Myths about Joseph Smith's martyrdom

[LA Ute]

Interesting Education Week presentation:

Separating facts from fiction about the Prophet's death

[scottie]

That is interesting, thanks for sharing. Have any of you heard the factual/fictional (I don't know which it is) story that after JS's body fell from the window one of the mobsters approached his dead body with a sword/knife to cut his head off but was struck by lightning on the spot? This was told to us in seminary. This from that article: "And there isn’t any evidence of a firing squad outside the jail, Lyon added."

[LA Ute]

That is interesting, thanks for sharing. Have any of you heard the factual/fictional (I don't know which it is) story that after JS's body fell from the window one of the mobsters approached his dead body with a sword/knife to cut his head off but was struck by lightning on the spot? This was told to us in seminary. This from that article: "And there isn’t any evidence of a firing squad outside the jail, Lyon added."

For some reason, even as a kid I was pretty skeptical about that one. I'm much more inclined to believe that Joseph was trying to draw fire to himself in order to save the others. Although that's speculation, it makes more sense to me.

[pellegrino]

I'm sure it was an interesting presentation. I'll have to look at Rough Stone Rolling one more time to see what this guy adds to Bushman's detailed account. Off the top of my head it seems like a rehash of already known material.

[LA Ute]

I'm sure it was an interesting presentation. I'll have to look at Rough Stone Rolling one more time to see what this guy adds to Bushman's detailed account. Off the top of my head it seems like a rehash of already known material.

They might have been in RSR, but I don't remember the details about John Taylor's watch not actually being hit by a bullet, the laser-guided (?) studies of bullet trajectory, Hyrum's blood stain in the floor, the types of guns and bullets used, or that Joseph's shots actually hit some of the mob. I forgot about Carthage Greys being assigned to provide security - one of the dumber decisions ever made, assuming it wsa well-intentioned.

[falafel]

Why did the church remove the blood stain? That's kind of disappointing to me.

[All-American]

Why did the church remove the blood stain? That's kind of disappointing to me.

Macabre.

[falafel]

Macabre.

Exactly. This wasn't the site of an afternoon tea party.

[All-American]

Exactly. This wasn't the site of an afternoon tea party.

Maybe they could put up pictures of the skulls, too?

[pellegrino]

They might have been in RSR, but I don't remember the details about John Taylor's watch not actually being hit by a bullet, the laser-guided (?) studies of bullet trajectory, Hyrum's blood stain in the floor, the types of guns and bullets used, or that Joseph's shots actually hit some of the mob. I forgot about Carthage Greys being assigned to provide security - one of the dumber decisions ever made, assuming it wsa well-intentioned.

While the use of lasers to determine bullet trajectories are new, it seems somewhat trite. I don't see what useful information it brings to the discussion, at least the writeup doesn't make that clear.

At the very least, this was presented in education week, where the TBM feel very safe and comfortable. Just a guess, but I'll bet many in the audience, possibly even a majority, would not feel comfortable reading a book like RSR.

[All-American]

They might have been in RSR, but I don't remember the details about John Taylor's watch not actually being hit by a bullet, the laser-guided (?) studies of bullet trajectory, Hyrum's blood stain in the floor, the types of guns and bullets used, or that Joseph's shots actually hit some of the mob. I forgot about Carthage Greys being assigned to provide security - one of the dumber decisions ever made, assuming it wsa well-intentioned.

Other than the lasers and the watch, everything you mentioned is in "The Work and the Glory."

[LA Ute]

While the use of lasers to determine bullet trajectories are new, it seems somewhat trite. I don't see what useful information it brings to the discussion, at least the writeup doesn't make that clear.

At the very least, this was presented in education week, where the TBM feel very safe and comfortable. Just a guess, but I'll bet many in the audience, possibly even a majority, would not feel comfortable reading a book like RSR.

I loved RSR and think it was is a very important book. I'll bet more than a few of the Q12 were (quietly) cheering its publication.

[falafel]

Maybe they could put up pictures of the skulls, too?

Well, that wouldn't make sense. But I would expect the pictures of the skulls to be in a museum.

People are visiting Carthage because it was the site of the murder of the prophet and his brother. You'd think they'd be prepared to see some blood. To me, scrubbing the place clean takes something away from it all. Admittedly, I've never been to Carthage jail.

[LA Ute]

Other than the lasers and the watch, everything you mentioned is in "The Work and the Glory."

Ah, that explains a lot. A set of books that has never even gotten close to being on my reading list.

[Surfah]

Well, that wouldn't make sense. But I would expect the pictures of the skulls to be in a museum.

People are visiting Carthage because it was the site of the murder of the prophet and his brother. You'd think they'd be prepared to see some blood. To me, scrubbing the place clean takes something away from it all. Admittedly, I've never been to Carthage jail.

Here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/c1920-Photo-Jose...item35ac407638