-- During 1830
[Hosea Stout] In 1830 Hosea began to feel a need for religion, and became interested in the Methodists, as well as becoming involved in the temperance movement for a short time. (1)
-- During fall of 1831
[Juke Johnson Autobiography] In the fall of 1831, 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; but when the Dr. saw the Prophet stripped and stretched on the plank, his heart failed him, and he refused to operate. The mob then scratched his body all over, saying, `Damn you, this is the way the Holy Ghost falls upon you.' And in attempting to force open his jaws, they broke one of his front teeth to pour a vial of some obnoxious drug into his mouth. (2)
Footnotes:
1 - Utah History Encyclopedia: Hosea Stout, http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/s/STOUT%2CHOSEA.html
2 - Autobiography and History of Luke Johnson, Millennial Star 26 (1864), http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
LDS History Chronology: the Word of Wisdom
Mormon Timeline: the Word of Wisdom
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
