Mormonism's founder, Joseph Smith jnr, was born in Vermont in 1805 and died at the hands of a mob in an Illinois prison in 1844.

In the intervening period, he declared himself a prophet of God, translated what he said was a new holy book of scripture, founded a religion, and led his followers westwards through strife and conflict. Four months before he died, Smith declared his candidacy for the US presidency. Mitt Romney, a former US governor and a Mormon, plans to run in the 2008 US election. Much of Mormon doctrine and practice can be traced back to Smith.

In certain respects, however, the shadow he casts is uncomfortable. Critics point to the fact that in 1826, four years before his church's founding, Smith was tried with being a "disorderly person" for pretending to be able to find hidden treasure with a special stone. While church authorities have long since disavowed the practice, Mormonism found it hard to shake off an association with plural marriage, which Smith advocated and practised.