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 18 Collections and/or Records:
Sally Randall letter
Typed copy of a letter written in Nauvoo, Illinois, on July 1, 1844 and addressed to "Dear Friends." Randall writes about the murder of the first president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith, and his brother, Hyrum.
Revelation given 8 July 1838
Handwritten copy of Section 117 of the Doctrine and Covenants given on 8 July 1838 in Far West, Missouri. The item was copied and signed by Lydia Granger.
Biography of Sidney Ridgdon
Photocopy of a handwritten biography of Sidney Rigdon. John Rigdon writes about the activities of his father before, during, and after Sidney was a member of the Mormon Church. The date of the composition of the item is uncertain. Also included are correspondence, draft of an essay, and a published article edited by Karl Keller for the journal, "Dialogue+ a Journal of Mormon Thought." Keller edited Rigdon's account for publication.
David R. Roberts scripts
Script of pageant calls for a narrator and four characters: Father Adam, Moses, Daniel, and Joseph Smith, each of whom gives a brief synopsis of his life. Each of these prophets tells his own story as found in Mormon scriptures. Roberts wrote this pageant for his Mormon High Priest's Quorum in refutation of the Darwinian theory of evolution.
Joseph Smith letter
Joseph Smith letter
Photograph of a handwritten and signed letter, dated 17 June 1844, and addressed to John P. Greene. Smith writes about his concerns on the possibilities of mob actions near Nauvoo, Illinois.
The unwritten chapter of the history of the Mormons
Typewritten history of the Mormons stating that Joseph Smith, Sr., Joseph Smith, Jr., and others were involved in water witching and treasure hunting. Includes TLS (photocopy) from Freniere to Yale University Press.
John Webster letter
Photocopy of a handwritten letter dated 17 July 1831. Webster tells of being approached by a "Mormonite," Samuel Harrison Smith (1808-1844), to buy a "gold Bible" (Book of Mormon). Webster asked Smith how his brother, Joseph Smith (1801-1844), wrote it. "He said that he would look under a shiney stone in the dark and there he would see the words appear."