Visiting young Joseph Smith on Sept. 1, 1823, the angel Moroni told him God had a work for him to do and prophesied that his name would be “both good and evil spoken of among all people,” an indication of the widespread and lasting historical influence he would have.

Now, the Prophet Joseph Smith and his successor as Church president, Brigham Young, have been included in a collector’s edition of Smithsonian magazine highlighting “the 100 Most Significant Americans of All Time.”

Joseph Smith number one religious leader of America Smithsonian

image credit deseretnews.com

Read the whole story at DeseretNews.com

Or go to the original Smithsonian issue to get your own hard copy.

And for a fascinating take on the most influential people in history (Jesus is number 1 on this list) and Joseph Smith is #55, check out the book Who’s Bigger? Where Historical Figures Really Rank.