So much for Joseph Smith’s Sacred Grove, Palmyra-based First Vision of 1820. Steve Benson, board post 25th November 2013, ‘Even the LDS Church Admits It Can’t Find the Sacred Grove’s Location!’
Such criticism and mockery are largely beside the point. All religious belief is a function of nonrational faith. And faith, by its very definition, tends to be impervious to to intellectual argument or academic criticism. Polls routinely indicate, moreover, that nine out of ten Americans believe in God — most of us subscribe to one brand of religion or another. Those who would assail the Book of Mormon should bear in mind that its veracity is no more dubious than the veracity of the Bible, say, or the Qur’an, or the sacred texts of most other religions. The latter texts simply enjoy the considerable advantage of having made their public debut in the shadowy recesses of the ancient past, and are thus much harder to refute. Jon Krakauer, Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
The court record plainly shows that Joseph Smith was deeply involved in magic practices at the very time he was supposed to be preparing himself to receive the plates for the Book of Mormon. The court record shows that Smith was searching for buried treasure in 1826, and according to his own story, the plates for the Book of Mormon were taken from the Hill Cumorah the following year. Joseph Smith claimed that he had known that the plates were buried in the Hill Cumorah since 1823. He made this statement concerning the discovery of the plates: ‘Having removed the earth, I obtained a lever, which I got fixed under the edge of the stone, and with a little exertion raised it up. I looked in, and there indeed did I behold the plates....
'I made an attempt to take them out, but was forbidden by the messenger, and was again informed that the time for bringing them forth had not yet arrived, neither would it, until four years from that time …’ (Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith 2:52-53)
Now, it is interesting to note that in the court record Joseph Smith confessed that ‘for three years’ prior to 1826 he had used a stone placed in his hat to find treasures or lost property. According to Joseph Smith’s own statement, then, he began his money-digging activities in about 1823. The reader will remember that the messenger was supposed to have informed Joseph Smith of the gold plates on September 21 1823. From this it would appear that Joseph Smith became deeply involved in money-digging at the very time the messenger told him of the gold plates and that he was still involved in these practices for at least three of the four years when God was supposed to be preparing him to receive the gold plates for the Book of Mormon. These facts seem to undermine the whole foundation of Mormonism. Jerald & Sandra Tanner, The Changing Face of Mormonism
Thompson says that he believes in the prisoner’s professed skill; that the board which he struck his spade upon was probably the chest, but on account of an enchantment the trunk kept settling away from under them when digging; that notwithstanding they continued constantly removing the dirt, yet the trunk kept about the same distance from them. Says prisoner said that it appeared to him that salt might be found at Bainbridge, and that he is certain that prisoner can divine things by means of said stone. That as evidence of the fact prisoner looked into his hat to tell him about some money witness lost sixteen years ago, and that he described the man that witness supposed had taken it, and the disposition of the money:
And therefore the Court find the Defendant guilty. Costs: Warrant, l9c. Complaint upon oath, 251/2 c. Seven witnesses, 871/2 c. Recognisances, 25 c. Mittimus, 19 c. Recognisances of witnesses, 75 c. Subpoena, 18 c. — $2.68. State of New York v Joseph Smith, Justice Bainbridge 20th March 1926; viz Salt Lake City Messenger 1971 & Fawn Brodie, ‘No Man Knows My History’
When Columbus discovered America, the native inhabitants, the American Indians as they were soon to be designated, were a people of mixed blood and origin. Chiefly, they were Lamanites, but such remnants of the Nephite nation as had not been destroyed had, of course, mingled with the Lamanites. Thus the Indians were Jews by nationality. Bruce R McConkie, Mormon apostle, Mormon Doctrine p32
The Church was founded after prophet Joseph Smith left a lucrative career divining for treasure to find the golden plates containing the Book of Mormon, which describes a visit by Jesus to America after He left Jerusalem. Evidently He was ascending to Heaven, got just above the clouds, and took a hard left. Stephen Colbert
Joseph Smith claimed to have gold plates inscribed with Egyptian hieroglyphs. He made several magical tablets containing ancient symbols which are traditionally used to summon spirits. Many of the symbols Joseph Smith used are copied directly from the Goetia Book of Demon Worship. Joseph Smith formed a Christian cult which became the Church of Latter Day Saints. A mixture of freemasonry and spiritualism. In 1844 Joseph Smith attempted to become President of the United States and distributed thousands of leaflets with occult symbols. The Mormon Church is a modern version of the Levite Hebrew priesthood. Chris Everard, Spirit World II
The Book of Mormon was written by Joseph Smith, a person subject to epileptic fits in early life and later to other pathological mental conditions. Francis W Kirkham, A New Witness for Christ in America vol 1 p350
My ‘best guess’ is that Sidney Rigdon delivered materials to Smith in September 1827 for use in producing the BoM, thereby making him Moroni for that particular visit, at least. But I don’t think the stories of Moroni’s annual developed based only on the BoM scam, and I have doubts about Rigdon having annual meetings with Smith prior to 1827. I consider it likely that Rigdon may have first met Smith as late as the beginning part of 1827.
I think the Moroni visits are a transformed version of earlier stories that JS was telling within his circle of money-digging associates about annual meetings with a treasure guardian spirit, and that prior to his meeting Rigdon, the stories were about either lost treasures or a book which would tell the location of lost treasures, but had nothing to do with scriptures or anything particularly religious. There were probably visits to the hill involved in those earlier as well, but I doubt anything that was related to the BoM.
I think Joseph and Sidney agreed in 1827 to schedule a delivery in September partially in order to live up to the expectations of JS’s dupes who had been led to believe by Joseph’s earlier stories that something special was going to happen then. It was some of the money-diggers who were trying to get the plates from Joseph after the delivery, so I think Joseph had definitely led on that something was going to happen, and when they found out that something did happen, they wanted their cut of the action.
After the BoM plot was set in motion, the stories of the treasure guardian spirit were recrafted to reflect JS’s new religious role. The old guardian spirit became Moroni, and for at least that one 1827 visit, Moroni was Rigdon. Polygamy Porter, board post 9th March 2005, ‘Sydney Rigdon Was Moroni Theory’
Joe’s book is a whopper, by Dickens!
With each version, the plot always thickens;
With characters, themes
And digressions it teems;
As for truth, though, it’s mighty slim pickin’s. Ghoulsline, ‘Joe’s Book is a Wopper, by Dickens’ (The Salamander Society, Best Original Mormonia Limerick 2004)
The historicity of the Book of Mormon is crucial. We cannot exercise faith in that which is untrue, nor can ‘doctrinal fiction’ have normative value in our lives. Robert L Millett
I’m not persuaded that the Book of Mormon is a translation of an ancient history. Van Hale, radio show
If you believe my testimony to the Book of Mormon; if you believe that God spake to us three witnesses by his own voice, then I tell you that in June, 1838, God spake to me again by his own voice from the heavens, and told me to ‘separate myself from among the Latter Day Saints, for as they sought to do unto me, should it be done unto them.’ David Whitmer, original witness
Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man. David Whitmer, ‘An Address to All Believers in Christ’ p12, 1887
... and we asked Joseph how it was that he had received a revelation from the Lord for some brethren to go to Toronto and sell the copyright, and the brethren had utterly failed in their undertaking. Joseph did not know how it was, so he inquired of the Lord about it, and behold the following revelation came through the stone: ‘Some revelations are of God, some revelations are of men, and some revelations are of the devil’. So we see that the revelation to go to Toronto and sell the copyright was not of God, but was of the devil or of the heart of man. ibid.
I have reflected long and deliberately upon the history of this church & weighed the evidence for & against it loth [sic] to give it up – but when I came to hear Martin Harris state in public that he never saw the plates with his natural eyes only in vision or imagination, neither Oliver [Cowdery] nor David [Whitmer] & that the eight witnesses never saw them & hesitated to sign that instrument for that reason, but were persuaded to do it, the last pedestal gave way, in my view our foundation was sapped & the entire superstructure fell in heap of ruins. Stephen Burnett letter to Lyman E Johnson 15th April 1838