Joseph Smith, Sr.
| Joseph Smith Sr. | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 1st Presiding Patriarch | |
| December 18, 1833 – September 14, 1840 | |
| Assistant Counselor in the First Presidency | |
| September 3, 1837 – September 14, 1840 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 12, 1771 Topsfield, Province of Massachusetts Bay |
| Died | September 14, 1840 (aged 69) Nauvoo, Illinois, United States |
| Resting place |
Smith Family Cemetery 40°32′25.98″N 91°23′31.06″W / 40.5405500°N 91.3919611°W |
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 Joseph Jr. from the golden plates. In 1833, Joseph Sr. was named the first patriarch of the Church of Christ (which was renamed to the Church of the Latter Day Saints in 1834 and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1838). Joseph Sr. was also a member of the First Presidency of the church and a Master Freemason of the Ontario Lodge No. 23 of Canandaigua, New York.
Smith was born on July 12, 1771, in Topsfield, Massachusetts, to Asael Smith and Mary Duty. He married Lucy Mack in Tunbridge, Vermont, on January 26, 1796, and had 11 children with her.
Smith tried his hands at several professions, including farmer, teacher, and shop-keeper, none of which proved very successful. He moved his family to Palmyra, New York, in 1816 and began to make payments on a farm located on the edge of neighboring Manchester Township. He was raised to the degree of Master Freemason on May 7, 1818, in Ontario Lodge No. 23 of Canandaigua, New York. In the Palmyra–Manchester area, Smith and his sons were involved in a number of treasure digging excavations in the 1820s.
Work on a frame house at the farm was halted by the unexpected death of Smith's eldest son, Alvin, in 1823. Smith subsequently failed to make payments on the farm. Lemuel Durfee purchased it as a favor to the family and allowed the Smiths to continue there as renters through 1830.
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