Killing of Joseph and Hyrum Smith at Carthage Jail

Background. In 1844, excommunicated Latter Day Saints who opposed polygamy established the Nauvoo Expositor, which published a single issue on June 7 criticizing Smith and other church leaders. Acting under a city ordinance, Smith, as Nauvoo's mayor, ordered the destruction of the paper and its press on June 10, 1844. By early 1844, a rift had already developed between Smith and several of his closest associates, preceding the Expositor's publication.

Imprisonment. Smith and his brother Hyrum surrendered to Carthage constable William Bettisworth on June 25, 1844, on charges of riot. They were held in Carthage Jail, where they stayed in the jailer's bedroom, which lacked bars on the windows. The brothers were awaiting trial for charges related to the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor facilities, a newspaper critical of their religious teachings.

Aftermath. Following the mob attack, a public viewing was held on June 29, 1844. To prevent theft or mutilation of the bodies, empty coffins weighted with sandbags were used during the public burial. John Taylor wrote a eulogy to Joseph and Hyrum Smith, which was later canonized by the LDS Church as Doctrine and Covenants Section 135.