Joseph Smith Jr. was born December
23, 1805 in Sharon, Vermont. In 1817 the family
moved to Palmyra, New York. Here in Palmyra (near
Rochester) begins one of the most interesting religious
stories in American history.
Mormonism is a unique anglo-American
religion which had its strange birth during these
young days of our nation. The story according to
Joseph goes something like this: During his teen
years (between 14 and 16), he began to be concerned
about the condition of his soul. There was an unusual
excitement about religion during this time, and
members of his family joined the Presbyterian church.
Joseph was concerned about the arguments over which
religion was the right religion, and reading in
the Bible, in the Book of James, he saw that it
said, "If any man lack wisdom, let him ask
of God...." He did ask, and in response tells
of a vision which he purports to be a visitation
from God.
In the woods one day, a light shone
upon him, and two personages stood above him. When
he was able to speak, he asked which religion was
right, and which of them he should join. The following
words are Joseph's account of how God answered this
question. "I was answered that I must join
none of them, for they were all wrong, and the personage
who addressed me said that all their creeds were
an abomination in His sight; that those professors
were all corrupt; that: 'they draw near to me with
their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they
teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having
a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.'"
(Joseph Smith, The Pearl of Great Price, 2:18,19)
This became a wholesale rejection
of the churches in early America. Catholic, Baptist,
Congregational, Methodist, Presbyterian, Quaker,
Non-Denominational churches, and all others present
in that day were considered apostate (fallen away
from God), and the answer (according to Joseph)
was to reject them all, and begin a new church.
This begins the strange tale of Mormon history.*
