I will write one more incident in the life of the Prophet as related by him to Brother James Bird, who died a few years since at St. George.
It was as follows: On the morning that Governor Boggs’ exterminating army attempted to come into Far West, Joseph the Prophet stood with the brethren behind the breastworks that had so hastily been thrown up in the night, and were watching the army swarming down upon the city. As they swept over the prairie towards the beloved city, Joseph said that “if they come beyond a certain place, we will open fire upon them.”
The army came on almost to the spot designated by Joseph, and on a sudden they all turned and ran pell mell back to their camp, declaring that they saw too many thousands of soldiers to think of attacking the city.
Brother Joseph said that he saw, before he made the remark about opening fire upon them, between them and the army, one of the three Nephites with a drawn sword; and when the army turned and ran back he saw the three Nephites near the same place armed for battle. The hosts that the three had with them were undoubtedly exposed to the view of the army by the power of God, and were called “thousands of soldiers,” from whom they fled.
O. B. Huntington, October 15, 1890, Young Women’s Journal II, pp. 23-24.