Church History Tour July 9-20 w/Dr. Doug Maughan LDS World Travel Document

1. Joseph Smith Fireside Sharon Vermont – July 9, 2013
Joseph Smiths Personality Nature and Character:
You don't know me; you never knew my heart. No man knows my
history. I cannot tell it: I shall never undertake it. I don't blame
anyone for not believing my history. If I had not experienced what I
have, I would not have believed it myself. I never did harm any man
since I was born in the world. My voice is always for peace. I cannot
lie down until all my work is finished. I never think any evil, nor do
anything to the harm of my fellow-man. When I am called by the
trump of the archangel and weighed in the balance, you will all
know me then. I add no more. God bless you all. Amen. Joseph
Smith's King Follet Sermon (As printed in History of the Church, Vol. 6,
p. 302-317)[This sermon was also reprinted in the April and May
issues of the 1971 Ensign.]
Because of the Joseph Smith Papers project we can come to know
brother Joseph Again… as no generation has ever known him even his
own…
There is a white light brilliance about his life…his is the witness of the
return of the king… even the light of the world, the Savior and
Redeemer, the Wonderful counselor the mighty God the Prince of
peace the everlasting Father…the merciful Jehovah who’s tender
mercies are renewed every morning…
―Meditation in a Toolshed‖- C. S. Lewis
I was standing today in the dark toolshed. The sun was shining outside and through the
crack at the top of the door there came a sunbeam. From where I stood that beam of
light, with the specks of dust floating in it, was the most striking thing in the place.
Everything else was almost pitch-black. I was seeing the beam, not seeing things by it.
Then I moved, so that the beam fell on my eyes. Instantly the whole previous picture

2. vanished. I saw no toolshed, and (above all) no beam. Instead I saw, framed in the
irregular cranny at the top of the door, green leaves moving on the branches of a tree
outside and beyond that, 90 odd million miles away, the sun. Looking along the
beam, and looking at the beam are very different experiences.
The long night of darkness and apostasy ended in a pillar of light in which stood the
light of the world. A young boys pray was answered on a beautiful clear day in the
spring of 1820…will we like at the the man the beam fell upon or long the Beam to see
the light of the world?
The World of Joseph Smith’s Day: Darkness, Silence and Solitude…
The world of Joseph Smith was different from our own in other ways. For example, he
did not have modern products such as shampoo or deodorant. The ability to shower and
change into clean clothes every day did not exist for most people living during the
premodern period. Most people living in the premodern world had no regular dental
care, no orthodontics. Life expectancy was less than twenty years of age in the early
nineteenth century, and the infant mortality rate was remarkably high. In a day before
antibiotics, this is not surprising. Today, few parents expect to bury a child; in the past,
few parents escaped this terrible duty. By the end of the nineteenth century, these
numbers had shifted dramatically with the advances of technology that provided clean
water, medicine, and better nutrition.
Joseph Smith’s world was often open to public view. Despite moments of personal
solitude, family life was rather transparent, especially for the Smith family. They lived in
small, crowded homes most of their lives, and during several years of their married life,
Joseph and Emma lived with other people, sharing a home with a number of people.
Joseph’s neighbors saw him walk to the outhouse in the backyard. Today halls,
bedrooms, and locked doors create modern privacy largely unknown in the premodern
world. People in Joseph Smith’s time witnessed the natural rhythms of life in a way most
people today have likely not experienced. They watched children being born and people
dying in their homes. Friends and family of the Prophet saw him sick, tired, irritated,
even angry. They also saw him happy, playful, joyful, enthusiastic, solemn, and
prayerful. They saw him dressed in his Sunday best, but also sometimes in tattered
clothes.
Three prominent visitors—Josiah Quincy, future mayor of Boston; Charles Francis
Adams, the son and grandson of two former presidents of the United States (John
Quincy Adams and John Adams); and Dr. William G. Goforth, representative of the
national Whig Party who had come to Nauvoo seeking votes for presidential candidate
Henry Clay—stopped in Nauvoo just before the Prophet died in 1844. After their visit to
Nauvoo, Quincy told their story about visiting the Mormon Prophet:
Pre-eminent among the stragglers by the door stood a man of commanding
appearance, clad in the costume of a journeyman carpenter when about his work. He
was a hearty, athletic fellow, with blue eyes standing prominently out upon his light

3. complexion, a long nose, and a retreating forehead. He wore striped pantaloons, a linen
jacket, which had not lately seen the washtub, and a beard of some three days’ growth.
This was the founder of the religion which had been preached in every quarter of the
earth. As Dr. Goforth introduced us to the prophet, he mentioned the parentage of my
companion. ―God bless you, to begin with!‖ said Joseph Smith, raising his hands in the
air and letting them descend upon the shoulders of Mr. Adams.1805–19: The Early
Years, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel
Scriptures Related to the Restoration and Mission of Joseph Smith:
D&C 128:19-21
19 Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice
of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; glad tidings for the dead; a voice of
gladness for the living and the dead; glad tidings of great joy. How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of those that bring glad tidings of good things, and that say unto Zion: Behold, thy
God reigneth! As the dews of Carmel, so shall the knowledge of God descend upon them!
20 And again, what do we hear? Glad tidings from Cumorah! Moroni, an angel from heaven,
declaring the fulfilment of the prophets—the book to be revealed. A voice of the Lord in the
wilderness of Fayette, Seneca county, declaring the three witnesses to bear record of the book!
The voice of Michael on the banks of the Susquehanna, detecting the devil when he appeared as
an angel of light! The voice of Peter, James, and John in the wilderness between Harmony,
Susquehanna county, and Colesville, Broome county, on the Susquehanna river, declaring
themselves as possessing the keys of the kingdom, and of the dispensation of the fulness of
times!
21 And again, the voice of God in the chamber of old Father Whitmer, in Fayette, Seneca
county, and at sundry times, and in divers places through all the travels and tribulations of this
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! And the voice of Michael, the archangel; the voice
of Gabriel, and of Raphael, and of divers angels, from Michael or Adam down to the present
time, all declaring their dispensation, their rights, their keys, their honors, their majesty and
glory, and the power of their priesthood; giving line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little,
and there a little; giving us consolation by holding forth that which is to come, confirming our
hope!
22 Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage,
brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the
earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King
Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them
out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free.
23 Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands
tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with
gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid rocks weep for
joy! And let the sun, moon, and the morning stars sing together, and let all the sons of God shout
for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever! And again I say, how
glorious is the voice we hear from heaven, proclaiming in our ears, glory, and salvation, and
honor, and immortality, and eternal life; kingdoms, principalities, and powers!

4. 24 Behold, the great day of the Lord is at hand; and who can abide the day of his coming, and
who can stand when he appeareth?
Eph. 1:9-10
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and without blame before him in love:
…
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the
riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he
hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
D&C 5:9-11
9 Behold, verily I say unto you, I have reserved those things which I have entrusted unto you,
my servant Joseph, for a wise purpose in me, and it shall be made known unto future
generations;
10 But this generation shall have my word through you;
11 And in addition to your testimony, the testimony of three of my servants, whom I shall call
and ordain,
Isa. 29:11-14
11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men
deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he
saith, I am not learned.
13 ¶ Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and
with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me
is taught by the precept of men:
14 Therefore, behold, I will (through Joseph) proceed to do a marvellous work among this
people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and
the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
Acts 3:20-21
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath
spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
D&C 76:18-25

5. 18 Now this caused us to marvel, for it was given unto us of the Spirit.
19 And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings
and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about.
20 And we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received of his
fulness;
21 And saw the holy angels, and them who are sanctified before his throne, worshiping God,
and the Lamb, who worship him forever and ever.
22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony,
last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!
23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that
he is the Only Begotten of the Father—
24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the
inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.
JSH 1
15 After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around
me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to
God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which
entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so
that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I
were doomed to sudden destruction.
16 But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy
which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and
abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being
from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—
just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the
brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound.
When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all
description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and
said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!
D&C 135:3
3 Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the
salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of
twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and
power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of
the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the
revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many
other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many
thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be
slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the

6. Lord's anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and
so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated
Personal Witness of the Restoration:
Boyd K. Packer Osorno, Chile –Bears witness of the Risen Lord
Hermono Canipan Puerto Mont Chile- 1980 A witness of the Book of Mormon and the Disciples
of Christ in the Americas
Joseph Smith (see also Book of Mormon; Prophets, Mission of; Restoration of the Gospel; BD
Joseph Smith Translation)
Isa. 11:1 (2 Ne. 21:1; D&C 113:1–6) shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse
Isa. 29:12 (2 Ne. 27:10–11, 15–20, 23–26; JS-H 1:63–65) book is delivered to him that is not
learned
Mal. 3:1 (3:2–4; D&C 110:13–16) send my messenger ... prepare the way
2 Ne. 3:11 (3:11–13; Ezek. 37:16–20) a seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins
2 Ne. 3:15 his name shall be called after me, and ... after the name of his father
D&C 1:17 (19:13) called upon my servant J.S. ... spake unto him from heaven
D&C 1:29 J.S. ... power to translate
D&C 13:1 (27:7–8; JS-H 1:68–72) Upon you my fellow servants ... I confer the Priesthood of
Aaron
D&C 20:2 J.S. ... ordained an apostle ... first elder
D&C 27:12 Peter, and James, and John ... by whom I have ordained you ... to be apostles
D&C 27:13 Unto whom I have committed the keys of my kingdom
D&C 28:2 no one shall be appointed to receive commandments ... excepting ... J.S.
D&C 76:23 we saw ... the Only Begotten of the Father
D&C 84:3 Which city shall be ... dedicated by the hand of J.S.
D&C 110:2 (110:1–10) We saw the Lord
D&C 110:11 Moses ... committed unto us the keys of the gathering
D&C 110:12 (27:7) Elias ... committed the dispensation ... of Abraham
D&C 124:125 J. to be presiding elder ... a translator, a revelator, a seer, and prophet
D&C 135:3 J.S. ... has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation
JS-H 1:17 I saw two Personages
JS-H 1:71 baptized ... and ordained him to the Aaronic Priesthood
See also Rev. 14:6–7; 2 Ne. 3:18; D&C 18:7; 21:1–4; 27:5; 88:103; 100:9; 128:20; JS-H 1:29–
35.

7. Recollections and Statements that reveal the Personality and
Character of Joseph Smith:
“Would to God, brethren, I could tell you who I am! Would to God I
could tell you what I know! But you would call it blasphemy, and
there are men upon this stand who would want to take my life.”
(Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, p. 322.)
How did people receive Joseph Smith's teachings?
"There has been a great difficulty in getting anything into the heads of this generation," Joseph
once said. "It has been like splitting hemlock knots with a corn-dodger [a piece of corn bread] for
a wedge, and a pumpkin for a beetle [a wooden mallet]. Even the Saints are slow to understand"
(History of the Church, 6:184).
What was the influence of Joseph Smith's teachings on those who
knew him best?
"[He] opened up, in plainness and simplicity the things of God," recalled Brigham Young
(Deseret News, Dec. 30, 1857, 340).
John Taylor said Joseph "was ignorant of letters as the world has it, but the most profoundly
learned and intelligent man that I ever met in my life" (Deseret News, June 2, 1880, 275).
Wilford Woodruff remarked, "The people could not bear the flood of intelligence which God
poured into [Joseph's] mind" (Deseret News, May 27, 1857, 91).
Said Lorenzo Snow, "I heard the Prophet discourse upon the grandest of subjects. At times he
was filled with the Holy Ghost, speaking as with the voice of an archangel and filled with the
power of God" (Quoted in LeRoi C. Snow, "How Lorenzo Snow Found God," Improvement Era,
Feb. 1937, 84).
His forgiving Nature:
If you do not accuse each other, God will not accuse you. If you have no accuser you will enter
heaven, and if you will follow the revelations and instructions which God gives you through me,
I will take you into heaven as my back load. If you will not accuse me, I will not accuse you. If

8. you will throw a cloak of charity over my sins, I will over yours—for charity covereth a
multitude of sins. History of the Church, 4:445.
He had a cheerful disposition:
Aroet L. Hale recalled:
―The Prophet … frequently used to come out of the Mansion [House] and play ball with us
boys, his son Joseph being near my age. [The Prophet] Joseph would always conform to the
rules. He would catch till it came his turn to take the club, then, being a very stout [strong] man,
would knock the ball so far that we used to holler to the boy that was going for the ball to take
his dinner. This used to make the Prophet laugh. Joseph was always good natured and full of
fun.‖4
Margarette McIntire Burgess:
- recalled another experience with the Prophet in Nauvoo: ―My older brother and I were going to
school, near to the building which was known as Joseph‘s brick store. It had been raining the
previous day, causing the ground to be very muddy, especially along that street. My brother
Wallace and I both got fast in the mud, and could not get out, and of course, child-like, we began
to cry, for we thought we would have to stay there. But looking up, I beheld the loving friend of
children, the Prophet Joseph, coming to us. He soon had us on higher and drier ground. Then he
stooped down and cleaned the mud from our little, heavy-laden shoes, took his handkerchief
from his pocket and wiped our tear-stained faces. He spoke kind and cheering words to us, and
sent us on our way to school rejoicing. Was it any wonder that I loved that great, good and noble
man of God?‖5
Bishop Calvin W. Moore- Dealing with Bullies and Evil
Bishop Moore- a veteran of the Mormon Battalion, now living in Lawrence, Emery County,
Utah, was born on the 21st day of July, 1829. He first met the Prophet in Kirtland, Ohio. Of him
he thus testifies:]
When I was a small boy my impression of him was that he was a great man and a Prophet of
God, and when I grew up and became older I got a testimony for myself, and I can say that I
know he was a prophet of the living God.
One time in [the] Kirtland Temple, at a fast meeting, Charles Hyde, got up to talk, and the devil
took hold of him and stopped him. Joseph laid his hands on him and rebuked the evil one, and
Brother Hyde went on talking. On another occasion, at a Sunday meeting, Joseph was speaking
when a large, tall man came into the temple and walked up and down the aisles whittling and

9. whistling. Joseph requested Bishop Knight, who was a smaller man, to put him out, and he took
hold of the disturber and put him out just as the Prophet told him to do.
There is one thing more, which I witnessed, I will relate: It was at the time Porter Rockwell was
in jail, in Missouri. His mother went to see him at the jail, and the Missourians told her that if she
would raise a certain amount of money and give them they would let her son go. Joseph started
out to get the money. He came to a large crowd of young men who were wrestling, that being the
popular sport in those days. Among the boys there was a bully from La Harpe, I believe. He had
thrown down everyone on the ground who took hold of him. When Joseph came to the crowd he
told them what he wanted, passed around the hat, raised what money he could and then went into
the ring to take part with the young men and boys in their games. So he was invited to wrestle
with this bully. The man was eager to have a tussle with the Prophet, so Joseph stepped forward
and took hold of the man. The first pass he made Joseph whirled him around and took him by the
collar and seat of his trowsers and walked out to a ditch and threw him in it. Then, taking him by
the arm, he helped him up and patted him on the back and said. "You must not mind this. When I
am with the boys I make all the fun I can for them."
Prophetic and Visionary Gift:
―It is my meditation all the day, and more than my meat and drink, to know how I shall make the
Saints of God comprehend the visions that roll like an overflowing surge before my mind.‖
You Never Knew my Heart:
Majesty in the Heavens
Baptism of his Father
Father of 11 children 6 of them die as infants
Little Mary Burgess
Dimick Huntington Story
Husband Father son…friend
Loved Children Willy and Margret mud story
Cried when Parley got off a boat from a mission
Cried when given a gift of fruit cake in jail
Horse named Charlie …Joe Dunkin
Dog named Major
Prophet Seer Revelator
No Man Knows My History:
A Denison…‖If I knew how he was going to turn out I would have smothered the little cus‖
Leg operation
Walked on crutches for here years
Caleb Howard made him walk to Palmyra injured
Reverend George Lane

10. Man who whipped his wife story
Found a seer stone in a well
Lt. General Nauvoo Legion
Mayor of the Largest city in Illinois
Shot at as a youth bullet lodged in the neck of their cow
Leg operation
Poverty…whole family worked to obtain their maintenance
Mocked by those who should have been his friends
Family exposed to scorn and ridicule…
Tarred and feathered beaten
6 children Died
One at the hands of enemies because of exposure and measles
Hoer of corn builder of wells, cities and temples
Industrious, made maple syrup, 1500 gallons..won a prize at the fair
Mastor Mason
Lt. General Nauvoo Legion
Candidate for US president
Hired to search for buried treasure
Farmed
Emma didn‘t like him to work in the garden…his friends would always come and ruin the
veggies
Sued and paid Lawyers 12,000, 20,000, and one year 60,000
Forced to bankruptcy more than once
Captain of his Steam boat sunk his ship…sued for $5,000
Robbed
Accused of adultery by a wicked counselor and betrayed by John C. Bennett
Imprissioned in Richmond, Liberty, South Bainbridge, Colesville NY, Carthage, Moses Wilsons
home, Far West MO
Shadrack Roundy
Puke OP Rockwell
Joseph’s Temperament- He admitted his Human Nature:
Joseph meeting Edwin Rushton
On another occasion, with serious intent but humorous overtones, the Prophet dressed up in
rough clothes, got on a horse and rode down to meet a group of converts who had just arrived
from England. He stopped one of them who was heading for the town.
"Are you a Mormon?" the Prophet asked.
"Yes sir," said Edwin Rushton.

11. "What do you know about old Joe Smith?"
"I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God."
"I suppose you are looking for an old man with a long, gray beard. What would you think if I
told you I was Joseph Smith?"
"If you are Joseph Smith, I know you are a prophet of God."
"I am Joseph Smith," the Prophet said, this time in gentle tones. "I came to meet those people,
dressed as I am in rough clothes and speaking in this manner, to see if their faith is strong enough
to stand the things they must meet. If not, they should turn back right now." 37 (Truman Madsen,
Joseph Smith The Prophet)
George A. Smith affection for Joseph
George A. Smith, a cousin of the Prophet Joseph Smith, was in girth, at least, a larger man. He weighed
nearly three hundred pounds. One day they were discussing William W. Phelps as an editor. He had a
gift as well as a curse for using language in an abrasive way, and in his editorials he managed to offend
almost everyone. In his conversation with the Prophet, George A. Smith's evaluation was that Phelps
had a certain literary zeal, and that as far as George A. was concerned he would be willing to pay Phelps
for editing a paper so long as nobody else but George A. would be allowed to read it. At this, it is
recorded, "Joseph laughed heartily-said I had the thing just right." And then he hugged him and said,
"George A., I love you as I do my own life." George A. was moved almost to tears and said, "I hope,
Brother Joseph, that my whole life and actions will ever prove my feelings, and the depth of my
affection towards you." 40
Never be Discouraged
On another occasion he gave George A. this bit of serious counsel: "Never be discouraged. If I were sunk
in the lowest pit of Nova Scotia, with the Rocky Mountains piled on me, I would hang on, exercise faith,
and keep up good courage, and I would come out on top."
I do not the wrings I am accused of:
―Although I do wrong, I do not the wrongs that I am charged with doing: the wrong that I do is
through the frailty of human nature, like other men. No man lives without fault. Do you think
that even Jesus, if He were here, would be without fault in your eyes? His enemies said all
manner of evil against Him—they all watched for iniquity in Him.‖13
Joseph Smith’s journal for October 29, 1842, records: ―I … went over to the store [in Nauvoo,
Illinois], where a number of brethren and sisters were assembled, who had arrived this morning
from the neighborhood of New York. … I told them I was but a man, and they must not expect
me to be perfect; if they expected perfection from me, I should expect it from them; but if they
would bear with my infirmities and the infirmities of the brethren, I would likewise bear with
their infirmities.‖

12. Howard Coray: Knowing how to relax
In a relaxed moment one day the Prophet turned to his secretary, Howard Coray, and said,
"Brother Coray I wish you were a little larger. I would like to have some fun with you," meaning
wrestling. Brother Coray said, "Perhaps you can as it is." The Prophet reached and grappled him
and twisted him over-and broke his leg. All compassion, he carried him home, put him in bed,
and splinted and bandaged his leg. Brother Coray later said, "Brother Joseph, when Jacob
wrestled with the angel and was lamed by him, the angel blessed him. Now I think I am also
entitled to a blessing." Joseph had his father give him the blessing, and his leg healed with
remarkable speed. 60
To Robert B. Thompson, his secretary, the Prophet said, "Robert, you have been so faithful and
relentless in this work, you need to relax." He told him to go out and enjoy himself, to relax. But
Thompson was a serious-minded man. He said, "I can't do it." Joseph responded, "You must do
it, if you don't do it, you will die." One of the sorrows of Joseph's life was that Robert B.
Thompson had a premature death, and he had to speak at the funeral. 61
Native Cheery Disposition: Playful
The Prophet, for all his sobriety under proper circumstance, was a hail-fellow-well-met, easily
inclined to laughter, sociable, animated, the life of the party, and colorful in his use of language.
That was disquieting enough for some that they left the Church. For instance, a family visited the
Prophet when he was upstairs for a time translating-serious and tedious work. Then he came
downstairs and began to roll on the floor and frolic with his little children. This family was
indignant and left the Church.
Jumping at the mark with ministers
On one occasion ministers came to him intent on tying him up in scriptural analysis, as they had
bragged they would do. They kept trying to push him into a corner, but each time he not only had
answers but also questions for them that they couldn't handle. Finally they became convinced it
would be better if they left. As they went to the door, the Prophet preceded them. He went out,
made a mark on the ground, and jumped. "Now gentlemen," he said, "you haven't bested me at
the scriptures. See if you can best me at that." They went away much incensed. (Truman
Madsen, Joseph Smith Prophet)
Eliza R. Snow: Humility
Eliza R. Snow, who had heard of the Prophet and some very ugly things in that connection, happened to
be at home one day when the Prophet called and visited with her family. "In the winter of 1830 and '31,
Joseph Smith called at my father's," she wrote of this visit, "and as he sat warming himself, I scrutinized
his face as closely as I could without attracting his attention, and decided that his was an honest face."

13. 43 Later, after joining the Church, she was often in his home as a kind of babysitter and help for a time
in Kirtland. She first admired him in his public ministry, saw him as a prophet, but not until she saw him
in his own home, on his knees in prayer, and in his relationship with his children did her whole heart go
out to him in admiration. 44 "He was," she said, "as humble as a little child."
"You must not mind this. When I am with the boys I make all the fun I can for them." 12
Physical Characteristics:
Summary: The word handsome is used…A little over 6 feet tall, weighed over 200 pounds,
240 during the Nauvoo time period. Light brown hair with an auburn cast. Little facial hair, Blue
eyes as penetrating as eternity, large nose, after being tarred and feathered he had a broken tooth
ad spoke with a lisp. He walked with a slight limp from his leg operation as a boy. Athletic build
with no breakage…he wrestled and pulled sticks, swam in the Mississippi, ice skated, jumped at
the mark, played baseball quoits even gave bobby prizes.
George Q. Cannon
The death mask gives us the exact lineaments of the Prophet's forehead, his hairline, which was in 1844
receding some, partly as a result of poisoning. His nose was, as the statue on Salt Lake City's Temple
Square depicts, unusually large. And yet it is the comment of those visiting from the East and of his own
convert friends that he was a magnificent man. The word handsome recurs, and there are references, at
least in the earlier years, to the color and abundance of his hair. It was an auburn cast. There was
something of a transparency about his countenance. He was beardless: he shaved, but he did not have a
heavy or thick beard. Of the shape of his body, one writer says that there was "no breakage" about it. He
had a strong and robust pair of shoulders and from there tapered down. He had become a little portly
in the late years at Nauvoo. (Truman Madsen, The Prophet Joseph)
Peter H. Burnett
Joseph Smith, Jr., was at least six feet high, well-formed, and weighed about one hundred and
eighty pounds. His appearance was not prepossessing, and his conversational powers were but
ordinary. You could see at a glance that his education was very limited. He was an awkward but
vehement speaker. In conversation he was slow, and used too many words to express his ideas,
and would not generally go directly to a point. He possessed the most indomitable perseverance,
and was a good judge of men, and deemed himself born to command, and he did command. His
views were so strange and striking, and his manner was so earnest, and apparently so candid, that
you could not but be interested. There was a kind, familiar look about him, that pleased you. He
was very courteous in discussion, readily admitting what he did not intend to controvert, and
would not oppose you abruptly, but had due deference to your feelings. He had the capacity for
discussing a subject in many different aspects, and for proposing many original views, even of
ordinary matters. His illustrations were his own. He had great influence over others. As an
evidence of this I will state on Thursday, just before I left to return to Liberty, I saw him out
among the crowd, conversing freely with every one, and seeming to be perfectly at ease. In the
short space of five days he had managed so to mollify his enemies that he could go unprotected
among them without the slightest danger. Among the Mormons he had much greater influence

14. than Sidney Rigdon. The latter was a man of superior education, an eloquent speaker, of fine
appearance and dignified manners; but he did not possess the native intellect of Smith, and
lacked his determined will. Lyman Wight was the military man among them. There are several
others of the prisoners whose names I have forgotten. 1
Elam Cheney
Brother Joseph was a man weighing about two hundred pounds, fair complexion, light brown
hair. He was about six feet tall, sound bodied, very strong and quick—no breakage about his
body. He most always wore a silk stock, and was smooth faced. He was very sympathetic and
would talk to children and they liked him. He was honest, and was liked by everybody who knew
him. 2
Rachel R. Grant
I guess you have seen the picture where Brother Joseph was preaching to the Indians. I was there
at that time. The Indians were all kneeling down on the grass in front of the Mansion, and if you
have seen that picture, that just describes the way everything was, though it is a miserable picture
of the Prophet. He was a fine, noble-looking man, always so neat. There are some of the pictures
that do not look a particle like him. When he was preaching you could feel the power and
influence. 3
Jane James
I could not begin to tell you what he was, only this way, he was tall, over six feet; he was a fine,
big, noble, beautiful man! He had blue eyes and light hair, and very fine white skin. 4
Jacob Jones
The Prophet weighed about 150 pounds, had nice brown hair, was always jovial and could crack
a joke. He could sing well and loved music, loved to dance and would leave a meal at any time to
wrestle with anyone. He was nimble as a cat and he was fond of us boys and would often play
with us.
Anyone could not help but love him and he loved everybody. He always shook hands with all,
even the babes. He had a very fine gray horse that he always rode whenever there was a parade. 5
Lydia B. Knight
Many were the curious glances that I cast at this strange man who dared to call himself a
prophet. I saw a tall, well-built form, with the carriage of an Apollo; brown hair, handsome blue
eyes, which seemed to dive down to the innermost thoughts with their sharp, penetrating gaze; a
striking countenance, and with manners at once majestic yet gentle, dignified yet exceedingly
pleasant. 6

15. John D. Lee
Joseph Smith was a most extraordinary man; he was rather large in stature, some six feet two
inches in height, well built though a little stoop shouldered, prominent and well-developed
features, a Roman nose, light chestnut hair, upper lip full and rather protruding, chin broad and
square, and eagle eye, and on the whole there was something in his manner and appearance that
was bewitching and winning; his countenance was that of a plain, honest man, full of
benevolence and philanthropy and void of deceit or hypocrisy. He was resolute and firm of
purpose, strong as most men in physical power, and all who saw were forced to admire him, as
he then looked and existed. 7
Lyman O. Littlefield
The opportunity [to meet the Prophet] came, and I first beheld him a tall, well-proportioned man,
busily mingling with the members of Zion‘s Camp, shaking hands with them, meeting them with
friendly greetings and carefully seeing to their comforts. His familiar, yet courteous and
dignified manner, his pleasant and intelligent countenance, his intellectual and well-formed
forehead, the expressive and philanthropic facial lineaments, the pleasant smile and the happy
light that beamed from his mild blue eyes; all these were among the attractive attributes that at
once awakened a responsive interest in the mind of every kindly beholder, which increased in
intensity as the acquaintance continued. With his most familiar friends he was social,
conversational and often indulged in harmless jokes; but when discoursing upon complicated
topics that pertained to the welfare of individuals or the progressiveness of communities, his
elucidations were clear and so full of common sense and genuine philosophy that the candid and
fair-minded felt interested by his views, though they might decline to entertain or promulgate all
of the self-evident truths he originated.
Such is a brief though imperfect pen picture of this celebrated man; he was all this when I first
beheld him in this traveling camp, and is it any wonder that I, so young in years, should be filled
with sensations of intense pleasure and respect for him when I first met him . . . ? 8
James Palmer
[Joseph Smith] looked and had, the appearance of one that was heaven born while preaching, or
as though he had been sent from the heavenly worlds on some divine mission, he was a man of
fine form and Stature measuring over six feet in height, he was of a light complexion, his hair
was of a flaxen color, he wore no whiskers , his chin was a little tipped , his nose was long and
straight, his mouth was rather massive and his upper lip rather long and a little inclined to be
thick. He had a large full chest and intelligent eyes and fine limbs; altogether he presented a very
formidable appearance, being a man of Gentlemanly bearing. 9
Parley P. Pratt
President Joseph Smith was in person tall and well built, strong and active, of a light
complexion, light hair, blue eyes, very little beard, and of an expression peculiar to himself, on
which the eye naturally rested with interest, and was never weary of beholding. His countenance
was ever mild, affable, beaming with intelligence and benevolence; mingled with a look of

16. interest and an unconscious smile, or cheerfulness, and entirely free from all restraint or
affectation of gravity; and there was something connected with the serene and steady penetrating
glance of his eye, as if he would penetrate
the deepest abyss of the human heart, gaze into eternity, penetrate the heavens, and comprehend
all worlds.
He possessed a noble boldness and independence of character; his manner was easy and familiar;
his rebuke terrible as the lion; his benevolence unbounded as the ocean; his intelligence
universal, and his language abounding in original eloquence peculiar to himself- -not polished—
not studied—not smoothed and softened by education and refined by art; but flowing forth in its
own native simplicity, and profusely abounding in variety of subject and manner. He interested
and edified, while, at the same time, he amused and entertained his audience; and none listened
to him that were ever weary with his discourse. I have even known him to retain a congregation
of willing and anxious listeners for many hours together, in the midst of cold or sunshine, rain or
wind, while they were laughing at one moment and weeping the next. Even his most bitter
enemies were generally overcome, if he could once get their ears.
I have known him when chained and surrounded with armed murderers and assassins who were
heaping upon him every possible insult and abuse, rise up in the majesty of a son of God and
rebuke them, in the name of Jesus Christ, till they quailed before him, dropped their weapons,
and, on their knees, begged his pardon, and ceased their abuse.
In short, in him the characters of a Daniel and a Cyrus were wonderfully blended. The gifts,
wisdom and devotion of a Daniel were united with the boldness, courage, temperance,
perseverance and generosity of a Cyrus. And had he been spared a martyr‘s fate till mature
manhood and age, he was certainly endowed with powers and ability to have revolutionized the
world in many respects, and to have transmitted to posterity a name associated with more
brilliant and glorious acts than has yet fallen to the lot of mortals. As it is, his works will live to
endless ages, and unnumbered millions yet unborn will mention his name with honor, as a noble
instrument in the hands of God, who, during his short and youthful career, laid the foundation of
that kingdom spoken of by Daniel, the prophet, which should break in pieces all other kingdoms
and stand forever. 10
Josiah Quincy
He was a hearty, athletic fellow, with blue eyes standing prominently out upon his light
complexion, a long nose, and a retreating forehead. He wore striped pantaloons, a linen jacket,
which had not lately seen the washtub, and a beard of some three days‘ growth. This was the
founder of the religion which had been preached in every quarter of the earth. 11
A fine-looking man is what the passer-by would instinctively have murmured upon meeting the
remarkable individual who had fashioned the mold which was to shape the feelings of so many
thousands of his fellow-mortals. But Smith was more than this, and one could not resist the
impression that capacity and resource were natural to his stalwart person. I have already
mentioned the resemblance he bore to Elisha R. Potter, of Rhode Island, whom I met in
Washington in 1826. The likeness was not such as would be recognized in a picture, but rather
one that would be felt in a grave emergency. Of all men I have met, these two seemed best
endowed with that kingly faculty which directs, as by intrinsic right, the feeble or confused souls

17. who are looking for guidance. This it is just to say with emphasis; for the reader will find so
much that is puerile and even shocking in my report of the Prophet‘s conversation that he might
never suspect the impression of rugged power that was given by the man. 12
Jane S. Richards
The first time I ever saw Joseph Smith I recognized him, from a dream I had had. He had such
angelic countenance as I never saw before. He was then thirty-seven years of age, of ordinary
appearance in dress and manner, a child-like appearance of innocence. His hair was of a light
brown, blue eyes and light complexioned. His natural demeanor was quiet, his character and
disposition was formed by his life work, he was kind and considerate, taking a personal interest
in all his people, considering every one his equal. We were regular in our attendance at the
meetings, and [I] was always anxious to hear Brother Joseph. 13
Herbert S. Salisbury
My grandmother, Catherine Smith Salisbury, told me that her brother Joseph was six feet tall,
athletic and fair, and loved to wrestle. She said that he was not in the least snobbish, but treated
all he met with kindness, consideration and respect. Once when a noted wrestler from New
England visited him in Nauvoo, he challenged the wrestler to ―take a fall‖ with him. In the
ensuing bout he threw the wrestler three times, and the man then refused to take any more
―falls.‖ From what she told me, I think the Prophet must have been as affectionate with his
relatives as President George Albert Smith. She said that on her rare visits to Nauvoo the Prophet
treated her and her family with great kindness and generosity and sent her home laden with food,
money and clothing. 14
John Smith
He was twelve years of age at the time his father and Joseph the Prophet were martyred.
Speaking of the current pictures of the Prophet, he agreed with Sister Bathsheba W. Smith. The
Prophet Joseph stood even six feet high in his stocking feet and weighed 212 pounds. The
speaker‘s Father, Hyrum Smith, stood five feet eleven and a half inches high and they weighed in
the same notch, varying from 210 to 212 pounds. 15
Eunice B. Snow
Some of the most impressive moments of my life were when I saw the Nauvoo Legion on parade
with the Prophet (then General Joseph Smith) with his wife, Emma Hale Smith, on horseback at
the head of the troops. It was indeed an imposing sight. He so fair, and she so dark, in their
beautiful riding-habits. He in full military suit, and she with her habit trimmed with gold buttons,
a neat cap on her head, with a black plume in it, while the Prophet wore a red plume in his, and a
red sash across his breast. His coat was black, while his white pants had red stripes on the outside
seams. He also wore a sword at his side. His favorite riding-horse was named Charlie, a big
black steed. 16
George W. Taggart

18. [September 10, 1843] Now something concerning Old Jo, so called. He is a young looking man
of his age, which is near thirty-eight years and one of the finest looking men there is in the
country and he does not pretend to be a man without failings and follies. He is a man that you
could not help liking as a man, setting aside the religious prejudice which the world has raised
against him. He is one of the warmest patriots and friends to his country and laws that you ever
heard speak on the subject. Neither is he puffed up with his greatness an many suppose but on
the contrary is familiar with any decent man and is ready to talk up any subject that anyone
wishes. And I assure you it would make you wonder to hear him talk and see the information
which comes out of his mouth and it is not in big words either but that which anyone can
understand. 17
Wandle Mace
He was a fine looking man, tall and well proportioned, strong and active, with a light
complexion, blue eyes, and light hair, and very little beard. He had a free and easy manner, not
the least affectation, yet he was bold and independent, and very interesting and eloquent in
speech. 18
Notes:
1. Peter H. Burnett, An Old California Pioneer (Oakland, Calif.: Biobooks, 1946), 40-41. ↩
2. Elam Cheney Sr., ―Joseph Smith, the Prophet,‖ Young Woman‘s Journal 17, no. 12
(December 1906): 539-40. ↩
3. Rachel Ridgeway Grant, ―Joseph Smith, the Prophet,‖ Young Woman‘s Journal 16, no.
12 (December 1905): 550. ↩
4. Jane James, ―Joseph Smith, the Prophet,‖ Young Woman‘s Journal 16, no. 12 (December
1905): 553. ↩
5. ―Testimony of Jacob Jones,‖ LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah. ↩
6. Susa Young Gates, Lydia Knight‘s History (Salt Lake City, Utah: Juvenile
Instructor‘s Office, 1883), 14-23. ↩
7. John D. Lee, Mormonism Unveiled (St. Louis, Mo.: N. D. Thompson & Co., 1881), 76.
↩
8. Lyman O. Littlefield, ―The Prophet Joseph Smith in Zion‘s Camp,‖ Juvenile Instructor
27, no. 1 (1 January 1892): 56-57. ↩
9. James Palmer, ―Reminiscences,‖ LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah, 69-70.
Spelling and grammar have been modernized. ↩
10. Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 1985), 31-32. ↩
11. Josiah Quincy, Figures of the Past from the Leaves of Old Journals (Boston: Roberts
Brothers, 1883), 380-81. ↩
12. Josiah Quincy, Figures of the Past from the Leaves of Old Journals (Boston:
Roberts Brothers, 1883), 381. ↩
13. ―Reminiscences of Mrs. F. D. [Jane Snyder] Richards,‖ San Francisco, 1880. Bancroft
Library, University of California, Berkeley, 11. ↩
14. ―Things the Prophet‘s Sister Told Me,‖ 30 June 1945, typescript copy, LDS Church
Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1-5. ↩
15. Collected Discourses, edited by Brian H. Stuy, 5 vols. (Burbank, California, and
Woodland Hills, Utah: B. H. S. Publishing, 1987-92), 5:33. ↩

19. 16. ―A Sketch of the Life of Eunice Billings Snow,‖ Woman‘s Exponent 39, no. 2 (August
1910): 14; see also ―A Sketch of the Life of Eunice Billings Snow,‖ Woman‘s Exponent
39, no. 3 (September 1910): 22; also cited in Hyrum L. Andrus and Helen Mae Andrus,
They Knew the Prophet (Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1974), 152-53. ↩
17. Ronald O. Barney, ―‗A Man That You Could Not Help Likeing,‘ Joseph Smith and
Nauvoo Portrayed in a Letter by Susannah and George Taggart,‖ BYU Studies 40, no. 2
(2001): 172-73. Spelling and punctuation have been modernized. ↩
18. Journal of Wandle Mace, Brigham Young University Library ↩
No Man Knows my History
“When I am called up at the trump and weighed in the balance, you will all
know me then”
Favorite Stories and Reminiscences:
Mary Todd Lincoln and Judge Nathaniel Pope-
In 1843 the same U.S. attorney who opposed Joseph’s bankruptcy –Justin Butterfield–also defended him
before the same judge in another famous extradition case. In May 1842, Missouri Governor Boggs was
shot and Joseph was arrested as an accomplice. The case was heard in the Springfield court house,
before Judge Nathaniel Pope. The court room was so crowded that the judge invited some women
(including Mary Todd Lincoln) to sit by him on the stand. The attorney’s opening line was this: “If it
please the court, I come before the Pope, in the presence of these angels, to defend the prophet of the
Lord.” And he did! Legal Trials of the Prophet: Joseph Smith’s Life in Court-by Joseph I. Bentley
Legal Trials of the Prophet: Joseph Smith’s Life in Court-by Joseph I. Bentley
From my years of research and work on the Joseph Smith Papers Project, I have gained a deeper
appreciation of Joseph’s achievements, despite intense and unrelenting adversity. Among his other
tribulations was the fact that his ministry was shadowed by many persistent legal prosecutions. Anyone
who has been through even one lawsuit knows how all-consuming it can be. It can demand your time,
assets, body and mind.
So far we’ve found over two hundred total suits involving Joseph Smith–whether as a defendant, plaintiff,
witness or judge. (Yes, as Mayor of Nauvoo, he was also a Justice of the Peace and Chief Magistrate of
the Nauvoo Municipal Court.) That makes an average of about fourteen cases per year. As best we can
tell, he endured an average of one lawsuit per month during most of his ministry!
Brigham Young said that he had to defend himself in forty-eight criminal cases, including many personally
involving Brigham–but that Joseph was never convicted in any of them. We believe that this count of
criminal cases against him is quite accurate. We’ll focus mainly on some criminal charges that took his
liberty, his assets and ultimately his life. Knowing that not once was he found legally guilty of any
charges against him has strengthened my own faith and regard for Joseph Smith–the man and the
Prophet. This is a unique way to tell the history of the Church through lawsuits and court records.
From the time of his First Vision, Joseph said he got used to “swimming in deep water.” This was also
true of his experience with the law. The Lord told him at the start of his ministry: “Be patient in thine

20. afflictions for thou shalt have many. But endure them, for lo I am with thee, even unto the end of thy
days.”1
Also: “Be firm in keeping the commandments … and if you do this, behold I grant unto you
eternal life, even if you should be slain.“2
Finally: “And even if they do unto you as they have done unto
me, blessed are ye, for ye shall dwell with me in glory.”3
These verses connected him to the Lord himself.
But how is that for a mission call?
The legal charges and trials of Joseph began almost before his ministry began, and they continued for
many years after it ended.
No Man Knows my History
Prophetic Visions and Visitations:
Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah Jesus anointed that prophet and seer…
Visitations
The Father and the Son
Moroni 22+ times
John the Baptist
Paul
3 Nephites
Moses, Elias, Elijah
Peter, James, John
Adam
Jude
Adam and Eve
Etc…
Translated and Revealed more scripture than any man ever to live upon the earth
The Book of Mormon
Pearl of Great Price
Doctrine and Covenants
JST of the Old and New Testament
3000 Page History of the Church
Restored all Doctrines and keys of every dispensation for the living and the dead
Power of the Priesthood Stories
Elijah Fordam
WW Handkerchief story
Healed Newel Knight
William Huntington