Thursday, July 31, 2008

My Cousin




Joseph Smith
is your 5th cousin 6 times removed
/ Henry Champion \
Sarah Champion - Siblings - Mary Champion
Rose Bennett - 1st cousins - Aaron Huntley
Abel Willey - 2nd cousins - Hannah Huntley
Abel Willey - 3rd cousins - Solomon Mack
Mercy Willey - 4th cousins - Lucy Mack
William Buckminster... Lindsay - 5th cousins - Joseph Smith
William Buckmunster... Lindsay - Once removed -
Martha Jane Lindsay - Twice removed -
Nettie Bingham - 3 times removed -
Seth Arvid Dodge - 4 times removed -
Randall Eugene Dodge - 5 times removed -
Deanna Gordon - 6 times removed -

Joseph Smith, Jr. was born on December 23, 1805, in Sharon, Vermont to Joseph Smith, Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith. In the spring on 1820, Joseph had the First Vision, where the Father and Son appeared to him and told him to join none of the churches in his area, but that the true Gospel would be restored through him. Joseph then received the Golden Plates and from them translated the Book of Mormon. Following the printing of the Book of Mormon, Joseph organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From there, the Church gained membership as well as persecution, and as they built the Kirtland Temple and dedicated land for other temples, Joseph and the Saints were forced to move from place to place in the Midwest. They finally settled the city of Nauvoo, Illinois and began building another temple to the Lord. Amidst growing persecution in 1844, charges were brought against Smith and he submitted to incarceration in Carthage, the Hancock County seat. Smith's brother, Hyrum, and eight of his associates including John Taylor and Willard Richards, accompanied him to the jail. The Governor of the state, Thomas Ford, had promised protection and a fair trial. All of Smith's associates left the jail, except his brother Hyrum, Richards and Taylor. Those in jail were not held in the 1st floor jail cell because the jailer felt that that was unsafe, instead, they were held in the jailer's room on the 2nd floor. Shortly after 5:00 p.m. on June 27, 1844, a mob of about 200 men stormed the jail, and went to where Smith and his associates were imprisoned, and killed Joseph and his brother Hyrum.

1 comment:

Janika said...

Hey Cuz! I found out last year that JS is my 3rd cousin, 6 times removed. Apparently, my fathers mother's, mother (who had no church affiliation) leads me to John Mack as my 7g grandfather, who is the gg grandfather to JS.

There is a pretty sharp genetic funnel to people with 18th century American roots. A LOT of people came from those few early Americans.