Joseph Smith

Raised on Temple Square in 1911, this monument honors Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter-day Saint movement, and the vision from which his followers date its beginning. As the account goes, in 1820 a fourteen-year-old Smith, unsure which church to join, went to a grove near his family's New York farm to pray — and there, Latter-day Saints believe, God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him. The experience is remembered as the First Vision. The monument stands a few steps from the temple, at the symbolic center of the founding story.

What the plaque says

God hears our prayers. In 1820, 14-year-old Joseph Smith had questions about which church to join. As he studied the Bible, he was prompted to pray for help. He went to a grove of trees near his home, and as he prayed, God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him. God called Joseph by name and said, pointing to Jesus Christ, "This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him." Like many past prophets, Joseph spoke with the Lord face-to-face. Jesus Christ would restore the fulness of His gospel through Joseph God and Jesus Christ know us by name. God will answer our prayers. Jesus Christ continues to communicate with us through living prophets. Joseph Smith-History 1:16-17

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Temple Square — steps away
  The spiritual and architectural heart of Salt Lake City
• Salt Lake City — steps away
  Utah's capital and largest city — where the Wasatch Range meets the Great Salt Lake.
• Ensign Peak — 1.4 mi
  A short hike to the spot where Brigham Young surveyed the valley
• Liberty Park — 1.9 mi
  Salt Lake Citys beloved 80-acre urban park since 1882

More markers nearby

• Hyrum Smith — steps away
• The Testimony of Three Witnesses — steps away
• Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood Mon. — steps away
• Great Salt Lake Base and Meridian — steps away