Visiting the Liberty Jail was a humbling experience. I'd remembered bits of the story from Church, but seeing the restored jail and hearing the history was very moving (I owe a big thanks to Matt for recommending the visit). Liberty Jail is the place that the prophet leader, Joseph Smith, along with Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith, Alexander McRae, Lyman Wight, and Caleb Baldwin spent the bitter winter of 1838-39 unjustly charged with treason while their faithful families and church were being forced from Missouri.
The jail was built in 1830-1833 in Liberty, Missouri, made up of a combination of wood and rock walls four-feet thick; two levels; and inner dimensions of 14-feet long, 14.5-feet wide, and 6.5-feet tall. On October 27, 1838, Lilburn W. Boggs, governor of the state of Missouri, issued the "Extermination Order", demanding Mormons leave the state and the militia was sent. The order was formally rescinded in 1976.
The men entered the jail on December 1, 1838.
The jail had two stories, and Joseph and his colleagues were confined to the bottom level referred to as the dungeon.
While imprisoned, Joseph Smith wrote epistles to his loved ones and to members of the Church; portions of which are contained in Doctrine and Covenants sections 121-123.
The six prisoners suffered miserable conditions, including the coldest part of the Missouri winter, no bedding (only a rock floor covered with straw), course filthy food, hunger, and sickness.
On April 6, 1839, the Church leaders departed Liberty Jail and were allowed to escape. On April 22, 1839, the men joined their families in Illinois.
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