Joseph Smith, Jr.





Joseph Smith, Jr. (December 23, 1805 - June 27, 1844) founded The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is believed by the members of the
Church, Latter-day Saints or Mormons, to be the translator of The Book of
Mormon. In 1844 he was also the first U.S. Presidential candidate
assassinated during a campaign.

The devout Mormon belief is that Smith was chosen by God as a "Prophet, Seer
and Revelator" in the "latter days", and to restore Christ's church to a
world that had fallen away in apostasy. Critics regarded him and the
religion he started with contempt and often with violence. Smith and his
legacy continue to evoke strong emotion. His life and works are subject to
considerable ongoing debate and research. Some Mormons consider negative
criticism as verification of prophecies that Smith's name and reputation
would be subject to both praise and scorn.

Early life

Smith was born in Sharon, Vermont, to Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith.
The Smiths suffered considerable financial problems and moved several times
in search of better prosperity.

During the winter of 1812 - 1813 SmithÕs leg became seriously infected. Some
doctors advised amputation, but Smith's family refused. Smith later
recovered, though he used crutches for several years and was for the rest of
his life bothered with a limp.

There are reports Smith was tried on March 20, 1826; charged with and
convicted of disorderly conduct for so-called money-digging. Some argue
associated court documents were forged or were alterered to cast Smith in a
unfair light. Other critics argue the trial was an early example what they
consider Smith's deceptive nature and use of occult methods.

Smith married Emma Hale on Jan 18, 1827. Some sources report the couple
eloped due to the Hale family's disapproval of Smith.

The First Vision

In 1820, not long after the family moved to Palmyra, New York from Vermont,
Smith claimed that he was visited by God, Jesus Christ and several angels at
the age of fourteen. There are a number of sometimes conflicting records
depicting Smith's claims, most of which were made second hand. Given that
Smith felt that much of the experience was personal, he did not record it
until 1831 or 1832, and detailed accounts were only published about a decade
later. Critics claim that the various records are inconsistent. They suggest
that Smith's earliest recitals of his experience claim only that an angel
visited him, rather than God and Jesus Christ, and that Joseph changed his
story over time.

For more details, see First Vision.

After this First Vision, Smith claimed he was visited by an angel, Moroni,
three times during the evening of September 22, 1823. Moroni told Smith
about gold plates hidden in the ground near his home, on a hill called
Cummorah. These plates were said to contain an account of ancient
inhabitants of North America, enscribed in "Reformed Egyptian" characters.

The next morning, Smith said he went to the place indicated and tried to
recover the plates, but was rebuked by Moroni, who said Smith was obsessed
with thoughts of fortune.

Smith claimed Moroni returned on the evenings of September 22, 1824, 1825
and 1826, each night repeating his advice to Smith. Only on September 22,
1827 was Smith allowed to take the plates, the Urim and Thummim, and a
breastplate.

Translation

Smith claimed to translate portions of the plates from December 1827 to
February 1828, using Emma Smith and her brother Reuben as scribes.

Martin Harris acted as scribe for SmithÕs translations from April to June of 1828.

(Need info on the ÒLost 116 PagesÕÕ and Dr Charles Anthon? )

In early April, 1829, Smith began translating again, with Oliver Cowdery as
scribe. When translation was complete, Smith claimed to have returned the
plates to Moroni.

Rumors and accounts of the gold plates, translations and associated events
circulated in the area. Some considered SmithÕs claims genuine, while others
thought he was a charlatan.

The Book of Mormon (Later subtitled ÔÕAnother Testament of Jesus Christ ÔÕ)
was first published March 26, 1830.

Founder of a religion

Sometime between May, 1829 and April, 1830, Smith and Cowdry claimed that
the Biblical figures Peter, James and John appeared to them and ordained
them into the Melchezedek Priesthood.

On April 6 1830, Smith and five of his associates incorporated "The Church
of Christ" under New York state laws. (Later officially called The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.) Smith and others immediately began
proselytizing for new members.

At this approximate time, Smith began recording what he claimed were
prophecies from God. These prophecies were compiled as ÔÕThe Book of
Commandments,ÕÕ later called Doctrine and Covenants.

Ohio

To avoid religious persecution encountered in New York and Pennsylvania,
Smith and his wife, Emma, eventually removed to Kirtland, Ohio early in
1831. They lived with Isacc Morley's family while a house was built for them
on the Morley farm. Church members gathered in Kirtland and Jackson County,
Missouri. While in Kirtland, Church members built their first temple.
According to its history, Church members experienced a number of
extraordinary events attendant to the dedication of the temple including:
the visitation of Jesus Christ, Moses, Elijah, Elias and numerous angels;
speaking and singing in tongues or "divine language" often with
translations; heavenly light upon the temple; prophesying; and other
spiritual experiences. Some members believed that the Jesus' Millennial
reign had come.

The early Church grew rapidly, but many non-Mormons felt threatened by the
message and actions of the new movement. These conflicts were sometimes
violent: On the evening of March 24, 1832 in Hiram, Ohio a group of men
beat, and tarred and feathered Smith. They threatened Smith with castration
and with death, and one of his teeth was chipped when someone attempted to
force Smith to drink poison.

This mob action also led to the exposure and eventual death of Smith's
adopted newborn twins. Sidney Rigdon, another Church leader at the time, was
attacked that night and suffered a severe concussion after being dragged on
the ground. According to some accounts, Rigdon was delirious for several
days, threatening Smith's life and his own wife's life.

After attending to his wounds all night and into the early morning, Smith
preached a sermon the following Sunday morning. Some reports state that
though members of the mob were present, Smith did not mention the attack.

On January 12, 1838 Smith and Rigdon left Kirtland for Clay County,
Missouri, in Smith's words, "to escape mob violence, which was about to
burst upon us under the color of legal process to cover the hellish designs
of our enemies." Just prior to their departure, a large number of Mormons,
including prominent Church leaders, became disaffected in the wake of the
Kirtland Safety Society debacle. Those who were not cut off from the Church
left Kirtland to gather with the other main body of the Church in Missouri.

Missouri

The Missouri period was marked by mob violence and legal difficulties for
Smith and his followers. Many of the old settlers saw the Mormon settlers as
a religious and political threat, especially because Mormons were
anti-slavery, unlike most Missourians at the time, and the Mormons tended to
vote in blocs. In addition, Mormons purchased vast amounts of land, in which
to establish settlements. Soon the old Missourians and new settlers were
engaged in numerous skirmishes, culminating in the Battle of Crooked River.

This battle led to exaggerated and false reports of a Mormon insurrection
(Were these reports exaggerated or were these reports false? Were there
conflicting reports? Is more detail needed?). Due to these reports, Missouri
governor Lilburn Boggs issued the infamous "Extermination Order," which
stated, in part, "The Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be
exterminated or driven from the State."

In 1976 Missouri Governor Christopher S. Bond formally apologized for the
treatment of Mormons in Missouri and officially rescinded the "Extermination Order".

GOVERNOR BOGGS' ORDER OF EXTERMINATION

"Headquarters of the Militia,"
City of Jefferson, Oct. 27, 1838.

"General John B. Clark:

"Sir Since the order of this morning to you, directing you to cause four
hundred mounted men to be raised within your division, I have received by
Amos Reese, Esq., of Ray county, and Wiley C. Williams, Esq., one of my aids,
information of the most appalling character, which entirely changes the face
of things, and places the Mormons in the attitude of an open and avowed defiance
of the laws, and of having made war upon the people of this state. Your orders
are, therefore, to hasten your operation with all possible speed. The Mormons
must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the
state if necessary for the public peace--their outrages are beyond all description.
If you can increase your force, you are authorized to do so to any extent you
may consider necessary. I have just issued orders to Maj. Gen. Willock, of Marion
county, to raise five hundred men, and to march them to the northern part of
Daviess, and there unite with Gen. Doniphan, of Clay, who has been ordered with
five hundred men to proceed to the same point for the purpose of intercepting
the retreat of the Mormons to the north. They have been directed to communicate
with you by express, you can also communicate with them if you find it necessary.
Instead therefore of proceeding as at first directed to reinstate the citizens of
Daviess in their homes, you will proceed immediately to Richmond and then operate
against the Mormons. Brig. Gen. Parks of Ray, has been ordered to have four
hundred of his brigade in readiness to join you at Richmond. The whole force
will be placed under your command.

I am very respectfully,
your ob't serv't,
"L. W. Boggs,
Commander-in-Chief."

Soon after this "Extermination Order" was issued, a hastily-organized
militia attacked several Mormon settlements. In Far West, Smith and several
other prominent Church leaders were later taken into custody on charges of
treason. Although they were civilians, the militia leader threatened to try
Smith and others in a militay tribunal and have them immediately executed.
Were it not for the bravery of General Alexander Doniphan of the militia,
the murderous plans of General [name] would have likely been carried out.
Instead Smith and three of his associates spent several, miserable, winter
months in Liberty Jail awaiting trial that never came. With no legal grounds
for trying the captives, their captors eventually allowed them to escape.
They fled to join the other members of the Church in Illinois on the banks
of the Mississippi River. By the spring of 1839, most members of the Church
had already been driven out of Missouri into Illinois.

Nauvoo

After leaving Missouri in 1839, Smith and his followers made headquarters in
a town called Commerce, Illinois, which they soon renamed Nauvoo. Again the
Church began to flourish as faithful Mormons built up the city. But again,
tensions arose, both within the Church and between the Church and some of
its neighbors.

Some sources report that Smith was violently ill on 05 November 1843, and
that Smith accused his wife Emma of poisoning him. Some of these reports
were hearsay, and others not recorded until many years after the supposed events.

King Follett Discourse

Two months before his death, Smith delivered a discourse on the nature of
God to a Church Conference at the funeral service of Elder King Follett.
This address delivered at a peak point in the doctrinal development of
Church theology is considered by devout Mormons one of the most precious
expositions on the nature of God given by Smith. See King Follett Discourse.

Smith's death in Carthage

Eventually, several of Smith's disaffected associates joined together to
publish a newspaper called the Nauvoo Expositor. Its first and only issue
was published June 7, 1844.

The bulk of the issue was devoted to criticism of Joseph Smith. The article
stated three main points: The opinion that Smith had once been a true
prophet, but had fallen by advocating polygamy and other controversial
doctrines; The opinon that Smith, as Mayor of Nauvoo and President of the
Church had too much power and had overstepped his bounds; And the belief
that Smith had corrupted young women by forcing or coercing them into polygamy.

The Nauvoo City Council passed an ordinance declaring the press a nuisance
designed to promote violence against Smith and the Latter-day Saints. They
reached this decision after some discussion, including citation of William
Blackstone's legal canon that included a libellous press as a nuisance.
Under the council's new ordinance, Smith, as Mayor of Nauvoo and in
conjunction with the city council, ordered the city marshall to destroy the
paper and the press on June 10, 1844.

The destruction of printing press caused considerable distubance, and Smith
called out the Nauvoo Legion, a private milita of about 5000 men. Smith
declared martal law on June 18.

Smith fled Nauvoo into Iowa, intending to depart for the Rocky Mountains and
reestablish the Church there. However, he returned at the request of Mormons
who feared that a militia gathering outside the city would make good on its
threats to attack the city if Smith was not delivered into its custody.

Illinois Governor Ford proposed a trial in Carthage, the county seat. Smith
agreed and stayed in the Carthage Jail, under the promised protection of the
Governor. Ford agreed to stay in Carthage, but left after Smith's
inprisonment.

Before a trial could be held, a mob of about 200 armed men (some painted as
indians) stormed Carthage Jail. Some in the mob were militia members
appointed to protect Smith.

Smith attempted to defend himself and his associates with a small pistol,
but was shot from behind and in front as he tried to escape through a window
in his second story room.

There are varrying accounts of what happened next. Some claim Smith was dead
when he landed after his fall; other accounts suggest Smith was alive when
mob members propped his body against a nearby well and shot him several more
times before they fled. Another account claims one man tried to decapitate Smith.

Smith's brother Hyrum was killed in the attack. Smith's associates, John
Taylor and Dr. Willard Richards, were also present. Taylor was seriously
wounded in the attack, but aided by Richards.

After Smith's murder

After Smith's murder several people claimed leadership of the Church. These
included Sidney Rigdon, Brigham Young, James Strang, and Smith's young son,
Joseph Smith III. Most regarded Young as the only legitimate successor.

About two years after Smith's death in Carthage, Illinois, mob violence
continued to grow and threaten the Mormon establishment at Nauvoo. Brigham
Young, hoping to find peace for the Latter-day Saints led many Mormons out
of the United States and into Utah, which was then Mexican Territory.

This new settlement was named the "State of Deseret". This was an area in
the Rocky Mountains separated from other settlements where Mormons
flourished, largely away from persecution and conflict. (See Utah War.) As
of 2003 the Church claims over 11 million adherents and has achieved
world-wide significance.

In 1945 Fawn M. Brodie's controversial biography of Smith, No Man Knows My
History was published, making many claims contrary to official LDS
statements about Smth's life and works. The biography has been criticised as
speculative and biased, but remains notable.

Prominent LDS writer Hugh Nibley challenged many of Brodie's claims in No,
Ma'am, That's Not History.