Joseph Prophesies Safety Without a Military Guard at Daviess County Trial

“A short time before we were to go to Daviess County for trial, word came to us that either General Atchison or Doniphan would raise a military force and go with us to protect us from the wrath of that people. The matter was discussed by the brethren (except Brother Joseph), and they naturally enough concluded it would be best. Brother Hyrum asked Brother Joseph what he thought of it. Brother Joseph hung his head a few moments and seemed in a deep study, then raised up and said, 'Brother Hyrum, it will not do. We must trust in the Lord. If we take a guard with us we shall be destroyed.' This was very unexpected to us, but Brother Hyrum remarked, 'If you say it in the name of the Lord, we will rely on it.' Said Brother Joseph, 'In the name of the Lord, if we take a guard with us, we will be destroyed, but if we put our trust in the Lord we shall be safe, and no harm shall befall us, and we shall be better treated than we have ever been since we have been prisoners.' When we arrived at the place where the court was held, I began to think he was mistaken for once, for the people rushed upon us en masse crying, 'Kill them, kill them.' At this, Brother Joseph, who was a man of noble stature, rose up and said, 'We are in your hands; if we are guilty, we refuse not to be punished by the law.' Hearing these words, two of the most bitter mobocrats in the country, who were present, got up on benches and began to speak to the people, saying, 'Yes, gentlemen, these men are in our hands; let us not use violence, but let the law have its course.' In a very few minutes they were quieted, and they seemed now as friendly as they had a few minutes before been enraged. From that time until we got away they could not put a guard over us who would not become so friendly that they dared not trust him. We were seated at the first table with the judge, lawyers, etc., and had the best the country afforded, with feather beds to sleep on—a privilege we had not before enjoyed in all our imprisonment.”

— Alexander McRae, as recorded in 'The Prophet Joseph Smith's Testimony' (often cited from his personal narrative of the Liberty Jail experience)