Keith A. Erekson and Dr. Richard E. Bennett, Church History and Doctrine
Joseph Smith was born December 23, 1805, at the Mack farm in Sharon, Vermont.1 Though his family moved when he was young, the influence of his Vermont heritage was important in the development of the young Prophet and subsequently on the restoration of the Gospel.2 After the exodus of the Saints to the west and their ensuing establishment in Utah, Elder Junius F. Wells returned to the east to seek out significant sites in the history of the Church. He lived at the Mack farm for years and conceived of the idea of erecting a monument.3 Work began on the erection of the monument, and countless challenges arose and were miraculously surmounted.4 On December 23, 1905, the dedicatory services for the Monument to Joseph Smith were presided over by President Joseph F. Smith. At the dedication, Elder Francis M. Lyman declared, “You will find that travel will increase over this road, and it will become one of the most famous spots of the United States.”5 The erection and dedication of the Monument created cordial feelings in the surrounding area, and President Smith and others were well received during their stay in the neighboring town of South Royalton. On the evening of the dedication they spoke to a friendly crowd before beginning a tour that would eventually take them through Boston and Chicago as well. On December 28, 1905, an entire page of the local White River Herald was dedicated to the efforts of the Mormons.6 Construction on the new Memorial began in 1960, and the visitor’s center opened in 1967.7 The Memorial brought renewed interest in the LDS Church, and is now part of various local and Church-sponsored bus tours.
While there has been some documentation about the erection of the Monument and the creation of the Memorial,8 there has not been an analysis of their influence. I set out to examine the impact of the Joseph Smith Memorial on the growth of the Church in Vermont in the 20th century, focusing on the role the Memorial has played in shaping public opinion of the Church in Vermont and New England. The central feature of this project involved on-site research. I had originally intended to perform a series of oral interviews. However, upon further analysis, I realized that a more valuable approach should focus on the sources preserved in the local archives. The project began with Robert McShinsky, who currently resides in South Royalton. Having served for many years as the caretaker of the Memorial, he is familiar with much of its recent history. Correspondence with him led to correspondence with other influential people as well. Elder Flower currently serves as the Director of the Memorial and had prepared many documents for my examination. I also met with the town historian, John Dumville, who shared many photos with me, including one which identifies the location of the foundation of the Joseph Smith, Sr., home. He also shared several letters written by local citizens in the early part of the 20th Century, sharing both positive and negative opinions about the Church. I also spent a day pouring over precious copies of the White River Herald from 1906.
This project has encouraged me to pursue this topic further. Complimenting the primary source material I uncovered, I intend to evaluate secondary sources , including the history of the New England Mission, and branch, stake, and Church records. I am currently evaluating the strong possibility of developing this research into my Master’s thesis in the history program at Brigham Young University. Whether it develops this way, or not, I intend to seek publication of this material in two forms. First, the history of the Church is of interest to members of the Church, and I will seek to publish my findings for LDS audience. Second, in many ways there is much that can be done to publicize the history of the LDS Church for the citizens of Vermont. For example, in the official publication of the Vermont Historical Society, Joseph Smith and the Mormons are mentioned only in passing.9 Therefore, I also intend to share this information in scholarly journals of Vermont and New England.
Notes
- See Joseph Smith-History 1:3.
- Marvin S. Hill called this influence “formulative, and any student who loses sight of this fact ignores the continuity which clearly exists in early Mormon thought.” In “The Shaping of the Mormon Mind in New England and New York,” BYU Studies, Vol. 9, spring 1963, No. 3, p. 351. The case is also made by David Brion Davis, “New England Origins of Mormonism,” The New England Quarterly, Vol. 26 (1953), pp. 147-168. This view has also been examined by Grant Underwood, “The New England Origins of Mormonism Revisited,” Journal of Mormon History, Vol. 15, 1989, pp. 15-25.
- Wells gave an account of his efforts at the dedication, as recorded in Proceedings at the Dedication of the Joseph Smith Memorial Monument, BYU Special Collections, BX 8670.2.P94.1906.
- Granite was taken from the nearby Rock of Ages quarries at Barre, Vermont. Five enormous stones, the largest weighing more than 40 tons, were transported up a hill. Many people scoffed saying the hill was too steep, and the road too sandy. It took 13 days to transport the first stone, which weighed 20 tons, up the hill. Twenty horses and a team of oxen were requited to pull the wagon, it weighing eight tons with tires 20 inches wide. After surmounting many obstacles, the final shaft was set in place only ten days before the scheduled dedication.
- “Joseph Smith Monument,” BYU Special Collections, BX 8608.A1 #45.
- BYU Special Collections, BX 8608.A1a #559.
- The creation of the Memorial was highlighted in the Church News, 10 Jun 1967, p. 3.
- The principal and almost exclusive source of information on the erection and dedication of the monument is the Proceedings at the Dedication of the Joseph Smith Memorial Monument.
- Based on my content analysis of Vermont History, quarterly publication of the Vermont Historical Society, 1943-1999. This publication contains only one article entirely dedicated to a Mormon topic, “The Benson Exodus of 1833: Mormon Converts and the Westward Movement,” by Erik Barnouw, in Vol. 54 (1986), No. 3, pp. 133-148. Dr. Barnouw is not a member, but became interested in this group upon purchasing the old Benson home (see p. 132).