History of Joseph Smith by His Mother facts for kids
Title page of the first edition in 1853.
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| Author | Lucy Mack Smith |
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| Country | England |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Joseph Smith |
| Genre | Biography |
| Publisher | Published for Orson Pratt by S. W. Richards |
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Publication date
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1853 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 297 pp |
History of Joseph Smith by His Mother is a book about the life of Joseph Smith. He was the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. This biography was written by his mother, Lucy Mack Smith.
The book was first called Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations. It was published in 1853 by Orson Pratt in Liverpool, England.
Contents
How the Book Was Written
After Joseph Smith died in 1844, his mother, Lucy Mack Smith, wanted to share her family's story. She told her memories to Martha Jane Coray, a schoolteacher in Nauvoo. This happened in 1844 and 1845.
Martha Coray and her husband gathered Lucy's notes and other information. They put it all together into a manuscript. Two copies were made from this manuscript.
One copy went to Brigham Young, an important leader in the church. The other copy stayed with Lucy Smith. Later, Orson Pratt got Lucy's copy and published it in 1853. This caused some disagreements.
Why Brigham Young Disagreed
After the book came out, Brigham Young said it had "many mistakes." He wanted it to be corrected. In 1855, he wrote in a newspaper called the Millennial Star:
There are many mistakes in the work ... I have had a written copy of those sketches in my possession for several years, and it contains much of the history of the Prophet Joseph. Should it ever be deemed best to publish these sketches, it will not be done until after they are carefully corrected.
In 1865, Young even told church members to destroy their copies of the book. A corrected version was not published until 1901 and 1902. These new versions were overseen by Joseph F. Smith, who was Lucy's grandson.
Historians later thought Brigham Young might have opposed the book for a few reasons. He had disagreements with Orson Pratt, who published the book. Also, the book spoke highly of William Smith, Lucy's son and an opponent of Young. Lucy's book also showed her family as important church leaders. Young might have seen this as a challenge to his own leadership.
Why This Book Is Important
Many historians believe this book is very valuable. Leonard Arrington, a historian of the Latter Day Saint movement, said the book was "informative" and "accurate." He felt it showed a lot about Joseph Smith's early life.
Arrington also believed it "perhaps tells more about Mormon origins than any other single source." Richard L. Anderson called it one of the "essential sources" for learning about the church's beginnings. Even non-Mormon historian Jan Shipps said this history is "of central importance" to understanding the Latter Day Saint movement.
Different Versions of the Book
The History of Joseph Smith by His Mother has been published many times. Different publishers and editors have released it. Sometimes, the title has even changed. The list below shows some of the versions with important changes.
