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102-576: In 1996, a replica of the tabernacle was built near the original site. For approximately two decades, the replica was operated as a historic site of the church, until it was deemed unsafe and torn down in 2022. In September 2024, the church dedicated the Kanesville Memorial in its place. With the death of Joseph Smith on June 27, 1844, the First Presidency of the Latter Day Saint church

204-468: A libelous press as a public nuisance . According to the Council's minutes, Smith said he “would rather die tomorrow and have the thing smashed, than live and have it go on, for it was exciting the spirit of mobocracy among the people, and bringing death and destruction upon us.” Under the Council's new ordinance, Smith, as Nauvoo's mayor, in conjunction with the Council, ordered the city marshal to destroy

306-470: A prophet, seer, and revelator by church members, Hinckley was the oldest person to preside over the church in its history until Russell M. Nelson surpassed his age in 2022. Hinckley's presidency was noted for the building of temples , with more than half of existing temples being built under his leadership. He also oversaw the reconstruction of the Nauvoo Illinois Temple and the building of

408-726: A seminary teacher for the Church Educational System . He however decided to focus solely on the work with the Radio, Publicity and missionary literature committee. Starting in 1937, he served on the Sunday School General Board. After the Second World War , during which he left full-time LDS Church employ to work for a time with the Rio Grande Western Railroad, Hinckley served as executive secretary to

510-524: A Mr. Allen (possibly the fourth man) were all indicted for the murder of the Smith brothers. Wills, Vorhease, and Gallaher, perhaps conscious that their wounds could prove that they were involved in the mob, fled the county after being indicted and were never brought to trial. Apart from Taylor's report of what he had heard, there is no evidence that Wills, Vorhease, Gallaher, or Allen died from their wounds. Joseph and Hyrum Smith's bodies were returned to Nauvoo

612-651: A body that had led the Latter Day Saint movement since 1832. At the time of Smith's death, he was estranged from Smith due to differences in doctrinal beliefs. Young, president of the Quorum of the Twelve , claimed authority was handed by Smith to the Quorum. Strang claimed that Smith designated him as the successor in a letter that was received a week before his death. Later, others came to believe that Smith's son, Joseph Smith III ,

714-606: A church general authority as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles , a position that was later discontinued. One of his first assignments as a general authority was participating in the dedication the same month of the New Zealand Temple . In August 1958, Hinckley traveled to England, where he was involved in the London Temple open house and dedication. As a general authority, Hinckley continued to work with

816-609: A counselor in the First Presidency . After first counselor N. Eldon Tanner died in 1982, Kimball did not appoint a new counselor. As the 1980s progressed, more of the day-to-day affairs of the First Presidency fell to the healthier Hinckley. By 1984, Hinckley was the only publicly-active member of the First Presidency. In 1984, the church formed Area Presidencies . Until then, church headquarters administered national and multinational areas. The Area Presidencies decentralized administration with presidencies living in locations around

918-453: A friendship with both Wallace and Larry King . In November 2000, Hinckley spoke to the youth of the church and gave them six traits to work on, named the "Six Be's" (Be Grateful, Be Smart, Be Clean, Be True, Be Humble, Be Prayerful), which were first introduced in his New York Times Bestseller Standing for Something and later expanded on in Way to Be . On March 31, 2001, Hinckley announced

1020-489: A half weeks building the large log-cabin like hall. The dimensions of the building were 40 feet by 60 feet with a large sod-block fireplace and chimney located at one end. In the center of the wall opposite the entrance, there was a small wing that provided a stage upon which the church leaders could sit and conduct the meeting. It was here on December 27, 1847, with 1,000 people in attendance that Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball , and Willard Richards were sustained by members of

1122-532: A jury trial. At the time of his death, Smith was also running for president of the United States , making him the first U.S. presidential candidate to be assassinated. Smith’s death marked a turning point for the religion he founded. In 1830, Joseph Smith, aged 24, published the Book of Mormon , which he described as an English translation of ancient golden plates he received from an angel . The same year he organized

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1224-577: A large garden with native landscaping, filled with sculptures and monuments. These artworks, together with historical waysides/signage, commemorate the historical events related to the church in the area. These events include the mustering of the Mormon Battalion (with an emphasis on remembering the families of these soldiers who were left behind in Kanesville), the reorganization of the First Presidency, and former-church leader Oliver Cowdery returning to

1326-590: A large group left the town. The journey across southern Iowa was difficult due to inclement weather and incessantly muddy roads. The journey took the better part of three and half months and left the members of the church bereft of provisions, fatigued, and sickly. They settled in the territory of the Omaha Tribe on the west bank of the Missouri River as well the east bank of the river in Council Bluffs . They called

1428-551: A local militia, were assigned to protect the brothers. Jones, who was present, relayed to Ford several threats against Joseph made by members of the Greys, all of which were dismissed by Ford. On Thursday morning, June 27, church leader Cyrus Wheelock , having obtained a pass from Ford, visited Smith in jail. The day was rainy, and Wheelock used the opportunity to hide a small pepper-box pistol in his bulky overcoat, which had belonged to Taylor. Most visitors were rigidly searched, but

1530-420: A long walking stick in order to deflect the guns as they were thrust inside the room, from behind the door. Smith fired Wheelock's pistol. Three of the six barrels misfired, but the other three shots are believed to have wounded three of the attackers. Taylor was shot four or five times and was severely wounded, but survived. It has been popularly believed that his pocket watch stopped one shot. The watch

1632-574: A messenger informed the group that the Governor had gone to Nauvoo and "there is nobody in Carthage [that] you can [depend on]". When the group approached the building, jailers became alarmed, but Smith, mistaking the mob for the Nauvoo Legion, told a jailer: "Don't trouble yourself ... they've come to rescue me." Smith did not know that Jonathan Dunham, major general of the Nauvoo Legion, had not dispatched

1734-578: A prospectus announcing the Expositor was circulated. On May 23, a grand jury from the Hancock County Circuit Court issued a criminal indictment against Smith on the charges of perjury based on the statements of Joseph Jackson and Robert Foster. A second indictment, for “ fornication and adultery ”, was issued based on the statements of William and Wilson Law who swore Smith had been living with Maria Lawrence “in an open state of adultery” since

1836-399: A quota of one LDS missionary, who would otherwise be drafted, being able to leave from a ward or branch every six months, with the quota transferable within any given LDS district or stake. In the late 1960s, Hinckley was a key person in formulating official LDS Church statements, such as the 1968 statement on the sale of liquor by the drink. In the early 1970s, Hinckley served as chair of

1938-650: A second trip in April 1961, which included a meeting to inaugurate missionary work in the Philippines. During this trip he also was in Seoul, South Korea during the May 16 coup . Hinckley wired a story on the coup to the Deseret News . In June 1961, Hinckley was one of the general authority presenters at the first Missionary President training seminar and was involved in the presentation of

2040-513: A voyage on a sailing vessel to preside at the funeral. In late 1963, Hinckley made another tour of the Philippines, Japan and South Korea, this time bringing not only his wife but also their 10-year-old daughter. In the spring of 1964, the Improvement Era published a series or articles on the church in Asia and identified Hinckley as president of the "Hawaiian-Oriental Missions." In 1964, Hinckley

2142-586: Is displayed in the LDS Church History Museum in Salt Lake City , Utah ; the watch was broken and was used to help identify the time of the attack. In 2010, forensic research by J. Lynn Lyon of the University of Utah and Mormon historian Glen M. Leonard suggested that Taylor's watch was not struck by a ball, but rather broke against a window ledge. Columbia University historian Richard Bushman ,

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2244-451: Is inevitable! Citizens ARISE, ONE and ALL!!!—Can you stand by, and suffer such INFERNAL DEVILS! To ROB men of their property and RIGHTS, without avenging them. We have no time for comment, every man will make his own. LET IT BE MADE WITH POWDER AND BALL!!! Warrants from outside Nauvoo were brought in against Smith for the charge of riot. On June 12, Smith was arrested by David Bettinger, constable of Carthage. Bettinger sought to convey Smith to

2346-625: The Boy Scouts of America 's highest award, the Silver Buffalo , and served as chairman of the Church Boards of Trustees/Education . Hinckley died of natural causes on January 27, 2008. His wife, Marjorie Pay, died in 2004. He was succeeded as church president by Thomas S. Monson , who had served as his first counselor in the First Presidency , and, more importantly, was the President of the Quorum of

2448-779: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) . In the 1860s, those who felt that Smith should have been succeeded by Joseph Smith III established the RLDS Church, which later changed its name to the Community of Christ . Modernly, Joseph Smith is known to have married women who were already married as well as girls as young as 14 . Some accounts say Smith may have had sexual relations with one wife, who later in her life stated that he fathered children by one or two of his wives, however DNA evidence does not support this . Some Mormons, especially those belonging to splinter groups such as

2550-416: The Community of Christ continue to deny that Joseph ever practiced polygamy in any sense. However, in 2014, LDS church spokesman Eric Hawkins said "(The church) publicly asserted Joseph Smith's practice of polygamy over a century and a half ago, especially in debate with other faith groups who traced their origin to Joseph Smith and who asserted that he did not practice plural marriage". Mainstream Mormons on

2652-401: The Expositor and its printing press on June 10, 1844. By the city marshal's account, the destruction of the press type was carried out orderly and peaceably. However, Charles A. Foster , a co-publisher of the Expositor, reported on June 12 that not only was the printing press destroyed, but that “several hundred minions ... injured the building very materially”. Smith’s critics said that

2754-511: The Mark Hofmann document forgeries, bombings, and investigation occurred. "The news interest was global" and "the whole episode achieved epic proportions." Several books describe the acquisition of supposed historical documents by Hinckley and others such as the secret sale of the Stowell document describing Joseph Smith's "money-digging pursuits." Using $ 15,000 of church funds, Hinckley bought

2856-746: The Salt Lake Temple and lived in Preston , England, from 2011 to 2013, while Richard served as president of the Missionary Training Center . Hinckley's other son, Clark, has also served in several church leadership positions, including stake president , president of the church's Spain Barcelona Mission (2009 to 2012), and the first president of the Tijuana Mexico Temple (2015 to 2018). After returning to East Millcreek at

2958-520: The Salt Lake Temple . They had five children, including Richard G. Hinckley, an LDS Church general authority between 2005 and 2011, and Virginia Hinckley Pearce , a former member of the church's Young Women general presidency. Another of their daughters, Kathleen Hinckley Barnes Walker, co-authored several books with Virginia , and ran an events company . Her first husband, Alan Barnes, died in 2001 and in 2004 she married M. Richard Walker. The Walkers served from 2005 to 2008 as president and matron of

3060-476: The Swiss Temple . The concern was how this could be done when a need existed to provide them in at least 10 languages; the concern was eventually solved through the use of a film version of the endowment . Hinckley's background in journalism and public relations prepared him well to preside over the church during a time when it has received increasing media coverage. He had learned to use new technology to spread

3162-615: The University of Utah , where he majored in English literature and minored in Latin and ancient Greek, graduating with a B.A. in 1932. Hinckley became a missionary for the LDS Church, an unusual occurrence for Depression-era Latter-day Saints. He served in the London -based British Mission from 1933 to 1935. He later wrote the words for LDS hymn no. 135, "My Redeemer Lives". Hinckley returned to

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3264-573: The Whig Party . Most of his supporters switched with him to the Whig party, adding political tensions to the social suspicions in which Smith's followers were held by the local populace. Despite public denials of polygamy, Joseph Smith had a practice of secretly marrying his female followers. As early as 1838, Smith had faced accusations of polygamy. On April 18, anti-polygamists William Law, Wilson Law, Jane Law, and Robert Foster were excommunicated . On May 10,

3366-646: The county seat in Carthage . On June 22, Ford wrote to Smith and the Nauvoo City Council, proposing a trial by a non-Mormon jury in Carthage and guaranteeing Smith's safety. Smith fled the jurisdiction to avoid arrest, crossing the Mississippi River into the Iowa Territory . On June 23, a posse under Ford's command entered Nauvoo to execute an arrest warrant, but they were unable to locate Smith. After he

3468-539: The 1970s, Hinckley had supervisory assignments for the church in South America and later in Europe. He served on the church's executive committees for temples, missionary work, welfare services, priesthood, and the military. Hinckley was the chair of the executive committee over the 1980 commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the organization of the LDS Church. On July 23, 1981, Spencer W. Kimball appointed Hinckley as

3570-607: The 21,000 seat Conference Center . During his tenure, " The Family: A Proclamation to the World " was issued and the Perpetual Education Fund was established. At the time of his death, approximately one-third of the church's membership had joined the church under Hinckley's leadership. Hinckley was awarded ten honorary doctorate degrees , and in 2004 the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush . He also received

3672-575: The Church of Christ, calling it a restoration of the early Christian Church. Members of the church were later called “Latter Day Saints” or “Mormons”. Smith and his followers sought to assemble together in a theocratic community under Smith's leadership, or 'Zion' , first in Kirtland, Ohio and later in Independence, Missouri . In 1833, a mob of settlers attacked a Mormon newspaper's printing office, destroyed

3774-491: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints . The newspaper's first (and only) issue criticized Smith and other church leaders, reporting that Smith was practicing polygamy , marrying the wives of other men, teaching a “ plurality of Gods ”, and intended to set himself up as a theocratic king . After a vote of the Nauvoo City Council , mayor Joseph Smith ordered the Expositor 's press destroyed. The destruction of

3876-515: The Church. Benson named Hinckley as first counselor and Thomas S. Monson as second counselor. In the early 1990s, Benson developed serious health problems, which removed him from public view. Hinckley and Monson carried out many of the duties of the First Presidency until Benson died in 1994. During the presidencies of Kimball and Benson, most of the new temples dedicated were dedicated by Hinckley. When Benson died in 1994, about half of all operating temples had been dedicated by Hinckley. Meanwhile,

3978-432: The First Presidency. With Hunter as President of the Church, the title of President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles fell to Hinckley because he was the second-most senior Apostle after Hunter. When Hunter died after a presidency of nine months, Hinckley succeeded to the presidency of the church at the age of 84 on March 12, 1995. Hinckley immediately showed a change in approach and tone from his predecessors by making

4080-611: The Hancock County Court that issued the warrant, Smith was freed when the charges were dismissed in Nauvoo municipal court on a writ of habeas corpus . Smith declared martial law on June 18 and called out the Nauvoo Legion , an organized city militia of about 5,000 men, to protect Nauvoo from outside violence. In response to the crisis, Illinois Governor Thomas Ford traveled to Hancock County, and on June 21 he arrived at

4182-482: The Latter Day Saint movement. Hyrum Smith, the Assistant President of the Church , was intended to succeed Joseph as President of the Church , but because he was killed alongside his brother, the proper succession procedure became unclear. Initially, the primary contenders to succeed Smith were Sidney Rigdon , Brigham Young , and James Strang . Rigdon was the senior surviving member of the First Presidency ,

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4284-510: The Legion to Carthage and stage a jailbreak. Smith and the other prisoners were guarded only by six members of the Carthage Grays, led by Sgt. Frank Worrell. A division of militia began marching away from Carthage, but soon received orders from the Governor to disband. Learning that the Governor had dismissed the troops, a group from Warsaw set out to Carthage to see the Governor. Enroute,

4386-577: The Philippines, as he had before. Next, he went to Thailand and held a meeting with the few church members, all of whom expatriates, in the country at the time. Hinckley then traveled to Saigon and met with about 60 church members, mostly American military personnel. There were two Vietnamese citizens who had joined the LDS Church at the meeting in Saigon. Finally, he visited Singapore and then went to India. In India, he went to Madras and then Coimbatore , where Hinckley met Paul Thirithuvodoss, who had written to

4488-638: The Santa Severa resort on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea; and meetings with Church members in Florence, Pisa and Milan. In Milan, they held a press conference, which was attended by only one journalist, Michele Straniero. He interviewed Lee and Hinckley for an hour and not only published work in La Stampa from the interview but also used it as the starting point to a book on Mormonism that he later wrote. Also in

4590-450: The Smith brothers were charged with treason against the State of Illinois for declaring martial law in Nauvoo, by a warrant founded upon the oaths of A. O. Norton and Augustine Spencer. At a preliminary hearing that afternoon, the Council members were released on $ 500 bonds , pending later trial. The judge ordered the Smith brothers to be held in jail until they could be tried for treason, which

4692-532: The Smith homestead. In 1928, Frederick M. Smith , president of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church) and grandson of Joseph Smith, feared that rising water from the Mississippi River would destroy the gravesite. He authorized civil engineer William O. Hands to conduct an excavation to find the Smiths' bodies. Hands conducted extensive digging on the Smith homestead and located

4794-519: The Twelve Apostles ; according to LDS doctrine and practice, Monson was Hinckley's anticipated successor. Hinckley was born on June 23, 1910, in Salt Lake City, Utah , to prominent LDS writer and educator Bryant S. Hinckley and his wife Ada Bitner. He grew up on a residential farm in East Millcreek. His home library contained approximately 1,000 volumes of literature, philosophy and history. He graduated from LDS High School in 1928, then attended

4896-477: The United States in 1935 after completing a short tour of the European continent, including preaching in both Berlin and Paris . He was given an assignment by his mission president , Joseph F. Merrill , to meet with the church's First Presidency and request that better materials be made available to missionaries for proselytizing . As a result of this meeting, Hinckley received employment as executive secretary of

4998-466: The World ," a statement of belief and counsel regarding the sanctity of the family and marriage; it was prepared by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. In February 1996, there were more church members outside than inside the United States. Also in 1996, 60 Minutes aired an interview of Hinckley by Mike Wallace during a segment on the LDS Church. In 1998, Hinckley was a guest on CNN 's Larry King Live . Until his death, Hinckley maintained

5100-585: The action of destroying the press violated freedom of the press . Some sought legal charges against Smith for the destruction of the press, including charges of treason and inciting a riot . Violent threats were made against Smith and the Latter Day Saints. On June 12, Thomas C. Sharp , editor of the Warsaw Signal in Warsaw, Illinois , a newspaper hostile to the church, editorialized: War and extermination

5202-594: The area Kanesville in honor Thomas L. Kane , an attorney, friend and advocate for the Latter-day Saints. Kane assisted the church leaders in negotiating an agreement that allowed them to establish a provisioning base in the territory of the Omaha tribe known as Winter Quarters . In the spring of 1847, Young led the first group of Mormon pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley , arriving in the valley on July 24, 1847. Many of

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5304-430: The attackers died when Smith shot them with his pistol. Most accounts seem to agree that at least three attackers were wounded by Smith's gunfire, but there is no other evidence that any of them died as a result. John Wills was shot in the arm, William Vorhease was shot in the shoulder, and William Gallaher was shot in the face. Others claimed that a fourth, unnamed man was also wounded. Wills, Vorhease, Gallaher, and

5406-416: The author of Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling , also supports this view. Richards, physically the largest of Smith's party, escaped unscathed; Lyon speculates that after the door opened, Smith was in the line of sight and Richards was not targeted. After using all of the shots in his pistol, Smith made his way towards the window. As he prepared to jump down, Richards reported that he was shot twice in

5508-427: The back and that a third bullet, fired from a musket on the ground outside, hit him in the chest. Taylor and Richards' accounts both report that as Smith fell from the window, he called out, “Oh Lord, my God!” Some have alleged that the context of this statement was an attempt by Smith to use a Masonic distress signal. There are varying accounts of what happened next. Taylor and Richards’ accounts state that Smith

5610-640: The base of the building was rotting. Having served its purpose the building was torn down two years after its completion. A replica of the Kanesville Tabernacle was constructed in the mid-1990s. The reconstruction was not directed or financed by the LDS Church, but rather by the Pottawattamie County Mormon Trails Association and Kanesville Restoration, Inc. Major financial backers for the replica were Bill & Patricia Ann Child and Mont & Viola Nelson; Bob Schulze directed

5712-440: The bodies, as well as the remains of Joseph's wife, Emma , who was buried in the same place. The remains—which were badly decomposed —were examined and photographed, and then reinterred close by in Nauvoo. After the killings, there was speculation about who was responsible. Ford denied accusations that he knew about the plot to kill Smith beforehand, but later wrote that it was good for Smith's followers to have been driven out of

5814-447: The building program. The replica, which sat less than a block from the site of the original tabernacle, was dedicated by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley on July 13, 1996. In 1999, the tabernacle was donated to the Church and served as an official visitors' center. Like the original tabernacle, the replica was built from cottonwood. The wood shrank two inches in the first two months and was anticipated to shrink another ten inches over

5916-424: The building, their faces painted black with wet gunpowder. Hyrum was killed almost immediately when he was shot in the face, shouting as he fell, “I am a dead man!” After emptying his pistol towards the attackers, Joseph tried to escape from a second-story window, but was shot several times and fell to the ground, where he was again shot by the mob. Five men were indicted for the killings, but were acquitted at

6018-405: The church as the new First Presidency, and Young was sustained as the second president of the church . Another important event that took place in this building was the reconciliation of Oliver Cowdery , who had been excommunicated in Missouri in 1838, with the leadership of the church. Shortly after the building's construction, it became apparent that it had been built over the top of a spring and

6120-443: The church headquarters to ask for baptism. Hinckley went to Medukerai to see a school run by Thirithuvodoss. Hinckley decided not to baptize Thirithuvodoss at the time. The Hinckleys then traveled to Beirut, where they met with a small group of church members, and then on to Jerusalem. From there, they traveled to Greece, where they met with another small group of church members. They then proceeded to Frankfurt, where they stayed in

6222-418: The church's Missionary Committee. He also served as the church's liaison to Deseret Book , working with Deseret Book's liaison to the church, Thomas S. Monson . At various times, especially in the late 1940s, Hinckley was also a reporter for the Church News , a publication of the Deseret News . In the early 1950s, Hinckley was part of a committee that considered how to present the temple ordinances at

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6324-451: The church's Radio, Publicity and Missionary Literature Committee (he had received schooling as a journalist in college). Hinckley's responsibilities included developing the church's fledgling radio broadcasts and making use of the era's new communication technologies. One of the projects Hinckley oversaw in the late 1930s was development of the church's exhibit for the Golden Gate International Exposition . In 1935 Hinckley also worked as

6426-411: The church, thunder and lightning frightened off the mob. Mob members fled, shouting, “The Mormons are coming,” although there was no such force nearby. After the attack was over, Richards, who was trained as a medical doctor, went back to see if anyone besides himself had survived, and found Taylor lying on the floor. Richards dragged Taylor into the jail cell (they had not been held in the cell, but in

6528-417: The church. At the time of his death, there were 124, over two thirds of which had been dedicated or rededicated under Hinckley, with 14 others announced or under construction. Hinckley oversaw other significant building projects, including the construction of the Conference Center and extensive renovations of the Salt Lake Tabernacle . On September 23, 1995, Hinckley released " The Family: A Proclamation to

6630-409: The creation of the Perpetual Education Fund , an endowment that provides loans to students in developing nations. On October 22, 2002, Hinckley participated in the dedication of the Gordon B. Hinckley Building at Brigham Young University–Idaho in Rexburg, Idaho . That was the first building at BYU–Idaho to be named for a living church president. In April 2003, Hinckley gave a sermon that addressed

6732-500: The document from Hofmann. Two years later, Hofmann leaked its existence to the Mormon history community. Upon press inquiries, Hinckley acknowledged the document and released it. Later, bombing investigators proved that Hofmann had forged the document. In 1992, Hinckley made an official visit to Rome and he presented a copy of the Encyclopedia of Mormonism to the Vatican. After Benson's death, Howard W. Hunter became president and retained Hinckley and Monson as counselors in

6834-399: The door open to fire into the room, though Smith and the other prisoners pushed back and prevented this. A member of the mob fired a shot through the door. Hyrum was shot in the face, just to the left of his nose, which threw him to the floor. He cried out, “I am a dead man!” and collapsed. He died instantly. Smith, Taylor, and Richards attempted to defend themselves. Taylor and Richards used

6936-415: The end of employment with the railroad, Hinckley was called as a counselor in the presidency of the church's East Millcreek Stake . He later served as president of that stake, until about six months after his call as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles . During his time as stake president Hinckley oversaw the building of several chapels. In the April 1958 general conference, Hinckley became

7038-411: The executive committee of the Church Board of Education. In 1972, Hinckley became the initial head of the LDS Church's public affairs department. In September 1972, Hinckley and his wife traveled with church president Harold B. Lee and his wife, Joan, on a tour of the United Kingdom, Greece, Israel, and Italy. The visit included meetings with church members in Rome; a group of LDS youth at an event at

7140-435: The faith of the state (Illinois) to protect him while he underwent a legal and fair trial”, convincing Joseph Smith along with Hyrum to return voluntarily. When the brothers arrived at the county seat of Carthage to surrender to authorities, they were charged with treason against Illinois for declaring martial law . The Smith brothers were detained at Carthage Jail awaiting trial when an armed mob of 150–200 men stormed

7242-441: The faith. Death of Joseph Smith Joseph Smith , the founder and leader of the Latter Day Saint movement , and his brother, Hyrum Smith , were killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois , United States, on June 27, 1844, while awaiting trial in the town jail on charges of treason . The Nauvoo Expositor was a newly-established newspaper published by anti-polygamist ex-Mormons who had recently been excommunicated from

7344-510: The first five years of its life. To counteract this, the church placed jacks under the main supports that could be lowered as the walls shrank. The replica was torn down beginning April 4, 2022, after the structure had been deemed unsafe and closed a few years prior. The site of the demolished replica was dedicated as the Kanesville Memorial on September 28, 2024, by Elder Kyle S. McKay, Church Historian and Recorder . The memorial includes

7446-427: The first standardized missionary lesson plan. In September 1961, Hinckley became an apostle in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles . He filled a vacancy created by Hugh B. Brown being added to the First Presidency as the third counselor to David O. McKay . After his call as an apostle, Hinckley continued to be a leader in the missionary department, with Boyd K. Packer serving as one of his key aides. Hinckley

7548-449: The guards forgot to check Wheelock's overcoat, and he was able to smuggle the gun to Smith. Smith took Wheelock's gun and gave Fullmer's gun to his brother Hyrum. Before a trial could be held, a mob of about 200 armed men, their faces painted black with wet gunpowder , stormed Carthage Jail in the late afternoon of June 27, 1844. Early on June 27, Smith authored an order to Nauvoo Legion commander Jonathan Dunham instructing him to bring

7650-462: The guard’s room across the hallway). He dragged Taylor under some of the straw mattress to put pressure on his wounds and slow the bleeding and then went to get help. Both Richards and Taylor survived. Taylor eventually became the third president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Richards had escaped all harm except for a bullet grazing his ear. Joseph and Hyrum’s younger brother Samuel Harrison Smith had come to visit

7752-514: The home of Ezra Taft Benson , who presided the European Mission, and his wife, Flora . The Hinckleys then went to Brussels before they returned to Utah. In July 1965, Hinckley went to Hawaii, where he was involved with the first LDS temple services in Japanese. Also in 1965, Hinckley was involved in negotiations with United States Selective Service officials that led to the establishment of

7854-505: The main force behind higher rates of conversion over the coming summer. Also in 1962, Hinckley was involved in the negotiations that lead to the LDS Church purchasing the shortwave radio station WRUL. Meanwhile, Hinckley also dedicated a chapel in French Polynesia on the island of Huahine. A group of Latter-day Saints returned to their home island on their boat, which sank with 15 drowning. Hinckley canceled his return to Utah and took

7956-452: The meeting with the press. There, his call was announced at an actual press conference, and reporters were invited to ask questions, which sent the reporters scrambling to figure out what they would actually ask. On November 2, 2006, Hinckley surpassed David O. McKay to become the oldest LDS Church president in history. Hinckley was known for accelerating the building of temples . When he became president, there were 47 operating temples in

8058-456: The missionary department, and after the death of Richards, he worked closely with Henry D. Moyle . In early 1960, Hinckley was given responsibility for overseeing LDS Church operations in Asia. His first trip there in the spring of 1960 lasted two months and involved going to Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and the Philippines. In the Philippines, he worked on getting government approval for missionaries to be sent. He returned to Asia on

8160-413: The murders of the Smith brothers. All five defendants were acquitted by a jury, which was composed exclusively of non-Mormon members after the defense counsel convinced the judge to dismiss the initial jury, which did include Mormon members. The defense was led by Orville Hickman Browning , later a United States senator and cabinet member. After the killing of Smith, a succession crisis occurred in

8262-484: The next day. The bodies were cleaned and examined, and death masks were made, preserving their facial features and structures. A public viewing was held on June 29, 1844, after which empty coffins weighted with sandbags were used at the public burial to prevent theft or mutilation of the bodies. The coffins bearing the actual bodies of the Smith brothers were initially buried under the unfinished Nauvoo House , then disinterred and reburied deep under an out-building on

8364-657: The ongoing War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War , which had started just two weeks earlier. He said that "as citizens we are all under the direction of our respective national leaders. They have access to greater political and military intelligence than do the people generally. He added, "Furthermore, we are a freedom-loving people, committed to the defense of liberty wherever it is in jeopardy." He also noted, "It may even be that [the Lord] will hold us responsible if we try to impede or hedge up

8466-548: The other hand tend to accept that he practiced polygamy, but emphasize the sealings as a spiritual bonding ritual which was platonic and intended to unify the human race into one family. Gordon B. Hinckley Gordon Bitner Hinckley (June 23, 1910 – January 27, 2008) was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from March 1995 until his death in January 2008 at age 97. Considered

8568-467: The pioneers stayed in the Salt Lake Valley, planting crops, preparing homes, and starting the settlement that would grow into Salt Lake City. Young, however, quickly returned to Winter Quarters (near present-day Florence, Nebraska ) to organize the remainder of the pioneers in preparation for their trek and to deal with a few business items. One of the items of business that Young wanted to accomplish

8670-453: The press led to broader public outrage in the surroundings of the city, and the Smith brothers and other members of the Nauvoo City Council were charged by the State of Illinois with inciting a riot. Joseph Smith was apprehended, but freed by the Nauvoo municipal court. Smith declared martial law and called out the Nauvoo Legion . After briefly fleeing Illinois, Smith received a personal statement from Governor Ford , who “pledged his faith and

8772-598: The press, and tarred and feathered two Mormon leaders. Mormons were driven from Jackson county . After losing the 1838 Mormon War , Smith was jailed and his followers were forced out of Missouri. After Smith escaped custody , he fled to Illinois, where he founded a new settlement that he named Nauvoo . Smith, travelled to Washington, D.C. , to meet with President Martin Van Buren , seeking intervention and compensation for lost property. Van Buren said he could do nothing to help. Smith returned to Illinois and vowed to join

8874-506: The prior October 12. In 1844, in the city of Nauvoo, Illinois where Smith was mayor, several anti-polygamist Mormons, recently excommunicated from Smith's church, joined together to publish a newspaper called the Nauvoo Expositor . It put out its first and only issue on June 7, 1844. Based on sworn statements, the Expositor revealed that Smith practiced polygamy , marrying at least eight other men’s wives, and he had tried to marry

8976-448: The same day and, after evading capture from a group of attackers, is said to have been the first Latter Day Saint to arrive and helped attend the bodies back to Nauvoo. He died thirty days later, possibly as a result of injuries sustained avoiding the mob. There have been conflicting reports about injuries to members of the mob during the attack, and whether any died. Shortly after the events occurred, Taylor wrote that he heard that two of

9078-484: The state and said that their beliefs and actions were too different to have survived in Illinois. He said Smith was "the most successful impostor in modern times," and that some people "expect more protection from the laws than the laws are able to furnish in the face of popular excitement." Ultimately, five defendants— Thomas C. Sharp , Mark Aldrich , William N. Grover , Jacob C. Davis and Levi Williams —were tried for

9180-411: The unit to Carthage to protect him. Allen Joseph Stout later contended that by remaining inactive, Dunham disobeyed an official order written by Smith after he was jailed in Carthage. The Carthage Greys reportedly feigned defense of the jail by firing shots or blanks over the attackers’ heads, and some of the Greys even reportedly joined the mob, who rushed up the stairs. The mob first attempted to push

9282-399: The wives of some of the Expositor' s publishers. In response to public outrage generated by the Expositor , the Nauvoo City Council passed an ordinance declaring the newspaper a public nuisance which had been designed to promote violence against Smith and his followers. They reached this decision after some discussion, including citation of William Blackstone ’s legal canon, which defined

9384-461: The word of God, developed positive relationships with people of other faiths, and studied and written works of Church history. These experiences would serve as a foundation for the service he would give for the rest of his life. In 1957, Hinckley was named to the board of directors of KSL . Shortly after he was named to the executive committee of the board. On April 29, 1937, Hinckley married Marjorie Pay (November 23, 1911 – April 6, 2004) in

9486-588: The world. During his time in Kimball's presidency, Hinckley presided over the dedication of 16 LDS temples. Among them was the Manila Philippines Temple . Hinckley dedicated it 18 years after he had dedicated the first Philippine LDS chapel. At the time of Kimball's death, Hinckley had dedicated nearly half of the then 36 temples. After Kimball's death in November 1985, Ezra Taft Benson became President of

9588-463: Was a capital offense . The Smith brothers were detained at Carthage Jail , and were soon joined by Willard Richards , John Taylor and John Solomon Fullmer . Six other associates accompanied the Smiths: John P. Greene , Stephen Markham, Dan Jones , John S. Fullmer , Dr. Southwick, and Lorenzo D. Wasson. Ford left for Nauvoo not long after Smith was jailed. The anti-Mormon “Carthage Greys”,

9690-618: Was also appointed the chair of the all-church coordinating council's children's section. Hinckley also continued to oversee the church's operations in Asia. In February 1962, he made the first trip to Asia on which he was accompanied by his wife, Marjorie. On the trip, they visited the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea On his return, he held training seminars with missionaries in California and Illinois in co-operation with Moyle, and he later held training seminars in all 23 missions in Europe. The seminars were credited with being

9792-517: Was appointed a board member of KIRO-TV and KIRO-AM/FM, which the LDS Church had just purchased. When the church formed Bonneville International Corporation later in 1964, Hinckley was named a vice president, a member of the board of directors, and a member of the executive committee. Hinckley circumnavigated the world on a trip with his wife in late 1964. He first stopped in Tokyo for a missionary conference. He then traveled to South Korea, Hong Kong, and

9894-416: Was criticized by some followers, Smith returned and was reported to have said, “If my life is of no value to my friends it is of none to myself.” He reluctantly submitted to arrest. He was quoted as saying, “I am going like a lamb to the slaughter ; but I am calm as a summer's morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me—he

9996-432: Was dead when he hit the ground. Eyewitness William Daniels wrote in his 1845 account that Smith was still alive when members of the mob propped his body against a nearby well, assembled a makeshift firing squad , and shot him before fleeing. Daniels’ account also states that one man tried to decapitate Smith for a bounty but was prevented by divine intervention an affirmation later denied. According to modern leaders of

10098-874: Was dissolved. The leadership of the church was taken on by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles with Brigham Young , the president of the quorum , taking on the main leadership role. By 1845 it became apparent to the church leaders in Nauvoo, Illinois . that the violence against the members of the church would not abate. Consequently, they began to make plans to evacuate Nauvoo and migrate to the Rocky Mountains where they hoped to establish church headquarters and practice their religion in relative isolation and peace. Originally they planned to leave Nauvoo in April 1846. Ongoing concerns about their safety and their ability to leave Nauvoo led church leaders on February 2, 1846, to meet to discuss their situation. Two days later on February 4, 1846,

10200-442: Was murdered in cold blood.” During the trip to Carthage, Smith reportedly recounted a dream in which he and Hyrum escaped a burning ship, walked on water , and arrived at a great heavenly city . On June 25, 1844, Smith and his brother Hyrum , along with the other fifteen Council members and some friends, surrendered to Carthage constable William Bettisworth on the original charge of riot. Upon arrival in Carthage, almost immediately

10302-465: Was the reorganization of the First Presidency of the church. Since Joseph Smith's death, the First Presidency had not existed, and Young believed it was finally time to reorganize it. In anticipation of the event, the LDS Church leaders felt it necessary and appropriate to construct a hall large enough to accommodate the large number of Latter-Day Saints who would want to witness the event. With this end in mind, approximately 200 Mormon pioneers spent two and

10404-435: Was the rightful successor under the doctrine of lineal succession . A schism resulted, with each claimant attracting followers. The majority of Latter Day Saints followed Young; these adherents later emigrated to what became Utah Territory and continued as the LDS Church. Rigdon's followers were known as Rigdonites , some of which later established The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) . Strang's followers established

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