Joseph Knight, Sr.

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Joseph Knight, Sr. (1772–1847) was a close associate of Joseph Smith, Jr. who provided significant material support to Smith's translation and publication of the Book of Mormon.

Joseph Knight was born in Oakham, Massachusetts. In 1795 he married Polly Peck. In 1797 he married Elizabeth James. By 1800 they were living in Vermont. They moved to Colesville, New York in 1808.

He first met Joseph Smith when he was working for Josiah Stowell. Smith's courting of Emma Hale was helped by Knight lending him his sled. The Smith's also borrowed Knight's wagon when they went to pickup the Golden Plates from the Hill Cumorah.

Knight was baptized on the 28th of June 1830. All his children, their spouses, his sister, and three of his wife's siblings along with their spouses all joined the Mormon church. They constituted the Colesville Branch which latter migrated as a group to Thompson, Ohio and then Jackson County, Missouri. Among Knight's children was Newel Knight.

Knight and his family were driven from Jackson County in the Mormon persecutions of 1832-1833 and eventually settled in Caldwell County, Missouri. They were driven from this county in the winter of 1838-1839 and settled shortly latter at Nauvoo.

They again were driven out with the Saints in 1846. Knight died at Mt. Pisgah, Iowa on the 2nd of February, 1847.

[edit] Source

Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History. p. 627.