CARTHAGE, Illinois — More than 1,200 people met on the lawn of the Historic Carthage Jail Visitors’ Center on Thursday, June 27, to mark the 180th anniversary of the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. Favored by pleasant summer evening weather, the gathering audience was treated to stirring music from Nauvoo Performing Missionaries.
Presiding at the event was President Daniel S. Mehr, site leader, with his wife, Sister Rebecca Mehr, for the Illinois Historic Sites that include Historic Nauvoo and Carthage Jail.
The memorial program theme was “Millions Shall Know Brother Joseph Again.” Each speaker recounted their own personal moments of coming to know Joseph as a Prophet of God, and each also shared their conviction of the work that Joseph and Hyrum died defending.
Sister Mehr’s opening remarks focused on Nauvoo as a cornerstone of Zion.
“Somewhere amidst the refining troubles in Palmyra and in Kirtland and Missouri, Liberty Jail and Nauvoo, Joseph received revelation that expanded the reach of the gospel of Jesus Christ far beyond the idea of Zion as one physical location,” she said. “The foundational doctrines in temple ordinances revealed in Nauvoo throw a wide net, offering eternal blessings accessible to every inclined heart.”
This is the legacy of Joseph and Hyrum, she continued, “yet it is so much more than legacy; it is the kingdom of God on earth.”
Joseph Monsen, a senior manager in the Historic Sites Division of the Church History Department, said he was deeply touched to have been invited to speak because he regards a youthful visit to Carthage as a “hinge point” in his life. While trying to decide whether to serve a mission, his family took a cross-country trip that included a stop in Nauvoo and Carthage. Through spiritual experiences in Carthage Jail and later in the Women’s Memorial Garden in Nauvoo, Monsen “felt the transfer of this knowledge and understanding: the work for which Joseph and Emma gave their lives is divine. Have faith and accept it in your life.”
Monsen encouraged listeners to remember not only the sacrifice of the Prophet and patriarch but also that of their widows and children. He noted the importance of remembering Hyrum as Joseph’s “longest and most loyal supporter.” He recounted the reconciliation between W.W. Phelps and Joseph Smith as a reminder of Joseph’s compassionate nature.
Of Emma’s and Lucy’s response to the murders on June 27, 1844, Monsen detailed how both women were beside themselves with grief, but both were comforted by unmistakeable messages from the Spirit. “I have taken them to Myself that they might have rest,” Lucy felt to hear from the Lord.
President Mehr provided closing remarks, sharing experiences some of his missionaries are having as they lead tours and minister to visitors. One missionary wrote that she had come to understand Joseph’s character through telling his story to visitors. “Joseph was a people person,” she wrote. “God loves His children, and He obviously would call someone who also loves people.”
Nauvoo Performing Missionaries closed out the meeting with a rousing rendition of “Praise to the Man.”
Lizzie Staheli, visiting from St. Louis, said after the program, “I appreciate highlighting Hyrum and the close bond he and Joseph shared. We have historical examples of older brothers being unkind to the younger brother — like Joseph of Egypt or Cain and Abel — and yet Hyrum supported and stood by his brother Joseph in proclaiming and defending the restored gospel. It’s really true that in life they were not divided and in death they were not separated.”
She and her mother-in-law, Heidi Staheli, both agreed with President Mehr that since Christ loves people, it made sense to choose someone who also loves people to restore his gospel.
A video of the program is available for viewing on YouTube.com.
