A Sacrifice for the Word of God

One of the themes of section 135 is the scripture that Joseph Smith brought forth to the world. As S. Michael Wilcox highlighted in a recent podcast, this section declares that Joseph and Hyrum died for words. Though there were many proximate causes of their deaths that we could list such as the Nauvoo Expositor, Governor Ford, and the traitors in Nauvoo, the real reason was described this way by John Taylor: “To seal the testimony of this book and the Book of Mormon, we announce the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and Hyrum Smith the Patriarch” (v1). They gave their lives to seal their testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. This was emphasized further in this section with its reminder of the scriptures that Joseph brought forth: “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” (v3). Indeed, we have more words of printed scripture from the Prophet Joseph than from any other person who has lived on the earth. Joseph and Hyrum gave their lives in testimony that the revelations he brought forth from God are true.

               We see further evidence that Joseph and Hyrum were indeed giving their lives for the words of the scriptures in their final actions while alive. During their final evening in the prison before they were killed, “Hyrum read aloud from the Book of Mormon and Joseph bore powerful witness of its divine authenticity to the guards on duty.” In their final moments, they both turned to the words for which they were willing to give their lives. John Taylor recorded, “[Hyrum] read the following paragraph, near the close of the twelfth chapter of Ether in the Book of Mormon, and turned down the leaf upon it: And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto the Gentiles grace, that they might have charity. And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: If they have not charity it mattereth not unto thee, thou hast been faithful; wherefore thy garments shall be made clean” (v4-5). He found comfort in the words of the Book of Mormon, and Joseph sought to share the book which he brought forth through the power of God. Elder Holland recounted the story this way: “When actually incarcerated in the jail, Joseph the Prophet turned to the guards who held him captive and bore a powerful testimony of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon. Shortly thereafter pistol and ball would take the lives of these two testators.” He then commented on the events in these words: “As one of a thousand elements of my own testimony of the divinity of the Book of Mormon, I submit this as yet one more evidence of its truthfulness. In this their greatest—and last—hour of need, I ask you: would these men blaspheme before God by continuing to fix their lives, their honor, and their own search for eternal salvation on a book (and by implication a church and a ministry) they had fictitiously created out of whole cloth?... Tell me whether in this hour of death these two men would enter the presence of their Eternal Judge quoting from and finding solace in a book which, if not the very word of God, would brand them as imposters and charlatans until the end of time? They would not do that! They were willing to die rather than deny the divine origin and the eternal truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.” They were willing to die for the book, and they did—Joseph began his ministry as a prophet bringing us the words of Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon, and he died 15 years later still bearing witness that it is the word of God. I love how John Taylor encouraged us to remember Hyrum and Joseph’s sacrifice for this testimony: “The reader in every nation will be reminded that the Book of Mormon, and this book of Doctrine and Covenants of the church, cost the best blood of the nineteenth century to bring them forth for the salvation of a ruined world” (v6). How grateful I am for the Prophet Joseph’s life and the words of holy writ he gave us to lead us the Savior and know that God speaks to man today.