerning the much talked about matter of oath-bound societies among the brethren at that day, witness the words of this epistle: " And again, I would further suggest the impropriety of the organization of bands or companies, by covenant or oaths, by penalties or secrecies. * * * Let our covenant be that of the everlasting covenant, as is contained in the holy writ, and the things that God hath revealed unto us. Pure friendship always becomes weakened the very moment you undertake to make it stronger by penal oaths and secrecy."

At about this time Joseph received the following personal communication from the Lord :

The ends of the earth shall inquire after thy name, and fools shall have thee in derision, and hell shall rage against thee, while the pure in heart, and the wise, and the noble, and the virtuous, shall seek counsel, and authority, and blessings constantly from under thy hand ; and thy people shall never be turned against thee by the testimony of traitors; and although their influence shall cast thee into trouble, and into bars and walls, thou shalt be had

in honor ; and but for a small moment, and thy voice shall be more terrible, in the midst of thine enemies, than the fierce lion, because of thy righteousness ; and thy God shall stand by thee for ever and ever.

If thou art called to pass through tribulation ; if thou art in perils among false brethren ; if thou art in perils among robbers ; if thou art in perils by land or sea; * * * know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. * * *

Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee, for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less ; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you for ever and ever.

We now see clearly that the sacrifice of the Lord's Anointed has been determined in the " councils of eternity." His days were known, and his years numbered ; but they were not to be less than his times foreordained.

The Covenant of Jehovah has endured. "The ends of the earth shall inquire after thy name!" has been literally fulfilled.

From this time forward Joseph was constantly, to his disciples, foretelling his death ; but they understood him not.

As an instance of his marvelous psycological power, the following incident of Joseph's imprisonment, as told by Parley P. Pratt, is worthy of reproduction :

" In one of those tedious nights we had lain as if in sleep till the hour of midnight had passed, and

our ears and hearts had been pained while we had listened for hours to the obscene jests, the horrid oaths, the dreadful blasphemies and filthy language of our guards, Col. Price at their head, as they recounted to each other their deeds of rapine, murder, robbery, etc., which they had committed among the Mormons while at Far West and vicinity. They even boasted of defiling by force wives, daughters, and virgins, and of shooting or dashing out the brains of men, women and children.

" I had listened till I became so disgusted, shocked, horrified, and so filled with the spirit of indignant justice, that I could scarcely refrain from rising upon my feet and rebuking the guards, but had said nothing to Joseph, or anyone else, although I lay next to him and knew he was awake. On a sudden he arose to his feet, and spoke in a voice of thunder, or as the roaring lion, uttering, as near as I can recollect, the following words :

'"Silence! ye fiends of the infernal pit! In the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke you, and command you to be still. I will not live another minute and hear such language. Cease such talk, or you or I die this instant ! '

" He ceased to speak. He stood erect in terrible majesty. Chained and without a weapon. * He looked upon the quailing guards, whose knees smote together, and who, shrinking into a corner, begged his pardon. * * *

" I have seen the ministers of justice, clothed in magisterial robes, and criminals arraigned belore them, while life was suspended on a breath, in the courts of England ; I have witnessed a Congress in

solemn session to give laws to nations ; I have tried to conceive of kings, of royal courts, of thrones and crowns, and of emperors assembled to decide the fate of kingdoms ; but dignity and majesty have I seen but once, as it stood in chains, at midnight, in a dungeon, in an obscure village of Missouri."