CARTHAGE, Illinois — On June 27, 1844, Joseph Smith, founding Prophet of the Restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his brother Hyrum, were murdered by a mob at Carthage Jail.
On the 182nd anniversary of the Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stood in the upper room of Carthage Jail — the very room where the Prophet and his brother were killed — and testified of Joseph Smith’s prophetic calling and the divinity of Jesus Christ.
“Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah,” Elder Gong said, quoting the William W. Phelps hymn “Praise to the Man.”
“Today is June 27 and we’re here at the Carthage Jail in the room where the prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum, sealed with blood as martyrs, their testimonies of the truthfulness of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, of all they had seen, all they experienced, all they knew.”
He continued: “We worship God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, and them only, but with great gratitude we acknowledge and recognize the prophets that are called by the Lord in this dispensation, beginning with the prophet Joseph.”
On the solemn occasion, Elder Gong was accompanied by Elder Kyle S. McKay, a General Authority Seventy who serves as Church historian and recorder and executive director of the Church History Department; Elder Hugo E. Martínez, a General Authority Seventy and assistant executive director of the Church History Department; Elder Ricardo P. Giménez, a General Authority Seventy and member of the Church’s United States Central Area presidency; and Sister Tamara W. Runia, first counselor in the Young Women general presidency. Matt Grow, managing director of the Church History Department, was also present. Each was invited to share thoughts and testimonies.
The Church leaders visited Carthage Jail hours before participating in the dedication of the new Nauvoo Temple Visitors’ Center in Nauvoo, Illinois.
Elder McKay said the Prophet’s testimony that started in the spring of 1820 was repeated — and emphasized — at Carthage Jail.
“That testimony in 1820 meant much more because of June 27, 1844, where [Joseph] sealed that testimony,” Elder McKay said. “So those two testimonies — the one that he could not deny, neither dared he do it, and then the one that he sealed with his last breath — become bookends of the Prophet’s testimony of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and their work.”
Sister Runia said the solemnity of the occasion is joined by a sense of hope. “He didn’t ask for any of this,” she said of Joseph Smith. “He did, as he said, the best that could have been done — and we certainly felt that here.”
For Elder Giménez, a native of Antofagasta, Chile, the opportunity to visit and feel the Spirit at Carthage Jail underscored the global reach of the Restoration.
“The restored gospel of Jesus Christ is available for everybody around the world, and it’s a beautiful blessing that Heavenly Father and our Savior are giving to all of us,” he said. “This is a very important part of how this started, and how it continues even to this day.”
Elder Martínez spoke of the enduring impact of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s ministry.
“Everything he did in ushering in the final dispensation remains. The Quorum of the Twelve [Apostles] and the First Presidency lead the Church with the priesthood keys that he received from angelic visitors,” he said. “I testify that this message is the message of our Savior Jesus Christ, and that of Heavenly Father, and it is the Lord’s work.”
Grow said June 27, 1844, was a tragic day that represented the beginning of the end for the Saints in Nauvoo. Despite limited time, the Saints remained another two years to complete the Nauvoo Temple, receive their endowments and prepare to journey west.
“President Gordon B. Hinckley recognized that what happened at Carthage was tied to that temple and to those promises of eternity, that was the testimony for which Joseph Smith had died,” Grow said. “So when he made the decision to rebuild the Nauvoo Temple, he chose to dedicate it on June 27, 2002, linking that day of tragedy with the hope of eternity.
Grow continued: “That’s why we are here on June 27, 2026, to dedicate a new visitor center that tells that story of the temple and those beautiful promises.”
