Five Dollars for Joseph Smith; A Gift Before His Martydom

            I'm beginning to wonder," said one of the men on the high council in Missouri, "if Joseph Smith isn't a fallen prophet." Several of the other men, worried and frightened as mobs continued to terrorize the Saints who were trying to flee the state, murmured their agreement.  "There he is in jail in Liberty, Clay County, while the Saints need him!  Does that sound like a true prophet?"

            But Solomon Hancock stemmed the tide of disaffection by saying, "Brethren, I'm a firm believer in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and covenants. Brother Joseph is not a fallen prophet!  He will yet be exalted and become very high."  ( 3:225.)

            That event, recorded about Joseph Smith, was just one example of the great love Solomon Hancock had for the gospel--and for the Prophet Joseph Smith.

            And perhaps because of Solomon's loyalty to the Prophet, he was chosen to perform one of the last kindnesses given to Joseph Smith before his death.

            Solomon's wife, Phoebe Hancock, was pregnant when once they went to Quincy, Illinois, to buy food and clothes.  Solomon had promised his wife five dollars to buy clothes and other articles for the new baby, which would soon be born, and their wagon was also loaded with butter and eggs to sell in town.

            But just before they arrived in Quincy, Solomon informed his wife that he felt he could not give her the five dollars after all.  She was surprised--and more than a little disappointed. After all, the money was for things their baby would need.                                                                                                                      

            "I'm sorry," he told her, "but I've had three strong warnings from the Spirit that I shouldn't expect to use this money for the baby."

            Frustrated, Pheobe showed her husband the list of items that she had planned to buy with the money, but Solomon only told her that she should use the money from the sale of the butter and eggs to buy the most important items. She reluctantly complied, and bought all that she could with the little money she had.  But she was so disappointed that on the way home she sat down on the wagon board, pulled her bonnet down to hide her face, folded her arms, and turned her back on her husband.

           They had traveled only a little way when they came to a crossroads, where they were surprised to meet the Prophet Joseph Smith.  To their dismay, the men with the Prophet were taking him to prison in Carthage, Illinois.

            Joseph called Solomon by name and said, "Have you got five dollars?"

            "Yes,I have," Solomon said.

            "I knew it," Joseph responded.  "I told these men we would get something to eat before we got to the Carthage jail."

            Solomon gave the Prophet the five dollars, and his guards took him on his way.  Phoebe wept, and asked forgiveness for wanting the money which the Prophet needed so much for food.

            

           Soon the Prophet and his brother were killed by a mob that stormed the prison, and Solomon's and Phoebe's grief at the death of the Prophet could be assuaged, a little bit, by the knowledge that the Spirit had called on them to aid him during his last hours.

Spencer J. Palmer, "Five Dollars For Joseph Smith,"  (April 1978), p. 67.

Brigham Young Defends the Prophet, Joseph Smith

In the fall of 1836, a spirit of opposition existed in Kirtland against the leaders of the Church - specifically against Joseph Smith. Brigham Young recorded that on one occasion, he met with several of the apostles, the witnesses to the Book of Mormon, and other leaders in the upper room of the Kirtland temple. The question was raised by someone as to how they could "depose" the Prophet and appoint David Whitmer as President of the Church.

Brigham reported that there was some opposition from Father John Smith and Heber C. Kimball, but then Brigham's turn came to speak:
"I rose up, and in a plain and forcible manner told them that Joseph was a Prophet, and I knew it, and that they might rail and slander him as much as they pleased, they could not destroy the appointment of the Prophet of God, they could only destroy their own authority, cut the thread that bound them to the Prophet and to God and sink themselves to hell. Many were highly enraged at my decided opposition to their measures, and Jacob Bump (an old pugilist [fighter or boxer]) was so exasperated that he could not be still. Some of the brethren near him put their hands on him, and requested him to be quiet; but he writhed and twisted his arms and body saying, 'How can I keep my hands off that man?' I told him if he thought it would give him any relief he might lay them on.

"This meeting was broken up without the apostates being able to unite on any decided measures of opposition. This was a crisis when earth and hell seemed leagued to overthrow the Prophet and Church of God. The knees of many of the strongest men in the Church faltered.

"During this siege of darkness I stood close by Joseph, and, with all the wisdom and power God bestowed upon me, put forth my utmost energies to sustain the servant of God and unite the quorums of the Church." (Watson, _Brigham Young History, 1801-44_, pp. 16-17)

Brigham soon found out that there was a plot to "waylay" Joseph as he was expected to return to Kirtland from a trip; the intent was to take the Prophet's life. Brigham immediately obtained a horse and buggy and rode out with William Smith to meet Joseph, helping to bring him safely home.


George A. Smith commented on this incident: "The voice seemingly of an individual, was absolutely necessary to say that Joseph had a single friend. You look at times of danger, moral and physical, and you will find that the spirit of determination and strong will in the breast of a single man may save a most terrible panic and disaster." (_JD_ 11:12)