Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith, Jr. (December 23, 1805 - June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader. He started the Latter Day Saint movement (also called Mormonism). Latter Day Saints believe that Smith was a prophet.
Book of Mormon
According to Joseph Smith's own story, when he was 17 years old, he was visited by an angel named Moroni. Moroni told him about a really old book written upon Golden Plates. It was buried in a hill. A few years later, Joseph said that he received those plates and translated them into the book that today is called The Book of Mormon. He instructed a man named Martin Harris to write down the words that he said was a translation of the plates. He said Moroni gave him seer stones which would help him translate the golden plates. Harris took home the pages and told his wife all about what had happened, but she did not believe him. Those pages were lost, and Joseph told Martin that God was very angry with them. Eventually, Joseph was allowed to translate the rest of the book, with help from Oliver Cowdery instead of Martin Harris.
Mormon Church
On April 6, 1830, he started The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is often called the Mormon Church. Joseph Smith said that God wanted him to be a prophet and teach other people the things that he learned from God. This church still exists today, with millions of members around the world.
Joseph Smith taught some things that some people did not like. He said that other churches were only partly true. He also said that men could have more than one wife if God commanded them, just like was taught in the Old Testament of the Bible. The Mormons also did not always get along with their neighbors.
Death
On June 7, 1844, some people who were upset with Smith created a newspaper in Nauvoo, Illinois called the Nauvoo Expositor This newspaper was filled with bad things about Smith, such as how Smith secretly had many wives. Some men even said that Smith tried to take their wives. Smith and the Nauvoo city council were afraid the newspaper would encourage non-Mormons to attack the city, so they ordered that the printing press should be destroyed and declared martial law. Smith was arrested after being accused of trying to start a riot, and was put in jail in Carthage, Illinois. On June 27, before the trial could start, a mob of angry men entered the jail and killed Smith and his brother, Hyrum.
References
1805 births
1844 deaths
American Latter Day Saint leaders