Joseph Smith III (November 6, 1832 – December 10, 1914) was the eldest surviving son of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Events 355 - Roman Emperor Constantius II promotes his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with Year 1832 ( MDCCCXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Please see the talk page for this article and the "See also" list before adding content or adding a hyphen to Latter Day Saint Joseph Smith III was the first Prophet–President of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which is now called the Community of Christ. In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church For fifty-four years until his own death, Smith presided over the RLDS Church. Smith's ideas and nature set much of the tone for the church's development.
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Life
Childhood
Joseph Smith III was born in Kirtland, Ohio on November 6, 1832 to Joseph Smith, Jr. and Emma Hale Smith. For other places with the same name see Kirtland Kirtland is a city in Lake County, Ohio, USA. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Events 355 - Roman Emperor Constantius II promotes his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with Year 1832 ( MDCCCXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Emma Hale Smith Bidamon ( 10 July 1804 – 30 April 1879) was married to Joseph Smith Jr He moved with his parents to Far West, Missouri in 1838, where his father was arrested partially as a result of the events in the Mormon War. Far West Missouri, was a Latter Day Saint ( Mormon) settlement in Caldwell County Missouri. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee Young Joseph was able to stay overnight with his father in prison on several occasions. It was later alleged by fellow prisoner and church apostle Lyman Wight that during one of these visits, Joseph Jr. Lyman Wight (1796 &ndash 1858-03-31) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement laid his hands upon Joseph III's head and said, "You are my successor when I depart. "[1] While his father was still imprisoned in 1839, Joseph III left Missouri with his mother and siblings and moved to Quincy, Illinois and later to the new settlement of Nauvoo. Quincy Illinois, known as the " Gem City " is a city on the Mississippi River in Adams County, Illinois, United States The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. There is also a Nauvoo Alabama, and a Nauvoo Pennsylvania Nauvoo ( is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois The elder Smith escaped custody later that year and rejoined the family.
At Nauvoo, the Latter Day Saints created a militia known as the Nauvoo Legion and soon afterward, 500 of the town's boys created their own junior version of the militia. A Latter The Nauvoo Legion was a private Militia employed by Joseph Smith Jr Joseph III became general of the boys' militia whose motto was, "our fathers we respect, our mothers we'll protect. "
According to later reminiscences, Joseph III was blessed by his father at a special council meeting of church officials held in the second floor of the Smith family's Red Brick Store in Nauvoo. By some accounts, participants also included Hyrum Smith, John Taylor, Willard Richards, Newel K. Whitney, Reynolds Cahoon, Alpheus Cutler, Ebenezer Robinson, George J. Adams, W. W. Phelps, and John M. Bernhisel. For others named Hyrum Smith see Hyrum Smith (disambiguation Hyrum Smith ( February 9, 1800 – June 27, 1844 John Taylor ( November 1, 1808 &ndash July 25, 1887) was the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Willard Richards ( June 24, 1804 &ndash March 11, 1854) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and served as Second Newel Kimball Whitney ( February 5 1795 – 24 September 1850) (first name sometimes found as Newell) was a prominent leader of Reynolds Cahoon ( 1790-04-30 – 1861-04-29) was an early leader in Latter Day Saint movement and later in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Alpheus Cutler ( February 29, 1784 – August 10, 1864) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and organizer of the George Jones Adams ( c 1811– May 11, 1880) was the leader of a schismatic Latter Day Saint sect who led an ill-fated effort to establish a colony William Wines Phelps ( February 17[[ 792]] — March 7[[ 872]] was an important early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement. John Milton Bernhisel ( June 23, 1799 - September 28, 1881) was an American physician politician and early member of the Church of Jesus Joseph III's father reportedly seated him in a chair and Whitney anointed his head with oil. Then the elder Smith reportedly pronounced a special blessing upon his son's head that suggested that Joseph III would succeed him as church president if he lived righteously. In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church [1]
Joseph Smith, Jr. was assassinated at Carthage, Illinois when Joseph III was 11 years old. Preparation for succession See also Succession crisis (Mormonism Joseph's brother Hyrum Smith, the Assistant President of the Church, was Carthage is a city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although many Latter Day Saints believed that Joseph III should succeed his father, his young age in 1844 made that impractical. A Latter A succession crisis ensued which resulted in Brigham Young taking lead of the majority of church members as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The succession crisis in the Latter Day Saint movement occurred after the violent death of the movement's founder Joseph Smith Jr Brigham Young (June 1 1801 &ndash August 29 1877 was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church In the Latter Day Saint movement, the quorum of the Twelve (also known as the council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council 3 years later Young became the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known Relations between Young and the Smith family were strained and many of the Smiths chose to recognize James J. Strang as church president. James Jesse Strang (March 21 1813 &ndash July 9 1856 was one of three major contenders for leadership of the Latter Day Saint movement during the 1844 Succession Crisis Young and the majority of the Latter Day Saints departed Nauvoo in 1846, leaving the Smith family in a mostly empty city. Smith's mother Emma attempted to make a living renting out rooms in the family home; in 1847, Emma married a second husband named Lewis Bidamon.
Joseph Smith III began to study and eventually practice law. In 1856, he married Emmeline Griswold and the couple moved into a house that was his parent's first residence in Nauvoo.
The reorganization of the church
In the late 1840s and early 1850s, the bulk of the Latter Day Saints either aligned themselves with Brigham Young and emigrated to Utah or they remained in the Midwest and looked to James J. Strang as church president. Brigham Young (June 1 1801 &ndash August 29 1877 was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. James Jesse Strang (March 21 1813 &ndash July 9 1856 was one of three major contenders for leadership of the Latter Day Saint movement during the 1844 Succession Crisis In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church Strang gave indications that he believed that a son of Joseph Smith, Jr. would one day lead the church and made overtures to the Smith family. Emma and her sons, however, remained aloof. Many midwestern Latter Day Saints were adamantly opposed to plural marriage and when Strang began to openly practice the doctrine in 1849, several key leaders including Jason W. Briggs and Zenas H. Gurley, Sr. broke with his leadership. Jason W Briggs ( June 25, 1821 – January 11, 1899) was a leader in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement and was instrumental Zenas Hovey Gurley Sr ( May 29, 1801 – August 28, 1871) was an important leader in the history of the Latter Day Saint movement The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement with more than a thousand members Later, when Strang was mortally wounded by assassins, he refused to name a successor, and when he died he left his church leaderless.
The midwestern Saints began to call for the need to establish a "New Organization" of the church and many believed that Joseph Smith III should be its head. Latter Day Saints repeatedly visited Smith and asked him to take up his father's mantle, but his reply was that he would only assume the church presidency if he were inspired by God to do so. Finally, in 1860, Smith said that he had received this inspiration and at a conference in Amboy, Illinois on April 6, 1860, he was sustained as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The Amboy Conference was the setting of the official "re-organization" of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints into the Latter Day Saint denomination Amboy is a city in Lee County, Illinois, along the Green River. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Year 1860 ( MDCCLX) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year starting In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church At the time both this organization and Young's Utah-based church claimed to be the true Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known [2]
President of the Church
As church president, Smith's was what his biographer has called a "pragmatic prophet. " Many of the followers of the Reorganized Church were, in fact, dissidents from what they felt were the excesses of a theocracy established by Smith's father, and which they also felt were continued under Brigham Young in Utah Territory. Theocracy is a form of government in which a god or deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler From the start, Smith attempted to steer a middle course. Rather than deny the later teachings of Smith's father, such as baptism for the dead, the divinity of the Book of Abraham and the concepts of "eternal progression" and the "plurality of gods," Smith taught that these doctrines either were never officially accepted, were misinterpreted, or should simply not be emphasized. Baptism for the dead, vicarious baptism or proxy baptism is the religious practice of baptizing a living person on behalf of an individual who is dead The Book of Abraham is a scriptural text for Latter Day Saint movement denominations Exaltation or Eternal Life is a Belief among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church that mankind can return to live in The plurality of gods usually refers to a unique concept taught by Joseph Smith and several other leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, Smith repeatedly taught that his father did not teach or practice plural marriage and that this practice was an invention of Young and his followers. Smith also resisted calls from his followers to announce a new gathering place or to quickly "redeem" and build up "Zion" (Independence, Missouri). Within the Latter Day Saint movement, Zion is often used to connote a Utopian association of the righteous Independence is a city in Jackson County in the US state of Missouri, and the fourth largest city in the state
In the 1860s and 1870s, Smith began to rebuild the structure of the church, establishing a new First Presidency, Council of Twelve Apostles, seven quorums of the Seventy, and a Presiding Bishopric. The First Presidency of the Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the church's highest-ranking priesthood In the Community of Christ, The Council of Twelve Apostles are disciples who hold the priesthood office of Apostle, and are responsible for the evangelistic witness Seventy is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of several denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of The Presiding Bishop is an Ecclesiastical position in some denominations of Christianity. Zenas H. Gurley, Sr. became President of the Council of Twelve. Zenas Hovey Gurley Sr ( May 29, 1801 – August 28, 1871) was an important leader in the history of the Latter Day Saint movement Smith presented a revelation which called William Marks, former presiding officer of the church's central stake, to be his first counselor in the reorganized First Presidency. William Marks ( November 15, 1792 &ndash May 22, 1872) was a leader in the early days of the Latter Day Saint movement and was a member A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. After Marks's death, Smith called W. W. Blair and his brother David Hyrum Smith to be his counselors in the First Presidency. William Wallace Blair ( October 11, 1828 – April 18, 1896) was an apostle and a member of the First Presidency of the David Hyrum Smith (1844-1904 was the youngest son of Joseph Smith Jr
In 1866, Smith moved from Nauvoo to Plano, Illinois, where the church's printing house had been established. Plano is a city in Kendall County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5633 at the 2000 census He personally took over the editorship of the Saint's Herald, and Plano became the headquarters of the church. Meanwhile, Latter Day Saints adhering to the Reorganization established a colony in Lamoni, Iowa, where they attempted to practice the "Law of Consecration" or "Order of Enoch. Lamoni is a city in Decatur County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2444 at the 2000 census In the Latter Day Saint movement (also known as Mormonism) the law of consecration has two broad meanings " In 1881, Smith decided to move to Lamoni which became the new headquarters of the church. Although the practice of the Order of Enoch proved a failure, the town of Lamoni continued to grow. The church established a college in the town which is now known as Graceland University. Graceland University is a private liberal arts university of about 2300 students and 150 faculty with campuses in Lamoni Iowa and Independence Missouri.
The redemption of Zion
In Smith's final years, members of the church began to move to Independence, Missouri, which Joseph Smith, Jr. Independence is a city in Jackson County in the US state of Missouri, and the fourth largest city in the state had designated as the "center place" of the "City of Zion. Within the Latter Day Saint movement, Zion is often used to connote a Utopian association of the righteous " Many Latter Day Saints had wanted to return to this theologically important ground since their expulsion in 1839. In 1906, at the age of 73, Smith moved to Independence and entered a state of semi-retirement. His eldest son, Frederick Madison Smith, remained in Lamoni and took over active leadership of the church. Frederick Madison Smith ( January 21, 1874 &ndash March 20, 1946) was an American Finally, on December 10, 1914, at the age of 82, Smith suffered a heart seizure in his home and died. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year He had been president of the church for more than fifty years and he was admired and mourned by thousands.
Teachings on plural marriage
- Main article: Joseph Smith, Jr. and polygamy.
Joseph Smith III was an ardent opponent of the practice of plural marriage throughout his life. For most of his career, Smith denied that his father had been involved in the practice and insisted that it had originated with Brigham Young. Smith served many missions to the western United States where he met with and interviewed associates and widows of his father who attempted to present him with evidence to the contrary. In the end, in the face of overwhelming evidence, Smith concluded that he was "not positive nor sure that [his father] was innocent" and that if, indeed, the elder Smith had been involved, it was still a false practice. However, a minority of the current members of the Community of Christ, and some of the groups that were formerly associated with it are still not convinced that Joseph Smith III's father did indeed engage in plural marriage, and feel that the "evidence" that he did so is largely flawed. [3]
Family chart
The following chart explains the inter-relationship of the offices of President of the Church and Presiding Patriarch in the Smith family:
Notes
- ^ a b Wight, Lyman: letter to "The Northern Islander. In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Presiding Patriarch (also called Presiding Evangelist, Patriarch over the Church, Patriarch of the Church ", July, 1855; reprinted in Saints Advocate, Vol. 7 (September 1884), p. 478. also quoted in The History of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints vol. 2, p. 789
- ^ While retaining use of this original name, Smith's church for legal purposes was eventually incorporated as the "Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" and today is known as the Community of Christ. Young's church had reincorporated in Utah as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known
- ^ "Community of Christ. " Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. 2007. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. 15 June 2007.
References
- Roger D. Launius, Joseph III: Pragmatic Prophet, University of Illinois Press: 1995, ISBN 0-252-01514-2
- Richard P. Howard, The Church Through the Years, Herald House: 1992, ISBN 0-8309-0629-0
External links
| Preceded by Joseph Smith, Jr. |
Prophet–President of the Community of Christ 1860 – 1914 |
Succeeded by Frederick M. Smith |
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