Liberty Jail





When I was in Kansas City in February, I made a stop at a place called Liberty Jail. An ironic name for a jail I know. This jail is an important part of early Mormon history, but perhaps not for reasons you might think.

 

 

It was at this jail, in the brutal winter of 1838-39, that the first president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith, was unjustly incarcerated for four months. He, and the other early church leaders that were arrested with him, suffered harsh cold, hunger, and sickness in their cramped quarters with a ceiling height of just six feet. Their suffering was made worse with the knowledge that their families and other Saints were being driven from their homes under Missouri Governor Lilburn Bogg's mandate that "the Mormons...must be exterminated or driven from the state."

 



 

This was one of the darkest times in Joseph's Smith's short life. Five years after this incident, he would be found in yet another jail under unjust charges and would lose his life at the hands of a mob.

 

Despite the evil and awfulness that occurred at Liberty Jail, Mormons or Latter-day Saints choose to remember it for the beautiful lessons that were taught there. This is why the jail is now restored and protected by the Visitor's Center you see below.

 



I arrived on a Thursday evening and found with delight that I would have my own personal tour. I had been here several years before but wanted to revisit it in hopes that I might remember a few things. A lovely sister missionary from the state of Washington was my tour guide.

As I learned about the events leading up to Joseph Smith's incarceration here and the trial of his faith as he endured the conditions, I was reminded that all is not lost in times of despair however brutally painful our despair may be. Of course, no one wants to hear that, myself included. Joseph Smith even cried out in his agony, "O God, where art thou?...How long shall thy hand be stayed..?"

I'm sure we have all thought this at some point in our lives. I've always known that there is a God. I've always known that He is near and will not abandon me. But I have not always agreed with His timing or what He may allow to happen in my life. There have been times when I too have asked, "Can't I be done yet? Haven't I learned enough by now?" Apparently, I still have a ways to go.

While I have never doubted the existence of God and His love for me in times of trial, I do often forget to turn to Him for strength. After all, I'm an independent go-getter, I can fix things on my own. But by forgetting or refusing to turn to Him, I miss out on His support and the lessons He would have me learn.

Joseph Smith turned to God in his despair and was given, among other lessons, this one that is often quoted by Latter-day Saints.

If thou art called to pass through tribulation...if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea...If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

 Therefore, hold on thy way...

These words may not be very comforting in times of despair. Who cares about experience when you're drowning in sorrow? But the part I do find comforting is that Christ "descended below them all." As a Christian, I believe that Christ not only died for us (every single one of us) but that he atoned for us (every single one of us) in the Garden of Gethsemane. This means that He not only suffered for our sins but for our heartaches and sorrows, our longings and injustices. He, who was perfect, suffered all that He might "succor those in need." He knows what we are going through because He has been there. He has felt what we feel. The grace that comes through this atonement is an enabling power that offers divine strength and love. In times of despair, if we turn to God instead of away from Him, we can feel of this strength, this love, and somehow, day by day, we can make it through even the toughest of times.

I have had an opportunity this month to reflect on the atonement of Jesus Christ as I've taught this topic to my 15 and 16 year olds in Sunday school class. I try not to wax religious on my blog but found it hard not to given my stop in Kansas City and the approaching Easter holiday.

While I would really, really appreciate an easier way - perhaps a Get Out of Jail Free card, I am grateful to know that through the atonement of Jesus Christ I can find peace and comfort and strength to face the heartaches and challenges of my day. It may require constant prayer and constant searching, but I can make it step by step as I walk with my Savior and become ever closer to Him. The power of the atonement is real. Of that I testify.

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