Did Joseph Smith use a gun at Carthage Jail? Yes, he did—in defense of his brethren. This incredibly researched painting by Andrew Knaupp shows the courage demonstrated by the Prophet during the final moments of life. The name of this painting is “Defending His Brethren: A Promise Kept.”
FROM THE ARTIST:
Willard Richards, the Secretary to the Prophet and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, related what happened after Hyrum was shot: “Joseph opened the door two or three inches with his left hand, discharged one barrel of a six shooter (pistol) at random in the entry . . . Joseph continued snapping his revolver round the casing of the door into the space as before, three barrels of which missed fire. While Mr. Taylor with a walking stick stood by his side and knocked down the bayonets and muskets which were constantly discharging through the doorway.”
John Taylor says this: “He, however, instantly arose, and with a firm, quick step, and a determined expression of countenance, approached the door, and pulling the six-shooter left by Brother Wheelock from his pocket, opened the door slightly, and snapped the pistol six successive times.” Only three of the barrels, however, were discharged.
Some have argued against the idea that Joseph Smith died as a martyr because he used a gun in the last moments of his life. Part of my motivation for this was to show why he had the gun, what he was doing with the gun, and to show that we don’t have to be afraid or ashamed that he fought back.
He was a man of peace but when needed he would defend the innocent. He had seen his brother, Hyrum, just shot and killed by this mob. He sees these men, they’re swearing oaths, they’re saying they’re going to kill him, they’re going to kill everybody in the room. He had sworn to defend his brethren with his life and that was exactly what he was going to do. And I wanted to show this.
It wasn’t like, you know, some kind of Western draw or somebody’s well-armed, it was a small gun, it had been smuggled in and Joseph had said, you know, I hat to see such things used but we may have to defend ourselves.
He had hoped that the state would protect him until he could have a trial but the Governor had broken his promise, he had left Carthage, they had heard from Dan Jones that the jailor had said: We’ve gone through too much trouble to let old Joe Smith ever leave alive.
And they could see out the window, the mobbers, circling around like wolves. This is not execution by the State after a trial, this is a group of men taking law into their own hands and when those who are charged to protect you—the guards at the jail were supposed to keep these men out—are in on the plot, I think you can stand and defend yourself, which is what they were doing. I wanted to show the Prophet was willing to defend, to the last breath, the freedoms of others.
In 1842, Joseph said:”When my enemies take away my rights I will bear it and keep out of the way; but if they take away your rights, I will fight for you.”
He also said: “If I do not stand with those who will stand by me in the hour of trouble and danger, without faltering, I give you leave to shoot me.”
In a sermon in 1841, he said “What greater love hath any man than that he lay down his life for his friend? Then why not fight for our friend until we die?”
This painting shows that Joseph Smith was not afraid. He was not a coward. And, honestly, the safest place in this room is the corner where Willard Richards is shown in this painting. That’s the farthest angle from those guns. If you’re gonna have to tilt those guns, the farthest angle is going to be that corner.
If Joseph was afraid, and a coward, he would have been in that corner, but he wasn’t. This, this is death. He knows death is here. His brother has just been killed. He knows what’s coming through this door.
Some would say that you could tell something about a person b how they respond to death, to the threat of death, to the threat of personal harm to themselves. And here we see, Joseph responding. Did he run to the corner while John Taylor and Willard Richards were at the door? No. He was right there at the door, at the mouth of these guns. It tells you that he was willing to look death in the face and not be afraid.