History of the Saints

On the afternoon of October 30, 1838, a vigilante force of more than two hundred armed men attacked and raided the small settlement known as Hawn’s Mill in eastern Caldwell County, Missouri. The premeditated assault left seventeen Mormon men and boys dead and more than a dozen others wounded. But those who remained had little time to mourn their loss. Afraid of another attack, short of help, and facing unseasonably cold temperatures, the shocked survivors quickly buried fourteen of their dead in an unfinished dry well. During the weeks and months that followed, life at Hawn’s Mill was bleak, especially for the women and children whose husbands and fathers had been killed or wounded. Those left behind struggled to provide for their families. Yet the experiences of the Latter-day Saints at Hawn’s Mill exemplify incredible faith, courage, and commitment in the midst of terrible tragedy. Their stories touch the deepest of sympathies, inspire faith, and strengthen testimony, and they should never be forgotten. But why did the attack occur? Who was involved? And did the Saints at Hawn’s Mill disobey Joseph Smith’s counsel? These and other telling questions are explained and clarified in this first-of-a-kind DVD devoted exclusively to helping viewers understand the massacre at Hawn’s Mill.

The Relief Society was never intended to be just a class for the women in the ward who did not have a calling elsewhere. Its intended purpose was much more exalted—bolder and nobler. The Female Relief Society of Nauvoo was organized under the direction of the Prophet Joseph Smith. From March to August of 1842, he met with the sisters six times, teaching them doctrine and giving them counsel, inspiration, and purpose. They were to be, he said, "a select society separate from all of the evils of the world, choice, virtuous, and holy," whose purpose was to "save souls" and to care for the poor and the needy. Emma Smith, the elect lady, was chosen as their leader. In their organizational meeting, with her prophet husband standing by, she declared, "We are going to do something extraordinary." And so it has come to pass. This History of the Saints one-hour documentary presentation takes you back to 1842 and the very beginnings of Relief Society, where Joseph Smith imparted the purpose, the vision, and the place of women in the Restoration: a place where "Charity Never Faileth." This documentary is hosted by Ruth Todd and features interviews with current and past Relief Society leaders and scholars on Latter-day Saint women's history.