Is This Right?

[inquiringmind]

I thought Joseph was born in 1805?

 

Is this just a mistake, was I off a year, or is there some doubt?

[inquiringmind]

Here's another site that says he was born in 1806.

[Robert F. Smith]

Here's another site that says he was born in 1806.

You be deceived by the "Moroni Deception" author, whose work reads like a high school freshman composition.

 

In fact, as it states in JS-H 1:3, Joseph Smith was born Dec 23, 1805, the day following Winter solstice.  Indeed, detailed examination of the facts shows that Joseph Smith Jr was born in a Jewish Sabbatical Year, came close to death and received his archetypal scar and limp at the next Sabbatical, had his First Vision in the third such Sabbatical Year, and his annual, equinoctial return to that hill "convenient to the village of Manchester" culminated on Saturday, September 22, 1827, by coinciding with the close of yet another (the fourth) Sabbatical Year on 1 Tishri of the floating Jewish calendar.  Not only was this Sabbath the regular Jewish New Year, day of coronation (Alma 51:34 - 52:1, 62:36-39), temple dedication (I Ki 8:2-66, II Chron 7:8-10; cf. Ex 40:2-38), and covenant renewal beginning the High Holy Days (Neh 8:1-18; Alma 28:4 - 30:2, 44:24 - 45:1,20), but it was also an anniversary of cosmic proportion: 1 Tishri was the traditional day of Creation of the World, the day of birth of Adam, and the day of the accession of God to His Throne.  As John H. Eaton has put it:

 

In the festal hour . . . Yahweh overpowers chaos, takes his kingship, makes right order, sends forth life, and enters into intimate communion with his liberated people.  

 

An anniversary indeed!  But we cannot stop there.  This was also the very day of the Birth of Jesus-Immanuel in 5 B.C.

[Kenngo1969]

I haven't consulted any primary historical sources, so I don't know if there's any confusion regarding Joseph's birth year.  It's been awhile since I've read it, but I believe A History of Joseph Smith By His Mother (and she ought to know! ) says he was born in 1805.  Is it relevant to Joseph Smith's prophetic calling?

[MormonMason]

Looks like a mistake to me.  Here is Joseph's birth and death information on his tomb:

 

[Robert F. Smith]

I haven't consulted any primary historical sources, so I don't know if there's any confusion regarding Joseph's birth year.  It's been awhile since I've read it, but I believe A History of Joseph Smith By His Mother (and she ought to know! ) says he was born in 1805.  Is it relevant to Joseph Smith's prophetic calling?

The problem with Lucy Mack Smith's memory was that she got the birth year of her eldest son Alvin wrong.  So memory alone is not adequate to the task.  Documentation (such as an immediate birth note in a family Bible, or the notes of an attending physician, or a parson's record of christening) is generally more reliable.

[Kenngo1969]

The problem with Lucy Mack Smith's memory was that she got the birth year of her eldest son Alvin wrong.  So memory alone is not adequate to the task.  Documentation (such as an immediate birth note in a family Bible, or the notes of an attending physician, or a parson's record of christening) is generally more reliable.

 

Fair enough.    Not a big deal to me: whether he was born in 1805, 1806, or some other year, he's still God's Prophet of the Restoration.

[inquiringmind]

The problem with Lucy Mack Smith's memory was that she got the birth year of her eldest son Alvin wrong.  So memory alone is not adequate to the task.  Documentation (such as an immediate birth note in a family Bible, or the notes of an attending physician, or a parson's record of christening) is generally more reliable.

Is there any such documentation for Joseph's birth in 1805?

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

I thought Joseph was born in 1805?

 

Is this just a mistake, was I off a year, or is there some doubt?

I believe 1805, what bothers me is some would accuse him and Lucy Mack of lying for some reason. I would believe Lucy Mack more than any gov't record.

[inquiringmind]

I believe 1805, what bothers me is some would accuse him and Lucy Mack of lying for some reason. I would believe Lucy Mack more than any gov't record.

 

I don't think anyone accused Lucy Mack Smith of lying.

 

What Robert F. Smith said was.

 

The problem with Lucy Mack Smith's memory was that she got the birth year of her eldest son Alvin wrong.  So memory alone is not adequate to the task.  Documentation (such as an immediate birth note in a family Bible, or the notes of an attending physician, or a parson's record of christening) is generally more reliable.

 

I would just like to be sure of the year Joseph was born.

 

Oliver Cowdery was born in 1806, and it would be interesting to me if he and Joseph were born the same year.

 

Also, (if you believe in gematria) it has some interesting properties.

 

The numerical value of αλειψωσιν (anoint, as in "anointed prophet") is 1806.

[rockpond]

 

You be deceived by the "Moroni Deception" author, whose work reads like a high school freshman composition.

 

In fact, as it states in JS-H 1:3, Joseph Smith was born Dec 23, 1805, the day following Winter solstice.  Indeed, detailed examination of the facts shows that Joseph Smith Jr was born in a Jewish Sabbatical Year, came close to death and received his archetypal scar and limp at the next Sabbatical, had his First Vision in the third such Sabbatical Year, and his annual, equinoctial return to that hill "convenient to the village of Manchester" culminated on Saturday, September 22, 1827, by coinciding with the close of yet another (the fourth) Sabbatical Year on 1 Tishri of the floating Jewish calendar.  Not only was this Sabbath the regular Jewish New Year, day of coronation (Alma 51:34 - 52:1, 62:36-39), temple dedication (I Ki 8:2-66, II Chron 7:8-10; cf. Ex 40:2-38), and covenant renewal beginning the High Holy Days (Neh 8:1-18; Alma 28:4 - 30:2, 44:24 - 45:1,20), but it was also an anniversary of cosmic proportion: 1 Tishri was the traditional day of Creation of the World, the day of birth of Adam, and the day of the accession of God to His Throne.  As John H. Eaton has put it:

 

In the festal hour . . . Yahweh overpowers chaos, takes his kingship, makes right order, sends forth life, and enters into intimate communion with his liberated people.  

 

An anniversary indeed!  But we cannot stop there.  This was also the very day of the Birth of Jesus-Immanuel in 5 B.C.

 

 

Wow.  That is cool!  Thanks.

[SargentYork]

I thought Jesus was born on April 6?

[Tiki]

You be deceived by the "Moroni Deception" author, whose work reads like a high school freshman composition.

In fact, as it states in JS-H 1:3, Joseph Smith was born Dec 23, 1805, the day following Winter solstice. Indeed, detailed examination of the facts shows that Joseph Smith Jr was born in a Jewish Sabbatical Year, came close to death and received his archetypal scar and limp at the next Sabbatical, had his First Vision in the third such Sabbatical Year, and his annual, equinoctial return to that hill "convenient to the village of Manchester" culminated on Saturday, September 22, 1827, by coinciding with the close of yet another (the fourth) Sabbatical Year on 1 Tishri of the floating Jewish calendar. Not only was this Sabbath the regular Jewish New Year, day of coronation (Alma 51:34 - 52:1, 62:36-39), temple dedication (I Ki 8:2-66, II Chron 7:8-10; cf. Ex 40:2-38), and covenant renewal beginning the High Holy Days (Neh 8:1-18; Alma 28:4 - 30:2, 44:24 - 45:1,20), but it was also an anniversary of cosmic proportion: 1 Tishri was the traditional day of Creation of the World, the day of birth of Adam, and the day of the accession of God to His Throne. As John H. Eaton has put it:

In the festal hour . . . Yahweh overpowers chaos, takes his kingship, makes right order, sends forth life, and enters into intimate communion with his liberated people.

An anniversary indeed! But we cannot stop there. This was also the very day of the Birth of Jesus-Immanuel in 5 B.C.

Joseph Smith was also born on Catholic Saint John Kanty day. And consulting the tea leaves at google, his Zodiac sign is Capricorn. Consulting the horoscope for Capricorns at the LA Times indicates:

"You are riding a highly creative wave as the emotional Moon washes through your 5th House of Self-Expression. Fortunately, the dependable Taurus Moon enables you to set a sustainable pace in the morning and then stick with it until you finish your chores. Thankfully, you should have time for play, too, making this a relatively pleasant day. Nevertheless, expansive Jupiter tempts you to take on more than you can complete, so don't say yes unless you really mean it."

http://www.latimes.com/features/horoscopes/

Watch out for that expansive Jupiter.

Edited September 24, 2013 by Tiki

[Sevenbak]

That would explain the Jupiter talisman.  

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

How could you people not know when JS was born. I mean it is only more important than Jesus birth and  we celibrate it at church and it is this huge deal. We even hold a secret birthday service out my house on Dec 23 complete with honorary cake. In 2005 we even had a huge statue erected in our back yard in memory to celebrate 200 years.