Alexa Erekson - 1,001 Facts about the Prophet Joseph Smith

ALSO BY

Alexa Erekson

Disney Till Youre Dizzy:
1,001 Facts, Rumors, and Myths
about Walt Disney World

2018 Alexa Erekson

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, whether by graphic, visual, electronic, film, microfilm, tape recording, or any other means, without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles.

This is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The opinions and views expressed herein belong solely to the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or views of Cedar Fort, Inc. Permission for the use of sources, graphics, and photos is also solely the responsibility of the author.

ISBN 13: 978-1-4621-2894-5

Published by CFI, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.

2373 W. 700 S., Springville, UT 84663

Distributed by Cedar Fort, Inc., www.cedarfort.com

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Names: Erekson, Alexa, 1996- author.

Title: 1001 facts about the prophet Joseph Smith / Alexa Erekson.

Other titles: One thousand one facts about the prophet Joseph Smith

Description: Springville, Utah : CFI, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc., [2018] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018004030 (print) | LCCN 2018007070 (ebook) | ISBN 9781462128945 (epub, pdf, mobi) | ISBN 9781462121991 (perfect bound : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844--Miscellanea.

Classification: LCC BX8695.S6 (ebook) | LCC BX8695.S6 E74 2018 (print) | DDC 289.3092--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018004030

Cover design by Jeff Harvey

Cover design 2018 Cedar Fort, Inc.

Edited by Erica Myers and Nicole Terry

Typeset by Kaitlin Barwick

To Ashley, Kennedy, and Brooklyn. As the three women who were there during the best two weeks of my life, you guys will always have a special place in my heart. I would not be here without the experiences and memories we shared on the Church History Trip 2014.

(And, as always, to my husband, Dalyn.)

Contents

Introduction

I have had a deep emotional connection to the Prophet Joseph Smith ever since I was a little girl. The first time I read about his martyrdom, when I was eight years old, I bawled my eyes out! Whenever we spoke about him in church or seminary, I felt exceptionally interested and invested. My two favorite scriptures of all time are about him. The first time I visited places like the Sacred Grove, his home, the Kirtland Temple, Nauvoo, and other Church history locations saved both my life and my testimony. I was diagnosed with idiopathic gastroparesis at twenty years old; it was devastating. My dreams of graduating from college and becoming a registered nurse were shattered. Then I found a new passion: writing fact books. My first book is called Disney Till Youre Dizzy: 1,001 Facts, Rumors, and Myths about the Disneyland Resort. Only a short while after it was published, the Lord told me that it was time to write a new fact book. This time, Heavenly Father wanted me to write a fact book for Him, about the Prophet Joseph Smith. I was nervous and shocked. I was accustomed to writing theme park books. I never thought I would have to write about something so serious, important, and even controversial. But I knew that if God commanded me to do it, He would help me through it. I was right. God helped me every step of the way.

I have been in Sunday School, seminary, and institute classes when the teacher has said something along the lines of, We are probably past the point of being able to discern fact from fiction regarding some aspects of Church history. While there might be some truth to that statement, I still disagree. With the new project of the Joseph Smith Papers, several biographies, and the knowledge and studies of Church historians and scholars, there has never been a more perfect time to determine the real facts behind the life of Joseph Smith. At the same time, with social media, the internet, and an epidemic of fake news, it has also never been easier to spread lies and myths about the life of Joseph Smith. There has always been confusion and falsehoods regarding Joseph Smiths life, even since he was a mere fourteen-year-old boy.

As I was studying for this book, I stumbled upon an internet article from a bitter former member of the Church. The article tried to use certain elements of Joseph Smiths life to ruin the testimonies of others. I read through the entire argument. As somebody who has studied the life of the Prophet intensely, I knew and understood the full story from the original sources before I read this article, which provided only misleading or twisted information. This person wrote about specific things in Church history without including the full story or explanation. I could see how using thisand other articles like itas the main source of gaining information can easily mislead those who once believed in or are trying to learn about the truth. After further research, I have realized that this is often the pattern of modern anti-Mormon arguments, especially against Joseph Smith. They manipulate the story by only sharing certain portions, or their sources come from those who are trying to destroy the Church or those who even helped kill Joseph Smith.

I genuinely believe that any decent person who seriously studies the Prophets life through credible primary sourcesincluding the writings of Joseph himselfcannot honestly say that Joseph Smith was anything but a truthful, virtuous, and incredible man, even if that person does not believe he was truly a prophet of God. One of the main goals of this book is to tell the real story, while making it simple to read and understand. 1,001 Facts about the Prophet Joseph Smith is a history book for this generation. The entire book can be read in one sitting, or readers can jump around to different moments in the Prophets life and learn about their favorite and the most fascinating events. I wrote it using only primary accounts to make it as accurate as possible. This book is not meant to portray Joseph Smith as a perfect man; then I would be a liar. This book is meant to show Joseph Smith as the man he really wasas accurately as possiblebased on primary sources. This book contains the real story.