Firesides with Howard Carlos Smith
Howard Carlos Smith
This has been an amazing journey since 2008 when I first saw and held the Nauvoo Legion Sword of Joseph Smith. It is truly amazing the spiritual experiences one can have when having a desire to accomplish righteous desires and trying to live your life as such. Though I am not a direct descendant of Joseph Bates Noble I feel extremely close to this wonderful man and am grateful that my aunt Bernice Smith married Delbert Noble the grandson of Joseph Bates and Sylvia Loretta Mecham Noble.
I have been privileged to meet a lot of wonderful Noble descendants that live in Idaho, Utah, Washington, Nevada, Arizona to name a few States. I have great love and respect for my cousin Lamar Noble and his wife Teri. For their willingness and ability to be the current “Keeper of the Prophet’s Sword” and allowing me to share these items with whomever would like to see them. Lamar is like a brother to me. We lived across the street from one another in West Bountiful, Utah while growing up. We both worked on his great-grandfather’s farm growing and harvesting many crops to sell and share with the widows and those in need. Lamar and I are the only sons of our parents so we became like brothers with Lamar taking me “under his wing” and helping me learn the art of farming. His father Del and grandfather Wally were also great mentors and lived on the old homestead.
I have also been priviledged to meet many, many people that had never heard of Joseph Bates Noble. He was not on the forefront of LDS Church History like so many of his friends – Brigham Young, John Taylor, Orson Pratt and Porter Rockwell to name a few – yet he lived great and died great in the eyes of the Lord. The individuals I have met over the course of this time that have learned of Joseph Bates Noble walk away with an understanding of who Joseph Bates Noble is and of his love and dedication to the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They also walk away with an appreciation as to why Joseph Smith chose Joseph Bates Noble to be the keeper of his sword and to hide it away.
Gospel in Art has a wonderful art exhibit at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City, Utah. This exhibit will run through Saturday, October 4, 2014. This exhibit honors the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith Relics. There are many art displays from LDS artists (Liz Lemon Swindle, Del Parson, David Lindsley, Andrew Knapp, and more) as well as artifacts from that period. The first organ of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir which Brother Daynes carried across the plains many times on his back is on display, old photographs, etc. Please stop by to see these treasures in church history. The week of September 29, 2014 through October 5, 2014 I will be sharing the Nauvoo Legion sword, “Casket Stick” and Hairlocks of Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith as well as the Cap and Ball Rifle of Joseph Bates Noble and his Family Bible dated 1872 which held the Hairlocks of the two prophets. Please come visit with me and see these items as well as all the items on display.
If you are interested in having Howard come to your stake, ward, youth function or family party/reunion and share the story of Joseph Bates Noble and how he obtained Joseph Smith’s Nauvoo Legion sword. With sufficient notice he will bring the sword, casket stick, cap and ball rifle of Joseph Bates Noble and the hair locks of Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith for viewing.
We live in Burley, Idaho and visit Salt Lake City often to see relatives. Please email my wife Jolene Smith if you would like see about availability at: jjs56mail2@gmail.com or call at 208-312-5438
Three Unsheathed Swords Witness Today!
1) The Lord’s Sword
2) Sword of Laban
3) Joseph Smith’s Nauvoo Legion Sword
D&C Chapter 1; November 1, 1831
11 Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear:
12 Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh;
13 And the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth.
14 And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people;
15 For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant;
Last Public Address Of Lieutenant General Joseph Smith
June 18th, 1844 – Unsheathing his sword the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I call God and angels to witness that I have unsheathed my sword with a firm and unalterable determination that this people shall have their legal rights, and be protected from mob violence, or my blood shall be spilt upon the ground like water, and my body consigned to the silent tomb, but if there is one drop of blood shed on this occasion, the sword shall never again be sheathed until Christ comes to reign on earth.
Brigham Young In the Journal of Discourses
Brigham Young, on June 17, 1877, related the following: “I lived right in the country where the plates were found from which the Book of Mormon was translated, and I know a great many things pertaining to that country. I believe I will take the liberty to tell you of another circumstance that will be as marvelous as anything can be. This is an incident in the life of Oliver Cowdery, that he did not take the liberty of telling such things in meeting as I take.
“I tell these things to you, and I have a motive for doing so. I want to carry them to the ears of my brethren and sisters, and to the children also, that they may grow to an understanding of some things that seem to be entirely hidden from the human family. Oliver Cowdery went with the Prophet Joseph when he deposited these plates. Joseph did not translate all of the plates; there was a portion of them sealed, which you can learn from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. When Joseph got the plates, the angel instructed him to carry them back to the Hill Cumorah, which he did.
“Oliver says that when Joseph and Oliver went there, the hill opened, and they walked into a cave, in which there was a large and spacious room. He says he did not think, at the time, whether they had the light of the sun or artificial light, but that it was just as light as day. They laid the plates on a table; it was a large table that stood in the room. Under this table there was a pile of plates as much as two feet high, and there were altogether in this room more plates than probably many wagon loads; they were piled up in corners and along the walls.
“The first time they went there the SWORD OF LABAN hung upon the wall; but when they went again it had been taken down and laid upon the table across the gold plates; it was unsheathed, and on it was written these words: ‘This sword will never be sheathed again until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God and his Christ.” I tell you this is coming not only from Oliver Cowdery, but others who were familiar with it, and who understood it… I take the liberty of referring to those things so they will not be forgotten and lost.” (19 Journal of Discourses 38)
