Category: Early Mormonism
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Mormon Claims Answered: Chapter 1
By Marvin W. Cowan Origin and History of Mormonism THE STORY AS TOLD BY MORMONS Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism recorded his own story this way: I was born in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and five, on the twenty-third day of December, in the town of Sharon, Windsor County,…
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Interview with Martin Harris in Tiffany’s Monthly
Martin Harris, one of the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon, tells of his early experiences with Joseph Smith, the gold plates, the Urim and Thummim, Smith’s money-digging, and his Seer stone. “I am forbidden to say anything [about] how the Lord showed them [the gold plates] to me, except that by the power…
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Legacy: A Distorted View of Mormon History
By Jerald and Sandra Tanner Legacy (1993) The Mormon Church’s official magazine, Ensign, printed the following in 1993: Imagine that you have just completed a tour of Temple Square in the heart of Salt Lake City, Utah. The guide suggests that you walk across the street and view Legacy, a new motion picture shown exclusively…
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Proclamation of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1845)
A proclamation by the LDS leadership to the rest of the world’s leaders following Joseph Smith’s assassination, which announced that God had spoken by way of the restored gospel, providing both an invitation and a voice of warning.
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Inventing Mormonism (book release)
Inventing Mormonism by Wesley P. Walters and H. Michael Marquardt is now available from Utah Lighthouse Ministry. This meticulously researched book challenges Joseph Smith’s First Vision narrative and confirms his 1826 court case for occult practices.
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State of New York vs. Joseph Smith
By Jerald and Sandra Tanner In 1945 Fawn M. Brodie first published her book No Man Knows My History. In Appendix A of that work she included what she claimed was a “Record of the trial of Joseph Smith for disorderly conduct, Bainbridge, New York, March 20, 1826” (1971 edition, page 491). This document, which…
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Magic in Mormonism
A wealth of research shows that Joseph Smith was involved in magic practices, not just as a dabbling fancy, but to the point of incorporating them into his prophetic pursuits.
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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…
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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…
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The Changing World of Mormonism: Chapter 3
Changes in the Revelations Mormon Apostle John A. Widtsoe dogmatically stated: “The Doctrine and Covenants is a compilation of the revelations received by Joseph Smith . . . “The book itself is a witness for the truth of the Prophet’s claims. . . . Enemies of the Church have rather carefully avoided the discussion of this book. They have been afraid…