Category: Joseph Smith

Learn more about Joseph Smith and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Following the Prophet’s “First Vision” in 1820, the Latter-day Saints have grown to comprise nearly 20 million members around the world.

FromtheDesk features interviews and commentary on the latest Joseph Smith research, including frequent check-ins with scholars from the Joseph Smith Papers project.

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Joseph Smith Latter-day Saint History

What Is the White Horse Prophecy?

An illustration of the White Horse Prophecy, featuring a heroic figure holding the constitution on a white horse with Washington DC in the background.

The White Horse Prophecy is a statement attributed to the Prophet Joseph Smith by Edwin Rushton. What it says depends on how you look at it. Historically, the White Horse Prophecy is problematic. Not only do scholars question its reliability, but the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has denounced it. From a popular culture standpoint, the prophecy is often warped to refer to a Latter-day Saint politician who will save the Constitution prior to the Second Coming. You typically see this second viewpoint in media stories discussing individuals like Mitt Romney, Glenn Beck, or Ammon Bundy.

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Joseph Smith

The First Vision of Joseph Smith

An illustration of Joseph Smith's First Vision by Anthony Sweat.
An illustration of Joseph Smith's first vision by Anthony Sweat.

Joseph Smith’s First Vision is a compelling entry point into a captivating exploration of history and theology. There are nine known accounts of the profound moment when Joseph Smith encountered Jesus Christ and God the Father, including one in the Prophet’s own handwriting. This article provides a snapshot of scholarly research and devotional statements about Joseph’s experience in the Sacred Grove.

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Joseph Smith Latter-day Saint History Quotes

Quotes From the Council of Fifty Minutes

An original transcript of quotes from the Council of Fifty minutes.

Joseph Smith established the Council of Fifty in 1844 to address several issues, including the potential relocation of the Latter-day Saints outside the United States. This article includes a sample of interesting Council of Fifty quotes from Part One of the administrative records, including new teachings from the Prophet Joseph and an account of his martyrdom.

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Joseph Smith Latter-day Saint History

What Led to Joseph Smith’s Death at Carthage?

Joseph Smith‘s death in Carthage, Illinois was traumatic for the Latter-day Saints. His assassination was the culmination in a series of events that had consequences for the community of Saints—particularly those living in Nauvoo. In this interview, historian Spencer W. McBride discusses the events surrounding the Prophet’s death as shared in Road to Carthage: A Joseph Smith Papers Podcast.

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Joseph Smith Theology

What Did Joseph Smith Teach About Christ?

An illustration of Joseph Smith seeing Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the Sacred Grove.

Joseph Smith taught many truths about Jesus Christ that stemmed from his First Vision and other revelatory experiences. For example, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has said that Joseph’s depiction of a weeping Jesus in the Book of Moses reveals more about the true nature of Christ than any theological treatise. In this interview, historian Keith Erekson draws on the Joseph Smith Papers to explain what the Prophet taught about the Savior.

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Book of Abraham Joseph Smith Pearl of Great Price

How Did Joseph Smith Translate the Book of Abraham?

An illustration of Joseph Smith translating the Book of Abraham from Egyptian Papyri
An artificially-generated image of Joseph Smith translating the Book of Abraham.

Joseph Smith began his translation of the Book of Abraham in 1835. However, he left no record of the process, making it impossible to know the precise mechanics. We do know that the translation likely included a mix of secular learning and divine revelation. And we know that he revised his initial translation, even incorporating Hebrew after studying the Biblical language. In this interview, Stephen O. Smoot discusses the complexity of the Prophet’s translation and marvels at the inspired final product.

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Joseph Smith

What Do Forensics Say About the Purported Joseph Smith Photo?

Scientists have conducted forensic analyses on these death masks of Joseph Smith and his brother to determine the identify of the man in the Smith-Larsen daguerreotype.

Media outlets caused a stir when they announced that the first-known photo of Joseph Smith had been discovered in 2022. The daguerreotype had a stronger provenance than any earlier candidate, but it still lacked hard data prior to 1992, making it difficult to objectively authenticate. In this interview, Curtis G. Weber explains that his amateur forensic analysis may support claims that the man in the the Smith-Larsen daguerreotype could be Joseph Smith.

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Joseph Smith Polygamy

In Sacred Loneliness: The Documents of Joseph Smith’s Wives

The book cover of In Sacred Loneliness, by Todd Compton, a historian of Joseph Smith's wives.

The plural wives of Joseph Smith are the focus of Todd Compton’s book, In Sacred Loneliness: The Documents. As a sequel to his 1997 volume, The Documents provides the primary sources Compton used in his book about Joseph Smith’s polygamous marriages. In this interview, Todd Compton discusses his new publication, shares thoughts about reactions to his research, and provides highlights from his book.

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19th Century Brigham Young Joseph Smith Latter-day Saint History Polygamy

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and ‘A House Full of Females’

The cover art for A House Full of Females by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich depicture a family living plural marriage

After attending a Relief Society meeting in 1857, Wilford Woodruff recorded in his journal that “the house was full of females.” As someone who practiced plural marriage instituted by the Prophet Joseph Smith, the comment could have applied to Woodruff’s home life. In this interview, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich discusses how early Latter-day Saint sources shed light on female authority and plural marriage.

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Brigham Young Joseph Smith Latter-day Saint History

Chad Orton Looks at Brigham Young in 40 Different Ways

Chad Orton's biography of Brigham Young looks at the prophet's life from 40 different vantage points.

Brigham Young was known by many different names. To some, he was the Lion of the Lord or an American Moses. To others, he was simply “Brother Brigham.” In this interview, Chad Orton discusses the many ways he finds inspiration in the prophet’s life—and reveals what he’d include in a second edition of his biography of the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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