“I prophesy, in the name of the Lord, you ... so long as ye shall remain loyal and true to thy faith, need fear no enemy. Cut not thy hair, and no bullet or blade can harm thee.” — Joseph Smith¹

Orrin Porter Rockwell was a legendary early convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, baptized the same day the Church was organized. At the time, Rockwell was just 15 years old.² Raised near Joseph Smith’s family in New York, he became a stalwart ally and friend to Joseph, accompanying him through the tumultuous moves in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois. Joseph praised Rockwell as "an innocent and a noble child", and also prophesied that so long as he refused to cut his hair, he would be protected from his enemies.^1,3

In 1842, he was arrested on suspicion of shooting Missouri governor Lilburn W. Boggs. John C. Bennett, a disaffected Latter-day Saint, spread this rumor in an Illinois newspaper. Despite his arrest, he was never indicted—though he served a brief sentence for jailbreak. When finally released, Rockwell famously returned to Nauvoo on Christmas Day, surprising everyone with his long, disheveled hair. After Joseph Smith’s death, Rockwell migrated west with Brigham Young as part of the 1847 vanguard company. Known for his gritty frontier service and unwavering loyalty, he died in Salt Lake City.^1,2

1. "Ask Us: Top Five Reference Questions about Orrin Porter Rockwell," churchofjesuschrist.org

2. "Rockwell, Orrin Porter," josephsmithpapers.org

3. Reflections and Blessings, 16 and 23 August 1842, p. 179, The Joseph Smith Papers