White Horse Prophecy

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White Horse Prophecy

66 Primary Sources

Timeline of the White Horse Prophecy

December 1833

Joseph Smith[BIO] receives a revelation that the U.S. Constitution was established by God.[1]

July 1840

Martha Jane Knowlton Coray[BIO] records that Joseph Smith said that the U.S. Constitution will be "on the brink of ruin" and be saved by the Latter-day Saint people.[2]

June 27, 1844

Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith[BIO] are murdered in Carthage Jail, Illinois.[3]

July 1854

Brigham Young[BIO] recalls that Joseph Smith taught "the time will come when the destiny of the nation will hang upon a single thread. At that critical juncture, this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction."[4]

circa 1848–1904

James Burgess[BIO] appends a May 1843 entry to his journal that states that Joseph Smith taught the U.S. Constitution "would hang by a brittle thread."[5]

circa 1898–1902

John J. Roberts[BIO] copies Edwin Rushton's account of the "White Horse Prophecy" which Rushton claims he witnessed in May of 1843.[6]

December 1904

Edwin Rushton dies in Salt Lake City.[7]

1906

C. C. Anderson[BIO] reprints John J. Roberts's journal entry in a book.[8]

October 1912

President Joseph F. Smith,[BIO] in the October 1912 General Conference, says Joseph Smith taught that "the Constitution of our country would hang as it were by a thread."[9]

October 1918

In the October 1918 General Conference, Joseph F. Smith condemns the White Horse Prophecy as a "ridiculous story" and not a true prophecy of Joseph Smith.[10]

December 2009

The Church issues an official statement concerning the White Horse Prophecy stating it is "based on accounts that have not been substantiated by historical research and is not embraced as Church doctrine."[11]

What is the White Horse Prophecy?

It's a prophecy Joseph Smith[BIO] allegedly gave on or around May 7, 1843.[12] The prophecy was an elaborate apocalyptic vision that describes global turmoil and war and uses symbolic colored horses (white, pale, red, and black) to represent different elements of the vision.[13]

It also referenced the idea that the U.S. Constitution will "hang by a thread,"[14] though Joseph Smith reportedly taught this idea several years before the appearance of the White Horse Prophecy.[15]

Did Joseph Smith actually give the White Horse Prophecy?

Probably not. Researchers have dismissed the authenticity of the prophecy,[16] as have Church leaders,[17] although there are some elements of the prophecy that are teachings from Joseph Smith.[18]

There are no corroborating historical records referencing the prophecy from pioneer-era or early Utah publications or journals[19] nor any record contemporary with Joseph Smith (see below).

Sources for the White Horse Prophecy

Date	Source Name	Source Information
Undated but estimated to be no earlier than 1885 and no later than 1902.[20]	"original source" or "Manuscript 3771"[21]	In the handwriting of Edwin Rushton[BIO] who claimed to have been present when Joseph Smith gave the alleged prophecy.[22] The unsteady writing suggests that the document was written by Rushton in his older years.[23] A stamp bears the name "C. N. Christensen."[BIO][24]
Undated but estimated to be no earlier than 1868 and no later than 1902.[25]	"revised source" or "Manuscript 7897"[26]	Possibly in the handwriting of A. G. Giauque.[BIO] Signed by Edwin Rushton. Next to Rushton's signature are the words "witness signature A.G. Giauque."[27]
March 2, 1902 [28]	"hearsay source" found in John J. Roberts, Reminiscences and Diaries, 1898-1902.[29]	He reported receiving it from Robert Pierce on February 28, 1902.[30]

A photograph portrait of Edwin Rushton, originator of Manuscript 3771 an account of the White Horse Prophecy. — Edwin Rushton, originator of Manuscript 3771.

What are the actual contents of the White Horse Prophecy?

The White Horse Prophecy gives multiple predictions,[31] from a "terrible revolution" to the Messiah coming.[32][33] Some of the other predictions include:

The Constitution of the United States will be almost destroyed and will hang like a thread.[34]
The "White Horse" will send out elders to gather "the honest in heart" from among the "Pale Horse" (people of the United States).[35]
The whole of the United States will be made the Zion of God.[36]

Did the belief that the U.S. Constitution would one day "hang by a thread" originate with the White Horse Prophecy?

No. James Burgess recalled Joseph Smith predicting the Constitution would hang by a "brittle thread."[37] This teaching from Joseph Smith was corroborated by Brigham Young,[38] Orson Hyde,[39] and Eliza R. Snow.[40]

Why is the prophecy so well known despite it probably being fake?

The press has brought the White Horse Prophecy up on several occasions when Latter-day Saints have run for political office.[41]

Church leaders have referenced the teaching that the U.S. Constitution would be in danger,[42][43] which Joseph probably did teach.[44]

Does the White Horse Prophecy mean that a Mormon is going to run for president and take over the United States?

No. There's nothing in the prophecy that says anything like that.[45]

Do members of the Church plan on some sort of political revolution? Does the "constitution hanging by a thread" mean that Church members think the government needs to be overthrown?

No. The Church affirms only peaceful political activities, not violent activities such as overthrowing a democratically elected government.[46]

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66 Primary Sources

Footnotes

BIOJoseph Smith, Jr.
Joseph Smith (1805–1844) organized The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Born in Sharon, Vermont, he began to experience visions of deity and angels at a young age. One vision featured the Angel Moroni, who revealed the location of gold plates with an account of ancient Americans. He translated this record and published it as The Book of Mormon. He continued to receive revelations throughout his life which serve as the foundation for the Church's doctrine today. He led the Latter-day Saints across the country from New York to Illinois. In 1844, he was martyred while awaiting trial in Carthage, Illinois.
BIOMartha Jane Knowlton Coray
Martha Jane Knowlton Coray (1821–1881) was a Latter-day Saint pioneer, record keeper, and educator. She assisted Lucy Mack Smith in creating a biography of Joseph Smith, later published as History of Joseph Smith by His Mother. Coray was the only female member of the first board of trustees of Brigham Young Academy.
BIOHyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith (1800–1844) was born in Tunbridge, Vermont. He was the older brother of Joseph Smith, who organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and served as the Church's second patriarch. He was one of the Eight Witnesses to the Book of Mormon. In 1837, he became Second Counselor in the First Presidency, and the following year, he was imprisoned alongside Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail. Hyrum Smith became the Church's new patriarch in 1841 after the death of his father, Joseph Smith, Sr., in Nauvoo. Hyrum also served as a member of the City Council, the Nauvoo Legion, and the Council of Fifty. He was martyred along with Joseph Smith in Carthage Jail in 1844.
BIOBrigham Young
Brigham Young (1801–1877) was an early Latter-day Saint leader. He was born in Whitingham, Vermont, and joined the faith in his twenties after two years of deliberation. He became the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles following the fractionalization of the Church in Kirtland, Ohio. After Joseph Smith's martyrdom in 1844, Young assumed the presidency and led the Latter-day Saints to settle in the Great Basin region. He was married to fifty-five women and fathered fifty-nine children from sixteen of his wives. He also served as the Territorial Governor for Utah Territory until 1857 and as the prophet until his death.
BIOJames Burgess
James Burgess (1818–1904) was born in Barton-Upon-Humbler, Lincolnshire, England. He was baptized a member of the Church in 1840. Burgess arrived in Nauvoo in April of 1843. He married Lydia Wyman Stiles in 1845 and received his endowment in 1846. He also served in the British mission in 1849.
BIOJohn J. Roberts
John J. Roberts (1877–1965) was born in Paradise, Cache, Utah. He served a mission for the Church in Samoa from 1898 to 1902. He is the source of one of the copies of the so-called White Horse Prophecy—he wrote that he received this prophecy from Robert Pierce on February 28, 1902 in his "Reminiscences and Diaries 1898-1902."
BIOC. C. Anderson
C. C. Anderson published The Boy prophet's wonderful sermon at the funeral of King Follett, Nauvoo, Illinois, 1844 in 1906, which also contained a copy of the so-called White Horse Prophecy.
BIOJoseph F. Smith
Joseph F. Smith (1838–1918) was born in Far West, Missouri to Hyrum and Mary Fielding Smith. At age 15, he was called to serve his first mission to the Sandwich Islands under the direction of apostle Parley P. Pratt. During the 1858-59 session of the Utah territorial legislature, he served as the sergeant-at-arms. He served another mission for the Church in Great Britain from 1860 to 1863.
Smith was ordained an apostle by Brigham Young in July 1866. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency under John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow. He became the president of the Church in 1901. Smith issued the Second Manifesto, declaring that any church officer who performed a plural marriage would be excommunicated, alongside the couple themselves. He also received what is now canonized as section 138 of the Doctrine and Covenants, a vision of the spirit world in 1918.
BIOEdwin Rushton
Edwin Rushton (1824–1904) was born in Leek, England. He joined the Church there and immigrated to Nauvoo, arriving in 1842. Rushton headed west with the Saints in 1846. He also claimed to have met a Cain-like figure in Nauvoo in 1847. Rushton is best known for being the source of the "White Horse Prophecy." He owned a seer stone that he said he found in Nauvoo that could give him a vision of where the tribes of Israel were "beyond the ice."He worked as a miller, farmer, and stock raiser until his death in Salt Lake City at age eighty.
BIOChristen N. Christensen
Christen N. Christensen (1874–1965) was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He served in the Scandinavian Mission from 1900 to 1902. He married Edith Rushton in the Salt Lake Temple on November 16, 1904.
BIOA. G. Giauque
Arnold Gustave Giauque (1857–1919), sometimes spelled Gianque, was born in Saint-Imier, Bern, Switzerland. He was called as a Bishop of the 6th ward in 1906 until his death at the age of 62 in Salt Lake City. He was noted as the witness to Edwin Rushton's "White Horse Prophecy" testimony.
[1]↩︎
In a December 16, 1833 revelation, Joseph revealed:
I [God] [e]stablished the constitution of this land by the hands of wise men, whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.
This revelation would become Doctrine and Covenants section 101.
- Joseph Smith reveals that the US constitution was established by God and the US was redeemed by shedding blood.
[2]↩︎
In this discourse, Joseph Smith spoke of a time when the "12 olive trees" (interpreted by Joseph as being "12 stakes which are yet to be built") will be scattered abroad. He then said:
They will wake up the Nations of the whole Earth Eeven this Nation will be on the very verge of crumbling to peices and tumbling to the ground and when the constitution is upon the brink of ruin this people will be the Staff up[on] which the Nation shall lean and they shall bear away the constitution ~~away~~ from the <very> verge of destruction
- In a sermon, Joseph Smith teaches that the Constitution will one day be on the "brink of ruin" and the Saints will help protect and save it.
[3]↩︎
Section CVI of the 1844 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants recounted the events:
To seal the testimony of this book and the Book of Mormon, we close with the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the prophet and Hyrum Smith the patriarch. They were shot in Carthage jail on the 27th of June, 1844, about 5 o’clock P. M., by an armed mob, painted black—of from 150 to 200 persons. Hyrum was shot first and fell calmly exclaiming “I am a dead man!” Joseph leaped from the window, and was shot dead in the attempt, exclaiming “O Lord my God!”—They were both shot after they were dead in a brutal manner, and both received four balls.
- John Taylor recounts the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith on June 27, 1844.
[4]↩︎
In a July 4, 1854 sermon, Brigham taught:
Will the Constitution be destroyed? No: it will be held inviolate by this people; and, as Joseph Smith said, ‘The time will come when the destiny of the nation will hang upon a single thread. At that critical juncture, this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction.’ It will be so.
- Brigham Young teaches that the Constitution will never be destroyed but, based on the teachings of Joseph Smith, will hang upon a thread.
[5]↩︎
This journal entry was made at the end of the journal, not in date order. The handwriting is unsteady and indicates that it was likely made many decades later. Burgess ended this journal entry with a statement of attestation. He wrote:
Also upon the constitution and government of the United States stating that the time would come when the Constitution and Government would hang by a brittle thread and would be ready to fall into other hands but this people the Latter day Saints will step forth and save it. General Scott and part of his staff on the American Army was present on the occasion. I James Burgess was present and testify to the above.
- James Burgess records Joseph Smith teaching that the Constitution will "hang by a brittle thread" but the Saints will save it.
[6]↩︎
John Roberts copied the account into his journal.
- John J. Roberts's report of Joseph's purported White Horse Prophecy.
[7]↩︎
Some sources list Rushton's death as December 27, 1904, while others list it as December 28, 1904.
The death certificate of Rushton lists his death date as December 27, 1904.
[8]↩︎
The reprint appeared in C. C. Anderson's book under the chapter "A War Prophecy or The White Horse."
- C.C. Anderson reprints of a copy of Joseph Smith's purported White Horse Prophecy.
[9]↩︎
During the October 1912 General Conference, Joseph F. Smith said:
Joseph Smith, the prophet, was inspired to affirm and ratify this truth, and he further predicted that the time would come, when the Constitution of our country would hang as it were by a thread, and that the Latter-day Saints above all other people in the world would come to the rescue of that great and glorious palladium of our liberty. We cannot brook the thought of it being torn into shreds, or destroyed, or trampled under foot and ignored by men.
- Joseph Fielding Smith writes that Joseph was inspired to predict Constitution will one day hang by a thread and the Saints will protect it.
[10]↩︎
During the October 1918 General Conference, Joseph F. Smith said:
The ridiculous story about the “red horse,” and “the black horse,” and “the white horse,” and a lot of trash that has been circulated about and printed and sent around as a great revelation given by the Prophet Joseph Smith, is a matter that was gotten up, I understand, some ten years after the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, by two of our brethren who put together some broken sentences from the Prophet that they may have heard from time to time, and formulated this so-called revelation out of it, and it was never spoken by the prophet in the manner in which they have put it forth. It is simply false; that is all there is to it.
- Joseph F. Smith says that the White Horse Prophecy is a "ridiculous story" and is not an authentic prophecy of Joseph Smith's.
[11]↩︎
In December 2009, Kim Farah, spokeswomen for the LDS church, issued this statement stating:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is politically neutral and does not endorse or promote any candidate, party or platform. Accordingly, we hope that the campaign practices of political candidates would not suggest that their candidacy is supported by or connected to the church. The so-called 'White Horse Prophecy' is based on accounts that have not been substantiated by historical research and is not embraced as Church doctrine.
- Rexburg Standard Journal quotes statement from Church spokesperson Kim Farah about the White Horse Prophecy.
[12]↩︎
The account of the prophecy in the Joseph A. McRae Collection, circa 1890-1940, recorded how the prophecy was purportedly given "The next morning" after "On or about the 6th day of May, 1843."
In Manuscripts 3771 and 7897, the year is provided, but there are blank spaces for the day and month in the beginning. In Manuscript 3771, it reads "On the [blank space] 1843," while in Manuscript 7897 it reads "On the [blank] day of [blank] 1843." Elsewhere in Manuscript 3771, Joseph Smith's review of the Nauvoo Legion is noted as being "On or about the 6th day of May 1843."
[13]↩︎
The White Horse: the people in the Rocky Mountains who will establish Zion. The people of the White Horse will become rich and powerful and many will come to them for safety during the turmoil of the end-times. The Pale Horse: the people of the United States. The Red Horse: not specifically identified but a powerful group who will play an important role in the last days. The Black Horse: not identified except as being a "force."
The prophecy also states that during the conflict at the end-times, members “will see the Constitution of the United States almost destroyed so that it will only be saved as it where by a thread and that thread as fine as the finest silk fiber."
The prophecy notes that the Constitution will be saved by the combined actions of the White (the Church) and Red (unknown) Horses.
- John J. Roberts's report of Joseph's purported White Horse Prophecy.
[14]↩︎
In Edwin Rushton's statement, Joseph Smith purportedly prophesied that:
You will <see> the Constitution of the United States almost destroyed, it will hang by a thread, as it were, and that thread as fine as the finest silk fibre”
- Edwin Rushton's account of Joseph Smith's purported White Horse Prophecy.
[15]↩︎
In a discourse dated circa July 19, 1840, Joseph reportedly predicted that the Constitution would one day be in great danger:
This Nation will be on the very verge of crumbling to peices and tumbling to the ground and when the constitution is upon the brink of ruin this people will be the Staff up[on] which the Nation shall lean and they shall bear ~~away~~ the constitution away from the <very> verge of destruction
In an 1858 sermon, Orson Hyde recalled that Joseph said:
I believe he said something like this—that the time would come when the Constitution and the country would be in danger of an overthrow; and said he, If the Constitution be saved at all, it will be by the Elders of this Church. I believe this is about the language, as nearly as I can recollect it.
- In a sermon, Joseph Smith teaches that the Constitution will one day be on the "brink of ruin" and the Saints will help protect and save it.
- In a sermon, Orson Hyde teaches that the Constitution and Government would one day be in danger of overthrow but the Elders will save it.
[16]↩︎
For example, in a 2010 study and in his 1971 thesis, Don L. Penrod wrote that many of the historical inaccuracies and anachronisms in the text of the White Horse Prophecy make it unlikely to be authentic.
Historian Christopher Blythe noted that, while it is "possible that Rushton’s report of an 1843 conversation is accurate, and he reconstructed this conversation to the best of his abilities and memory," Rushton "could not have recalled the exact words of Smith’s lengthy monologue to accurately record them fifty years later. Blythe also noted that an analysis of the text showed that Rushton "depended on later sources in drafting the sermon."
[17]↩︎
During the October 1918 General Conference, President Joseph F. Smith spoke of "the ridiculous story about the 'red horse,' and 'the black horse,' and 'the white horse,' and a lot of trash that has been circulated about and printed and sent around as a great revelation given by the Prophet Joseph Smith."
His son, Joseph Fielding Smith (an apostle and a future President of the Church), referred to the prophecy as a "manifestation that proceeds out of darkness, concocted in some corner, surreptitiously presented, and not coming through the proper channels of the Church."
- Joseph F. Smith says that the White Horse Prophecy is a "ridiculous story" and is not an authentic prophecy of Joseph Smith's.
- In a General Conference, Joseph Fielding Smith states the White Horse Prophecy is not a true prophecy from Joseph Smith.
[18]↩︎
For example, the White Horse Prophecy references a future temple in Jackson County, Missouri, which Joseph Smith taught in what is now Doctrine and Covenants 84:3:
Which city shall be built, beginning at the temple lot, which is appointed by the finger of the Lord, in the western boundaries of the State of Missouri, and dedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith, Jun., and others with whom the Lord was well pleased.
Also, in July 1840, Joseph Smith taught the U.S. Constitution would one day be on the "brink of ruin"—a phrase referenced in the White Horse Prophecy.
- In a sermon, Joseph Smith teaches that the Constitution will one day be on the "brink of ruin" and the Saints will help protect and save it.
- Prediction of then-future temple in Missouri.
[19]↩︎
As part of his study, Don L. Penrod noted:
A search of a database of 150 pioneer and early Utah journals turned up none that mention a prophecy about white, red, black, or pale horses. A similar search of LDS periodicals from 1850 to 1899 also turned up nothing about such a prophecy. This lack of any mention of the white horse prophecy suggests that it was not in circulation among the Saints in 1854 or for many years afterward.
In a footnote, he added:
The word “prophecy” is one of the many words keyed for quick reference. A word search of that database for “white,” “horse,” “prophecy,” “Theodore Turley,” and “Edwin Rushton” uncovered nothing relative to such a prophecy.
- Study arguing that Edwin Rushton, not Joseph Smith, was the ultimate source of the White Horse Prophecy.
[20]↩︎
C. N. Christensen was born in 1874 and he likely wouldn't have stamped the document until he was at least ten years old, which makes 1884 the earliest date for the document.
Edwin Rushton died in 1902 making that the latest date for the document.
- Article in Salt Lake Telegram reports that Edith and Carl Christian Christensen were married November 16, 1904.
[21]↩︎
"Manuscript 3771" is currently located in the Church History Library.
- Edwin Rushton's account of the White Horse Prophecy.
[22]↩︎
Rushton, toward the end of this recollection of the prophecy, noted:
The words of the Prophet made a strong impression on me and I have never forgotten them.
- Edwin Rushton's account of Joseph Smith's purported White Horse Prophecy.
[23]↩︎
Don L. Penrod noted:
Known copies in Rushton's handwriting indicate he was in his last years of life when he wrote [this account], some forty or fifty years after the vision was supposed to have occurred.
- Don L. Penrod gives an overview of White Horse Prophecy and concludes it should be rejected as apocryphal in light of historical and textual issues.
[24]↩︎
C. N. Christensen married Edwin Rushton's daughter Edith Rushton on November 16, 1904, two years after Edwin's death.
- Article in Salt Lake Telegram reports that Edith and Carl Christian Christensen were married November 16, 1904.
[25]↩︎
Arnold G. Giauque arrived in Utah in 1868, which would be the earliest date. Edwin Rushton died in 1902 making that the latest date for the document.
- Arnold Giauque owed debt for transportation to Utah in 1868.
[26]↩︎
"Manuscript 7897" is currently located in the Church History Library.
- Edwin Rushton's account of Joseph Smith's purported White Horse Prophecy.
[27]↩︎
Manuscript 7897 read:
I testify that these are the inspired words spoken by the Prophet Joseph Smith As he stood looking up into Heaven, his countenence became white and transparent. He looked as if he had as much of the Heavenly influence as he could bear and stay with the Saints. His voice was powerful and his words cut like a two edged Sword. Edwin Rushton
witness Signature
A. G. Giauque
- Study arguing that Edwin Rushton, not Joseph Smith, was the ultimate source of the White Horse Prophecy.
- Edwin Rushton's account of Joseph Smith's purported White Horse Prophecy.
[28]↩︎
John Roberts included the prophecy in his March 2, 1902 diary entry.
- John J. Roberts's report of Joseph's purported White Horse Prophecy.
[29]↩︎
This account is located in the special collections of BYU Library as well as the Church History Library.
- John J. Roberts's report of Joseph's purported White Horse Prophecy.
[30]↩︎
In John Welch's reprint of the diary entry, Welch notes that John Roberts received the prophecy "from Robert Pace February 28th, 1902."
- John Welch's reproduction of Edwin Rushton's account of the White Horse Prophecy.
[31]↩︎
There are several versions of the prophecy, including the two best-known accounts: a manuscript from the Edwin Rushton family collection called "Manuscript 3771" and an undated statement from Edwin Rushton called "Manuscript 7897."
Others include an account in the John Welch missionary journal and correspondence, an account in John J. Roberts's Reminiscences and Diaries, and another from the Joseph A. McRae Collection.
[32]↩︎
The first part of the prophecy noted:
- The Latter-day Saints will settle in the Rocky Mountains and become prosperous there, finding much gold and silver, and, with England, the Rocky Mountains will be the most economically-safe place in the world after an international banking collapse.
- The Church will continue to be persecuted by "obnoxious laws" passed in Congress. The rights of the people will be taken away and outsiders will come in to govern the people. Eventually, the Constitution of the United States will be almost destroyed and will hang like a thread.
- This will lead to a "terrible revolution" in the United States which will result in a loss of a supreme government, resulting in war and famine.
- During this chaotic period, only the Rocky Mountains will have peace, resulting in hundreds of thousands gathering there.
[33]↩︎
The second part of the prophecy predicted:
- England and France will become allies in an attempt to prevent Russia from conquering the world.
- During this time, the "White Horse" will send out elders to gather "the honest in heart" from among the "Pale Horse" (people of the United States), resulting in God establishing a Kingdom "never to be thrown down."
- The Messiah will come, and this will "be so natural that only those who see Him will know that He has come," and he will "give his laws unto Zion and minister unto his people" before his then-future coming in the clouds to take vengeance upon the wicked.
- The temple in Jackson County, Missouri, will be built in that generation.
- A "land beyond the Rocky Mountains" will be invaded by the Chinese.
- When the whole of the United States is made the Zion of God, "Gog and Magog" (the name of the opposing forces composed of the nations of the earth) will be led by the Russian Tsar, but will be defeated.
[34]↩︎
John Roberts reported Joseph saying:
You will see the Constitution of the United States almost destroyed; it will hang like a thread, and that thread as fine as the finest silk fibre.
Edwin Rushton recorded the same.
[35]↩︎
The revised source of Rushton's account of the prophecy recorded:
During this time the Great White Horse will have gathered strong <~~strong~~> sending out Elders to get the honest in heart among the Pale Horse, or people of the United States to stand by the constitution of the United States, as it was given by inspiration of the Lord.
John Roberts's account matches Rushton's account.
- Edwin Rushton's account of Joseph Smith's purported White Horse Prophecy.
- John J. Roberts's report of Joseph's purported White Horse Prophecy.
[36]↩︎
Edwin Rushton's account noted:
The last great struggle Zion will have to contend with <will be> when <the whole> America will be <made> the Zion of our God.
John Roberts's account matches Rushton's account.
[37]↩︎
In his journal for May 1843, Burgess wrote that Joseph Smith predicted:
The time would come when the Constitution and Government would hang by a brittle thread and would be ready to fall into other hands but this people the Latter day Saints will step forth and save it.
- James Burgess records Joseph Smith teaching that the Constitution will "hang by a brittle thread" but the Saints will save it.
[38]↩︎
In a sermon from July 4, 1854, Brigham Young said:
Will the Constitution be destroyed? No: it will be held inviolate by this people; and, as Joseph Smith said, ‘The time will come when the destiny of the nation will hang upon a single thread. At that critical juncture, this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction.’ It will be so.
- Brigham Young teaches that the Constitution will never be destroyed but, based on the teachings of Joseph Smith, will hang upon a thread.
[39]↩︎
Orson Hyde, in a sermon from January 3, 1858, also taught that Joseph Smith said:
I believe he said something like this—that the time would come when the Constitution and the country would be in danger of an overthrow; and said he, If the Constitution be saved at all, it will be by the Elders of this Church. I believe this is about the language, as nearly as I can recollect it.
- In a sermon, Orson Hyde teaches that the Constitution and Government would one day be in danger of overthrow but the Elders will save it.
[40]↩︎
Eliza R. Snow, a plural wife of Joseph Smith's, also recounted that she heard Joseph Smith say:
The time will come when the government of these United States will be so nearly overthrown through its corruption, that the Constitution will hang as it were by a single hair, and the Latter-day Saints—the Elders of Israel—will step forward to its rescue and save it.
- Eliza R. Snow recalls hearing Joseph teaching the Constitution will hang by a single hair and the Elders of the Church will save it.
[41]↩︎
During a 1967 interview with Dialogue, George Romney was asked for his "interpretation of the Constitution 'hanging by a thread.'" Romney replied:
I have always felt that they meant that sometime the question of whether we are going to proceed on the basis of the Constitution would arise and at this point government leaders who were Mormons would be involved in answering that question.
In a Wall Street Journal article, Carrie Sheffield reported on Orrin Hatch's bid for the presidency:
The prophecy was discussed during [his] 2000 bid for the Oval Office--especially after the senator used the phrase "hanging by a thread" during a radio interview. Mr. Hatch denied that his use of the phrase was a veiled reference to the prophecy.
In 2012, The Salt Lake Tribune quoted Mitt Romney saying he "doesn't believe in the supposed prophecy, nor did his father when he ran." Romney added:
There are a lot of things that are speculation and discussion by church members and even church leaders that aren't official church doctrine. I don't put that at the heart of my religious belief.
[42]↩︎
In an 1858 sermon, Orson Hyde said:
I believe [Joseph] said something like this—that the time would come when the Constitution and the country would be in danger of an overthrow; and said he, If the Constitution be saved at all, it will be by the Elders of this Church.
In 1871, Eliza R. Snow recalled hearing Joseph Smith teaching the Constitution will hang by a single hair.
In an 1879 sermon, President John Taylor warned about a time in the future "when the people shall have torn to shreds the Constitution of the United States."
[43]↩︎
In 1921, Orson F. Whitney wrote of a time when "anarchy would threaten the life of the Government" and the Constitution would hang "as by a thread."
A year later, in 1922, General Conference, Charles W. Nibley warned of "secret combinations taking the law into their own hands, tramping upon Constitutional rights and the liberties of the people, that the Constitution would hang as by a thread."
- Charles W. Nibley at General Conference says Constitution will one day hang by a thread.
- Orson F. Whitney writes in Saturday Night Thoughts that the Constitution will hang by thread and Saints will save it.
[44]↩︎
In a sermon dated July 19, 1840, Joseph Smith taught:
This Nation will be on the very verge of crumbling to peices and tumbling to the ground and when the constitution is upon the brink of ruin this people will be the Staff up[on] which the Nation shall lean and they shall bear ~~away~~ the constitution away from the <very> verge of destruction
In his journal for May 1843, James Burgess recorded Joseph teaching the Constitution would "hang by a brittle thread and would be ready to fall into other hands but this people the Latter day Saints will step forth and save it."
- In a sermon, Joseph Smith teaches that the Constitution will one day be on the "brink of ruin" and the Saints will help protect and save it.
- James Burgess records Joseph Smith teaching that the Constitution will "hang by a brittle thread" but the Saints will save it.
[45]↩︎
The prophecy instead described that the "White Horse" will protect the U.S. Constitution during a time of war and famine and establish a Kingdom, resulting in all opposition being defeated and the establishment of Zion.
- Edwin Rushton's account of the White Horse Prophecy.
- Edwin Rushton's account of Joseph Smith's purported White Horse Prophecy.
[46]↩︎
Following the events at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles released a statement that noted:
We condemn violence and lawless behavior, including the recent violence in Washington, D.C. and any suggestion of further violence.
During the April 2021 General Conference, President Dallin H. Oaks spoke about the U.S. Constitution from a Latter-day Saint perspective. In this speech, Oaks taught that Latter-day Saints should be law-abiding citizens and not engage in violent activities against the government.
- Dallin Oaks Addressing the U.S. Constitution and its "Inspiration" in April 2021 General Conference.
- The Church condemns violence and lawless behavior and encourages members to honor democratic institutions.
[47]↩︎
"Manuscript 3771" refers to the "White Horse" (the Church) as "Peace and Safety" and does not direct it towards war or violence:
You will go to the Rockey Mountains and will See a great and Mighty People Built up. Which I will call the white Horse of Peace and Safety, . . . Your Enemise will Continue to Follow you with Persecution and make Obnoxious Laws Against you, in Congress to Destroy the White Horse, But you will allways have a Friend or two, to defend you and ~~through~~ throw out the worst Part of the Laws, So they will not Hurt much.
- Edwin Rushton's account of the White Horse Prophecy.
[48]↩︎
Rushton's undated statement ("manuscript 7897") noted:
The White Horse will raise an ensign on the tops of the mountains of Peace and Safety, where all nations may flee ~~unto~~ for safety. . . . Peace will be taken from the earth and there will be no peace, only in the Rocky Mountains, this will cause hundreds and thousands of the honest in heart, of the world, to gather there, not because they would be ~~Mormons but because they <[illegible word]> wanted~~ <but for> safety, and <because> they would not <take up> the sword against their neighbors.
- Edwin Rushton's account of Joseph Smith's purported White Horse Prophecy.
[49]↩︎
Joseph F. Smith, during the October 1918 conference, said "It is simply false; that is all there is to it."
During the same conference, Joseph Fielding Smith referred to it as a "supposed vision, or revelation" of Joseph and noted the contrast between prophecies and teachings accepted as authoritative by the Church and those like the White Horse Prophecy.
- Joseph F. Smith says that the White Horse Prophecy is a "ridiculous story" and is not an authentic prophecy of Joseph Smith's.
- In a General Conference, Joseph Fielding Smith states the White Horse Prophecy is not a true prophecy from Joseph Smith.
[50]↩︎
For instance, Brigham Young, in an 1854 sermon, taught that the U.S. Constitution "will be held inviolate by this people; and, as Joseph Smith said, ‘The time will come when the destiny of the nation will hang upon a single thread. At that critical juncture, this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction.’ It will be so.”
In the October 1912 General Conference, Joseph Fielding Smith taught also that Joseph Smith predicted a time would come when "the Constitution of our country would hang as it were by a thread, and that the Latter-day Saints above all other people in the world would come to the rescue of that great and glorious palladium of our liberty."
- Brigham Young teaches that the Constitution will never be destroyed but, based on the teachings of Joseph Smith, will hang upon a thread.
- Joseph Fielding Smith writes that Joseph was inspired to predict Constitution will one day hang by a thread and the Saints will protect it.
[51]↩︎
Joseph Smith taught this idea in an 1840 sermon. He said:
This Nation will be on the very verge of crumbling to pieces and tumbling to the ground and when the constitution is upon the brink of ruin this people will be the Staff up[on] which the Nation shall lean and they shall bear the constitution away from the <very> verge of destruction.
- In a sermon, Joseph Smith teaches that the Constitution will one day be on the "brink of ruin" and the Saints will help protect and save it.
[52]↩︎
In December 2009, the Church released a statement that "The so-called 'White Horse Prophecy' is based on accounts that have not been substantiated by historical research and is not embraced as Church doctrine." This would be repeated on the Church's Newroom on January 6, 2010.
- Rexburg Standard Journal quotes statement from Church spokesperson Kim Farah about the White Horse Prophecy.
- Church Newsroom reproduces Church's December 2009 statement concerning the White Horse Prophecy.
[53]↩︎
Joseph F. Smith and Joseph Fielding Smith both addressed the prophecy during the October 1918 General Conference.
Joseph F. Smith called it a "ridiculous story" and said, "It is simply false: that is all there is to it."
Joseph Fielding Smith called it a "supposed vision" and noted it proceeded "out of darkness, concocted in some corner, surreptitiously presented, and not coming through the proper channels of the Church."
- In a General Conference, Joseph Fielding Smith states the White Horse Prophecy is not a true prophecy from Joseph Smith.
- Joseph F. Smith says that the White Horse Prophecy is a "ridiculous story" and is not an authentic prophecy of Joseph Smith's.
[54]↩︎
Bruce McConkie, in his book, Mormon Doctrine, called it a false and deceptive document and, in his unpublished speech addressing Fundamentalists, said that it is a “spurious bit of prophetic imagery that refuses to die out among sensation seekers."
- Bruce McConkie, in Mormon Doctrine, writes that the White Horse Prophecy is a false and deceptive document and not a true prophecy of Joseph Smith's.
- Bruce McConkie dismisses the White Horse Prophecy as spurious and not a true prophecy from Joseph.