Sacred Texts: Mormons

Doctrine and Convenants: 135. John Taylor's description of the martyrdom of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith, Carthage, Illinois, June 27, 1844.

Summary only - full text stays on its own separately-gated source. Read the full text at the source »

Section 135 of the *Doctrine and Covenants* is a commemorative martyrdom account written to record the deaths of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith, killed by a mob at Carthage Jail on June 27, 1844. The text functions as both eyewitness testimony and sacred eulogy, detailing the circumstances of the shooting — including the presence of apostles John Taylor and Willard Richards — and Joseph's final words before surrendering to authorities. Its central argument is hagiographic: that Joseph Smith was the greatest benefactor of humanity after Jesus Christ, having produced the Book of Mormon, gathered a religious community, founded a city, and disseminated what the church considers the restored gospel worldwide. The text makes a distinctive legal-theological claim that the martyrs' "innocent blood" serves as irrefutable juridical and spiritual evidence — a "broad seal" validating the truth of Mormonism that no earthly or heavenly court can overturn. It frames the deaths explicitly within a tradition of prophetic martyrdom, drawing parallels to ancient apostles and invoking the Book of Revelation's image of martyrs crying out for divine vengeance. The passage would interest readers studying 19th-century American religious history, LDS scripture and canonization, or the rhetorical construction of martyrdom narratives.

Doctrine and Convenants: 135. John Taylor's description of the martyrdom of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith, Carthage, Illinois, June 27, 1844.

Related pages View as graph →