A massive plan so profound it takes years to unfold. And a brilliant mind driven to the absolute edge. 1980: Salt Lake City, Utah: home of the Mormon Church setting for a discovery that sends shockwaves throughout America. Mark Hofmann, a first year medical student, has purchased an old Bible; stuck between its pages is a mysterious document … a long lost Anthon transcript … ‘One of the great historical finds of Mormon history.’ Masterminds s1e1: The Anthon Forgeries, History 2011
Hofmann sells his amazing find to the Mormon church for $20,000. ibid.
Six months later Hofmann makes another incredible find: he unearths three Joseph Smith letters that he sells for $95,000. ibid.
Including documents of national importance. ibid.
He has created over 600 extraordinary forgeries. ibid.
He creates the ‘Salamander Letter’: the first of a series of controversial documents that threatens the very foundation of the Mormon faith. ibid.
Hofmann targets [Steven] Christensen because he was about to expose Hofmann’s financial dealings. ibid.
The calm of Salt Lake City Utah was rocked today by two booby-trap bombs that left two people dead … Murder Among the Mormons I, newscaster, Netflix 2021
A morning that brought fear and death. The first explosion ripped through a downtown office building, killing one man. The second explosion outside a holiday home claimed another life … ibid.
There was dark talk involving religious documents, hired professional killers … ibid.
The bombing’s impact has drawn the Church into an uncomfortable spotlight. ibid.
Salt Lake City 1980: At that time I was introduced to Mark Hofmann. And I was very excited to meet Mark. He was in the Mormon document world, he was a rock star. ibid. Shannon Flynn, rare document dealer
The Anthon Transcript discovery was widely publicized and brought Mark Hofmann into contact with top leaders in the Mormon Church. ibid. reporter
I’d never seen anybody come up with the material that Mark was coming up with. ibid. Brent Ashworth, historical document collector
He takes out from his briefcase the Salamander letter. ibid. Flynn
It just changed everything. Instead of God and angels, now it’s salamanders and magic. ibid. Sandra Tannner
The McLellin Collection was potentially devastating. ibid. Flynn
Last year Hofmann sold a document known as the White Salamander letter to the men who were the apparent targets of the first attack. Murder Among the Mormons II
For more than three hours officers sifted through boxes and collected evidence they hope to use in their case against Hofmann. ibid. news
The FBI has reportedly concluded there is no reason to believe the Salamander letter is a phony. ibid.
Every single document that Hofmann had handled had that cracked ink. ibid. document verification dude
It’s the biggest forgery case to ever occur. Period. Murder Among the Mormons III, observer
After Mark’s confessions, the Parole Board decides he will serve his entire life in prison. ibid. caption