Morehouse College Faces Community Pushback Over Joseph Smith Chapel Portrait Amid Historical Concerns

Morehouse College finds itself at the center of a heated campus debate after unveiling a portrait of Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that is scheduled for display in the institution's International Hall of Honor this April.

The oil painting, unveiled on February 1st, is intended to be placed in the chapel's International Hall of Honor—a prestigious space that currently honors globally influential figures including Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, the portrait is part of the college's effort to diversify the chapel's representation of international religious figures, with Smith being praised during the unveiling as "Lincoln before Lincoln."

The decision has sparked significant opposition from the Morehouse community. Alonzo Brinson, president of the Chapel Assistants Program, expressed his concerns about the timing and appropriateness of the unveiling, which occurred on the first day of Black History Month.

"I thought it was very weird that he did not stop his church from owning slaves. And then if you talk to Brigham Young, Brigham Young said he got the ideas from Joseph Smith. So I, I just thought that was very weird.



I thought it was very disrespectful, not only to Morehouse College, but to Atlanta, to the whole AUC of Black History Month, the first day of it, that that's how we started."

Historical Context Fuels Controversy

While Smith himself was not a slaveholder, the concerns extend beyond his personal conduct. Some early members of the Latter Day Saints movement owned slaves, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints historically restricted Black members from full participation for many years—a policy that has become central to the current debate.

Supporters of the portrait's inclusion have pointed to Smith's 1844 presidential campaign platform, during which he advocated for the abolition of slavery and proposed federal compensation to enslavers. Smith published the "Book of Mormon" at age 24 and attracted tens of thousands of followers within 14 years before his death.

As of now, Morehouse College has not announced any plans to remove or relocate the portrait, which remains scheduled for display in April. The ongoing debate highlights the complex considerations HBCUs face when balancing institutional partnerships, historical representation, and their core mission to serve and honor the Black community.

The controversy underscores broader questions about how historically Black institutions navigate recognition of historical figures whose legacies intersect with the history of slavery and racial exclusion—questions that remain particularly sensitive within spaces dedicated to honoring transformative leaders in Black history and global human rights.

Originally reported by Black Enterprise.