Published Dec 31, 2015
370 Pages
Genre: RELIGION / History
If asked, most members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not familiar with the John Johnson family. However, two of his sons, a son-in-law and a nephew were all members of the first Council of Twelve Apostles organized by Joseph Smith, the Church’s founder. John served in some of the governing councils of the Church as well and contributed significantly to the building of the Church’s first temple. They were also key contributors in the Kirtland Safety Society, the Smith family being the only ones who contributed more to that banking effort.
In these pages you will learn of the significant contribution of this family and the truth about their standing in that church.
Excerpt from the book
. . . Sometime in the spring of 1836, a Baptist clergyman whom Joseph Smith had known in New York, called upon Joseph at his home in Kirtland, Ohio. Joseph did what he could to make the minister welcome, treating him respectfully and hospitably. At Joseph’s invitation, the minister then stayed the night in the Smith home.
. . . The next morning, however, after eating breakfast, the minister ‘blew up’ in an angry rage and called Joseph a hypocrite, a liar, an imposter and a false prophet and called upon him to repent. Joseph, undoubtedly a bit stunned at first, apparently decided some ‘correction’ was called for. He boxed the minister’s ears with both hands and, turning his face towards the door, kicked him into the street! The minister immediately headed toward the Kirtland magistrate’s office, intent on obtaining a writ against Joseph for assault and battery.
. . . Luke Johnson was serving as the constable in Kirtland at the time. It is unclear how much of the confrontation Luke actually witnessed but Joseph recorded that once he had thrown the minister into the street, “I sent Luke Johnson the constable after him . . .” Luke followed the minister into the magistrate’s office – as any good officer of the law would. He politely listened as the minister demanded his writ against Joseph and then Luke immediately demanded a writ of his own – against the minister for provoking the assault! The clerk filled Luke’s writ first. After all, Luke was an officer of the law.
. . . The minister, fearing trouble, paid for his writ and withdrew without it, making his way ‘posthaste’ (and apparently on foot) for the neighboring County of Cuyahoga – to the west of Kirtland about three miles or so. Luke followed him on horseback, “making him travel pretty lively” until he was sure that the minister had crossed over the county line, where Luke then overtook him and said, “Sir, you are lucky to have got over the line, and out of my jurisdiction, or I should have arrested you!”
