bennett's impurities—his cowardly stab at the prophet's name and life—fellowship withdrawn from the evil-doer—quoting his own letters to injure the saints—attempt to kill boggs—absurd charges against "the mormons"—joseph's horse, "joe duncan"—a prophecy.
insidious as was the attempt of bennett upon the prophet's life during the sham battle of the legion on the 7th of may, 1842, it was not so cowardly as the stab which bennett sought to inflict very soon after that. the first blow aimed solely at the prophet's life; the second intended to slay his reputation and then to have him killed with a dishonorable stain upon his name. bennett was lustful in his nature, though he had brought that disposition into subjection, or at least concealment, for a little time after his arrival at nauvoo. but he soon gave way to the whisper of the tempter. and to make his purpose successful, and to encloak himself with protection, he taught secretly to men and women that the prophet countenanced sin between the sexes. bennett's prominence, and the intimacy that he represented as existing between the prophet and himself deceived a few, and he found some followers in the city of nauvoo. men and women professing to accept his teachings as having emanated from the prophet, gave themselves up to profligacy. they excused themselves to their own souls and their fellow-beings by the pretense that the prophet of god justified these immoralities. bennett's converts were few; and these were only among the ignorant or the depraved, for everyone who was himself pure in soul and blessed with reasonable intelligence knew that nothing was more abhorrent to the prophet than sexual impurity. joseph's teachings upon this point were emphatic and frequent. he regarded and taught that virtue in man or woman was dearer than life, and that adultery was a sin second only to the shedding of innocent blood.
but bennett worked secretly and prevailed over several to yield to his desires, and induced a few men to engage in his awful course, securing concealment by the most adroit and outrageous falsehoods.
among the persons addressed by bennett were some pure minded brethren and sisters, who knew in an instant that his teachings were corrupt, and knew by the spirit of the lord that the prophet was no party to such an atrocious crime.
bennett's sins were not long hidden from joseph's knowledge. the prophet acted promptly as was his wont. he charged the sins of falsehood and seduction upon bennett, and the latter was forced to confess. he humbled himself and with many tears begged for pardon. of his own volition he went before alderman daniel h. wells and made oath that joseph smith had never taught him "anything contrary to the strictest principles of the gospel, or of virtue, or of the laws of god or man, under any circumstance, or upon any occasion, either directly or indirectly in word or in deed." these sentiments he reiterated in public assemblages, declaring that so far as he knew and believed, joseph's life was unspotted by one act or word of immorality. on the 17th of may he resigned the office of mayor, being terrified by the indignation of insulted men and abused women. the council accepted his resignation and appointed joseph to fill the vacancy.
on the 25th of may, notice was given to john c. bennett that his fellowship had been withdrawn from him and that notice must be given through the press to warn the public against his evil doings. weeping, he fell upon his knees acknowledged his licentious conduct toward women in nauvoo, confessed that he was worthy of the severest chastisement; but supplicated the brethren to spare him for his poor old mother's sake, promising that he would sin no more and would endeavor to atone for his wrong-doing. joseph, who had been deeply injured, was the one to plead for mercy for bennett, and at his especial solicitation the public notice was temporarily withdrawn. but the tears were hypocritical, for bennett renewed his machinations; and it became necessary to warn all people against him as a dangerous man, a liar and a seducer. some of the persons who had lent a willing ear to his corrupt counsels were also excommunicated. evil reports soon began to come in from other places concerning bennett, and it was discovered that he had pursued on former occasions the same sinful line of conduct which caused his fall at nauvoo.
in june bennett withdrew from nauvoo and circulated lying publications against the truth and the prophet, and endeavored to incite a mob to march up against nauvoo. the hideous character of this man is fully shown by one circumstance: shortly after the saints settled in nauvoo he began to publish a series of letters over the nom de plume of "joab, general in israel," in which he recounted many of the atrocities of the missouri persecutions. his articles breathed a spirit of resentment against the mobocrats and their official supporters, but these views belonged to bennett personally and were not shared by anyone else. when he fled from nauvoo after the exposure of his evil deeds, he called attention through the public prints to the sanguinary utterances of his own letters attributing them to the saints and attempting by their sentiments to show that joseph and his people were disposed to violence. such an act of duplicity is almost unparalleled.
bennett published a book filled with dark falsehoods about the prophet and the saints. it created a momentary excitement; but its author was despised by everybody and soon sank into obscurity and distress. he lived some years in agony, being wrecked in mind and body and died in poverty and distress.
on the 6th day of may, 1842, ex-governor lilburn w. boggs was shot and dangerously wounded in his house at independence, jackson county, missouri. his little boy had found him lying near an open window, weltering in blood, with three buckshot in his head. outside of the window were footprints and a smoking pistol. the case was clearly one of attempted assassination. at first no hope was entertained that boggs would recover; but he subsequently took a favorable turn and his life was saved. a rumor at once went forth charging the affair upon the "mormons," although there was not the slightest circumstance to connect them with the deed. boggs had plenty of enemies of a desperate character; he had shown the utmost disregard for law, and had glutted his vengeful spirit by murder and excitement to murder. what more natural than that he who had invoked massacre should fall by the hand of a ruffian taught by the example of boggs himself to hold human life in light esteem! at first the charge against the saints was a general one. it was safer to say that "mormons did it," than to designate the particular hand which fired the shot.
it was stated that the prophet had predicted a violent death for boggs; and this rumor was circulated by his enemies to confirm suspicion against the saints. but he promptly denied having expressed any such idea.
while this falsehood was being spread through that region, john c. bennett and david and edward kilbourn conspired to kidnap joseph and get him into missouri. all the evil forces and powers of persecution united themselves at this hour.
under the prophet's direction, governor reynolds of missouri and governor carlin of illinois were informed of the efforts which were being made in both states to precipitate mobocratic attacks upon the saints; joseph being determined that the officials should not permit this movement to gain head except by their wilful acquiescence or neglect.
about the 1st of july, 1842, the first "anti-mormon" political convention was held in hancock county, illinois. its resolutions read like a page out of recent utah history. the complete set of candidates were pledged to a man to receive no support from and to yield no quarter to the "mormons;" and then the ticket was commended to the suffrage of all the citizens of hancock county. the prophet punctured the bubble by a vigorous exposure of the hypocrisy, intolerance and stupidity of such a campaign.
on sunday, the 3rd day of july, eight thousand people assembled in the grove to hear the prophet and his brother hyrum preach. joseph addressed the vast assemblage in the morning and hyrum in the afternoon.
in the prophet's journal, under date of july 11th, 1842, he records the fact that he bought a horse of harmon t. wilson, which he afterwards named joe duncan. this was the famous and beautiful steed which lieutenant-general smith afterwards rode at the head of the nauvoo legion. the prophet had a great fondness for animals. his horse charley was widely known among the people, and with the boys of nauvoo he was a great favorite. speaking of the horse charley brings to mind an occurrence which created considerable amusement at the time. a boy named wesley cowle was flying a kite in one of the streets of nauvoo. one or two strangers came up to him and asked him where the prophet could be found. at that time officers were said to be coming from carthage for the purpose of serving papers upon joseph and arresting him. "wes." cowle did not know but the strangers were officers. he said the prophet was not in the city. he and hyrum had gone to heaven on "old charley" and he was flying his kite to send them their dinner.
on saturday, the 6th day of august, 1842, while joseph was conversing with several of his brethren at montrose, iowa, he uttered a remarkable prophecy which, like every other prediction from his lips, has been literally fulfilled. he declared that the saints would continue to suffer much affliction and would finally be driven to the rocky mountains. many would apostatize; others would be put to death by their persecutors or lose their lives in consequence of their exile; and many of those who listened to him would live to assist in building cities and to see the saints become a mighty people in the tops of the rocky mountains.
that prophecy was uttered publicly and was placed on record at the time.
