By Jerald and Sandra Tanner

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In the Messenger for August 1969, we quoted Oliver B. Huntington (a friend of Joseph Smith) as saying:

Inhabitants of the moon

“The inhabitants of the moon are more of a uniform size than the inhabitants of the earth, being about 6 feet in height.

“The dress very much like the quaker style and are quite general in style, or the fashion of dress.

“They live to be very old; coming generally, near a thousand years.”

This is the description of them as given by Joseph the Seer, and he could “see” whatever he asked the father in the name of Jesus to see. (Journal of Oliver B. Huntington, vol. 2, page 166 of typed copy at the Utah State Historical Society)

[Bold in quotations is added for emphasis and does not appear in originals.]

A number of people have found it difficult to accept this reference since it comes from a private journal. Recently, however, a friend pointed out to us that an article concerning this matter was printed in 1892 in the Young Woman’s Journal, a Mormon publication, published by the Young Ladies’ Mutual Improvement Associations of Zion. The article, written by Oliver B. Huntington, was entitled “The Inhabitants of the Moon.” This article reads as follows:

Astronomers and philosophers have, from time almost immemorial until very recently, asserted that the moon was uninhabited, that it had no atmosphere, etc. But recent discoveries, through the means of powerful telescopes, have given scientists a doubt or two upon the old theory.

Nearly all the great discoveries of men in the last half century have, in one way or another, either directly or indirectly, contributed to prove Joseph Smith to be a Prophet.

As far back as 1837, I know that he said the moon was inhabited by men and women the same as this earth, and that they lived to a greater age than we do—that they live generally to near the age of a 1000 years.

He described the men as averaging near six feet in height, and dressing quite uniformly in something near the Quaker style.

In my Patriarchal blessing, given by the father of Joseph the Prophet, in Kirtland, 1837, I was told that I should preach the gospel before I was 21 years of age; that I should preach the gospel to the inhabitants upon the islands of the sea, and—to the inhabitants of the moon, even the planet you can now behold with your eyes.

The first two promises have been fulfilled, and the latter may be verified.

From the verification of two promises we may reasonably expect the third to be fulfilled also. . . .

Men have lost millions of dollars, and hundreds of lives to find a country beyond the north pole ; and they will yet find that country—a warm, fruitful country, inhabited by the ten tribes of Israel, a country divided by a river, on one side of which lives the half tribe of Manasseh, which is more numerous than all the others. So said the Prophet . . .

Cedar Fort, Utah, February 6,1892.
(Young Woman’s Journal, vol. 3, no. 6, pages 263-264)

For additional information on this subject see our publication The Case Against Mormonism, vol. 3, page 129.

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