Events were now hurrying on to the last awful scene. Joseph saw the sacrificial cup prepared for him and knew that he must drink its bitter draught2. As he draws nearer to the final hour clearer and clearer becomes his mind, more nearly divine are his works, and more closely do we see the likeness3 to the sacred Master of whom Joseph deemed himself but the humblest follower4. It is no mere5 accidental similarity this betrayal of the modern Prophet by the modern Judas and this sacrifice of a holy name to glut6 the hate of Pharisees. The Prophet's work is almost done. More plainly as the supreme7 moment draws on he tells his followers8 of the fate awaiting him. At first they scarcely understand, so used are they to see him in the midst of peril9. It may be that the vision of the end is opened to Hyrum's view, for he will not leave his brother's side. They have loved in life, the elder brother living by the other's prophetic words, and in death they shall not be separated. Joseph says: "Hyrum, take your family on the next boat to Cincinnati. I want you to live to avenge10 me." Hyrum replies: "Joseph, I will not leave you." It is not a vengeance11 of blood that the Prophet means: it is the triumph of the work over all murderous mobs, a triumph in which he wants his faithful brother to share in the flesh.
After the traitors12 had gone out from Nauvoo to join with the Pharisees in raising a mob, the Prophet related a dream to his brethren, assembled in meeting. He said that he thought that he was riding in a carriage, and his guardian13 angel was with him. They saw two serpents in the road firmly locked together, and the angel told him that these were two of his traitorous14 enemies, Robert Foster and Chauncey Higbee, so fast bound to each other that of themselves they could not harm him. Then Joseph rode on farther, but his angel was no longer by his side; and William Law and Wilson Law came out upon him, dragged him from his carriage, tied his hands and threw him into a deep pit. After a time he partly loosened his hands and climbed to the edge of the pit and looked out. He saw Wilson Law attacked by ferocious15 beasts and William Law expiring in the coils of a poisonous snake. They cried for him:
Oh, Brother Joseph! Brother Joseph! save us or we perish!
But he responded that they themselves had deprived him of the power to aid them. Then, after a little time, his angel came once more and said: "Joseph, why are you here?"
And he responded: "Mine enemies fell upon me, bound me, and threw me into this pit."
The angel took him by the hand and drew him up, and they went away together.
Impressive as was the recital16 of this dream, his brethren failed to comprehend its full significance; but scores of them recalled it at a later time and preserved it as a sacred remembrance.
On Sunday, the 16th day of June, 1844, Joseph preached in the grove17 east of the temple to the assembled Saints. The rain fell heavily, but the people would not disperse18 while the Prophet spoke19. Nor would he be stayed by all these tears of nature, for it was one of his last opportunities to advise the people for whom he was willing to give his life. Often before the Prophet had counseled his brethren that it was not necessary yet to preach from the revelations of St. John the Divine; that the plain principles of the gospel should first be taught. But now, with the consciousness of his approaching death upon him, he read to the people the third chapter of Revelation. It was to be a message of comfort to the Saints when he was gone. He then turned to the first chapter and read:
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten20 of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion21 for ever and ever. Amen. (Rev. 1:5-6.)
He carried the Saints into a profounder depth of revealed theology than ever before. He talked of the plurality of Gods and the different glories of the eternal realm. He said:
Go and read the vision in the Book of Covenants22. There is clearly illustrated23 glory upon glory—one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and a glory of the stars; and as one star differeth from another star in glory, even so do they of the telestial world differ in glory, and every man who reigns24 in the celestial26 glory is a God to his dominion.
* * * * *
It is in the order of heavenly things that God should always send a new dispensation into the world when men have apostatized from the truth and lost the Priesthood; but when men build without authority from God, and when the floods come and the winds blow, their whole fabric27 will crumble28.
* * * * *
Oh thou God who art King of kings and Lord of lords!
After the city had been declared under martial29 law, the Legion was drawn30 up in front of the mansion31 to be addressed by the Prophet. He stood upon the frame of a building opposite his house, dressed in his full uniform as lieutenant32 general.
William W. Phelps read from an extra issue of the Warsaw Signal of the day before, calling upon all the old citizens to assist the mob in exterminating33 the leaders of the Saints and driving the people into exile.
Joseph then recounted the doings of the time at Nauvoo, and demonstrated that he and his brethren had been willing and were still as willing as ever to submit to the authority of law; that they had not transgressed34 the statutes35; that the effort making against them was the device of Satan. He told them that a pretext36 had been sought by their enemies in order that a band of infuriated mob men might be congregated37 to fall upon Nauvoo, to murder, plunder38, and ravish the innocent. He said:
We are American citizens. We live upon a soil, for the liberties of which our fathers periled39 their lives and spilt their blood upon the battle-field. Those rights, so dearly purchased, shall not be disgracefully trodden under foot by lawless marauders without at least a noble effort on our part to sustain our liberties.
Will you stand by me to the death, and sustain, at the peril of your lives, the laws of our country, and the liberties and privileges which our fathers have transmitted unto us, sealed with their sacred blood? ["Aye," shouted thousands.] It is well. If you have not done it, I would have gone out there, [pointing to the west], and would have raised up a mightier40 people.
I call all men, from Maine to the Rocky Mountains, and from Mexico to British America, whose hearts thrill with horror to behold41 the rights of free men trampled43 under foot, to come to the deliverance of this people from the cruel hand of oppression, cruelty, anarchy44 and misrule to which they have long been made subject. Come, all ye lovers of liberty, break the oppressor's rod, loose the iron grasp of mobocracy, and bring to condign45 punishment all those who trample42 under foot the glorious principles of our Constitution and the people's rights [Drawing his sword and presenting it to heaven.] I call God and angels to witness that I have unsheathed my sword with a firm and unalterable determination that this people shall have their legal rights, and be protected from mob violence, or my blood shall be spilt upon the ground like water, and my body consigned46 to the silent tomb. While I live, I will never tamely submit to the dominion of accursed mobocracy. I would welcome death rather than submit to this oppression; and it would be sweet, oh, sweet to rest in the grave, rather than submit to this oppression, confusion and alarm upon alarm, any longer.
* * * * *
Peace shall be taken from the land which permits these crimes against the Saints to go unavenged.
I call upon all friends of truth and liberty to come to our assistance; and may the thunders of the Almighty47, and the forked lightnings of heaven, and pestilence49, and war, and bloodshed come down on those ungodly men who seek to destroy my life and the lives of this innocent people.
I do not regard my own life. I am ready to be offered a sacrifice for this people; for what can our enemies do? Only kill the body, and their power is then at an end. Stand firm, my friends; never flinch50. Do not seek to save your lives, for he that is afraid to die for the truth will lose eternal life. Hold out to the end, and we shall be resurrected, and become like Gods and reign25 in celestial kingdoms, principalities and eternal dominions51, while this mob will sink to the portion of all those who shed innocent blood.
God has tried you. You are a good people; therefore I love you with all my heart. Greater love hath no man than that he should lay down his life for his friends. You have stood by me in the hour of trouble, and I am willing to sacrifice my life for your preservation52.
May the Lord God of Israel bless you forever and ever. I say this in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, and in the authority of the Holy Priesthood, which He hath conferred upon me.
And all the people cried Amen!
The vast assemblage had listened to his words with breathless attention, for he spoke with a power transcending53 anything that the Saints had ever before heard, even from him whose speech was always soul-touching. Had he expressed a wish to fight, his people would have followed him with joy to the contest. It is no wonder that his words sank deep into their hearts; it is no wonder that to their sight he appeared grander than mortal. It was the last time for many of them in the flesh that they were to listen to the music of his voice or to feel the spell of his mighty48 inspiration. It was his last public address! In a few short days that Godlike form, so perfect in its manly54 beauty, was to be locked in the embrace of the tomb; and that voice, whose angelic sweetness had comforted them in the hour of darkest woe55, was to be hushed in death.
On the 20th of June he wrote to all the apostles who were absent on missions to come home immediately. Only two of the twelve were with him, Apostles John Taylor and Willard Richards. He had often stated to the twelve that upon them would devolve the work when he was gone, and he knew that their presence would soon be needed.
His consciousness of his impending fate and his fortitude56 were divine. His last deeds and his last thoughts were for the cause and the people whom he loved.
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1
impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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follower
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| n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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glut
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| n.存货过多，供过于求；v.狼吞虎咽 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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avenge
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| v.为...复仇，为...报仇 | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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traitorous
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| adj. 叛国的, 不忠的, 背信弃义的 | |
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ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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recital
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| n.朗诵，独奏会，独唱会 | |
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grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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disperse
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| vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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begotten
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| v.为…之生父( beget的过去分词 )；产生，引起 | |
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dominion
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| n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图 | |
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covenants
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| n.（有法律约束的）协议( covenant的名词复数 )；盟约；公约；（向慈善事业、信托基金会等定期捐款的）契约书 | |
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illustrated
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| adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词 | |
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reigns
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| n.君主的统治( reign的名词复数 )；君主统治时期；任期；当政期 | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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celestial
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| adj.天体的；天上的 | |
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fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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crumble
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| vi.碎裂，崩溃；vt.弄碎，摧毁 | |
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martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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exterminating
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| v.消灭，根绝( exterminate的现在分词 ) | |
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transgressed
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| v.超越( transgress的过去式和过去分词 )；越过；违反；违背 | |
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35
statutes
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| 成文法( statute的名词复数 )； 法令； 法规； 章程 | |
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pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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congregated
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| （使）集合，聚集( congregate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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periled
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| 置…于危险中（peril的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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mightier
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| adj. 强有力的，强大的，巨大的 adv. 很，极其 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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trample
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| vt.踩，践踏；无视，伤害，侵犯 | |
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trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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44
anarchy
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| n.无政府状态；社会秩序混乱，无秩序 | |
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condign
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| adj.应得的，相当的 | |
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consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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almighty
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| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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pestilence
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| n.瘟疫 | |
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flinch
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| v.畏缩，退缩 | |
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51
dominions
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| 统治权( dominion的名词复数 )； 领土； 疆土； 版图 | |
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52
preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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53
transcending
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| 超出或超越（经验、信念、描写能力等）的范围( transcend的现在分词 )； 优于或胜过… | |
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54
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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55
woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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56
fortitude
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| n.坚忍不拔；刚毅 | |
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