Posted by:
dydimus
(
)
Date: July 29, 2015 12:54AM
Well, William never really got along with Joseph. In fact in Kirtland most of the family had turned against Joseph and he wrote in his Journal 1/1/1836, "My heart is pained within me, because of the difficulty that exists in my father's family. The devil has made a violent attack on William & Calvin Stoddard, and the powers of darkness seem to lower over their minds, and not only over theirs, but they also cast a gloomy shade over the minds of my brothers and sisters, which prevents them from seeing things as they really are; and the powers of earth and hell seem combined to overthrow us and the church, by causing a division in the family..."
Well Ole Dad finally got William and Joseph to settle their quarrel. But Joe was still mad at Calvin Stoddard (Sophronia Smith's husband) due to him not toeing the line.
See Calvin had sued Joseph Smith only a few months earlier for assault and battery. William was Calvin's witness and Ma Lucy was Joseph's witness. The suit was called off as "self defense"
Then Calvin is dead and "...Sleeping in Jesus" just a few months later. No mention of illness, drinking, or any other signs....Yet Calvin Stoddard was dead, dead, dead.
http://www.josephsmithsr.com/wiki/SMITH,_Sophronia_-_I39