[Anointed Quorum] Thursday evening prayer circle meeting "of the holly order" at Willard Richards's office with Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, Orson Pratt, Willard Richards, John Taylor, Amasa M. Lyman, Newel K. Whitney, George Miller, Joseph Young, and Levi Richards: "Prayed that the Lord would overrule the movements of [Patriarch to the Church] Win. Smith who is endeavoring to ride the Twelve down; also that the Lord would overrule the proceedings of the mob so that we may dwell in peace until the Temple is finished" . (1)
-- May 29, 1845, Thursday
[William Clayton Writings] On the evening of May 29 eight apostles, along with a few other church leaders and William Clayton, met in Willard Richards's home to seek the help of heaven. They prayed for many things, wrote Clayton, but especially ``that the Lord would over-rule the movements of Wm. Smith who is endeavoring to ride the Twelve down.'' (2)
[William Clayton Writings] Thursday 29. ... Evening met at Dr Richards for prayer, in company with president B. Young, H.C. Kimball, W. Richards, John Taylor, Amasa Lyman, G.A. Smith, O. Pratt, and O. Hyde of the Twelve, N.K. Whitney and George Miller, Trustees, Joseph Young and Levi Richards. The subjects prayed for were many, especially that the Lord would over-rule the movements of Wm. Smith who is endeavoring to ride the Twelve down, and also that the Lord would over-rule the mob so that we may dwell in peace untill the Temple is finished. The council broke up about half past 12 o clock. (2)
-- May 30, 1845
The Carthage court acquits Thomas C. Sharp and others accused of murdering Joseph and Hyrum Smith. (3)
Nearly a year after the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and Patriarch Hyrum Smith, the nine defendants charged with the murder of Joseph and Hyrum are acquitted. (4)
[Lucy Mack Smith] Lucy addresses a meeting of the Twelve, calling them "her children." Brigham Young promises that the Twelve "would do all that we could for them" [the Smiths]. (5)
-- May 30, 1845 (Friday)
The murderers of Joseph and Hyrum Smith were acquitted by the jury at Carthage, although every one who witnessed the trial was satisfied of their guilt. (6)
-- May 31, 1845, Saturday
[William Clayton Writings] From the testimony of brother Watt it appears the Judge Young is favorable to the mobocrats and manifests a disposition to acquit the murderers rather than bring them to justice. Calvin A. Warren also said if the prisoners were guilty of murder he himself was guilty, alleging that it was the public opinion that the Smiths ought to be killed, and public opinions make laws, and consequently it was not murder to kill the Smiths. Esqr. Browing also railed hard against the saints. In fact the whole proceedings of the court is nothing more than a farce, and it is evident there is no disposition on the part of the people to avenge the blood of the servents of God and it will yet be left for God himself to do it, in his own time and in his own way. (2)
[William Clayton Writings] This being Saturday, the 31st of May, 1845, I will now say the circuit court of this county (Hancock) has been in session the past two weeks. Nearly the whole of the time has been occupied in that trial of Jacob C. Davis, senator for this county, Thomas C. Sharp, editor of the Warsaw Signal, Levi Williams, a colonel of the militia, Mark Aldrich and a Mr. Grover, before Richard M. Young, for the murder of General Joseph and Hyrum Smith on the 27th of June, 1844. The verdict was brought in yesterday and returned ``Not guilty.''
Thus the whole State of Illinois has made itself guilty of shedding the blood of the Prophets by acquitting those who to take commited the horrid deed, and it is now left to God 59 to take vengeance in His own way and in His own time. (2)
-- During May 1845
Ezra Taft Benson: Presided over Boston conference until May 1845. (7)
Brigham Young: Went into hiding May 1845 to avoid several writs (8)
Footnotes:
1 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Signature Books, 1994, Appendex: Meetings and Initiations of the Anointed Quorum, 1842-45, http://amzn.to/origins-power
2 - Fillerup, Robert C., compiler; William Clayton Nauvoo Diaries and Personal Writings, A chronological compilation of the personal writings of William Clayton while he was a resident of Nauvoo, Illinois. http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/clayton-diaries
3 - 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, http://amzn.to/origins-power
4 - The Woodland Institute 'On This Day Historical Database,' http://www.woodlandinstitute.com
5 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, Editor, Lucy's Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir, 2001, Signature Books, http://bit.ly/lucys-book
6 - Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology
7 - Cook, Lyndon W., The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, Seventy's Mission Bookstore, Provo UT, 1985, http://amzn.to/RevelationsofJosephSmith
8 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Appendix 6, Biographical Sketches of General Officers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-47, http://amzn.to/origins-power
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