Joseph Smith Sr.

For the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, see Joseph F. Smith.

Joseph Smith Sr.
1st Presiding Patriarch
December 18, 1833 (1833-12-18) – September 14, 1840 (1840-09-14)
Called byJoseph Smith Jr.
SuccessorHyrum Smith
Assistant Counselor in the First Presidency
September 3, 1837 (1837-09-03) – September 14, 1840 (1840-09-14)
Called byJoseph Smith Jr.
Personal details
Born(1771-07-12)July 12, 1771
Topsfield, Province of Massachusetts Bay
DiedSeptember 14, 1840(1840-09-14) (aged 69)
Nauvoo, Illinois, United States
Resting placeSmith Family Cemetery
40°32′25.98″N 91°23′31.06″W / 40.5405500°N 91.3919611°W / 40.5405500; -91.3919611 (Smith Family Cemetery)
Spouse(s)Lucy Mack
Children11, including:
Alvin Smith
Hyrum Smith
Joseph Smith Jr.
Samuel H. Smith
William Smith
Katharine Smith
Don Carlos Smith

Joseph Smith Sr. (July 12, 1771 – September 14, 1840) was the father of Joseph Smith Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Joseph Sr. was also one of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, which Mormons believe was translated by Smith Jr. from golden plates. In 1833, Smith Sr. was named the first patriarch of the Church of Christ (which was renamed to the Church of the Latter Day Saints[1] in 1834 and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints[2][3] in 1838). Joseph Sr. was also a member of the First Presidency of the church.

He was one of the first recipients of the controversial Second Anointing ritual in 1833. During the ceremony, he gave his son Joseph Smith Jr. a blessing indicating Smith Jr. would, "continue in his Priests office until Christ come."[4]

  1. ^ "Minutes of a Conference", Evening and Morning Star, vol. 2, no. 20, p. 160.
  2. ^ Manuscript History of the Church, LDS Church Archives, book A-1, p. 37; reproduced in Dean C. Jessee (comp.) (1989). The Papers of Joseph Smith: Autobiographical and Historical Writings (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book) 1:302–03.
  3. ^ H. Michael Marquardt and Wesley P. Walters (1994). Inventing Mormonism: Tradition and the Historical Record (Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books) p. 160. ISBN 1-56085-108-2
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Minutes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).