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Joseph Smith’s Family Articles

Joseph Smith Sr. Taken Advantage of in Ginseng Venture

Joseph Smith Sr. Taken Advantage of in Ginseng Venture

Joseph Smith‘s father, Joseph Smith Sr., was a man of deep honor and pride. More than once in his life he was taken advantage of, but he always managed to cover his debts, whatever the personal cost. Early in Joseph Smith Sr.’s marriage to Lucy Mack Smith, he learned that ginseng root was prized in China. This root grew wild in Vermont, so Joseph used the opportunity to invest in ginseng. By this time, Joseph had already been the victim of a series of financial setbacks, and he looked at the opportunity of investing in ginseng as a sure way of ending that series of bad luck. After he worked hard to obtain a substantial amount of the root, he was offered $3,000 for his crop by a Mr. Stevens who resided in Royalton, which offer Joseph declined, expecting to get more elsewhere. Joseph travelled to New York to arrange for the shipment of his product, but Mr. Stevens followed him to find out on which ship Joseph had placed his ginseng. Then Mr.... Read the rest of this article »

Impoverishment of Smith Family

Impoverishment of Smith Family

In 1811, the Smith family moved to West Lebanon, New Hampshire. At this time Lucy Mack Smith, Joseph Smith‘s mother, remarked that they settled and “began to contemplate, with joy and satisfaction, the prosperity which had attended our recent exertions; and we doubled our diligence, in order to obtain more of this world’s goods, with the view of assisting our children when they should need it.” At this time none of their children had had much schooling, and so they set about making arrangements for all their children to do so. Soon thereafter, typhus fever struck Lebanon and killed 6,000 people. All of the Smith children were taken ill, and their daughter Sophronia nearly died. Lucy and Joseph Smith, Sr., spent nearly all their savings on medical care for their affected children. Joseph was ill for two weeks, but after recovering from the fever developed a serious infection in his shoulder. It struck him forcefully one day, and... Read the rest of this article »

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