Prophet Joseph Smith and the Assurance of Safety in Missouri

In 1838, while the Prophet Joseph Smith and several of his associates were held as prisoners of a mob in Missouri following the surrender at Far West, they faced grave threats of execution. During this period of intense peril, Joseph Smith received a divine assurance that his life and the lives of his fellow prisoners would be preserved. This prophecy provided crucial comfort to those who were sentenced to be shot by their captors. Parley P. Pratt, who was imprisoned with Joseph at the time, recorded the event in his memoirs. Pratt described how the Prophet, maintaining a low, cheerful, and confidential tone despite the dire circumstances, spoke to the brethren to deliver the message he had received from the Lord. Joseph told them to be of good cheer, explaining that the word of the Lord had come to him the previous night, promising that their lives would be given to them and that, regardless of whatever suffering they might endure during their captivity, not one of them would be put to death. This assurance served as a source of immense strength to the prisoners throughout their subsequent ordeals in Missouri jails.