Strangely enough, Joshua did believe him. Not that it proved much. Bennett had worked against Joseph in every other way. And Will was right. It was because of men like Bennett and the hatred they sowed that the opposition against the Mormon prophet exploded into open violence. He finally nodded, not responding one way or another.
Bennett reached inside his coat and withdrew an envelope. “You asked what I am doing here. Well, this partially explains it. I received this while in Louisville about mid-July.” He leaned forward and tossed it onto the desk.
Joshua picked it up, opened it, and withdrew one sheet of paper. He unfolded it and looked at it. After a moment, he looked at Will. “It is dated June nineteenth from Carthage.”
“June nineteenth?” Will said in surprise. “A week before the martyrdom?”
Joshua nodded absently, still looking at the sheet. He looked at Bennett as he spoke to Will. “There is no name. It is signed only as ‘a brigadier general of the Illinois militia.’”
“Yes,” Bennett said.
“‘Dear General Bennett—,’” Joshua began. He had emphasized the word
general
with soft sarcasm and Bennett raised a deprecating hand.
“You must remember that I was quartermaster general for the state militia, appointed by the governor. This man also knew I was a general in the Nauvoo Legion.”
“Who is it?” Joshua asked.
Bennett shook his head. “I have a pretty good idea, but the man obviously wanted to remain anonymous, so I feel I must honor his wishes. But read on.”
“‘Dear General Bennett. We need you very much in your military capacity for our campaign against the Mormons. If you can and will come, start without a moment’s delay, as things will come to a crisis in about eight or ten days.’”
Joshua looked up. If this was written on the nineteenth, it was exactly eight days before a mob stormed the Carthage Jail. He said nothing, but continued reading. “‘Perhaps the committee will send this to you in Louisville by express. If so, come with the man who brings it to you. Come to me directly at either Carthage or Warsaw.’ Then it’s signed.”
“I didn’t come, Joshua. I didn’t want to be part of that.”
“Then why are you here now?” Will asked, his voice even and controlled.
Bennett answered, but not to Will. “When I heard the news of Joseph’s tragic death, that changed everything. I knew that there would be many questions about who should lead the Church now.”
“Surely you’re not volunteering!” Will sneered.
“Will!” Joshua said, his voice crackling. “That is enough!”
Bennett finally gave Will a quick look, and it was filled with condescension and sly triumph. “Thank you, Joshua,” he said smoothly. “No, of course I don’t think I am the one to take over from Joseph. I have made my break with the Church. I still vehemently disagree with the direction that Joseph took the Church there at the last. No, the reason I came forward is because of something that happened while I was serving in the First Presidency.”
“You were not in the First Presidency,” Will corrected softly. “Joseph called you to act as an Assistant President while Sidney Rigdon was ill and could not function.”
To Joshua’s surprise, Bennett merely nodded. “That’s correct. But Joseph treated me as though I were a full member of the Presidency. And it was while I was in that position that something of great importance happened.” Again he reached in his pocket and withdrew another envelope. Joshua saw that it was sealed.
“What is that?” Will asked suspiciously.
“A revelation from Joseph Smith,” Bennett retorted. There was no mistaking the triumph in his voice and his amusement at the reaction from both Joshua and Will.
“A revelation?” Will exclaimed.
“What kind of a revelation?” Joshua asked.
“Let me tell you first about how it came about. It was April seventh, eighteen forty-one, three years ago now. Joseph came to me and said that he had received a revelation. At that time, only Hyrum and I were functioning members of the Presidency. Elder Rigdon was quite ill, as Will has noted. But Joseph came to me. First he made me promise with the most solemn oath that I would never divulge, neither through friendship nor enmity, the secret he was about to communicate to me until after his death. If I were to proceed him in death, he said, then he would communicate the secret to another. Otherwise, I was under the most solemn oath. Then he handed me this sealed envelope.”
He contemptuously ignored the skeptical look on Will’s face. But Will wasn’t the only one who found this to be just a bit too preposterous. Joshua couldn’t help the smile that came as a response to Bennett’s claim. “And I suppose that you have no idea what the envelope contains.”
“Oh, no. I know exactly what it contains. Joseph told me.”
“What?” both Will and Joshua asked together.
“Joseph made me swear to him with the most solemn oath that if he should die, I would hand this over to an authorized agent of the Church. It contains a revelation from the Lord about how to reorganize this church in the event that Joseph should die.”
Both father and son just stared at him, mouths agape.
He smiled thinly. “That’s right. And that’s why I am here.”
“And what does this supposed revelation say?” Will asked. He said it with cool detachment, but his eyes were hard and cold. Bennett flinched a little at the implacable bitterness there. Once again, he turned away, looking at Joshua. “Well, among other things,” he said archly, like a child who has been insulted, “the Lord said that I had received the blessings of heaven”—he shot Will a withering glance—“and that I had been sealed up and should never fall.”
“Well, so much for that promise,” Will drawled.
“And that whosoever would bless me,” Bennett went on quickly, his voice rising in warning, “should be blessed,
and
. . .” He paused for effect. “And whosoever should curse me should himself be cursed.”
Will guffawed loudly, shaking his head. Joshua was too flabbergasted to try and rein Will in any longer. “And that is the message of the revelation, that you are approved of heaven?” Will made no attempt to hide his incredulity.
“Of course not,” Bennett muttered. “That was just one sentence or two of it. A blessing for me, if you will. But the main part of the revelation gave instructions about Joseph’s successor,” he said. “It even named him.” Then in a rush, at Will’s look, he blurted it out. “Sidney Rigdon is to be appointed the prophet, seer, and revelator for the Church.”
“Sidney Rigdon?” Will blurted.
“That’s right!” Bennett shot right back. “William Marks and Brigham Young are to be his counselors. Not only is Rigdon to fill Joseph’s position, but the revelation states that he is to be the king and imperial primate of the kingdom. He is to be assisted by princes, dukes, viceroys, and other nobles.”
He leaned forward, his eyes blazing. “Go ahead and scoff if you like, young man, but Joseph told me the whole plan the Lord has in mind for reorganizing his church. He gave me the names of the men who were to fill the various positions and told me how the whole thing was to be done.”
“Why you?” Joshua said. “Why not Brigham Young or one of the Twelve?”
“Because in my position as an Assistant President, and also as mayor of Nauvoo, I was charged with conferring the various degrees and organizing this Halcyon Order.”
“Halcyon Order?” Joshua snapped, losing patience now. This was preposterous. He didn’t much care what happened in the Church, but he knew Joseph Smith, and this was not how Joseph would have organized things. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Halcyon means peaceful, happy, orderly. The halcyon was a mythical bird. When it landed on the seas, the waves were instantly calmed. This is what the kingdom shall become now. A Halcyon Order.”
Joshua leaned back, searching Bennett’s face carefully. “Just out of curiosity, why have you come to me? If Joseph told you to give it to the authorities of the Church, why aren’t you telling this to John Taylor or Parley Pratt?”
“Does Sidney Rigdon know all this?” Will asked suddenly, before Bennett could answer. “You know, he’s not here anymore.”
“Of course I know,” came the response. “I wrote to him in Pittsburgh. I was hoping he would arrive before me, but I expect him any day now.”
“Why me?” Joshua pressed.
Bennett stood, picking up his hat from the desk. He dropped the sealed letter on Joshua’s desk. “You have no vested interest in all of this, Joshua. I don’t want anyone tampering with it. I would like you to read it first, so you know what it contains, but then give it to whomever you wish.” Now his tone was lofty, imperious. “I have done my sacred duty. The rest is up to you.”
“I don’t want it,” Joshua replied.
“I understand that you and Joseph were reconciled before his death. I think Joseph would expect that of you. This revelation came from him. It’s the least you can do to make sure it gets into the right hands.”
The former mayor of Nauvoo shrugged and moved to the door. “I didn’t expect that I would be welcomed back here, Joshua, but I have always been one to follow the Lord’s commandments.” And with that, he stepped out the door and slammed it behind him.
Mary Ann walked up to the small frame home that was being rented by the Manning family, and knocked on the door. After a moment, the door opened and Jane Manning was there. “Well,” she said in surprise, “good morning, Mary Ann.”
“Good morning, Jane. Do you have a moment I could speak with you?”
“Of course. Won’t you come in?”
“It’s so pleasant out here, can we just walk for a few minutes?”
Jane smiled and stepped out onto the porch. “Of course.”
They walked out to the street, moving slowly. Mary Ann decided to plunge right in. “Jane, remember when I mentioned that I would look for work for you?”
“Yes.”
“That was over three weeks ago. You probably thought I had forgotten.”
Jane was clearly taken aback. “Well, actually . . .”
Mary Ann laughed. “At first I had no luck, but just last night I thought of a possibility.”
The black woman was obviously touched. “You don’t have to solve my problems, Mary Ann.”
“I know, but I think this is perfect. But I wanted to talk with you first before proceeding.”
“What is it?”
“You may have heard that my daughter Melissa and her family just returned from Kirtland a couple days ago.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Melissa’s my older daughter. She had a baby on the fifteenth of July. She already has four young children. Just last night she and her husband, Carl, were talking about getting someone in to help out with the housework and to mind the children. Would that be of interest to you?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jane said enthusiastically. “We’ve been worried about making ends meet. Do you think they would have me?”
“With my recommendation,” Mary Ann laughed, “they’ll probably pay you double wages. If you’d like, we can stop in now and meet them. Then the three of you can talk and decide if this is something that will work out for everyone.”
“That would be wonderful,” Jane started, “but—”
Mary Ann went on smoothly. “It will be wonderful to have you as part of their family. Carl is a fine man and is prospering very much right now. As you may know, he owns the Rogers and Sons brickyards. I think having someone to help Melissa will greatly appeal to him.”
“Let’s see if your daughter finds me acceptable first,” Jane murmured.
Mary Ann suddenly understood. “There is no need to worry about that,” she said. “Not for one moment.”
Jane suddenly felt at ease. If Melissa’s mother was so openly accepting of her, perhaps the daughter would be as well. “Thank you, Mary Ann. Thank you for remembering.”
Parley P. Pratt was puffing heavily, obviously having come with some swiftness to the home of Benjamin Steed. He knocked briskly on the door, then stepped back, taking out a handkerchief to wipe his forehead. In a moment, Mary Ann came to the door.
“Elder Pratt, good afternoon.”
“Good afternoon, Sister Mary Ann. Is Benjamin at home?”
“Yes, he and Nathan are in the kitchen working on some plats for their new property. Won’t you come in?”
“Yes, thank you. I’m glad they’re both here.”
Benjamin and Nathan both looked up in surprise as Mary Ann ushered Parley into the kitchen. She started to back away, but the Apostle motioned for her to stay. “You may as well hear this too, Mary Ann. I have some disturbing news.”
“What?” Benjamin asked, pushing the papers in front of him aside. “What’s wrong?”
“You know that letter John Bennett gave to Joshua a couple of days ago?”
“Yes, what about it?”
“You know what it said about who should lead the Church?”
“Joshua didn’t read it. Will took it to Elder Taylor unopened. But Bennett claimed it named Sidney Rigdon as the successor.”
“That’s right. That’s what the letter said. Well, guess who arrived on the steamer today?”
Nathan started. “Sidney’s here?”
“Yes, on the morning boat from Quincy.”
“Here to humbly accept John C. Bennett’s wondrous revelation?” Benjamin said with surprising bitterness.
Parley shook his head, his eyes clearly troubled. “He didn’t get Bennett’s letter. He came as soon as he got word that Joseph and Hyrum had been killed. He knew nothing about Bennett’s supposed revelation.”
“Well, that’s something, at least,” Nathan said.
“Not really,” Parley said slowly.
“What do you mean?” Mary Ann asked, seeing the concern in his eyes.
“Well, according to what Sidney told Willard Richards, he’s had his own revelation. He’s to become the guardian of the Church.”
Nathan slapped the table sharply, angrily. “What! He ran off to Pittsburgh just when things started getting dangerous here, and now he’s back to claim the throne?”
“Yes. But only out of a sense of duty,” Parley said with heavy sarcasm. He turned to Benjamin. “There’s to be a short meeting this afternoon with some of the high priests. Can you and Nathan be there?”
“Of course. Where and when?”
“Four p.m. at Elder Richards’s house.”
“All right. We’ll be there.”
“Thank you.” He tipped his head toward Mary Ann. “I’ll be off and let others know. Good day.” But as he reached the door he stopped and turned again. He was frowning deeply. “President Marks has invited Sidney to speak to the people at worship services tomorrow.”