RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Morganatic Marriage Mormons
MORMONS.
Death (§ 11). Brigham Young; (§ 12).
The Church
i. Joseph
Smith;
Early
Life and
Visions.
I. Official (Mormon) Statement.
Joseph Smith; Early Life and Visions (§ 1).
Founding of the Church; First Period (§ 2).
Movement to Utah (§3).
The " Utah War " (§ 4).
Doctrines and Organization (§ 5).
Polygamy; Conflicts with the Government (§ 6). II. Critical (Non-Mormon) Statement.
The Founder's Family; Environment in Youth (§ 1).
Translation of the Book of Mormon (§2).
I. Official (Mormon) Statement of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly called the " Mormon " Church, was organized Apr. 6, 1830, at Fayette, Seneca County, N. Y. Joseph Smith, its founder, was born at Sharon, Windsor County, Vt., Dec. 23, 1805, and moved with his parents in 1815 to Palmyra, Wayne County, N. Y., and in 1819 to Manchester, N. Y. In the year 1820 a number of protracted revival meetings were held at that place among the various sects, which resulted in contention among the preachers who sought to influence the new converts to join their respective churches. Some of the members of the Smith family had joined the Presbyterian church, but Joseph, then fourteen years of age, being unable to decide which of these sects was right, held aloof from all, but pondered upon the matter, knowing that all could not be right. One day, while thus reflecting, he opened the Bible at the epistle of James and was deeply impressed with the promise in i. 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 passage aroused his earnest attention and deep reflection, until he decided to take it literally. Accordingly he retired to the woods near his father's house and called upon the Lord in fervent prayer; while thus engaged he beheld two glorious personages wrapped in a brilliant light, standing near, but above him in the air. One of them spoke to him, calling him by name, and, pointing to the other, said, " This is my beloved son, hear him." As soon as he was able to speak, Joseph asked this personage which of all the sects of Christendom he should join, and was told to join none of them, for they were all wrong; that the people drew near to the Lord with their lips, but their hearts were far from him. Among other things he was taught that the Gospel of Christ in its power and simplicity was not among men; but that shortly it should be restored again. The vision closed and the youth was left to ponder over the things he had both seen and heard. Three years passed and on the evening of Sept. 21, 1823, after he had retired for the night, he engaged in prayer; while thus calling upon the Lord, the room was filled with light and suddenly a messenger appeared at his bedside clothed in glory beyond description, who called him by name and said he had been sent from the presence of God, that his name
Summary of the Book of Mormon (§ 3). Its Literary Character (§ 4). Theories of its Source (§5). The Founder's Character; Opportunism
(§6). The New Church; Various Centers
(§7). Industrial Development; Opposition
(§8). Developing Organization; Missionary
Operations (§9). History, 1836-38 (§ 10). Nauvoo Period; Polygamy; Smith's
Removal to Utah
Defiance of the United States (§ 13).
Suppression of Polygamy; Statehood (§ 14).
Late History; Present Status (§ 15).
Doctrinal System (§ 16).
Ordinances in Theory and Practise (§ 17).
Priesthood and Government (§ 18).
III. The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
IV. Anti-Mormon Movements. To 1869 (§ 1).
From 1869 to the Present (§ 2).
was Moroni, that God had a work for Joseph to do, and that his name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindred, and tongues. The angel declared that the Gospel in all its fulness was about to be restored, preparatory to the second advent of Messiah, which was near at hand, and that this young man had been chosen as an instrument in the hands of the Lord in bringing about his purposes in the latter days. He was also informed that there was a record written on gold plates giving an account of the former inhabitants of the American continent, and the source from whence they sprang. These plates contained the fulness of the everlasting Gospel as delivered by the Savior to the inhabitants of this continent whom he visited after his resurrection; also there were two stones in silver bows deposited with the record, constituting what is called the Urim and Thummim which God had prepared for the purpose of translating the characters on the record. These stones were fastened to a breastplate. He was permitted to see these things in vision, also the place of deposit in the hill Cumorah, near Palmyra, N. Y. After receiving many visits from the angel, who unfolded to him many of the events about to take place, he received the plates on Sept. 22, 1827. These he subsequently translated through the medium of the Urim and Thummim and " the gift and power of God," which translation was published in 1830 as the Book of Mormon.
In 1829 Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received the priesthood, which is divine authority, under the hands of Peter, James, and John, and by command of God, on Apr. 6, 1830, they 2. Found- organized the Church of Jesus Christ ing of the of Latter-day Saints with six souls. Church; The next year the church numbered First several hundred members and moved Period, to Kirtland, O., and also began to settle in Jackson County, Mo., where, according to their belief, the city Zion was to be built, a holy city with a temple of surpassing splendor, erected for the salvation of the souls of men. In 1833 the Saints who had located in Missouri were driven from Jackson County; they had incurred the ill-will of the original settlers, partly on account of their religion and partly because they were abolitionists from the eastern states. They sought refuge in Clay County, where they were permitted to remain for a short time, but the opposition increased and they were forced to seek a home in the
Mormons