Joseph Smith Recently, I have been researching the religious leader Joseph Smith; I have learned an abundance of information about his background and life, and major contributions to Mormons, to the many different critiques of Joseph Smith and his religion. Joseph Smith was born December 23, 1805 and was originally Joseph Smith, Jr. he was born in Sharon, VT and died June 27, 1844 in Carthage. He was born into an extremely poor New England family who moved to Vermont where his father became a farmer. After Joseph was born it sent his family spiraling downhill and forced them to move to a different state. His mother then began attending Presbyterian meetings but neither him nor his father attended with her. Due to religious differences in …show more content…
Smith’s first major contribution was translating golden plates into the Book of Mormon and became known as a prophet. Smith then organized a group of believers into a church. From this point on Smith’s greatest project was to gather people into groups and put them into settlements called “cities of Zion.” At these settlements these people would try to find refuge. All males who converted were then ordained and later sent out to find more converts; this resulted in an extreme amount of conversions by the end of Joseph Smith’s life. The members of the church that Smith organized are known as Saints (Bushman, 2007.) Joseph Smith was “viewed as a larger-than-life prophet who received special revelations from God (Burke, 2014.)” Smith was also known for the international missionary program and for founding one of the largest women’s organizations in today’s world. While Smith had done many things in his time he also oversaw the building of three different cities and was in charge of the construction of two temples. According to Givens, many believed that the most contributing thing that Smith offered was his vision. Not only did he restore a few different principles of the Christianity religion but he also took it into his own hands and makes everything possible through revelation. He made other believe that anything was possible through revelation. Another contribution that Joseph Smith made was when he translated the golden plates to turn them into the Book of Mormon. Many believe that this would be his primary contribution to his religion but Smith did not stop there he continued on and went to Christianity’s Bible and wanted to go through the Bible and turn it into what he called a “translation” of the Bible. Givens said that “some of the most important contributions of Joseph Smith
Mormonism and its effect on Mason’s life was surprisingly not very influential. In the 1840’s, Mormonism was on its westward journey and eventually landed some followers in California. Being a slave to a Mormon apostle Amasa Mason Lyman and his 8 wives heavily impacted Biddy Mason’s view on religion (P.434). Being constantly around a faith that was fairly new didn’t completely rub off on Biddy, instead she went against the stream and aided the spread of proud African American culture by opening that Methodist church. Since the church, she opened was the first black church, it gave many opportunities for strong black communities that wasn’t restricted by the Mormon faith. Biddy Mason travelling against the stream of the influence of religion got many to follow her through her opening of the
How far was smith to blame for Mormons trouble? Smith founded the religion so in some ways it was all his fault if their was no religion the Mormons wouldn't be in any trouble and
Before the founding and organizing of the LDS church and introduction of polygamy, Joseph Smith received bitter persecution. He was tarred and feathered by a mob, but this was nothing compared to the treatment the saints received when their practice of polygamy became well known (Arrington JS 26-7). In order to escape the torture, Joseph Smith led one hundred and fifty or more saints from New York to Kirtland, Ohio in 1831 (Arrington JS 21). After living in harmony with the native Gentiles for several years, the town of Kirtland be...
In the new world, Smith all but described himself as the savior of the Jamestown colony. While there, he claimed that he secured food from the Powhatan Indians and took command of the colony to save it (Fishwick Para 4). Of course, Smith’s most renowned adventure in Jamestown was his rescue by the Indian princess Pocahontas, which may itself be a misinterpretation of culture by Smith or may have never even occurred A boston historian named Charles Deane researched into this matter and concluded, “...that Smith was a notoriou...
A handsome boy kneels down for prayer beside a tree in his father’s orchard. It is a nice sunny spring day with the warm rays of the radiant sun gently kissing the boy’s face. “God, give me a sign,” he pleads to his heavenly father. He is only 14, yet religion fascinates him. Confused by what Christian faith to believe in, he was not sure whether he wanted to become a Baptist like his parents, or a Methodist, which church’s teachings appealed more to him. A slight cool breeze passes through his chestnut colored hair. In a moment he finds himself paralyzed, unable to move, at the mercy of some evil force. A shadowy mist surrounds him. The boy is afraid and does the only thing he could think of: he prayed, “God save me!” Immediately a pillar of light descends over his head like a crown of gold. A strange calmness overcomes the boy, and the shadows around him recede. To the boy, who questioned God’s existence, this was a sure sign that his heavenly father was still there. That boy was Joseph Smith, who had just experienced the first of a series of visions that he would receive throughout his faithful life. Soon after his first vision, he received another in which he the angel Moroni visited him, who presented him with a map. Smith traveled to a nearby hill where he found several golden tablets, etched with mysterious characters of ancient languages long forgotten. Smith was ordered by the angel to translate the plates into what is now known as the Book of Mormon (from which the Mormons gained their name), the cornerstone of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or simply abbreviated as the LDS Church. (Millet 6-8).
Joseph Smith or Brigham Young's Contributions to the Mormon Movement Many settlers travelled east, but the most important religious group to travel east was the Mormons. The Mormon religion was started by a person called Joseph Smith. A Smith grew up on his farm, angles appeared telling him there was a book (written upon golden plates) on a hillside near Manchester, New York. Once dug up, the plates were published in a translated version, which contained statements of his father and brothers saying they had seen the plates. Smith started to preach his new religion.
“Joseph Smith, the founding prophet and president of the new church organized on 6 April, 1830, had unquestionably participated in treasure seeking and seer stone divination and had apparently also used diving rods, talismans, and implements of ritual magic.”
John Adams was born on October 30, 1725 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony on the family farm. He was the older of two younger brothers, Peter and Elihu. John was named after his father John Adams Sr. His father was said to be the town's tax collector, selectman, constable and lieutenant of the militia. John Adams Sr. was the younger Adams’ role model. John’s parents gave him a lot of freedom. It was said that he doing activities outdoors and cared little for school. It is said that John’s stubbornness started at the age of ten when his parents were afraid that he was wasting his exceptional intellect. His father asked him what he was to do with his life and John said that he wanted to be a farmer. The next day his father took him out to the fields and worked him as hard as he could, hoping to teach him a lesson, but that night Adams sr. asked him if he was satisfied being a farmer and little John replied, “I like it very well sir.” Both of his parents were very surprised with his reply.
They belive that Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet for the church and given the task of translating the book of mormon. The Book of Mormon is Another testament of Jesus Christ, similar to the Bible. He soon founded his own church and began converting people to his faith. Soon persecuted for their beliefs, they left New York moving first to Ohio, then Missouri, and finally Nauvoo, Illinois where they lived for five years. At that time, an anti-Mormon lynch mob found and killed Joseph and his brother Hyrum Smith. Brigham Young then became Smith's successor as the second prophet of the church, and led the Mormons away to Utah where they settled at Salt- Lake-
On June 27, 1844 in Carthage jail, Hancock County, Illinois the Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. and Hyrum Smith were martyred (Church History). Their murders, a mob, entered the jail; shot the prophet, his brother, and John Taylor multiple times, and left. The whole event took less than three minutes (Hill). Despite the mobs anger and the American laws at the time, the mob had no right or responsibility to kill Joseph Smith for his religious beliefs because the Bill of Rights states that people in America have the freedom of religion.
John Adams was born on October 30th, 1735 to John Adams Sr. and Susanna Boylston Adams. He was the oldest of three and lived in Braintree, Massachusetts. His father was a farmer, deacon, and town councilman. The Adams were not very wealthy and John Adams’ father knew he could only send one son and he wanted to send his eldest. However, John Adams told his father “I do not love books and I wish you would lay aside thoughts of sending me to college.” His father in reply asked him- “What would you do child? Be a farmer?” John insisted that he wanted to be a farmer and not a scholar. His father brought him to work the fields the next day. Farming was strenuous work and was most likely rough on John’s hands and back. The night after the long day of farming, His father questioned him “Well John are you satisfied with being a farmer.” John Adams refused to admit that his father was right but John Adams Sr said “I do not like it[farming] so well, so you shall go to school.” John Adams and his father found a compromise- John would go to a tutor that challenged his students instead of the town teacher that was unbearably easy. Adams excelled under the tutors teaching and was accepted to Harvard in 1751.
The Oatman’s adventure began as a result of their decision to join a new sect of the Mormon faith. This particular belief, whose followers were named Brewsterites, had its roots in Kirtland, Ohio around 1836. A young boy, about ten years old, named Colin Brewster, showed promise in the eyes of Joseph Smith, the great Mormon prophet. Many had already noticed the boy’s “gift for seeing in vision distant objects not seen by the natural eye” (McGinty 40). Eventually, Brewster’s vision of a round table lead to his acceptance as “a prophet, a seer, a revelator and translator” (McGinty 31), by Joseph Smith Sr. and two other church elders, one of which was referred to as Lord.
...leased from prison, Mathews continued his quest for religion by seeking Joseph Smith of the Mormon society, under the alias Joshua the Jewish Minister. The two had a heated discussion of resurrection and reincarnation. On the other hand, Matthews claimed to be both God and the reincarnation of the apostle Matthias. However Matthews his meeting with Smith was unsuccessful because both prophets believed the other was of the devil. Matthews’ s religious journey albeit chaotic and aberrant now serves as subconscious guide for how new religious movements and cults in present day America.
“History of Fundamentalist Mormons.” Wheat & Tares. Wheat and Tares, 2011. Web. 19 Dec. 2011. .
wrote a pamphlet to the people in England and told about all the good things