Oh God, where art thou?

And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?

Doctrine and Covenants section 121 verse 1.

Hey listeners, this is Nick from Book of Mormon Central.

And today's podcast addresses the question.

Why did Joseph write his famous letter from Liberty Jail?

The letter Joseph Smith wrote in Liberty Jail between March 20th and 22nd, 1839,

is perhaps his most famous letter. Substantial excerpts from it have been canonized as

Doctrine and Covenants section

121, 123. These important sections contain some especially well-known and memorable passages.

But few have ever read the letter in its entirety, and thus many do not realize that it also contains further

words of advice and inspiration that are well worth study, reflection, and consideration.

Joseph wasn't the only luminary in history to write from the confines of a cell.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, John Brown, Titus Brandsma, Boethius, and of course,

the Apostle Paul, all wrote important, impactful letters from prison.

Joseph Smith's letter from Liberty Jail is among these famous letters written under such

confining circumstances.

As a pair of Latter-day Saints scholars recently observed, the letter from Liberty

Jail represents a distinctive Latter-day Saint contribution to the canon of great prison literature,

offering, among other things, poignant reflections on power by those who suffer its abuses.

Why did these people write? All these letters are passionate pleas for justice,

reform, and vindication. Many of them give instructions and offer philosophical or religious guidance.

...