Church History

Editor’s note: Today is the anniversary of the death of Orrin Porter Rockwell, who died on June 9, 1878. American journalist Fitz Hugh Ludlow said of him, “In his build he was a gladiator; in his humor a Yankee lumberman; in his memory a Bourbon; in his vengeance an Indian. A strange mixture, only to be found on the American continent.”

In its first edition after Orrin Porter Rockwell’s fatal heart attack in 1878, the Salt Lake Tribune – then a virulently anti-Mormon newspaper – ran the headline, “Porter Rockwell the Chief of the Danite Band Shuffles Off in a Stable – and Cheats the Hangman of a Worthy Candidate.”

The editorial then spoke of the despicable acts he had committed in his life, including participation in “at least a hundred murders for the Church, none of which he ever divulged.” This leaves little doubt as to what they thought of Porter Rockwell.

At Porter’s funeral a few days later, the young Apostle Joseph F. Smith, son of Hyrum Smith and nephew of the Prophet Joseph Smith, painted a very different picture of Porter when he said, “He had his little faults, but Porter’s life on earth, taken altogether, was one worthy of example, and reflected honor upon the Church. Through all the trials he has never once forgotten his obligations to his brethren and his God.”

And so we face the central question of Porter Rockwell’s life: what should we believe? Do we accept the judgment of Rockwell’s numerous critics and enemies, or do we listen to the prophets and apostles who admired him, trusted him, and relied on him as their protector and loyal friend?

Should we rely on accounts from the Saints whose lives were saved or improved by Porter Rockwell? Or should we base our opinion on the sensational accounts from the Eastern newspapers of the day about the evil empire created by Brigham Young and his cohorts in the lawless West? Ultimately, was Porter Rockwell a “destroying angel” or a guardian angel?

Man of Violence

Porter Rockwell at times resorted to violence. We know of approximately twenty-four men who lost their lives to his gun.

In the majority of these instances, he was bringing outlaws to justice in his lawfully appointed role as deputy marshal. In other cases he was defending his own life. After dispatching his would-be murderers, Rockwell always dutifully turned himself in to be tried in the appropriate court of law. For each of these trials he was exonerated as having acted in self-defense.

In the most notorious case to haunt him, the shooting of former Governor Lilburn Boggs, a jury of non-Mormons acquitted him, even though strongly prejudiced against the Mormons.

Man of Adventure

Porter Rockwell was connected to the founding of the Church since the beginning. As the ninth person to be baptized into the Church on April 6, 1830, no one was more directly involved in the growth of the Church in its infancy than Porter Rockwell, and the life he led was crucial to its survival.

Porter was the man who rowed Joseph Smith across the river on the night that he hoped to find refuge in the West, and it was Porter who rowed him back across the river to face his death at Carthage.

It was Porter who served as the lead scout for the original Brigham Young wagon train when it first entered the Great Salt Lake valley. Porter was one of those who successfully harassed the invading Johnston’s army, slowing their arrival to the outskirts of Salt Lake City long enough that the residents could abandon their homes in preparation for a final war. These are just a handful of the meaningful moments that Porter Rockwell participated in throughout the early history of the Church.

Man of Action

Porter Rockwell was a man of action. He could be up and in the saddle at a moment’s notice if Joseph Smith or Brigham Young needed him. In doing so, he influenced the course of history. These and other important stories prove the value of chronicling Porter Rockwell’s life.

Accounts have already been written with well-documented biographies and entries in History of the Church. Porter’s life has even been fictionalized, both in his own day and in more recent years, with words attributed to him that he never really spoke. In fact, very few of his words are recorded, since Porter was unable to read or write.

Thus, everything known of him comes from the accounts of others.

Although more than seven years younger than Joseph Smith, Porter Rockwell was great friends with Joseph from childhood.

Porter told Joseph Smith III after his father’s death that “they have killed the only friend I have.” Joseph Smith had no more loyal and devoted friend and defender than Porter Rockwell. He depended on him for his life.

Porter was extremely skilled in handling firearms. After his home was literally torn apart by mobs (the roof, the walls, and the floorboards torn apart by marauders on horseback while his terrified wife stood looking on), Porter resolved that he would never be unarmed again, and he went into the woods to practice his shooting skills until no one was his equal with a weapon.

He was relatively short – 5’6″ tall, which was ordinary for the day even though short by today’s standards. He was very powerfully built with muscular arms and chest. Porter wore his hair and beard long and uncut for a reason. After a very difficult imprisonment on false charges, Joseph Smith blessed him that as long as he didn’t cut his hair, no bullet or knife could harm him. Porter believed this to be a literal blessing, which he put to the test on numerous occasions. That is why he is often called a “modern-day Sampson.”

There is much to admire in Porter Rockwell. There are also events that make us uncomfortable. However, what is known of Porter Rockwell’s life speaks for itself – portraying the man as a legend from our history.

John W. Rockwell is the co-author of Stories from the Life of Porter Rockwell.