In American history, he is known as the main ideologue of the Mormon religious movement. However, for many citizens, Joseph Smith was an ordinary adventurer and false prophet, since none of his predictions came true. Remarkable is the fact that this "messiah", who was married to 72 women and did not immediately find his way in life. It is likely that Joseph Smith began to lead one of the largest religious sects due to the fact that even during his youth, a huge number of religious movements were spread in the United States. In his family, from a formal point of view, everyone was Christian, but none of the relatives of the future false prophet believed that a particular religion was the ultimate truth. Naturally, they hardly attended church services.
How did an ordinary young man from a poor family turn into an ardent supporter of the Mormon movement? Let's take a closer look at this issue.
Childhood years
Of course, the biography of Joseph Smith is not without interesting and remarkable facts. He was born in 1805 in Vermont (USA). His father was a simple craftsman, so the familylived poorly. As already emphasized, Joseph's childhood fell on a period when America was dominated by tolerance for religious movements, of which there were many in the first half of the 19th century. The mother of the future preacher was a very superstitious person, and she generated an interest in mysticism from her own son. One way or another, but already at the age of 14, young Joseph Smith saw a vision in which otherworldly forces told him that he would be a “great missionary.”
Treasure hunter
Soon, the young man declared that he had unique abilities: supposedly with the help of magic crystals, he could find we alth buried underground. He especially believed in the power of the Jupiter Talisman.
However, he did not find any treasures, and the public hastened to report that the extreme passion for the occult sciences negatively affects his psyche and critical thinking, as a result of which he gradually loses the ability to perceive reality. After such failures in life, the future messiah embarked on a criminal path, engaging in counterfeiting, like his namesake, George Joseph Smith, who lived at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and traded in serial murders, fraud, and theft. But a young man from Vermont after some time turned off the path of crime, fully concentrating on the idea of missionary work. But the Briton George Joseph Smith, who killed all his wives, ended very badly - he was sentenced to death by hanging. But there were also problems with the law. Mormon ideologue.
Another vision…
In the fall of 1823, during the night prayer, Joseph Smith again contacted otherworldly forces. He seemed to see a light that was getting bigger, and suddenly a subject (Moroni) in a white robe appeared at the bedside of a young man, whose feet were torn off the ground … He informed Joseph that he must fulfill God's command.
The stranger told Smith about a certain “Golden Book”, which reflects the entire history of the United States, and also contains important revelations of a religious nature. Only four years later, the Mormon ideologue was able to see the book.
In 1827, at the behest of higher powers, the missionary went to the top of Mount Cumorah (New York State) and in one of the caves he found thin sheets of gold, on which hieroglyphs were clearly visible. Optical artifacts were also found, through which, and thanks to the prompts of an angel, it was possible to translate the Golden Book into English. As a result, 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon were published in 1830.
Creating a sect
Shortly after the publication of religious revelations in Fayeti (New York), a sect of Mormons was created, initially consisting of six people. After some time, the number of the "new trend" began to grow: authoritative Protestants - Sidney Wrigton and Parley Pratt - joined the ranks of the Mormons. However, not all members of society were loyal to the "newly minted" religious structure. The Joseph Smith sect was sometimes scorned and persecuted, so its followers wereforced to change their place of residence regularly. Representatives of the new faith established several cities where the "son of God" should appear.
Views of sectarians
The entire philosophy of the Mormon movement is enshrined in several "holy books": The Bible, Doctrines and Covenants, The Book of Mormon, The Pearl of Great Price. Companions of the new faith do not believe that a person has a sinful beginning, and after death he will have underground, earthly or heavenly glory.
Mormons for a long time preached the principle of polygamy, which they later "abolished" under pressure from the American authorities. Until now, polygamy is considered by them as a normal and natural form of human existence. The baptismal procedure (liberation from sins and admission to church membership) is accepted by representatives of the new faith instead of the departed.
Mormons carefully monitor their appearance and cultural appearance. They are neat, polite, intelligent and clean.
Murder of an ideologue
The preaching of the idea of polygamy did not please many Americans, so they sharply criticized the views and beliefs of the representatives of the new faith. After the general public became aware that the sectarians were encouraging the "harem" line, the media began to actively "procrastinate" this topic. As a result, Joseph Smith (Mormon) attempted physical reprisal against the "pen sharks" who worked in the periodical "Novo Observer". The police were forced to intervene, and the Mormon ideologue, along with his relative Hyrum, ended up behind bars. However, the Americansdemanded more severe punishment for sectarians.
One day they broke into the prison to judge the missionaries themselves. As a result of the shootout, the Mormon leader was killed.
Sectarians today
The brainchild that was created by Joseph Smith, the Presbyterian Church considers a false religious trend because its representatives do not see the sinful beginning in themselves. Nevertheless, Mormons are currently the largest religious group in the world. Today, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has almost 7 million members. Mormon missionaries are actively promoting their ideas, involving more and more people in the sect.
