"I'm beginning to wonder", said one of the men on the high council in Missouri, "if Joseph Smith isn't a fallen prophet." Several of the other men, worried and frightened as mobs continued to terrorize the Saints who were trying to flee the state, murmured their agreement. "There he is in jail in Liberty, Clay County, while the Saints need him! Does that sound like a true prophet?"
But Solomon Hancock stemmed the tide of dissaffection by saying, "Brethren, I'm a firm believer in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants. Brother Joseph is not a fallen prophet! He will yet be exalted and become very high."
That event, recorded in Joseph Smith's History of the Church was just one example of the great love Solomon had for the gospel - and for the Prophet Joseph Smith.
And perhaps because of Solomon's loyalty to the Prophet, he was chosen to perform one of the last kindnesses given to Joseph Smith before his death.
Solomon Hancock's wife, Phoebe, was pregnant when once they went to Quincy to buy food and clothes. Solomon had promised Phoebe five dollars to buy things for the new baby. But just before arriving in Quincy, Solomon told his wife that he felt he could not give her the five dollars after all. He said "I'm sorry, but I've had three strong warnings from the spirit not to use this money for the baby."
Frustrated, Phoebe showed Solomon the list of items she planned to buy with the money, but Solomon only told her to use the money from the sale of their butter and eggs to buy the most important items. She reluctantly complied, and bought all that she could with the little money she had. On the way home she was so disappointed she sat on the wagon board with her back to her husband. They traveled only a little way when they came to a crossroads, where they were surprised to meet the Prophet Joseph Smith. To their dismay, the men with the Prophet were taking him to prison in Carthage.
Joseph called Solomon and asked, "Have you got five dollars?"
"Yes I have," Solomon answered.
"I knew it," Joseph responded. "I told these men we would get something to eat before we got to the Carthage jail."
Solomon gave the prophet the five dollars, and his guards took him on his way. Phoebe wept and asked forgiveness for wanting the money which the Prophet needed so much for food.
Soon the Prophet and his brother were killed by a mob that stormed the prison, and Solomon's and Phoebe's grief at the death of the Prophet could be assuaged a little bit, by the knowledge that the Spirit had called on them to aid him during his last hours.
This story was printed in our Ward Newsletter for March. Solomon was the father of Elijah Hancock, who was the father of Erastus Elijah Hancock, who was the father of Lawrence Hancock. Solomon died during the exodus from Nauvoo to Far West. He is buried somewhere along the plains.
