How is the best way to know a person but through family and close acquaintances?  In 2004, Hyrum L Andrus and Helen Mae Andrus published the book: “They Knew the Prophet Joseph Smith; personal accounts from over 100 people who knew Joseph Smith.” The book comprises personal accounts of over 100 recorded remembrances of individuals who were close to Joseph Smith.

I have chosen several highlights from the book to share with you. Their insights are most inspiring.

Elizabeth Ann Whitney – Page 38

During the journey, the Prophet often prophesied of the destruction that ultimately would come upon the cities of the eastern states, and especially New York that in that city where would not be left a vestige of its grandeur.

Page 39 Feast for the poor such as I knew could not return the same to us: to lame, to halt, the deaf, the blind, the aged and infirm. The feast lasted three days during which time all in the vicinity of Kirtland who would come were invited and entertained as countlessly and generously as if they had been able to extend hospitality instead of receiving it. The Prophet Joseph and his two councilors were present each day talking blessing and comforting the poor with words of encouragement and their most welcome presence. The Prophet Joseph often referred to this particular feast during his lifetime and testified of the great blessing he felt in associating with the meek and humble ones from the Lord has said that “He delights to own and bless.”

The first patriarchal blessing meeting over which Joseph Smith senior presided was one of the most striking features of that particular period of time. In this meeting, I received a gift of singing inspirationally, and the first song of Zion ever given the pure language was sung by me then and interpreted by Parley P Pratt. It describes the manner in which the ancient patriarchs blessed their families and offers some accounts of Adam-ondi-Ahman. The Prophet Joseph promised me that I should never lose this gift if I would be wise in using it, and his words have been verified.

Oliver B Huntington – Page 60

He spoke earnestly of improving one’s time in this life.

I heard him say that he hoped the spirit of invention and improvement would rest upon the Saints as it was upon the Gentiles, for unless it did there would be many useful and important inventions to be lost to the world when the great destruction of the nations comes. it would then probably take hundreds of years to reproduce them again among men yes and perhaps thousands of years before they would get back upon the earth. [I think this was quoted incorrectly.]

P62  We will just stay here [in Nauvoo] 7 years he answered. The Lord has told Joseph just seven years this is not to be made public I would not like to have the word go any further.
The Lord has told Joseph that when we leave here, we will go into the Rocky Mountains right into the midst of the Lamanites. [That was literally fulfilled.]

Anson Call – Page 104

It is impossible to represent in words the grandeur of Joseph’s appearance, his beautiful descriptions of this land, and his wonderful prophetic utterances as they emanated from the glorious inspirations that overshadowed him. There was a force and power in his exclamations of which the following is but a faint echo: “Oh the Beauty of those snow-capped mountains! The cool refreshing streams that are running down through those mountain gorges.”

“But the priesthood shall prevail over its enemies triumph over the devil and be established upon the earth never more to be thrown down.”

Jesse W. Crosby – Page 139

The prophet had great ability as a financier and had his enemies left him he would have become one of the wealthiest men in America. Everything his hand touched seemed to prosper. His fields were always in good condition and yielded well. When people came to see him and he had many visitors their teams would feed the best of hay and his barn was full. No other orchard had a fine fruit as did his. If an inferior cow was by any means shoved on him it would be but a short time before she became a first-class milker. Many men saw his advice when in financial difficulty and none failed to profit by it if they followed the council he gave.

The prophet was strong and active and could build more rods of good fence in one day than most men could in two, and he always left his fence clear of everything that might gather fire such as underbrush, loose limbs, and tall strong weeds. He was orderly. His woodyard was an example of order. Logs were neatly piled, and all trash was cleared away. If he did not finish the log on which he was chopping, the remnant was laid back on the pile not left on the ground for a stumbling block. The chips he made he picked up himself into a basket put them in a wooden box which stood in the word yard or carried them into the house to be burned.

During a period of financial depression for the Prophet, the ax was stolen from his woodyard and I contrived to loan him my ax because of the unfailing habit of the Prophet to always sharpen the ax he had been using before it left his hand. People in that section burned hardwood and to keep the ax in good shape required much time and energy.

Gilbert Belknap – Page 174

His theological reasoning was of God. In his domestic circle, he was mild and forbearing but resolute and determined in the accomplishment of God’s work although opposed by the combined powers of Earth. He gathered his thousands around him and planted a great city which was to be the foundation of a mighty empire and consecrated it to God as the land of Zion. At the same time, he endured the most unparalleled persecution of any man in the history of our country with a mind that disdained to confine himself to the old beaten track of religious rights and ceremonies. He burst asunder the chains which for ages past had held in bondage the nations of the earth. He soared aloft and brought to light the hidden treasures of the Almighty. He bid defiance to the superstitious dogmas and the combined wisdom of the world, laid the foundation for man’s eternal happiness, and revived the Tree of Liberty.

Recommendations

I highly recommend this book. It can be found at Amazon and Deseret Book.

New David Hocking Book:

David Hocking Book: David Hocking is writing a book called The Annotated Edition of Joseph Smith’s Journals. Which is a book relevant to this blog article. 

I have been privileged to read a preprint, and it will be a monumental addition. This new book will be a major addition to his other Annotated editions: The Book of Mormon, The Book of Jasher, The Book of Enoch, the Book of Isaiah, the Joseph Smith New Testament, and the Book of Moses.

Blog Article

You may be interested in a blog article I wrote about Joseph Smith Prophet for This Time.

David W. Allan