Group 1

Joseph and others were to be taken prisoner and delivered to a courthouse for trial.  Flanked by armed guards, Joseph was led through the ravaged streets of Far West to gather some belongings from his home. His wife, Emma and their children, were in tears when he arrived, but they were relieved that he was still alive. Joseph begged his guards to let him visit with his family privately, but they refused.  Emma and the children clung to him, unwilling to part.  Angry guards force them away.  Joseph’s five-year-old son clung to his father’s leg, begging him to stay.  A guard drew his sword, thrust is between Joseph and his son, and shouted, “Get away, you rascal, or I will run you through!”

  • How might Joseph have felt at this time?  Why?
  • What might Joseph had wanted to do?
  • What COULD he do?

Group 2 

For the next month, Joseph and his associates were mistreated and moved from jail to jail as they awaited a trial based on false accusations. On December 1, 1838, the men were imprisoned in a small jail in Liberty, Missouri. During the next four months, Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum, Alexander McRae, Lyman Wight, and Caleb Baldwin were held in the lower dungeon of Liberty Jail during a bitterly cold winter. Sidney Rigdon was also with them for a time, but a judge authorized his release in late January of 1839.

  • How might Joseph have felt at this time?  Why?
  • What might Joseph had wanted to do?
  • What COULD he do?

Group 3

The dimensions of the dungeon room were approximately 14 feet by 14 feet (4.3 meters by 4.3 meters), and the ceiling was between 6 and 6.5 feet high (between 1.8 and 2 meters). The only natural light or fresh air came from two small, barred windows near the ceiling. From outside these windows, people often mocked and insulted the prisoners. The men were forced to sleep on the floor with only a little dirty straw for padding and were given very little protection from the cold. The dungeon had a single bucket for human waste, and the meager food provided was so disgusting that the men could only eat it out of desperate hunger. Occasionally, the food was poisoned. The prisoners intensely missed their friends and families and felt deep sorrow when they heard about the suffering Saints being driven from Missouri during the cold of winter.

  • How might Joseph have felt at this time?  Why?
  • What might Joseph had wanted to do?
  • What COULD he do?