Succession crisis occurred after the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, June 1844

Wallace B. Wallace B. Smith is also noted to be one of the first church leaders to formally propose a name-change for the church in 1994 to “Community of Christ” from “Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.”

Nearly four and a half months after Joseph’s death, Emma gave birth to son David Hyrum on November 17, 1844. She went on to marry Lewis Crum Bidamon on December 23, 1847. They were married for 32 years and together raised several children in Nauvoo, IL.

Willard Chase, a Palmyra resident and Smith family acquaintance, gives the following account in an 1833 affidavit:
“In the month of June, 1827, Joseph Smith, Senior, related to me the….

Joseph Smith would have been influenced by the theology of Emmanuel Swedenbourg. He was a Swedish theologian of the 18th century. He called the highest heaven “The Celestial Kingdom,” and stated that the inhabitants of the three heavens corresponded to the “sun, moon, and stars.” The highest level of heaven is called the Celestial kingdom…

Asael Smith (Joseph Smith’s grandfather) and his sons Jesse and Joseph Smith Sr. found a Universalist society in Tunbridge, Vermont 1797.

Pictured are early leaders Thomas Campbell, Barton Stone, Alexander Campbell, and Walter Scott.

Where does the Mormon Movement fit into this space in history?

The Smith family and others during the early nineteenth century viewed life through what is called the magical world view. While in his teens and 20’s Joseph Smith Jr. developed a reputation in his community as a “seer”...or one hired to look into a seer stone to lead seekers to hidden treasure buried in the earth.

Joseph’s reputation as a seer evolved from seeking hidden treasure in a seer stone into a seer and translator of ancient things. In a BYU article titled “Moroni as Angel and Treasure Guardian” by Mark Ash-hurst McGee he describes the scene of Joseph Smith’s treasure digs by saying “Gathering at the designated spot, the treasure seekers staked out magical circles around the treasure.

By the 1820’s whiskey sold for twenty-five cents a gallon, making it cheaper than beer, wine, coffee, tea, or milk. This made whiskey cheap and extremely available, American consumption soared as a result. By 1830, the tolling of a town bell at 11am and again at 4pm marked “grog time.” In 1830, the Smith family lived in Wayne County, NY where alcohol consumption reached its peak at an outlandish 7 gallons of ethanol a year per capita.

Did you know that in the early 1800’s tent revivals, lasting several days, attracted up to 20,000 or more people at a time? That’s more attendees than a sold out Lakers game at the Staples Center!

What does the Great Serpent Mound in Adams County Ohio have to do with the Mormon Movement in nineteenth century America? Hundreds of such mounds existed in North America when European Settlers arrived.

Did you know that Western, NY was once the Silicon Valley of America? The Smith family lived in a lively, rapidly growing, busting town of progressive innovation!

A man named William Morgan was a former Mason who had become a prominent critic of the Masonic organization. In 1826, Morgan mysteriously disappeared. People had reason to believe that he was murdered by the Masons in western NY for speaking out against Masonry. (Interestingly, William Morgan’s wife, Lucinda, would later become the 5th plural wife to Joseph Smith Jr. on January 17th, 1842)

“Dartmouth Arminianism And Its Impact on Hyrum Smith And the Smith Family” -published in the John Whitmer Historical Association Journal. 26 (2006) by Richard K. Behrens

“The early Dartmouth community organized in the 1770s and its expanding curriculum through 1815 provided a unique vantage point from which Hyrum, who entered the Dartmouth community in 1811 and left in 1816, could perceptively view as well as participate in future Mormon doctrinal and community development.”

In a letter to his family members, Asael Smith writes, “God is just to all and his tender mercies are over all his works…there is no respect of persons with God, who will have all mankind to be saved.”

Latter-day Saints recognize phrases in The Book of Mormon such as “Mother of all Harlots,” “Mother of abomination” and “Whore of all the earth.” These phrases refer to what is also referenced as “the great and abominable church.” These phrases were commonly and intentionally used during the second great awakening to refer to the Catholic church.

A popular Hanukkah story in the Apocrypha was the story of Judith, a Jewish woman who goes into an enemy camp to meet their leader. She uses her charm to seduce the Assyrian General named Holophernes. After drinking too much wine he passed out, and Judith used a sword to cut off his head and save Israel from oppression.

During the early 19th century many Americans attempted to create Utopian societies. In preparation for the second coming of Jesus, communities reorganized themselves and experimented to achieve social equality and perfectibility in Christ. They enforced unusual practices and perceived Godly commandments ranging from non traditional marital arrangements to restrictions of hot baths.