saints the standard of truth

A traitor or a man

Steady rain pelted the streets of Independence, Missouri, on the evening of May 6, 1842. At home, Lilburn Boggs finished his dinner and settled into a chair to read the newspaper.
Although his term as the governor of Missouri had ended more than a year earlier, Boggs was still active in politics and was now running for an open seat in the state senate. He had made enemies over the years, and his election was hardly certain. Besides criticizing him for issuing the extermination order that drove thousands of Saints from the state, some Missourians were displeased with the governor's aggressive handling of a border dispute with Iowa Territory. Others raised questions about the way he had raised funds for a new state capitol building.

As Boggs glanced at the headlines, he sat with his back to a window. The evening was cool and dark, and he could hear the faint patter of the rain outside.
At that moment, unbeknownst to Boggs, someone stole silently across his muddy yard and aimed a heavy pistol through the window. A flash of light erupted from the barrel, and Boggs slumped over his newspaper. Blood flowed from his head and neck.
Hearing the gunshot, Boggs's son rushed into the room and called for help. By then the shooter had tossed the weapon to the ground and fled unseen, leaving only footprints in the mud.

While investigators tried to track down Boggs's shooter, Hyrum Smith was in Nauvoo investigating crimes of a different nature. In the early weeks of May, several women had accused Mayor John Bennett of appalling acts. In the presence of a city alderman, they told Hyrum that John had come to them in secret insisting that it was not sinful to have a sexual relationship with him as long as they told no one. Calling his practice "spiritual wifery," John had lied to them, assuring them that Joseph approved of such behavior.
At first, the women had refused to believe John. But he insisted and had his friends swear to the women that he was telling the truth. If he was lying, he said, the sin would fall squarely on him. And if they became pregnant, he promised that as a physician, he would perform an abortion. The women eventually gave in to John--and to a few of his friends when they came making similar requests.
Hyrum was horrified. He had known for a while that John was not the man of character he had first claimed to be. Rumors about John's past had surfaced shortly after he moved to Nauvoo and became mayor. Bishop George Miller had been sent by Joseph to investigate the rumors and soon learned that John had a history of moving from place to place, using his many talents to take advantage of people.
George also discovered that John had children and was still married to a woman he had abused and cheated on for many years.
After William Law and Hyrum had verified these findings, Joseph confronted John and rebuked him for his past wickedness. John had promised to reform, but Joseph had lost confidence in him and no longer trusted him as before.
Now, as Hyrum listened to the women's testimony, he knew something more had to be done. Together Hyrum, Joseph, and William drew up a document excommunicating John from the church, which other church leaders signed. Because they were still investigating the extent of John's sins and hoped to settle the matter without creating a public scandal, they decided to withhold the excommunication notice.
But one thing was certain: the mayor had become a danger to the city and the Saints, and Hyrum felt compelled to stop him.

John panicked when he learned about Hyrum's investigation. With tears streaming down his cheeks, he went to Hyrum's office and begged for mercy. He said he would be ruined forever if others learned he had deceived so many women. He wanted to talk to Joseph and make things right.
The two men stepped outside, and John saw the prophet crossing the yard to his store. Reaching for him, John cried out, "Brother Joseph, I am guilty." His eyes were red with tears. "I acknowledge it, and I beg of you not to expose me."
"Why are you using my name to carry on your hellish wickedness?" Joseph demanded. "Did I ever teach you anything that was not virtuous?"
"Never!"
"Did you ever know anything unvirtuous or unrighteous in my conduct or actions at any time, either in public or in private?"
"I did not."
"Are you willing to make oath to this before an alderman of the city?"
"I am."
John followed Joseph to his office, and a clerk handed him a pen and paper. When the alderman arrived, Joseph stepped out of the room while John hunched over a desk and wrote out a confession stating that the prophet had not taught him anything contrary to the laws of God. He then resigned his position as mayor of Nauvoo.
Two days later, on May 19, the city council accepted John's resignation as mayor and appointed Joseph to the office. Before he closed the meeting, Joseph asked John if he had anything to say.
"I have no difficulty with the heads of the church, and I intend to continue with you, and hope the time may come when I may be restored to full confidence and fellowship," John said. "Should the time ever come that I may have the opportunity to test my faith, it will then be known whether I am a traitor or a true man."