“One exclaimed, ‘Let us tar up his mouth’ and they tried to force the tar paddle into my mouth. They then tried to force a vial into my mouth, and broke it in my teeth.” — Joseph Smith1
One evening in late March 1832, a mob gathered near the Johnson home in Hiram, Ohio, where Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon were staying.2,3 Joseph was seized and dragged outside as he struggled fiercely. He was overpowered and eventually fell unconscious. When he awoke, he found himself in a meadow, with Sidney lying nearby, seemingly lifeless.3
The mob proceeded to torture Joseph, stripping him, attempting to mutilate him, and pouring pine tar over his lacerated skin. They also tried to force acid down his throat, but the bottle broke, chipping one of his teeth. Instead, they filled his mouth with tar. Sidney, too, was subjected to brutal treatment; he was dragged out of his house, his head hitting the ground repeatedly.4
Despite the horrific ordeal, Joseph managed to return to the Johnson home, where Emma and several women from the neighborhood tended to his wounds. The next day, Joseph preached a sermon from the Johnsons' doorstep and baptized three people. Sidney was left in a delirious state, teetering between life and death due to the severe head trauma he suffered.5
