Who is Joseph Smith?
Joseph Smith Jr. was the founder and first president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Son of Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith, Joseph Smith was born in Sharon, Vermont on 23 December 1805. He is considered a prophet of God by his followers, also known as Mormons, and is known by history to be an influential and charismatic leader. Although Joseph Smith was brought up religious, his family had not settled on a particular organized religion. During his youth and adolescence, the area of New York was a hotbed of religious discussion and the home of many religious revivals. It was often referred to as the “burned over” district because it had been so saturated with religious groups proselytizing for new members. Although he was drawn to the Methodist church, Joseph Smith was quite confused over his choices and could not settle on a particular church. At the age of 14, in 1820, after much study of the Bible, Joseph Smith followed a particular scripture and decided to pray for a
