"about 70,000 people beginning with advance parties sent out by church leaders in March 1846 after the 1844 assassination of the Mormon leader Joseph Smith made it clear the group could not remain in Nauvoo, Illinoiswhich the church had recently purchased, improved, renamed, and developed because of the Missouri Mormon War, setting off the Illinois Mormon War. The well-organized wagon train migration began in earnest in April 1847, and the period (including the flight from Missouri in 1838 to Nauvoo), known as the ""Mormon Exodus"" is, by convention among social scientists, traditionally assumed to have ended with the completion of"
"gun"", and would be replaced with a ""theodemocratic"" Kingdom of God. Smith taught that this kingdom would be governed by theocratic principles, but that it would also be multidenominational and democratic, so long as the people chose wisely. Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805 – June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, he published the Book of Mormon, and he had attracted tens of thousands of followers and founded a religion that continues to the present by the time of his death 14"
"Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805 – June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, he published the Book of Mormon, and he had attracted tens of thousands of followers and founded a religion that continues to the present by the time of his death 14 years later. Smith was born in Sharon, Vermont. By 1817, he had moved with his family to the burned-over district of western New York, an area of intense religious revivalism during the Second Great Awakening. Smith said he"
"Mormonism in the 19th century This is a chronology of Mormonism. In the late 1820s, founder Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, announced that an angel had given him a set of golden plates engraved with a chronicle of ancient American peoples, which he had a unique gift to translate. In 1830, he published the resulting narratives as the Book of Mormon and founded the Church of Christ in western New York, claiming it to be a restoration of early Christianity. Moving the church to Kirtland, Ohio in 1831, Joseph Smith attracted hundreds of converts, who were"
"Mormons Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity, initiated by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the Mormons followed Brigham Young to what would become the Utah Territory. Today, most Mormons are understood to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Some Mormons are also either independent or non-practicing. The center of Mormon cultural influence is in Utah, and North America has more Mormons than any other continent, though the majority"
"Mormonism Mormonism is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity started by Joseph Smith in Western New York in the 1820s and 30s. After Smith was killed in 1844, most Mormons followed Brigham Young on his westward journey to the area that became the Utah Territory, calling themselves The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Other sects include Mormon fundamentalism, which seeks to maintain practices and doctrines such as polygamy, and various other small independent denominations. The second-largest Latter Day Saint denomination, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,"
"Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2200 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith as ""The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi"". According to Smith's account and the book's narrative, the Book of Mormon was originally written in otherwise unknown characters referred to as ""reformed Egyptian"" engraved on golden plates. Smith said that"
"Mormon Political Manifesto established a written rule that the general authorities of the church would require the approval of the First Presidency before seeking public office. Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) The Church of Christ was the original name of the Latter Day Saint church founded by Joseph Smith. Organized informally in 1829 in New York and then formally on April 6, 1830, it was the first organization to implement the principles found in Smith's newly published Book of Mormon, and thus represents the formal beginning of the Latter Day Saint movement. Later names for this organization included the"
"Leonard J. Arrington Leonard James Arrington (July 2, 1917 – February 11, 1999) was an American author, academic and the founder of the Mormon History Association. He is known as the ""Dean of Mormon History"" and ""the Father of Mormon History"" because of his many influential contributions to the field. He was the first Church Historian for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1972 to 1982, and was director of the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History from 1982 until 1986. Arrington grew up in a large family in Idaho, where he and his"
"Origin of the Book of Mormon There are several theories as to the origin of the Book of Mormon. Most adherents to the Latter Day Saint movement view the book as a work of inspired scripture. The most common belief of adherents is that promoted by Joseph Smith, who said he translated ancient golden plates inscribed by prophets. Smith claimed the angel Moroni, a prophet in the Book of Mormon, directed him in the 1820s to a hill near his home in Palmyra, New York where the plates were buried. Besides Smith himself, there were at least 11 witnesses who"
"first, second, and third centuries A.D. According to Mormonism's founder, Joseph Smith, through obedience to Christ and the gradual acquisition of knowledge, the faithful may eventually become heirs of God in the afterlife and ""inherit all things"" as Christ himself ""inherited all things."" Mormons believe they will continue to worship and be subject to God the Father in the name of Christ in the afterlife. Mormons do not characterize the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in terms of an immaterial, formless substance or essence that sets godhood apart as a separate genus from humanity. They believe this classification of divinity"
"not canonical. The church's most distinctive scripture, the Book of Mormon, was published by founder Joseph Smith in 1830. It is believed to be ""another testament of Jesus Christ"" and bears that subtitle as of 1982. Smith stated that, under divine direction, he translated the Book of Mormon from metal plates having ""the appearance of gold"" found buried near his home. Eight men signed a statement as witnesses that Smith possessed the plates and that they had seen them. , the full text of the Book of Mormon had been translated and published in 77 languages, and selections in an"
"identified the rock of which Jesus spoke as the rock of revelation: ""There is no other foundation upon which the Lord could build His Church and kingdom ... Revelation: Pure, perfect, personal revelation—this is the rock!"" Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, recorded in multiple revelations that Peter appeared to him and Oliver Cowdery in 1829, near Harmony Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, in order to bestow the apostleship and keys of the kingdom as part of a restoration of priesthood authority. Muslims consider Jesus a prophet of God. The Qur'an also speaks of Jesus's disciples but does not mention their"
"true. Most Mormons do not claim to have had heavenly visions like Smith's in response to prayers, but feel that God talks to them in their hearts and minds through the Holy Ghost. Though Mormons have some beliefs that are considered strange in a modernized world, they continue to hold onto their beliefs because they feel God has spoken to them. Mormons Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity, initiated by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844,"
"had in the early 1820s while living in upstate New York. In 1823, Smith said an angel directed him to a buried book written on golden plates containing the religious history of an ancient people. Smith published what he said was a translation of these plates in March 1830 as the Book of Mormon, named after Mormon, the ancient prophet–historian who compiled the book. On April 6, 1830, Smith founded the Church of Christ. The early church grew westward as Smith sent missionaries to proselytize. In 1831, the church moved to Kirtland, Ohio where missionaries had made a large number"
"beliefs adhered to by anyone else. After translating the Book of Mormon and publishing it in 1830, Joseph Smith asked five associates to join in officially incorporating the Church of Christ on April 6, 1830 in the company of some 56 men and women in Fayette, New York. After suffering under persecution in several states, including a government-ordered expulsion from Missouri and the assassination of Joseph Smith by a mob in Illinois, Brigham Young was called to succeed Joseph Smith and led the Mormon pioneers to settle a large area now encompassed by the state of Utah and parts of"
"movement traces their origins to the Burned-over district of western New York, where Joseph Smith, Jr., reported seeing God the Father and Jesus Christ, eventually leading him to doctrines that, he said, were lost after the apostles were killed. Joseph Smith gained a small following in the late 1820s as he was dictating the Book of Mormon, which he said was a translation of words found on a set of golden plates that had been buried near his home by an indigenous American prophet. After publishing of the Book of Mormon in 1830, the church rapidly gained a following. It"
"legitimately claim to understand what the church teaches, since many challengers of Mormonism come from an LDS background. In addition, they often declare that highly charged words such as ""hatred"" and ""bigotry"" are employed to an excessive degree to describe any challenge to a truth claim, and often cite this reactionary response as part of a Mormon ""persecution complex."" Mormonism, or the Latter Day Saint movement, arose in western New York, the area where its founder, Joseph Smith, was raised, during a period of religious revival in the early 19th century. Smith claimed to have several visions involving God, Jesus"
"Mormonism and Freemasonry The relationship between Mormonism and Freemasonry began early in the life Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, as his older brother Hyrum and possibly his father were Freemasons while the family lived near Palmyra, New York. Nevertheless, in the late 1820s, the western New York region was swept with anti-Masonic fervor. By the 1840s, however, Smith and several prominent Latter Day Saints had become Freemasons and founded a lodge in Nauvoo, Illinois, in March 1842. Soon after joining Freemasonry, Smith introduced a temple endowment ceremony including a number of symbolic elements that were very"
"president Joseph F. Smith, which stated that those who did not cease the continuation of the practice would be excommunicated from the church. Woolley did not comply and was excommunicated from the LDS Church on March 30, 1914. When Woolley died, his son Lorin Woolley succeeded him as a leader among Mormon fundamentalists. John W. Woolley John Wickersham Woolley (December 30, 1831 – December 13, 1928) was an American Latter Day Saint and one of the founders of the Mormon fundamentalism movement. Most Mormon fundamentalist groups trace their origin directly or indirectly to Woolley. Woolley was born to Edwin D."
"John W. Woolley John Wickersham Woolley (December 30, 1831 – December 13, 1928) was an American Latter Day Saint and one of the founders of the Mormon fundamentalism movement. Most Mormon fundamentalist groups trace their origin directly or indirectly to Woolley. Woolley was born to Edwin D. and Mary W. Woolley, the first of Edwin's seven wives, in Newlin, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Edwin Woolley was originally a Quaker farmer, but converted to Mormonism in 1837. The Woolley family emigrated to Utah Territory with the Mormon pioneers in the late 1840s. Edwin would later become Brigham Young's business manager, as well"
"Mormonism to the United Kingdom and organizing the exodus of Latter Day Saints from Missouri in 1838. In 1844, while in jail awaiting trial for treason charges, Joseph Smith, president of the church, was killed by an armed mob. Several claimants to the role of church president emerged during the succession crisis that ensued. Before a large meeting convened to discuss the succession in Nauvoo, Illinois, Sidney Rigdon, the senior surviving member of the church's First Presidency, argued there could be no successor to the deceased prophet and that he should be made the ""Protector"" of the church. Young opposed"
"Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling: A Cultural Biography of Mormonism's Founder is a biography of Joseph Smith Jr., founder and prophet of the Latter Day Saint movement, by Richard Bushman. Bushman is both a practicing member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and the Gouverneur Morris Professor of History emeritus at Columbia University. The title of the book refers to a self-description by Smith, ""I [am] a rough stone. The sound of the hammer and chisel was never heard on me nor never will be. I desire the learning and"
"function as a sign—as tangible evidence that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God—that mission could have been accomplished much more concisely."" Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2200 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith as ""The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi"". According to Smith's account and the book's narrative,"
"be a reasonable and non-coercive solution to the slavery problem. Joining with his friend and fellow Quincy lawyer Orville Browning, Archibald Williams in 1841 helped to defend Mormon leader Joseph Smith from being extradited to Missouri to face possible execution for alleged crimes. Joseph Smith was the founder of the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons), and he and his church were unpopular because of the voting power of his supporters and their belief in men having multiple wives. Thanks to Browning's and Williams's arguments in court, Smith was not extradited to Missouri but remained in Illinois and founded a"
"the Western United States, Western Canada, and northern Mexico. At times, sources have claimed there are as many as 60,000 Mormon fundamentalists in the United States, with fewer than half of them living in polygamous households. However, others have suggested that there may be as few as 20,000 Mormon fundamentalists with only 8,000 to 15,000 practicing polygamy. Founders of mutually rival Mormon fundamentalist denominations include Lorin C. Woolley, John Y. Barlow, Joseph W. Musser, Leroy S. Johnson, Rulon C. Allred, Elden Kingston, and Joel LeBaron. The largest Mormon fundamentalist groups are the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints"
"Christ. Smith and Cowdery also explained that the angels John the Baptist, Peter, James and John visited them in 1829 and gave them authority to reestablish the Church of Christ and in 1838 Joseph Smith announced that he had received a revelation from God that officially changed the name to the ""Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints"". Smith first published the Book of Mormon in March 1830, which LDS members believe was translated from Golden Plates buried in the ground, and contains a record of Americas between about 600 BC and 400 AD and an original church of"
"defined as the age of eight years. The theology thus rejects infant baptism. According to the account in Joseph Smith–History 1:68, the first Mormon baptisms occurred on May 15, 1829, when Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery baptized each other in the Susquehanna River near Harmony, Pennsylvania shortly after receiving the Aaronic priesthood from John the Baptist. In addition, Mormon theology requires baptism only be performed by a priesthood holder. The minimum required priesthood level to perform a baptism in Mormonism is Priest, who is a worthy male members at least 16 years old, and the rite is presided by a"
"Mormonism and history The Mormon religion is predicated on what are said to be historical events such as the First Vision of Joseph Smith and the historicity of the Book of Mormon, which describes a detailed pre-Columbian history of the Americas. President Joseph Fielding Smith, the tenth LDS prophet, declared that ""Mormonism, as it is called, must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. He was either a prophet of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned, or he was one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. There is no middle ground."" As Jan Shipps"
"not want to repeat that experience and also that the presiding authority of the second council let him know beforehand that to stay a member and avoid excommunication he would need to repudiate all of the details from his book and also regain his testimony of the church. Mormonism and history The Mormon religion is predicated on what are said to be historical events such as the First Vision of Joseph Smith and the historicity of the Book of Mormon, which describes a detailed pre-Columbian history of the Americas. President Joseph Fielding Smith, the tenth LDS prophet, declared that ""Mormonism,"
"founder Joseph Smith in Sharon, Vermont, and conceived a plan to build a monument to the Mormon prophet. Under the direction of Joseph F. Smith, Wells oversaw the construction of the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial in 1905. The monument was dedicated by Smith on December 23, 1905, the 100th anniversary of Joseph Smith's birth. Wells also was the chief organizer in having a monument erected by the church to the Three Witnesses in Richmond, Missouri, in 1911. In 2005, the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation created the Junius F. Wells Award, to be awarded to individuals who promote the purposes of"
"contentions. There are several theories as to the origin of the Book of Mormon. Most adherents of the Latter Day Saint movement view the book as a work of inspired scripture. The most common theory accepted by adherents is that promoted by Joseph Smith, who said he translated the work from an ancient set of golden plates inscribed by prophets. Smith said he discovered these near his home in Palmyra, New York, in the 1820s after being told to go there by the angel Moroni. Besides Smith himself, there are more than 11 witnesses who said they saw the plates"
"Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet is a biography of the formative years of the founder of Mormonism written by Dan Vogel. The book covers the period of Smith’s life up until 1831. Vogel casts Smith in the role of a magician, who perhaps believes in his own ability to perform magic while using fraud to support his position: a charlatan that came to believe that he was called of God. The author assumes Smith to be the author of the Book of Mormon and takes the position that the book may"