On the 5th Day of Christmas Past,
Question: How did young Joseph F. Smith show courage during Christmas in Winter Quarters?
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“Courage is a theme of the Christmas story. Think of Mary’s courage to be the handmaiden of the Lord, Joseph’s courage to be the guardian of God’s son, the shepherd’s courage to worship a newborn baby, and the wise men’s courage to follow a new star. What stories of courage have been passed down in your family? Sharing such stories make priceless Christmas gifts. Here is a story from Joseph F. Smith’s family…
Joseph F. Smith was six years old when angry mobs killed his father, Hyrum Smith, along with his uncle, the Prophet Joseph Smith. At eight years of age, he and his mother Mary Fielding Smith drove a yoke of oxen pulling their wagon from Iowa to Winter Quarters, Nebraska. We can’t help but wonder what Christmas would have been like for them at Winter Quarters.
One incident during the winter they spent there reveals the remarkable courage of young Joseph F. Smith. One morning he and another boy his age were on horses watching over the cattle when they suddenly saw a big band of riders charging toward them on horseback. The other boy immediately started for home, crying, “Indians are trying to scatter the cattle!” Joseph’s first impulse was to save the cattle because he knew that if they lost their cattle they couldn’t leave Winter Quarters that year. He dashed off to round up the animals. Two riders raced past him after the other boy, who for some reason jumped off his horse and ran for home. One of the riders took the boy’s horse. Joseph reached the head of the herd and succeeded in turning the cattle toward home just as the riders approached. His efforts, combined with the rush and yells of the riders, stampeded the cattle. A number of riders were finally able to outrun him, even though he had dodged them for some time.
In his own words, Joseph F. Smith recounts: ‘One Indian rode upon the left side and one on the right side of me, and each took me by an arm and leg and lifted me from my horse; they then slackened their speed until my horse ran from under me, then they chucked me down with great violence to the ground. Several horses from behind jumped over me, but did not hurt me. My horse was secured by the Indians and without slackening speed they rode on in the direction from whence they had come.’
Men from the settlement came to help Joseph whose efforts stalled the band of riders just the right amount of time that only Joseph and the other boy’s horses were stolen. All the cattle were saved because of Joseph’s great courage.”
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