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Mormon Beliefs
"A Life Sketch of Joseph Smith"
Joseph Smith, a man whose name has been "had for
good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues"1 came from
humble beginnings. He was born 23 December 1805 in Vermont, to
Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith. He was the fifth child of eleven – two
of which died during childhood.
The Smith family was a poor farming family who
moved to New York seeking better land. Joseph Smith received only
three years of formal education although his parents made sure that
he could read and write. The children were also educated from the
family Bible, which was a daily part of their lives.
When
Joseph
Smith was seven years old he contracted typhoid fever. As a
result a painful infection settled in the bone of his leg, which
doctors insisted on amputating. Young Joseph Smith and his parents
refused instead asking doctors to try removing a section of the bone
instead. Joseph Smith refused alcohol for pain and then instead of
being tied down insisted that his father hold him. "Then looking up
into [his mother's] face, his eyes swimming in tears, he continued,
'Now mother, promise me that you will not stay, will you? The Lord
will help me, and I shall get through with it."2 He walked on
crutches for about three years and had a slight limp after, but his
leg healed.
When Joseph Smith was fourteen years old a
religious fervor swept through New York. Many religions were
competing for members. Joseph was unsure which church he should
join. After reading James 1:5 which says, "If any man lack wisdom
let him ask of God," Joseph Smith went into the woods to pray.
What followed is what
Mormons term the
"First Vision" in which Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus
Christ. He related his experience, "When the light rested upon me I
saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description,
standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me
by name and said, pointing to the other – 'This is My Beloved Son.
Hear Him!'"3 Later Joseph Smith received visits from other divine
messengers.
In 1827 Joseph Smith married Emma Hale. During
their seventeen-year they suffered intense personal tragedy. The
couple had nine children and adopted two, only four of which
survived infancy. Their last child was born five months after Joseph
died.
Joseph Smith is most famous
for his translation of the Book of Mormon, which he translated in
about three months. The Book of Mormon is another Testament of Jesus
Christ. "Church members believe that Joseph was led to a hill near
Palmyra, New York, where he received an ancient record from an angel
named Moroni. The record, engraved on thin gold plates, gave the
sacred history of a people who lived in the Americas before and
after the time of Christ."4
After the publication of the Book of Mormon, The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded on 6 April
1830, with Joseph Smith as the first president.
For the next fourteen years
Joseph Smith led the
Mormon Church, oversaw the building of three cities and two temples,
and watched church membership grow from six to 26,000 – "all while
facing intense persecution from local mobs who eventually drove
Church members from all three cities." 5
Friends described Joseph Smith as "tall, strong
and active; of a light complexion, light hair, blue eyes [and] very
little beard." He had a "cheery disposition. One member wrote, "He
didn't appear exactly as I expected to see a prophet of God. However
. . . I found him to be a friendly, cheerful, pleasant, agreeable
man. I could not help liking him." 6
Joseph Smith presided over the Mormon Church until he and his older
brother Hyrum were martyred in June of 1844 by a mob at Carthage
Jail, where they had been imprisoned on false charges of riot and
treason. "On 28 June, an estimated 10,000 mourners in Nauvoo viewed
the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum. They were buried secretly the
following day to avoid further attacks or desecration by mobs."7
For more information about Joseph Smith see
below:
Joseph Smith, Jr. - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith
Daguerreotype
Fulfilled Prophecies of Joseph Smith
JS-H 1
Joseph
Smith
BBC - Religion & Ethics - The Story of Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith:
Biography and Much More From Answers.com
Joseph Smith - bellsouth
Joseph
Smith, Jr. - Wikiquote
Joseph Smith: Prophet, Revelator, Human; Interview with Richard
Lyman
(1) JS-H 1:33
(2) Anderson, Richard Loyd. "The Trustworthiness of Young Joseph
Smith." The Improvement Era, Vol 73, Number 10 (October
1970). pg. 88
(3) JS-H 1:17
(4) "Joseph Smith: A Life Sketch" The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. Press Release. 4 February 2005.
(5) "Joseph Smith: A Life Sketch"
(6) "Joseph Smith: A Life Sketch"
(7) "Joseph Smith: A Life Sketch"
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