July 3, 1841
Nauvoo, Illinois
Joseph Smith made a patriotic speech to the Nauvoo Legion troops in which he declared his willingness to lay down his life in defense of the United States.
Sources:
History of the Church, Joseph Smith, 4:382
Sustaining the Law: Joseph Smith's Legal Encounters Gordon A. Madsen, Jeffrey N. Walker, and John W. Welch,
Tag:
Read peer-reviewed articles about Joseph Smith and other Church history topics from BYU Studies. Visit byustudies.byu.edu.