Why do Mormans classify Joseph Smith as such a big part of their religion?

Question

Smith founded the original chruch before Mormans, it was Brigham Young that led the "mormon people" to Utah and the original chruch split into mainly 2 groups, LDS and RLDS

And it has also been found that early Mormons had a hand in the murder of Joseph Smith

Answer 1

I think that we view Joseph Smith similar to the way the Israelites viewed Moses. They restored the gospel to us and were great men as well as prophets of God. We sing his praises as the Israelites sang of Moses. But we do not worship him.

Answer 2

Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. He was a true prophet of the Lord, and brought forth a true book, the Book of Mormon. He restored the Gospel to the world today so that the great stone cut without hands can fill the earth. People can recieve the light and truth of the Lord. Without his work and life, we would still be in the dark. Christians believe that Moses and Noah are great parts of their religion, then why not Joseph Smith?

Answer 3

Elder Charles W. Penrose:

We do not worship Joseph Smith, as some people imagine; but we look upon him as a very great Prophet, and we have reasons for this. We believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ, His Son, appeared to him, and opened to him this last dispensation--"the dispensation of the fulness of times." We believe that Peter, James and John came down and ordained him an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, conferring upon him all the keys, authority and power which they held while they were in the flesh. We believe that that same authority and Priesthood are in the Church to-day. We believe that the man who stands at the head speaks for the Lord to the people. At the same time we believe in the right of every member of the Church to have the Holy Ghost and the light of God for himself or herself, that we may see eye to eye. Collected Discourses, Vol.3 May 15, 1892

Answer 4

Because he is the prophet of the restoration
without joseph Smith there would be no church of Jesus Christ of Latter -Day Saints
See www.mormon.org

Answer 5

Because he allegedly received the revelations that formed the foundation for the church. Without him, there would be no church.

Answer 6

Joseph Was the Restorer of the Church not the founder Jesus Christ is The Head of the church Of jesus Christ of Lattter Day Saints. Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith. a* 9 My mind at times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult were so great and incessant. The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists, and used all the powers of both reason and sophistry to prove their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they were in error. On the other hand, the Baptists and Methodists in their turn were equally zealous in endeavoring to establish their own tenets and disprove all others.
10 In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?
11 While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
12 Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.
13 At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.
14 So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.
15 After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.
16 But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!
18 My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.
19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all awrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”
20 He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, “Never mind, all is well—I am well enough off.” I then said to my mother, “I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.” It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy?
b* 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.