Nauvoo moment: A daring rescue
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In 1839, after several years of oppression, the Latter-day Saints left Missouri following an officially sanctioned threat of extermination and crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois, where they were kindly received and given refuge by the people of Quincy.
In March of that year, a conference of the Church held near Quincy resolved that a delegate be sent to Washington, D.C., to lay the grievances of the Latter-day Saints before Congress and the U.S. president.
Sidney Rigdon was appointed as the delegate, but he delayed the performance of the mission. The following October, at the Church conference held at Commerce, which would soon be renamed Nauvoo, the Prophet Joseph Smith was appointed as delegate. Without delay, he set about to carry out the mission.
While Joseph and his party were approaching Washington, an incident occurred which speaks both to his bravery and to the pervasiveness of prejudice against him and the Church at that time.
The driver of the coach in which Joseph was riding stopped at a public house. While the driver was occupied inside, the horses took fright and dashed down the road, terrifying the passengers within the coach.
In her panic, one woman tried to throw her baby out of the window, but Joseph prevented her from doing so. He calmed the passengers enough to persuade them to keep their seats. He then opened the door of the runaway coach, climbed up into the driver's seat and reined in the horses, thus preventing injury to the passengers and damage to the coach.
The passengers were profuse in their expressions of gratitude and admiration for his heroism and daring. Among them were several members of Congress who proposed mentioning the incident before that body, believing it would result in some public act honoring the man who had preserved them.
But when they learned that their hero was Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet, their demeanor changed markedly.
"I heard no more of their praise, gratitude or reward," Joseph recounted.
Source: B.H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church 2:29-30
