By Jerald and Sandra Tanner

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Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum are considered by the Mormon people to have been two of the greatest men who ever lived. The Doctrine and Covenants says that “their names will be classed among the martyrs of religion; . . . From age to age shall their names go down to posterity as gems for the sanctified” (Doctrine and Covenants, Section 135, verse 6). Critics, on the other hand, charge that Joseph and Hyrum led the people astray from the true Gospel of Christ. Among other things, the Smiths were charged with being involved in money digging and magic practices. Recently some new evidence has been discovered which strengthens this charge.

The Smith family’s involvement with the occult goes back before the Book of Mormon was “translated.” In 1971 Wesley P. Walters found an original document which proves that Joseph Smith was a “glass looker” and that he was arrested, tried and found guilty by a justice of the peace in Bainbridge, N.Y. in 1826 (see photograph in Mormonism—Shadow or Reality? page 33). This trial proves that Joseph Smith used a stone which he placed in his hat to try to locate buried treasures. This was, of course, a common practice by magicians and individuals influenced by the occult. As soon as the Book of Mormon was published, there was an attempt to link Joseph Smith with “Walters the Magician, who has strange books, and deals with familiar spirits; . . .” (Palmyra Reflector, June 1830, as cited in A New Witness For Christ in America, vol. 1, page 273). Walters had been involved with money digging in Palmyra, and it was claimed that “his mantle fell upon the Prophet . . .” (Ibid., page 275).

In 1974 Dr. Reed Durham, who was director of the LDS Institute of Religion at the University of Utah and president of the Mormon History Association, made a discovery that was so startling that it caused great consternation among Mormon scholars and officials. Dr. Durham found that what had previously been identified as the “Masonic jewel of the Prophet Joseph Smith” was in reality a “Jupiter talisman.” This is a medallion which contains material relating to astrology and magic. Dr. Durham, apparently not realizing the devastating implications of his discovery, announced this important find in his presidential address before the Mormon History Association on April 20, 1974:

. . . I should like to initiate all of you into what is perhaps the strangest, the most mysterious, occult-like esoteric, and yet Masonically oriented practice ever adopted by Joseph Smith. . . . All available evidence suggests that Joseph Smith the Prophet possessed a magical Masonic medallion, or talisman, which he worked during his lifetime and which was evidently on his person when he was martyred. . . . I wasn’t able to find what this was, for—as I said—two months; and finally, in a magic book printed in England in 1801, published in America in 1804, and I traced it to Manchester, and to New York. It was a magic book by Francis Barrett and, to and behold, how thrilled I was when I saw in his list of magic seals the very talisman which Joseph Smith had in his possession at the time of his martyrdom (Mormon Miscellaneous, vol. 1, no. 1, October 1975, pages 14-15).

Recently we were given photocopies of some material which Mormon scholars say was in the possession of Joseph Smith’s brother, Hyrum. We have compared it with the same book Reed Durham used to identify Joseph Smith’s Jupiter talisman (The Magis, by Francis Barrett) and found that it is definitely magic material. Pearson H. Corbett describes these “Relics” of Hyrum Smith on page 453 of his book, Hyrum Smith—Patriarch:

Dagger, Masonic ten inch, stainless steel—wooden handle—Masonic symbols on blade.

Emblematic parchments—Masonic—three, original hand painted on heavy bodied paper—on border appears initials “I.H.S.”. . .

Pouch, Masonic cotton fabric 4” x 4” with draw string attached.

The reader will find a photograph of one of the parchments below. Eldred G. Smith, Church Patriarch Emeritus, has possession of these relics at the present time. He is convinced that they belonged to his great-great grandfather, Hyrum Smith, and he freely admits that they may be “cabalistic” in origin—i.e., linked to occult or mystic writings. While he used to freely display these relics to groups, he is more cautious at the present time because he is not sure of what they really are. He apparently does not want to cause embarrassment to the Church.

At any rate, the photograph which appears after page 106 in Francis Barrett’s book, The Magis (facsimile reprint by University Books, Inc., 1967), proves beyond all doubt that the Hyrum Smith material comes from magic. For example, the following object appears on one of the parchments.

The reader will notice that the shape of this object is almost identical to a drawing found in Barrett’s book (originally printed in 1801).

The reader will also notice that the drawings in both the parchment and Barrett’s book contain the name “Raphael” written in the center. The name of this archangel comes from the Apocrypha and does not appear in most Protestant Bibles. Joseph Smith, however, does refer to “the voice of . . . Raphael” in a revelation published in the Doctrine and Covenants 128:21. In any case, in the book The Grimoire of Armadel, translated and edited by S. L. McGregor Mathers, New York, 1980, page 30, we read that “Raphael is a Spirit of Science who did teach unto Solomon Knowledge and Wisdom. He is to be invoked on a Sunday before Sunrise.”

The reader will notice that there are two circular objects which appear in the Hyrum Smith material. These same objects are repeated on another parchment.

Although these two circular objects are not found in Barrett’s book, they do appear in other books about magic. In fact, we have found them in a book which was printed in 1584. This book, The Discoverie of Witchcraft, by Reginald Scot, was photographically reprinted in 1971. The following is taken from page 401 of that book. The reader will notice that the round objects are just like the ones found in the Hyrum Smith parchments.

Under one of the objects we find this message (we have taken the liberty of converting it into modern English): “Whoso beareth this sign about him, all spirits shall do him homage.” These circular objects are apparently pentacles or talismans. It would probably be difficult for those not involved in magic to distinguish a pentacle from a talisman. In The Encyclopedia of Occult Sciences, page 332, we read:

There are two kinds of pentacles, some universal (for invocations and spells), the others personal.

Pentacles, says Pierre Piobb, are not talismans. The latter assist in the polarisation of fluids, whereas pentacles curtain the polarised fluids. Talismans are intermediaries, pentacles generators . . .

A pentacle must be engraved on metal corresponding to the planet whence it comes, or else on virgin parchment or china.

The books The Greater Key of Solomon and Raphael’s Ancient Manuscript of Talismanic Magic show quite a number of pentacles and talismans.

On one of the Hyrum Smith parchments we find the following object (a slightly different version appears on the parchment shown above). The reader will notice that the name of God, Tetragrammaton, is written around the edge of the object. It is broken up as follows: Tetra-gram-ma-ton. We have added some printed letters to help the reader locate the component parts of the name.

In the book, The Ancients Book of Magic, by Lewis de Claremont, page 11, we find an exact duplicate of the drawing on the Smith parchment.

The reader will notice that the word “Tetragrammaton” is written on this object in the same way it appears on the Smith parchment. This word is frequently used in books on magic. Another name which appears on one of the Smith parchments is “Agla.” This name is also used in magic. We find the words “Agla” and “Tetragrammaton” written on both a magic sword and a wand in Barrett’s book.

The reader will remember that when Pearson Corbett spoke of the Hyrum Smith “Relics,” he listed a “Dagger” with “Masonic symbols on blade.” We compared photocopies of this knife with Barrett’s book (the book Dr. Durham used to identify Joseph Smith’s Jupiter talisman) and found that the markings on it were also derived from magic. Some of the markings, in fact, are found on a Mars talisman which is right next to the Jupiter talisman (see drawings in The Magis, facing page 174). On the one side of the talisman we find the Hebrew characters forming the word Adonai (Lord). These same characters are found on the knife. On the second side of the talisman we find what is known as the Seal of Mars. This is also found on the second side of the knife. Below is a comparison of the Seal of Mars as it appears on the talisman (above) with the way it appears on the knife.

Knives play a very important part in magic rituals. A number of drawings of knives with mysterious markings on them are found in The Greater Key of Solomon, between pages 97 and 98.

Pearson Corbett refers to one of Hyrum Smith’s relics as a “Pouch, Masonic cotton fabric. . . .” It is believed that this pouch was used to hold the magic parchments.

In a new book we are preparing, Mormonism, Magic and Masonry, we intend to have photographs of the parchments, both sides of the knife and the pouch.

Just after writing the above, we received photocopies from a manuscript entitled, “The Masonic Emblems & Parchments of Joseph & Hyrum Smith,” compiled by Arturo de Hoyos. With the exception of the knife, the author has linked the Hyrum Smith material to magic sources and has even found a great deal of additional material relating to the subject. The fact that we did our research completely independently and yet arrived at the same conclusions seems to show how strong the case is that the Hyrum Smith material was derived from magic. While we found the strange object with the name “Raphael” written on it in The Magis, Mr. de Hoyos located the same drawing in The Ancients Book of Magic (a book we also used to identify one of the other objects). The drawing in The Ancients Book of Magic, was apparently taken from The Magis (the word “Raphael” is illegible in The Ancients Book of Magic and in de Hoyos’ manuscript, whereas it is very readable in The Magis). While Mr. de Hoyos also used The Ancients Book of Magic to identify the pentacles or talismans on the Hyrum Smith parchments, we used The Discoverie of Witchcraft, a book originally published in 1584. The drawings in the two books appear to contain minor differences, although they are obviously representations of the same objects. In any case, we feel that Arturo de Hoyos has produced an excellent piece of work on the Hyrum Smith material. While he seems to be sympathetic to Joseph and Hyrum Smith, de Hoyos has to admit that it is puzzling that they would possess items linked to the occult:

. . . the three parchments which belonged to the Patriarch Hyrum Smith will be discussed. These parchments are presently in the possession of [the] E.G. Smith family, and to my knowledge no interpretation of the figures found on them is to be found. . . .

These parchments have been termed “Masonic,” although they bear no direct relation to the Masonic ritual. There are however certain aspects of the parchments which do bear some relationship to Freemasonry. . . .

It is very possible that Hyrum Smith learned about these charms from his fellow Masons, as Masons do attach importance to certain signs and emblems, and ascribe meanings to the same. . . . One cannot help but wonder the reason why the Prophet Joseph Smith, and his brother, Hyrum, the Patriarch would possess articles such as they did unless they actually believed that these items did possess some sort of supernatural power, or that they were a “key” to receiving power or protection. Is it possible that just as the Masonic ritual, which Joseph termed the “apostate endowment” retained principles of truth, that these Pentacles which have come down through the ages to be asscociated [sic] with witchcraft, black magic, and the occult as a whole yet contain elements of truth which were recognized by the Prophet? . . .

Whatever the case may be both Joseph and Hyrum did possess these charms and it seems highly unlikely that there was not a legitimate reason for this (“The Masonic Emblem & Parchments of Joseph & Hyrum Smith,” Compiled by Arturo de Hoyos, 1982, pages 1 and 2).

Suppressed Document?

We have been told that there is a very important document being suppressed which may relate to the involvement of the early Mormon leaders in magic. This is a history of the Church written by Oliver Cowdery. Cowdery, of course, was one of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon. According to Joseph Fielding Smith, he was “appointed to assist Joseph in . . . keeping a history of the Church. . . .” Cowdery kept this record until 1831 when John Whitmer was commanded “to keep the church record and history continually; for Oliver Cowdery I have appointed to another office” (Doctrine and Covenants 47:3). In John Whitmer’s history of the Church, he wrote that “Oliver Cowdery has written the commencement of the church history, commencing at the time of the finding of the plates, up to June 12, 1831” (John Whitmer’s History, page 4). While Dean C. Jessee said that the Cowdery history “has not been found” (Brigham Young University Studies, Summer 1971, page 461), Church Historian Joseph Fielding Smith, who later became the tenth President of the Church, indicated that it was in the Historian’s Office:

Oliver Cowdery was the first one appointed to assist Joseph in transcribing and keeping a history of the Church; John Whitmer took his place, when Oliver Cowdery was given something else to do. We have on file in the Historian’s Office the records written in the hand writing of Oliver Cowdery, the first historian, or recorder of the Church (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 2, page 201).

We understand that a number of documents which were originally stored in the Church Historian’s Office were later moved to the vault of the First Presidency. This was undoubtedly done to keep them out of the hands of the public. The Mormon leaders were especially concerned about this matter when Dr. Leonard J. Arrington became Church Historian. In any case, we understand that the Cowdery history of the Church (not to be confused with the history that was published in the Messenger and Advocate) is now located in the First Presidency’s vault. At one time an inventory was made of what was contained in the vault. When the Cowdery history was opened, it was discovered that it contained magic characters!

A number of years ago, we tried to get the Church to make Cowdery’s history and other documents available. We were informed by the Assistant Church Historian, however, that Joseph Fielding Smith was “not interested in the project you have in mind” (Letter from A. William Lund, as cited in The Case Against Mormonism, vol. 1, page 77). Since Cowdery’s history is supposed to go back to the time Joseph Smith found the plates, it may contain many things that would be embarrassing to the Church. If any of our readers have any additional information on the contents of Cowdery’s history (especially with regard to the charge that it contains magic characters) we would appreciate hearing about it.

The Gold Plates and Magic Characters

On May 3, 1980, the Church Section of the Mormon newspaper, Deseret News, reported:

A hand-written sheet of paper with characters supposedly copied directly from the gold plates in 1828, and also bearing other writing and the signature of Joseph Smith, has been found.

. . . Written on the back, apparently after Harris brought the paper back from his encounter with Professor Anthon, are the following words (and spellings):

These caractors were diligently coppied by my own hand from the plates of gold and given to Martin Harris who took them to New York Citty but the learned could not translate it because the Lord would not open it to them in fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaih written in the 29th chapter and 11th verse. [signed] Joseph Smith Jr.

“In my judgment, this writing is that of Joseph Smith,” said Dean C. Jessee, senior historical associate in the Church Historical Department.

After the discovery of the transcript was announced, Church scholar Hugh Nibley triumphantly announced: “Of course it’s translatable” (Herald, Provo, Utah, May 1, 1980). According to the Herald, “Nibley also said he counted at least two dozen out of 47 characters in the Demotic alphabet that could be given phonetic value. This offers as good a test as we’ll ever get.”

Mormon scholars have now had the transcript for two and a half years, and all attempts to translate it have ended in failure. The Mormon Egyptologist Edward H. Ashment, who originally had a great interest in the document, has now given up the idea of trying to link it to Egyptian writing. This is very important because the Book of Mormon claims to have been written in “reformed Egyptian.” Since all efforts by Mormon scholars to decipher the transcript through Egyptology have failed, scholars must now look for other alternatives. Many people feel that the document is merely a product of Joseph Smith’s vivid imagination. While this may be the true explanation, there are still other theories that need investigation. For instance, a former Brigham Young University professor has maintained for a number of years that the characters on the Anthon Transcript are taken from works on magic and astrology. Although we felt that he could demonstrate a few parallels, we have never taken this idea too seriously. Recently, however, evidence linking Joseph Smith and his family to magical practices has mounted to the point where we feel we have to take a closer look at this idea. We must admit that there are many magic characters which bear a striking resemblance to those on the Joseph Smith transcript.

For instance, in a script found in The Greater Key of Solomon, Plate XIII, we find this character:

The reader will notice how similar this appears to a character found in Smith’s transcript:

Although a number of similarities have been noted, at this point we do not think they are sufficient to prove the case. In our book, Book of Mormon “Caractors” Found, we show that there are many similarities to common English characters.

One thing that makes us suspect that there may be a connection to magic is the circular object which appears in the lower right hand corner of Joseph Smith’s transcript. As we pointed out in Book of Mormon “Caractors” Found, page 11, the circular object bears some resemblance to Joseph Smith’s magic talisman. In both cases we have a circle drawn within another circle with characters running around the edge and within the center circle. In magic books it is claimed that a circle drawn within a circle has great power. In The Ancients Book of Magic, page 10, we learn that a person who wants to contact the spirits must draw a circle:

Once he enters into the circle with his books, wands, incense and all things he needs, he draws the outer circle about 3 inches away from the circle he has already drawn . . . The operator must remember not to leave this circle during the whole invocation until the closing words have been said, for as long as he remains in the circle, no matter how fierce the demons may be they cannot break through the walls of the circle, . . . he is protected by the Legion of 72 who form a protecting ring around the circle whence no one can farce their way through, . . .

Like Joseph Smith’s Jupiter talisman, Hyrum Smith’s pentacles or talismans have a circle within a circle. Another thing that really interests us about Joseph Smith’s Book of Mormon transcript is that the writing between the two circles appears to be divided into four parts. It is a common practice by those making magic circles to divide the area between the two circles into four parts and write four names of God, names of angels or other messages in these sections. Below is a drawing of a magic circle compared with the drawing Joseph Smith took from the “gold plates” of the Book of Mormon. In the magic circle the four sections are divided by crosses. In Joseph Smith’s drawing the circle appears to be divided by a repeat of the same character.

If the area between the two circles in Joseph Smith’s transcript is divided into four sections, as we think the evidence seems to show, then it may be possible that names for God or angels are recorded in cipher in this area. Many of these names can be found in the following books: The Magis, Raphael’s Ancient Manuscript Of Talismanic Magic, The Greater Key of Solomon and The Grimoire of Armadel. While it could be possible that each character on Joseph Smith’s transcript has an English equivalent, many of the magic alphabets are cipher for Hebrew or Arabic writing. Anyone who wishes to seriously test the transcript to see if it is in cipher should also be aware of the following: the first four columns of characters which are found to the left of the circular object appear to show “an intentional grouping of symbols” (BYU Studies, Spring 1980, page 335). It could very well be that these groupings are supposed to represent words. If the manuscript is in cipher, this could be very important to a person trying to break the code. A computer, of course, would be an important tool for anyone trying to decipher Joseph Smith’s transcript. Below the reader will find a copy of the complete transcript with arrows marking the places where the words (if they are really words) may divide.

Enoch’s Gold Plate

Since Joseph Smith was involved in magic and money-digging, he must have had a keen interest in legends relating to these matters. One legend that may have had a real influence on the Book of Mormon is that concerning Enoch. In the talk Reed Durham gave in 1974, he revealed that,

There is a famous legend which the grand orator elaborates in lecture form in the ceremonies of the 13th, 14th and 21st degrees of Masonry which has some very ancient roots, bearing remarkable similarity to Mormonism. . . . Enoch is the central figure in the legend. It is with Enoch that the remarkable resemblances with Joseph Smith and Mormon history become disconcertingly dear. . . .

The parallels of Joseph Smith and the history of Mormonism are so unmistakable, that to explain them only as coincidence would be ridiculous (Mormon Miscellaneous, October 1975, pages 15-16).

A photograph of the recently discovered document which is supposed to contain characters from the gold plates of the Book of Mormon. To the left we have added arrows to show where words may divide in the first line. These divisions seem to appear throughout the first four lines.

Jack Adamson had pointed out parallels between the legend of Enoch many years ago. He referred to two books from which he derived most of his material. One of them was Thomas S. Webb’s Freemason’s Monitor. Wesley P. Walters has furnished us with photocopies from the 1802 edition from which we quote the following:

Enoch, the son of Jared, was the sixth son in descent from Adam, . . . God appeared to him in a vision, . . . a mountain seemed to rise to the heavens, and Enoch was transferred to the top thereof, where he beheld a triangular plate of gold, . . . upon which were some characters which he received a strict injunction never to pronounce.—Presently he seemed to be lowered perpendicularly into the bowels of the earth, through nine arches; in the ninth, or deepest of which, he saw the same brilliant plate which was shewn to him in the mountain.

Enoch, being inspired by the Most High, and in commemoration of this wonderful vision, built a temple under ground, . . .

This happened in that part of the world which was afterwards . . . known by the name of the Holy Land.

Enoch, in imitation of what he had seen, caused a triangular plate of gold to be made, . . . He then engraved upon it the same ineffable characters which God had shewn to him, and placed it on a triangular pedestal of white marble, which he deposited in the ninth, or deepest arch. . . .

Enoch perceiving that the knowledge of the arts was likely to be lost in the general destruction, and being desirous of preserving the principles of the sciences, . . . he built two great pillars on the top of the highest mountain, the one of brass, . . . the other of marble, . . . and he engraved on the marble pillar, hieroglyphics . . . he engraved on the pillar of brass the principles of the liberal arts, particularly of masonry . . . the pillar of brass withstood the water, by which means the ancient state of the liberal arts, and particularly masonry, has been handed down to us (Freemason’s Monitor, New York, 1802, pages 245, 246, 247 and 249).

The Freemason’s Monitor goes on to relate that God promised Moses that “some of his descendants” would find the “plate of Gold.” When Solomon decided to build the temple, he chose the very place where the plate was buried. In digging for the foundations “an ancient edifice” and a “Quantity of treasure” were discovered. Solomon thought it might be the remains of an idolatrous temple, and therefore “made choice of another place, where the temple was erected”—i.e., Mount Moriah. Later Solomon sent the “three grand master architects” back to the first location to hunt for more treasure. They found “a large stone, perfectly square. With much difficulty they raised it, when the mouth of a deep and dismal cavern appeared” (Ibid., page 252).

After some problems, they went into the cavern where they found the “golden plate” and “observed certain characters engraved thereon, of the meaning of which they were then ignorant; . . .” (page 254). The next morning the three men took the plate to Solomon. Solomon and the King of Tyre then “explained to them the sacred characters engraven upon the golden plate.” Solomon had previously “caused a cavern to be built under the temple” on Mount Moriah (Ibid., page 251), and the “golden plate” was concealed in this “secret vault” (page 256).

The parallels to the Book of Mormon should be obvious to all those who are acquainted with that book. To begin with, Enoch was supposed to have recorded the secrets of Masonry on a “plate of gold” and a “pillar of brass.” According to Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon was “written upon gold plates” (Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith 2:34), and the Book of Mormon itself says that the ancient Nephites also had “plates of brass” (1 Nephi 3:3). It is interesting that in both cases the important messages would be recorded on “gold” and “brass.”

Even more interesting, however, is the fact that both Mormons and Masons say the sacred writings were concealed in a hill. In addition, both maintain that the treasure was transferred from one underground location to another. Thomas Webb says that the gold plate was hidden in an underground cavern by Enoch and later transferred to a cavern which was dug under the temple on Mount Moriah. In the Book of Mormon, Ammoron originally hid the “sacred” records in the hill Shim (4 Nephi 1:48; Mormon 1:3), but Mormon later went “to the hill Shim, and did take up all the records which Ammoron had hid up unto the Lord” (Mormon 4:23). These records were later deposited in “the hill Cumorah” (Mormon 6:6). Even the name of the hill (Cumorah) reminds one of Moriah. In fact, if the first two letters are removed from Cumorah, we have MORAH, which is very close to MORIAH.

In Masonic tradition, Solomon is the one who gives directions to transfer the gold plates to the cavern under the temple on Mount Moriah. In the Book of Mormon it is Mormon who brings the plates from the hill Shim to the hill Cumorah. Many years ago, before we even thought about the parallel between Solomon and Mormon, we suggested that the name Mormon “can be made by adding the first three letters of Moriah (MORiah), found in Genesis 22:2, with the last three letters of Solomon (soloMON), found in 2 Samuel 5:14. Thus we would obtain MORMON” (Mormonism—Shadow or Reality? page 95).

It is interesting to note that Joseph Smith’s own brother, Hyrum, became a member of the Mount Moriah Lodge before the Book of Mormon was written. Reed Durham says that “Masonry in the Church had its origin prior to the time Joseph Smith became a Mason. . . . Hyrum received the first degrees of Masonry in Mount Moriah Lodge No. 112 of Palmyra, New York, at about the same time that Joseph was being initiated into the presence of God and angels . . .” (Mormon Miscellaneous, October 1975, page 11). Joseph Smith may have learned of the gold plate of Enoch and Mount Moriah from his brother, although this information was also published in an anti-Masonic book printed in 1828 (Free Masonry, by Henry Dana Ward).

In the Masonic legend concerning Enoch, the cavern which held the gold plate was covered with “a large stone.” In Joseph Smith’s story, he also claimed that the gold plates were buried “under a stone of considerable size” (Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith 2:54).

The Book of Mormon never mentions Enoch, but it does speak of “Zenock” (1 Nephi 19:10). In August 1832, the Church published an “Extract From The Prophecy of Enoch.” In this revelation (later printed in the Pearl of Great Price, Moses, Chapter 7) Joseph Smith claimed that Enoch saw that the world would be destroyed by the flood (verse 43). The Masonic legend also said that Enoch was told of “the universal destruction now impending.” Joseph Smith must have really identified with Enoch, for in some of his revelations he used the code name “Enoch” for himself (see Doctrine and Covenants, sections 78, 92, 96 and 104).

In our new book, Mormonism, Magic and Masonry, we will include actual photographs from the Freemason’s Monitor, which was published in 1802, and photographs of the Hyrum Smith magic material.

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