JONATHAN HOOPES:Mormon Redress Petition
During March 1839, while the Prophet Joseph Smith, his beloved brother Hyrum, our ancestor Caleb Baldwin, and three others were prisoners in the jail at Liberty, Missouri, The Prophet wrote an inspired epistle to Bishop Edward Partridge, parts of which have since become Sections 121, 122 and 123 of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Because it was their imperative duty (see Section 123), the Saints wrote accounts of their sufferings and persecution in Missouri, exacerbated by Governor Boggs infamous AExtermination Order,hoping that the United States government would do something to redress the illegal and immoral acts committed against them because of their religion. These documents have become the Mormon Redress Petitions.
Jonathan Hoopes accepted his imperative duty and wrote the following, which has been preserved in his own language, including spelling, capitalization and punctuation. This is found on pages 465-466 of the Mormon Redress Petitions:
AClear crick township Davis County state of Missouri being Driven from my home together with family As I was on my road moving I was taken prisoner by Seventy five armed men the plundered my waggon and swore the shoot me and burn my waggon and all that was in it this was on the tenth day of September 1838 the wanted me to Denounce my religion and move my family from Davis County to Levingston County with theirs and fight against my society and then the would protect me after the found that the Could not prevale with me to black my face I xxthemxx (x means letters not understandable) told them that I would suffer Death before I would join them in any such thing some them Cried out shoot him Dam him shoot em while others Cried let him go we want to have the fun of shooting all the Damed mormons and throwing them in a pile after a bout half a day the let me go tiling me to leave the County after two or three Days I went to get the ballance of my goods the about 30 or 40 armed men took my family prisoners and sought my life swearing that if the Could see me the would shoot me but by keeping myself hid in the woods I got away from them on the last week of September Thomas N Aubury Stold two of my horses one of them was a stud worth two hundred Dollars the other is worth Seventy Dollar on the seventh of November I was taken prissoner by the malitia Commanded by General wilson and Parks he ordered our guns to be taken from us they took a rifle worth twenty five Dollars there the mob rode on my horses around me I dare not say one word a bout my horses General Wilson told us that we must leave the state forth with or be exterminated he said that was the governors orders but Gentle men said he I will take it on myself to let you out of Davis County in ten Days into Caldwell County there to remane Duering the winter and then you must leave the state he said we knead not to think to put in a nother Crop if you do the mob will kill you off for we shant Defend you any longer while I was prisoner I heard some of the mob swear that the shot Six mormons as fast as he could load his gun his name is Wm. Peningston a nother man the name runnels said here is blood on my Shirt bosome that he got when he was killing a damed mormon.
It is also recorded on page 466, that Jonathan Hoopes wrote: AN B xxaxx on the last February I went to Davis County to try to get my horses but I Could not get them I was attacted by Wm. Boman and Samuel odel the stoned me severly so that I Could scearce get home. It is also recorded that Jonathan Hoopes lost A$1,115.00 in land, houses and other propertyat the hands of the Missouri mobsters.