Category: Documents and Discoveries
-
Mormon Researcher Finds Smiths’ 1825 Money-Digging Agreement
By Jerald and Sandra Tanner In Lippincott’s Magazine we find this strange story about Joseph Smith’s money-digging activities in Pennsylvania: . . . On a wilderness hill . . . his peek-stone discovered a ton of silver bars . . . The third hole had been sunk fifteen out of the necessary twenty feet when the treasure once more jumped to…
-
Apostle McConkie Admits Brigham Young Taught Adam-God Doctrine
By Jerald and Sandra Tanner On February 19, 1981, the Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie wrote a letter to Eugene England which contains some remarkable statements concerning Brigham Young (the second President of the Mormon Church) and his Adam-God doctrine. In this 10-page letter Apostle McConkie frankly admitted, “Yes, President Young did teach that Adam…
-
Mormonism and Truth
Joseph Smith’s Secretary’s Diaries Embarrass Church By Jerald and Sandra Tanner In the last issue of the Messenger we reported that For 140 years the Mormon Church has been suppressing the Nauvoo diaries of Joseph Smith’s secretary William Clayton. These diaries have been hidden in the vault of the First Presidency. Recently, however, quotations from…
-
Danite Entry Crossed Out in Smith’s Diary
Part of Joseph Smith’s diaries gives evidence for the existence of the murderous Danite band.
-
Kimball’s Journal Confirms Oath of Vengeance
By Jerald and Sandra Tanner We have recently printed one of Heber C. Kimball’s journals by the photomechanical method. Davis Bitton, formerly Assistant LDS Church Historian, described this journal as follows: 5. “The Journal of Heber C. Kimball.” Restricted volume. Entries from 21 November 1845 to 7 January 1846. Much of this volume concerned with…
-
Joseph as a Prophet
An Important New Document Comes to Light By Jerald and Sandra Tanner The evidence we presented in another article in this issue of the Messenger shows that Joseph Smith failed as a translator. In this article we will show that the Mormon Church now faces a similar problem with regard to his role as a…
-
The Changing World of Mormonism: Chapter 4
Joseph Smith and Money-Digging In the Salt Lake City Messenger for August, 1971, we announced one of the most important discoveries since Joseph Smith founded the Mormon church in 1830. This is the discovery by Wesley P. Walters of an original document which is more than 140 years old. This document, found in Norwich, New York, proves…
-
Joseph Smith’s “Caractors” Found!
Important Discovery Puts President Kimball On The Spot By Jerald and Sandra Tanner On May 3, 1980, the Church Section of the Mormon newspaper, Deseret News, reported that an amazing discovery had been made: A hand-written sheet of paper with characters supposedly copied directly from the gold plates in 1828, and also bearing other writing…
-
Joseph Smith’s Diaries Deal Fatal Blow to History of Church
By Jerald and Sandra Tanner In Mormonism—Shadow or Reality? pages 126-135, we demonstrated that the History of the Church which Church leaders always attributed to Joseph Smith himself was mostly compiled after his death. The evidence clearly shows that less than 40% was compiled during his lifetime. The remainder was not compiled until after Smith’s…
-
Wesley P. Walters: “Money Digging in New York & Joseph Smith’s 1826 Trial”
Audio archive of a 1976 lecture by Rev. Wesley Walters, the man who first located the documents relating to Joseph Smith’s 1826 arrest for being a ‘glass looker.’ He also pioneered the research on Smith’s claim of a revival in Palmyra in 1820.