The Life Of Joseph Smith - A Star For Every Saint
move, they were driven out. Eventually, they were forced to cross the Mississippi into Illinois. There, in the city of Nauvoo, they were able to live peacefully. He announced he was running for President in 1844.
All was not as perfect as it seemed. Joseph and Emma grew apart, though she continued to bear him children. Joseph began seeking other women. Emma denied the affairs until the day she found him embracing one of her close friends, where she lost control and attacked the mistress with a broom stick. There is evidence that Joseph thought that plural marriages should be moral as early as 1831, a year after founding the Church. However, since he knew the practice would not be accepted, especially by the gentiles, he postponed the announcement.
Polygamy was unannounced to the church, but Joseph became poygamous. He proposed ‘celestial’ marriage (higher plane then earthly marriage, lasting forever) to a number of women, some already married. When Joseph brought up his revelation about plural marriages (Only multiple wives were allowed, as a womans worthiness to enter heaven was based on her husband’s worthiness, not her own) to Emma, she told Joseph he may have God’s permission to sleep with other women, but not her own. She begged him to renounce the new doctrine. He refused. By the time of his death, he had married as many as 84 women, some thought to be 15 or younger.
When news of Joseph proposing celestial marriage to wives of several leaders of the church got out, the husbands challenged Joseph’s status as prophet and issued a newspaper attacking Joseph’s policies. Joseph had these papers destroyed and was arrested for violating the First Amendment of the constitution. He was jailed in Carthage, Illinois. Before he could be charged, a mob broke into his jail cell, shooting both him and his brother. He died at age 38.
After the death of Joseph Smith, most Saints followed Brigham Young (president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) who claimed to be Smith's rightful successor. Under his leadership, they moved to Utah. Many rejected Young’s leadership, some of these people eventually formed the Reorganized Latter-day Saints. This religion has always been against polygamy and claims to be the true church to this day.
Ironically, the practice that made Joseph lose his life is still practiced by Mormons today. Today, Mormons view Joseph Smith as a prophet. Some skeptics doubt whether Joseph really found the golden tablets, or just made it up, just as there are skeptics doubt whether Jesus is/was the son of God. The Book of Mormon that Joseph translated and published is the equivalent of the Christian’s Bible, making Joseph Smith one of the most influential figures in Mormon belief. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints went from 6 members in 1830 to over 11 million today, living in 160 countries, making [next page]