SALT LAKE CITY.- Smithsonian Museum curators changed a new gallery exhibit after two Utah congressmen and others complained that it portrayed Mormon church founders in a negative light. The National Portrait Gallery exhibits a display titled American Origins.

It includes Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Brigham Young, the second leader of the faith, who led the emigration across the plains that led to the founding of Utah.

An e-mail that circulated among area Mormons said "the exhibit claims Joe Smith was lynched and that Brigham Young was a tyrant." Smith was actually gunned down by a mob in Carthage, Ill.

“Bethany Bentley, spokeswoman for the National Portrait Gallery, declined to discuss the test but confirmed that changes were made based on the complaints to the museum. `For us, and I think this is true for many museums, until an exhibit is open to the public everything is under review,' she said. ``It's very common (to make changes) and it happens with many of our labels,'' reported Salt Lake City´s KUTV.com.