Oliver, Hyrum, and Dying for the Cause

Joseph and Oliver were given to know very early on that they could be called upon to give their lives for the gospel.  The Lord said to Joseph in March of 1829, “And now I command you, my servant Joseph, to repent and walk more uprightly before me, and to yield to the persuasions of men no more; And that you be firm in keeping the commandments wherewith I have commanded you; and if you do this, behold I grant unto you eternal life, even if you should be slain” (D&C 5:21-22).  In the next month the Lord told Oliver, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, if they reject my words, and this part of my gospel and ministry, blessed are ye, for they can do no more unto you than unto me.  And even if they do unto you even as they have done unto me, blessed are ye, for you shall dwell with me in glory” (D&C 6:29-30).  Both of these suggested to Joseph and Oliver that they might be called upon to give their lives for the cause they were engaged in.  In a later revelation the Lord also alluded to the fact that some might “lay their hands upon [Oliver] by violence,” and to the group of Zion’s camp the Lord said, “Let no man be afraid to lay down his life for my sake; for whoso layeth down his life for my sake shall find it again.  And whoso is not willing to lay down his life for my sake is not my disciple” (D&C 24:16,103:27-28).  Surely Joseph and Oliver pondered the possibility that they might lay down their lives because of the work they were engaged in. 

               Obviously, we know that Joseph was indeed slain as a martyr but Oliver was not.  The Lord said to Brigham Young that Joseph’s death “was needful that he should seal his testimony with his blood, that he might be honored” (D&C 136:39).  When the apostles Peter and John in the New Testament were beaten and suffered for their testimonies of Jesus, they went forth “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41).  In some respects, it was likewise a great privilege and honor for Joseph that he was allowed to suffer for the Savior, that he could “die great in the eyes of God and his people” and be able to “seal his mission and his works with his own blood” (D&C 135:3).  Great is the honor he now has among the Saints because of his sacrifice.  This is an honor that was not given to Oliver Cowdery because he did not remain faithful to the cause.  And the scriptures seem to suggest that Hyrum received this honor from him.  The Lord revealed this about Hyrum in 1841 after Oliver had left the Church: “That he may act in concert also with my servant Joseph; and that he shall receive counsel from my servant Joseph, who shall show unto him the keys whereby he may ask and receive, and be crowned with the same blessing, and glory, and honor, and priesthood, and gifts of the priesthood, that once were put upon him that was my servant Oliver Cowdery” (D&C 124:95).  I believe that one of those blessings that should have been Oliver’s but was transferred to Hyrum was the opportunity to give his life for the work.  This of course Hyrum did alongside Joseph on that fateful day in 1844.  Hyrum received great glory and honor and his name has gone down with Joseph’s “to posterity as gems for the sanctified” because of his willingness to die for the cause of truth (D&C 135:6).  Oliver did come back to the faith in 1848 and was rebaptized, and it is interesting to me that only a year and a half after he was baptized he died from illness at the young age of 43.  Perhaps in some way the Lord was giving him the chance to do what he should have already done—give his life for the cause.