X

We detected that you're visiting our site from the UK. Would you like to visit the ChaCha UK website?

Joseph Smith


Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith, Jr. is known as an American religious leader and the found of Mormonism, or the Latter Day Saint movement.

About Joseph Smith

Smith was raised in western New York, which at the time was a region of devoted religious enthusiasts. He was born on December 23, 1805, in Sharon, Vermont, and was the fifth of eleven children. He worked on his families' farm in Vermont before they moved to western New York.

As a child, Smith did not readily accept Protestant sectarian and instead, he was influenced by folk religion. He reportedly experienced a number of spiritual experiences. For instance, in 1820, in Palmyra, New York, Joseph supposedly saw God and Jesus Christ in a vision.

Locally, Smith was known for being able to divinely find the location of buried treasures. In the 1820s, Smith claimed that an angel directed him to a buried book of golden plates that had been inscribed with a religious history of ancient American peoples. He published the Book of Mormon, which he said was a translation of the golden plates found.

Smith organized the Church of Latter-day Saints on April 16, 1830. Under Smith's leadership, the Latter-day Saints found communities in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois.

Joseph Smith died with his brother on June 27, 1944. The pair were being held in Carthage Jail on charges of treason. An armed group stormed the jail and killed his brother instantly, before they shot and killed Joseph. Five men were tried for his murder but all were acquitted.

Related Images

See all images »

Recent Joseph Smith Questions

PREV 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... NEXT
1,767 Answers
Advertisement