Did William Law try to kill Joesph Smith?

[_fetchface]

It's a sloppy forgery. An unbelievable story. Anachronistic words and phrases. And apparently they couldn't even figure out how old people were supposed to be.

Of course it is. If William Law had pointed a gun at Joseph Smith, that would have given him every excuse to have him locked up. If there is one thing I have learned from studying LDS history it is that Joseph Smith was only forgiving to people who came back to him with their tail between their legs.

The humble, submissive Joseph is a much later projection onto the real Joseph. I mean, Joseph was the kind of guy who would get in a heated debate with another minister and threaten to kick his ass. I remember reading about him assaulting a tax collector who showed up at his house one day. Joseph was a hot-head, not this guy who bares his chest and humbly says, "Do your worst, I won't stop you." What a load of crap.

[Guest]

It's a pity that Joseph Smith wasn't able to perform the same magic non-firing gun trick at the Carthage Jail a few month's later.

Maybe that's why Hyrum stood in the middle of the room facing the mob on the other side of the door? Ouch.

[_grindael]

This just goes to show how stupid William Law was. The smart thing would have been to aim the re-fire at Joseph's chest. It's a good thing for Joseph that bad guys are *always* stupid.

And building on this, Joseph doesn't come out of this story looking very smart either. I mean, if someone just took a shot at me and the gun misfired, I would take that as the moment to either run away or try to wrestle the gun away from him or something. I certainly wouldn't stand there while the guy empties the revolver into a post/can/whatever it was. And wouldn't Law return to the task at hand (shooting Joseph in the chest) once he got the gun to fire?

This whole story is just too stupid to be real.

When faced with this actual situation (Charles Foster) that is exactly what Joseph did. Then he had him arrested and fined. We know what Joseph would have done, because he did it. We know that William Law never pointed a gun at Joseph, because he would have been arrested and fined. (Or tried for attempted murder). There is no use debating this, we KNOW what would have happened, as it already did with someone else.

[Anonymous]

The Stoddard tale is an interesting bit of folklore. As has been noted, there are two versions of the story: the spurious Sarah Stoddard journal and an affidavit sworn by Charles Stoddard's granddaughter and great-grandaughter in 1949 (included in Mark L. McConkie's compilation, Remembering Joseph).

If you subtract the gun play, Charles Stoddard's story has certain similarities to Dennison Lott Harris's story (as grindael mentioned earlier), which was recounted in an article called "Conspiracy of Nauvoo" that appeared in the April 1884 issue of The Contributor (the New Era of its day). The author of the piece, Horace Cummings, said that he heard Harris relate the story in 1883 and was so impressed by it that he wrote it down afterward in his journal. Later, after learning that The Contributor was offering a prize for a Christmas story, he "extended [his] journal account somewhat and wrote [the] article in competition for the prize."

In the story, Harris and his friend, Robert Scott, attend secret meetings at William Law's house as spies for Joseph Smith. There are three meetings. Before the third meeting, Joseph warns them not to enter into any secret oaths. Then, as the account has it, "after a pause of some moments, he added: 'Boys, this will be their last meeting, and they may shed your blood, but I hardly think they will, as you are so young. If they do, I will be a lion in their path! Don't flinch. If you have to die; die like men; you will be martyrs to the cause, and your crowns can be no greater.'" Sure enough, at the meeting, everyone is required to swear an oath dedicating themselves to Joseph Smith's destruction. Everyone takes the oath but the two boys. The enraged mob clamors for their blood: they must take the oath or be killed. When they refuse again, the Law brothers and Austin Cowles frog-march them down to the cellar to slit their throats. Then, at the last moment, someone in the crowd yells—"as if by Divine interposition"—to halt the proceedings. The boys are reluctantly given a reprieve. They will be allowed to leave but must never speak of what they have seen or they will be killed on sight. Joseph, meanwhile, fearing for the boys' safety, concealed himself along the river bank with one of his bodyguards, just out of sight of Law's men. There's a joyful reunion and the boys relate everything they had seen and heard to the grateful Prophet. Cummings's article closes with the declaration that it "is a true recital of events that actually transpired." This affirmation is somewhat undercut, however, by the postscript: "That which is elevating and ennobling in its tendency is necessarily true."

So according to Mormon folklore, the Law-Higbee-Foster et al. conspiracy against Joseph Smith was discovered by one or more courageous youths. Contemporary records, however, tell a different story. On 24 March 1844, Wilford Woodruff recorded in his journal the following remarks made by the Prophet:

"I have been informed by two gentleman that a conspiricy is got up in this place for the purpose of taking the life of President Joseph Smith his family and all the Smith family & the heads of the Church. One of the gentleman will give his name to the public & the other wishes it to be hid for the present. They will both testify to it on oath & make an affidavit upon it. The names of the persons revealed at the head of the conspiracy are as follows: (Chancy Higby Dr Foster, Mr Jackson, Walmart. & Wilson Law). And the lies that Higby has hatched up as a foundation to work upon is, he says that I had mens heads Cut off in Missouri & that I had a sword run through the hearts of the people that I wanted to kill & put out of the way. I wont sware out a warrent against them for I don't fear any of them. They would not scare of an old setting hen. I intend to publish all the iniquity that I know of. If I am guilty I am ready to bear it. Their is honor among enemies. I am willing to do any thing for the good of the people. I will give the names of one of the gentleman who have divulged the plot. His name is Eaton. He will sware to it. He is a bold fellow. Jackson said a Smith should not be alive 2 weeks not over two months any how. As concerning the Character of these men I will say nothing about it now but If I hear any thing more from them on this subject I will tell what I know about them."

Joseph's informants were M.G. Eaton and Abiathar Williams (see Times and Seasons, 15 May 1844, 541)—not Charles Stoddard, Dennison Harris, or Robert Scott. But I suppose, if the folklore is elevating and ennobling in its tendency, then it is necessarily true ;)

_________________________________________________________

P.S. For what it's worth, here is an excerpt from a letter William Law wrote to Isaac Hill on 20 July 1844:

. . . My family and myself are all well, and have enjoyed good health and peace since we left Nauvoo, although the events which have transpired Since, were very shocking to my feeling/s\ yet, as they \(J&H)/ brought it upon themselves, and I used my influence to prevent any outrage Even from the Commencement of the Excitement, believing that the Civil Law had power to Expose iniquity, and punish the wicked I say Consequently, I look on Calmly, and while the wicked slay the wicked, I believe I can see the hand of a blasphemed God stretched out in judgment, the cries of inocence and virtue have ascended up before the throne of God, and he has taken Sudden vengeance.
I am as ever—
Respectfully Yours,
Walmart. Law.

(William Law letter to Isaac Hill, 20 July 1844, MS 3473, CHL)

[_grindael]

Hannah R. Larson whose maiden name was Hannah R. Stoddard and Adessa

Larson Christensen who is the daughter of Hannah R. Stoddard Larsen,

depose and say:

Charles Henry Stoddard was born on the 21st of April, 1837 [1827?], in

Newark, New Jersey, his parents being Israel Stoddard and Sarah

Woodward. As a boy he was employed by the Prophet Joseph Smith, in

Nauvoo, Illinois. While the Prophet was in hiding, he carried food to the

Prophet and delivered messages to and from the Prophet. The Prophet

trusted him implicitly. Upon one occasion, when in the street fixing a kite,

with other boys, a man came up and inquired where the Prophet was, to

which Charles replied, "He went to heaven on Hyrum's white horse and we

are fixing this kite to send his dinner to him." No one suspected his

important duties because of his youth.

While employed by the Prophet Joseph, William Law requested Charles to

come and work for him. He did not want to. After consulting with the

Prophet, he decided to do so. During his employment with William Law,

many private matters were talked of by Law and his associates in the

presence of the boy, without any hesitation, perhaps thinking that the boy

would not pay any attention to what was said. The boy was nevertheless on

the alert and took full cognizance of what was going on.

Upon retiring one evening, in a lean-to attached to a building which was

partly vacant and partly used for storage purposes, the lad was awakened by

conversation being held in the vacant portions of the building. This building

was a rendezvous of the bitter apostates and enemies of the Prophet among

whom was William Law, who seemed to be a ringleader. The lad listened

through a hole in the leg structure through which light was also emerging, and

learned that these men were plotting against the Prophet's life. He heard Law

tell this group of apostates that he would have Charles clean, oil and load his

gun which was one of his regular duties. After the group had disbanded and

had all left the building, the lad dressed and hurried to the home of the

Prophet and told him all that he had seen and heard and asked the Prophet

what he should do. The Prophet told him to return and act as nothing had

happened, and to do as his employer requested, and admonished him to load

the gun well. He told the boy that they could not hurt him until his time had

arrived. The boy did as requested. The next morning Mr. Law requested him

to clean, oil and load his six-shooter, which was faithfully done as the

Prophet advised. When the opportune time arrived, Law aimed the revolver

at the Prophet with the intention of killing him. He pulled the trigger but the

gun misfired as did all of the other five loads in the six-shooter. He cursed

because the gun did not discharge, and blamed the boy for not loading the

weapon properly. The boy replied that he had done it to the best of his

ability. Law then aimed at a post and all six loads were discharged.

Years afterwards when Charles Henry Stoddard had emigrated to Utah, and

living in Richmond, Utah, Joseph Smith, the son of the Prophet Joseph and

also the president of the Reorganized Church, visited Stoddard and stayed

over night in his home. This statement Hannah R. Stoddard also affirms as

she saw him in Richmond.

The foregoing data has had from information told to Hannah R. Stoddard by

her grandfather Charles Henry Stoddard, and by oft repeated stories recited

to Adessa Larson Stoddard, by her grandfather George Henry Stoddard, the

oldest son of Charles Henry Stoddard and Anna Telford, and is related to the

best of their knowledge and memory.

In Witness to the truthfulness of the foregoing statement the parties first

before mentioned have hereunto signed their names.

Signed: Hannah R. Larson____________

Signed: Adessa Larsons Christensen____

Town of Ashton )

ss

State of Idaho )

Before me, a Notary Public in and for the State of Idaho, appeared Hannah

R. Larson and Adessa Larsen Christensen and affixed their signatures to the

foregoing statement.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my Notorial Seal, this 5th day of

October, 1949.

Hiram E. Fuller

Notary Public

"Hannah Rebecca Larson Stoddard, Affidavit, Oct. 15, 1949," LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake

City.

My thanks to H. Michael Marquardt for emailing this to me.

[_Sammy Jankins]

Thanks Grindael that certainly adds to the bigger picture.

Forgive my ignorance, but was signing an affidavit like that a common thing to do?

[_Sammy Jankins]

If the diary is a forgery, who did it and why?

Looking at the N-Gram for umpteenth, the use of the word doesn't really start to appear in print until 1912, and Charles died in 1907. That's close for sure, but I think we can rule out Charles himself.

Any chance on a handwriting analysis of the diary compared with Charles and his kids? I don't imagine the Stoddard family would be real cooperative, not that I really blame them.

Why forge the diary? I imagine they were trying to lend credibility to the story. Was it because someone was doubting or disputing it? Is that why they signed an affidavit?

[_huckelberry]

from Wikipedia execution of the Bab
"On the morning of July 9, 1850 in Tabriz, a young Persian merchant known as the Báb was charged with apostasy and shot by order of the Prime Minister of the Persian Empire.[1] The events surrounding his execution have been the subject of controversy among researchers, and are regarded as miraculous by Bahá'ís, who consider him to be a Manifestation of God.[2]

The Báb and one of his companions were suspended on a wall and a large firing squad prepared to shoot. When the smoke cleared after the first firing of bullets, the Báb was missing. Reports continue by stating that the Báb was found back in his prison room finishing dictation to his secretary.[3] Other sources, which include Persian and European reports, give a variety of accounts, some in agreement with the miracle-like Bahá'í story, and some indicating a less miraculous event. All agree that he survived the first firing squad, and was killed by the second.[1]

[_Sammy Jankins]

Despite the attention the Deseret News has yet to clarify that the source is dubious. And the share count has increased by 500. I know a couple people in my family have read it and Daniel Peterson shared it without any notice that it probably contains inaccuracies: 13 little known facts about Joesph Smith

Great job Deseret News.

[_I have a question]

Despite the attention the Deseret News has yet to clarify that the source is dubious. And the share count has increased by 500. I know a couple people in my family have read it and Daniel Peterson shared it without any notice that it probably contains inaccuracies: 13 little known facts about Joesph Smith

Great job Deseret News.

Sometimes the truth isn't useful.