The Tarring of Prophet Joseph and Sidney Rigdon

We spent our P-Day this week tagging along with Karl Anderson (Mr. Kirtland) and a CES Tour. They came out to the Johnson Home where, before the tour, we were all instructed by a tar and feathering expert. He demonstrated the kind of tar that was used on the Prophet Joseph. All these years I could envision hot tar like they use on the roads today. This tar that he talked about was like a thick paste, sort of like toothpaste consistency. He said it was used to seal wood, nails, and more or less like we seal surfaces today. It does harden after a while but goes on sort of like thick glue. We got to put some tar on our hands and then dip them in feathers. (I can imagine a whole body covered with this stuff) Afterward, we could clean it off with lard which he provided. He also talked about how the Lord blessed Joseph that night.

1. The mob had tried to put tar into his mouth and as Joseph resisted and twisted his face, the tar was on his face and around his nose. The nitric acid (aquaforti) they tried to pour in his mouth was stopped by the tar on his lips. They tried to force it in his mouth and as he was resisting broke a tooth in the attempt.

2. Very cold weather had hit the area the week before but that night the temperature had reached 50 degrees. This made it so that the fumes from the nitric acid weren't released, thus saving the Prophet from any chance of inhaling. Had he done so, it could have killed him. If it was any warmer than 50, the fumes could have been released.

3. After all of the clawing and scratching administered to Joseph, there would have been a great possibility of developing infection. There is alcohol in the tar which probably protected the open sores from becoming infected.