My Ancestor Spoke With Joseph Smith

[tsc]

I was doing some family history research the other day, and came across some interesting (at least to me) information regarding my great, great, great grandfather on my father's side of the family. I share it in humility, as I was very touched to learn of his friendship with the Prophet Joseph Smith. I was actually trying to find the names of another ancestor's parents when I came across this information. I am grateful that he chose to keep a journal and that I have an opportunity to read about his life and to hear his testimony.

I pray that I can continue to have strength and faith required to endure what lies ahead.

Enjoy

After the winter of 1843-1844 Levi Thornton worked as a brick mason and builder in Nauvoo. He built a
large brick home for Dr. Foster east of the Nauvoo Temple and several other homes for the Saints in Nauvoo.
Levi Thornton moved his family from the house by the river to a home on the East bench of Nauvoo in the spring of 1844. The house was located in the same vicinity as the Heber C. Kimball home. Levi Thornton's family suffered persecution with other saints during the history of the church in Nauvoo. The martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith is recorded in Levi Thornton's journal.

“I will say this that from the time I came to Nauvoo until the time we were driven out it was one continual scene of trouble and persecution. The mob burnt a great many of our houses and grain stacks with a great deal of other property and some lives were lost. We had no rest day
or night."

“I was gone to St. Louis and hearing through the papers that the mob was raging I took a boat and went home to Nauvoo where I had left my family. When I returned I found them all well thing in commotion. I took up arms with the rest of my brothers. This was on the 20th of June, and in a day or so United States troops came into town to take away our arms and they took Joseph. Hyrum went with him and also John Taylor and Willard Richards."

“They were taken in the evening. Joseph was full of sorrow. I was standing beside Joseph's horse at the time for he was on his favorite old Joe Duncan, and he turned to the officer of these troops and said, will you please let me go and bid my family one more farewell. The
officer said yes, so Joseph rode from the Masonic Hall down main street to the Mansion and came back in a few minutes. Hyrum came riding from the northwest across lots and fell in with Joseph and they rode off together. On the 27th day of June they murdered our Prophet Joseph Smith and Hyrum the Patriarch of the Church. They were killed by an armed mob of 150 men painted black and red under the command of Colonel Levi Williams at four o'clock in the afternoon, both receiving 4 balls. John Taylor and Willard Richards, two of the twelve Apostles, were in the room at the time. The former was wounded with 4 balls. The later was not touched through the mercy of God."

“The Saints in Nauvoo knew nothing of the murder at the time. The Governor pledged the faith honor of the State of Illinois that the Smith's would return to their family and friends at Nauvoo. We did not expect such a tragic end. “I have at many times felt like weeping for them. Our beloved Prophet Joseph Smith and Patriarch Hyrum are two of the best men that ever lived on this earth for they were men of God.
I have seen these men and talked with them. The last I saw the Prophet was when he lay dead in the mansion in the City of Nauvoo. This was the 28th of June, 1844.”

“The death of our Prophet cast a terrible gloom over the whole church. These were days of sorrow. We hardly knew what would be done. The twelve were all gone on missions, except Willard Richards and John Taylor being in prison with him. When the mob had killed Joseph and
Hyrum they thought Mormonism would cease to exist on earth, but God raised up another Prophet who was Brigham Young."

“When Brigham Young came home, he being the President of the twelve and the man on whom the responsibility rested, he began to reorganize the Church. Sidney Rigdon was trying to get people to believe that he was the man and some did go with him, but he was put to open shame for when Brother Brigham spoke the church. He said as for himself he would rather sit down and mourn for forty days and nights than to commence to reorganize the church, but it had to be done so he commenced to reorganize. The mob quieted down for a while, but this did not last long. We had to stand on the defensive with our guns in our hands and worked on the Temple, so we built the Temple of the Lord. I bought a lot on Parley Street. I had some material ready for building when the mob began to rage. We were then obliged to quit building and prepare to go west."

“They were determined to exterminate all the Latter Day Saints, so they commenced to burn the Saints houses and grain and the Saints were compelled to move into the city of Nauvoo for protection. This continued until the Fall of 1845 when the Presidency of the church made a
treaty with the mob to give us time to sell property and build wagons so we could move away. We agreed never to winter another winter in the United States, so we organized into companies of hundred to build wagons.”

He was also one of the men sent by Brigham Young to rescue the saints stuck in the snow in Wyoming as part of the Martin Handcart group:

In the Fall of 1856, Levi Thornton in the company with other men were called by President Brigham Young to go east and meet the Martin Handcart Company. That year early blizzards struck the last two handcart companies on the Mormon trail with unseasonable fury,
producing what historians have called the worst disaster in the history of Western immigration. Levi Thornton was part of the Utah relief party which brought provisions to emigrants on the Wyoming plains and escorted them to Salt Lake City. Several companies of men left the Utah Valleys and traveled East in sub-zero weather and blizzards until they reached Green River, Wyoming. They met the Martin Handcart Company at Green River. Levi Thornton records in his journal the condition of the handcart company.

“When we found the Saints with the handcarts they were destitute of the comforts of life. We found them in snow drifts badly frozen. We took them up in our wagons and made them as comfortable as possible, but many died after we got them in our wagons. Many had died before we got to them. This was the most horrible sight I ever saw. Many who went out to meet them were also badly frozen. “We got home after thirty five days of travel, in all traveling seven hundred miles. We got home about Christmas time. The Saints in the Valley thought we were perhaps frozen in the mountains for snow was very deep and it was very cold. A great many froze their feet and some their noses, but after all the hand of the Lord was over us and we got home safe.”

[KOMYU]

Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed that thoroughly. The faith of these men and women is extraordinary and we can learn much from these stories. Thanks again.

[bobhenstra]

I suspect many of us can point to grandparents who knew the Prophet Joseph. My great great great grandfather on my mothers side of the family was Caleb Baldwin, he spent 6 months in Jail with the Prophet. I've often wondered if I would have had the fortitude to exist in such squalor, but on the other hand be able to spend 6 months at the feet of the Prophet, what I might have learned boggles my mind!

However, I've discovered I can spend a lot of time at the feet of the prophets, I simply go to Gospelink.com and type in a word or a phrase on search and hit enter, I'm always amazed at what pops up. I liked Gospelink 2001 much better, can't get it to run on Windows 7, but anything helps!

Bob

[juniper]

I too have ancestors that were friends of the prophet Joseph! It is fun to read their journals and stories. I have pioneer heritage that were brick masons and were also sent by brigham Young to rescue the handcart companies. One was a rescuer at the sweetwater!

[creator]

Some of my ancestor's were Joseph Smith's bodyguard's at various times.

[momto5]

Solomon Hancock and Levi Hancock are my ancestors and my husbands ancestor was a bodyguard to the Prophet. It's pretty cool reading about my ancestors in the scriptures.