A President and a Prophet

Since the first inauguration of George Washington on April 30, 1789, the president of the United States has led the nation in times of turmoil, while setting an example for others around the world. The office is a platform for change unmatched by any other. Although the call for change is nothing new, the election process itself was not always like the one we see today. In the earlier history of our country, politicians did not promote themselves as potential candidates for office, occasionally finding they were nominated to a position they did not have intention to seek. Their nominations were the will of the people.

During the elections of 1844 and 1860, two well-known figures from the state of Illinois, found themselves candidates for the office of president of the United States. In their respective election years, Joseph Smith and Abraham Lincoln became presidential candidates not from their own desire to rise to the highest position in the land, but because of political decisions made by others which influenced each man’s final decision.