Why did so many people follow Joseph Smith?

People believed and followed Joseph Smith and his Mormon church because they were extremely credulous and believed all sorts of things… The people of the time believed in magic rock “seer stones” as real things. They believed that “seers” with “seer-stone” magic rocks were real things.

Why is it important to have a testimony that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and his son Jesus?

The First Vision helps us develop faith in Jesus Christ “This is how Joseph Smith’s First Vision blesses our own personal lives, the lives of families, and eventually the whole human family—we come to believe in Jesus Christ through the testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

How did Joseph Smith change America?

During the thirty-nine years of his life, Joseph established thriving cities in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois; produced volumes of scripture; sent missionaries throughout the world; orchestrated the building of temples; served as mayor of Nauvoo, one of the largest cities in Illinois, and as general of its militia, the …

Why was Joseph persecuted?

The ensuing threat of violence prompted Smith to call out a militia in the town of Nauvoo, Illinois. He was charged with treason and conspiracy by Illinois authorities and imprisoned with his brother Hyrum in the Carthage city jail. On June 27, 1844, a mob stormed in and murdered the brothers.

Who was supposed to succeed Joseph Smith?

After Joseph Smith, the founder and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormonism, and his brother, Hyrum, were murdered by an angry mob in an Illinois prison six weeks earlier, Elder Brigham Young is chosen to be the Church’s next leader. The decision, made in Nauvoo, Ill.

What is the significance of Joseph Smith?

Joseph Smith Sr. Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805 – June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon.

What did Joseph Smith reveal in the first vision?

Joseph Smith’s First Vision4 stands today as the greatest event in world history since the birth, ministry, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. After centuries of darkness, the Lord opened the heavens to reveal His word and restore His Church through His chosen prophet.

What is the 3 fold mission of the LDS Church?

The LDS Church is adding “to care for the poor and needy” to its longstanding “threefold mission,” which is to preach the LDS gospel, purify members’ lives and provide saving ordinances such as baptism to those who have died.

Why was Joseph in Liberty Jail?

On December 1, 1838, Missouri authorities imprisoned Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, Caleb Baldwin, and Alexander McRae in a jail in Liberty, Missouri, for crimes allegedly committed during conflicts with other Missourians over the past several months.