Liberty Jail

For Joseph Smith and five other men, the county jail in Liberty, Missouri, was a place of both intense suffering and glorious revelation.

On November 1, 1838, members of the Missouri state militia arrested Joseph Smith and other Church leaders in Far West, Missouri, and brought them to Richmond on charges of treason. After a month of legal proceedings, Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith, Lyman Wight, Caleb Baldwin, and Alexander McRae went to the Clay County jail in Liberty to await their trial next Spring. A judge released Sidney Rigdon in early February 1839 because of illness. The others remained imprisoned without bail from December 1, 1838, until April 6, 1839.

The people of Liberty, Missouri, built the Clay County Jail between 1830 and 1833. It had two square rooms: one stacked above the other. The only way in or out of the jail was an opening in the upper room, guarded by two doors, one opening to the interior and one opening to the exterior, with four-foot-thick walls in between. There were two small windows with bars in the basement, which let light in and allowed visitors to pass letters through to the prisoners.

Joseph Smith and his companions endured illness, cold, and many physical discomforts in jail. Perhaps the hardest trial was knowing that their family members and friends were enduring persecution, and they were powerless to stop it. Toward the end of their confinement, Joseph prayed to God for understanding and deliverance. In answer, the Lord comforted Joseph and revealed divine direction and eternal truth. Joseph wrote the Savior’s words in two letters to the entire Church. Portions of those letters are now recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 121, 122, and 123.

Read more about Liberty Jail in Volume 1, Chapters 31-33.

What to Expect

The original Liberty Jail no longer exists. A new courthouse built in 1856 replaced Liberty Jail, leading to the old building falling into disrepair. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased the property in 1939, and President Joseph F. Smith dedicated the new visitors’ center on September 15, 1963. The current visitor experience features a full-scale model of the jail, showcasing its dimensions and construction. Elsewhere in the visitors’ center, exhibits share the story of Joseph Smith and the other prisoners, their families, and the profound revelations that came from this place.

Parking and restrooms are available.