Saturday, July 2, 2016 – P’day, Nauvoo Tours of the Martyrdom Trail

Today is our P-day. Last week we set up an appointment to take a tour of The Martyrdom Trail by “Nauvoo Tours.” Our tour guide is Shane Kester, owner of the Willard Richard’s Inn, which happens to be the starting point of our tour.  He is an expert on the history of Nauvoo.  He was mentored by two prominent Nauvoo historians, Dr. Craig Dunn and Sis. Susan Easton Black. Bro. Kester was very good. 

Sis. Johnson and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour this morning. Bro. Kester had the knowledge, background and dedication to make the tour not only profoundly inspiring but thoroughly comprehensive and enjoyable.

One story Bro. Kester told us showed the lighter side of the Prophet Joseph Smith. On one occasion Joseph wrote the two candidates for the governorship of Illinois and asked them the question, “If elected, what are you going to do to help the Mormons in your state?” The candidate, Joe Duncan, wrote back, “I will do nothing; I will ride you all out of town!”  In response, the Prophet changed the name of his horse to “Joe Duncan” and told the candidate, “Well, I will ride YOU all over town.”

A different story we heard was very revealing about the Prophet Joseph Smith. He recognized and was completely submissive to his fate. On at least nine occasions in the weeks leading to his martyrdom he prophesied of his death. 

The week before Joseph and Hyrum’s deaths, they had been previously acquitted twice of the all charges. But for the third time, their enemies swore out yet another arrest warrant.  Late in the evening of 22 June 1844, Joseph and Hyrum tearfully bade farewell to their families and, together with Willard Richards and Orrin Porter Rockwell, crossed the Mississippi River in a skiff to escape arrest and certain death. Early in the morning a posse arrived in Nauvoo to arrest Joseph and Hyrum, but did not find them. The posse returned to Carthage after threatening the citizens with an invasion of troops if Joseph and Hyrum did not give themselves up. That same morning some of the brethren who had gone to see Joseph argued that mobs would drive the Saints from their homes despite his departure. Joseph replied, “If my life is of no value to my friends it is of none to myself.” Joseph and Hyrum then made plans to return to Nauvoo and to submit to arrest the next day. (Institute Student Manuel: Church History in the Fullness of Times, chp 22, The Martyrdom)They both knew they would not survive arrest and incarceration in Carthage.

We were told another story of the Prophet’s lighter side and how he was resigned to his fate. On the road to Nauvoo, Joseph and Hyrum were on their way to turn themselves over to authorities. They were accompanies by at least 17 other men who were friends, body guards and officials from Nauvoo.  At 10:00 AM they arrived at the farm of Albert Fellows, a Mormon, four miles from Carthage where they encountered sixty militia led by Captain Dunn.  As Joseph dismounted he told the brethren, “Do not be alarmed brethren, they cannot do more to you than the enemies of truth did to the ancient saints – they can only kill the body!”

We discovered from our tour guide, Bro. Kester, that there are at least two other tours we might be interested in taking. All six Senior Couples on the tour are very interested in taking more tours with Bro. Kester. He was very good.