| Alvin Smith | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 11, 1798 Tunbridge, Vermont |
| Died | November 19, 1823 (aged 25) Palmyra, New York |
| Cause of death | mercury poisoning from calomel |
| Resting place | General John Swift Memorial Cemetery |
| Parents | Joseph Smith Sr. Lucy Mack Smith |
Alvin Smith (11 February 1798 – 19 November 1823) was the older brother of Joseph Smith Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Alvin took a leading role in helping the Smith family work toward paying their debts and building their home. His death in 1823 at age 25 resulted in his younger brother Joseph taking more of a leading role in family affairs. A vision claimed by Joseph Smith Jr. is said to have included Alvin and played a significant role in the establishment of the Mormon doctrine of redemption of those who die without a knowledge of the gospel and baptism of the dead.
Contents |
Alvin Smith was born in 1798, the first surviving child of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith.[1] During his youth, Alvin worked as a carpenter’s helper to assist the Smith family in saving up sufficient funds to make a down payment on a farm in Manchester Township, south of Palmyra, New York. Alvin also assisted his father in clearing timber, planting wheat and tapping maple trees for the purpose of making maple sugar.[2] A neighbor, Orlando Saunders, stated that the members of the Smith family “have all worked for me many a day; they were very good people. Young Joe (as we called him then) has worked for me, and he was a good worker; they all were.”[3] In 1823, Alvin took the lead in building the Smith’s new home and worked to get the family out of debt.[4][5]
On 19 November 1823, at age 25, Alvin died of mercury poisoning from calomel, which was administered to cure a case of “bilious colic.”[6] Alvin believed his brother Joseph's claim that he was to recover an ancient record from a nearby hill. His death occurred two months after Joseph’s first visit to the hill from which he was eventually said to have recovered the golden plates that would later be claimed to be the source for the Book of Mormon. According to a history written by his mother, Lucy Mack Smith, as Alvin lay dying he called each member of his family to his bedside to give them counsel. To his brother Hyrum, Alvin said, "I have done all I could to make our dear parents comfortable. I want you to go on and finish the house."[7] He urged his younger brother Joseph to fulfill all of the requirements to obtain the record .[8] Alvin's death had a significant effect on the family, resulting in Joseph taking more of a leadership role.
Alvin Smith figured prominently in the establishment of the Mormon doctrine of the redemption of the dead and later establishment of the practice of baptism for the dead. On January 21, 1836, after the completion of the Kirtland Temple, Joseph Smith claimed to have had a vision of the celestial kingdom. Smith stated that he saw his brother Alvin in the vision, and was surprised at his presence there since he died before the establishment of the church and its associated doctrines.[9] Smith stated that he then received a revelation concerning the salvation of those who die without hearing the gospel and their ability to receive the same opportunities as those who had the opportunity to hear it on earth.[10]
Biographer Fawn M. Brodie wrote that the Smith family, "[H]eard a rumor that Alvin's body had been exhumed and dissected. Fearing it to be true, the elder Smith uncovered the grave on September 25, 1824 and inspected the corpse."[11] Following the exhumation, Joseph Smith Sr. printed the following in the local newspaper on September 29, 1824:
Historian D. Michael Quinn, in his book Early Mormonism and the Magical World View, suggests that the newspaper notice published by Joseph Smith Sr. is evidence that the "guardian," "spirit" or "angel" commanded Joseph Jr. to bring a piece of Alvin's body to the hiding place of the golden plates as a requirement for seeing them.[13] Quinn argues that when Smith did not do this, he was unable to see the plates for a second time and had to wait another year. Additionally, Quinn suggests that this information was obscured in official church history because it implies Smith's participation in necromancy.
The requirement to bring a portion of Alvin's body to view the plates originated with the forged Salamander Letter, which was believed to be authentic at the time that Quinn wrote Early Mormonism and the Magical World View.[14]
The story of the exhumation of Alvin’s remains gained new life with the “discovery” Mark Hofmann’s forged Salamander Letter.[15] Hofmann admitted that he used Joseph Smith Senior's letter and the affidavit of Willard Chase (Mormonism Unvailed, 1834), to create the implication that Joseph Smith Jr. needed to take part of Alvin's body to the hill Cumorah. Chase states in his affidavit that the angel told Smith to bring his brother Alvin with him to obtain the plates. By the time of the second visit to the hill, Alvin had been dead for several months. Although Chase’s statement makes no further comment regarding Alvin, Hofmann’s forgery adds a claim that Smith said to the angel, “he is dead shall I bring what remains but the spirit is gone.” The presence of this statement in the Salamander Letter reintroduced speculation regarding the exhumation of Alvin’s body for the purpose of satisfying the requirements for obtaining the plates. The document also suggests that Smith's wife Emma or his brother Hyrum were dressed in Alvin's clothes when the plates were delivered to Smith.[16]
During the period of time that the Salamander Letter was believed to be authentic, the information contained within it was used in a number of publications and films related to Mormonism. One such film, The God Makers II, suggests that Joseph Smith was required to dig up Alvin’s body and bring a part of it with him to the hill Cumorah in order to obtain the gold plates.[17] The only known source of such a requirement is the discredited Salamander Letter.[18]
Alvin Smith is one of the inspirations for Alvin Miller, the hero of a series of novels and stories by Orson Scott Card.