Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail

During the almost five months that Joseph Smith was in Liberty jail, he spent much time reflecting on the experiences in his life that brought him to that point.  He also had time to write to members of the church about these thoughts.  He seemed to develop a more intense spiritual insight on suffering and affliction.  You may be wondering, what got him into prison in the first place?  I'll lay the facts out on the table.   The members of the church were gaining political and economic power in Missouri.  Local mobs resented their growing power and began "punishing" Joseph Smith and other church leaders.  Among these punishments were tarring and feathering, burning of mormon shops, and making threats to kill members of the church.  Governor Boggs sent out an extermination order allowing the citizens of Missouri to force Mormons out of the state.  Mormons were stripped of all weaponry and possessions to pay back the state.  Joseph agreed to meet with the militia to try and avoid bloodshed but, General Lucas ordered his execution.  General Doniphan refused, calling it murder,  and the leaders of the church were taken into custody instead.  There they were tried and convicted of treason.

You may decide for yourself but for me, my faith in Joseph Smith as a prophet set aside, I feel that there was nothing just about what happened in Missouri.  The saints suffered.  We can read journal after journal where members of the church described the scenes they witnessed and affliction they experienced by the hand of the angry mobs. I'd like to read a journal of any member of the community that suffered by the hands of one of the saints and I'm thinking it would be difficult to find one.  

While in Liberty Jail, Joseph Smith was comforted by the Lord, as recorded in D&C 121: 7-9.  "My son, peace be unto they soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and the, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.  Thy friends do stand by thee and shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands."  While in prison he wrote, "it will be a trial of our faith equal to that of Abraham, and that the ancients will not have whereof to boast over us in the day of judgment, as being called to pass through heavier afflictions; that we may hold an even weight in the balance with them....for my part, I think I never could have felt as I now do, if I had not suffered the wrongs that I have suffered.  All things shall work together for good to them that love God". It is clear that Joseph felt the comforting words of the Lord and internalized that which the Lord revealed unto him by the spirit.  He came away strengthened.  Many of the sermons he gave after his experience in Liberty Jail were recorded and it is evident that his desire to serve God was even greater after he was persecuted for doing so.  The Lord promised him blessings if he endured and he had confidence that it would be so.  If his path were easy, he would not have come away with enough conviction and testimony to go forward with the Lord's work.  Suffering affliction tests as true disciple and we know that these trials are the refiners fire.  Joseph Smith could see this and he lived to inspire the saints to work through all the trials he knew were ahead.