Joseph Smith Jr.

23 December 1805 — 27 June 1844

Founder and first president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830–1844. Born at Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont; son of Lucy Mack and Joseph Smith Sr. Married Emma Hale, 1827. Married other women in plural marriages. Experienced his first vision of Deity, 1820. Published the Book of Mormon and organized the Church of Jesus Christ, 1830. Led followers from New York to Ohio, to Missouri, and to Illinois, 1831–1839. Published the Book of Commandments, 1833; published the Doctrine and Covenants, 1835. Organized the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 1835. Dedicated the temple at Kirtland, Geauga County, Ohio, 1836. Assisted in organizing the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, 1842. Served as mayor of Nauvoo, lieutenant general of the Nauvoo Legion, and regent of Nauvoo University. Ran as a candidate for president of the United States, 1844. Murdered at Carthage, Hancock County. 1 (See Document 1.1, 1.2, 1.5, 1.10, 1.13, 2.2, 2.5, 3.5, 3.6, 3.13, 3.20, 3.25, 3.27–3.29, 4.1, 4.3–4.5, 4.7, 4.9–4.11, 4.15, 4.18, 4.20, 4.24, 4.25, 4.28, first mentioned here)

Footnotes

  1. [1] Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book, 1841–1846, CHL. Andrew Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Co., 1901), 1:1–8. “Joseph Smith and His Papers: An Introduction,” and “Joseph Smith Pedigree Chart,” The Joseph Smith Papers (http://josephsmithpapers.org, accessed Feb. 2015). “Family Tree,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org, accessed Jan. 6, 2016), Joseph Smith Jr. KWJY-BPD .