Joseph Smith or Brigham Young's Contributions to the Mormon Movement

In 1844, Joseph Smith, ecclesiastical leader of the Latter-day Saints and presidential candidate, was murdered by an angry mob. This mob was fostered by the release of a newspaper questioning Smith’s practices (including polygamy), qualifications, and intentions for his potential presidency. More than 150 years later, Mitt Romney, a member of the LDS Church, launched a presidential campaign and garnered forty-two percent of the popular vote. Although these two candidates share a faith, their political roles and views are substantially different. This is representative of the significant changes in the relationship between the Mormon church and the U.S. government.

Captain John Smith and William Bradford were men who played a great significance during the colonial period. Both traveled from Europe to America in the early 1600’s. When finally arrived in America, the two had created their own colonies (Jamestown & Plymouth Plantation). They both wrote about their experience in America. Not only they became well known what they had done in America but also became great writers.

Captain John Smith’s crew and William Bradford’s crew both originate from England and once had the same beliefs, customs, religion, and government, until environmental factors, beliefs, and location distinguished them. Both John Smith and William Bradford suffered great disasters ,however they both faced them with different attitudes.

They then told him that he would be the prophet of the new church (Smith, n.d.). Joseph Smith’s own account of that day says,

They name their son James Joseph Parker. Their third son died in infancy. Isaac urge the government to give Fort Smith’s 300-acre of military reservation to help fund the public school system. In 1884, the government gave Isaac the military reservation to the city of Fort Smith. In Arkansas and the territory of Oklahoma, it is rumored that the town folks of the time would say, “ There is no Sunday west of St. Louis-no God west of Fort Smith.” The number of how many people Isaac hung will never be known. Some say that it is 78 to 80 people, others say it was more than hundred. He heard thousands and thousands of criminal complaints about almost everything. Some of the complaints every had disputes and violence between the Indians and the white

Not only did the Mormons kill 120 men, women, and children, but the United States and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints almost went to war. No one knows for sure why the Mormons massacred the

He was very crucial in the trade with the Powhatan, for food. In the fall of 1609, Smith was injured by some burning gun powder and was later returned to England. After this he never did return to James Town. But he did write many accounts and publications in favor of Colonizing the North American states. Smith's departure triggered an event called the starving times, in this time many men and women died either from starvation or disease. This caused warfare between the English and the Indians. With their superior knowledge of the land, the Indians were holding their own against the English's superior fire

Hanging or imprisonment would not suffice for punishment or restitution.” (GILMORE 17 BOOK OF MORMON) Smith continues in the Book of Mormon to explain that to forgive an ultimate sin, the blood of the person who committed the sin must be spilled on the ground as an offer to God. In other words, these boys were taught by their own mother to fear God and that we, as human beings, are forever indebted to him. Rather than being taught to worship, the boys were taught to remember important parts of Mormon history such as the Mountain Meadow Massacre which led eventually to the division of Mormons into good or bad saints. Mormonism encouraged the killing of those who belonged to the “bad” saints. In this massacre, farms were burned, men and children were murdered and often women were raped, often by the direction of state militiamen. (17) While it was true that Bessie may have been contributing to the initial factors which may have sparked Gary’s desire or destiny to become a criminal, she was very hopeful when it came to her son, Gary in terms of the destiny he had in store, but as it turns out, this is likely for her own benefit. “Perhaps [Gary] was the one who might act out her rage for her, and avenge all the years of abuse and exclusion she had suffered during life in Utah. If ever a mother had a son who might pay back the legacies of her past, then that alliance was Bessie and Gary Gilmore.”

According to the Textbook “Church membership grew rapidly, but certain beliefs and practices caused Mormons to be persecuted. The Illinois community collapsed after an anti-Mormon mob murdered Smith in 1844. This proves my point because it shows that before they moved to the West, they were being persecuted. Following Smith’s murder, Brigham Young became head of the Mormon Church. Young chose what is now Utah as the group’s new home, and thousands of Mormons took the Mormon Trail to the area near the Great Salt Lake, where they prospered.

He provided a good example due to the Market Revolution in the early 1800s. Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, or Mormonism, created another model of a religious utopia (Keene, 301). Smith grew up in western New York, where the fires of the Great Awakening burned hot. In Smith’s Christian Religion environment, had a revelation on which Mormonism was based (Keene, 301). The Book of Mormon was published in Palmyra, New York, in 1830 and this town became the site of one of the earliest Mormon communities (Keene 301). Smith was influenced by the widespread belief that the millennium was at hand, bringing with it an end to debt and the return of Christ and a new era of peace, happiness, and prosperity. Smith’s revelations detail struck a resonant chord with small farmers and etc whose experience with the expanding market economy had been largely negative (Keene 301). The revelation attracted thousands of followers. Joseph Smith members were popularly known as Mormons. With the exception of the first generation of Mormon converts, American society does not seem to have been receptive to him; they were pushed from one location to another, and eventually after Smith’s assassination, they moved to Utah. Prior to their exodus the Mormons endured a long period of internal dissension and harassment by their non-Mormon

In 1846 a society of pioneers went West searching for a golden paradise. These people were Mormons or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints. On the way to their new home, they made people mad. Lots of people didn’t like the Mormons’ ways. Most people resented them for the popularity the religion was getting. People turned to violence and attacked them. As a matter of fact their leader, Joseph Smith, died on his way to their promise land in the West. As a result of the resentment toward them, the Mormons settled in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a barren place in a valley surrounded by mountains. Nonetheless, no one would come and try to settle or attack them there. The resentment caused Mormons to come up with no ways to live. Controlling their freedom to liberty, the people who did no like their actions were again being hypocritical. Once the colonists fled England to start a new, better life with religions freedom. It was one of the very ideals our country was built on. However the self-righteousness of our country during this was growing, spreading like a

Although the author of John Smith’s testimony is unknown, it seems that the author is possibly a government official who is trying to figure out what happened for the

Reported to being visited by an angel and given golden plates in 1840; the plates, when deciphered, brought about the Church of Latter Day Saints and the Book of Mormon; he ran into opposition from Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri when he attempted to spread the Mormon beliefs; he was killed by those who opposed him.

There were a few people that had a great influence on the early settlements in the New World. Two such men were William Bradford and John Smith. Their similarities and differences are evident in the way these men impacted the two colonies. John Smith and William Bradford were both writers, Christians, and early leaders; however, William Bradford preformed his duties with much stronger morals, spirituality, and humility.

If this quote had been written by one of Smith's fellow settlers, we may regard it as substantial evidence. However, it was written by Smith, so he seems to be boasting about his selflessness and leadership ability. Furthermore, according to Egloff and Chief Crazy Horse, Smith did not even mention his attempted murder to his fellow settlers when he returned to the fort after the Indians released him. Furthermore, he did not include the incident in an account of his captivity, which he wrote immediately following his period of captivity (Vincent 1; Chief Crazy Horse 1). Thus, Smith's General History is not reliable.