Joseph Smith — "I am a man of humility, and I will be humble in all things."
I am a man of humility, and I will be humble in all things.
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More from Joseph Smith
"No man knows my history. I cannot tell it. I shall never tell it. I make no apologies for my life."
"If I had forty wives in the United States, they did not know it, and could not substantiate it, neither did I ask any lawyer, judge, or magistrate for them. I live above the law, and so do this people…"
"Unless a man receives revelations, he cannot be saved."
"There is an infinite number of holy personages, drawn from worlds without number, who have passed on to exaltation and are thus gods."
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Understanding this quote
What it means
A deliberate, lifelong pledge to let humility guide every action — not as weakness but as a conscious choice. It signals the speaker refuses to let pride, ambition, or status override their conduct. In modern terms, it's a commitment to stay grounded, approach others without arrogance, and handle both success and criticism with the same measured, deferential attitude regardless of circumstance or power held.
Relevance to Joseph Smith
Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830, claiming prophetic visions and direct revelation from God — a posture of extraordinary authority. Yet he consistently described himself as an unschooled farm boy chosen despite his inadequacies. This tension between claiming divine mandate and professing personal unworthiness was central to his identity, legitimizing leadership by framing power as God-given rather than self-sought.
The era
The early 1800s in America saw the Second Great Awakening — an explosive wave of Protestant revivalism where competing preachers all claimed spiritual authority. In this crowded religious marketplace, humility was essential currency; no one trusted a prophet who appeared self-aggrandizing. Smith operated amid frontier skepticism, anti-Mormon hostility, and evangelical ferment, making public declarations of personal meekness strategically vital for building a credible, loyal congregation.
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