Delayed Glory

Last Wednesday evening I took a few minutes to watch Shaun White claim another gold medal in the men's half pipe. He is an amazing athlete and has worked hard to earn the gold medals he proudly wears. Life has been good to him. For some reason my thoughts turned to Joseph Smith in the Liberty Jail. Probably because I attended Dr. Holzapfel's class earlier that day and the lecture was on Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail. I couldn't help comparing the two men. Both have known fame, both are remarkable athletes. But the world adores one and persecuted the other.

From December of 1838 to April of 1839 Joseph Smith was imprisoned in Liberty Jail which is located at Liberty, Missouri. Anyone who has had the opportunity to visit the restored jail can try to imagine what the experience would have been like. Liberty Jail was a dungeon. There were no windows or doors in the confined space Joseph and his companions were forced to live in. The ceiling was so low Joseph could not stand up. He and those with him were not only isolated from family and friends, they were isolated from all sunlight. They were in an environment that was constantly cold and dark. For five long months they lived by candle light. There was no heat for them that winter and Liberty Jail was so cold it was turned into an ice house after it no longer served as a jail. There were no nice beds with clean sheets and blankets to sleep in, just straw, filthy straw. There was no bathroom with running hot water, no baths, just a bucket that was lowered as needed. There was no privacy. Time must have ground to a screeching halt.

It would have been easy for Joseph to become angry and bitter, but he didn't. He endured. He had time to reflect on many things during those long months. He must have wondered if he would ever see his family, friends, and sunlight again. He wondered why he was forgotten by the very God he loved and served. "Oh God, where art Thou?" (D&C 121:1)

Liberty Jail was the refiners fire for Joseph. While there he discovered who he was, but more importantly his relationship with God was strengthened. Some of his greatest insights and revelations came from his greatest suffering. He emerged from those fires a stronger man, a different man. He became stronger in faith, purpose and resolution to do the Lord's will. It was mentioned that after Liberty Jail, Joseph no longer needed Sidney Rigdon to be his mouth piece. After Liberty there were not as many revelations, but more sermons from Joseph. Apparently Joseph became quite an orator after Liberty. He organized the Nauvoo Legion to protect the Saints so that they would never be at any one's mercy again. After Liberty Jail I'm sure Joseph never wanted to see the inside of another jail. But Carthage beckoned and Liberty Jail gave Joseph the courage to face it.