WILLARD G. SMITH Willard G. Smith was born on 29 May 1827, in Amherst, Lorain County, Ohio, to Warren and Amanda Barnes Smith. He was first in a family that was to have eight children. Just four years after his birth, Willard's parents were introduced to The Church ofjesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They accepted the gospel and were baptized. As ayoung boy, Willard carried water for those building the Kirtland Temple. When the persecution ofthe Saints in Kirtland increased, Willard's parents were forced to sell their home. In the spring of 1838, they left Ohio to join the Saints in Missouri, The journey was dangerous and often they were forced to travel by the light ofthe stars to avoid mobs. The family arrived in Missouri 23 October 1838, only to be detained for three days by an armed mob who threatened them with annihilation. On the morning of 30 October, they arrived at the settlement of Haun's Mill. That very afternoon an armed mob attacked the settlement. From Willard's own account we read: Myself and rwo little brorhers were with Father when without warning a large body of mounted men blackened and painted like Indians rode up yelling and commenced shooting at the crowd. The men at the shop called for quarters; to this the mob paid no attention. These men then called for the women and children to run for their lives. We were surrounded on rhree sides by the mob; the old mill and mill pond was on the other. The men ran for the shop taking the little boys with them. My two little brothers ran in with Father. I followed but when I started to enter the shop my arms flew up and braced themselves against each side of the door, preventing my entrance. In my frenzy of fear, 1 again tried to enter the shop, and again my arms were braced to prevent going in. After the third futile attempt, I ran around the comer of the shop and crawled into a pile of lumber, hiding as best I could. , . . As soon as I was sure they had gone, I starred for the shop. I was the first to enter this holocaust, stepping over the dead body of my father in doing so. I looked around and found my brother Sardis dead with the top of his head shot away; and my little brother Alma almost lifeless lying among a pile of dead where he had been thrown by the mob, who evidently thought him dead. Willard picked up Alma and carried him from the shop where he met his mother and told her that his father and Sardis had been killed. His mother took Alma to their tent which the mob had ransacked. She laid him on a pile of straw and plead with her Father in Heaven to spare his life if he could be well and strong, but to take him to himself if this were not his will. She was inspired to take the ashes from the campfire and place them in water to make a weak lye with which to wash the wound. Then she sent Willard for bark ?S\