Ordeal in Liberty Jail Summary and Analysis

General Doniphin had consistently been friendly to Joseph Smith and his people. It was to General Doniphin that Major-General Lucas gave the responsibility to shoot the prisoners. Doniphin flatly refused, and marched his men away. Lucas was enraged, and tried to court martial Doniphin, who had told him that he refused to participate in cold-blooded murder. He reconsidered, and determined to take his prisoners to Liberty for execution.

Joseph and his friends were taken to Far West where the men stacked their arms together in a square, and stood in line to sign away their property, while the women gathered around the prison wagon where the prophet and the others bid a tearful farewell to their wives and children. Lucy Smith, the prophet's mother pushed her way through the crowd, begging him to speak to...