Liberty, Missouri: Scene of Anguish and Revelation
by Becky Cardon Smith
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Liberty, first settled in 1817 as a frontier post on the Missouri River, is located about 13 miles north of Independence. By the1820s, it had grown large enough to become the county seat for Clay County. It is the second oldest incorporated town west of the Mississippi. Over thirty buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places are still standing. The first daylight bank robbery, planned by Jesse James, took place here and it is the home of William Jewell College, a nationally ranked Liberal Arts College founded by Alexander Doniphan. One of the original trustees was Reverend James, father of Jesse and Frank James. Carrie Nation, the leader of the Temperance Movement, attended an all-girls school here in 1855.

Though the town’s name denotes freedom, it was anything but that for the Prophet Joseph Smith. Following his arrest at Far West, the Prophet and others were taken to Independence, then to Richmond for a preliminary hearing, and finally were ordered to the ironically named Liberty Jail. On November 30,1838, Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, Alexander McRae, Caleb Baldwin, and Hyrum Smith were imprisoned on the charge of treason against the state of Missouri. A crowd of people surrounded the jail, curious to see what Joseph looked like and must have been disappointed to see that he looked so normal after hearing the wild stories that were circulating. As Joseph entered the jail, he tipped his hat saying, “Good afternoon, gentlemen.”

Conditions inside the jail were terrible. Joseph and the others were confined in a dark and damp cell in the basement. The only entrance was through a trap door above them. The ceiling was so low that two of the six men could never stand up straight. Alexander McRae was 6’6” and suffered back pain the rest of his life from being stooped over for over four months. The conditions were unsanitary, the food was coarse and filthy, and their beds consisted of dirty straw covering wooden planks on the stone floor. The room was poorly lit and ventilated. Two narrow and heavily barred openings provided their only source of daylight and fresh air. The walls were made of limestone on the outside and oak logs on the inside. Loose rocks filled the space between the two making the walls four feet thick. The walls and a few blankets were their only protection from the bitter cold during those long winter months.

The prisoners were allowed visitors. Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, George A. Smith, and the Prophet’s brother Don Carlos Smith all came to visit. Orrin Porter Rockwell came often to bring edible food and water. This was a difficult time for husbands, wives, and children. Mary Fielding Smith came to see her husband Hyrum, bringing their three-month old son Joseph F. for Hyrum to see for the first time. Joseph had several visits from Emma and his children.

This was a painful and refining time for Joseph. Much of his suffering came from knowing that his family and over 5,000 men, women and children were being driven from their homes in Missouri into Illinois. Joseph’s feelings of anguish and frustration led him to plead with the Lord on behalf of the suffering Saints. In response, he received divine direction, comfort, and instruction, as recorded in sections 121, 122, and 123 of the Doctrine and Covenants. As mentioned in the presentation at the Liberty Jail visitors’ center, “What could have been a time of despair became a season of faith.” Liberty Jail became a sacred spot where Joseph’s faith was tested and was found sufficient.

Sidney Rigdon was released from the jail due to illness on February 25,1839, but Joseph, Hyrum, and the others did not taste freedom until early April. They were transferred to Gallatin for another hearing. Within days, the judge relocated the trial to Columbia in Boone County. While en route to Columbia, Joseph and the others were allowed to escape.

SIGHTS TO SEE

• Historic Liberty Jail – If you have time for only one stop in Liberty, it should be here. You will see exhibits, artwork, and hear an audiovisual presentation to help you understand more about what the Prophet experienced. Notice the original key to the jail in the foyer. The Liberty Jail has been rebuilt in a cutaway style. This helps you visualize the prisoners’ cramped and gloomy quarters. The 30-minute presentation is very moving.

• General Alexander Doniphan Home Sites – Directly south of the Liberty Jail visitors’ center, in the parking lot of the First Presbyterian Church, is a marker making reference to General Doniphan’s home site. Across the street from this marker, in the small park, is a marker recently added by MMFF also referring to a home site of General Doniphan. The MMFF sign marks the site of the first home of General Doniphan and his new bride Elizabeth Jane Thornton. They were married in 1837 and moved into a single-story brick home once located here. As a young attorney, Alexander Doniphan represented Church members in legal actions taken against those who had driven the Saints from their homes in Jackson County. As a member of the state legislature, he helped to draw up a bill that organized Caldwell County for the Mormons. While living here, he also refused the order to execute the Prophet Joseph Smith and other prisoners. While living in the home across the street (parking lot of the church), Porter Rockwell’s mother came and asked him to defend her son. Porter had been arrested for the attempted assassination of Governor Boggs. Alexander Doniphan did defend Porter Rockwell at the Independence courthouse and was able to prove him innocent. It is no wonder that Joseph Smith thought of General Doniphan as a true friend.

• Fairview Cemetery – Alexander William Doniphan, his wife, and other family members are buried here. The cemetery is small and the obelisk marking the family plot stands tall at the northern end.

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