“13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”

Helmuth Hübener, the youngest opponent to the Third Reich, died living these principles.

A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he was raised by his adoptive father Hugo, who was a Nazi sympathizer. Like all youth at the time, he joined the Hitler Youth when he came of age and had no problems with the Nazi regime.

This changed for him after Kristallnacht.

Many of his friends and classmates participated in persecuting the Jews and destroying their homes and businesses. This did not settle well with young Helmuth, and from that night of broken glass and the screams of the terrified, he placed himself in opposition to the Third Reich.

He participated in debates at the local LDS church, where his bishop (a member of the Nazi party) had banned Jews from attending religious meetings. His resistance against this principle of discrimination was such that the bishop, without consulting higher members of the Church, excommunicated him from the Church.

If that was meant to discourage Helmuth, it didn’t work. Determined to pursue virtue and with a hope to endure all things, Helmuth began a vigorous campaign against the Third Reich. He and his friends listened to BBC radio, even though it was treasonous to do so. Inspired by the ideas that he heard, they started to write leaflets dedicated to opposing the Nazi movement.

This opposition did not go unnoticed.

On February 5th, 1942, Helmuth and his friends were turned in to the Gestapo by his employer, who had caught them trying to distribute their pamphlets to French prisoners of war. On August 11, 1942, Helmuth Hübener, age 17, was sentenced to death by the Volksgerichtshof. 

It isn’t hard to picture a youth of 17 trembling and afraid in the face of death, but Helmuth defied the expectations of his age till his end. Standing tall in the court, he made a prophecy that was eventually fulfilled only a few years later:

“Now I must die, even though I have committed no crime. So now it’s my turn, but your turn will come.”

Helmuth was executed two months later by guillotine at Plötzensee Prison. His friends were also sentenced, but only given 10 years apiece.

Helmuth Hübener’s sacrifice did not go unnoticed. Four years after his death, he was posthumously reinstated into the Church after his story reached the ears of Max Zimmer, a new mission president at the time. He was given the office of an elder, as well as rebaptized and endowed. His life has been the subject of several media adaptions, including novels, plays and movies.

It would have been easy for Helmuth to remain cowed in the midst of so many people, including members of his own faith, who were too afraid to fight for the things which were “virtuous, lovely and of good report or praiseworthy.” Helmuth’s sacrifice deserves recognition for not only what he did to stand up and speak out, but for the example he set to seek the good things in all circumstances in his life.

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Elder Joseph Brackenbury is one of them. An emigrant from England, he joined the then newly christened Church of Christ in April 10th of 1831. He was immediately called as an elder on April 11th of 1831 and left for a mission in August of 1831. He was a man of enormous faith who performed several miracles, one of which was told by John Whitmer:

“August 1831 [after Joseph and company return to Ohio] many mighty miracles were wrought by the Elders—one in particular which I shall here notice—which was wrought by Elders Emer Harris Joseph Brackenbury and Wheeler Baldwin. Is [about] an infirmity in an old lady who had been helpless for the space of eight years confined to her bed. She did not belong to this church but sent her request to the Elders who immediately attended to her call, and after their arrival prayed for her and laid their hands on her, and she was immediately made whole and magnified and praised God. and is now enjoying perfect health”.

Elder Brackenbury’s faith was so strong that he was determined to serve his God until the end. He told his friends that he had “consecrated all to God before he was baptized, he was also determined to go on to the end of his life.”

He fulfilled this vow not long after.

In December of 1831, he was called to serve a mission east. In Pomfret, New York, he was secretly administered poison by anti-Mormons led by the devil and boasting that a missionary’s faith was insufficient to save him from death. He suffered horrifically, and “remained in great distress, which he bore with [the] fortitude of a saint for one week and expired with an unshaken confidence in the fullness of the gospel which he had preached, and a firm hope of a glorious resurrection among the just.”

Elder Brackenbury’s mission on this Earth was short, but his legacy can live on in the way we conduct our lives. His standard of serving till our last breathe is a standard we can hold high and proud, and if we do so, we too can have a “firm hope of a glorious resurrection among the just.”

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Even though he and his family were well-off in their home country, persecution mounted against them for their new conversion to the strange new faith called “Mormonism”. This type of persecution was common at the time, even though the country had just recently signed a constitution guaranteeing religious liberty, among other rights. Clergy in other churches convinced authorities that “Mormons” were not Christians, which meant that missionaries could be arrested and jailed for preaching, baptizing, and even administering the sacrament. Many instances of harassment and vandalism were recorded toward church members, usually from people with whom they were close before their conversion!

Hans Lars Nielsen was one of over 27,000 LDS emigrants to brave a month on a cramped ship from Scandinavia between 1850-1950 . It is estimated that half of all emigrants from the region came from Denmark. He and his wife sacrificed much for what they believed to be true. Besides giving their very lives, I know of no greater sacrifice than the one they were about to make.

This excerpt is from a history that was written years later by his granddaughter and her husband, Charley Christensen.

Yes, the spirit of Satan reigned against them. Though their relatives… threatened in every way possible, but to no avail, to Zion they must go. Then came the day when they were to sail from their native land. It was a day never to be forgotten.

They boarded the ship the day before sailing, along with other emigrants. They took with them a few belongings such as clothing and a few necessities to make the journey.

One of the Grandparents said “why don’t you let Mary stay with us tonight?, “We will bring her to the ship in the morning in plenty of time before the ship is to sail.”

Can you imagine the anxiety the next morning when it was time for the ship to sail and they were waiting for their child in the huge crowd on board, perhaps 2000 people – all strangers?

Where, where is Mary? Aren’t they going to bring her? What in the world shall we do? There were but a few minutes before sailing time. I can hear Grandpa say “Don’t get excited. They’ll come. They will be here in time. “No, no if they don’t come we can’t go”, was Granda’s reply.

But go they must. The big ship began moving. “oh, Hans, we can’t we can’t leave Mary.” Now they were facing a reality. They ware leaving their 14 year-old daughter, perhaps never to see her again.

“Sell all thou hast and come and follow me” was easy compared to leaving their own flesh who they knew would be equally lonesome for them.”

Yes, Satan reigned in the hearts of men and these grandparents to the extent of stealing the daughter for revenge.

The sacrifices that early converts to the gospel made are incredible to me. As a new father of a little girl, I don’t know if I could ever imagine a circumstance that would be worth abandoning her. But the gospel was worth it to them – it was a treasure beyond worldly wealth, which sacrifice in part gave me the chance to be born into the gospel and enjoy the blessings therein. I hope that this story will inspire you in a way that it has motivated me to become a better person and sacrifice anything and everything for the cause of truth.

Author Bio

This post was written/submitted by Daniel Christensen, an ameteur family historian and cinnamon roll lover. He lives near Boise, ID with his wife and baby daughter.

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David W. Patten was the first apostolic martyr of the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, marking in blood a legacy that defined what it means to give all for the faith.  At his funeral, Joseph Smith remarked that “There lies a man that has done just as he said he would—he has laid down his life for his friends.” His entire life was dedicated to mankind, up until and including his martyrdom.

Image via mormonnewsroom.org

Conversion And Missions

David W. Patten was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1832. In 1830, after hearing of the publication of the Book of Mormon, he read only the preface and the testimony of the Three Witnesses before he was convinced that the book was true. Two years later, he heard that his brother John Patten had joined the Church, and he rode three hundred miles to Fairplay, Indiana, and was baptized by his brother.

David hit the ground running. Two days after he was baptized, he was made an elder and sent on a mission to the Michigan Territory. He had hardly any money or food, instead relying on the hospitality of those he found on his way. He was joined by another recent convert named Joseph Wood, and the two of them took the territory by storm.

David immediately set himself apart as a man of great faith and empathy towards others. He was known on his mission for his healing abilities; many would come to him seeking a blessing, and through their faith and his faith in his Heavenly Father, he laid his hands on their heads and cured them of their illnesses. Such were the miracles of his blessings that Abraham O. Smoot said, “he never knew an instance in which David’s petition for the sick was not answered.”

In total, David W. Patten served twelve missions for the Church. He was ordained a member of the first Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1835, only three years after his baptism. He was known for his resilience against the mob persecution that began in Missouri. Such was his dedication and fearlessness in defending and preaching the gospel that other members of the Church began to refer to him as Captain Fear-Not.

He would seal this title with his death.

Image via lds.org

Martyrdom

On October 24th, 1838, a Missourian mob kidnapped three Saints and planned to kill them that night. At midnight, 75 members of the Church, led by Captain Fear-Not, armed themselves and prepared a daring rescue mission against the mob to rescue their brethren.

David wanted to surprise the mob and take back the prisoners through intimidation alone, but when they came near Crooked River, a mob member standing guard fired a shot and hit Patrick O’Banion, who fell. Captain Patten, leading a separate group of about 15 men away to flank the mob, heard the shot and came to the rescue.

The Battle of Crooked River commenced. Several men were wounded, and Gideon Carter was killed instantly. The Missourians were situated behind a riverbank, holding a tactical position that allowed them to fire into the Mormon army.

Patten, seeing the hearts of his men falter in the face of terrific gunfire, led a charge against the mob position, taking his sword and leading with the battle cry of “GOD AND LIBERTY!!!” The Missourian line broke, but not before Patten was shot and mortally wounded.

He died several hours after the battle. On his deathbed, he quoted Paul in saying that, “I feel that I have kept the faith, I have finished my course, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown, which the Lord will give me.” Moments later, he died.

Unbeknownst to most, David W. Patten died exactly the way he wanted to. He had once remarked to the Prophet that he had a great desire to die the death of a martyr. Joseph was sorry when he heard this, and he told David that,  “when a man of your faith asks the Lord for anything, he generally gets it.”

Image via lds.org

Fear Not And Serve

Captain Fear-Not was a man of great faith, but he wielded that faith in the service of others.

In these last days, it’s not enough to have faith in the gospel. Faith isn’t an endgame, it’s a step towards fulfilling our destiny in life, which is to serve our fellow man to the best of our ability. We may not have to die for one another, but we should certainly be prepared to, and this kind of valor is only attained along the path that David W. Patten paved: a lifetime of service and sacrifice.

If we can walk that path, maybe one day we can earn a title as cool as Captain Fear-Not.

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Shadrach Roundy was a bodyguard for Joseph Smith during the Prophet’s tumultuous final years. He was described as being “fully six feet tall, raw-boned and muscular, weighing slightly less than two hundred pounds.” He was known for being “positively fearless and full of integrity…Such was his character that he would rather have died than fail to do his duty” He didn’t wear a cape, but it wasn’t hard to imagine Shadrach Roundy as a pioneer Superman, a defender of faith in the face of great evil.

This Superman was put to the test when he faced down an angry mob consisting of 40 men roaring for the Prophet’s head.

Image via brittanica.com

Standing Against Evil

On June 7, 1844, William Law published a slanderous newspaper labeled The Nauvoo Expositor that claimed to be an exposé on the Church and its teachings. Citing the paper and press as a public nuisance and within their rights of the Nauvoo Charter, Joseph Smith ordered that the press be destroyed. This destruction of the press led to Joseph’s eventual arrest and imprisonment in Carthage Jail.

Carthage was not the only place his life was threatened during this time. On the night Joseph was indicted for “inciting riot”, William Law and forty armed citizens marched to Joseph’s home, and there was blood in their hearts.

The only one between them and the end of Joseph Smith was one Shadrach Roundy.

Joseph Smith had warned his faithful Superman that there would be an attempt to kidnap him that night. Shadrach was sent to guard the Prophet’s house with explicit instructions that no one was to be allowed in. He had been told they would be coming up the river, and so he was patrolling the river near the Prophet’s home when he heard voices at the gate. He hurried to the source of the voices to find William Law and forty other mobbers trying to get in.

As a bodyguard and member of the police force of Nauvoo, it’s expected that Shadrach would have some kind of weapon on him to defend both himself and the Prophet. Following the Expositor destruction, however, his weapons had been turned over to the government militia. Shadrach was only armed with his wits, his courage, and a hickory walking stick.

Speaking for myself, if I were suddenly facing down forty men with only a walking stick and a prayer, William Law would’ve gotten a nice view of my coattails as I either beat it or at least gone to get help. Luckily for Joseph, he had Superman instead of me guarding his house that fateful night.

Shadrach, using his hickory cane like a sword, forced the men back out of the gate. He then gripped the cane and laid it across the gate to keep the intruders out while he reasonably asked them what their business was for the night. William Law replied that they were “gentlemen merchants” who had come to see the mummies that Joseph Smith had in his possession. Shadrach retorted that “if they were gentlemen, they should come at gentlemen’s hours”.

Shadrach was joined by his companion Josiah Arnold, who was also on Joseph’s detail. He too was determined to keep back the mob that would’ve taken the Prophet away. Seeing the resolution in their eyes, the mob stopped trying to push their way through. William Law “asked if they knew who they were talking to.” This name dropping meant little to the two men of God, who replied that “yes, they knew him too well.”

William and his men still insisted on getting through, but Shadrach and Josiah would not move. In a final act of courage that delved deep into their faith in the Prophet and their Heavenly Father, they stated to the mob that “if they gained admission, it would be over their dead bodies.”

Such words you might expect to find in final showdowns between superheroes as they flex gigantic muscles, but the power in this quiet sentence was matchless when it came from humble men willing to fight to the death for a Prophet they loved. William Law saw it too; he and his band of criminals left soon after with their tails tucked between their legs.

Image via www.willisorchards.com

Finding Our Hickory Stick

We can achieve this kind of personal valor in our own lives.

Shadrach wasn’t born a Superman. He built his courage as he learned to be obedient. Over his lifetime, he made hundreds of small and large sacrifices for the gospel that forged an iron spirit. When the opportunity came to stand up for righteousness, he was able to do so because he had taken the time to create that resolve. His hickory stick was not only a weapon to use against evil; it was an extension of his faith. 

There will come a time when we will need hickory sticks of our own.

In the last days, the Lord has promised that even some of the elect will fall as doubt creeps into our ranks and trials sunder our testimonies. Our prophets, our families, even our very identities will be challenged by the hordes of Satan. It will feel at times as though we are defending ourselves with only a hickory stick against an onslaught that should surely overcome us. However, if that stick is an extension of our faith, we will be able to turn the tides with the strength of our courage and the might of our God.

Find your hickory stick, and if you wield it with faith, you too can become a Hickory Stick Superman.

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Brigham Young was born to John and Nabby Young at Whitingham, Vermont, in 1801. At about age 16, Brigham was told by his father that he was old enough to go out on his own and provide for himself. His mother had just passed away.

His father, John Young, later moved to the area of Mendon, New York. Eventually, Brigham and his ailing wife, Miriam, also moved to Mendon on the back part of his father’s property. They were all practicing members of the Reformed Methodist Church.

In 1832, Brigham, Miriam, John and all of Brigham’s immediate family joined the Church of Christ, later The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All stayed active in the LDS Church throughout their lives.

According to Larry C. Porter, Brigham built a house for his father on his father’s property in Mendon. For some reason, that structure was subsequently divided in two. Half was moved across the street with each part facing the other from opposite sides of Cheese Factory Road. Over time, both portions were added on to, essentially creating two new homes. Both of those altered structures still stand. (See Larry C. Porter, “Brigham Young: The Man for the Hour Will Be Ready Whenever the Hour Strikes,” BYU Speeches, Jan. 27, 1998.)

They are owned by the LDS Church, but they are used as private residences.

Kenneth Mays is a board member of the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation and a retired instructor in the LDS Church’s Department of Seminaries and Institutes.

Ashley Morales

Frequently whimsical and overly optimistic about how much time it will take to do things, Ashley Morales is deeply passionate about the gospel and all kinds of creativity. Her hobbies include philosophically analyzing nearly every book, play, video game, and movie that she consumes, writing music and short stories, promising herself that she will finish writing her novels, going to sleep too late, eating foods she’s never tried, putting off cleaning her house, browsing Zillow, spending as much quality time as possible with her wonderful husband, trying to be a good mother to her fantastic children, and never finding the balance between saying too much and too little. One day, she hopes to leave a positive mark on the world and visit every continent (except Antarctica) with her family.

Listen to a new MWEG broadcast by independent historian Ardis Parshall on refugees in LDS church history, from Missouri to Turkey to Lithuania.  This is an important part of LDS history and provides some context for our efforts today.

This is also the first public broadcast of an MWEG event.  Check it out!

Ardis Parshall has written for Mormon Women for Ethical Government and currently works as a historian, blogger, and freelance researcher.

Ashley Morales

Frequently whimsical and overly optimistic about how much time it will take to do things, Ashley Morales is deeply passionate about the gospel and all kinds of creativity. Her hobbies include philosophically analyzing nearly every book, play, video game, and movie that she consumes, writing music and short stories, promising herself that she will finish writing her novels, going to sleep too late, eating foods she’s never tried, putting off cleaning her house, browsing Zillow, spending as much quality time as possible with her wonderful husband, trying to be a good mother to her fantastic children, and never finding the balance between saying too much and too little. One day, she hopes to leave a positive mark on the world and visit every continent (except Antarctica) with her family.

Fear not, friends! This question need not keep you up at night any longer. In the fourth chapter of Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley, we can read about the reflections of our beloved former prophet on this very subject. He believed that “each of us is a pioneer in his own life, often in his own family.” Basically, honoring and becoming pioneers requires that we actively nurture the following five essential characteristics within ourselves.

Working Together, by Olinda H. Reynolds. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

Faith in Jesus Christ

This is the solution to almost every problem that arises in our path from mortality to exaltation, so we’re used to hearing it. However, President Hinckley offered some revealing insights into what it means by recounting the experiences of the pioneers.

He pointed out, “It was through eyes of faith that they saw a city beautiful [Nauvoo] when they first walked across the swamps of Commerce, Illinois.” After persecution and the death of Joseph Smith, he remarked, “Again, it was by faith that they pulled themselves together under the pattern he had previously drawn and organized themselves for another exodus.” President Hinckley further noted that when the pioneers trekked across the American Midwest, it was “with faith [that] they established Winter Quarters on the Missouri [River]” and continued moving west despite the suffering and death that defined their stay. Finally, President Hinckley observed, “It was by faith that Brigham Young looked over [the Salt Lake] valley, then hot and barren, and declared, ‘This is the place.’”

Quoting Paul explaining that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1), President Hinckley extolled the pioneers’ ability to bring their faith to reality through hard work and confidence in God. Faith is more than simply acknowledging that the Lord is able to do what He says He can do. Living with eyes of faith means being able to perceive the “evidence of things not seen”—a thriving city in a swamp, new beginnings in death, springtime in a horrible winter, and Zion in a desert. Pioneers have faith to see what can and should be, guided in their optimism by their conviction that if the Lord could create wine out of water, prophets out of common folk, and saints out of sinners, then He can surely make a beacon out of a barren valley and a rolling church out of a few struggling handcart pullers.

The Lord Himself embodied this kind of faith. For example, He was able to see world-changing apostles in lowly men, including humble fishermen. His Atonement attests to the enormous potential He saw in each person for whose sins and afflictions He suffered.

Calling of the Fishermen (Christ Calling Peter and Andrew), by Harry Anderson. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

Faith means to see what cannot be seen—and then to act upon it. Pioneers have this kind of faith.

Active Involvement in the Building of Zion

The hardships endured by the pioneers are nearly unimaginable to us. Many of us live in a time and place in which modern conveniences are commonplace, and we rarely feel the stings of plague, starvation, and fatal exhaustion.

Expressing his admiration of Brigham Young and the pioneers, President Hinckley remarked, “They were tired. Their clothes were worn. Their animals were jaded. The weather was hot and dry—the hot weather of July. But here they were, looking down the years and dreaming a millennial dream, a grand dream of Zion.”

Consider everything that you own and enjoy—your job, house, furniture, electricity, plumbing, entertainment center, social prestige, etc. Imagine leaving every single shred of it behind. What would compel you to do that? What could possibly be worth giving all of that up?

If you would do it for a place where people are “pure in heart” (Doctrine and Covenants 97:21) and “of one heart and mind and [dwell] in righteousness” with “no poor among them” (Moses 7:18), then you may be a pioneer. If Zion—the City of Holiness, in which all things are consecrated for the kingdom of God—is your ultimate goal, then you may be a pioneer.

Pushing, Pulling and Praying, Bound for Zion, by E. Kimball Warren. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

As President Hinckley observed regarding the pioneers’ westward movement, “It was an arduous and fearsome journey. They had doubts, yes. But their faith rose above those doubts. Their optimism rose above their fears. They had their dream of Zion, and they were on their way to fulfill it.”

Zion represents the pinnacle and the ideal of Latter-Day Saint life. Pioneers dream of and prioritize Zion.

Willingness to Sacrifice

Closely related to the concept of Zion is the principle of sacrifice, especially with regard to your materials, time, and even life, so that you can benefit other people. President Hinckley used the example of the plight of the Willie and Martin handcart companies to illustrate this point.

When they were nearing the Salt Lake Valley but in real danger of perishing, President Hinckley recalled that Brigham Young organized rescue efforts while declaring, “That is my religion; that is the dictation of the Holy Ghost that I possess. It is to save the people… I will tell you all that your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the Celestial Kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. Go and bring in those people now on the plains.”

Helping the Martin Handcart Company across the Sweetwater River, by Clark Kelley Price. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

Although he was grateful that many of us don’t have to pass through the same kinds of afflictions that the pioneers did, President Hinckley was quick to remind us that we should not rest comfortably. He said, “There are so many who are hungry and destitute across this world who need help… We have some of our own who cry out in pain and suffering and loneliness and fear… There are so many young people who wander aimlessly… There are widows who long for friendly voices… There are those who were once warm in the faith, but whose faith has grown cold.” Fervently, he encouraged us to be a church where “strong hands and loving hearts will warm them, comfort them, sustain them, and put them on the way of happy and productive lives.”

Like the pioneers who risked their own safety to help their struggling brothers and sisters in the Willie and Martin handcart companies, we are called to make sacrifices to reach out and improve the circumstances of those around us. Dangers must be braved, luxuries must be disregarded, and pride must be extinguished in favor of being a source of light and hope to others.

Sacrifice is the spirit of Zion and the legacy of our Lord. Pioneers exemplify it.

Honor Those Who Came Before You

Imagine working diligently to create something beautifully and passing it on to your posterity as a special heirloom, expecting them to cherish and perhaps improve upon it. Instead, they simply neglect or even destroy it.

No doubt this was a concern for the pioneers. They persevered through persecution, poverty, sickness, and death to preserve the gospel and find a place to live the ways of God peacefully, praying that their descendants would carry on their work. Nevertheless, the church continues to deal with enemies and see precious souls of infinite worth become discouraged and fall away.

The Church has grown miraculously against all odds, but it could still grow much faster and become stronger if we make greater efforts to respect our pioneer heritage. That’s not limited to people who can trace their genealogy to anyone who pushed a handcart across the plains. President Hinckley explained, “Whether you have pioneer ancestry or came into the church only yesterday, you are a part of this whole grand picture of which those men and women dreamed. Theirs was a tremendous undertaking. Ours is a great continuing responsibility. They laid the foundation. Ours is the duty to build on it.”

Handcart Pioneers Arrive in Salt Lake, by Clark Kelley Price. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

The pioneers themselves were building on foundations that had preceded them. The Bible and Book of Mormon abound with the teachings of prophets and disciples who passed on their wisdom and knowledge of doctrine to anyone who would listen and take heed. They broke the cycle of apostasy, refusing to dishonor the saints of the ancient past by letting the gospel become lost. Even at the cost of their lives and comfort, they were determined to uphold the cause of the Lord.

Keep building on what has already been built so far. That’s the pioneer way.

Share Your Testimony Through Word and Deed

Of course, the best way to build upon that which came before you is to be a missionary. Those who can serve formal missions are encouraged to do so, but everyone is expected to do something to keep the work of the Lord rolling forward with a growing momentum.

With reverence toward the example of the pioneers, President Hinckley declared, “As great things were expected of them, so are they of us… We have a charge to teach and baptize in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”  The Lord Himself commanded, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

Their willingness to bear the scorn of the world and the harshness of the elements constituted the bearing of the pioneers’ testimonies to the children of God. If you are to be a pioneer, the question is not whether you will share your testimony with the world, but rather how.

Carrying the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people is our duty and privilege. Pioneers accept that responsibility with humility and courage.

Tag! You’re It. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

Do You Have What It Takes?

Handcarts were heavy. So is the mantle of discipleship. However, when we learn from the early pioneers of this dispensation, we will find our hearts and spirits changed enough to wear that mantle well.

Do you have the faith to see what cannot be seen? Do you dream of Zion above all else? Will you sacrifice everything for that dream and the betterment of your brothers and sisters around the world? Will you honor your predecessors and share the gospel with all who will listen? Can you be a pioneer?

Thanks to President Gordon B. Hinckley and his inspiring direction, we may be able to pass Pioneering 101 and start on our way toward becoming pioneers in our own right.

Pioneers Catching Fish, by Sam Lawlor. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

Ashley Morales

Frequently whimsical and overly optimistic about how much time it will take to do things, Ashley Morales is deeply passionate about the gospel and all kinds of creativity. Her hobbies include philosophically analyzing nearly every book, play, video game, and movie that she consumes, writing music and short stories, promising herself that she will finish writing her novels, going to sleep too late, eating foods she’s never tried, putting off cleaning her house, browsing Zillow, spending as much quality time as possible with her wonderful husband, trying to be a good mother to her fantastic children, and never finding the balance between saying too much and too little. One day, she hopes to leave a positive mark on the world and visit every continent (except Antarctica) with her family.

On June 27, 1844, not longer after singing “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief” to his cellmates, John Taylor lay suffering on the floor of Carthage Jail. He had endured terrible injury at the hands of an angry mob that had just killed the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum. This tragic event became a defining moment in the history of the Church and in the life of John Taylor.

John Taylor, by John Willard Clawson. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

In Witness to the Martyrdom, Mark H. Taylor, a great-great-grandson of John Taylor, revives the only eyewitness account of these events. Below is John Taylor’s eyewitness account:

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Soon afterwards I was sitting at one of the front windows of the jail, when I saw a number of men, with painted faces, coming round the corner of the jail, and aiming towards the stairs. The other brethren had seen the same, for, as I went to the door, I found Brother Hyrum Smith and Dr. Richards already leaning against it. They both pressed against the door with their shoulders to prevent its being opened, as the lock and latch were comparatively useless. While in this position, the mob, who had come upstairs, and tried to open the door, probably thought it was locked, and fired a ball through the keyhole; at this Dr. Richards and Brother Hyrum leaped back from the door, with their faces towards it; almost instantly another ball passed through the panel of the door, and struck Brother Hyrum on the left side of the nose, entering his face and head. At the same instant, another ball from the outside entered his back, passing through his body and striking his watch. The ball came from the back, through the jail window, opposite the door, and must, from its range, have been fired from the Carthage Greys, who were placed there ostensibly for our protection, as the balls from the firearms, shot close by the jail, would have entered the ceiling, we being in the second story, and there never was a time after that when Hyrum could have received the latter wound. Immediately, when the ball struck him, he fell flat on his back, crying as he fell, “I am a dead man!” He never moved afterwards.

I shall never forget the feeling of deep sympathy and regard manifested in the countenance of Brother Joseph as he drew nigh to Hyrum, and, leaning over him exclaimed, “Oh! my poor, dear brother Hyrum!” He, however, instantly arose, and with a firm, quick step, and a determined expression of countenance, approached the door, and pulling the six-shooter left by Brother Wheelock from his pocket, opened the door slightly and snapped the pistol six successive times; only three of the barrels, however, were discharged. I afterwards understood that two or three were wounded by these discharges, two of whom, I am informed, died.

I had in my hands a large, strong hickory stick brought there by Brother Markham, and left by him, which I had seized as soon as I saw the mob approach; and while Brother Joseph was firing the pistol, I stood close behind him. As soon as he had discharged it he stepped back, and I immediately took his place next to the door, while he occupied the one I had done while he was shooting. Brother Richards, at this time, had a knotty walking-stick in his hand belonging to me, and stood next to Brother Joseph, a little farther from the door, in an oblique direction, apparently to avoid the rake of the fire from the door. The firing of Brother Joseph made our assailants pause for a moment; very soon after, however, they pushed the door some distance open, and protruded and discharged their guns into the room, when I parried them off with my stick, giving another direction to the balls.

It certainly was a terrible scene: streams of fire as thick as my arm passed by me as these men fired, and, unarmed as we were, it looked like certain death. I remember feeling as though my time had come, but I do not know when, in any critical position, I was more calm, unruffled, and energetic, and acted with more promptness and decision. It certainly was far from pleasant to be so near the muzzles of those firearms as they belched forth their liquid flame and deadly balls. While I was engaged in parrying the guns, Brother Joseph said, “That’s right, Brother Taylor, parry them off as well as you can.” These were the last words I ever heard him speak on earth.

Every moment the crowd at the door became more dense, as they were unquestionably pressed on by those in the rear ascending the stairs, until the whole entrance at the door was literally crowded with muskets and rifles, which, with the swearing, shouting, and demoniacal expressions of those outside the door and on the stairs, and the firing of guns, mingled with their horrid oaths and execrations, made it look like pandemonium let loose, and was, indeed, a fit representation of the horrid deed in which they were engaged.

After parrying the guns for some time, which now protruded thicker and farther into the room, and seeing no hope of escape or protection there, as we were now unarmed, it occurred to me that we might have some friends outside, and that there might be some chance of escape in that direction, but here there seemed to be none.

As I expected them every moment to rush into the room – nothing but extreme cowardice having kept them out – as the tumult and pressure increased, without any other hope, I made a spring for the window which was right in front of the jail door, where the mob was standing, and also exposed to the fire of the Carthage Greys, who were stationed some ten or twelve rods off. The weather was hot, we all of us had our coats off, and the window was raised to admit air. As I reached the window, and was on the point of leaping out, I was struck by a ball from the door about mid-way of my thigh, which was struck the bone, and flattened out almost to the size of a quarter of a dollar, and then passed on through the fleshy part to within about half an inch of the outside. I think some prominent nerve must have been severed or injured for, as soon as the ball struck me, I fell like a bird when shot, or an ox when struck by a butcher, and lost entirely and instantaneously all power of action or locomotion. I fell upon the windowsill and cried out, “I am shot!”

Not possessing any power to move, I felt myself falling outside the window, but immediately I fell inside, from some time, at that time, unknown cause. When I struck the floor my animation seemed restored, as I have seen it sometimes in squirrels and birds after being shot. As soon as I felt the power of motion I crawled under the bed, which was in a corner of the room, not far from the window where I received my wound. While on teh way and under the bed I was wounded in three other places; one ball entered a little below the left knee, and never was extracted; another entered the forepart of my left arm, a little above the wrist, and passing down by the joint, lodged in the fleshy part of my hand, about midway, a little above the upper joint of my little finger; another struck me on the fleshy part of my left hip, and tore away the flesh as large as my hand, dashing the mangled fragments of flesh and blood against the wall.

My wounds were painful, and the sensation produced was as though a ball had passed through and down the whole length of my leg. I very well remember my reflections at the time. I had a very painful idea of becoming lame and decrepid, and being an object of pity, and I felt as though I would rather die than be placed in such circumstances.

It would seem that immediately after my attempt to leap out of the window, Joseph also did the same thing, of which circumstance I have no knowledge, only from information. The first thing that I noticed was a cry that he had leaped out of the window. A cessation of firing followed, the mob rushed downstairs, and Dr. Richards went to the window. Immediately afterward I saw the doctor going toward the jail door, and as there was an iron door at the head of the stairs, adjoining our door which led into the cells for criminals, it struck me that the doctor was going there, and I said to him, “Stop, Doctor, and take me along.” He proceeded to the door and opened it, and then returned and dragged me along to a small cell prepared for criminals.

Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum, by Gary E. Smith. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

Brother Richards was very much troubled, and exclaimed, “Oh! Brother Taylor, is it possible that they have killed both Brother Hyrum and Joseph? it cannot surely be, and yet I saw them shoot them;” and elevating his hands two or three times, he exclaimed, “Oh Lord, my God, spare Thy servants!” He then said, “Brother Taylor, this is a terrible event;” and he dragged me farther into the cell, saying, “I am sorry I can not do better for you;” and, then, taking an old, filthy mattress, he covered me with it, and said, “That may hide you, and you may yet live to tell the tale, but I expect they will kill me in a few moments.” While lying in this position I suffered the most excruciating pain.

Soon afterwards Dr. Richards came to me, informed me that the mob had precipitately fled, and at the same time confirmed my worst fears that Joseph was assuredly dead. I felt a dull, lonely, sickening sensation at the news. When I reflected that our noble chieftain, the Prophet of the living God, had fallen, and that I had seen his brother in the cold embrace of death, it seemed as though there was a void or vacuum in the great field of human existence to me, and a dark gloomy chasm in the kingdom, and that we were left alone. Oh, how lonely was the feeling! How cold, barren and desolate! In the midst of difficulties he was always the first in motion; in critical positions his counsel was always sought. As our Prophet he approached our God, and obtained for us his will; but now our Prophet, our counselor, our general, our leader, was gone, and amid the fiery ordeal that we then had to pass through, we were left alone without his aid, and as our future guide for things spiritual or temporal, and for all things pertaining to this world, or the next, he had spoken for the last time on earth.

These reflections and a thousand others flashed upon my mind. I thought, why must the good perish, and the virtuous be destroyed? Why must God’s nobility, the salt of the earth, the most exalted of the human family, and the most perfect types of all excellence, fall victims to the cruel, fiendish hate of incarnate devils?

The poignancy of my grief, I presume, however, was somewhat allayed by the extreme suffering that I endured from my wounds.

Aleah Ingram is a full-time writer, social media manager, and editor who graduated from Southern Virginia University.

Ashley Morales

Frequently whimsical and overly optimistic about how much time it will take to do things, Ashley Morales is deeply passionate about the gospel and all kinds of creativity. Her hobbies include philosophically analyzing nearly every book, play, video game, and movie that she consumes, writing music and short stories, promising herself that she will finish writing her novels, going to sleep too late, eating foods she’s never tried, putting off cleaning her house, browsing Zillow, spending as much quality time as possible with her wonderful husband, trying to be a good mother to her fantastic children, and never finding the balance between saying too much and too little. One day, she hopes to leave a positive mark on the world and visit every continent (except Antarctica) with her family.