- LDS positions: Apostle,
- Criminal case: Never charged,
- Civil case: No civil case,
Case report
Joseph Smith was the founder and first president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the LDS church or Mormon church.
FLOODLIT’s purpose is to help people learn about instances of sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated by Mormon church members.
We’re not aware whether Smith was ever formally charged with sexual abuse. He was, however, publicly accused during his lifetime of sex crimes, including polygamy.
Since the public conversation about Smith since the 1830s has frequently included accusations of sexual wrongdoing, we have decided to include him in our public database of accused Latter-day Saints.
Case facts
- case report | facts | videos | sources
- AKA Joe Smith, brother Joseph
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Born: 1805
Died: 1844
- LDS mission: unknown
- During alleged crime/failure: Apostle,
- When accused: Apostle,
- Lived in: Illinois, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
- During alleged crime, lived in: Illinois,
- Victims: 10 or more victims, Multiple victims,
- Crime scenes: Perpetrator's home,
- Crime years: 1800s,
- Convicted in: Never convicted,
- Latest update: 1844-06-27: died in jail in Carthage, Illinois
- Add information
Case videos
- case report | facts | videos | sources
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- Video title: Joseph Smith as a Sexual Predator - 2009-06-20
- Video description: presentation by Sandra Tanner
Case information sources
- case report | facts | videos | sources
- Zion high council and bishopric, Minutes, Far West, Caldwell Co., MO, 12 Apr. 1838 - The Joseph Smith Papers
- Did Plural Marriages Include Sexual Relations? - Joseph Smith's Polygamy
- Temple Lot Case - Archive.org
- Mormon Stories Podcast 324-326: Grant Palmer discusses sexual allegations against Joseph Smith
Case information source details
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Zion high council and bishopric, Minutes, Far West, Caldwell Co., MO, 12 Apr. 1838 - The Joseph Smith Papers
Publisher: Joseph Smith Papers
Date: 21 Sep 2023
Archive.org
Source type: News article -
view all information sources Did Plural Marriages Include Sexual Relations? - Joseph Smith's Polygamy
Publisher: Joseph Smiths Polygamy
Date: 21 Sep 2023
Archive.org
Source type: News article -
view all information sources Temple Lot Case - Archive.org
Publisher: Archive
Date: 1 Apr 2015
Archive.org
Source type: News article -
view all information sources Mormon Stories Podcast 324-326: Grant Palmer discusses sexual allegations against Joseph Smith
Publisher: Mormon Stories
Date: 26 Feb 2012
Archive.org
Source type: News article
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