Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial

Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial is a granite obelisk on a hill in the White River Valley near Sharon and South Royalton, Vermont that marks the spot where Joseph Smith, Jr. was born on 1805-12-23. [The monument itself lies just within the corporate boundaries of Royalton, Vermont. However, the foundations of the cabin that it is believed Smith was born in lie just over the boundary line in Sharon, Vermont.] The monument was erected by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which recognizes Smith as its first president and founding prophet. The LDS Church continues to own and operate the site as a tourist attraction.

History

In 1884, LDS Church leader Junius F. Wells visited Smith's birthplace and conceived a plan to build a monument to the Mormon prophet. [Susa Young Gates, "Memorial Monument Dedication", "Improvement Era", Feb. 1906.] Under the direction of church president Joseph F. Smith, Wells oversaw the construction of the monument in 1905. The Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial was dedicated by Joseph F. Smith on the 100th anniversary of Joseph Smith, Jr.'s birth, on 1905-12-23.

Description

The monument stands 50 feet tall and weighs approximately 100 tons. The 40-ton shaft of the obelisk is 38½ feet long: one for each year of Smith's life. The obelisk was quarried in Barre, Vermont, and is often cited as a "remarkable engineering feat" [See, e.g., Keith A. Erekson, [http://vermonthistory.org/journal/73/04_Erekson.pdf "The Joseph Smith Memorial Monument and Royalton’s 'Mormon Affair': Religion, Community, Memory, and Politics in Progressive Vermont"] , "Vermont History" 73:117–151 (2005) at p. 118.] and "one of the largest polished shafts in the world". [See, e.g., [http://www.lds.org/placestovisit/location/0,10634,1813-1-1-1,00.html Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial] .]

A visitors' center and an LDS Church meetinghouse sit on the same property as the memorial. Admission to the visitor's center and tours of the memorial site are free.

Notes

References

*Gerry Avant, [http://www.desnews.com/cgi-bin/cqcgi/@cnews.env?CQ_SESSION_KEY=KNXEIMZDPDRC&CQ_CUR_DOCUMENT=3&CQ_TEXT_MAIN=YES "Memorializing Prophet who was born here"] , "Deseret Morning News", 2005-12-31, p. Z08.
*Keith A. Erekson, [http://vermonthistory.org/journal/73/04_Erekson.pdf "The Joseph Smith Memorial Monument and Royalton’s 'Mormon Affair': Religion, Community, Memory, and Politics in Progressive Vermont"] , "Vermont History" 73:117–151 (2005).
*Susa Young Gates, "Memorial Monument Dedication", "Improvement Era", Feb. 1906.
* George Albert Smith, [http://search.ldslibrary.com/article/view/272221 "The duty of sustaining home industries, and home institutions—Incidents of the journey to Vermont and return—Remarkable interest and kindness manifest to President Smith and party—Providential help in overcoming obstacles in erection of monument—The finished structure a credit to the Church, and to Junius F. Wells"] "Conference Report", April 1906.

External links

* [http://www.lds.org/placestovisit/location/0,10634,1813-1-1-1,00.html Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial] : official website
* [http://www.mormonhistoricsitesregistry.org/USA/vermont/southRoyalton/jsMonument/history.htm Joseph Smith, Jr. Monument, South Royalton, Vermont, USA] : Mormon Historic Sites Registry