Few People Know That Vermont Is The Birthplace Of Joseph Smith, The Founder Of The Religious Tradition Of Mormonism

First and foremost, I am not a scholar of Mormonism, nor do I claim to know anything substantial about the religious tradition of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The intent of this article is to inform its readers of the man Joseph Smith and the fact that he was born and raised in the state of Vermont. Whether or not the fact of Joseph Smith’s birth and upbringing in Vermont is widely known, there is no arguing that this is a fascinating detail of our state’s history.

Unknown author/wikipedia

Joseph Smith, who started the religious movement called Mormonism, was born in Sharon, Vermont, on December 23rd, 1805. Joseph's parents were farmers in Sharon, and the family resided in Vermont until 1816-17, when Joseph was 10 or 11, before relocating to Palmyra, New York.

C. C. A. Christensen/wikipedia

According to Joseph Smith, in the year of 1823, he was visited by an angel as he was praying in a wooded area, and the angel revealed to him the location of a religious book with gold plates. The text of the book was said to have been written in an unknown language called reformed Egyptian.

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The Library of Congress/wikipedia

Having translated the religious book that chronicled the religious traditions of the indigenous Americans whose location was disclosed to him by the angel in the wooded land several years prior, the finished work culminated in the Book of Mormon, published in Palmyra on March 26, 1830.

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Amy Ross/flickr

After many disputes and fallings-out with some of his closest associates, Joseph Smith was murdered by an armed mob at Carthage Jail by gunshot on June 27, 1844, in Carthage, Illinois.

Kimberly Vardeman/flcikr

Today, there are over 16 million Mormons and over 20,000 congregations of the Church. Joseph Smith's legacy will be long remembered and examined. You can visit the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial at 357 Lds Ln, South Royalton, Vermont.

Did you know that Joseph Smith was born and raised in Vermont? If you have any comments or questions, please submit a remark in the comment section below.

To learn more about Vermont’s history, check out this article about the fiercest blizzard in Vermont’s history.