John Johnson Farm

The farm of John Johnson in Hiram, Ohio is a key location in the history of the Latter Day Saint movement and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Movement founder Joseph Smith, Jr. accepted Johnson's invitation to reside on the farm in September 1831. The farm was the headquarters of Smith's Church of Christ from September 1831 until March 1832, and the farm was the site of several important revelations to Smith and other church leaders.cite web
url= http://www.mormonhistoricsitesregistry.org/USA/ohio/hiram/johnsonFarm/history.htm
title= John Johnson Farm, Hiram, Ohio, USA
accessdate= 2008-01-28
work= Mormon Historic Sites Registry
publisher= Mormon Historic Sites Foundation] cite web
url= http://www.ldspro.com/ldsgetaway/docs/ft/030620hiramprint.asp
title= Hiram, Ohio
accessdate= 2008-01-28
author= Becky Cardon Smith
year= 2003
work= LDS Family Travels]

In 1956, the LDS Church purchased the farm property and today the church uses the farmhouse as a tourist attraction [ [http://www.lds.org/placestovisit/location/0,10634,1834-1-1-1,00.html "Historic Johnson Home: Hiram, Ohio"] .] and the farm property as a church welfare farm.

Revelations received at the Johnson Farm

Several revelations were received by Joseph Smith and other church leaders while at the Johnson Farm. Sixteen of the sections of the Doctrine and Covenants were received. Among these revelations was section 1, the introduction and section 76, the vision of the degrees of glory. As part of section 76, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon stated, "And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of (Jesus Christ), this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father--." Also, Joseph Smith completed part of his revision of the Bible at the Johnson home. [The Doctrine and Covenants, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.] [Church History, Chronology, Maps, and Photographs, Intellectual Reserve, 1999.]

Violence at the Johnson Farm

On the night of 24 March 1832 Joseph and Emma Smith were caring for their adopted twins. Both of the twins were sick with the measles. While Joseph was sleeping on the trundle bed on the first floor of the Johnson home a mob of about 25 attacked Joseph and dragged him out the front door. Joseph struggled with the mob but was overcome. The mob choked him, tried to put acid in his mouth, put tar all over his body and then covered him with feathers. When Joseph got back to the house, Emma thought that the tar was blood and fainted. Joseph's friends spent the rest of the night cleaning the tar off of his body. The next day, Joseph preached a sermon to a crowd which included some of the mobbers and baptized three people. One of the twin babies, the eleven-month-old boy named Joseph Murdock Smith died four days later. [Church History in the Fulness of Times, revised edition, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1993.] [Anderson, Karl Ricks, Joseph Smith's Kirtland, Deseret Book Company, 1989.]

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