So, you’re here to learn about the founder of Mormonism. Which to most, means you’re here to learn about Joseph Smith. Well, let’s just start by getting a little detail cleared up right off the bat. Joseph Smith is not the founder of Mormonism. Or, at least people can often misinterpret that title. One other thing, Mormon is an old nickname used for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Today, we simply call members Latter-day Saints.
Joseph Smith was the original leader of the reorganized church of Jesus Christ. But it’s a bit more complicated than that, so let’s just get started, why don’t we? To do that, we’re going to have to go back in time. So get in your Delorean, because we’re off to Palmyra, New York in the thrilling year of 1820.
Who Was the Founder of Mormonism?
Our story begins not at the beginning, but at the height of religious excitement here in the U.S. All sorts of different churches began to form. All of them had different interpretations of the Bible, and all claimed that their interpretation was the one true one. This caused a lot of division; between communities, families, and even young Joseph. Joseph Smith was fourteen, and thinking about what any fourteen-year-old would be thinking; about the salvation of his soul. 😉
With all of the different churches, Joseph Smith was wondering which one to join. He said,
“In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?”
He then brought this question to the Bible, and came across James 1:5, which says:
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
This verse leads him to do just as it says; ask of God. Joseph Smith went out to a grove of trees and, for the first time out loud, he prayed. Joseph had a marvelous experience, in which he has given four separate accounts describing the experience. Here is a shortened description of his experience:
“I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. … 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!”
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call this experience that Joseph had, “The First Vision.” You can watch a 19 minute video depiction of the event here: The Restoration. Or, you can watch a longer, more detailed version here in this video (shared below) called, Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration
Joseph Smith and the Gold Plates
One of the first tasks given to Joseph at the beginning of the restoration was to obtain and translate the gold plates. The gold plates are one of the biggest mysteries for those outside the church and one of the greatest pivotal points in history for us members. And if that seems dramatic, just wait till the end and you’ll see!
We have to go even further back in history to discover exactly what are the gold plates. The gold plates are a record of God’s dealings with the inhabitants of the ancient Americas. These prophets told their stories and engraved them in the ‘language of their fathers.’ These plates are proof of God’s love for all of His children. It shows us that he spoke to those all over the world and taught them of His mysteries. These plates end with a statement from a prophet, named Moroni, burying the plates deep in the earth to keep them safe. And here is where they would remain until God would call another to retrieve them, namely the young, uneducated, poor teenager, named Joseph Smith, Jr.
Where did Joseph Smith find the gold plates?
Three years after his first vision, Joseph is now seventeen years old. One night in September of 1823, the angel Moroni appeared to him to describe the first task in the restoration; obtain and translate the gold plates.
The angel described many times where he would find the plates, as well as the tools for translating the ancient text. Joseph Smith went to the place described, a hill near his home in Palmyra, but he received a command that he must prepare himself more before retrieving and translating them. This would happen in the September of 1827, four years later.
Who were Joseph Smith’s wives?
Now, I’m sure everyone has heard of the many wives of the early Latter-day Saints. This can be a bit difficult for people to understand, which will make it more difficult to tell you that it wasn’t meant to be understood.
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe in marriage between one man and one woman. We know that is God’s law for all of His children. We also know that God often works in ways and our earthly minds can never fully understand. The act of plural marriage was one of those mysteries. God has called many of his servants to adopt this practice, like many prophets in biblical times.
And this is exactly what God called His servant Joseph Smith to do along with a few other leaders of the church. Joseph Smith was opposed to this at the start but knew it was a revelation from God, and that He had a greater plan. So the practice began and Joseph, and a couple of his closest associates, married multiple wives. This caused a lot of controversy in the early days of the church and still does at times today.
This was especially difficult for Emma Smith, Joseph’s wife and true love. Although much of her thoughts are unknown, this commandment did cause a level of hardships, on top of what the couple was already facing. Especially with their own growing family.
Although much is still unknown about the relationship Joseph had with his wives, we do know that he did not have children with anyone other than Emma. Together they raised eleven kids, two of them being adopted. Only five of them ever made it to adulthood, with the other six dying in infancy.
If you would like to learn and understand more about polygamy, Mariel has put together a great resource of her very favorite videos, podcasts, and books on the subject. You can find that here: The Best Resources for Understanding Polygamy Amongst the Early Latter-day Saints
What happened to Joseph Smith?
The latter-day saints faced a lot of persecution in the early days of the church. Their faith faced many tests as they were treated, kicked out of their home, and even killed by those who feared the ‘new’ church. Joseph Smith was not immune to this treatment, even being a prophet of God. He was tarred and feathered, beaten, and thrown into prison many times just for his beliefs. The final of these convictions would land him in Carthage Jail, the last place Joseph would be alive.
Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith, along with a couple of other church leaders, awaited a trial locked in Carthage jail. However, before the trial could come, a mob of men rushed the prison, guns blazing with the intent to kill. The men inside tried to brace the doors, but the men were just able to stick their weapons through. Hyrum Smith was shot first, in the face and died almost instantly. Joseph would mourn the death of his brother just moments before his own when he would run to the window, receive bullets from both sides and fall through to the ground below. You can read more about the martyrdom here: The Prophet Seals His Testimony With His Blood.
This act was an attempt to end the spreading of the Church. They thought that by killing the original leader, they would stop the restoration. But as we’ve been proven many times before, God’s power cannot be stopped. That’s why today, with over 17 million members, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is still growing and temples are continuing to be built all over the world. The ongoing restoration is taking place right now as God restores the truth to the earth through Christ’s church. Joseph Smith started a domino effect that cannot be stopped, and I am forever grateful for the things I know now because of his sacrifice.
After the death of Joseph Smith, God called another prophet, Brigham Young. Who would lead the saints further from continued persecution and eventually the greater part of them would settle in Utah. Which explains the large Latter-day Saint population in the good old Rocky Mountains. If you would like to learn more about these pioneers and their experience, the church has put together a fantastic series of three books called Saints, that you can read for free on the Gospel Library app, under the Church History tab.
To Learn More About The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Joseph Smith, check out:
- Why Did Joseph Smith Create Mormonism… Or, Did He??
- Free Book of Mormon Without Missionaries Coming to Your House
- What Kinds of Things Does The Book of Mormon Say?
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