Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith, Jr. (December 23, 1805 – June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader who founded the Latter Day Saint movement, a restorationist ideology that gave rise to Mormonism.

Smith's followers revere him as the first latter-day prophet, the "Prophet of the Restoration", called by God to restore the pure gospel of Jesus Christ, including new scripture, original priesthood authority, build temples, build what he saw as the Kingdom of God on earth (Zion). Smith was a very controversial figure. He was known to inspire deep devotion in his followers, yet deep hostility and even hatred amongst his detractors. Smith was also a political and military leader of the American West.

In many cases, Smith taught the Christian restorationist doctrines that were circulating in his time, such as the idea that Christianity was in a state of Great Apostasy, which could be restored by modern prophecy or the visitation of angels. In other cases, his doctrines were unique to Mormonism.

Adherents to denominations originating from Joseph Smith's teachings number approximately thirteen million. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest denomination with over 12.2 million members; the second largest is the Community of Christ with around 250,000 members. Most other, smaller denominations, of which there are tens to hundreds, have their origins as offshoots of one of these two.

Early life, family, and religious experiences

Main article: Early life of Joseph Smith, Jr.

Joseph Smith was born in Sharon, Vermont (what is today South Royalton), the fifth child of Joseph Smith, Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith (Smith 1853). After attempting to establish roots in various towns in Vermont, but being forced out by three successive years of crop failures, the Smith family settled in western New York, and began working a farm just outside the border of the town of Palmyra (Berge 1985).

At Palmyra, Joseph Smith, Sr., opened a "cake and beer shop," selling gingerbread, pies, boiled eggs, root beer and other similar products (Tucker 1867, pp. 14–15).

Palmyra was part of the so-called "Burned-over District" during the Second Great Awakening. The monicker arises from so many people who "got on fire" with the Spirit. The excitement within the community caused many to contemplate religion. Although the young Joseph Smith was drawn somewhat towards the Methodist sect, he did not identify fully with any religious movement. He wrote: "...it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.".

Emma Hale Smith, Joseph's first wife, whom he married in 1827.

In the spring of 1820, at fourteen years old, Smith was studying the Bible when he came across James 1:5, which reads,

"If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him."

After considering this verse, Smith resolved to pray vocally in a wooded area near his home. Smith claimed that he had a theophany while thus engaged, in which God the Father and Jesus Christ spoke to him and instructed him not to affiliate himself with any denomination. This theophany is commonly referred to as the First Vision.

In 1823, when Smith was seventeen, his family reported that he described being visited by a heavenly messenger named Moroni. According to Smith, Moroni reported that "there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates, giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He [Moroni] also said that the fulness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants;

"Also, that there were two stones in silver bows—and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim—deposited with the plates..." in a nearby hill. The angel, Smith said, had buried the artifacts in about 400 AD, and had been charged with their protection. By carefully following the messenger's instructions, Smith claimed he would eventually be able to retrieve the gold plates.

Smith reported that he was not allowed to receive the plates until 1827. In the meantime, with his father and brothers, he was said to participate in a number of mining and treasure-seeking endeavors. Court records show that in 1826 Joseph Smith Jr. was tried in Norwich, NY for the misdemeanor crime of "glass looking" (treasure-hunting). It's unclear whether Smith was convicted and set free, or merely acquitted. While engaged in these mostly gold- and silver-pursuing activities in New York and Pennsylvania, he met and became engaged to his future wife, Emma Hale. Emma's father, a participant in one mining venture, disapproved of Smith. However, the couple eloped in early 1827.

After their marriage, the couple returned to Palmyra and moved in with Smith's parents. It had been four years since Smith's account of the first visit from the angel Moroni and his message concerning the gold plates. During these years, Smith described additional, periodic visits with the angel until finally, in September 1827, Smith indicated that Moroni allowed him to take the gold plates but strictly forbade him from initially showing them to any person without authorization.

Three of Smith's associates, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris (referred to as the "Three Witnesses" in the preface of the Book of Mormon) certified in writing that they, with Joseph Smith, had met with an angel (Moroni), and they had seen and handled the plates. Later eight others (the "Eight Witnesses") certified in writing that they had seen and handled the plates, though they did not meet the angel. It is significant that even though all of the Three Witnesses later became estranged with Joseph Smith and hostile to the church, none of them would recant their witness. David Whitmer actually had his witness engraved on his tombstone.

1827 to 1831

LDS Standard Works

Main article: Life of Joseph Smith, Jr. from 1827 to 1831

Soon after Smith indicated that he had obtained the Golden Plates, his focus turned to providing a claimed translation of them. With the financial and moral support of a wealthy Palmyra landowner named Martin Harris, Smith set off with Emma to Harmony, Pennsylvania in order to live near Emma's family. Once in Harmony, he began transcribing characters engraved on the plates, and attempted to translate some of them by looking into the Urim and Thummim (according to his wife's account).

Harris came to Harmony in February 1828 in order to serve as Smith's scribe (Roberts 1902, p. 19). By the middle of June 1828, Smith had dictated about 116 manuscript pages of text (Roberts 1902, p. 20), (Smith et al. 1835, sec. 36, v. 41). A short time later, Harris obtained permission from Smith to allow him to take the manuscript pages home to Palmyra, in order to show them to his skeptical wife. At about the same time, Emma gave birth to the young couple's first child (Smith 1853, p. 118), but the boy was stillborn (Howe 1834, p. 269). By the time Smith was able to inquire about the manuscript pages, Harris informed Smith that they had been lost. Some assert that Harris's wife hid or destroyed the manuscript in order to test the veracity of Smith's claims[1], while others believe that the manuscript was obtained and altered by a group conspiring to disprove Smith. Still others believe it was all a hoax and that the pages never existed. The ultimate fate of the pages is not known.

Although devastated, Smith returned to Harmony and received a supposed revelation, in which Smith was rebuked for allowing the manuscript pages to be lost, but was assured that all was not lost. As a penalty, the angel Moroni took away the plates and the Urim and Thummim, but returned them later that year on September 22, 1828. When he continued dictation to a new scribe, he continued where he left off, without retranslating the pages that were lost. (Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that those pages are scripture that has not yet been revealed to men.) Smith's critics regard this as a ruse to hide the fact that Smith authored the Book of Mormon, rather than translated it from ancient records.

On April 7, 1829, Smith was joined in Harmony by a new scribe, Oliver Cowdery (Cowdery 1834, p. 14), who acted as Smith's scribe for the majority of Smith's dictation. According to Cowdery and Smith, on May 15, 1829, John the Baptist appeared and ordained them to the Aaronic Priesthood. Upon receiving this priesthood, they baptized each other immediately thereafter, in accordance with their understanding of this priesthood authority. Cowdery and Smith also claim that Peter, James, and John came to them during either May or June 1829 and ordained them to the Melchizedek Priesthood. (See below, Joseph Smith, Jr.#Priesthood.

After the dictation was thus completed, Smith published the work as the Book of Mormon, on March 26, 1830. The first edition consisted of 5,000 copies, and was prnted by E.B. Grandin's printing shop. In 1982, the subtitle Another Testament of Jesus Christ was added by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

On April 6, 1830, Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints church, and soon organized three branches in the surrounding area of New York. His mother, father, brothers and sisters were early converts to the new religion, and staunch believers in Smith as a modern day prophet. The early church experienced rapid growth, due to vigorous proselyting efforts by early missionaries.

1831 to 1844

Main article: Life of Joseph Smith, Jr. from 1831 to 1844

Life in Kirtland, Ohio

Illustration of a mob tarring and feathering Joseph Smith.

To avoid conflict and persecution encountered in New York and Pennsylvania, Smith and Emma moved to Kirtland, Ohio early in 1831. However, due to the controversy which followed him, he was not to escape persecution for long.

In early 1832, opposition took a violent turn. On Saturday, March 24, Joseph was dragged from his bedroom in the dead of night. His attackers strangled him until he blacked out, tore off his shirt and drawers, beat and scratched him, and jammed a vial of poison against his teeth until it broke. After tarring and feathering his body, they left him for dead. Joseph limped back to the Johnsons' house and cried out for a blanket. Through the night, his friends scraped off the tar until his flesh was raw.

— Richard Bushman, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, p. 178.

According to recorded accounts of the event, the mob broke down the door in the home took Smith's oldest surviving adopted child from his arms (McKiernan 1971), dragged Smith from the room, leaving his exposed child on a trundle bed and forcing Emma and the others from the house, the mob threatening her with rape and murder (Johnson 1864). The child was knocked off the bed onto the floor in the doorway of the home as Smith was forcibly removed from his home (Hill 1977). The child died from exposure (some accounts say pneumonia) five days after the event (Newell 1984) from the condition that doctors said he developed the night of the mob violence. (Smith 1853).

Smith may have begun practicing plural marriage as early as 1833. Polygamy (marriage to multiple partners) was illegal in many U.S. States, and was widely perceived as an immoral and misguided practice. Many of those that practiced polygamy pointed to the patriarchs of the Bible who also had multiple wives, including Abraham and Jacob. (See also Joseph Smith, Jr. and Polygamy and Life of Joseph Smith, Jr. from 1831 to 1844#Plural marriage for more information.) However, Smith is on record as having spoken against polygamy and claiming his innocence of these charges. Smith continued to deny practicing polygamy until his death. [2] Critics cite this as a deliberate deception by Joseph Smith.

In Kirtland the church's first temple was constructed. The work of building the Kirtland Temple was begun in 1833, and was completed and dedicated by 1836. Many extraordinary events were reported by both Mormons and non-Mormons alike: appearances by Jesus, Moses, Elijah, Elias, and numerous angels; speaking and singing in tongues, often with translations; prophesying; and other spiritual experiences. Some Mormons believed erroneously that Jesus' Millennial reign had begun.

By mid to late 1837, many Latter Day Saints (including some prominent leaders) became disaffected in the wake of the Kirtland Safety Society banking debacle, in which Smith and several of Smith's associates were accused of various illegal or unethical banking actions when the bank, with the charter held by Smith, collapsed during a nation-wide banking crisis. Many critics leveled accusations that Smith was actively misleading KSS members from the beginning of the financial enterprise, and many present day critics maintain this. Supporters of Smith, on the other hand, hold that the financial institution's collapse was more than partially due to state and federal financial regulations and that the charges against Smith and his associates are at best inflated.

In the meantime, opposition and harassment grew against Smith and those of his associates who supported him. On January 12, 1838 Smith and Rigdon left Kirtland for Far West in Caldwell 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."

Most of the remaining church members who continued to support Smith left Kirtland for Missouri shortly thereafter.

Life in Missouri

Smith reported early revelations that identified western Missouri as Zion, the place for Mormons to gather in preparation for the second coming of Jesus Christ. Independence, Missouri, was identified as "the center place" (The Doctrine and Covenants, Covenant 57:3) and the spot for building a temple. Smith first visited Independence in the summer of 1831, and a site was dedicated for the construction of the temple. Soon afterward, Mormon converts—most of them from the New England area—began immigrating in large numbers to Independence and the surrounding area.

The Missouri period was marked by many instances of violent conflict and legal difficulties for Smith and his followers. The Mormons and Non-Mormons in Missouri were, in general, fundamentally very different people:

• Latter Day Saints tended to vote in blocks, giving them a degree of political influence wherever they settled.
• Latter Day Saints purchased vast amounts of land in which to establish settlements which threatened the previous residents of the community.
• Latter Day Saints were also culturally very different from the previous residents of Missouri, having generally come from New England or Britian, and holding abolitionist viewpoints, etc.

All of these things caused many local leaders and residents to see the Latter Day Saint community as a threat to their safety, and contributed to deep harassment, resentment, and eventually mob violence. The tension was further fueled by the Mormon belief that Jackson County, Missouri, and the surrounding lands were promised to the Church by God and that the Latter Day Saints would soon dominate the area.

The Latter Day Saints had been migrating to Missouri ever since Smith had claimed the area to be Zion. They simultaneously occupyed the Kirtland area, as well as the Independence area for around seven years. After Smith had been forced out of Kirtland in 1838, he, and the rest of the remaining Latter Day Saints from Kirtland, came to Missouri.

Later that year, many of the "old Missourians" and the LDS settlers began and engaged in an ongoing conflict often referred to as the Mormon War. One key skirmish was the Battle of Crooked River, which involved Missouri state troops and a group of Latter Day Saints. There is some debate as to whether the Mormons knew their opponents were government officials.

This battle led to reports of a "Mormon insurrection". In consequence of these reports, including sworn affadavits by ex-Mormons that the Mormons were planning to burn both Liberty and Richmond, Missouri, Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs issued an executive order known as the "Extermination Order" on 27 October 1838, stating that the Mormon community had "made war upon the people of this State" and that "the Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State if necessary for the public peace" The Extermination Order was not officially rescinded until 1976 by Governor Christopher S. Bond.

Liberty Jail.

The legality of Boggs' "Extermination Order" was debated in the legislature, but its objectives were achieved. Most of the Mormon community in Missouri had either left or been forced out by the spring of 1839.

Soon after the "Extermination Order" was issued, vigilantes attacked an outlying Mormon settlement and killed seventeen people; an event that was later identified as the Haun's Mill Massacre.

Soon afterward, the 2,500 troops from the state militia converged on the Mormon headquarters at Far West. Smith and several other Church leaders surrendered to state authorities on charges of treason and murder. The militia leader threatened to have them court marshalled and immediately executed. They were held at Liberty Jail for several months before being transferred to Columbia, Missouri, where they escaped by bribing his guards with whiskey and money. Until his death, Joseph Smith remained a fugitive from justice.

Life in Nauvoo, Illinois

After leaving Missouri in 1839, Smith and his followers made headquarters in a town called Commerce, Illinois on the banks of the Mississippi River, which they renamed Nauvoo. Nauvoo means "to be beautiful"; - the word is found in the Hebrew of Isaiah 52:7. Latter Day Saints often referred to Nauvoo as "the city beautiful", or "the city of Joseph", or a similar nickname. City of Joseph was actually the name of the city for a short time after the city charter was revoked. They were granted a charter by the state of Illinois, and Nauvoo was quickly built up by the faithful, including many new arrivals.

In October 1839, Smith and others left for Washington, D.C. to meet with Martin Van Buren, then the President of the United States. Smith and his delegation sought redress for the persecution and loss of property suffered by the Latter Day Saints in Missouri. Van Buren told Smith, "Your cause is just, but I can do nothing for you." Citation needed

Work on a temple in Nauvoo began in the autumn of 1840. The cornerstones were laid during a conference on April 6, 1841. Construction took five years and the edifice was dedicated on May 1, 1846; about four months after Nauvoo was abandoned by the majority of its citizens under threats of mob action.

In March 1842, Smith was initiated as a Freemason (as an Entered Apprentice Mason on March 15, and Master Mason the next day—the usual month wait between degrees was waived by the Illinois Lodge Grandmaster, Abraham Jonas) at the Nauvoo Lodge, one of less than a half-dozen Masonic meetings he attended. He was introduced by John C. Bennett, a Mason from the northeast.

Nauvoo's population peaked in 1845 when it may have had as many as 12,000 inhabitants (and several nearly as large suburbs) — rivaling Chicago, Illinois, whose 1845 population was about 15,000, and its suburbs.

Profile of Joseph Smith, Jr. (circa 1843) by Bathsheba W. Smith, first wife of Apostle George A. Smith.

Due to increasing tensions, critics suggested that Nauvoo's charter should be revoked, and the Illinois legislature considered the notion. In response, Smith petitioned the U.S. Congress to make Nauvoo a territory. His petition was declined.

In February, 1844, Smith announced his candidacy for President of the United States, with Sidney Rigdon as his vice-presidential running mate.

During this period, it is claimed that Smith was "sealed" to several women. Sealing is the temple ordinance whereby a family unit, including parents, children and grandparents, is bound together and allowed to continue throughout eternity as opposed to a "til death do you part" common marriage ceremony. Many early members of the church believed this doctrine and, if they did not have parents who could be sealed to them, would be sealed to the prophet or president of the church. There is no evidence that Smith co-habitated with any of these women and DNA investigations have failed to reveal any of Smith's offspring except through children borne by his first wife, Emma. Despite claims that Smith fathered children with some of the sealed wives, Mormons believe these children were fathered by the women's first husbands, often non-Mormons, to whom they also remained civilly married. Many other women were also "sealed" to him after his death. They believed that these "sealings" were of a spiritual and not a physical nature.

Smith's death

Main article: Death of Joseph Smith, Jr.

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

The paper was highly critical of Smith, expounding the beliefs that he had become a fallen prophet, held too much power as both mayor of Nauvoo and President of the Church, and that he was corrupting women through the practice of plural marriage. It also outlined several grievances, including the numerous court actions against Smith and his followers for false imprisonment and violation of rights. The publication of this material disturbed many of Nauvoo's citizens, and the city council headed by Joseph Smith as a mayor responded by passing an ordinance declaring the newspaper a public nuisance designed to promote violence against Smith and his followers[3]. Under the council's new ordinance, Smith, as Nauvoo's mayor, in conjunction with the city council, ordered the city marshal to destroy the paper and the press on June 10, 1844.

Because this action was viewed as illegal, many enemies of the fledgling religion accused Smith of violating freedom of the press. Violent threats were made against Smith and the Mormon community. Thomas Sharp, editor of the Warsaw Signal, a newspaper hostile to the Mormons, editorialized:

War and extermination is inevitable! Citizens ARISE, ONE and ALL!!!—Can you stand by, and suffer such INFERNAL DEVILS! To ROB men of their property and RIGHTS, without avenging them. We have no time for comment, every man will make his own. LET IT BE MADE WITH POWDER AND BALL!!!

— Thomas Sharp, Warsaw Signal, 12 June 1844, p. 2.

Charges were brought against Smith and he submitted to incarceration in Carthage, the county seat. Smith's brother, Hyrum, and several friends, including John Taylor and Willard Richards, accompanied him to the jail. The Governor of the state, Thomas Ford, had promised protection and a fair trial. He failed to keep either of these promises.

Shortly after 5:00 p.m. on 27 June 1844, a mob of about 200 men with blackened faces stormed the jail, and went upstairs to where Joseph and his associates were staying. They attempted to hold the doorway against the mob, using walking sticks to knock gun barrels down as they were thrust inside. The mobbers opened fire (through the still-closed door). Hyrum Smith died immediately, shot in the face. Joseph had a small pepper-box pistol (which his associates brought into jail for him), with which he fired at the mob several times through the closed door. John Taylor was shot five times but survived, one shot being stopped by his pocketwatch (the hands stopped at 5:16). Willard Richards was unharmed. Joseph ran to the open window, where he was shot simultaneously from within and without and uttered his last words: "Oh Lord, my God!" and fell from the window.

Smith's legacy

Immediate reaction

Smith's death created a crisis for the Latter Day Saints. Their charismatic founder was dead and their hierarchy was scattered on missionary efforts and in support of Smith's presidential campaign. Brigham Young recorded in his journal his initial concern after Smith's murder: "The first thing which I thought of was, whether Joseph had taken the keys of the kingdom with him from the earth." Without "the keys of the kingdom", that is, the appropriate Priesthood authority, Young recognized the possibility that, according to the church's doctrine and Smith's own teachings, the church lacked a divinely-sanctioned leader.

Because of ongoing tensions, the state legislature revoked Nauvoo's city charter and it was disincorporated. All protection, public services, self-government and other public benefits were revoked. Those who lived in the former City of Nauvoo referred to it as the City of Joseph--He being its founder--after this time, until the city was again granted a charter. Without official defenses, city residents continued to be persecuted by opponents, leading Young to consider other areas for settlement, including Texas, California, Iowa, and the Great Basin region.

Succession

Main article: Succession crisis (Mormonism)

Smith left ambiguous or contradictory succession instructions that led to arguments and disagreements among the church's members and leadership, several of whom claimed rights to leadership. His family, however, supported James Jesse Strang as his successor.

An August 8 1844 conference which established Young's leadership is the source of an oft-repeated legend. Multiple journal and eyewitness accounts from those who followed Young state that when Young spoke regarding the claims of succession by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, he appeared to look or sound like the late Smith. Although many of these accounts were written years after the event, there were contemporary records. Historian D. Michael Quinn wrote:

There were contemporary references to Young's "transfiguration." The Times and Seasons reported that just before the sustaining vote at the afternoon session of the August meeting, "every Saint could see that Elijah's mantle had truly fallen upon the 'Twelve.'" Although the church newspaper did not refer to Young specifically for the "mantle" experience, on 15 November 1844 Henry and Catharine Brooke wrote from Nauvoo that Young "favours Br Joseph, both in person, manner of speaking more than any person ever you saw, looks like another." Five days later Arza Hinckley referred to "Brigham Young on [w]hom the mantle of the prophet Joseph has fallen."

— D. Michael Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, p. 166

Most Latter Day Saints followed Young, but some aligned with other various people claiming to be Smith's successor. As an adult in 1860, Smith's son, Joseph Smith III, established the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, now called the Community of Christ church. Many of these smaller groups were spread throughout the midwestern United States, especially in Independence, Missouri, and some remain viable as religious groups. Issues relating to the succession crisis are still the subject of discussion and debate.

Mob violence and conflict continued to grow and threaten the Mormon establishment at Nauvoo. By 1847, the city was deemed unsafe and Young led many Latter Day Saints out of the United States and into Utah, which was then Mexican territory.

In the modern media

The story of Smith and the founding of the Latter-day Saint movement has proven an interesting topic for films, books, and music through the years. In film, he has been played famously by such varied actors as Vincent Price (Brigham Young), Jonathan Scarfe (The Work and The Glory), Nathan Mitchell (Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration) and Richard Moll (Brigham).

Major teachings

During his adult life - from the time he established the Church of Christ, the church's first name, in 1830 to his death in 1844 - Smith introduced a large amount of new religious teachings, including efforts to clarify many teachings found in the Bible.

Many of these doctirnes (or aspects of them) have been considered heretical by mainstream Christians (see Mormonism and Christianity). Smith and his followers maintain that these doctrines are truth given to them through divine revelation and/or inspiration.

In 1842, Joseph summarized the basic beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Wentworth letter, which contained a series of short doctrinal statements that later became known as the Articles of Faith.

Christianity

Main article: Christian views of Jesus

Joseph Smith taught that Jesus was the Christ and the promised Messiah. He also taught that we must follow the example of Christ, and that mankind should pray and worship in his name. [4]

He taught that Christ performed the Atonement to save all of humanity from damnation. He began the Atonement in Gethsemane, and went through agony so great that he bled from every pore.

Nature Of God

Main article: Godhead (Mormonism)

Joseph Smith taught that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are all three seperate personages, with Heavenly Father and Jesus having physical bodies of "flesh and bone", while the Holy Ghost has only a spiritual body. God is the Heavenly Father of all mankind and that mankind is made in His express image (simply put, that humans look like Heavenly Father).

Smith taught that Jesus, God's only begotten son in the flesh, is our example to follow. God loves us and wants mankind to progress to become like him.

(See also Smith's teachings on the nature of God as well as the King Follett Discourse, delivered two months before his death.)

Priesthood

Main article: Priesthood (Mormonism)

Smith taught that Priesthood was the eternal power of God. Worthy male members of the Church may gain the authority of this power, by laying on of hands by those who hold the Priesthood which is being given.

Joseph Smith taught that the authority found in the Aaronic and Melchezidek priesthoods was necessary for the work of the Lord in preparing a people to receive Him at the Second Coming and that this authority could only be received by the "laying on of hands" by someone who held that authority. Since this authority had been taken from the earth after the murder and persecution of the early apostles these same men returned as glorified, resurrected beings or angels and restored this priesthood authority to the earth.

Smith's own prophetic calling

Smith taught that he was the prophet, seer, and revelator of the restored Church, and was given all the Priesthood keys necessary for the governance of the Church by various angelic messengers in the Kirtland Temple. He taught that he he received revelations for the Church from God, and was visited occasionally by angelic messengers.

Life beyond death

Main article: Plan of Salvation

Smith taught that all of mankind lived before they were born, and that men live after their physical bodies die. He taught that the reason that mankind is on earth is to progress, and that this life is but a "drop in the bucket," a single step in our eternal progression, and part of the Plan of Salvation. It is worth mentioning here that in the Psalms, "Wisdom" existed before the earth with the sons of men, and God the Father is referred to in the New Testament as "the Father of Spirits."

Smith taught that all mankind, good and bad alike, will be resurrected and become immortal, receiving back their bodies whole. It is a gift from God provided by Jesus' Atonement. He taught that after the resurrection, "all men will come from the grave as they lie down; whether old or young, there will not be added unto their stature one cubit, neither taken from it." [5].

However, those who repent and are worthy will receive greater blessings, the greatest of which is Eternal Life, which is to live with God in the Celestial Kingdom. Those who were not as valiant, or did not recieve ordinances necessary for entrance into the Celestial Kingdom, would enter the Terrestrial Kingdom. Those who were basically disobedient and unrepentant would enter the Telestial Kingdom. (See also Degrees of Glory)

Many of those who enter the Celestial Kingdom may be worthy for Deification (Exaltation), where mankind, as children of God, can eventually become co-inheritors with Christ and inherit all that the Father has — in simple terms, to become like God.

Families

Joseph taught that families are a central part of God's plan for mankind, and an important part of our growth and progression. He taught that if people live worthily, that their family relationships can last beyond death so that families can be together forever. See also his teachings on family.

Because Smith taught the temple ordinance of sealing, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (beginning with Wilford Woodruff) teaches that it is the divine responsibility of every person to search out their ancestors and do their family history, so that parents can be sealed to children, and families united eternally. This is why the LDS church operates the largest genealogical library in the world.

The Book of Mormon

Main article: Book of Mormon

Smith taught that that "the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion Mormonism, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." According to the title page of the Book of Mormon, it has a purpose, "Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever— And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations." (See also Smith's teachings on The Book of Mormon.)

The Book of Mormon claims to be a record of former inhabitants of the American continent. It said that these people had a knowledge of Jesus Christ, that they had prophets that recorded their own scriptures that testified of Jesus Christ, that they built temples on the American continent similar to the temple in Jerusalem, that they practiced ordinances such as baptism, sacrament, and the laying on of hands for the conferring of the gift of the Holy Ghost (confirmation).

The Word Of Wisdom

Main article: Word of Wisdom

Joseph taught that the Lord revealed to him an adaptable code of health designed for Latter-day Saints, in which members of the Church were asked to abstain from tobacco, coffee, tea (except herbal tea), alcoholic beverages, and to eat meat, fruits and grains within moderation. In exchange for doing this, members were promised that the Lord would bless them that they "shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; … [they] shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint." In addition, people were promised that they "shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures." Compliance with this policy was not immediately considered mandatory though now it is a requirement for entering temples of the LDS Church. See the history of the word of wisdom.

Temples

Main article: Temple (Mormonism)

In 1832, Smith claimed to receive a revelation to build a building that could serve as a "house of God" - namely, a temple. He taught that within these temples, ordinances could be performed necessary for the exaltation of mankind. Ordinances could be performed for both the living and the dead (for example, see Baptism for the dead). Ordinances in the temple are a stated requirement for entering the Celestial Kingdom.

Major prophecies

Main article: Prophecies of Joseph Smith

Smith's claim to be a prophet of God has led to much controversy. Smith was a polarizing figure in his time, and he continues to be a focus of controversy between his millions of followers, most of whom revere him as a prophet with the same authority as prophets in the standard Christian canon, and opponents of Mormonism, who believe he was either delusional or fraudulent.

Many of Smith's prophecies have apparently come true (those on the American Civil War, his own death, and the reaction to his teachings are often cited examples.). Smith's supporters see this as evidence of his divine calling and phophetic ability. However, many also appear not to have come true, and his critics use it as justification that he was a charlatan and a fraud. Many also present possibilities that some, if not all, of Smith's propheicies that have been fufilled, were forged after they were fufilled, in order to boost Smith's reputation.

Polygamy

Main article: Joseph Smith, Jr. and Polygamy

Most historians accept "sealing" records (in many cases notarized) as evidence that Joseph Smith taught and practiced a form of polygamy later called "plural marriage." The records are supported by personal journals and diaries maintained by Smith's followers. These sources indicate that, though the doctrine was not widely taught during Smith's life, marriages of this type were performed for select members of the Church as early as the late 1830s. Joseph was married (sealed) to several dozen women, both during his life and by proxy after his death, though the records are incomplete. Evidence suggests that he may have co-habitated only with his first wife, Emma, and she was the only one known with certainty to have borne his children. Historian Todd Compton notes that Smith's practices included elements of both polygyny and polyandry. In time, polygyny came to predominate. However, a small minority of his followers believe the evidence is not legitimate, and that Joseph Smith did not advocate or practice plural marriage.

Though not widespread, the practice of plural marriage continued in early Mormon communities, primarily in Utah, until the late 1880s. In 1890, plural marriage was officially terminated by the church. Within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints today, those who practice any form of polygamy are excommunicated. There are several small splinter groups who still maintain the practice.

Great Apostacy

Main article: Great Apostasy § The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Smith taught that after Jesus died, the Apostles were killed, and eventually all authority from God (see Priesthood section above) to perform necessary ordinances, such as baptism, was taken from the Earth.

Further, Smith asserted, much of the pure doctrine of Christianity was lost and the simplicity of the ordinances was lost over the course of several centuries.

Important, plain and precious parts of the Bible were deliberately or unintentionally left out, skewed, changed, or lost in translation, over the centuries, and thus the Bible is not a highly reliable source as it stands.

Smith taught that the Church which he founded, known first as the Church of Christ, and the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was the literal restoration of the doctrines and teachings of Jesus Christ as he walked upon the Earth.

References

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3. Bidamon, Emma Smith (March 27, 1876), letter to Emma S. Pilgrim, published in Template:Harvard reference.
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14. Template:Harvard reference, republished in Template:Harvard reference.
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18. Norwich, Vermont (March 15, 1816), A Record of Strangers Who are Warned Out of Town, 1813–1818 (Norwich Clerk's Office), p. 53, published in Template:Harvard reference, page 666.
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26. Smith, Joseph, Jr. (1832) History of the Life of Joseph Smith, in Joseph Smith Letterbook 1, pp. 1–6, Joseph Smith Collection, LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake City, published in Template:Harvard reference.
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28. Smith, Joseph, Jr. et al. (1838–1842) History of the Church Ms., vol. A–1, pp. 1–10, LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake City, published in Template:Harvard reference.
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Footnote

1. InfoBase Media, Part 5 the Missouri Persecutions, Chapter 48, [6]

Bibliography

Main article: Works relating to Joseph Smith, Jr.

There are hundreds if not thousands of works relating to the life, legacy, or teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr.. Smith is considered by followers the translator of several works of scripture and the author of several personal histories, letters, and other writings. There have also been several biographies, many of which are highly polemical. Smith is also the main subject of virtually all works dealing with the early Latter Day Saint movement.

See also

• Smith Political Family
• History of the Latter Day Saint movement
• Controversies regarding Mormonism
• Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration (film)
• Joseph Smith, Jr. and Polygamy

External links

• Religious Texts Index: Joseph Smith
• Works by Joseph Smith, Jr. at Project Gutenberg
• "Who was Joseph Smith?" - At Mormon.org
• JosephSmith.net - The official web site on Joseph Smith by the LDS Church.
• JosephSmith.com
• Joseph Smith Daguerreotype - The only known photograph of Joseph Smith
• Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith - Online text at HelpingMormons.org, a site critical of LDS beliefs.

Joseph Smith, Jr. Founding president of the Church of Christ (1830–1838) later called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (1838–1844)	Successor (as claimed by several Latter Day Saint movement churches):
	President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Brigham Young 1847–1877
	President of the Community of Christ ("RLDS Church") Joseph Smith III 1860–1914
	President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) James Strang 1844–1856
	President of the Church of Jesus Christ (Monongahela) William Bickerton (follower of Sidney Rigdon) 1862