In 1832, Joseph Smith prophesied that a great Civil War would engulf the United States, providing details that came true three decades later. He said the rebellion would begin in South Carolina, and sure enough the opening shot of the Civil War rang out in Fort Sumter, South Carolina on April 12, 1861, 29 years later. He said it would result in the death and misery of many souls, and that slaves would rise up against their masters. He said the war would “probably arise through the slave question.” Indeed, it did.

Easy To Predict? – Skeptics argue that tensions between the North and South made war easy to predict. But if that is true, why didn’t anyone else predict it? Nobody in 1832 imagined civil war would happen. Actually, Joseph Smith’s prophesy seemed to go against trends of the time. By the beginning of the 19th century, tensions over slavery were indeed rising, but the Missouri Compromise of 1820 abated tensions for a while, and it wasn’t until the 1846 war with Mexico and the 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act–which allowed territories to determine slavery policies for themselves–that tensions and violence flared up: “After the Missouri Compromise in 1820, political disagreements over slavery seemed to go away.” Tensions had been cooled for 12 years by the time Joseph Smith made his prophesy of impending bloody war, so no, it wasn’t easy to predict at all.

There were a couple exceptions to this cooling of tensions. Virginia in 1831 experienced a small local slave revolt. But Nat Turner’s effort to “kill all white people” did not involve Northern forces and was roundly condemned. Skeptics point to the Nullification Crisis of 1828 in South Carolina as evidence of impending war, but this also is very different from what Joseph Smith described. The Nullification Crisis resulted from protectionary federal tariff policies–outrage expressed from both northern and southern states against the federal policy. South Carolina declared the federal tariff void in 1832 and made military preparations to oppose the tariff. But there was no indication that all-out war would result, and certainly not that it would spread to other nations as Joseph Smith described. There was no indication Great Britain would get involved as Joseph Smith described. Skeptics point to a New York City newspaper article that allegedly appeared in a paper near Joseph Smith (I haven’t seen any evidence that this rumored article is real) that warns of the “possibilities of dismemberment” due to the Nullification Crisis, but the article talks about the “most prominent indications” of this “peril” being Gov. Lumpkin in Georgia, not South Carolina. By 1843, the tensions were cooled, yet Joseph Smith insisted the bloodshed would commence in South Carolina and it would be over the “slave question.”

The church was so confident in Joseph Smith’s prophesies of civil war that the church included the civil war prophesies in the Pearl of Great Price in 1851, ten years before the war started. Orson Pratt recalled how he had preached about Joseph Smith’s prophesies three decades before the war:

Journal of Discourses 13:135) “I carried forth the written revelation, foretelling this great contest, some twenty-eight years before the war commenced. This prophecy has been printed and circulated extensively in this and other nations and languages. It pointed out the place where it should commence in South Carolina. ”

Orson Pratt remember how he was rejected and ridiculed for preaching Joseph Smith’s prophesy:

Journal of Discourses 12:344) “Outsiders do not believe it any more than they believed me when I was a boy and took that revelation which was given in 1832, and carried it forth among many towns and cities and told them there was to be a great and terrible war between the North and the South, and read to them the revelation. Did they believe it? Would they consider that there was any truth in it? Not in the least, ‘that is a Mormon humbug’ they would say. ‘What! this great and powerful nation of ours to be divided one part against the other and many hundreds of thousands of souls to be destroyed by civil wars!’ Not a word of it would they believe. They do not believe what is still in the future.”

Later, when tensions started to spike in Kansas because of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, he insisted that any war would start far away in South Carolina:

“When they were talking about a war commencing down here in Kansas, I told them that was not the place; I also told them that the revelation had designated South Carolina, ‘and,’ said I, ‘you have no need to think that the Kansas war is going to be the war that is to be so terribly destructive in its character and nature. No, it must commence at the place the Lord has designated by revelation.’ What did they have to say to me? They thought it was a Mormon humbug, and laughed me to scorn, and they looked upon that revelation as they do upon all others that God has given in these latter days—as without divine authority. ” Journal of Discourses 13:135)

In 1857, three decades after Joseph Smith’s prophesy and just a couple years before the Civil War commenced, the Golden Era newspaper in San Francisco mocked and scorned Joseph Smith’s prophesy of war, getting some of the details of Joseph Smith’s prophesy wrong. Even by 1857, people could not believe the Civil War would happen:

“New beauties are being revealed in the Mormon faith almost every day, and new prophecies of Joe Smith fulfilled. When any event of state occurs, or any remarkable circumstance happens, some of the Mormon apostles find a prophecy of Joseph’s (probably dated twenty-five years ago), which has just been fulfilled by the occurrence. These prophecies are never spoken of until after the occurrence. The fact is, the leaders frame the prophecy themselves after its fulfillment. Joe Smith did at one time prophecy that before the year 1860, the Union would be divided, the havoc of war spread over our glorious Republic, battles be fought whose equal was never before known, father would be arrayed against son, and brother against brother, and that our glorious Republic would be stained with human blood from North to South, the Constitution be trampled upon, and the Government fall to the ground; and then would the little band of Mormons rear the standard of their creed aloft, and proclaim to the world that the millennial year had been ushered in, and the reign of Christ begun. But methinks the Mormons can entertain but little hope of the fulfillment of that prophecy, as the Union has stood the strongest test and did not even shake. But when I shall see the above prophecy come to pass, I shall probably then change my mind about the truth of the revelation. At present, I see no chance of its verification within the time specified.” Mormonism and its Origin, Number 4, The Golden Era San Francisco (18 October 1857 ) via FairMormon.org

How Civil War Spread To World War

Here is what Joseph Smith prophesied in 1832:

“Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls; And the time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at this place. For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then war shall be poured out upon all nations. And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshaled and disciplined for war.” D&C 84:1-4

In 1843 Joseph Smith clarified:

“I prophesy, in the name of the Lord God, that the commencement of the difficulties which will cause much bloodshed previous to the coming of the Son of Man will be in South Carolina. It may probably arise through the slave question. This a voice declared to me, while I was praying earnestly on the subject, December 25th, 1832.” D&C 130:12-13

Joseph Smith was correct that the first battle of the Civil War would occur in South Carolina. He was correct that this war eventually resulted in the death and misery of many souls. But what about the other parts of this prophecy? Was the civil war the beginning of many wars “poured out upon all nations?” All nations? Let’s inspect each part of how Joseph Smith said the civil war would lead to world war.

Great Britain’s Involvement In The Civil War – Look at the chronology of events described in D&C 84. First, he said there would be the civil war beginning in South Carolina that terminates many souls. Then he said “the time will come” that war would spread from “this place” to the entire world, because the southern states would make an alliance with Great Britain, and other nations will make alliances that divide the world in the same way the Northern states were divided against the Southern states.

“For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain.” Did the Confederates call on Great Britain during the Civil War conflict? Yes. Blockade runners shipped weapons and provisions to Southern States from big British corporations with no opposition from the British government. These weapons were very important for the Conferates’ frequent victories. What about European governments?The government of Great Britain may not have done much to determine the outcome of the war, but it was very significant in that international powers got involved in a local domestic matter. England’s government recognized the Conferates by the name “Confederate” and as a “contending party” rather than just a local domestic insurrection. Britain then sought France’s cooperation before getting involved in order to avoid the kind of division Joseph Smith warned of. The issue also created social division within Great Britain, as the wealthy elites supported the Southern states and the lower classes supported the Northern states. In the end, England did not make any formal alliance with the Confederates, but just the effort to get England involved and the geopolitical posturing that resulted set a precidence that eventually led to World War I. Other nations at war started seeking the involvement of big nations like England in local conflicts in the same way as what happened in the Civil War.

The Civil War Led To Global War – Historians agree the American civil war led to global war. The federal tariffs that had causead tension in 1832 was the very issue Souther diplomats used to seek for European involvement, because after all, Europe certainly wanted free trade rather than tariffs. Slavery aside, the international European corporations and wealthy elites of Europe were very interested in free trade of cotton. This put them at odds with the common European folk who reviled slavery. America’s ambassador to France remarked, “I had no idea that Mr. Lincoln had such a hold upon the heart of the young gentlemen of France.”

But the polarizing moral arguments of the North and South also served as a catalyst for the division of populism versus aristocracy. The old-style monarchies and controlling powers were being undermined by the “republican experiment” that began in America, and every eye was carefully observing the civil war to see if that experiment would last. Hence, the line in Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.” Could a government really be maintained by a free, self-government populace? This was on everybody’s lips in Europe.

Salon.com) “Both liberals and conservatives began framing the American conflict as part of a much larger social and ideological struggle that went back to the American and French Revolutions. The American contest, in this rendering, was a decisive showdown between the forces of popular versus hereditary sovereignty, democracy versus aristocracy, free versus slave labor, all rolled into one grand epic battle taking place in the distant American arena. It was the final test of what both sides referred to as the republican experiment.”

This is an important aspect of the Civil War that is unfortunately not taught in schools and not recorded in history books. Europe’s Imperial governments avoided direct intervention in the war, but they used the war as a pretext to install European monarchy in the American continents. If the American experiment failed, that must mean self-governance was a failure. Napoleon III pursued a “Catholic Empire” across the globe and installed the Hapsburg archduke Maximilian as Mexico’s ruler. The Confederates turned their sights for alliance from Britain to Napoleon III to become part of his “Latin race” block. Thus, the war now integrated the Catholic vs. Protestant conflict. The South wanted to preserve England’s gentlmany aristocracy while the North pursued a radical liberal republicanism.

This division line led to World War I. The dust of change started by the Civil War settled into two sides: the Imperialists who sought to continue bringing territories under their control with a government led by aristocracies and monarchies, and the side of new democratic ideals and nationalism. Nation made alliance with nation to defend which ideological side they were on, and war poured out just as Joseph Smith said it would: “…and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then war shall be poured out upon all nations.” The Confederates’ call for an alliance to defend the old-style European values precipitated the alliances that built up and finally cracked when an obscure Archduke in a random tiny country was assassinated. Then all hell broke loose across the globe.

Even with World War II years afterward, these issues that began with the Civil War were still the motivating factor of division. Adolf Hitler cited the Confederates and the American civil war, the cause of all nations, as his model for a new social order:

as quoted in The Cause Of All Nations, by Don H. Doyle) “The beginnings of a great new social order based on the principle of slavery and inequality were destroyed by that war, and with them also the embryo of a future truly great America that would not have been ruled by a corrupt caste of tradesmen, but by a real Herren-class that would have swept away all the falsities of liberty and equality.”

Continued Division Today?

Joseph Smith’s prophesy involved not only the Civil War but also the World Wars of the 20th century. Is there even more to it than that? There is no world war today, and everybody loves democracy, so that all got cleared up, right? We’re good now? Well, no. Orson Pratt suggested there was much more “still in the future” that was to be fulfilled regarding Joseph Smith’s prophecy.

Many believe the reverberations of the slaves rising “up against their masters who shall be marshaled and disciplined for war” are still continuing today, as evident by racial tensions and injustice. It may not be all-out warfare today like it was in Civil War times, but there is plenty of violence and conflict today. Slavery may not be part of our justice code today, but many say it is still an implicit reality for social classes who find themselves unable to gain temporal wealth, unable to rise from under the control of wealthy corporations, and continually saddled by crushing debt. Furthermore, the rebellion against the controlling elites of society is a conflict which continues to originate in America and continues to spread to other nations. Many believe there is still race division and effectively slave-master social relationships. With the increase of globalization, this conflict becomes increasingly global.

Then, the next part of Joseph Smith’s prophesy speaks of the “remnants who are left of the land”:

“And it shall come to pass also that the remnants who are left of the land will marshal themselves, and shall become exceedingly angry, and shall vex the Gentiles with a sore vexation. And thus, with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations; That the cry of the saints, and of the blood of the saints, shall cease to come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, from the earth, to be avenged of their enemies.” D&C 84:5-4)

Does “remnants who are left of the land” refer to remnants of the natives who populated the American continents before Europeans arrived? Some say this is the case, as the “remnants” are supposed to “vex the Gentiles” and European settlers are referred to by Nephi as Gentiles: ” I have visited the remnant of the house of Israel—and this remnant of whom I speak is the seed of thy father [Lehi]—wherefore, after I have visited them in judgment, and smitten them by the hand of the Gentiles.”

Has this vexation happened? Well, there were some conflicts between the U.S. government and native tribes in the 19th century, but that all happened before the World Wars and the location of this verse later in Joseph Smith’s prophesy suggests it is something that happens afterward. Also, it doesn’t seem like the Gentiles have been vexed to the degree that this prophesy suggests. Perhaps this refers to a series of events still to come.

It doesn’t seem like members of the church will be afflicted by this vexation because they will no longer be considered part of the Gentiles:

“And it shall come to pass, that if the Gentiles shall hearken unto the Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto them in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of their stumbling blocks— And harden not their hearts against the Lamb of God, they shall be numbered among the seed of thy father; yea, they shall be numbered among the house of Israel; and they shall be a blessed people upon the promised land forever; they shall be no more brought down into captivity; and the house of Israel shall no more be confounded. And that great pit, which hath been digged for them by that great and abominable church, which was founded by the devil and his children, that he might lead away the souls of men down to hell—yea, that great pit which hath been digged for the destruction of men shall be filled by those who digged it, unto their utter destruction, saith the Lamb of God; not the destruction of the soul, save it be the casting of it into that hell which hath no end. 1 Nephi 14:1-3)

The ongoing problem of social slavery or servitude will not affect the church because they will be separated from the “church of the devil” which will evidently rule popular culture in America. Much like many members of the church were out of the way for the Civil War. The population of the church will be considered part of the native American population which makes it part of Israel. Some have suggested that this refers to immigration issues, but I think we have yet to see the key part of this play out. My opinion is that it is yet to come.

Here is what the church’s newspaper The Seer speculated half a decade before the civil war on this part of the prophecy:

The Seer, April 1854) “We are inclined to believe that this will not take place until millions of the nation have already perished in their own revolutionary battles. To what extent the Indians will have power over the nation is not stated in this revelation; but from what Jesus informed their forefathers at the time of his personal ministry among them, as recorded in the Book of Mormon, they will have power in a great measure over the whole nation… (Book of Nephi 9:12) From this prophesy of our Savior it will be seen that the aborigines or remnants of Jacob will prevail against the nation, even as a lion prevails against the beasts of the forest. Naturally speaking, this could not take place, unless the nation were first greatly weakened by former judgments, or unless God should so ordain, and suffer them to be overcome by their enemies…. It is evident from the foregoing that before the Indian are suffered to have complete power over this nation, God will thoroughly warn them through the medium of His word in the book of Mormon, which, if they reject, will ripen them for the threatened judgments.”

To me, this part of the prophecy does not seem to indicate widespread warfare. Just that the “remnant” will “marshal themselves,” meaning they will organize in a manner suitable for conflict. The remnant will be exceedingly angry and they will “vex” the Gentiles, meaning persecution, harassment, and provocation. But early Saints seemed to think this would lead to the fall of the nation.

All of these events collectively will cause the inhabitants of the earth to mourn and will be accompanied with famine, plague, earthquakes, thunder, and vivid lightning. Well, there was widespread famine and plagues due to the world wars and this is still a problem due to international conflict. We are often reminded of the short food supply in the world and deadly diseases that cross borders. These are consequences we see of international conflict going on all the time. What about thunder and lightning? The descriptions “of heaven” and “fierce and vivid” indicate to me that this thunder and lightning is more than just what we see in common stormy weather. Perhaps it refers to loud noise and bright visual phenomena from the skies? In any case, we are told it will continue uninterrupted until all nations are gone. No more government and no more countries which were known to oppose the church of God.