Without Disclosing My True Identity
See “Thomas Ford (politician),” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 29 Aug. 2011, Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., 26 Jan. 2012 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Ford_%28politician%29.
“Ford wrote extensively of his dealings with the Mormon community, and was especially critical of
their religion. He called Smith ‘the most successful impostor in modern times,’ and said he hoped
that the increasingly popular Mormonism would not replace traditional Christianity, which in turn
would make him out to be a modern-day Pontius Pilate.”
Contrast the above with this quote from John Morgan, The Deseret Weekly, 38 (Jan. 5, 1889): 44:
“...as a missionary, I remained over night in the vicinity of where ex-Governor Thomas Ford died
and was buried. The neighbors in the immediate locality gave me a recital of his death and burial. In
the library of the gentleman at whose house I was stopping there was a history of the State of Illinois.
In looking over it casually I read that portion of it which alluded to the scenes at Nauvoo, and the
martyrdom of the Prophet and Patriarch in Carthage jail. In closing up the chapter the writer made
these remarks: “Let no one imagine that Mormonism is dead because of the death of Joseph Smith
and Hyrum Smith. Perchance it may be that those who read this volume will live to see the time
when Palmyra, in New York, Kirtland, in Ohio, Far West and Independence, in Missouri, and
Nauvoo, in Illinois, shall become holy places, to be yet visited by the thousands of followers of the
slain Prophet; and perchance it may be that some future historian will record that I, Thomas Ford,
governor of Illinois, was the Pontius Pilate in the history and career of Joseph Smith.”
See also Matthew 27:2.
(^46) See Introduction, n. 56.
(^47) See TSP, 588, 591–8. See also D&C, 10:Introduction and verses 1–3 and D&C, section 3,
Introduction.
(^48) Lucy Smith, Progenitors, 36.
(^49) His last is probably the most well known, the 75-page pamphlet referenced herein as An
Address to All Believers in Christ.
(^50) On this point, Whitmer refused and explained as follows: “I suppose this is news to many
of you—that Brother Joseph ordained me his successor—but it is in your records, and there are men
now living who were present in that council of elders when he did it, in the camp of Zion on Fishing
River, Missouri, July, 1834. This is why many of the brethren came to me after Brother Joseph was
killed, and importuned me to come out and lead the church. I refused to do so. Christ is the only
leader and head of his church.” (Whitmer, 55.)
(^51) “He was soon taken sick of bilious fever, and died on the 30th of July [1844], aged 36 years.”
(DHC, 7:222 (216–22).)
(^52) Some historians concur with this and report a cause other than sickness for his death: “Upon
hearing of the danger to his brothers at Carthage, Samuel attempted to ride to their aid, but was fired
upon and chased away by the mob. He eluded his pursuers with hard riding, but arrived too late to
intervene. He died within the month, apparently of an injury sustained in that ride.” (Sydney Smith
Reynolds, “Smith Family,” in Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 4 vols., ed. Daniel H. Ludlow [New York,
Macmillan, 1992] 3:1360.)
(^53) Matthew 12:47–50; Mark 3:33–4.
(^54) JSH 1:34; BOM, 3 Nephi 12–14.
(^55) TSP, 12:97–8.
(^56) D&C, 121:36.
(^57) JSH 1:34.
(^58) HR, 4:25; 11:14, 46; 13:12; 14:1; 16:1, 8.
(^59) D&C, 88:104
(^60) DHC, 6:183.
(^61) BOM, Jacob 4:14.
(^62) DHC, 6:183; Compare Malachi 4:5–6.
(^63) JSH 1:36–41.