Born in 1805, Joseph Smith Jr. was never a part of any church while growing up.  He and his father were well known for their treasure hunting interests.  They would go on digs around New York looking for treasure, but could never find anything of substance.

Smith Jr. claimed that his first vision accured at the age of 14 (1820).  Three years later, Smith claimed to have another vision from an angel named Maroni who tells him the locations of golden plates located in Palmyra, NY.  These plates came from Jews who populated the Americas; the Nemphites.

Four years later he finds the plates but he cannot show anyone because Maroni said he couldn’t.  They were written in “Reformed Egyptian,” which isn’t a real language.  Smith can’t read the fake language, and so he uses two stones that Maroni gave to him to translate.  The stones, Urim and Thummim, are held up to his eyes so that he can translate the writings.

Only three witnesses saw this crazy process happen, and all three of them ended up quitting.  Smith would be on one side of a curtain (so no one could see), and he translated outloud to someone who would write what was being said.  No one ever saw the plates.

The Church of Jesus of Later-Day Saints was officially founded in 1830, and polygamy was prevalent.  Because of such, many people opposed Smith (especially since most of his wives were under 16).  His followers went with him across the States, and since things never go well, they keep on moving.

Eventually, Smith is arrested in Navoo, IL and put in jail in Carthage, IL.  Why was he arrested?  After The Nauvoo Expositor has published some anti-Mormon material, Smith went and destroyed the Expositer’s printing press, crippling the newpaper from any further publications.  The people were so mad at Smith that they dragged him with his brother to the middle of the street and executed him.

Unfortunately, this created a martyr out of Joseph Smith.  Ever since, the Mormon’s have been actively growing.