Day in the Life

Jul 9, 1844

Journal Entry

July 09, 1844 ~ Tuesday

An arrow piercing a heart An arrow piercing a heart July 9th 1844

I left Scarboro in the morning in company
with Father Carter & Elder M. Holmes & rode
to Portland, & dined with Ezra Carter & made
preperations to take the steam boat in the evening
for Thomastown & fox Islands. But about
2 oclok P.M. We obtained the Boston Times
of July 9th containing the solumn & awful
information of the Death of President
Joseph Smith the Prophet Seer & Revelator
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints
Also the Death of Hiram Smith his brother
the Patriarch of said Church. They were
shot dead in Carthage jail by a company of
^200 men American citizens painted like indians^
anti mormons & a guard that Govornor Ford
placed over them.
great excitement Prevailed
& it was expected that the Nauvoo Legion would
be exasperated & avenge their Blood, by rushing
to battle against the Govonor & his guard that
was camped 7 miles from Nauvoo & also against
Carthage & Warsaw & the whole country was
rushing to arms & could not tell whare it would

stop the families of warsaw had gone to
Quincy the bells of the town were ringing
& men were called to arms, but where
the end would be time alone must detirmin
the foregoing items I draw from the papers
we shall look for terrible accounts each
day untill the close of the scene.


We also recieved a hand bill in the evening
concerning the mob, war excitement &c in
philadelphia which was tremendious in fact
the nation seems to be ripe for Judgment.

I spent the night with Sister Foss. sI lade hands
upon her & asked the Lord to Bless her she felt
sorrowful about affairs in the west, felt
anxious about Phebe and the children. My prayer
is that God will prepare our minds for the
worst & that we may maintain our integrity
untill death, that we may overcome as
Jesus has overcome


A hand pointing to the right I took out the letter from Portland P. O.
that I sent to Mrs Woodruff on the 8th & Br
Elbridge Tufts wrote to his Brother in Law
Nathan Pinkham of Quincy Ill. to take hifs
family in charge if they were breaking up &
removeing from Nauvoo. I also requested
him to take charge of my family if they
needed the favor. he keeps tavern by the side
of the qwincy house distance of the ^day^ 20 miles

People

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Tufts, Elbridge
5 Oct 1812 - 27 Nov 1850
Carter, Ezra (Jr.)
29 Apr 1804 - 11 May 1887
177 mentions
Family
Carter, Ezra, b. 1773
18 Mar 1773 - 10 Mar 1868
287 mentions
Family
Smith, Hyrum
9 Feb 1800 - 27 Jun 1844
422 mentions
Apostle
Smith, Joseph (Jr.)
23 Dec 1805 - 27 Jun 1844
Holmes, Milton
16 Jan 1811 - 30 Apr 1881
218 mentions
Maine Mission
Woodruff, Phebe Whittemore Carter
8 Mar 1807 - 10 Nov 1885
1578 mentions
Family
Foss, Sarah Brackett Carter
30 Sep 1800 - 4 Mar 1894
185 mentions
Family
Ford, Thomas
5 Dec 1800 - 3 Nov 1850

Quotes

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region we are sensible that the saints will have to be tried whether they will abide in the covenant of God or not even tried unto death. I am satisfyed that all things will work together for the good of the saints, and when they are sufficiently tried they will be delivered
~ Wilford Woodruff
[FIGURE] July 9th 1844 I left Scarboro in the morning in company with Father Carter & Elder M. Holmes & rode to Portland, & dined with Ezra Carter & made preperations to take the steam boat in the evening for Thomastown & fox Islands, But about 2 oclok P.M. We obtained the Boston Times of July 9th containing the solumn & awful information of the Death of President Joseph Smith the Prophet Seer & Revelator of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Also the Death of Hiram Smith his brother the Patriarch of Said Church. They were shot dead in Cartha[ge] jail by a company of ^200 men American citizens painted like indians^
~ Wilford Woodruff

Related Documents

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Autobiography Volume 2 circa 1865
I left Scarboro on the and rode to Portland and dined with my brother-in-law Ezra Carter and was about to take steam boat in the evening for Thomastown and Fox Islands but in the afternoon we obtained the Boston Times containing the solemn information of the assassination of the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum Next day I took the cars for Boston and on the following met with the Saints. They mourned the loss of the Prophet and Patriarch yet through our meeting they were strengthened in the faith and the comfort of the Spirit was with us so that we had a good time together On the morrow I wrote a letter to the Editor of the Prophet published in New York by the friends of our martyred leader giving a word of exhortation to the Saints abroad to maintain their integrity and keep the faith and paitence of the Saints unto death The following morning we obtained information from Quincy as late as June 29th giving full accounts of the horrid affair at Carthage and the tremendious loss which the Church had sustained. The Governor himself acknowledged the death of Joseph and Hyrum to be a wanton murder. The state of Illinois was in commotion and the Governor Ford had made Quincy his head quarters and issued a Proclamation to the citizens of the state. The news of the day stated that the Mormon Leaders in Nauvoo had done all they could to restrain the disciples of the martyred Prophet from vengeance still there was evidently a disposition of both the people and the troops to destroy Nauvoo lest the Mormons should hold a fearful reckoning in the state in their desperation and despair

Events

View selected events in the two months surrounding this date in Wilford Woodruff's life. Click on the dates to jump to that day in Wilford Woodruff's journal.

Meeting where majority of Church members sustain the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as governing body of the Church.
Wilford accepts call to preside over the European Mission for one year.

Jul 9, 1844