Joseph Smith and the start of the Mormon Movement (1820-1831)

Learning objectives

• To know and understand how Joseph Smith started the Mormon movement

• To know how people reacted to the Mormons in the early days

The young Joseph Smith

• Born 1806 – Palmyra, New York State

• 1820 – lots of preachers.

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He found it all too confusing.

• Pillar of Light – don’t join any religious group. Special work.

• Later an angel appeared to him – Source 1

The golden plates

• 1827 – hillside near Manchester, New York State. (Source 2)

• Lost tribes of Israel went to America before Christ was born.

• Fought each other.• Christ appeared in America to establish his

Church there.• They fought each other again once he had

gone.• Mormon recorded the story.• Person who found the plates was to restore

the Church of Christ in America before Christ appeared again.

Translating the plates

• Smith translated the plates. Blanket. His wife and friends wrote down what he told them.

Book of Mormon

• Published in 1830.

The growth of the Mormons

• 1830 – 5

• 1831 – 200-300

Early reaction to the Mormons

• Blasphemous.

• Mob attacked house.

• Shot at.

• Decided to move to Kirtland, Ohio.

Work

• Tell the story of the Mormon movement using the information on page 72:– Palmyra 1820– The visit of the angel and the discovery of the

plates.– The story on the plates.– Passing on the story.– The growth of the movement.– The reaction of non-Mormons.