Marinda Nancy Johnson

Similar sexual allegations were made against Smith in Hiram, Ohio, at the John Johnson home on March 24, 1832.

Joseph and Emma were living with the Johnson family at the time.
Luke Johnson, who was appointed a member of the first Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1835-also a brother to Marinda wrote:

While Joseph was yet at my father's, a mob of forty or fifty came to his house, a few entered his room in the middle of the night, and Carnot Mason dragged Joseph out of bed by the hair of his head; he was then seized by as many as could get hold of him, and taken about forty rods from the house, stretched on a board, and tantalized in the most insulting and brutal manner; they tore off the few night clothes that he had on, for the purpose of emasculating him, and had Dr. Dennison there to perform the operation [castration]; but when the Dr. saw the Prophet stripped and stretched on the plank, his heart failed him, and he refused to operate.

The mob. in attempting to force open his jaws, they broke one of his front teeth to pour a vial of some obnoxious drug [aqua-fortis, a poison] into his mouth.

The mob [then] became divided [because they] did not succeed,. put poured tar over him, and then stuck feathers in it and left him. [then] part of the mob went to the house that Sidney Rigdon occupied, and dragged him out, and besmeared him with tar and feathers.[16]

Persons identified as being part of this attack besides Mason and Dr. Dennison, included Simonds Ryder, Warren Waste, Jacob Scott, a man named Fullar, and Eli Johnson.

Many of these men had recently apostatized from the church.

[17] Simonds Ryder said the mob action of March 24 occurred because, "a plot was laid to take their property from them and place it under the control of Smith."[18] Eli Johnson was more specific.

He was troubled because Smith and Rigdon were urging his brother John Johnson to "let them have his property,"[19] and was "furious because he suspected Joseph of being intimate with his sister [actually she was his sixteen year old niece[20]], Nancy Marinda Johnson, and he was screaming for Joseph's castration."[21]

Unsolicited sexual behavior may have been the immediate reason.

The attack took place "in the middle of the night," suggesting a crime that would arouse prompt action. Remember the operation was planned in advance of the attack by procuring the services of Dr. Dennison, which suggests a crime of p***ion may have been committed. More information is needed.




taken from http://mormonthink.com/grant6.htm