Joseph Smith
modernLatter-day Saint Theology1805 – 1844
Joseph Smith (1805–1844) was an American religious leader and founder of the Latter-day Saint movement, whose theological innovations included a rejection of creatio ex nihilo in favor of a cosmology in which God organizes eternal, pre-existing matter. His revelatory writings—including the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the King Follett discourse—established a metaphysical framework that diverged sharply from mainline Christian ontology. Smith's theology has attracted growing scholarly attention for its originality regarding the nature of God, matter, and human deification.
Notable Achievements
1
Founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1830), inaugurating a distinct theological tradition
2
Rejected creatio ex nihilo, positing that matter is eternal and co-existent with God
3
Articulated a robust doctrine of human exaltation (theosis), holding that humans may progress toward divine status
4
Delivered the King Follett discourse (1844), a systematic statement of his mature metaphysics of God and matter
5
Produced canonical revelatory texts shaping a uniquely American philosophical theology