Witness to the Martyrdom

by John Taylor

My interest in the story of the martyrdom of Joseph Smith as told by  John  Taylor (hereafter referred to as the Martyrdom Manuscript) began when I read The Life of  John  Taylor as a young boy. My parents presented me with my own copy of the biography of my great-great-grandfather, and I read the book through. Upon reading of Elder Taylor's experiences in Carthage as he was brought to the junction of mortality and eternity, I gained a new sense of my ancestral roots and a deeper appreciation of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. The emotions that accompanied my reading of the events surrounding the Martyrdom cemented their significance in my young mind. My parents taught me that as a recipient of the blessings of the gospel, I had a significant responsibility to honor and remember all that my ancestors and countless other pioneers had freely given, including their lives in many cases, to the building up of the Church. I haven't always been successful at fulfilling that responsibility, but in the attempt, the fires of testimony ignited within my heart as a youth and have continued to brighten ever since. A copy of an abbreviated version of the Martyrdom Manuscript had circulated in our family circles for decades. It became significant to me after reading some of the excerpts of the text which had been included in The Life of  John  Taylor. I read it frequently in my youth and filed a copy of it with my other family history materials. However, I did not encounter the complete manuscript until recently. By then, I had consistently been carrying copies of that abbreviated version for several years to share with potential missionary contacts and others who might be interested in the account. In 1996 and 1997 I renewed my interest in sharing that version with nonmembers and members alike, as enthusiasm for the activities associated with the pioneer sesquicentennial celebrations escalated in Iowa and Nebraska. With that renewal of interest, I determined that I should attempt to find the complete version. I retrieved the original copy of the abbreviated version that I had retained from my youth; on it I found a note at the bottom that led me to a book published in 1862 that contained the complete version. When I located a copy of that book and read the account, I was deeply moved. It did not take long to determine that the time to help share the significance of that treasure on a broader scale was long overdue. My interest in the Manuscript is not in harboring ill feelings toward Joseph's enemies from those difficult days. Rather, it is in the preserving the witness that the Manuscript provides of an "overruling Providence" in the events that occurred; it is in its witness of the noble and honorable way in which the brethren conducted themselves during their darkest hours; it is in preserving the memory and the legacy of Joseph Smith. The Martyrdom Manuscript attests to a great legacy that has been left to us as beneficiaries of the promised latter-day restoration. Through it, we can realize something of the terrible costs of the Restoration and gain a deeper understanding of the significance of the Prophet Joseph Smith's mission. It is my hope that those who read and experience the Martyrdom Manuscript might more fully understand and appreciate the depth and breadth of the legacy that has been left for us as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Genres: Lds, History, Religion, Church, Nonfiction

164 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

John Taylor was the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1880 to 1887. He is the only president of the LDS Church to have been born outside of the United States.

Reviews

[Krystine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I’ve read on the Martyrdom of the prophet Joseph Smith. Get information,and historical facts. Quick read, definitely worth your time.

[Swhite · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Taylor was a living witness to the early growth and persecutions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Missouri and then Nauvoo culminating in the death by mob of church leaders (& brothers) Joseph and Hyrum Smith on June 27, 1844 in neighboring Carthage, Illinois. He himself was morbidly injured in the same room as his fellow friends and church leaders. He was there for all of it and so was asked, once the people were settled in the Salt Lake Valley, to recall the history of the events leading up to and including the death of the prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum. He completed the task on August 23, 1856. His great-great grandson has edited the manuscript and added a very informative and interesting introduction along with appendixes and an honorable epilogue. It can now be read and remembered as it should be. This is the second time in my life that I have felt drawn to read a book, in June, where I get to understand the character and history of early church members and very specifically, Joseph Smith Jr.. I was not planning on doing it nor do I ever remember that the martyrdom happened in June! Until I start reading and realize that I am going to be finishing this book right before the anniversary. It is uncanny, awesome and very humbling. I feel that the Holy Ghost wants to testify to me, again, mercifully, that Joseph was indeed a modern-day prophet of the Lord Jesus Christ; an upright man of virtue and sound principles who sought to do the will of God and be obedient to the great mission he was given.
I am most impressed by the attention people of this time period, and most definitely the "Latter-Day Saints" under Joseph's direction, gave to law and order. It was a painstaking process to try and maintain order out of the chaos and frustrations of life on the frontier of America, with varying populations of people and interests! It took a tremendous amount of restraint to keep ones wits and civility about oneself! A great read for all who use Facebook to air grievances🤗. In the end, people will make choices for good or bad and everything in between. And people will react to how they feel and think about another's actions. Will they share power and influence? Will they work for the greater good or for selfish interests? Will they be curious or be threatened by differences? Will they injure and kill or will they forgive and forget? A challenge for me to read, forgive and NOT forget.

[Haydash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four groups of people persecuted Joseph Smith and were willing to kill him while he lived in Nauvoo. They are the following:

1) Apostates from the "Mormon" church who wanted the church doctrine to encompass their wicked and idolatrous ways
2) Religionists or the preachers of other sects of religion whose priest craft was destroyed in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ
3) Politicians who sought to win votes and favor with the crowd opposed to "Mormons"
4) Desperados who saw industrious "Mormons" as an opportunity to plunder and steal

The book is a quick read and a firsthand account of the murder of one of the most loved or hated man of the century.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I have been to Nauvoo and Carthage and heard much of this before, I had never read John Taylor's actual account. His insights are amazing. Plus, I liked how Mark Taylor including a lot of other stuff about the time period--including personal remarks of Governor Ford. He also included prior commentary on John Taylor's writing.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! A fascinating read of the last days of Joseph Smith and the conditions that lead up to the martyrdom. I've read this several times before but read it again yesterday prior to my going to Nauvoo later this summer. It's a fast read~just a couple of hours.

[Kelcey Murdoch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is John Taylor's personal account of the martyrdom at Carthrage Jail. It was interesting to hear about the events leading up to the death of Joseph Smith and to learn more about John Taylor and the amazing man that he was.

[Marleah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! There is nothing like reading an eye-witness account of the day the prophet and his brother were martyrered.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing! There is so much that we don't know about the things that happened during the early days of the Church. This book really is a treasure.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of interesting details about the events surrounding the martyrdom and the role of some of the characters we never hear much about, i.e. Governor Ford

[Daniel Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very well written it. It helps that John Taylor wrote 90+% of it.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently visited Carthage and Nauvoo this past summer. It left me wanting to hear the whole story and not just the bits that are shared by the tour guides. This book did just that. I loved how the author drew from as many different sources as possible to be able to give the most accurate and factual account. I would highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to learn about the history of Joseph Smith Jr., how he died and about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

[Daryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed very much this book. I have felt that I know a lot of church history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was so nice to hear it from a true witness in his own words. Thank you for sharing this. It is good to learn something new.

[Dail Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

great details about Joseph's last days from an eyewitness of the events

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. Tells more about events leading up to the martyrdom.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of an important part of church and family history

[Hyrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but excellent read! Highly recommended for those interested in the events that contributed to and led up to the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph. It was astounding to me how much eloquence the English language has lost over the years since this was written. I was especially impressed to read some of the letters Joseph Smith wrote and what a command of the language (among other things) he had even with his limited elemetary school education.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Taylor was the last surviving member of the murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. When this was realized John was asked to put on paper the details of the event.

Reading about the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum from a person witness brought new insights and feelings for me. I would recommend this book to any who might want a eye witness account of the events.

[Jason Burt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this again as part of my Restoration study and loved it again!

I did not realize that John Taylor had written a detailed description of his eyewitness account of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. What a great book to finish on the day we visited the Carthage Jail!

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and touching narrative of the story that should have never had to be told.