“He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum.” — Doctrine and Covenants 135

Following the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Church members like Willard Richards, John Taylor, Eliza R. Snow, and William W. Phelps wrote editorials and poetry to commemorate the martyrs in the Times and Seasons, urging the Saints to be faithful. Writings from that time compared Joseph and Hyrum to biblical martyrs.² John Taylor and Willard Richards were at Carthage Jail when Joseph and Hyrum were killed, and Taylor was seriously injured in the attack.^2,3 The official statement on the martyrdom was canonized as Doctrine and Covenants 135 and drew heavily on the eyewitness accounts of Taylor and Richards, but it's uncertain who the author was.⁴

1. Doctrine and Covenants 135:3

2. Jeffrey Mahas, “Remembering the Martyrdom,” Revelations in Context, churchofjesuschrist.org

3. “John Taylor,” churchofjesuschrist.org

4. “Explanations for the Doctrine and Covenants Section Headings,” josephsmithpapers.org