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 Joseph Smith, Jr. (December 23, 1805 – June 27, 1844) was the founder and leader of the Latter Day Saint movement. His followers revere him as a prophet and martyr. In 1844, he ran for President of the United States on an anti-slavery platform, and was the first candidate to be assassinated during a U.S. presidential campaign. According to Latter Day Saint doctrine, when Smith was fourteen years old, God the Father and Jesus appeared to him and indicated that through him the Church of Jesus Christ would be restored to the Earth, after being forsaken in a Great Apostasy. Following this, Smith translated several volumes of scripture, including The Book of Mormon and portions of The Pearl of Great Price, and dictated new revelation, some of which is contained in what is now known as The Doctrine and Covenants and Inspired Translation of the Bible. Smith and the Latter-day Saint movement he initiated are sometimes considered part of the early 19th century Restorationism movement. Critics regarded him, his religion, and his politics with contempt and often violence: Smith was killed by a mob at Carthage, Illinois, in 1844. Smith and his legacy continue to evoke strong emotion; his life and works are subject to considerable debate and research. Some Latter Day Saints regard negative criticism as verification of a prophecy Smith asserted he received at seventeen years of age, that his name and reputation "should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people." [1] (http://scriptures.lds.org/bm/jsphsmth)
Early lifeSmith was born in Sharon, Vermont, the fourth child of Joseph Smith, Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith. The Smiths suffered considerable financial problems and moved several times in and around New England. One of these moves was precipitated by the Year Without a Summer caused by the eruption of the Tambora volcano. During the winter of 1812-1813, Smith's 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 bothered with a limp for the rest of his life. Court records show Smith was examined on March 20, 1826; regarding charges of "disorderly conduct" for money-digging activities using supposedly supernatural stones to dig for treasure. This was an action probably brought by sons of Josiah Stowell, Joseph Smith's employer at the time. As his employer, Stowell had prevailed upon Joseph Smith to attempt to find buried treasure through supernatural means and against Joseph Smith's desire or advice. Eventually Joseph Smith was successful in terminating this fruitless "treasure digging" event, but not before earning the emnity of some of Josiah Stowell's sons. (Josiah felt that Joseph Smith was a harder worker). At the examination (it was not a trial) seven witnesses were called and most of them affirmed that Joseph Smith had some sort of spiritual gift and the legal examination resulted in no action against Smith. Most scholars of the time period acknowledge that "treasure digging" was a common form of folk magic (like water dousing) and that Smith would have not been unique in its practice. Smith married Emma Hale on January 18, 1827. Some sources report the couple eloped due to the Hale family's disapproval of Smith. The First VisionOver the years Smith described this experience in various detail, and in his last written account (1838) he stated that he saw God the Father and Jesus Christ sometime in the spring of 1820, when he was fourteen years old. This vision changed forever his relationships in his family and community. Within the Latter-day Saint movement today, this theophany is seen as vitally important. See First Vision. The Angel MoroniMissing image Josephreceivingtheplatesccachristensen.gif Joseph Smith receives the plates on which is written the Book of Mormon. Smith claimed that he was visited by an angel, Moroni, three times during the evening and night of September 21, 1823, and once more in the morning of September 22. Moroni told Smith about gold plates hidden in the ground near his home, on a hill called Cumorah. These plates were said to contain an account of ancient inhabitants of the Americas and their relationship with Jesus Christ, inscribed in reformed Egyptian characters. On September 22, 1823, Smith went to the hill to recover the plates, but was forbidden to do so during a fifth visitation by Moroni, who said Smith was not yet ready to receive them. Smith returned to the hill, as directed by Moroni, on September 22, 1824, 1825, and 1826, and claimed Moroni returned each night, counseling and teaching him. On September 22, 1827 Smith was allowed to take the plates, as well as the Urim and Thummim and a breastplate to be used in the translation process. An official account of the First Vision and this encounter with Moroni by Smith is contained in the Pearl of Great Price in Joseph Smith-History, verses 1-20 & 27-54 (http://scriptures.lds.org/js_h/1). Translation of the Book of MormonSmith translated portions of the plates from December 1827 to February 1828, Emma Smith and her brother Reuben acting as scribes. It is commonly believed that Joseph Smith translated the plates using divine guidance and the Urim and Thummim. In addition, Smith and his scribes gave additional accounts as to how Smith accomplished his translations with the use of direct revelation, study, and other mediums. Martin Harris acted as scribe for Smith's translations from April to June of 1828. In early April, 1829, Smith began translating again, with Oliver Cowdery as scribe. When translation was complete, Smith returned the plates to Moroni. During translation, the scribes never physically saw the gold plates. Later, three men, and then eight others, were allowed to view the plates. Mary Whitmer, who boarded Joseph Smith and his wife during the final phase of the translation, said she was shown the plates by Moroni. Many in Smith's family and his wife reported touching and moving the plates as they lay under a heavy cloth or in a bag in the normal course of cleaning or during travel. The Book of Mormon was first published on March 26, 1830. Founding the ChurchAccording to Cowdery and Smith, on May 15, 1829, they both received the Aaronic Priesthood by laying on of hands from John the Baptist and then using this priesthood, they baptized each other by immersion. Peter, James, and John also came to them between May and June 1829 and ordained them to the Melchizedek Priesthood. Latter Day Saints believe that these events were necessary for the restoration of the Church. In 1830, on April 6, Smith and five others formally established "The Church of Christ" (later officially named The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) under New York state laws. Smith and others quickly began proselytizing and baptizing new members. Throughout this period, Smith asserted that he had received revelations from God directing the organization of the Church and instructing its members. These prophecies were compiled as The Book of Commandments, later published as the Doctrine and Covenants in 1835. OhioMissing image Josephsmithtarandfeatherharpers.jpg Illustration of a mob tarring and feathering Joseph Smith. While in Kirtland, the Church built the first temple. Church members reported a number of extraordinary events during the dedication: Appearances by Jesus Christ, Moses, Elijah, Elias, and numerous angels; speaking and singing in tongues, often with translations; prophesying; and other spiritual experiences. Some members mistakenly believed that Jesus' Millennial reign had come. Even those of other faiths reported a heavenly light "resting" upon the temple. The early Church grew rapidly, but there was often conflict between members of the new church and various disbelieving neighbors. 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 and his counselor Sidney Rigdon. They threatened Smith with castration and with death, and one of his teeth was chipped when they attempted to force him to drink poison. The mob action led to the exposure and eventual death of Smith's adopted newborn twins. Sidney Rigdon suffered a severe concussion after being dragged on the ground. According to some accounts, Rigdon was delirious for several days, threatening most of those who were near him, including the life of his wife and Smith. The reasons for this attack are uncertain, but likely were tied to a sermon given by Rigdon. After tending to his wounds all night and into the early morning, Smith preached a sermon the following day. Though some reports state that members of the mob that had attacked him were present at this sermon, Smith did not mention the attack directly. 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." Just prior to their departure, a large number of Latter Day Saints, including prominent church leaders, became disaffected in the wake of the Kirtland Safety Society debacle, in which Smith and several associates were accused of various illegal or unethical banking actions. Most remaining church members left Kirtland for Missouri. Plural marriageSmith began practicing a form of polygyny he called plural marriage perhaps as early as 1833 [2] (http://wivesofjosephsmith.org). Plural marriage was the source of much tension in early Mormon history, from both non-Mormons who regarded the practice as immoral, illegal, and dangerous, to members of the Church who felt Smith was misguided, deluded, or evil for advocating such doctrine. There is some disagreement as to the precise figure, but estimates are that Joseph Smith was married to at least a dozen women during his lifetime. While Smith publicly denied plural marriage throughout his life, he practiced it secretly, and introduced a small number of followers into the practice. In the early Church era, followers who practiced plural marriage were often uncomfortable with it when it was first introduced to them, but believed it was commissioned by God, who had allowed the practice in the Old Testament. After the practice was publicly announced in Utah in 1852, the doctrine was generally accepted in Mormon culture, but not widely practiced. By most accounts, Emma Smith was troubled by plural marriage, though she remained faithful to her husband and his calling as prophet of the Church. MissouriThe Missouri period was marked by often violent conflict and legal difficulties for Smith and his followers. Many of the initial settlers saw the LDS settlers as a religious and political threat, especially because unlike most Missourians, Mormons were anti-slavery. Mormons also tended to vote in blocs, giving them a degree of political influence. Additionally, Mormons purchased vast amounts of land in which to establish settlements. Some saints felt they had been promised control of the area by revelation, and this view only fueled the growing tension. A small group of Mormons organized a vigilante group called the Danites in response to the ongoing conflict. The extent of Smith's knowledge and involvment with the Danites has been debated. Soon the "old Missourians" and new settlers were engaged in a conflict sometimes referred to as the 1838 Mormon War in Missouri. One of the key skirmishes in the conflict was the Battle of Crooked River, which involved Missouri state troops and a Mormon group. There is some debate as to whether the Mormons knew their opponents were government officials, but the battle's aftermath was pivotal in Church history. One popular Mormon Apostle, David W. Patten, was killed in the skirmish. This battle led to reports of a "Mormon insurrection". Due to these reports and the political influence of pro-slavery politicians, Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs issued an executive order known as the "Extermination Order" on October 27, 1838. The order stated that the Mormon community was in "open and avowed defiance of the laws, and of having made war upon the people of this State ... 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." [3] (http://ldsfaq.byu.edu/emmain.asp?number=74) (In 1976 Missouri Governor Christopher S. Bond formally apologized for the treatment of Mormons in Missouri and officially rescinded (http://www.unco.edu/drshaff/Hist330Spr2001/extermorder.htm) the "Extermination Order".) Soon after this "Extermination Order" was issued, vigilantes attacked an outlying Mormon settlement and killed 17 Mormons in what is known 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 treason charges. Although they were civilians, the militia leader threatened to try Smith and others in a military tribunal and have them immediately executed. Were it not for the actions of General Alexander William Doniphan in defence of due process and Smith, the plans of the militia leaders likely would have been carried out. The legality of Boggs' order was debated in the legislature, but most of the Mormon community in Missouri either left or were forced out by the spring of 1839. Instead of facing execution, Smith and three others spent several months in Liberty Jail awaiting a trial that never came. With shaky legal grounds for imprisonment, authorities eventually allowed and encouraged them to escape. They joined the rest of the Church in Illinois. Nauvoo 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 (meaning "to be beautiful"; Latter Day Saints often refer to Nauvoo as "the city beautiful", "the city of Joseph"—which was actually the name of the city for a short time after the city charter was revoked—or other similar nicknames) after being granted a charter by the state of Illinois. The Church grew further as faithful Saints built up the city. The swampy land was drained and underwent a series of other significant renovations to sustain the construction of a new settlement. The city of Nauvoo continued to grow with the influx of persecuted Latter Day Saints from Ohio, Missouri, and other places. 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. Work on a temple in Nauvoo began in the autumn of 1840. The cornerstones were laid during a conference on April 6, 1841. Construction on the edifice lasted for five more years and it was dedicated on May 1, 1846; about four months after Nauvoo was abandoned by the majority of the citizens. The temple was burned in 1848 and the remnants of the structure were destroyed by a tornado later that year. Nauvoo's population peaked in 1844, surpassing Chicago as the largest city in Illinois and becoming the tenth largest city in the United States with more than 20,000 residents. Controversy in the City BeautifulOn the evening of May 6, 1842, a gunman shot through a window in Governor Boggs' home, hitting him twice in his skull, once in his neck, and a fourth entering his throat, whereupon Boggs swallowed it. Sheriff J.H. Reynolds discovered a revolver at the scene, still loaded with buckshot and surmised that the suspect lost his firearm in the dark rainy night when the weapon recoiled. Some Latter Day Saints saw the assassination attempt positively: An anonymous contributor to The Wasp, a pro-Mormon newspaper in Nauvoo, wrote on May 28 that, "Boggs is undoubtedly killed according to report; but who did the noble deed remains to be found out." Several doctors—Boggs' brother among them—pronounced Boggs dead; at least one newspaper ran an obituary. To everyone's great surprise, Boggs not only survived, but gradually improved. The popular press—and popular rumor—was quick to blame Smith's friend and sometime bodyguard Porter Rockwell as having pulled the trigger. By some reports, Smith had prophesied that Boggs would die a violent death within the year, leading to speculation that he was somehow involved in the assassination attempt. Rockwell denied involvement, stating that he would not have left the governor alive if he had indeed tried to kill him. Also at about this time, John C. Bennett, a disaffected Latter Day Saint, began publicizing Smith's practice of "Spiritual Wifery" (Bennett, earlier a pro-polygamy activist, knew of Smith's revelation on plural marriage and encouraged Smith to advocate the practice publicly. Bennett was excommunicated for practicing "Spiritual Wifery". It's been reported that Bennett introduced plural marriage "to some ladies whom Smith had intended to convert himself, and thus coming directly in contact with the Prophet and his schemes, a rupture was caused."[4] (http://www.xmission.com/~country/reason/benintro.htm)). He stepped down as Nauvoo mayor--ostensibly in protest of Smith's abuses--and also reported that Smith had offered a cash reward to anyone who would assassinate Boggs. He also reported that Smith had admitted to him that Rockwell had done the deed and that Rockwell had made a veiled threat on Bennet's life if he publicised the story. Smith vehemently denied Bennett's account, speculating that Boggs—no longer governor, but campaigning for state senate—was attacked by an election opponent. On November 5, 1843, Smith was reportedly violently ill, vomiting with so much force that he dislocated his jaw. Some accounts state Smith accused his wife Emma of poisoning him due to her opposition to plural marriage. [5] (http://www.mission2mormons.org/timeline.html) This charge was not reported, however, until years later, during a period of tension between Latter Day Saints who had relocated to Utah, and those who had stayed in the midwest. 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, with Sidney Rigdon as his vice-presidential running mate. King Follett DiscourseTwo 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 is one Smith's most famous talks. See King Follett Discourse. Smith's death in CarthageEventually, several of Smith's disaffected associates—some of whom asserted that Smith had tried to seduce their wives in the name of plural marriage—joined together to publish a newspaper called the Nauvoo Expositor. Its only issue was published June 7, 1844.  The bulk of the paper 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, Exaltation, and other controversial doctrines; The opinion that Smith, as both Mayor of Nauvoo and President of the Church held too much power, which was further consolidated by the overwhelmingly Mormon make-up of the Nauvoo courts and city council, who intended establishing a theocracy via the Council of Fifty; and the belief that Smith had corrupted women by forcing, coercing or introducing them into plural marriage. The Nauvoo City Council passed an ordinance declaring the newspaper a public nuisance designed to promote violence against Smith and his followers. They reached this decision after lengthy discussion, including citation of William Blackstone's legal canon, which included a libellous press as a public 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. By the city marshall's account, the destruction of the press type was carried out orderly and peaceably. However, Charles A. Foster, a co-publisher of the Expositor, reported on June 12 that additionally to the printing press being destroyed, the group which he dubbed "several hundred minions ... injured the building very materially" as well [6] (http://www.utlm.org/onlinebooks/changech17.htm). The brick building that housed the Expositor was in use afterward for at least another decade, so the precise meaning of the word "materially" as employed by Foster is dubious. These actions, however, were seen by some as an affront to freedom of the press and considerably disturbed the surrounding communities, and outraged many of Smith's critics. Some sought legal charges against Smith for the destruction of the press, including charges of inciting riot and treason. Violent threats were made against Smith and the Mormon community. Warrants from outside of Nauvoo were brought in against Smith, and dismissed in Nauvoo courts on a writ of habeas corpus. In these circumstances, Smith declared martial law on June 18 and called out the Nauvoo Legion, a private militia of about 5,000 men, to protect Nauvoo from outside violence. Joseph soon submitted to arrest. Illinois Governor Ford proposed a trial in Carthage, the county seat, and guaranteed Smith's safety. Smith agreed and stayed in the Carthage Jail, under the Governor's promised protection. Ford agreed to stay in Carthage, but left not long after Smith went to stay at the jail. The unsympathetic "Carthage Greys", a local militia, were assigned to stay at the jail and protect Smith, who under the custody of the jailor, was given a room adjoining the jail cells on the second floor. Smith was joined there with his brother, Hyrum, Dr. Willard Richards, and John Taylor. On June 26, 1844, Smith sent message to Major-General Johnathan Dunham of the Nauvoo Legion that he should lead the militia to the jail in order to protect and accompany Smith and his associates back to Nauvoo. Dunham decided to ignore Smith's order, fearing such an action would instigate a large scale conflict that could erupt into civil war. Dunham informed no one of Smith's order, or of his own decision regarding it. Before a trial could be held, a mob of about 200 armed men (some painted as Indians) stormed Carthage Jail in the late afternoon of June 27, 1844. As the mob was approaching, the jailer became nervous, and informed Smith of the group. In a letter dated July 10, 1844, one of the jailers wrote that Smith, expecting the Nauvoo Legion, said "Don't trouble yourself ... they've come to rescue me." The Carthage Greys reportedly feigned defense of the jail by firing shots or blanks over the heads of the attackers, and some of the Greys reportedly joined the mob, who rushed up the stairs to Smith and his associates. The mob fired shots through the door and attempted to push the door open to fire into the room. Smith attempted to defend himself and his associates with a small pistol that Cyrus Wheelock gave to Smith when he came to visit him at the jail, possibly shooting three men. Ultimately, Hyrum Smith was shot four times and killed. John Taylor was shot in his hip and severely injured, but survived the attack with Richards' aid. Joseph Smith was also hit several times as he made his way towards the window. Most accounts report that before or as Smith fell from the window, he called "Oh Lord, my God!" or some similar phrase [7] (http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/josephsmithsdeath.htm#Masonic%20Cry), which some have noted is similar to "Oh, Lord, My God, is there no help for the widow's son?" a traditional masonic call for aid. These last recorded words have led to speculation that his statement was a call for aid from any Masons in the mob, although they are just as likely to have been injecture. There are varying 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 many more times before they fled. Another account claims one man tried to decapitate Smith for a bounty, and died in the act; there were reports that loud thunder and lightning frightened the mob off. Mob members fled, shouting, "The Mormons are coming", although there was no Latter Day Saint force in the vicinity. Some historians note that given the size of the Nauvoo Legion, it could have razed much of that region of the midwest with no comparable opposition. After Smith's murder Smith's murder left his church in what has repeatedly been called a crisis. The church's charismatic founder was dead, and the church's hierarchy was scattered on missionary efforts and in support of Smith's presidential campaign. Quinn writes that "many shared Brigham Young's terror" after hearing and contemplating Smith's death, especially the possibility that without Smith, the church lacked a divinely-sanctioned leader. Because of tensions with Latter Day Saints, the state legislature revoked the city charter of the city of Nauvoo and it was disincorporated. All forms of 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 after this time, until the city was again granted a charter. Without official defenses, city residents and the mob had many skirmishes which led Young to explore other options for the settlement of the body of the Saints. Young sent exploration parties to, and gathered information about Texas, California, Iowa and the Intermountain West. SuccessionSmith left ambiguous or contradictory succession instructions that led to arguments and disagreements among the church's members and leadership. During this time there were several members of the church hierarchy who claimed to be the rightful leader of the church after Smith. An August 8, 1844 conference which established Young's leadership is the source of an oft-repeated legend. Multiple journal and eyewitness accounts state that when Young spoke regarding the claims of succession by the Quorum of the Twelve, he appeared to look or sound like the late Joseph Smith. While most of the Church followed Young, some stayed behind and aligned with various other people claiming to be Smith's successor. Many of these smaller groups were spread out throughout the midwestern United States, especially in Independence, Missouri. Reverberations of the succession crisis continue to the present. About two years after Smith's death in Carthage, Illinois, mob violence and conflict continued to grow and threaten the Mormon establishment at Nauvoo. Brigham Young led many Latter Day Saints 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 Latter-day Saints flourished, largely away from persecution and conflict. (See Utah War.) Smith's first wife Emma remained in Illinois and persuaded Smith's mother Lucy to stay with her, although Hyrum Smith's wife and many of Joseph's wives went west. Emma disagreed with Brigham Young on ownership of church properties, and decided to stay behind as she said she had been through enough relocations and desired to stay with Smith's body. Smith's son, Joseph Smith III, was eleven at the time of his father's death, and some felt that he should become the successor. Years after the death of Smith, former Strangites Jason Briggs and Zenos Gurley who led a Latter Day Saint movement called the "New Organization" approached Joseph Smith III and encouraged him to re-organize the Church into the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now Community of Christ). Smith III turned down the opportunity for more than a dozen years before agreeing to create the RLDS Church in the early 1860s. There is little or no evidence that Emma, his mother, was ever re-baptized or joined herself with the organization, although she did occasionally play the organ for services. She was invited on many occasions to join church members in the Utah territories, but always declined. Smith's sons, David Hyrum and Joseph III, were also invited to rejoin the church in Utah and even take leadership positions as their father had intended, but both sons declined such offers. References
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