Alvin, Joseph Smith’s oldest brother, died in November, 1823, at the age of 25. Not only did the family lose a beloved son and brother, but they lost Alvin’s help in providing income for the family, ultimately leading to the loss of their family farm. This tragedy had a long-lasting impact on the family, but it also had a significant impact on the understanding of doctrine of the redemption of the dead as revealed to Joseph Smith.
Alvin’s role in the Smith family
Alvin was born on February 11, 1798, while Joseph Sr. and Lucy lived in Randolph, Vermont.1 When the family moved to Palmyra, Lucy wrote that Alvin worked with Joseph Sr. to raise the money for the land, to build the log home, and to clear the land for cultivation:
“My husband and his sons, Alvin and Hyrum, set themselves to work to pay for one hundred acres of land for which Mr. Smith contracted with a land agent. In a year, we made nearly all of the first payment, erected a log house, and commenced clearing. I believe something like thirty acres of land were made ready for cultivation the first year.”2
When the time came to make the second payment on the farm (apparently one year later), it was Alvin who procured the money: “When the time for making the second payment drew nigh, Alvin went from home to get work, in order to raise the money, and after much hardship and fatigue, returned with the required amount.”3
Lucy’s last mention of Alvin before discussing his illness pertained to the work on building the frame home:
“We were still making arrangements to build us a comfortable house, the management and control of which devolved chiefly upon Alvin. And when November, 1822, arrived, the frame was raised, and all the materials necessary for its speedy completion were procured. This opened to Alvin’s mind the pleasing prospect of seeing his father and mother once more comfortable and happy. He would say, ‘I am going to have a nice, pleasant room for father and mother to sit in, and everything arranged for their comfort, and they shall not work any more as they have done.'”4
Due to the famous (or infamous) nature of the Smith family, historians have discovered several statements made by neighbors regarding the reputation of Joseph and other members of the family. The few that mention Alvin are positive, such as one made by Christopher Stafford, who was Joseph’s age and lived a mile south of the Smiths on Stafford Street: “Alvin was the oldest son and worked the farm and was the stay of the family.”5
The stay of the family. Lucy clearly believed that much of their financial security came from Alvin. But it is also evident that Alvin was a role model for his younger siblings, and also that Alvin was engaged at the time of his death. Richard L. Anderson writes:
“Alvin was then twenty-four, and Joseph, at seventeen, was deeply influenced by his older brother’s example of constant loyalty to family and parents. Joseph later called Alvin ‘the noblest of my father’s family,’ one who ‘lived without spot from the time he was a child.’ Then the Prophet added what he called some ‘childish lines’ that are telling in content: ‘From the time of his birth/he never knew mirth/He was candid and sober/and never would play;/And minded his father and mother/in toiling all day.’ Alvin was clearly Joseph’s role model in labor and obedience, contributing much to Joseph’s strong feelings of responsibility to God and to others. He was evidently also well adjusted socially, for his mother notes the person who ‘felt our grief more deeply than the rest’ at Alvin’s passing—’a lovely young woman who was engaged to be married to my son shortly after the time in which he died.'”6
Alvin’s role in Moroni’s first visit to Joseph
In prior posts, I have discussed the angel Moroni’s visits to Joseph, and Joseph’s first visit to the Hill Cumorah, which occurred in September, 1823.7 There is some historical evidence that when Moroni instructed Joseph to return one year later to obtain the plates, Moroni told him to bring Alvin with him.
Joseph Knight, Sr. was one of the early heroes of the restoration. He is not mentioned much, but Joseph Smith considered him one of the “faithful few” who stood by him “in every hour of peril.”8 More will be said of Joseph Knight in later posts.
Joseph Knight wrote a brief account of the early history of Joseph Smith. The spelling and grammar make it difficult to understand, but he discusses Joseph’s first visit to the Hill Cumorah:
“From thence he went to the hill where he was informed the Record was and found no trouble for it appeard plain as tho he was acquainted with the place it was so plain in the vision that he had of the place. He went and found the place and opened it and found a plane Box. He oncovered it and found the Book and took it out and laid [it] Down By his side and thot he would Cover the place over again thinkinking there might be something else here. But he was told to take the Book and go right away. And after he had Covered the place he turned round to take the Book and it was not there and he was astonished that the Book was gone. He thot he would look in the place again and see if it had not got Back again. He had heard people tell of such things. And he opened the Box and Behold the Book was there. He took hold of it to take it out again and Behold he Could not stur the Book any more then he Could the mountin. He exclaimed ‘why Cant I stur this Book?’ And he was answerd, ‘you have not Done rite; you should have took the Book and a gone right away. You cant have it now.’ Joseph says, ‘when can I have it?’ The answer was the 22nt Day of September next if you Bring the right person with you. Joseph says, ‘who is the right Person?’ The answer was ‘your oldest Brother.'”9
There are several other accounts that indicate that at that first visit to Cumorah, the angel Moroni told Joseph to return the next year with Alvin.9
Although Alvin passed away just a couple of months later, it appears that Joseph was required to take someone with him when he eventually obtained the plates. In September, 1827 when Joseph returned to the Hill Cumorah, he was accompanied by his wife, Emma.11
Alvin’s illness
Lucy writes of Alvin’s illness:
“On the 15th of November, 1823, about 10 o’clock in the morning, Alvin was taken very sick with the bilious colic. He came to the house in much distress, and requested his father to go immediately for a physician. He accordingly went, obtaining one by the name of Greenwood, who, on arriving, immediately administered to the patient a heavy dose of calomel. I will here notice, that this Dr. Greenwood was not the physician commonly employed by the family; he was brought in consequence of the family physician’s absence. And on this account, as I suppose, Alvin at first refused to take the medicine, but by much persuasion, he was prevailed on to do so.
“This dose of calomel lodged in his stomach, and all the medicine afterwards freely administered by four very skillful physicians could not remove it.
“On the third day of his sickness, Dr. McIntyre, whose services were usually employed by the family, as he was considered very skillful, was brought, and with him four other eminent physicians. But it was all in vain, their exertions proved unavailing, just as Alvin said would be the case—he told them the calomel was still lodged in the same place, after some exertion had been made to carry it off, and that it must take his life.”12
There is speculation about the cause of Alvin’s death, most believing it was either from apendicitis, or the attempted treatment for his condition:
“Painfully attacked by stomach cramps, possibly caused by appendicitis, Alvin asked for a doctor. The family’s regular physician could not be found, so a substitute gave Alvin calomel, a chalky substance later found in his blocked intestine along with gangrene. To the Smiths, the heavy dose of the purging agent was unforgivable medical malpractice, and their family physician agreed. Yet his regular doctor may not have been able to save him, either. Treating a ruptured appendix was beyond any medical skill of the time.”13
Whatever the cause, Alvin died on November 19, 1823, just four days after first experiencing stomach pains.
Alvin’s final words to his family
Believing he was going to die, Alvin gave death-bed counsel to several members of his family. He first addressed Hyrum: “Hyrum, I must die. Now I want to say a few things, which I wish to have you remember. I have done all I could to make our dear parents comfortable. I want you to go on and finish the house and take care of them in their old age, and do not any more let them work hard, as they are now in old age.”14
He then addressed Sophronia: “Sophronia, you must be a good girl, and do all you can for father and mother—never forsake them; they have worked hard, and they are now getting old. Be kind to them, and remember what they have done for us.”14
Lucy recounts that to each of the children, he gave basically the same message that he told to Hyrum and Sophronia, but his message to Joseph was unique. Lucy states that “Alvin manifested, if such could be the case, greater zeal and anxiety in regard to the Record that had been shown to Joseph, than any of the rest of the family.”14 His belief of Joseph’s experiences must have been enhanced by Moroni’s counsel for Joseph to bring Alvin with him to obtain the plates. And so his death-bed counsel to Joseph pertained to the sacred record:
“I am now going to die, the distress which I suffer, and the feelings that I have, tell me my time is very short. I want you to be a good boy, and do everything that lies in your power to obtain the Record. Be faithful in receiving instruction, and in keeping every commandment that is given you. Your brother Alvin must leave you; but remember the example which he has set for you; and set the same example for the children that are younger than yourself, and always be kind to father and mother.”14
Can you imagine the feelings of 17-year-old Joseph at not only losing his oldest brother, but losing his biggest supporter, and the person that the angel said should come with him to get the plates? This devastating blow impacted the entire family. As Lucy recounts, “Whenever Joseph spoke of the Record, it would immediately bring Alvin to our minds, with all his zeal, and with all his kindness; and, when we looked to his place, and realized that he was gone from it, to return no more in this life, we all with one accord wept over our irretrievable loss, and we could ‘not be comforted, because he was not.'”14
The aftermath of Alvin’s death
The loss of a loved family member cannot be described, and its pain cannot be understood except by those who have suffered such a tragedy. I won’t attempt to describe that emotional pain, but there were some temporal impacts to his death that were likely made all the more terrible when added to the emotional pain.
Alvin’s final charge to Hyrum to finish the frame home likely gave Hyrum a moral imperative to complete that work at any and all cost. Although the home was completed by 1825, it was likely done at the exclusion of other possible efforts to provide income for the family, resulting in the family eventually losing their farm and the frame home, and by 1830 they were once again living in the log home.15
Alvin’s death must have had a devastating impact on his father, Joseph Sr, who, without Alvin, once again bore the brunt of the responsibility to provide for the family. But in addition to that weight, Joseph’s younger brother William Smith recalled a dire message from a minister that had a significant impact on Joseph Sr. The family asked a Presbyterian minister in Palmyra to officiate at his funeral. As Alvin had not been a member of the minister’s congregation, the clergyman asserted in his sermon that Alvin could not be saved. William said: “[The minister] … intimated very strongly that [Alvin] had gone to hell, for Alvin was not a church member, but he was a good boy and my father did not like it.”16
“My father did not like it.” Such an understated sentiment is reflected only loosely in Lucy’s book. She doesn’t mention Joseph Sr.’s reaction to this message from the minister, other than to state the following: “To gratify me, my husband attended some two or three [church] meetings, but peremptorily refused going any more, either for my gratification, or any other person’s.”17 It seems easy to imply that Joseph Sr.’s refusal to attend any more church meetings was likely the result of the minister’s statements about the state of Alvin’s eternal soul. This attitude toward organized religion continued, until Joseph Sr. was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. I believe that Joseph Sr.’s unwillingness to join any church lends a much greater credibility to his sincerity in joining the church founded by his son.
And the impact on Joseph? We can only guess what might have happened if Joseph had continued to receive Alvin’s support. Would he have been prepared to obtain the plates in 1824 if Alvin had gone with him? That is only speculation, but it seems from Lucy’s book that Alvin’s death caused such pain in the family that they couldn’t bear any mention of the “Record,” as it conjured Alvin’s memory. It could be that the family’s support of Joseph waned, perhaps requiring Joseph to continue his preparations alone, if only for a time.
Joseph’s vision of Alvin in the Celestial Kingdom
Thirteen years after Alvin’s death, Joseph Smith received a vision of the Celestial Kingdom, the highest degree of heaven. In that vision, he saw Alvin:
“The heavens were opened upon us, and I beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof, whether in the body or out I cannot tell.
“I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was like unto circling flames of fire;
“Also the blazing throne of God, whereon was seated the Father and the Son.
“I saw the beautiful streets of that kingdom, which had the appearance of being paved with gold.
“I saw Father Adam and Abraham; and my father and my mother; my brother Alvin, that has long since slept;
“And marveled how it was that he had obtained an inheritance in that kingdom, seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord had set his hand to gather Israel the second time, and had not been baptized for the remission of sins.
“Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God;
“Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom;
“For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.
“And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven.”18
Can you imagine Joseph’s joy? His brother, his hero, could be saved even though he had not been baptized in this life. Can you imagine the gratitude he felt for the redeeming power of Jesus Christ?
In 1840, Joseph Smith Sr. was on his own deathbed when his son, Joseph, now a prophet of the Lord, taught him about baptism for the dead. Lucy recounts that her husband was “delighted” to hear this, and “requested that Joseph should be baptized for Alvin immediately.”19 Joseph Sr. said many things to his children just prior to his death, and when he finished his final words, Lucy states, “He then paused for some time, being exhausted. After which he said, in a tone of surprise, ‘I can see and hear, as well as ever I could.’ (A second pause of considerable length.) ‘I see Alvin.’ (Third pause.) ‘I shall live seven or eight minutes.’ Then straightening himself, he laid his hands together; after which he began to breathe shorter, and in about eight minutes his breath stopped, without even a struggle or a sigh, and his spirit took its flight for the regions where the justified ones rest from their labors. He departed so calmly, that, for some time, we could not believe but that he would breathe again.”19
Does a parent ever cease grieving over the death of a child? Joseph Sr.’s final words demonstrate that even on his deathbed he was thinking of his deceased son, Alvin. But he found hope and joy in the doctrine taught by his son, the Prophet, regarding the atonement of Jesus Christ and the redemption of the dead.
Alvin’s legacy
Alvin’s legacy is hope. “And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.”20 His death was a tragedy for the Smith family. For years they lived with the pain and sorrow of that loss. But then we see the joy and hope gained by Joseph’s vision of Alvin in the Celestial Kingdom and his teachings of baptism for the dead.
This hope is available to all who have a knowledge of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We have hope! In 1842, Joseph wrote a letter about baptism for the dead, and although he doesn’t mention Alvin by name, I can’t help but wonder if Joseph was thinking of his long-deceased brother when he said:
“Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; glad tidings for the dead; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; glad tidings of great joy. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that bring glad tidings of good things, and that say unto Zion: Behold, thy God reigneth! . . .
“Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free. . . .
“And again I say, how glorious is the voice we hear from heaven, proclaiming in our ears, glory, and salvation, and honor, and immortality, and eternal life; kingdoms, principalities, and powers!”21
References
- Lucy Mack Smith, “The History of Joseph Smith by His Mother,” Zion’s Camp Books, Kindle Edition, Chapter 9. See also “Smith, Alvin,” Joseph Smith Papers, People, accessed August 24, 2023, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/person/alvin-smith.
- Lucy Mack Smith, “The History of Joseph Smith by His Mother,” Chapter 16.
- Lucy Mack Smith, “The History of Joseph Smith by His Mother,” Chapter 16.
- Lucy Mack Smith, “The History of Joseph Smith by His Mother,” Chapter 18.
- Richard Lloyd Anderson, “The Alvin Smith Story: Fact and Fiction,” Ensign, August 1987, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1987/08/the-alvin-smith-story-fact-and-fiction?lang=eng.
- Richard Lloyd Anderson, “The Alvin Smith Story: Fact and Fiction.”
- “Moroni’s Visit to Joseph Smith,” https://discoverfaithinchrist.com/moronis-visit-to-joseph-smith/; “Moroni’s Messages to Joseph Smith,” https://discoverfaithinchrist.com/moronis-messages-to-joseph-smith/; “Joseph’s First Visit to Cumorah,” https://discoverfaithinchrist.com/josephs-first-visit-to-cumorah/.
- Dean C. Jessee, “Joseph Knight’s Recollection of Early Mormon History,” BYU Studies Quarterly, 17:1, Autumn 1976, https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/joseph-knights-recollection-of-early-mormon-history/.
- Dean C. Jessee, “Joseph Knight’s Recollection of Early Mormon History.”
- Richard Lloyd Anderson, “The Alvin Smith Story: Fact and Fiction.”
- Richard Lloyd Anderson, “The Alvin Smith Story: Fact and Fiction.”
- Lucy Mack Smith, “The History of Joseph Smith by His Mother,” Chapter 19.
- Richard Lloyd Anderson, “The Alvin Smith Story: Fact and Fiction.”
- Lucy Mack Smith, “The History of Joseph Smith by His Mother,” Chapter 19.
- “The Smith Family Farm,” https://discoverfaithinchrist.com/the-smith-family-farm/.
- Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, Chapter 35: “Redemption for the Dead,” 2011, 402-403, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-35?lang=eng.
- Lucy Mack Smith, “The History of Joseph Smith by His Mother,” Chapter 20.
- Doctrine and Covenants 137:1-10.
- Lucy Mack Smith, “The History of Joseph Smith by His Mother,” Chapter 51.
- Moroni 7:41.
- Doctrine and Covenants 128:19-23.