The John Johnson farm is a historic home and listing on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in Hiram Township, just west of the village of

Hiram, Ohio Hiram is a village in Portage County, Ohio, United States. It was formed from portions of Hiram Township in the Connecticut Western Reserve. The population was 996 at the 2020 census. Hiram is part of the Akron metropolitan area. It is the h ...

, United States. The home, built in 1828, is a significant location in the

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

of the

Latter Day Saint movement The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by Jo ...

as the home of

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, h ...

and his family from September 1831 to March 1832. While Smith lived at the home, it served as the headquarters of the

Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to: Church groups * When used in the plural, a New Testament designation for local groups of people following the teachings of Jesus Christ: "...all the churches of Christ greet you", Romans 16:16. * The entire body of Ch ...

and was the site of several revelations to Smith and other Church leaders. The Johnson Farm is also significant as the site of the tarring and feathering of Joseph Smith and

Sidney Rigdon Sidney Rigdon (February 19, 1793 – July 14, 1876) was a leader during the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement. Biography Early life Rigdon was born in St. Clair Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on February 19, 1793. He w ...

in March 1832. The Smiths returned to Kirtland in 1832 and the Johnsons moved to Kirtland the following year.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

purchased the property in 1956 and began using it as a historical site. From 1971 to 2002, the adjoining farm was used to grow and process apples and strawberries as part of the Church’s

welfare program Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifical ...

. The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and restored to its original appearance in 2001. It continues to operate as a tourist attraction, staffed by volunteer missionaries.

Background

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

and Mary Elsa Johnson came to Hiram with their 10 children in 1818 and bought on both sides of modern-day Pioneer Trail. Initially, they lived in a log cabin on the south side of the road before building the colonial style house in 1828. The family used the farm to grow apples and corn, along with raising dairy cattle they used to make cheese, which was sold throughout the region and as far away as New York. The Johnsons sold the home and property to the Stevens family in 1833 when they moved to Kirtland and it was passed through four generations before being purchased by

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

in 1956. The home was added to the

in 1976 and restored to its original 1828 appearance between 1996 and 2001, and was rededicated by Church president

Gordon B. Hinckley Gordon Bitner Hinckley (June 23, 1910 – January 27, 2008) was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from March 1995 until his death in January 200 ...

in late 2001.

Doctrinal developments

Several revelations were received by Smith and other church leaders while at the Johnson Farm. Sixteen of the sections of the

Doctrine and Covenants The Doctrine and Covenants (sometimes abbreviated and cited as D&C or D. and C.) is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. Originally published in 1835 as Doctrine and Covenants of the Chu ...

were received. Among these revelations were section 1 (the introduction) and section 76 (the vision of the degrees of glory). As part of section 76, Smith and

stated, "And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of esus Christ this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father". Smith also completed part of his revision of the Bible at the Johnson home.

Tarring and feathering of Joseph Smith

On the night of March 24, 1832, Smith and his wife Emma were caring for their adopted twins, both of whom were sick with the

measles Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by measles virus. Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days. Initial symptoms typically include fever, often greater than , cough, ...

. While Joseph was sleeping on the trundle bed on the first floor of the Johnson home, a mob of about 25 attacked him and dragged him out the front door. Smith struggled with the mob but was overcome. The mob choked him, tried to put acid in his mouth, and

tarred and feathered Tarring and feathering is a form of public torture and punishment used to enforce unofficial justice or revenge. It was used in feudal Europe and its colonies in the early modern period, as well as the early American frontier, mostly as a ty ...

him. When Smith got back to the house, Emma thought that the tar was blood and she fainted. Smith's friends spent the rest of the night cleaning the tar off of his body. The next day, Smith preached a sermon to a crowd which included some of the mobbers and baptized three people. One of the twin babies, the eleven-month-old boy named Joseph Murdock Smith, died four days later. A late second-hand witness, Clark Braden, alleged that Eli Johnson—whom Braden claimed was a son of John Johnson—led the attack and that its intent was to punish Smith for an supposed improper relationship with his sister Marinda. Two other antagonistic witnesses, Hayden and S. F. Whitney, claimed that the motive was economic. However, Eli was, in fact, a brother to John Johnson (and an uncle to Marinda) and was living with the family at the time.The John and Alice Johnson Family
The mob enlisted the services of a physician to castrate Smith. However, in the end, the physician refused to administer the procedure.

References

External links

John Johnson Farm
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, John, Farm National Register of Historic Places in Portage County, Ohio Houses in Portage County, Ohio Farms on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio Latter Day Saint movement in Ohio Properties of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Significant places in Mormonism Tourist attractions in Portage County, Ohio

Background

Doctrinal developments

Tarring and feathering of Joseph Smith

See also

References

External links