Joseph Smith (prophet)

Joseph Smith (prophet)
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Name	Joseph Smith
Birth date	December 23, 1805
Birth place	Sharon, Vermont, United States
Death date	June 27, 1844
Death place	Carthage, Illinois, United States
Occupation	Religious leader, translator, founder
Known for	Founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, translator of the Book of Mormon

Joseph Smith (prophet) was an American religious leader who founded the Latter Day Saint movement and established the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the early 19th century, becoming a central figure in the religious history of the United States and American Second Great Awakening. His life intersected with notable people and events including interactions with Brigham Young, clashes with communities in Kirtland, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, and legal and political disputes that culminated in his death at Carthage, Illinois.

Early life and family

Smith was born in Sharon, Vermont to parents Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith, moving with his family to Palmyra, New York and later to Manchester, New York and Fayette, New York amid frontier migrations tied to the aftermath of the War of 1812 and regional economic crises; his family connections included siblings such as Hyrum Smith and later in-laws tied to families like the Whitmers and Pratts. He grew up near landmarks such as the Palmyra Temple (LDS) site and was influenced by itinerant preachers in the context of the Second Great Awakening, encountering figures and institutions like Campbellism and local Shaker communities. The Smith household experienced property disputes and financial strains connected to broader phenomena including specie circular-era monetary instability and migration to frontier settlements such as Kirtland, Ohio and Nauvoo, Illinois.

First visions and founding of the Latter Day Saint movement

Smith reported a series of visions, beginning with a "First Vision" in which he claimed to have seen divine personages; he later described encounters with an angel identified as Moroni (angel) and with revelations that prompted the formation of a restorationist church distinct from denominations like the Methodist Episcopal Church, Baptist Church, and Presbyterian Church (USA). These experiences led to publication efforts and institutional organization amid contemporaneous movements such as the Millerites and the milieu of revivalism associated with figures like Charles Grandison Finney and movements including Camp Meetings. The early organization of the movement involved collaborators and opponents including the Whitmer family, Oliver Cowdery, and critics connected to regional newspapers like the Palmyra Register.

Translation of the Book of Mormon and other revelations

Smith asserted that he translated a scripture titled the Book of Mormon from golden plates through the assistance of objects such as the Urim and Thummim and interpreters, with scribes including Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris aiding the process in locations such as Palmyra, New York and Harmony, Pennsylvania. The publication of the book in 1830 involved publishers and printers in Palmyra and drew reactions from contemporary authors and critics including Ethan Smith and commentators in newspapers like the Wayne Sentinel. Smith also produced the Doctrine and Covenants revelations and materials that intersected with leaders and institutions such as Joseph Smith–History, the Kirtland Temple, and educational initiatives later associated with University of Nauvoo proposals.

Leadership of the Church and migration to Nauvoo

As president of the church, Smith presided over establishment of headquarters in Kirtland, Ohio, where leaders such as Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams were prominent, and later directed mass migration to Jackson County, Missouri and the founding of Nauvoo, Illinois; these moves involved interactions with state actors in Missouri and Illinois officials including county commissioners and militia figures. Smith oversaw construction projects such as the Kirtland Temple and the Nauvoo Temple, instituted programs such as the Relief Society and the Nauvoo Legion, and promoted civic institutions including the City of Nauvoo charter, engaging with national politics through figures like James K. Polk-era contemporaries and petitions to the United States Congress.

Controversies, legal conflicts, and plural marriage

Smith's leadership generated controversies involving conflicts with Missouri residents leading to the Extermination Order (Missouri) and legal actions in courts in Missouri and Illinois, confrontations with political figures like Governor Lilburn Boggs, and violent episodes such as the 1838 Mormon War in Missouri. Allegations and later admissions concerning the practice of plural marriage implicated associates including William Law and prompted doctrinal disputes reflected in publications like the Nauvoo Expositor, producing tensions with local press and civic authorities including aldermen and county sheriffs. Internal dissent involved personalities such as John C. Bennett and schismatic movements led by figures like James J. Strang and Alpheus Cutler.

Arrest, death, and immediate aftermath

Following the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor press and escalating legal charges including treason and riot, Smith was arrested alongside his brother Hyrum Smith and held at Carthage Jail; on June 27, 1844, an armed mob stormed the jailhouse, killing both brothers, an event that involved militia figures and elicited responses from contemporary newspapers including the New York Herald and prompted funerary and legal aftermath involving figures like Brigham Young and John Taylor. The deaths precipitated leadership succession crises, immediate exoduses for some followers to locations such as Winter Quarters, Nebraska and eventual migrations led by Brigham Young to the Great Salt Lake basin.

Legacy and influence on Mormonism and American religion

Smith's legacy includes foundational texts and institutions such as the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, shaping denominations including the Community of Christ (formerly Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints led by successors like Brigham Young and later presidents such as Wilford Woodruff and Gordon B. Hinckley. His theological innovations influenced American religious debates alongside contemporaries such as Joseph Smith III and movements like Restorationism, interacting with legal and political developments including religious liberty controversies, federal interventions, and scholarly assessments by historians at institutions like Brigham Young University, Harvard University, and the Library of Congress. Monuments, biographies, and critical studies continue in works by authors such as Fawn M. Brodie and Richard Lyman Bushman, and his life remains central to ongoing discussions within American religious history, heritage tourism in places like Palmyra, New York and Nauvoo, Illinois, and scholarly research across archives including the Joseph Smith Papers Project.

Category:Founders of religious movements Category:American religious leaders Category:1805 births Category:1844 deaths