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Tribute to the Prophet Joseph Smith Sheet Music Bundle
A PDF Download sheet music bundle of the three favorite hymns, Joseph Smith's First Prayer, A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief, and Praise to the Man. Price: $7.99
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Joseph Smith's First Prayer
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A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief
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Praise to the Man
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June 21, 1844, the prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum sat listening to the song, A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief, sung by their dear friend, John Taylor, only a very short time before a mob attacked the building and shot and killed both Joseph and Hyrum. That portion of the story is fairly well known. There is a small part of the story of the death of the prophet that is not widely known. What was the prophet's last gesture at the moment of his death? According to George Q. Cannon, who wrote the book, "Life of Joseph Smith," after the prophet was shot and his body struck the ground outside, the mob of murderers lifted his body and set him against the bricks of the well. Then Elder Cannon records, "Colonel Levi Williams then ordered four men to shoot Joseph. Standing about eight feet from his body they fired simultaneously. The body slightly cringed as the bullets entered it, and once more Joseph fell upon his face. He had smiled with sweet compassion in his countenance as he gazed upon his murderers in the last moment of his life; and this was the expression when the face was set in death. " Life of Joseph Smith, page , the full text can be read on archive.org. Though Joseph could not have told anyone the motives for this smile at the moment of his death, I think Elder Cannon's is the best assumption we can make. The prophet new the Savior, and had come close enough to Him to react in the same manner as Jesus on the cross, when he said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." As we remember the prophet and all who have died for this work of the Kingdom of God, let us remember especially what they lived for. The work of the Lord continues, stronger now than ever in history.
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