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| Black Elk and Elk |
The Book does not spend an inordinate amount of time
speaking about Crazy Horse but what little it does say, shows that Black Elk
and his father held Crazy Horse in high regards. The first correspondence noted is Black Elk
quoting his father who is describing the vision Crazy Horse had that led to him
being called Crazy Horse,
“he
said that Crazy Horse dreamed and went into the world where there is nothing
but the spirits of all things. That is
the real world that is behind this one, and everything we see here is something
like a shadow from that world. He was on
his horse in that world, and the horse and himself on it and the trees and the
grass and the stones and everything were made of spirit, and nothing was hard,
and everything seemed to float. His
horse was standing still there, and yet it danced around like a horse made only
of shadow, and that is how he got his name, which does not mean that his horse
was crazy or wild, but that in his vision it danced around in a queer way.”[1]
This world of spirits seen by crazy horse correlates very
well with what Joseph Smith described as the spirit world. Joseph Smith taught,
“the
righteous and the wicked all go to the same world of spirits until the
resurrection.”[2]
During a funeral sermon Joseph touched on the location of
this spirit world when he taught that righteous spirits,
“are
exalted to a greater and more glorious work; hence they are blessed in their
departure to the world of spirits. Enveloped in flaming fire they are not far
from us.”[3]
And to show his belief in this teaching he also stated to
Benjamin F. Johnson while visiting the Johnson farm,
“From a
boy I have been persecuted . . . Why
should I not wish for my time of rest?” And then he said, “I would not be far
away from you, and if on the other side of the veil I would still be working
with you, and with a power greatly increased, to roll on this kingdom.” [4]
We also find in Doctrine and Covenants section 77 the
teachings revealed to Joseph Smith that things in the spirit world are like
those in this temporal world,
“that
which is spiritual being in the likeness of that which is temporal; and that
which is temporal in the likeness of that which is spiritual; the spirit of man
in the likeness of his person, as also the spirit of the beast, and every other
creature which God has created.”[5]
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| Possible Photo of Crazy Horse |
We can see that the revelations received by and the
teachings given from Joseph Smith relate directly to what Crazy Horse saw in
his vision. Crazy Horses vision offers
an interesting parallel to the Joseph’s teachings because they were received in
a different context but still attest to similar truths but his vision isn’t the
only correlation the two have in common.
It was taught that Crazy Horse also carried a sacred stone with him one
that he had either seen in a vision or used to see a vision. Black Elk shared the following,
“They
used to say too that he carried a sacred stone with him, like one he had seen
in some vision, and that when he was in danger, the stone always got very heavy
and protected him somehow. That, they
used to say, was the reason no horse he ever rode lasted very long.”
Now Joseph Smith was known to have had or used at least one
if not multiple seer stones also referred to as a peep stone during his
lifetime. Now whether the seer stone
offered him direct protection like the stone that Crazy Horse used it is not
known. But we do know that visions and
revelations were directly tied to Joseph Smith’s seer stone including his
ability to translate ancient texts like prophets of old. It was Joseph Smith’s seer stone that helped
him translate what we now have as the Book of Mormon. After Joseph Smith’s death his wife Emma
Smith was remarried (Emma Smith Bidamon) and gave the following account of
Joseph’s use of the stones during the translation process.
“Now
the first that my husband translated, [the book] was translated by use of the
Urim, and Thummim, and that was the part that Martin Harris lost, after that he
used a small stone, not exactly, black, but was rather a dark color.”[6]
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| Joseph Smith jr. |
Another account of Joseph’s use of the seer stones was given
by David Whitmer one of the original three witnesses of the Book of Mormon who
described how Joseph Smith would use the stone to translate.
“Joseph
Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing
it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the
spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would
appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear,
and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off
the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was
written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it
would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear.
Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by
any power of man.” [7]
So the visions the seer stone and the similar understanding
and teachings of the spirit world were not the only things that these two
leaders had in common. They were similar
in death as well. Both were not captured
before being killed or martyred but they turned themselves in. Joseph and his brother Hyrum were shot at
Carthage Jail and Crazy Horse was stabbed with a bayonet during a scuffle at Fort Robinson
“When
it was day, Crazy Horse’s father and mother brought him over to our camp in a
wagon. Then they put him in a box…They fastened the box on a pony drag and went
away alone toward the east and north…the old people never would tell where they
took the body of their son.”[8]
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| Sketch of Crazy Horse by Mormon Missionary |
Upon the death of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum their
bodies were taken back to Nauvoo
IL
It can be seen that both Joseph Smith and Crazy Horse lived
very separate and different lives that in many ways seem to have mirrored each
other in certain aspects and they each have left their influence on the future
generations of their people and followers.
It is interesting that a Mormon missionary in 1934 after investigating
Crazy Horses sister made the above referenced sketch of Crazy Horse. Upon completion Crazy Horses sister claimed
the depiction was accurate.
[1]
Niehardt John G. Black Elk Speaks pg 85
[2]
Teachings of The Prophet Joseph Smith, Pg. 310
[3]
Teachings, page. 326
[4]
LDSLiving Magazine, Life After Death: 6 Insights into the Spirit world
11/17/2014
[5]
D&C 77:2
[6]
Emma Smith Bidamon to Emma Pilgrim, 27 March 1870, “Early Mormon Documents,
1:532.
[7]
David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ, Richmond , Mo.
[8]
Niehardt John G. Black Elk Speaks pages 143-144.
Very interesting and well done research.
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