How joseph smith faked the book of mormon a satirical. Nov 11, 2014 the founder of the mormon church, joseph smith, wed as many as 40 wives, including one as young as 14 years old, the church acknowledged. Ok, so in 1823, this guy named ethan smith not related to joseph smith published view of the hebrews. The refiners fire john brooke examines joseph smiths environment to try and discover why joseph smith accomplished what he did. Chapter 3 is the longest chapter in view of the hebrews. The term antimormon refers to a person or organization who actively opposes the mission of the mormon church. Rees this comparison of joseph smith and john milton focuses on their literary output and especially the preparation each had for dictating a long religious work, in miltons case paradise lost and in smiths the book of mormon. The book of mormon is set in north america in the first century. At 24 years of age, he married lucy mack and settled in vermont. When he was 24, smith published the book of mormon. In past episodes, weve explored some of their conspiracy theories, including the spauldingrigdon theory and the view of the hebrews theory. We further witness that joseph smith was given the gift and power of god to translate an ancient record.
As such, i propose josephs initial study of stephens in the times and seasons in 1842 was the beginning of book of mormon archaeology, and may have even been the first invitation to pursue archaeological investigations of stephens ruins in middle america. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers and founded a religion that continues to the present. The book of mormon is often called the keystone of the church of. Salt lake city casey griffiths introduction to joseph smiths first. The book was written by ancient prophets through the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Nauvoo museum development the book of mormon exploration challenge was not idle. It is by the supposed author or compiler of the entire.
Strangely enough we find inserted in the middle of the book of mormon, pages 141143 bom p. One of the claims often made by lds people is that there was no information on the indian ruins in mexico and guatemala available prior to 1830. Prophecies about joseph smith bible references for lds beliefs. Joseph smith, magic, masonry and the occult life after. The book of mormon is a true volume of scripture, prophesied in the bible, and brought forth by god. The mormon religion is based upon the story and religious teachings of joseph smith. The founder of the mormon church, joseph smith, wed as many as 40 wives, including one as young as 14 years old, the church acknowledged. The making of a prophet, dan vogel, a former mormon, imagines the scene when joseph cuts out the plates from tin and crafts them into a loosely fashioned book.
Church position regarding where the events of the book of mormon took place. After the translation was completed, however, joseph reported that he returned the plates to the angel. Introduces joseph smith, gives an overview of the joseph smith papers project, and provides perspectives from scholars on joseph smiths significance and the. First, the historical evidence shows that joseph smith, jr. Joseph smith claimed he translated the book of mormon from a set of golden plates that were given to him by an angel named moroni. The book praises the faith of a group of former warriors who took an oath of. Sidney rigdon one of the keys to understanding the early mormon doctrine joseph smith created is to comprehend the. In june 1828, joseph smith reluctantly allowed his scribe martin harris to borrow 116 pages of the original book of mormon manuscript.
Did joseph smith steal from the late war to write the book of. Joseph smith as author of the book of mormon joseph smith was an uneducated boy, and yet he produced the book of mormon in a few short months. The book of mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the bible, used by latter day saints. Sep, 2019 this article is found on page 557 of the annotated book of mormon.
Laurie mafflykipp, phd, is the archer alexander distinguished professor at the. It is a common claim by critics that there is absolutely no archaeological evidence to support the book of mormon. The book of mormon is a true volume of scripture, prophesied in. Did joseph smith steal from the late war to write the book. Lds scholars often point out that smith had received a rudimentary education at best, and did not have access to. Some critics propose that joseph smith modeled the book of mormon after ideas and themes he stole from ethan smiths view of the hebrews. John milton, joseph smith, and the book of mormon byu. Joseph smith and the origins of the book of mormon 2nd edition and also in kindle. A motion picture about the life and legacy of joseph smith, the founding prophet of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints who translated the book of mormon. Joseph smith, american prophet and founder of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints.
Lds church releases new video of joseph smiths first. Mormons dvd vision video christian videos, movies, and. The spalding manuscriptcritics claim that joseph smith either plagiarized or relied upon a manuscript by solomon spaulding to write the book of mormon. This is a reference to the book of mormon and the bible being companion books that compliment each other. Episodes 09 the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Archaeologists discover golden plates believed to be. Revelation given to joseph smith the prophet, at harmony, pennsylvania, likely around april 1829, though portions may have been received as early as the summer of 1828. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. Introduced at the beginning of every copy of the book of mormon are the testimonies of the three and eight witnesses these three witnesses all over calgary, david whitmer and martin harris wrote that they were shown the plates by an angel who also attested to them that joseph smith translated the book by the gift and power of god.
How joseph smith faked the book of mormon a satirical essay. This series will tell the story of the book of mormon through captivating visuals. One of the conspiracy theories that gained traction after the solomon. Here is a look back at some of the films depicting the first vision and how they did it. To order this book directly from amazon, click here. The creation of the book of mormon was a simple process. David persuitte, a technical writer from virginia, wrote the first edition of this book in 1985. Book of mormon central evidences of the book of mormon. When the church says something in a proclamation, you know they mean it and that every. Parker and stone were best known for creating the animated comedy south park.
Find out how the book of mormon narrative evolved in joseph smiths mind during its creation. The book of mormon is often called the keystone of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints otherwise known as the mormon church. This bible study examines the groups origins joseph smith, the book of mormon, brigham young, and others. Joseph smiths first vision on film as church commemorates. It produces numerous distinguished hebraisms as proof that the american indians are israelites. The book of mormon is a musical comedy with music, lyrics and book by trey parker, robert lopez, and matt stone first staged in 2011, the play is a satirical examination of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints beliefs and practices that ultimately endorses the positive power of love and service. Why did the book of mormon originally say that joseph smith. The wellpublicized story of joseph smiths first vision is not a true account of the origin of the latterday saint movement. In a times and seasons editorial, october 1, 1842, the prophet joseph smith, after progressive study. In my mind, this cemented as doctrine the idea that the book of mormon is an ancient document, literally translated by joseph smith. It is a complex portrayal of a thousandyear history of an ancient people. Lds church releases new video of joseph smiths first vision.
For almost 200 years now, critics have been scrambling to prove that the book of mormon is nothing but a work of fiction. Book of mormon, 1837, page 391 the joseph smith papers. According accused afterward asael asked baptized became began believed bennett boggs book of mormon brethren brigham young brother called carthage christ of latterday church of jesus command council david whitmer doctrine and covenants elders emma faith farm father ford friends galland george albert smith gospel governor historical department. The first vision scene was portrayed as lund had it in the book, with. The earliest writers in opposition to the church accepted joseph smith as the author of the book. Could joseph smith have written the book of mormon. The 1830 edition of the book of mormon named joseph smith as the author and proprietor of the book.
In this episode, we address the claim that joseph smith stole the. Smith translated the text of the book of mormon over the next several. The differentiating factor is that those in the anti mormon camp undertake to assault and vilify the church and its members through books, pamphlets, videos, protests, and internet sites. When they say directly support, they typically mean that they are looking for a direct corroboration, such as the presence of the name nephi or zarahemla in association with ancient american archaeological data. Joseph smiths preoccupation with animal sacrifice relates to his belief in sacrificing sheep to appease evil spirits who guarded buried treasure. Did joseph smith steal the temple endowment from freemasonry. A fair biography of the mormon prophet, joseph smith, written from the perspective of an admitted member of the church, in 7677. Ive included this under the joseph smith and the book of mormon references because the two go hand in hand. He claimed that an angel named moroni had directed him to a buried stone box, containing a set of gold plates, covered with strange symbols. Joseph said he returned the plates to the angel, making them unavailable today for examination. Church releases first episode in book of mormon videos series. One video will be released each friday through the end of 2019 to complete season 1. Learn more about the life, writings, and legacy of joseph smith.
Prophecies about joseph smith bible references for lds. Now, i am ready to affirm that the book of mormon is a work of divine authenticity, and that joseph smith was a prophet of god. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers and founded a religion that continues to the present with millions of global adherents. He took some literary liberties because he wanted viewers to see the.
Joseph smith stated that the book of mormon was the keystone of our religion, to which the former lds prophet ezra taft benson added, just as the arch crumbles if the keystone is removed. Mormon was 16 when he took righteous leadership over the nephites, leading them into battle. Before i get flamed i would like to point out three of the more glaring anachronistic errors. One argument that mormon apologists frequently employ is the claim that joseph smith was intellectually unequipped to write the book of mormon. Free shipping get free shipping free 58 day shipping within the u. Book of mormon joseph smith and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Actually, numerous books recounting similar ideas as those in joseph smiths book of mormon had already been published.
Members of the church call him a prophet because, according to the traditional role of prophets recorded in the old and new testaments in the bible, he relied on revelation from god for teaching the people, and not on his own wisdom or learning. Joseph smith translated two sets of plates book of. This article is found on page 557 of the annotated book of mormon. John milton, joseph smith, and the book of mormon author robert a. In any case, he quite obviously stole from the bible, as evidenced by. Most notable authors, including milton, had a long apprenticeship that involved writing several try works, practice works that served as tutorials and stepping stones. Book of mormon brethren brigham young brother called carthage christ of latterday church of jesus command council david whitmer doctrine and covenants elders emma faith farm father ford friends galland george albert smith gospel governor historical department history hyrum smith ibid illinois jackson county. A motion picture about the life and legacy of joseph smith, the founding prophet of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. The book of mormon by joseph smith, paperback barnes. Now, a decade and a half later, persuitte has added many more facts in this, the 325page second edition. Wellllllll, watch this video and let us know what you think in the comments below. Mormon origins is created to make available historical information andor documents relating to the beginnings of mormonism in america. Oct 06, 2017 joseph then waited a year for sidney to write a new beginning to the book of mormon based on the manuscript that he stole from spaulding who was classmates with ethan smith who wrote view of the hebrews who lived in the same town as oliver cowdery who sidney and joseph eventually sought out to be a replacement scribe because of his. Actually, numerous books recounting similar ideas as those in jo.
A new video produced by the church of jesus christ of latterday saints shows the first vision, one of the most sacred moments in the churchs history, in a brand new light. Hardly any of these points are found in the book of mormon, as one would expect if joseph smith were using view of the hebrews or trying to make his book persuasive. Several investigations and studies which set out to prove that joseph wrote the book of mormon have actua. Smith published the book of mormon in 1830 and shortly thereafter organized a small church of his first followers. Joseph smith translated two sets of plates book of mormon. It was first published in march 1830 by joseph smith as the book of mormon. Is the book of mormon plagiarized from view of the hebrews. December 23, 1805 june 27, 1844 was the founder of the latter day saint movement, also known as mormonism, and an important religious and political figure during the 1830s and 1840s. He didnt have the time, education or wherewithal to do this. This is not the same as disagreeing with the claims of mormonism, or even disliking mormons. Jul 23, 2017 since joseph smith was younger than most of you and not nearly so experienced or welleducated as any of you at the time he ed the book of mormon, it should not be too much to ask you to hand in by the end of the semester which will give you more time than he had a paper of, say, five to six hundred pages in length. December 23, 1805 june 27, 1844 was an american religious leader and founder of mormonism and the latter day saint movement.
There is a small group of critics who hold to the theory that the production of the book of mormon was a conspiracy involving sidney rigdon, joseph smith, oliver cowdery and others. Therefore, he must have had divine aid, as he claims. Where did joseph smith get his ideas for the book of mormon. Miraculous origins theories generally accept joseph smiths own account, that he translated an ancient record compiled and. First, sidney rigdon was motivated to start a new religion and decided to base this new religions authoritative text on a historical fiction manuscript about the ancient americas entitled the book of mormon written by solomon spaulding died in 1816 who had a similar writing style to his classmate ethan smith who lived in the.
David wright explains in joseph smiths interpretation of isaiah in the book of mormon, book of mormon isaiah reproduces the kjv text literally except for a few words or phrases here and. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which, according to adherents, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. Oct 31, 2012 joseph smith stated that the book of mormon was the keystone of our religion, to which the former lds prophet ezra taft benson added, just as the arch crumbles if the keystone is removed. Since joseph smith was younger than most of you and not nearly so experienced or welleducated as any of you at the time he ed the book of mormon, it should not be too much to ask you to hand in by the end of the semester which will give you more time than he had a paper of, say, five to six hundred pages in length. More on joseph smiths plagiarism in the book of mormon. It does portray the life of the uniquely american figure joseph smith jr. Teachings of the prophet joseph smith salt lake city, deseret book, 1977, 17273. In this episode were going to look at yet another one, alleging that joseph smith stole the phraseology of the book of mormon from the late war, by gilbert hunt. John milton, joseph smith, and the book of mormon byu studies. An account written by the hand of mormon, upon plates taken from the plates of nephi.
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