©2003 Brigham Young University. All rights reserved.
This collection was donated to the L. Tom Perry Special Collections in the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University by Richard K. Behrens, in September of 2000.
Research only. No photocopying.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from Richard K. Behrens' Research On Hyrum Smith's Moor's School Years must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Board of Curators.
Hyrum Smith was born on 9 February 1800, in Tunbridge, Orange County, Vermont, to Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith. He was their second son and the elder brother of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). During his childhood, the family moved to eight different locations near the Connecticut River while the father struggled as a farmer, storekeeper, and tenant farmer. At age eleven, Hyrum was sent to Moor's Charity School, associated with Dartmouth College.
Early in June 1829, Hyrum was baptized into the LDS Church in Seneca Lake, New York, by his brother, Joseph. Toward the end of June, he became one of the Eight Witnesses, examining and "hefting" the plates of gold (see Book of Mormon Witnesses). He served as Oliver Cowdery's bodyguard as he delivered a few pages of the Book of Mormon manuscript each day to the printer in Palmyra. Having proved his ability and faithfulness, Hyrum was ordained an Assistant President of the Church in December 1834. His responsibilities were further increased in November 1837 when he became Second Counselor in the First Presidency with Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, and with Oliver Cowdery as Associate President. He also succeeded his father, Joseph Smith, Sr., as the Patriarch of the Church.
He married three times, his first wife being Jerusha Barden. They were married on 2 November 1826, in Manchester, New York. Together, they had six children. Hyrum’s second wife was Mary Fielding, whom he married on 24 December 1837. They had two children together. Many of Hyrum's descendants have played significant roles in Church history. A son, Joseph F. Smith, became the sixth President of the Church, and a grandson, Joseph Fielding Smith, became the tenth President. Four of the six Patriarchs to the Church since 1845 have been descendants of Hyrum Smith.
Hyrum, along with his brother, Joseph, was killed by a mob at Carthage Jail, in Illinois, on June 27, 1844.
This collection consists of photocopies of a paper written by Richard K. Behrens entitled, “Hyrum Smith: The Moor’s School Years Revisited on His 200th Birthday,” along with nine of the ten appendices to the paper. Much of the research was done at Dartmouth College by the donor. The paper has been separated by appendices, with each appendix being placed in its own folder. Folder 11 contains Mr. Behrens’ “Notes on the Education of Hyrum Smith the Moor’s School Years, 1811-1815,” 25 July 2001.
Ludlow, Daniel H.,
Appendix A,
Appendix B,
Appendix C,
Appendix D,
Appendix E,
Appendix F,
Appendix G,
Appendix H,
Appendix J,