It is no secret that Smith was infatuated with occultic practices. All available evidence suggests that Joseph Smith the prophet possessed a magical Masonic medallion or talisman, which he worked during his lifetime and which was evidently on his person when he was martyred ... perhaps the strangest, the most mysterious, occult-like, esoteric, and yet Masonically oriented practice ever adopted by Joseph Smith. Dr Reed Durham, LDS Institute director, 1974
During the 1790s to 1820s there was a sect in Vermont known as the ‘Wood Scrape’ whose founder was Nathaniel Wood. Nathaniel Wood was originally a Congregationalist but was kicked out due to his heretical teachings. There was a lot of transcendentalism and millenarianism going on in New England at the time.
They practiced spiritual wifery, polygamy, peep-stoning (with the exact same type of peep stones supposedly used for the BoM), dowsing, treasure-digging, and even attempted to build a ‘temple’, they called themselves the ‘Israelites’ and everybody else ‘Gentiles’. They claimed to be descended directly from the Israelites. They claimed that the Bible was untrustworthy because the Great Whore (the Catholics) had corrupted it. They taught the seven dispensations, too.
One interesting thing is that their prophet claimed he could translate the special angelic language, and also they would command their women to run-around stark naked claiming that it would get rid of the feeling of the devil, the negative feelings. Another creepy similarity was their teachings on being ‘perfect’ so as to become immortal. They taught that people weren't created but pre-existent as well. The whole thing was basically Mormonism 1.0.
Eventually, the ‘Wood Scrape’ was broken up and its founding prophet fled to upstate New York with two of his prominent members. The sect had been suspected of running a counterfeiting operation since mong their ranks was a fugitive named Winchell.
The two-prominent members of his congregation were Joseph Smith, Senior and Oliver Cowdery. Eventually, by 1850, thirty-two of the Vermonters would be counted as living in Utah during the US Census. In fact, it was established by 1842 that Mormonism and the ‘Wood Scrape’ were exactly the same group.
Bonus: The expression ‘disfellowshipped’ and also home-study was taken from another sect called the ‘Plymouth Brethren’. Guy, board post 25th April 2012, ‘How Many of You Know About This?’
There are many problems associated with the First Vision. While Joseph Smith had his First Vision in 1820, there is no documented proof of the First Vision until 1835. This includes newspaper accounts, journals, diaries, affidavits, letters or any other account of record prior to 1835. It was not until 1842 that the account of the First Vision was actually published. For fifteen years not a single document contains anything concerning the First Vision. According to Mormon Church History, Joseph Smith repeatedly told his story of the First Vision, first to his parents, and then to clergy in ‘apostate’ churches. As detailed in Mormon Church History, Joseph Smith received severe persecution from these clergy for his ‘outlandish’ story. Regardless, not a single piece of evidence exists concerning Joseph’s First Vision prior to 1835, fifteen years after receiving it. Infymus, board post 8th April 2006, ‘The First Vision – A Look at the Problems’
I saw two spirits, which I knew at the first sight. But if I had the tongue of an Angel I could not describe their glory, for they brought the joys of heaven with them. One was God, my Maker, almost in bodily shape like a man. His face was, as it were a flame of Fire, and his body, as it had been a Pillar and a cloud. In looking steadfastly to discern features, I could see none, but a small glimpse would appear in some other place. Below him stood Jesus Christ my Redeemer, in perfect shape like a man – His face was not ablaze, but had the countenance of fire, being bright and shining. His Father’s will appeared to be his! All was condescension, peace, and love. Norris Stearns, published Glenfield Massachusetts 1815
I went into the woods ... a light appeared from heaven ... My mind seemed to rise in that light to the throne of God and the Lamb ... The Lamb once slain appeared to my understanding, and while viewing him, I felt such love to him as I never felt to any thing earthly ... It is not possible for me to tell how long I remained in that situation. Elias Smith, ‘The Life, Conversion, Preaching, Travels & Sufferings of Elias Smith’, 1816
It seemed as if my mind ... was struck motionless, as well as into nothing, before the awful and glorious majesty of the Great Jehovah. He then spake ... He also told me, that every denomination of professing Christians had become extremely corrupt. Asa Wild, The Wayne Sentinel 22nd October 1823
Dissatisfied with the religions he had tried, Chamberlin prayed for further guidance, and in 1816, according to his account, ‘the Lord revealed to me in a vision of the night an angel’, whom Chamberlin asked about the right way. The angel told him that the churches were corrupt and that God would soon raise up an apostolic church. Chamberlin printed up an account of his visions and was still distributing them and looking for the apostolic church when he stopped in Palmyra. Meridian Magazine; viz Bushman’s account
I can sum up all the arguments used against Joseph Smith and Mormonism in a very few words, the merits of which will be found in ‘OLD JOE SMITH. IMPOSTOR, MONEY DIGGER. OLD JOE SMITH. SPIRITUAL WIFE DOCTRINE. IMPOSTURE. THE DOCTRINE IS FALSE. MONEY DIGGER. FALSE PROPHET. DELUSION. SPIRITUAL WIFE DOCTRINE.’ Oh, my dear brethren and sisters, keep away from them, for the sake of your never dying souls. ‘FALSE PROPHETS THAT SHOULD COME IN THE LAST DAYS. OLD JOE SMITH. ANTI-CHRIST. MONEY DIGGER, MONEY DIGGER, MONEY DIGGER.’ And the whole is wound up with an appeal, not to the good sense of the people, but to their unnatural feelings, in a canting, hypocritical tone, and there it ends. Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses I:109-110
[There is] no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith. If Joseph Smith was verily a prophet, and if he told the truth ... no man can reject that testimony without incurring the most dreadful consequences, for he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation vol 1 p190
After the dessert plates were cleared, Eyring felt comfortable enough with us to share a bit more about ‘The Kingdom’. In shocking candor he explained, ‘You know, very few people will actually make it ...’ We all had a perplexed look on our faces. He added, ‘to the Celestial Kingdom. Of course, we can’t tell that to the general population because that would only discourage the members. We need to keep them going.’ I sat there speechless. I will never forget the arrogance with which he made that declaration. That experience was one of the first major cracks in my testimony armor. I felt like we were being duped by leadership in Utah and I felt very betrayed.
My quotes are loose but not too loose. I might be off by a word or two but I replayed what he said many times in my head because it was such a seminal moment for me. Elphaba, board post 7th October 2009 ‘A Charming Story About Henry B’
The Mormons in the nineteenth century really believed that the end was nigh. Judith Freeman, historian
I tell you, Joseph holds the keys, and none of us can get into the celestial kingdom without passing by him. We have not got rid of him, but he stands there as the sentinel, holding the keys of the kingdom of God; and there are many of them beside him. I tell you, if we get past those who have mingled with us, and know us best, and have a right to know us best, probably we can pass all other sentinels as far as it is necessary, or as far as we may desire. Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses VI:154-155
Some one may say, ‘If this work of the last days be true, why did not the Saviour come himself to communicate this intelligence to the world?’ Because to the angels was committed the power of reaping the earth, and it was committed to none else. Orson Hyde, General Conference Address, Journal of Discourses VI:335
Must we, under the broad folds of the American Constitution, be compelled to bow down to the narrow contracted notions of Apostate Christianity? Must we shut up our consciences in a nut shell [cf. ‘I could be bounded in a nut shell’, Hamlet] and be compelled to submit to the bigoted notions, and whims, and customs of the dark ages of popery, transferred to us through the superstitious of our fathers? Must we be slaves to custom and render homage to the soul-destroying, sickening influences of modern Christianity? No! Orson Pratt, The Seer vol 1 no 7 p111
Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the ‘Whore of Babylon’ whom the Lord denounces by the mouth of John the Revelator as having corrupted all the earth by their fornications and wickedness. Any person who shall be so corrupt as to receive a holy ordinance of the Gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent. ibid. p255
How long has this order of things existed, this dreadful apostasy, this class of people that pronounced themselves Zion, or Christians, without any of the characteristics of Zion? It has existed for some sixteen or seventeen centuries. It has spread itself and grown and gone into the four quarters of the earth. It is the great ecclesiastical power that is spoken of by the revelator John, and called by him the most corrupt and most wicked of all the powers of the earth, under the name of spiritual Babylon, or in other words Babel, which signifies confusion. This great and corrupt power is also represented by John as presenting a golden cup to the nations, full of all manner of filthiness and abominations.
She is termed, in other places, by the same prophet ‘The whore of all the earth’ making the nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Some three centuries ago there came out sortie excellent men, named Martin Luther, John Calvin and many others that might be mentioned, who protested against the wickedness and abominations of the Church wherein they had been educated, and of which they had been members. Because of their protestations against the mother Church they were called Protestants. They pronounced her the whore of all the earth; they declared that she had no authority, that she had none of the blessings and gifts which characterized the ancient Christians. They came out and established other Churches ...