Joseph Smith
Founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805 – June 27, 1844) was an American religious and political figure who started Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, he published the Book of Mormon, and over the next fourteen years, he gathered tens of thousands of followers. Today, millions of people around the world belong to the churches that grew out of his movement, with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints being the largest.
Smith was born in Sharon, Vermont. After several crop failures in 1816, his family moved to western New York, where they faced more hardships. In that region, which was swept up in the religious fervor of the Second Great Awakening, Smith said he had a series of visions. The first came in 1820, when he claimed to see two figures, whom he later identified as God the Father and Jesus Christ. In 1823, he reported that an angel showed him a buried book of golden plates containing a Judeo-Christian history of an ancient American civilization. Smith published the Book of Mormon in 1830, saying it was his English translation of those plates. That same year, he founded the Church of Christ, which he described as a restoration of the early Christian church. His followers became known as Latter Day Saints or Mormons.
In 1831, Smith and his followers moved west, hoping to build a communal settlement called Zion in the American heartland. They first gathered in Kirtland, Ohio, and set up an outpost in Independence, Missouri, which was meant to be Zion’s center. During the 1830s, Smith sent out missionaries, issued revelations, and oversaw the building of the Kirtland Temple. After the church-backed Kirtland Safety Society collapsed and violent conflicts with non-Mormons in Missouri led to an extermination order, Smith and his followers left Ohio and Missouri. They founded a new settlement in Nauvoo, Illinois, which became the state’s second-largest city while Smith served as mayor.
In 1844, Smith launched a presidential campaign. During that campaign, he and the Nauvoo City Council ordered the destruction of the *Nauvoo Expositor*’s printing press after the newspaper criticized his power and his practice of polygamy. This act stirred up opposition. Smith surrendered to Illinois authorities but was shot and killed by a mob that stormed the jail.
Throughout his ministry, Smith produced many documents and texts, most of whic
- born
- December 23, 1805, Sharon, Vermont
- died
- June 27, 1844, Nauvoo, Illinois
- field
- Religion, Politics
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement; publisher of the Book of Mormon
Lore & Background
Smith was born in Vermont and moved with his family to Western New York after crop failures. In an area of religious revivalism, he reported a series of visions, beginning in 1820 when he saw two personages he later described as God the Father and Jesus Christ. In 1823, he said an angel directed him to buried golden plates inscribed with a Judeo-Christian history of an ancient American civilization. In 1830, he published the Book of Mormon as a translation of those plates and organized the Church of Christ, which he called a restoration of the early Christian Church. His followers were later called Latter Day Saints or Mormons.
Smith and his followers moved west, gathering in Kirtland, Ohio, and establishing an outpost in Independence, Missouri. After the collapse of the church-sponsored Kirtland Safety Society and violent conflicts with non-Mormon Missourians that led to an extermination order, they settled in Nauvoo, Illinois, which became the second-largest city in Illinois during Smith's mayoralty. Smith launched a presidential campaign in 1844. During the campaign, he and the Nauvoo City Council ordered the destruction of a printing press that criticized his power and polygamy. Smith surrendered to Illinois authorities but was shot and killed by a mob that stormed the jailhouse.
Reader's Guide
Joseph Smith's significance lies in founding a major religious movement that continues to have millions of adherents worldwide. During his ministry, he published numerous texts he attributed to divine revelation, many of which were canonized by Latter Day Saint denominations as scripture. His teachings cover God's nature, cosmology, family structures, political organization, and religious authority. Mormons generally regard him as a prophet comparable to Moses and Elijah. Several denominations, including the LDS Church and the Community of Christ, identify as continuations of the church he organized. His life was marked by both rapid growth of his following and intense opposition, including legal troubles, violent conflicts, and his eventual killing by a mob. The movement he started has had a lasting impact on American religious history and global Christianity.
Did You Know?
- Smith published the Book of Mormon at age 24.
- He was shot and killed by a mob while in jail in Nauvoo, Illinois.
- Smith's maternal grandfather, Solomon Mack, self-published a memoir about his own conversion experience.
- Smith's older brother Alvin died from mercury poisoning due to medical error.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Joseph Smith?
Joseph Smith Jr. was an American religious and political leader who established the Latter Day Saint movement, widely known as Mormonism. He is most recognized for publishing the Book of Mormon in 1830 at the age of 24.
What was Joseph Smith's role in the movement he founded?
He served as the founding prophet and organizational head, drawing in tens of thousands of adherents over a fourteen-year span. Under his leadership the movement branched into multiple churches, with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints growing into the largest.
How does Joseph Smith's story end?
Smith was killed on June 27, 1844, in Nauvoo, Illinois, just shy of his 39th birthday. His death ended his direct leadership, yet the religious communities he had organized continued to spread across the world.
Why is Joseph Smith considered important?
He is the originator of a faith tradition that today counts millions of members worldwide. His writings and organizational work created one of the most significant religious movements to emerge from the United States.
Where and when was Joseph Smith born?
He was born on December 23, 1805, in Sharon, Vermont. After a string of crop failures in 1816, his family relocated to western New York, where they faced additional economic hardship.
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