Joseph Smith — "I am a bold, fearless, and independent man."
I am a bold, fearless, and independent man.
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More from Joseph Smith
"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!"
"I am a man of God, and I desire to do the will of God."
"I am a rough stone, and the sound of the hammer and chisel are continually upon me."
"I believe the Bible as it read when it came from the pen of the original writers. Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors."
"I am a man of faith, and I will live by faith to the end."
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Understanding this quote
What it means
A declaration of personal courage, self-determination, and refusal to bend to outside pressure or authority. The speaker asserts they act on inner conviction rather than fear or popular approval. In modern terms: I don't back down, I don't answer to others, I stand on my own ground. It's a statement of identity — someone who faces opposition directly and makes decisions independent of what others demand or expect.
Relevance to Joseph Smith
Smith faced relentless persecution founding a new faith — mob violence, imprisonment, forced exile from Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, and assassination in 1844. Tarred and feathered in 1832, driven out under Missouri's extermination order, he still built Nauvoo into a city of 12,000, ran for U.S. president, and publicly taught plural marriage. His willingness to defy Protestant orthodoxy, claim direct divine revelation, and establish new scripture demanded exactly the boldness and fearlessness he proclaimed.
The era
The 1830s–1840s saw intense religious revivalism under the Second Great Awakening, with Protestant orthodoxy dominating American social norms. New religious movements faced violent suspicion — mob justice was common, and state governments rarely protected minority faiths. Illinois Governor Ford failed to stop the Carthage Jail mob that killed Smith in 1844. In this climate where religious nonconformity was physically dangerous, Smith's declaration of fearless independence was not mere rhetoric but a daily, life-threatening stance.
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