Joseph Smith's dream of his neglected Kirtland farm

On June 27, 1844, while held in Carthage Jail, Joseph Smith recounted a dream he had experienced the previous night. In the vision, he was in Kirtland, Ohio, walking alone to view his old farm. He found the property in a state of deep neglect, overgrown with weeds and brambles, and bearing clear evidence of a lack of culture. Upon entering the barn, he discovered it was in similar disrepair: the structure lacked floors and doors, the weather boarding was missing, and the building was generally falling apart. As Joseph contemplated the desolation and considered how the land might be recovered from the curse upon it, a company of furious men rushed into the barn and began to pick a quarrel with him. The leader of the group ordered Joseph to leave both the barn and the farm, asserting that the property did not belong to him and that he should abandon any hope of possessing it. Joseph defended his position, explaining that the farm had been given to him by the Church and, although he had not used it for some time, he had never sold it, and it rightfully belonged to him or the Church. The leader grew increasingly enraged, railing against Joseph and threatening his life, while claiming that the farm had never belonged to him or the Church. Sensing the futility of contention, Joseph told the man he had no desire to live on the land in its current state and would leave rather than quarrel, provided the man truly believed he had a better right to it. This offer did not satisfy the leader, who seemed determined to continue the confrontation and threatened the destruction of Joseph’s body. While the leader was pouring out these bitter words, a large rabble rushed into the barn and nearly filled it. They drew out their knives and began to fight among themselves over the premises. In the confusion, they momentarily forgot about Joseph, who seized the opportunity to walk out of the barn, wading through mud that reached his ankles. As he moved a short distance away, he heard the men screeching and screaming in a highly distressed manner, appearing to be engaged in a general fight with their knives, at which point the vision concluded.

Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):

I was back in Kirtland, Ohio, and thought I would take a walk out by myself, and view my old farm, which I found grown up with weeds and brambles, and the fences down, and everything in a state of neglect and decay. I went into the barn, and there found that the floor was gone, and the doors were off the hinges, and the weather-boarding was off, and the whole building was in a state of ruin. I thought to myself, this is my farm, and I have been away from it for some time, and I will try to put it in order. I began to look around to see how I should commence, when a company of men came in, and began to pick a quarrel with me, and said that the farm did not belong to me, and that I had no business there. I told them that it was my farm, and that it had been given to me by the Church, and although I had not been there for some time, I had not sold it, and it belonged to me or the Church. They grew very angry, and began to rail against me, and said that it never did belong to me, nor to the Church, and finally they threatened my life. I told them that I did not want to quarrel with them, and if they thought they had a better right to the farm than I had, they might have it, for I did not want to live on it in its present state. But this did not satisfy them, and they seemed determined to have a quarrel, and threatened to kill me. While they were thus engaged, pouring out their bitter words upon me, a rabble rushed in and nearly filled the barn, drew out their knives, and began to quarrel among themselves for the premises; and for a moment forgot me, at which time I took the opportunity to walk out of the barn about up to my ankles in mud. When I was a little distance from the barn I heard them screeching and screaming in a very distressed manner, as it appeared they had engaged in a general fight with their knives. While they were thus engaged the dream or vision ended.