JosephSmith.net

By Andy Cargal

Church Magazines

Have you ever wanted to learn more about the Prophet Joseph Smith but haven’t known where to look? If so, there’s a new online resource that can assist you.

Last year, in conjunction with the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s birth, the Church launched a new Web site—JosephSmith.net. Its purpose is to provide accurate and authoritative information about Joseph Smith and give insight into the mission of his life.

So far, users from more than 90 countries have accessed the site, which receives an average of 38,000 visitors each month. And now more than 200 Web sites have links to JosephSmith.net.

Review what the Web site has to offer in the following pages; then go online and take a look for yourself. You’ll find an array of photographs, video, artwork, quotations, and original documents, all of which relate to the Prophet Joseph, his life, and his mission.

The Web site contains five main categories of information. Each of these and their subgroups are highlighted in the following pages, such as the one to the right, to provide a general overview of the Web site’s content.

Resource Center

• Basic Facts

• Quotes

• Witnesses

• Questions

• Readings

• Documents

• Photographs

• Artwork

• Maps

• Virtual Reality

• Daily Events

• Glossary

• Joseph Smith Links

Life of the Prophet

• Foreordained of God

• A Christian Heritage

• Called of God

• Joseph and Emma

• Prophet, Seer, and Revelator

• Trials and Persecutions

• Teacher of God’s Truth

• Missionary Labors

• Leading with Love

• Prisoner for Jesus Christ

• Character of Joseph Smith

• Temple Builder

• Friend of Man

• Martyr for God

[photo] Read about Joseph Smith’s life, including his teachings and emphasis on temple building. To find temples: On the home page, click “Life of the Prophet,” then “Temple Builder.”

Mission of the Prophet

• A Marvelous Work and a Wonder

• The First Vision

• The Book of Mormon

• The Church of Jesus Christ Restored

• Building the Kingdom of God

• The House of the Lord

• The Prophet’s Legacy

Historic Sites

• New York

• Pennsylvania

• Ohio

• Missouri

• Illinois

[photo] Explore early Church history locations such as the Kirtland Temple and surrounding areas in Ohio. View photographs, read quotations, and learn about key events in each area. To find historic sites: On the home page, click “Historic Sites,” then a state, then the locations within that state you want to view.

Witnesses of the Prophet

• First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

• Latter-day Prophets

• Reminiscences

[photo] Read testimonies from latter-day prophets regarding the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. To find testimonies: On the home page, click “Witnesses of the Prophet,” then “Latter-day Prophets,” then the picture of the prophet whose testimony you want to read.

“What a blessing this site is to a new member such as me. Thank you for feeding my spirit and my need to grow.”

“I am a less-active member, I’m sorry to say. But this Web site has given me new hope to return to my first love of the gospel. Thank you.”

“It is 4:00 a.m., and having a troubled heart, I could not sleep. I found this site for the first time and found peace. I needed a reminder of what the Prophet Joseph went through and that my trials are not so bad. Thank you for a beautiful Web site.”

This letter from Joseph Smith to his wife Emma is one of many historical documents the Web site features. Each document also has options to zoom, save, and print. To find documents: On the home page, click “Resource Center,” then “Documents,” then the set of documents you want to view.

This painting depicting the Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith at Carthage Jail is among a variety of artwork that can be viewed in the Web site’s resource center. To find artwork: On the home page, click “Resource Center,” then “Artwork,” then the topic you want to view.

Many of the subgroups have a “Multimedia” section, which features artwork and video. The filmstrip to the right is a depiction of the First Vision from the movie The Restoration. To find multimedia: On the home page, click “Mission of the Prophet,” “Life of the Prophet,” or “Historic Sites,” then the subgroup you want to view, then “Multimedia.” Videos are indicated by a filmstrip icon in the bottom right corner of a picture.

Experience Church history without actually leaving your home as you explore the Web site’s virtual reality feature. Visit places such as the Sacred Grove, the Hill Cumorah, and Carthage Jail (as shown at left). To find virtual reality: On the home page, click “Resource Center,” then “Virtual Reality,” then the place you want to view.

Clockwise from left: Portrait of Joseph Smith courtesy of the Community of Christ; photograph of Sacred Grove by Lee V. Kochenderfer; inside front cover of The First Lines of Arithmetic signed by Joseph Smith, courtesy of the Museum of Church History and Art; document that later became Doctrine and Covenants 121, courtesy of LDS Church Archives, photographed by Paul Killpack; Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum, by Gary Smith

Clockwise from left: Brother Joseph, by David Lindsley; photograph of Susquehannah River by Welden C. Andersen; virtual reality of Carthage Jail from JosephSmith.net by Virtual Historian, Blue Mango Multimedia; leaf by Getty Images