Did William Law Attempt To Shoot Joseph Smith?

[ALarson]

From an article in the Deseret News ("13 little-known facts about Joseph Smith"), it states:

 

A near-death experience

"Apostate William Law attempted to kill Joseph and fired a pistol at him six times at close range. It misfired six times, and he then pointed it at a post and all six shots discharged properly."

Charles H. Stoddard, "Remembering Joseph," 74

Cited in "500 Little-Known Facts about Joseph Smith," 139

 

 

In the comments section, sources have been requested for this.  Does anyone know more about this?

 

Here's the link:

http://www.deseretnews.com/top/3088/6/A-near-death-experience-13-little-known-facts-about-Joseph-Smith.html

Edited March 18, 2015 by ALarson

[Calm]

IIRC, I or someone else posted a question on this on the board a while back and was told this was likely a forgery.  I will try and find it.

[Calm]

From Nevo:

 

If you check out the whole diary (which is suspiciously short) I think you'll notice that it reads like bad fiction. Nothing in it is credible. All of the characters are broadly drawn caricatures (especially William Law, who, unlike his real-life counterpart, is here a foul-mouthed drunkard). I think it was probably written in the early 20th century, based on expressions like "umpteenth" (which first came into use around the turn of the 20th century and gained prominence after WW1), "keep your eyes and ears open", and "faith promoting experience" (which, as far as I can tell, did not enter the Mormon lexicon until the 1880s). "Keep him posted" also seems out of place for 1844.

Robert H. Daines described the provenance of the diary in a 2000 BYU devotional: "I should like to share with you an entry from the diary of my great-great grandmother. This is a record of a little-known experience of the Prophet Joseph—little known because this diary was lost for 30 to 40 years in my mother’s home in New Jersey. It was only rediscovered as they were preparing to move back to Utah in the late 1970s. This is a diary entry of Sister Sarah Stoddard." My guess is that it was created ca. 1920-1930.

 

 

http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/64586-so-the-nauvoo-expositor-was-right-afterall/?p=1209442050

 

Here is the part that is the incident described in DN:

 

Charles had another faith promoting experience last night. Early in the morning, even while the darkness still hemmed out the light of day, Mr. Law, after he had been drinking and planning with his associates throughout the night, got Charles out of bed to clean and oil his gun. He said he was going to shoot the Prophet—only William Law called him “Old Joe Smith.” Poor Charles was frightened beyond description, but Mr. Law stood over him and prodded him with his foot when Charles hesitated through fright and anxiety. Finally, when Mr. Law was satisfied with the way the gun was working he put one bullet in. He boasted he could kill the prophet with one shot. He sent Charles to bring the Prophet. He ran as fast as he could and delivered the message, but he begged the Prophet not to go to Mr. Law’s as Mr. Law was drunk, and Charles was afraid he would carry through on his threat to shoot the Prophet in cold blood. As they walked the few blocks from the Mansion house to the Law residence, the Prophet assured Charles that no harm would come to him that day. Charles was frightened, and he said that it kept racing through his mind, “I am the one that cleaned the gun that is going to be used to kill the Prophet,” until he was sick with fear. The Prophet, in the final attempt to calm my dear son, uttered the fateful words, “Mr. Law may someday kill me, Charles, but it won’t be today.” 
As they approached their destination, Mr. Law came staggering out of the house shouting out what he intended to do. The Prophet said kindly and unafraid, “You sent for me, Mr. Law?” To which Mr. Law replied with oath that now he was going to do the whole world a favor by disposing of the Prophet with one shot. Calmly, the Prophet unbuttoned his shirt and bared his chest, and then said, “I’m ready now, Mr. Law.” Charles said at this point he nearly fainted. Sick fear strangled him until he was speechless and paralyzed, unable to move a muscle. Mr. Law paced a few steps, turned, aimed, and pressed the trigger. There was complete silence. Then the air rang with profanity and Mr. Law turned on Charles, accusing him of fixing the gun so it would not go off and threatened to kill even Charles—my innocent, frightened, but faithful son. The Prophet, to divert Mr. Law’s blame of Charles, suggested that a can be placed on a fence post for Mr. Law to take a practice shot. Relieved, Charles ran for a can and laid it on its side on a post. Mr. Law paced back, took aim, and fired. His one shot streaked through the exact center of the can. Even Mr. Law was quiet as if stunned. The Prophet buttoned up his shirt, gave Charles a meaningful look, and then said, “If you are finished with me now, Mr. Law, I have other things needing to be done.” (As quoted by Robert H. Daines at BYU-Idaho Devotional, 28 May 2002)

 

Edited March 18, 2015 by calmoriah

[ALarson]

Thanks, calmoriah!  As always, you're a wealth of information and sources.

 

Too bad this is being reported by the Deseret News as a "fact" (or is at least repeating what the author stated).  Hopefully people will figure it out.

Edited March 18, 2015 by ALarson

[Calm]

Someone mentions the source in the comments so they can track it down.
 
As far as I can tell any other sources of the stories in the diary are versions by family members born later.
 
Here is one of them from his daughter:
 
https://familysearch.org/photos/stories/415936
 
It lacks the "near death experience" which seems strange to me if the family was confident in it.
 

My father Charles lived with the Prophet Joseph for a while. He also worked for William Law, one of the outlaws and leaders of the gang that was continually plotting and planning against the Prophet Joseph. He was not aware that the young Stoddard boy was a friend to the Prophet or interested in him in any way. Mr. Law was not careful when talking of him as he otherwise would have been. My father Charles slept upstairs directly over the room where Mr. Law and his associates held their secret meetings, and he could hear distinctly all their plans. As there happened to be a hole in the floor, he could even look down and see who was there. My father would then go tell the Prophet of their plans. In this way he kept the Prophet posted about the traps that William Law and his group were setting for him.

Here is a link from the family site that has affidavits from family members who heard the stories from their grandfather, Charles and his eldest son.

 

It also has the alleged diary from the mother along with an entry from her daughter after her death.  If there is nothing else that the mother wrote, it is strange to me that she only wrote stories in her diary about her son and not anyone else in the family.

 

http://www.stoddardhome.org/history/stoddard-charles-henry/

 

Hannah R. Larson whose maiden name was Hannah R. Stoddard, and Adessa Larson Christensen who is the daughter of Hannah R. Stoddard Larson, depose and say:

Charles Henry Stoddard was born on the 21st of April, 1827, ir Newark, New Jersey, his parents being Israel Stoddard and Sarah Woodward.  As a boy he was employed by the Prophet Joseph Smith, in Nauvoo, Illinois.  While the Prophet was in hiding, he carried food to the Prophet and delivered messages to and from the Prophet.  The Prophet trusted him implicitly.  Upon one occasion, when in the street fixing a kite, with other boys, a man came up and inquired where the Prophet was, to which Charles replied: “He went to heaven on Hyrum’ s white horse and we are fixing this kite to send his dinner to him.”  No one suspected his important duties because of his youth.

While employed by the Prophet Joseph, William Law requested Charles to come and work for him.  He did not want to.   After consulting the Prophet, he decided to do so.  During his employment with William Law, many private matters were talked of by Law and his associates in the presence of the boy, without any hesitation, perhaps thinking that the boy would not pay any attention to what was said.  The boy was nevertheless on the alert and took full cognizance of what was going on.

Upon retiring one evening, in a lean-to attached to a building which was partly vacant and partly used for storage purposes, the lad was awakened by conversation being held in the vacant portion of the building.   This building was a rendezvous of the bitter apostates and enemies of the Prophet among whom was William Law, who seemed to be a ringleader.  The lad listened through a hole in the log structure through which light was also emerging,  and learned that these men were plotting against the Prophet’s life. He heard Law tell this group of apostates that he would have Charles clean, oil and load his gun which was one of his regular duties.   After the group had disbanded and had all left the building, the lad dressed and hurried to the home of the Prophet and told him all that he had seen and heard and asked the Prophet what he should do.   The Prophet told him to return and act as though nothing had happened, and to do as his employer requested, and admonished him to load the gun well.  He told the boy that they could not hurt him until his time had arrived. —The—boy-did as requested.  The next morning, Mr. Law requested him to clean, oil and load his six shooter, which was faithfully done as the Prophet advised.  When the opportune time arrived. Law aimed the revolver at the Prophet with the intention of killing him.  He pulled the trigger but the gun mis-fired as did all of the other five loads in the six shooter.  He cursed because the gun did not discharge, and blamed the boy for not loading the weapon properly.   The boy replied that he had done it to the best of his ability.  Law then aimed at a post and all six loads were discharged.

Years afterwards when Charles Henry Stoddard had emigrated to Utah, and living in Richmond, Utah, Joseph Smith, the son of the Prophet Joseph and also the president of the Reorganized church, visited Stoddard and stayed over night in his home.  This statement Hannah R. Stoddard also affirms as she saw him in Richmond.

The foregoing data was had from information told to Hannah R. Stoddard by her grandfather Charles Henry Stoddard, and by oft repeated stories recited to Adessa Larsen Christensen by her grandfather George Henry Stoddard, the eldest son of Charles Henry Stoddard and Anna Telford, and is related to the best of their knowledge and memory.

In witness to the truthfulness of the foregoing statement, the parties first before mentioned have hereunto signed their names.

Signed: Hannah R. Larsen Signed: Adessa Larson Christensen

 

Edited March 18, 2015 by calmoriah

[Calm]

It would be interesting to see the original diary and compare it to Charles Stoddard's handwriting as he appears to be the source of the story.  Given that it was repeated by his eldest son, I am wondering if the son is the forger.

 

add-on:  the sister who would have added to the diary was most likely Rebecca Stoddard Telford Lee.  She died in 1908.

 

http://www.myheritage.com/names/rebecca_stoddard

Edited March 18, 2015 by calmoriah

[Buckeye]

From an article in the Deseret News ("13 little-known facts about Joseph Smith"), it states:

 

 

In the comments section, sources have been requested for this.  Does anyone know more about this?

 

Here's the link:

http://www.deseretnews.com/top/3088/6/A-near-death-experience-13-little-known-facts-about-Joseph-Smith.html

 

 The story makes no sense. Law fired a total of 12 times and neither Joseph nor anyone else interveened? And if the pistol started working when fired at the post, why wouldn't he have turned back to firing on Joseph? Not that it's the most trustworthy source, but Wikipedia says the following about revolvers at the time of Joseph's and Law's interaction. Apparently, if even Law could have come by a revolver, it would have been of a type where he had to vertically recock after each firing. So again, how could he do this 12 times with no intervention? 

 

 

 

Early revolvers were caplocks and loaded like muskets: the user poured powder into a chamber, rammed down a bullet, then placed percussion caps between the hammer and cylinder. After firing a shot, the user would raise his pistol vertically as he cocked the hammer back so as to let the fragments of the percussion cap fall out and not jam the mechanism.^[7]

 

mechanism of a "bicycle chain" gun from a 19th-century handgun.

A more ambitious idea that had features of both revolvers and prefigured belt-fed machine guns circulated in the 1850s and 1860s. Instead of a simple cylinder, these guns used a larger capacity, somewhat flexible circular chain of chambers that was indexed by a slightly more sophisticated mechanism involving one or more sprockets.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolver

[ALarson]

Hopefully Deseret News will issue some sort of correction for this.  What type of fact checking is done on these types of articles?

 

Most of the article is very interesting to read through and informative.  Too bad this one error was included.

[Calm]

Read the entry from the alleged diary.  That has him firing once at JS and firing once at the fence post.

 

It was also a six shooter and the version that has him firing 12 times does not mention reloading.

[Buckeye]

I once commented on a DN article that was entitled "20 gifts he would love for Christmas", or something like that. One of the gifts was a beer cooler. The article was clearly taken from elsewhere and not vetted properly. My comment was something like "really awesome that DN is recommending a beer cooler." The article got pulled about 30 minutes later.

[ALarson]

I once commented on a DN article that was entitled "20 gifts he would love for Christmas", or something like that. One of the gifts was a beer cooler. The article was clearly taken from elsewhere and not vetted properly. My comment was something like "really awesome that DN is recommending a beer cooler." The article got pulled about 30 minutes later.

That's funny 

[DragonLancer]

Somebody at some point on a message board or email group once, posted an "affidavit" that claimed to be from William Law's sister, that said that he confessed to her that he was the one from the mob that fired the shot that ended the life of the prophet after he fell from the window of the Carthage jail.  After I read that the first time, I could never find the post again.  It would be nice to know if that was for real.

[ALarson]

Somebody at some point on a message board or email group once, posted an "affidavit" that claimed to be from William Law's sister, that said that he confessed to her that he was the one from the mob that fired the shot that ended the life of the prophet after he fell from the window of the Carthage jail.  After I read that the first time, I could never find the post again.  It would be nice to know if that was for real.

I highly doubt it.  I think it's been pretty well proven that Law was not in the mob.  But, I'm sure others on here may know more about that or have the most up to date info regarding that.

[DragonLancer]

I highly doubt it.  I think it's been pretty well proven that Law was not in the mob.  But, I'm sure others on here may know more about that or have the most up to date info regarding that.

 

Well, then perhaps these messages here will serve as a record for a cue for a researcher in the future that may be able to find it and substantiate it.

[cinepro]

I once commented on a DN article that was entitled "20 gifts he would love for Christmas", or something like that. One of the gifts was a beer cooler. The article was clearly taken from elsewhere and not vetted properly. My comment was something like "really awesome that DN is recommending a beer cooler." The article got pulled about 30 minutes later.

 

You failed the Orson Scott Card "evil" test:

 

In January 1977, the Ensign magazine ran an article designed to encourage inactive Latter-day Saints to prepare themselves to seal their marriages in the temple. It was a struggle to come up with an eye-catching photograph to lead off the article, but what we decided to do was show an inactive father reading that very article, so that he held a picture of himself holding a picture of himself holding a picture of himself. The only problem was how to show that he was inactive. Since we at the Ensign had not yet earned any fame for our subtlety, we decided on the most obvious symbol-right in the dead center of the picture was an unlit pipe sitting in an ash tray. If that didn't suggest an inactive Mormon, we would despair of our audience's powers of reasoning. 

 

Alas, we had underestimated the ability of some people to misunderstand. A certain small percentage of our readership wrote letters protesting that illustration. They fell into three categories:

 

"Aha! You thought you could put one over on us, didn't you, running that picture of a pipe in the Ensign, but we caught you!"

 

"We thought there was one place that we could count on never to show evil, but there it was, right where our children could see it, an actual pipe, and in the Ensign, no less, our modern-day scripture!"

 

"Don't you people check this stuff before you print it? Right there in the middle of a picture on page 60, there was a pipe! You really ought to screen your pictures more carefully, if mistakes like that are getting through!"

 

These few letter-writers had got part of our message-they noticed the pipe, and they knew that for a Latter-day Saint, pipe-smoking is evil. What they completely missed was our purpose in showing that evil-to attract the attention of people who might have that problem so we could help them solve it.

 

Showing evil is not necessarily advocating it.

 

http://www.nauvoo.com/library/card-talk.html

[Mystery Meat]

Somebody at some point on a message board or email group once, posted an "affidavit" that claimed to be from William Law's sister, that said that he confessed to her that he was the one from the mob that fired the shot that ended the life of the prophet after he fell from the window of the Carthage jail.  After I read that the first time, I could never find the post again.  It would be nice to know if that was for real.

 

This is from a talk given by Elder Oaks in General Conference:

 

 

As a boy, I was inspired by a story of courage in Nauvoo, which involved my grandfather’s uncle. In the spring of 1844, some men were plotting against the Prophet Joseph Smith. One of the leaders, William Law, held a secret meeting at his home in Nauvoo. Among those invited were nineteen-year-old Dennison Lott Harris and his friend, Robert Scott. Dennison’s father, Emer Harris, who is my second great-grandfather, was also invited. He sought counsel from the Prophet Joseph Smith, who told him not to attend the meeting but to have the young men attend. The Prophet instructed them to pay close attention and report what was said.

The spokesmen at this first meeting denounced Joseph Smith as a fallen prophet and stated their determination to destroy him. When the Prophet heard this, he asked the young men to attend the second meeting. They did so, and reported the plotting.

A third meeting was to be held a week later. Again the Prophet asked them to attend, but he told them this would be their last meeting. “Be careful to remain silent and not to make any covenants or promises with them,” he counseled. He also cautioned them on the great danger of their mission. Although he thought it unlikely, it was possible they would be killed. Then, the Prophet Joseph Smith blessed Dennison and Robert by the power of the priesthood, promising them that if their lives were taken, their reward would be great.

In the strength of this priesthood blessing, they attended the third meeting and listened to the murderous plans. Then, when each person was required to take an oath to join the plot and keep it secret, they bravely refused. After everyone else had sworn secrecy, the whole group turned on Dennison and Robert, threatening to kill them unless they took the oath also. Because any refusal threatened the secrecy of their plans, about half of the plotters proposed to kill these two immediately. Knives were drawn, and angry men began to force them down into a basement to kill them.

Other plotters shouted to wait. Parents probably knew where they were. If they didn’t return, an alarm would be sounded and a search could reveal the boys’ deaths and the secret plans. During a long argument, two lives hung in the balance. Finally, the group decided to threaten to kill the young men if they ever revealed anything that had occurred and then to release them. This was done. Despite this threat, and because they had followed the Prophet’s counsel not to make any promises to the conspirators, Dennison and Robert promptly reported everything to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

For their own protection, the Prophet had these courageous young men promise him that they would never reveal this experience, not even to their fathers, for at least twenty years. A few months later, the Prophet Joseph Smith was murdered.

Many years passed. The members of the Church settled in the West. While Dennison L. Harris was serving as bishop of the Monroe Ward in southern Utah, he met a member of the First Presidency at a Church meeting in Ephraim. There, on Sunday, 15 May 1881, thirty-seven years after the Prophet Joseph Smith had sealed his lips to protect him against mob vengeance, Dennison Harris recited this experience to President Joseph F. Smith (see Verbal Statement of Bishop Dennison L. Harris, 15 May 1881, MS 2725, Historical Department, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City; the account was later published in the Contributor, Apr. 1884, pp. 251–60). Dennison Harris’s posterity includes many notable Latter-day Saints, including Franklin S. Harris, long-time president of Brigham Young University.

[Avatar4321]

Those two got one of the few callings I think is really cool. Spy for the house of israel. That would be an interesting calling

[haggard]

From an article in the Deseret News ("13 little-known facts about Joseph Smith"), it states:

 

 

In the comments section, sources have been requested for this.  Does anyone know more about this?

 

Here's the link:

http://www.deseretnews.com/top/3088/6/A-near-death-experience-13-little-known-facts-about-Joseph-Smith.html

This must have happend after William Law found out that Joseph was attempting to get William's wife in bed with him.......

[The Nehor]

Those two got one of the few callings I think is really cool. Spy for the house of israel. That would be an interesting calling

Oh it is.......it is.

[Mystery Meat]

This must have happend after William Law found out that Joseph was attempting to get William's wife in bed with him.......

 

Swift is the ban hammer.

[HappyJackWagon]

_{This story seems to be making the rounds again on Facebook. At best, the evidence seems very slim that this event actually took place. Journal entries are late and inconsistent but with anachronistic language. But I suppose that's no reason to let a good faith promoting fable go to waste.}

[Scott Lloyd]

THREAD NECROMANCY ALERT!

[HappyJackWagon]

THREAD NECROMANCY ALERT!

 

I find it funny that you feel the need to "alert" people everytime an old post is commented on. Or is it just a compulsion not to let anyone else get the lat word?

[ALarson]

I find it funny that you feel the need to "alert" people everytime an old post is commented on. Or is it just a compulsion not to let anyone else get the lat word?

I always laugh at that too.  It's like he thinks none of us can read dates or something.  Anyway, this thread isn't even that old.  And, what is wrong with adding new or more current information to a topic?  

 

Also, many times I've enjoyed reading back through older threads and I always do notice the date they were started.

 

Maybe it's just a pet peeve of Scott's?

Edited June 5, 2015 by ALarson

[Buckeye]

I call dibs on raising from the dead Daniel2's thread on "Gay Marriage At Scotus"  That thread should be coming back to life soon as SCOTUS has started issuing its opinions for this session.