He was either a prophet of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned, or he was one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. Joseph Fielding Smith, the tenth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), declared that 'Mormonism, as it is called, must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. The Mormon religion is predicated on what are said to be historical events such as the First Vision of Joseph Smith and the historicity of the Book of Mormon, which describes a detailed pre-Columbian history of the Americas. Further information on Mormon history as an academic field: Mormon studies Mormon handcart pioneers are memorialized on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah.