[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 20 Spent the time in the printing office. (1)
After stopping a fight between two boys in Nauvoo, Joseph Smith declares, "No body is allowed to fight in this city but me." "About 70 of the brethren come together according to previous notice and drawed, sawed, chopped, split, moved, and piled a large lot of wood for the Prophet." (2)
Nauvoo, Illinois. Joseph Smith stopped two boys from fighting in the street and instructed them about their inappropriate behavior, after which he lectured bystanders for not interfering. (3)
[Joseph Smith] Seventy brethren help Joseph chop, split, and pile logs in his yard. He studies German. He sees two boys fighting with clubs and stops the fight. He lectures the onlookers for not stopping the fight immediately and tells them that "nobody was allowed to fight in Nauvoo but myself." (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 5:282-83.) (4)
-- 21Feb43
[Joseph Smith Sermon] Nauvoo House
Joseph's Response to Woodworth
A Curse
Joseph Wishes to Help Others
Nauvoo House Needed to Impress World
Nauvoo House Second only to Temple
Wife Abuse Incident
Nauvoo House will Bring Wealth
Don't Steal From Church Projects
Polygamy Troubles
Joseph and Politics
Charles Foster Responds (5)
-- Feb 21, 1843
Joseph Smith preaches concerning a wife-beater in Palmyra, New York: "I whipped him till he cried enough." (6)
[Joseph Smith Diary] Tuesday, February 21st 1843 Mayor's court at the smoke house 10 A.M. City of Nauvoo vs. Robert Taylor and Thomas J. Morgan. [They both] pled guilty. Taylor for stealing and Morgan for receiving. [They were] sentenced [to] 6 months imprisonment in [the] Carthage Jail.
11 [o'clock] went to Temple [and] found Bro[ther] Hawes preaching about [the] Nauvoo House. Mr. [Lucien] Woo[d]worth[, architect and foreman,] spoke say[ing] something in vindicating my [his] own character, [that the project] commenced under peculiar circumstances [i.e., as a joint stock venture, by revelation, not to receive church funds, and to be built on the flat land instead of on the hill where land was more valuable], [yet he, not a Mormon] have made all contracts for Nauvoo House, was employed to build from the commencement. Some brick on hand, most ready to start brick work. One says "can you give me something to eat?" "I'll try." Another says "I will have my pay." "Go to hell and get it." /said I [Woodworth]/. "I have set me down to a dry Johncake and cold water and the men who have worked with me. No man shall go into my poverty stricken foundation to build himself up for I began it and will finish it. Not that public spirit here [should be] as [any different th
an] in other cities [but I] don't deny revelation. If the Temple and Nauvoo House are not finished you must run away.
"When I have had a pound of meat or quart of meal I have divided with the workmen." (Pretty good Doctrin[e] for paganism said Joseph.) "Have had about 300 men on the job, the best men in the world. Those that have not complained I want them to continue with me and them who hate Mormonism and every thing else that's good I want them to get their pay and run away."
Joseph say, Well the pagan prophet [Woodworth] has preached us a pretty good sermon this morning to break off the yoke of oppression. /I don't know as I can better it much/ and say what he is [of] a mind to. That the pagans and the pagan prophets [should come] to feel more [intensely about] our prosperity is curious. I am almost converted to his doctrine. "He has prophecied if these buildings go down it will curse this place." I know verily it is true. Let us build the Temple. There may be some speculations about the Nauvoo House. Some say because we live on the hill we must build up this fort on the hill.
Does that coat fit you Dr. Foster? Pretty well! Put it on then. This is the way people swell like the ox or toad. They come down under the hill among little folks. Brother Joseph how I love you and get up opposition [to our building plan] and sings names to strangers and scoundrels &c. I want all men to feel for me. When I have shook the bush & bare the burden, and if they do not, I speak in authority in the name of the Lord /God/. He shall be damned. People on the flats are aggrandizing themselves by the Nauvoo House [just as people on the hill are buying land because of the temple].
Who laid the foundation of the Temple? Bro[ther] Joseph in the name of the Lord, not for his aggrandizement but for the good of the whole. Our speculators say our poor folk on the flat are down and keep them down. How the Nauvoo House cheats this man and that man, say the speculators. They are fools [and] ought to hide their heads in a hollow pumkin and never take it out. The first principle brought into consideration is aggrandizement, some think it unlawful—but it is lawful while he has a disposition to aggrandize all around him. False principle, to aggrandize at the expence of another. Every thing God does is to aggrandize his kingdom.
How does he lay the foundation? Build a temple to my great name and call the attention of the great. But where shall we lay our heads? An old log cabin? I will whip Hiram Kimball and Esq[uire] Wells and every body else over Dr. Foster's Head. Instead of building the Nauvoo House build a great many little skeletons [of houses]. See Dr. Foster's mammoth skeletons[, monuments] of Dr. Foster rising all over town but there is no flesh on them.
Personal aggrandizement, [but I] don't care how many bones [there are,] somebody may come along and clothe them, [these] elephants, crocodiles, &c. [man]eaters such as grog shop[s], card shops, &c. Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. The building of N[auvoo] House is just as sacred in my view as the Temple [and should not be left a skeleton].
I want the Nauvoo House built. It must be built. Our salvation depends on it. When men have done what they can or will for the Temple, let them do what they can for the Nauvoo House. We never can accomplish our work at the expense of another.
There is a great deal of murmurring in the Church about me, but I don't care any thing about it. I like to hear it thunder, to hear the Saints grumbling. The growling dog get[s] the sorest head. If any man is poor and afflicted let him come and tell of it and not complain or grumble.
Finishing [the] Nauvoo House [is] like a man finishing a fight. If he give up he is killed. If he holds out a little longer he may live. A story, a man who will whip his wife is a coward. I fought with a man who had whipped [his] wife. [I was going to give in, but I] Still remembered he was whipped [whipping] his wife. I whipped him till he said enough.
Hang on to the Nauvoo House thus and you will build it and you will be on [Mount] Pishagah. The great men who come will pile their gold and silver till you are weary of receiving them. If you are not careful [you] will be lifted up and fall and they will cover up and cloak all your former sins and hide a multitude of sins and shine forth fair as the sun &c.
Those who have labored and cannot get your pay be patient. If you take the means which are set apart [for the construction,] let him[, t]he[y] will destroy themselves. If any man is hungry let him come to me and I will feed him at my table. If any are hungry or naked don't take away the brick &c. but come and tell. I will divide and then if he is not satisfied I will kick his back side.
There cannot be some fire without some smoke. Well if the stories about Jose[ph] Smith are true, then the stories of J. C. Bennet[t] are true about the Ladies of Nauvoo. Ladies that the Relief Society was organized of those who are to be wifes of Jos[eph] Smith. Ladies you know whether it is true, no use of living among hogs without a snout. This biting an[d] devouring each other for God's sake stop it.
One thing more. Political economy. Our duty [is] to concentrate all our influence to make popular that which is sound and good and unpopular that which is unsound. Tis right /politically/ for a man who has influence to use it as well as for a man who has no influence to use his. From henceforth I will maintain all the influence I can get.
In relation to politics I will speak as a man in religion in authority. If a man lift[s] a dagger to kill me, I will lift my tongue. When I last preached, [I] heard such a groaning I thought of the paddy[']s ell [eel] when he tried to kill him could not contrive any way so he put it [in] the water to drown him. As he began to come to—see said he what pain he is in how he wigles his tail.
The banks are failing and it is the [a] privilege to say what a currency we want[:] gold and silver to build the Temple and Nauvoo House. We want your old nose rings and finger rings and brass kettles no longer. If you have old raggs, watches, guns go and peddle them and bring the hard metal. If we will do this by popular opinion you will have a sound currency. Send home bank notes and take no paper money. Let every man write his neighbor before he starts to get gold and silver. I have contemplated these things a long time, but the time has not come till now to speak till now.
I would not do as the Nauvoo House committee has done sell stock for an old stone house where all the people who live die and put that stock into a man's hand to go east and purchase to come here and build up Mammoth bones with.
As a political man in the name of old Joe Smith I command the Nauvoo [House] committee not to sell a share in the N[auvoo] House without the gold or silver. Excuse Bro[ther] Snider he was in England when they sold stock for [a] stone house. I leave it. The meeting was got up by N[auvoo House] Committee.
The pagans, Roman Catholics, Methodists, and Baptist[s] shall have peace in Nauvoo only they must be ground in Joe Smith's mill. I have been in their mill. I was ground in Ohio and [New] York States—a Presbyterian smut machine—and [the] last machine was in Missouri and last of all I have been through [the] Illinois smut machine. Those who come here must go through my smut machine and this is my tongue.
Dr. Foster remarked much good may grow out of a very little and much good may come out of this. If any man accuse me of exchanging N[auvoo House] Stock for Rags &c. I gave $1,000 to this house and $50 to [the] Relief Society and some to Fulmer to get stone to build Joseph['s] house. I mean to build Joseph a house and you may build this and I will help you. I mean to profit this. I will divide the mammoth bones with you. I am guilty of all I have been charged. I have signed my name to a petition to have W[illia]m H. Rolinson to have the Post Office. I did not know [of] a petition for Joseph Smith.
Joseph[:] "I thought I would make a coat. It don't fit the D[octo]r /only in the P[ost] office. If it does fit any one let them put in on. The bones are skeleton and as old Ezekiel said I command the flesh and the sinnews to come upon them that they may be clothed." Blessing by Bro[ther] P[arley] P. Pratt. (7)
Footnotes:
1 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993
2 - This Day in Mormon History, http://www.advent-adam.com/jakestand.html
3 - BYU Studies Journal, volume 46, no. 4: A Chronology of the Life of Joseph Smith
4 - Conklin, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology
5 - The Parallel Joseph, http://www.boap.org/LDS/Parallel/
6 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Appendix 7: Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-47"
7 - Faulring, Scott (ed.), An American Prophet's Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith: Joseph Smith Diary, 1842-43
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