26 June 1844 - Joseph Smith last recorded dream

[Hemidakota]

Joseph related the following dream which he had last night prior to his death:

The Prophet's Dream of his Kirtland Farm

"I was back in Kirtland, Ohio, and thought I would take a walk out by myself, and view my old farm, which I found grown up with weeds and brambles, and altogether bearing evidence of neglect and want of culture. I went into the barn, which I found without floor or doors, with the weather-boarding off, and was altogether in keeping with the farm.

"While I viewed the desolation around me, and was contemplating how it might be recovered from the curse upon it, there came rushing into the barn a company of furious men, who commenced to pick a quarrel with me.

"The leader of the party ordered me to leave the barn and farm, stating it was none of mine, and that I must give up all hope of ever possessing it.

"I told him the farm was given me by the Church, and although I had not had any use of it for some time back, still I had not sold it, and according to righteous principles it belonged to me or the Church.

"He then grew furious and began to rail upon me, and threaten me, and said it never did belong to me nor to the Church.

"I then told him that I did not think it worth contending about, that I had no desire to live upon it in its present state, and if he thought he had a better right I would not quarrel with him about it but leave; but my assurance that I would not trouble him at present did not seem to satisfy him, as he seemed determined to quarrel with me, and threatened me with the destruction of my body.

"While he was thus engaged, pouring out his bitter words upon me, a rabble rushed in and nearly filled the barn, drew out their knives, and began to quarrel among themselves for the premises, and for a moment forgot me, at which time I took the opportunity to walk out of the barn about up to my ankles in mud.

"When I was a little distance from the barn, I heard them screeching and screaming in a very distressed manner, as it appeared they had engaged in a general fight with their knives. While they were thus engaged, the dream or vision ended." (Recorded 27 June 1844)

[HiJolly]

Thanks, Hemi. Dreams can be very interesting.

HiJolly

[WindRiver]

I wonder what would happen if the descendants of the members of the church who were thrown out of their homes or forced to sell their farms for pennies got together and laid claim to the land that was essentially stolen from their progenitors.

The courts seem pretty eager lately to give back some land to native tribes......

[Hemidakota]

True...I wonder if the courts would dig up old records in returning what was purchased back in the 1800s?

[llytn51]

We might see those things happen during the Millenium which I'm sure we will see soon enough.

[Hemidakota]

That was my assessment also.

[Orrinian]

Joseph related the following dream which he had last night prior to his death:

The Prophet's Dream of his Kirtland Farm

"I was back in Kirtland, Ohio, and thought I would take a walk out by myself, and view my old farm, which I found grown up with weeds and brambles, and altogether bearing evidence of neglect and want of culture. I went into the barn, which I found without floor or doors, with the weather-boarding off, and was altogether in keeping with the farm.

"While I viewed the desolation around me, and was contemplating how it might be recovered from the curse upon it, there came rushing into the barn a company of furious men, who commenced to pick a quarrel with me.

"The leader of the party ordered me to leave the barn and farm, stating it was none of mine, and that I must give up all hope of ever possessing it.

"I told him the farm was given me by the Church, and although I had not had any use of it for some time back, still I had not sold it, and according to righteous principles it belonged to me or the Church.

"He then grew furious and began to rail upon me, and threaten me, and said it never did belong to me nor to the Church.

"I then told him that I did not think it worth contending about, that I had no desire to live upon it in its present state, and if he thought he had a better right I would not quarrel with him about it but leave; but my assurance that I would not trouble him at present did not seem to satisfy him, as he seemed determined to quarrel with me, and threatened me with the destruction of my body.

"While he was thus engaged, pouring out his bitter words upon me, a rabble rushed in and nearly filled the barn, drew out their knives, and began to quarrel among themselves for the premises, and for a moment forgot me, at which time I took the opportunity to walk out of the barn about up to my ankles in mud.

"When I was a little distance from the barn, I heard them screeching and screaming in a very distressed manner, as it appeared they had engaged in a general fight with their knives. While they were thus engaged, the dream or vision ended." (Recorded 27 June 1844)

It's the first time I'm hearing about this. And I am immensely impressed and also sad by reading this last recorded dream of Joseph Smith. The barn was without floor and doors, and a company of furious men came rushing in, and the leader of the party ordered Joseph Smith to leave the barn and the farm, stating it was none of his, and that he had to give up all hope of ever possessing it. The leader of the party grew furious, and he threatened Joseph with the destruction of his body, even though Joseph offered him to give him what he claimed for. Then, after the rabble had rushed in and began quarreling among themselves with their knives in their hands, Joseph could find the way out of the barn, and he could hear them screaming in a distressed manner.

Well, as far as I can see, this dream of Joseph Smith is full of foreseeing symbolism. What was the real intention of the leader who offended and scared him, and threatened him with violance and the destruction of his body? Why was that offender not satisfied by the words of the prophet? And why was he not satisfied when Joseph even offered him to leave him what he wanted? And what about the rabble, and why started they obviously fighting to each other and killing themselves after Joseph had left the barn? And what was Joseph's view to all that what was going on there in the barn after he went out? Where did Joseph looked back to? And from which place or point of view he might have done it? In my personal belief he foreseeded the evil that went to occure him the next morning.

Edited September 13, 2010 by Orrinian

[Guest brettlee]

Smith was wary of Protestant sectarianism as a youth. His worldview was influenced by folk magic, and he became known locally as one who could divine the location of buried treasure. In the late 1820s, Smith said that an angel directed him to a buried book of golden plates inscribed with a religious history of ancient American peoples. After publishing what he said was an English translation of the plates as the Book of Mormon, he organized a Christian primitivist church named the Church of Christ.

[Jbdf]

Does anyone here know anything about where the account of this dream came from before it got incorporated into History of the Church?

Looking through an old LDS almanac compiled by W. W. Phelps, I found a rather different one listed as Joseph's last dream (which would probably be actually his second or third last dream):

While I was at Jordan's in Iowa the other night, I dreamed that myself and my brother Hyrum went on board of a large steamboat, lying in a small bay, near the great ocean. Shortly after we went on board there was an "alarm of fire," and I discovered that the boat had been anchored some distance from the shore, out in the bay, and that an escape from the fire, in the confusion, appeared hazardous; but, as delay was folly, I and Hyrum jumped overboard, and tried our faith at walking upon the water.

At first we sank in the water nearly to our knees, but as we proceeded we increased in faith, and were soon able to walk upon the water. On looking towards the burning boat in the east, we saw that it was drifting towards the wharf and the town, with a great flame and clouds of smoke; and, as if by whirlwind, the town was taking fire, too, so that the scene of destruction and horror of the frightened inhabitants was terrible.

We proceeded on the bosom of the mighty deep and were soon out of sight of land. The ocean was still; the rays of the sun were bright, and we forgot all the troubles of our Mother Earth. Just at that moment I heard the sound of a human voice, and, turning round, saw my brother Samuel H. approaching towards us from the east. We stopped and he came up. After a moment's conversation he informed me that he had been lonesome back, and had made up his mind to go with me across the mighty deep.

We all started again, and in a short time were blest with the first sight of a city, whose gold and silver steeples and towers were more beautiful than say I had ever seen or heard of on earth. It stood, as it were, upon the western shore of the mighty deep we were walking on, and its order and glory seemed far beyond the wisdom of man. While we were gazing upon the perfection of the city, a small boat launched off from the port, and, almost as quick as thought, came to us. In an instant they took us on board and saluted us with a welcome, and with music such as is not on earth. The next scene, on landing, was more than I can describe: the greeting of old friends, the music from a thousand towers, and the light of God himself at the return of three of his sons, soothed my soul into a quiet and a joy that I felt as if I was truly in heaven. I gazed upon the splendor; I greeted my friends. I awoke, and lo, it was a dream!

While I meditated on such a marvelous scene, I fell asleep again, and behold I stood near the shore of the burning boat, and there was a great consternation among the officers, crew and passengers of the flaming craft, as there seemed to be much ammunition or powder on board. The alarm was given that the fire was near the magazine, and in a moment, suddenly, it blew up with a great noise, and sank in deep water with all on board. I then turned to the country east, among the bushy openings, and saw William and Wilson Law endeavoring to escape from the wild beasts of the forest, but two lions rushed out of a thicket and devoured them. I awoke again.

From William W. Phelps, Almanac for the Year 1863: Being the Thirty Fourth Year of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Great Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret News, 1862), 28-29.

[Suzie]

Does anyone here know anything about where the account of this dream came from before it got incorporated into History of the Church

Are you talking about the first dream posted on this thread? Elder Cyrus H. Wheelock said Joseph Smith told him about the dream when he visited him in jail the night before he was murdered.

[pam]

Have a kleenex. Done by a friend of mine. The painting used is by Jon McNaughton that was done for this video.

[Just_A_Guy]

It should be noted that the account comes from a late reminiscence by William W. Phelps. It may be true, but it is somewhat problematic from a historical point of view as LDS historian Ardis Parshall notes here. The main problems are the late date of the reminiscence, the fact that the compilers of the History of the Church must have known of this and chose not to include it, and the fact that Phelps himself suffered from some kind of mental breakdown and became less and less reliable in his later years. (The video's producer provides a very gentlemanly and thoughtful response here.)

Edited July 15, 2011 by Just_A_Guy

[Suzie]

It should be noted that the account comes from a late reminiscence by William W. Phelps. It may be true, but it is somewhat problematic from a historical point of view as LDS historian Ardis Parshall notes here. The main problems are the late date of the reminiscence, the fact that the compilers of the History of the Church must have known of this and chose not to include it, and the fact that Phelps himself suffered from some kind of mental breakdown and became less and less reliable in his later years. (The video's producer provides a very gentlemanly and thoughtful response here.)

Yep. Phelps was in his 70's when he recounted the story almost two decades later (and that he only heard ONCE). I have no reason not to believe it, specially the fact that he was so close to the Prophet but age and health matter and his was deteriorating fast.