April 6, 1830 Mormon Church established
On this day 176 years ago, Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon religion, organizes the "Church of Christ" during a meeting with a small group of believers in Fayette Township, NY.
Modern artist's rendering of Joseph Smith
Born in Vermont in 1805, Smith claimed in 1823 that he had been visited by an angel named Moroni who spoke to him of an ancient Hebrew text that had been lost for 1,500 years. The holy text, supposedly engraved on gold plates by a Native American historian of Hebrew descent in the fourth century, related the story of Israelite peoples who had lived in America in ancient times. It was conveniently buried in Joseph's hometown where Smith dug it up.
Smith also received special spectacles which allowed him to read the ancient text engraved on the golden plates which he translated as "The Book of Mormon." After the book was translated, the angel came and repossessed the gold plates, which is why they haven't been exhibited in a museum someplace.
During the next six years, Smith dictated an English translation of this text to his wife and other scribes, and in 1830 The Book of Mormon was published. In the same year, Smith founded the Church of Christ on this day --later known as the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
Joseph Smith, Author and Proprietor
The resulting divine scripture revealed the account of the lost tribe of Israel, which had sailed from Canaan across the seas to North America around 2250 B.C. They were met by an exotic land, full of elephants and horses and other things.
Anyway, these transplanted Hebrews established a vast civilization and were even visited by Jesus, who established a ministry there.
In accordance with the BOM: Jesus, appearing to the Nephites in America...aka Mayans?
The church grew rapidly. And why not? It contained the perfect American theology. For one thing, it proved that the doctrine of Manifest Destiny was divinely-inspired. America was the chosen land. And, it was represented as the church to supplant all others, the "One True Faith." It was represented and embraced by converts as the new and improved Christian religion.
Best of all, its "prophet and proprietor" was a U.S. citizen, embodying the entrepreneurial spirit that made this country great.
The central appeal of the new religion, apart from the polygamy part -- seemed to be the notion that faithful members could become gods themselves at their death and get to set-up shop in some other part of the universe where they would procreate forever and be gods over their new territory and subsequent offspring.
The religion rapidly gained converts, and Smith set up Mormon communities in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois. However, the sect was also heavily criticized for its unorthodox practices, such as polygamy, and on June 27, 1844, Smith and his brother Hyrum were murdered at a jail by an anti-Mormon mob in Carthage, Illinois.
The June 27, 1844 shoot-out in Carthage
When the angry mob showed up, Smith whipped out a pistol and shot three guys, killing two of them. But the crowd was too big and he ran out of bullets. Smith ran to the second-story window and looked out -- more armed vigilantes were outside. Smith climbed out on the windowsill.
Then Smith either jumped or fell, breaking his shoulder. One of the mob stabbed him several times with a bayonet, then dragged Smith against a well. That's when the mob shot him to pieces.
After Smith's death, the Mormons split in half. His son created the "Reorganized LDS Church" (RLDS) which is headquartered in Independence MO to this day.
RLDS Temple in Independence MO near KC
Two years later, Smith's successor, Brigham Young, led an exodus of persecuted Mormons from Nauvoo, Illinois, along the western wagon trails in search of religious and political freedom. Young blamed the Freemasons for Smith's murder -- partly because Joseph Smith had been a Mason and adapted much of its secret lodge ritual into his new religion thus angering mainline Masons -- and forbade any Mormons from joining Freemasonry. The Masons reciprocated in kind.
The Masonic influences on the new religion seem pretty compelling, including the fact that only dues paying members get temple access
In July 1847, the 148 initial Mormon pioneers reached Utah's Valley of the Great Salt Lake. Upon viewing the valley, Young declared, "This is the place," and the pioneers began preparations for the tens of thousands of Mormon migrants who would follow them and settle there.
Temple Square in Salt Lake City
Whether you buy their new religion or not, the fact is the "saints" performed a wonderous conversion of a pretty harsh region of the American West and proved themselves good and patriotic Americans who have become an important and productive part of the American scene.
Originally Posted by Okla-homey
