Joseph Smith, Jr., (December 23, 1805 – June 27, 1844) is the founder of the Latter-day Saints movement. In 1827, he attracted a following when he announced that an angel had shown him a set of golden plates that described Jesus’ visitation to Native Americans. He translated these plates in the Book of Mormon in 1830, and also organized the Church of Christ. Franklin D. Richards, of Liverpool, England, first compiled The Pearl of Great Price, which contains Smith’s translations.
