Joseph Smith Intercedes with Judge to Teach Youth Important Lesson

Two teenage boys in Nauvoo had destroyed property without fully thinking through the seriousness of their actions. They might have set fire to a rail fence or torn down panels allowing livestock to escape. The owner of the farm was furious and had them arrested. The sheriff took them to Carthage where the county judge found them guilty and sentenced them to six months in the Hancock County jail with a $50 fine—a heavy penalty for youths in the 1840s. The boys' father complained to Joseph Smith, requesting that the Prophet intercede with the judge for a reduction of the sentence, citing the need of the family for the boys' help with harvest and the harsh conditions of an unheated stone jail. Joseph Smith went to Carthage and spoke with the judge, who refused to reduce the sentence. Instead of being discouraged, Joseph invited the boys to work for him, provided them with good meals and lodging, and daily instruction that transformed their understanding of right and wrong. Through this act of compassion and wisdom, Joseph Smith taught the judge, the boys, and their family a profound lesson about the power of teaching and redemption over mere punishment.