Church History Tour Continued- Carthage Jail

First of all, if anyone reading my blog has questions regarding my religion and the things written below and in previous blog posts, please feel free to email me or read more about my faith at mormon.org and/ or lds.org.  I am always happy to share and explain the teachings of our religion.

Carthage Jail in Carthage, Illinois is only about 20 minutes from Nauvoo, Illinois.  I still cannot believe that we were able to be here and see the place where Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith were killed.  There were beautiful plaques with quotes from Joseph Smith along the walkway to the jail.  Along the pathway to the Visitors Center and Carthage Jail are beautiful memorials to the testimony of Joseph Smith

I love this statue of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith.

What absolutely remarkable men.  'In life they were not divided, in death they were not separated”

The grounds of the jail were beautiful.  Poor little Porter looks so tired. 

And here is the jail

The upper window is the one that Joseph Smith fell out of when he was shot.

Here is some history on Carthage Jail.  Joseph and Hyrum Smith arrived at Carthage on June 24, 1844 to face charges brought against Joseph. On his way to the Jail, Joseph Smith said "I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer's morning. I have a conscience void of offence towards God, and towards all men. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me. 'He was murdered in cold blood'" (D&C 135:4).

The next day they were released on bail, but they were detained after being falsely charged with treason, a charge stemming from their activating the Nauvoo Legion to protect the citizens of Nauvoo. Although only Joseph and Hyrum were under arrest, others remained with them in the jail.

On June 27th, the four men were held in the jail’s upper bedroom: Joseph, Hyrum, John Taylor, and Dr. Willard Richards. A group of men (about 150-200) with blackened faces and guns rush toward the jail. The four men tried to hold the door against the mob, but Hyrum was immediately shot and killed. Brother Joseph ran to Hyrum, and, leaning over him, exclaimed, "Oh! my poor, dear brother Hyrum!"  Here is the bullet hole in the door that killed Hyrum. 

Joseph was shot multiple times and fell from the second-story window. John Taylor was shot four times but miraculously survived. Willard Richards escaped without even a hole in his clothing. The Saints in Nauvoo grieved the loss of Joseph and Hyrum, but remained at Nauvoo for almost two more years.

The jail was constructed in 1839-40. In later years it was converted into a house. It remained a private home until 1903, when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints bought it and it was then restored in 1938.

Here are some pictures from inside the jail.  Here is the living quarters of the family that ran the jail. 

 

This is the first jail cell that Joseph and many other men with him stayed. For security purposes they moved them to another room.

Here’s the bedroom where they stayed, and the window where Joseph Smith fell out of and was killed.

It was an amazing and very humbling experience to be able to stand on such hollowed ground.  The spirit was so incredibly strong while listening about the events that happened there.  Our prophet, Joseph, and his loving older brother, Hyrum, truly did seal their testimonies of the truthfulness of this Gospel with their lives.  I am constantly humbled by their countless sacrifices made to bring about the restoration of Christ's church on the earth.