Source: Lyman Omer Littlefield, Reminiscences of Latter-day Saints

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.89 - p.90

If the citizens of Clay and Ray Counties--in fact of the entire upper Missouri--had known those prisoners as I then knew them, the doors of their prison would have been thrown open in a moment. But their true character and the grand motives of their life-labor was not understood. The cry of false prophet and delusion had filled their ears and closed up those benign channels which lead to the heart and awaken the finer sensibilities of humanity. They were strangers, and, in their estimation--for such had been the battle-cry of mobbers and bigots--they were deserving of chains, fetters, and the dreary dungeon. The demoniac spirit of vengeance within the breasts of hundreds around their prison, vented itself in wicked maledictions. Myself, a mere boy, powerless and alone, had to listen to all these coarse and wicked epithets against men whose characters, for honor and noble deeds, I knew to be as far above that of their defamers as the heavens are above the earth, in point of perfection. Though in the midst of that infuriated rabble--many of whom thirsted for their blood--the brethren did not feel entirely alone and friendless. They were not forsaken, for the Omnipotent Ruler of the heavens and the earth communed with them, and the Prophet, in the midst of that faithful imprisoned band, received divine instruction.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.90

To render the history of that imprisonment more complete, the following revelation is inserted:

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.90

The word of the Lord to Joseph, the Prophet, while in Liberty Jail, Clay County, Missouri, March, 1839.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.90

1. The ends of the earth shall enquire after thy name, and fools shall have thee in derision, and hell shall rage against thee.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.90

2. 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.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.90

3. And thy people shall never be turned against thee by the testimony of traitors;

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.90

4. 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 forever and ever.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.90 - p.91

5. 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 by sea;

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.91

6. If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can't you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb;

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.91

7. And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.91

8. The Son of Man hath descended below them all; art thou greater than he?

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.91

9. 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.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.91 - p.92

This revelation must have been of inestimable worth as a comforter to the minds of the imprisoned brethren. If it is possible for the reader to fully consider their circumstances and then realize the fact that in the midst of all this--in the very depths of imminent peril of life itself heavens were exercised in their behalf, and the voice of the Lord was sent to the Prophet to speak peace to their troubled souls--as Christ once spoke peace to the agitated waves of the sea of Galilee--then can we have some faint conception of the tranquil joy which must have been enkindled in their hearts on receiving this great testimony that God was their friend and would be their deliverer from the hands of their embittered foes and the clanking chains that held them in confinement. The voice of profanity might pronounce maledictions and curses; the wicked, with murder in their hearts, might caucus for their death; the cunning lawyer and the subtle judge might encompass them around by a cordon of unjust writs, charging them with treason against their government; the cruel and unfeeling, like barbarians, might glory in their unjust confinement and boast that their doom was sealed and a restoration to liberty and friends was impossible; the despotic vampires might glut themselves with the hope that the loved ones of their families and the brethren of their peculiar and precious faith would never greet them more or listen to their voices; but now, that Jehovah had spoken what was all this insignificant clamor to them? The oil of gladness had been poured upon the troubled waters; their acceptance with God was declared, and all was tranquility and reconciliation in the hearts of these devoted followers of the meek and lowly Jesus.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.92 - p.93

A profitable lesson may be learned by all who carefully read this revelation. It demonstrates the fact that the Divine Ruler, from his heavenly abode, ever watches over His faithful servants, even noting the minutest movement on the part of the wicked who lift up weapons against the lives of the innocent and helpless. It is edifying to note the carefulness and precision with which the Almighty alludes to, and describes, the heart-rending scene which took place when the Prophet Joseph Smith was torn from his home, his wife and children, by the relentless officers at Far West. He who numbers the hairs of the heads of those who trust in Him and suffers not a single one to fall to the ground without His notice, guards, unseen, the lives of His chosen ones, and palsies the hostile arm that it cannot strike them down before their days of probation are numbered and their earthly missions are fulfilled.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.93

Hyrum Smith also was subjected to a similar ordeal. He, too, had to make the sacrifice of all his home endearments. He was one of the most noble and exemplary men that ever stood upon the earth. But, like his brother Joseph and the patriarchs of early ages, he counted the consolations of home as secondary to the providences of the Great Creator; and committing his wife and children to the keeping of the guardian angels of their presence, he passed from the sheltering roof of his humble abode and obeyed the stern command of men whose mission was to slaughter the innocent.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.93

The other prisoners who were destined to accompany them, also had tender wives and helpless children, but the entreaties of none of these companions nor the childish petitions of youthful offsprings could awaken one single emotion of those holy feelings of humanity which are found in the hearts of all mankind not rendered callous by sin and the shedding of blood.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.94

On April 6th, the prisoners were taken from the Liberty Jail to Gallatin, Daviess County, Missouri, for the purpose, as the officers of the state said, to have a trial. The circumstances that transpired there, will be best understood by inserting the following account given by Patriarch Hyrum Smith:

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.94

"When we arrived at that place, instead of finding a court or jury, we found another inquisition, and Birch, who was the district attorney--the same man who was one of the court-martial when we were sentenced to death--was now the circuit judge of that pretended court and the grand jury that was empaneled were all at the massacre at Haun's Mill, and lively actors in that awful, solemn, disgraceful, cool-blooded murder; and all the pretence they made of excuse was, they had done it, because the governor ordered them to do it. The same jury sat as a jury in the day time and were placed over us as a guard in the night time; they tantalized and boasted over us of their great achievements at Haun's Mill and other places, telling us how many houses they had burned, and how many sheep, cattle, and hogs they had driven off, belonging to the Mormons, and how many rapes they had committed, and what kicking and squealing there was among the d--d bitches, saying that they lashed one women upon one of the d--d Mormon meeting benches, tying her hands and her feet fast, and sixteen of them abused her as much as they had a mind to, and then left her bound and exposed in that distressed condition.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.94 - p.95

These fiends of the lower region boasted of these acts of barbarity, and tantalized our feelings with them for ten days. We had heard of these acts of cruelty previous to this time, but were slow to believe that such acts of cruelty had been perpetrated. The lady who was the subject of their brutality did not recover her health, to be able to help herself, for more than three months afterwards. This grand jury constantly celebrated their achievements with grog and glass in hand, like the Indian warriors at their dances, singing and telling each other of their exploits in murdering the Mormons, in plundering their houses, and carrying off their property. At the end of every song, they would bring in the chorus, 'God d--n God, God d--n Jesus Christ, God d--n the Presbyterians, God d--n the Baptists, God d--n the Methodists!' reiterating one sect after another in the same manner, until they came to the Mormons: to them it was, 'God d--n, the God d--n Mormons! we have sent them to hell.' Then they would slap their hands and shout, 'Hosannah, hosannah, glory to God!' and fall down on their backs, and kick with their feet a few moments. Then they would pretend to have swooned away in a glorious trance, in order to imitate some of the transactions at camp meetings. Then they would pretend to come out of their trance, and would shout, and again slap their hands and jump up, while one would take a bottle of whiskey and a tumbler, and turn it out full of whiskey, and pour it down each other's necks, crying, 'D--n it, take it, you must take it;' and if anyone refused to drink the whiskey, others would clinch him, while another poured it down his neck and what did not go down the inside went down the outside.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.95 - p.96

This is a part of the farce acted out by the grand jury of Daviess County, while they stood over us as guards for ten nights successively. And all this in the presence of the great Judge Birch! who had previously said in our hearing that there was no law for Mormons in the state of Missouri. His brother was then acting as district attorney in that circuit, and, if anything, was a greater cannibal than the judge. After all these ten days of drunkenness, we were informed that we were indicted for treason, murder, arson, larceny, theft, and stealing. We asked for a change of venue from that county of Marion County, but they would not grant it, but they gave us a change of venue from Daviess to Boone County, and a mittimus was made out by the pretended Judge Birch, without date, name, or place. They fitted us out with a two-horse wagon and horses, and four men, besides the sheriff, to be our guard. There were five of us. We started from Gallatin, the sun about two hours high, p.m., and went as far as Adam-ondi-Ahman that evening and stayed till morning. There we bought two horses of the guard, and paid for one of them in our clothing which we had with us and for the other we gave our note. We went down that day as far as Judge Morin's, a distance of some four or five miles. There we stayed until the morning, when we started on our journey to Boone County, and traveled on the road about twenty miles distance. There we bought a jug of whiskey, with which we treated the company, and while there the sheriff showed us the mittimus before referred to, without date or signature, and said that Judge Birch told him never to carry us to Boone County, and never to show the millimus, 'and,' said he, 'I shall take a good drink of grog, and go to bed, you may do as you have a mind to.' Three others of the guard drank pretty freely of whiskey, sweetened with honey; they also went to bed, and were soon asleep, and the other guard went along with us and helped to saddle the horses. Two of us mounted the horses, and the other three started on foot, and we took our change of venue for the state of Illinois, and in the course of nine or ten days, we arrived in Quincy, Adam's County, [Illinois,] where we found our families in a state of poverty, although in good health, they having been driven out of the state previously, by the murderous militia, under the exterminating order of the executive of Missouri."

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.96 - p.97

Thus we end this chapter, which gives a brief account of the hardships endured by these prisoners, for conscience sake, and of the injustice inflicted upon them by debauched judges and juries, and by the ignorant rabble who joined in the popular clamor against them in their helpless condition. God delivered them in the manner shown by the now martyred Hyrum Smith, and a few days of weary travel and fatigue, restored them to their families and the society of the Saints, who had found an asylum in a neighboring state.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.97

Chapter VII

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.97

Soon after the occurrence of the incidents, as related at the Liberty Jail, my friend Samuel Kingsley, his wife and sisters, left for Illinois. I was uneasy in mind concerning the condition of my remaining friends in Caldwell and Daviess Counties, and obtained leave of absence from the printing office in order to take a trip there and see for myself their true condition.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.97

At Far West the principal buildings stood intact, but many of the private dwellings were not occupied by their owners and builders. Those of the inhabitants still there were preparing to go upon their forced exit, as the gubernatorial mob edict had fixed the time when they must depart.

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I contemplated, with sadness, the change that had taken place in such a brief period of time. Those residences where I had passed happy hours and months, with the friends of my youthful prime, were deserted and desolate. My feet, as I stepped towards the thresholds where once I met with friendly greetings, awoke no responsive echoes. The voices of my young associates pronounced no word of tender recognition. The hand of affection was not there to grasp mine, as in the past. Those smiling faces that once beamed with gladness at my coming, while the eye sparkled with brightness and bosoms heaved with emotions of fidelity--alas, where were they all? My God! Why were they not there? The cruel truth full well I knew and my spirit was crushed! They were gone to hunt an asylum from oppression! Was not that the new city our parents had built? Had they not acquired lawful titles to the soil? Was not that their country and rightful place of abode? Yes, but they were what the world call "Mormons," and such, in the estimation of a cruel, wicked populace, had no rights that should be regarded.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.98

That townsite--Far West--and as far as the eye could extend over the rolling prairie towards the four points of the compass--was not marked by a single habitation for the abode of man, when our people halted their wagons and pitched their tents there in 1836. But within the short period of their residence, the scene had been transformed, as if by the hand of magic, and small towns, settlements and farm houses with their accompanying improvements, heightened the broad and dappled beauty of the undulating landscape, exhibiting evidences of the industry and skill of the hunted and ever-toiling Mormon people.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.98 - p.99

A short time previous I had looked over this romantic region with pride, hope and inspiring joy, but now with emotions of sadness, despondence and grief. Wherever I turned, loneliness and desolation were unbroken by any feature calculated to awaken cheerfulness or mollify the tendency to despondence. My people were not there! They had left their homes empty and desolate--all save a few, and they were struggling to prepare for the dreary journey. The houses, nearly all, were in the midst of stillness--save the sweet melody of birds, which fell upon my ear like a requiem dirge. No axmen were in the enclosures or groves; no curling smoke arose from the chimneys, indicative of bright firesides and tempting repasts; the voices of bleating lambs and lowing herds sent forth no echoes upon the ambient air. No, not even the barking of the faithful watchdog broke the monotonous silence.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.99 - p.100

At that time, what was missed more than all else were the voices of the loved ones which had saluted me in the past. Their cheerful music was hushed and the melody of their Sabbath orisons no more sent up anthems of praise into the ears of the God of Sabbaoth. Alas, where were they all? The forms of those early associates, those trustworthy young men, and the rosy-cheeked bevies of happy girls--once so vivacious and merry-hearted--indeed, where were they? Once we mingled there, in life's halcyon prime; but not I walked alone and the happy past lived but in memory. The aged, also, with gray heads and bent forms, the mother with the suckling babe and the father with his group of plodding boys--all, all had left, and at that hour were on the weary march, exiled and cast out from the homes their hands had built, and from the streets they had surveyed and converted into thoroughfares for enterprise and traffic. In the midst of those scenes, endeared by so many tender memories, I felt as a stranger, and almost as an intruder; for why should I be there, and they, the owners, ejected and driven away? That hour, though peculiar, was full of interest as the past and future were contemplated.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.100

To me, that was an interesting spot. A great future awaits it. Twenty-five miles to the north, on the north side of Grand River, was Adam-ondi-Ahman, the place where Adam built an altar, offered sacrifice, and blessed his posterity. Also, that "is the place where Adam shall come to visit his people, or ;the Ancient of days shall sit, as spoken of by Daniel the prophet." D&C 116 "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as the burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened." Daniel 7:9-10

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About fifty miles from there, in a southerly direction, the center stake of Zion is yet to be organized and a magnificent city and temple built, by command of the Almighty, at Independence, Jackson County. Far West will then cast off its gloomy aspect, for it will be rebuilt by the Saints and a temple erected there, the cornerstone for which is already laid. Concerning the erection of this house unto the Lord, and also the building up of Far West, the reader will please read Section 115, Doctrine and Covenants. Let the reader especially note this language made use of in the sacred revelation: "Let this city, Far West, be a holy and consecrated land unto me, and it shall be called most holy, for the ground upon which thou standest is holy."

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Yes, I have looked upon that land when it was the peaceful abode of the Saints, who had found refuge there from Jackson and Clay Counties, from Kirtland and many other places. It was a delightsome country to look upon. It had been but little inhabited for hundreds of years, perhaps ever since the Jaredite and Nephite nations dwelt there. The chances favor the idea that its soil had not been stained with human blood, at least since the era just alluded to, unless the "red men of the forest" have since that early period, made that the scene of some bloody strife. But when Joseph stood there, on April 6, 1838, the Lord said, "the land" on which he stood was "holy." We may hope from this that the delightful region had escaped much of the pollutions of all the races that have dwelt upon it since Father Adam offered sacrifice upon the time-ruined altars of Adam-ondi-Ahman.

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While the Latter-day Saints dwelt there, a great majority of them, at least, tried to walk circumspectly before the Lord and serve Him. Lucifer, the arch enemy of Christ, was not pleased that this should continue, and so inflamed the hearts of the people against them that the strength of the wicked were marshaled and drove them from their inheritances. Inasmuch as this was the case, the Lord, so far as the Saints are concerned, will not hold them responsible, because His house is not built at Far West and the residue of His people are not gathered there, and because that beautiful country is not filled with cities and those sanctuaries of worship which He is ever pleased to accept at the hands of a sanctified people. But there is a most glorious future in store for that and other portions of the Land of Zion, to be revealed at the appointed times, when the Saints shall return with strength and wisdom sufficient to obey His laws and build up the waste places, that Zion may arise and put on her beautiful garments.

Lyman Littlefield Reminiscences (1888), p.102

A few miles north from Far West, towards my father's rightful home--the "half-way house," as it was called--I found that persecuted parent. He had fled with his family from his home, a few miles, and in a retired spot in the woods, had constructed a rude cabin by rolling together some logs. He had put chinking between the logs and filled the openings with moistened earth, as well as he could, to make it warm and protect his family from the cold and piercing winds which were already there as the preludes of winter. My heart sank within me! Was that indeed my father's home? Was there nothing left to him of his home comforts? Nothing to smooth his way or sooth his bodily pains, now that he had performed a weary march over the summit of life and was, with feeble step, descending the downward path that led to his final rest! Was it really true that an honest man, an upright citizen and peaceable neighbor, because of his religious convictions, was forced to seek shelter in a wilderness, there to combat the rugged blasts of winter, as best he could, in the noble endeavor to preserve the lives of wife and dependent children!