Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844
Dates
- Existence: 1805 - 1844
Biography
Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805-1844) was a prophet and founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Joseph Smith, Jr. was born on December 23, 1805, to parents Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith. He was the fifth of eleven children. He worked on the family farm in Vermont and later in western New York. A series of remarkable spiritual experiences prepared him for his prophetic calling. Beginning in 1820 at Palmyra, New York, Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ in vision. Through revelation, he translated and published the Book of Mormon, organized The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 1830, and received revelations to guide the Church. By inspiration, he called Apostles and other Church leaders, defined doctrines, and taught the principles and ordinances that would lead to exaltation. Under his leadership, Latter-day Saints founded communities in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois. He was sustained as First Elder of the Church on April 6, 1830. On June 27, 1844, at Carthage, Illinois, Joseph Smith died a martyr to his faith.
Citation:
Book of Mormon. Japanese. Morumon-kyō, 1909 (1950 printing): t.p. (Josefu Sumisu [in Japanese])Book of Moemon. Armenian. Girkʻ Mōrmōni, 1937: t.p. (Kart. Chōzēf Smitʻh)
Britannica.com, Oct. 13, 2010 (Joseph Smith, originally Joseph Smith, Jr. (b. Dec. 23, 1805, Sharon, Vt., U.S.; d. June 27, 1844, Carthage, Ill.), prophet and founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
The Book of Mormon, 1830: title page (Joseph Smith, Junior)
Doctrine and covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints, 1835: title page (Joseph Smith, Junior)
Encyclopedia of Mormonism, page 1331 (Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805-1844), the Prophet Joseph Smith, founding prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; born December 23, 1805 in Sharon, Vermont; moved to Palmyra, N.Y. in 1816; founded the Church in Fayette, N.Y. April 6, 1830; migrated with the Church to Kirtland, Ohio in 1831; then to Far West, Missouri in 1838; finally to Nauvoo, Ill. (which he founded) in 1839; killed by a mob in Carthage, Ill. June 27, 1844)
Found in 15 Collections and/or Records:
William Allred autobiography and journal
The journal and autobiography of William Allred, an early member of the LDS church, 1819-1887.
Rebecca Peterson Bean speech
Typewritten talk given in the fall of 1964 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Rebecca Bean lived in the Joseph Smith house from 1915 to 1939. She talks about the anit-Mormon sentiments of many of her neighbors and tells about how she and her husband, Willard Washington Bean, coped with these issues.
Lillburn W. Boggs letters received
Thomas Bullock letter
Handwritten letter to Robert Ball along with two corrected, typed copies of it. The letter bears witness to his belief in Joseph Smith and Brigham Young as prophets of God and praises the wholesome lifestyle in Utah.
Copyright certificate
Photocopies of copyright certificates that were partially printed and partially handwritten. These state that the Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith (1805-1844), "deposited in this office the title of a book the right wehereof he claims as author." The document relates to the publication of the Book of Mormon. The item also explains the claimed authorship of the book as being composed by ancient writers.
Edward R. Ford letter
Photocopy of a handwritten and signed letter dated 8 Sept. 1842, composed in St. Louis, Missouri, and addressed to "His Exelency," probably governor Thomas Reynolds of Missouri. Ford describes an attempt to arrest the first president of the Mormon Church, Joseph Smith, and his friend, Orrin Porter Rockwell.
The globe
Photocopy of a handwritten and signed statement dated 15 April 1844. Smith outlines his views on many political issues in the United States.
Hancock County (Ill.) Circuit Court legal documents
Collection contains about 750 documents relating to some 250 actions arising in justice of the peace or circuit courts in Hancock County, Illinois. Also includes a letter from David Martin concerning part of the collection and indexes to court cases involving Joseph Smith Jr. and the autographs of those who martyred Smith.
Mormon splinter groups collection
Papers, research notes, and correspondence. These items relate to the numerous off-shoots of the two largest Mormon denominations, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church or LDS Church) and the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS church) and their leaders. Also included is a photocopy of a letter by the Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith (1805-1844).
Jock Nickerson notes
Handwritten book containing notes on geometry and on geometrical figures. The book includes many drawings of such figures and calculations based on them. The date of the materials is uncertain. Nickerson lived his last few years with Rey L. Pratt. Nickerson claimed to have known the LDS Church leaders, Joseph Smith and Parley P. Pratt. A brief essay is included which speculates on this claim.