PERSECUTION (Teachings of Joseph Smith)

Persecution from Apostates Reporting False Stories & Statements — George W. Robinson (July 8, 1838)

It happened about these times that some excitement was raised in the adjoining Counties, that is Ray & Clay, against us, in consequence of the sudden departure of these wicked characters, of the apostates from this Church, into that vicinity, reporting false stories, and statements

Journal, March-September 1838, p. 54, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Kirtland Weakened through Betrayal of Former Members — George W. Robinson (July 29, 1838)

Kirtland has been broken up by those who have professed the name of Latter Day Saints and have denied the faith which they once preached and by their preaching gathered many saints into this land, and now have betrayed them 

Journal, March-September 1838, pp. 61-62, The Joseph Smith Papers.

How to Respond When Persecuted — George W. Robinson (September 1, 1838)

There is great exitement at present among the misourians seeking if possible an accasion against us they are continually chafing us, and provoking us to anger if possible, one sene of threatning after another. but we do not fear them For the Lord God the eternal Father is our God and Jesus the mediator is our saviour, and in the great I am, is our strength and confidence we have been driven time after time and that without cause and smitten again and again, and that without provocation, untill we have prooved the wordd with kindness, and the wordd proved us, that we have no designs against any man or set of men That we injure no man. That we are peasibl with all men, minding our own buisness, and our buisness only, we have Suffered our rights and our liberties to be taken, from us, we have not avenged ourselves of those wrongs, we have appealed to magistrates, to Sheriffs, to Judges, to govonours and to the President of the United States, all in vain, yet we have yealded, peacibly to all these things, we have not complained at the great God, we murmured not, but peacibly left all, and retired into the back Country in the broad and wild Prairie, in the barren & desolate plains, and there commenced anew, we made the desolate places to bud and blosom as the rose, and now the fiend like rase are disposed to give us no rest, Their Father (the Devil) is hourly calling upon them to be up and doing, and they like willing and obedient children need not the second admonition, But in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God we will endure it no longer, if the Great God will arm us with courage, with strength and with power, to resist them in their persecutions. We will not act on the offensive but always on the defensive, our rights and . . . our liberties shall not be taken from us, and we peacibly submit to it, as we have done heretofore, but we will avenge ourselves of our enimies, inasmuch as they will not let us alone

Journal, March-September 1838, pp. 75-77, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Even Christ Persecuted — Eliza R. Snow (August 31, 1842)

Do you think that even Jesus, if he were here would be without fault in your eyes? They said all manner of evil against him— they all watch’d for iniquity.

Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book, pp. 80-81, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Persecution Accelerates the Gospel’s Expansion — Willard Richards (September 17, 1843)

I freely ixpressed myself to his great satisfaction on perscutin making the work spread.— by rooting up a flower garden or kicking back the sun.

Discourse, 17 September 1843, as Reported by Willard Richards, p. 99, The Joseph Smith Papers.

Unjust to Yield to Oppressors — (May 26, 1844)

Humility & Patience Preceed Triumph — Jonathan Grimshaw (May 26, 1844)