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Josiah Stowell, a Mormonite, being sworn, testified that he positively knew that said Smith never had lied to, or deceived him, and did not believe he ever tried to deceive any body else. The following questions were then asked him, to which he made the replies annexed. Did Smith ever tell you there was money hid in a certain place which he mentioned? Yes. Did he tell you, you could find it by digging? Yes. Did you dig? Yes. Did you find any money? No. Did he not lie to you then, and deceive you? No! the money was there, but we did not get quite to it! How do you know it was there? Smith said it was! As regards the testimony of Josiah Stowell, it needs no comment. He swears positively that Smith did not lie to him. So much for a Mormon witness. - Mormonites, Evangelical Magazine and Gospel Advocate, April 9 1831 - Footnote 31 in Gospel Topic Essay on Book of Mormon Translation | wasmormon.org
Josiah Stowell, a Mormonite, being sworn, testified that he positively knew that said Smith never had lied to, or deceived him, and did not believe he ever tried to deceive any body else. The following questions were then asked him, to which he made the replies annexed.Did Smith ever tell you there was money hid in a certain place which he mentioned? Yes.Did he tell you, you could find it by digging? Yes.Did you dig? Yes.Did you find any money? No.Did he not lie to you then, and deceive you? No! the money was there, but we did not get quite to it!How do you know it was there? Smith said it was! As regards the testimony of Josiah Stowell, it needs no comment. He swears positively that Smith did not lie to him. So much for a Mormon witness. - Mormonites, Evangelical Magazine and Gospel Advocate, April 9 1831 - Footnote 31 in Gospel Topic Essay on Book of Mormon Translation
Addison Austin was next called upon, who testified, that at the very same time that Stowell was digging for money, he, Austin, was in company with said Smith alone, and asked him to tell him honestly whether he could see this money or not. Smith hesitated some time, but finally replied, “to be candid, between you and me, I cannot, any more than you or any body else; but any way to get a living.” Here, then, we have his own confession, that he was a vile, dishonest impostor... As for his book, it is only the counterpart of his money-digging plan. Fearing the penalty of the law, and wishing still to amuse his followers, [Joseph Smith] fled for safety to the sanctuary of pretended religion. - Mormonites, Evangelical Magazine and Gospel Advocate, April 9 1831 - Footnote 31 in Gospel Topic Essay on Book of Mormon Translation | wasmormon.org
Addison Austin was next called upon, who testified, that at the very same time that Stowell was digging for money, he, Austin, was in company with said Smith alone, and asked him to tell him honestly whether he could see this money or not. Smith hesitated some time, but finally replied, “to be candid, between you and me, I cannot, any more than you or any body else; but any way to get a living.” Here, then, we have his own confession, that he was a vile, dishonest impostor... As for his book, it is only the counterpart of his money-digging plan. Fearing the penalty of the law, and wishing still to amuse his followers, [Joseph Smith] fled for safety to the sanctuary of pretended religion. - Mormonites, Evangelical Magazine and Gospel Advocate, April 9 1831 - Footnote 31 in Gospel Topic Essay on Book of Mormon Translation
“We should be on the alert lest we be found rendering aid to Satan and hindering the work of the Lord. When we say anything bad about the leaders of the Church, whether true or false, we tend to impair their influence and their usefulness and are thus working against the Lord and his cause. When we speak well of our leaders, we tend to increase their influence and usefulness in the service of the Lord. In his absence our brother's character when assailed, should be defended, thus doing to others as we would be done by.” - George F. Richards, LDS Apostle, General Conference April 1947 | wasmormon.org
“We should be on the alert lest we be found rendering aid to Satan and hindering the work of the Lord. When we say anything bad about the leaders of the Church, whether true or false, we tend to impair their influence and their usefulness and are thus working against the Lord and his cause. When we speak well of our leaders, we tend to increase their influence and usefulness in the service of the Lord. In his absence our brother's character when assailed, should be defended, thus doing to others as we would be done by.” - George F. Richards, LDS Apostle, General Conference April 1947
“Truth surely exists as an absolute, but our use of truth should be disciplined by other values. For example, it is wrong to make statements of fact out of an evil motive, even if the statements are true. It is wrong to threaten to reveal embarrassing facts unless money is paid, even if the facts are true. We call that crime blackmail... Just as the principle of justice must be constrained by the principle of mercy, so must the use of truth be disciplined by the principle of love. The use of truth should also be constrained by the principle of unity.” - Dallin H. Oaks, LDS Apostle, February 1987 Ensign | wasmormon.org
“Truth surely exists as an absolute, but our use of truth should be disciplined by other values. For example, it is wrong to make statements of fact out of an evil motive, even if the statements are true. It is wrong to threaten to reveal embarrassing facts unless money is paid, even if the facts are true. We call that crime blackmail... Just as the principle of justice must be constrained by the principle of mercy, so must the use of truth be disciplined by the principle of love. The use of truth should also be constrained by the principle of unity.” - Dallin H. Oaks, LDS Apostle, February 1987 Ensign
“Throughout our history we have had members who have criticized the Church and its leaders. Church disciplinary action against such members has been rare or nonexistent... This counsel will be anathema to some... Those who reject the authority of the scriptures or our latter-day prophets cannot be expected to agree with what I have said. Those who see freedom or truth as absolutely overriding principles in all human actions cannot be expected to be persuaded by the scriptures” - Dallin H. Oaks, LDS Apostle, February 1987 Ensign | wasmormon.org
“Throughout our history we have had members who have criticized the Church and its leaders. Church disciplinary action against such members has been rare or nonexistent... This counsel will be anathema to some... Those who reject the authority of the scriptures or our latter-day prophets cannot be expected to agree with what I have said. Those who see freedom or truth as absolutely overriding principles in all human actions cannot be expected to be persuaded by the scriptures” - Dallin H. Oaks, LDS Apostle, February 1987 Ensign
“Criticism is particularly objectionable when it is directed toward Church authorities, general or local. Jude condemns those who ‘speak evil of dignities.’ Evil speaking of the Lord’s anointed is in a class by itself. It is one thing to depreciate a person who exercises corporate power or even government power. It is quite another thing to criticize or depreciate a person for the performance of an office to which he or she has been called of God. It does not matter that the criticism is true.” - Dallin H. Oaks, LDS Apostle, February 1987 Ensign | wasmormon.org
“Criticism is particularly objectionable when it is directed toward Church authorities, general or local. Jude condemns those who ‘speak evil of dignities.’ Evil speaking of the Lord’s anointed is in a class by itself. It is one thing to depreciate a person who exercises corporate power or even government power. It is quite another thing to criticize or depreciate a person for the performance of an office to which he or she has been called of God. It does not matter that the criticism is true.” - Dallin H. Oaks, LDS Apostle, February 1987 Ensign
There are at least five different procedures a Church member can follow in addressing differences with Church leaders: 1. Overlook the difference; 2. Reserve judgment and postpone any action; 3. Take up differences privately with the leader involved; 4. Communicate with the Church officer who has the power to correct or release the person thought to be in error or transgression; 5. Pray for the resolution of the problem. - Dallin H. Oaks, LDS Apostle, February 1987 Ensign | wasmormon.org
There are at least five different procedures a Church member can follow in addressing differences with Church leaders: 1. Overlook the difference; 2. Reserve judgment and postpone any action; 3. Take up differences privately with the leader involved; 4. Communicate with the Church officer who has the power to correct or release the person thought to be in error or transgression; 5. Pray for the resolution of the problem. - Dallin H. Oaks, LDS Apostle, February 1987 Ensign

Oaks Demonizing Criticism and Avoiding Accountability

Dallin H. Oaks teaches that even true criticisms of church leaders should be avoided, framing this restraint as a necessary way to maintain unity and love within the church. By comparing criticism to blackmail or breaches of confidentiality, Oaks implies that revealing truths that could harm leaders’ reputations is inherently harmful and spiritually unfaithful. He …

Continue reading “Oaks Demonizing Criticism and Avoiding Accountability”

"I heard someone say recently, “It is okay to have doubts.” I wonder about that. The Lord said, “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.” I have a lot of questions; I don’t have any doubts. There is a God... Jesus Christ is the Son of God... Joseph Smith was a prophet... The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on the earth. I know this by my experience—all of it. I know this by the evidence, and the evidence is overwhelming. I know it by study, and, most surely, I know it by the Spirit and power of the Holy Ghost. I know everything I need to know to stand forever. May we stand on the rock of revelation, particularly in regard to the primary questions. If we do, we will stand forever and never go away." - Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019 | wasmormon.org
"I heard someone say recently, “It is okay to have doubts.” I wonder about that. The Lord said, “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.” I have a lot of questions; I don’t have any doubts. There is a God... Jesus Christ is the Son of God... Joseph Smith was a prophet... The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on the earth. I know this by my experience—all of it. I know this by the evidence, and the evidence is overwhelming. I know it by study, and, most surely, I know it by the Spirit and power of the Holy Ghost. I know everything I need to know to stand forever. May we stand on the rock of revelation, particularly in regard to the primary questions. If we do, we will stand forever and never go away." - Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019
"Believe “with God all things are possible.” We may all be taken back from time to time by the extraordinary—such as walking on water, multiplying bread and fish, raising the dead, translating gold plates with special lenses or a stone and hat, and the visitation of angels. Some people are hard-pressed to believe extraordinary things... It should be easy to believe that with God all things are possible... That one could see on a stone or through a special lens the modern translation of ancient text written on plates of gold is far less amazing than the human eye. The wonder is not what the human eye may see, rather, that it sees anything at all... How can you believe in extraordinary things such as angels and gold plates and your divine potential? Easy, just look around and believe." - Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019 | wasmormon.org
"Believe “with God all things are possible.” We may all be taken back from time to time by the extraordinary—such as walking on water, multiplying bread and fish, raising the dead, translating gold plates with special lenses or a stone and hat, and the visitation of angels. Some people are hard-pressed to believe extraordinary things... It should be easy to believe that with God all things are possible... That one could see on a stone or through a special lens the modern translation of ancient text written on plates of gold is far less amazing than the human eye. The wonder is not what the human eye may see, rather, that it sees anything at all... How can you believe in extraordinary things such as angels and gold plates and your divine potential? Easy, just look around and believe." - Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019
"There are some who are afraid the Church may not be true and who spend their time and attention slogging through the swamp of the secondary questions. They mistakenly try to learn the truth by process of elimination, by attempting to eliminate every doubt. That is always a bad idea. It will never work... Each time you track down an answer to any one antagonistic claim and look up, there is another one staring you in the face. Answers to the primary questions do not come by answering the secondary questions. There are answers to the secondary questions, but you cannot prove a positive by disproving every negative. You cannot prove the Church is true by disproving every claim made against it. That will never work. It is a flawed strategy... although we may not know the answer to every question, we must know the answers to the primary questions." - Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019 | wasmormon.org
"There are some who are afraid the Church may not be true and who spend their time and attention slogging through the swamp of the secondary questions. They mistakenly try to learn the truth by process of elimination, by attempting to eliminate every doubt. That is always a bad idea. It will never work... Each time you track down an answer to any one antagonistic claim and look up, there is another one staring you in the face. Answers to the primary questions do not come by answering the secondary questions. There are answers to the secondary questions, but you cannot prove a positive by disproving every negative. You cannot prove the Church is true by disproving every claim made against it. That will never work. It is a flawed strategy... although we may not know the answer to every question, we must know the answers to the primary questions." - Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019
"What was the gloom I felt while reading antagonistic material? Some would say that gloom is the product of belief bias, which is the propensity to pick and choose only those things that accord with our assumptions and beliefs. The thought that everything one has believed and been taught may be wrong, particularly with nothing better to take its place, is a gloomy and disturbing thought indeed. But the gloom I experienced as I listened to the dark choir of voices raised against the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ —the gloom that came as I waded, chest deep, through the swamp of the secondary ­questions—is different. That gloom is not belief bias and it is not the fear of being in error. It is the absence of the Spirit of God. That is what it is. It is the condition of man when “left unto himself.” It is the gloom of darkness and the “stupor of thought.”" - Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019 | wasmormon.org
"What was the gloom I felt while reading antagonistic material? Some would say that gloom is the product of belief bias, which is the propensity to pick and choose only those things that accord with our assumptions and beliefs. The thought that everything one has believed and been taught may be wrong, particularly with nothing better to take its place, is a gloomy and disturbing thought indeed. But the gloom I experienced as I listened to the dark choir of voices raised against the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ —the gloom that came as I waded, chest deep, through the swamp of the secondary ­questions—is different. That gloom is not belief bias and it is not the fear of being in error. It is the absence of the Spirit of God. That is what it is. It is the condition of man when “left unto himself.” It is the gloom of darkness and the “stupor of thought.”" - Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019
“If you answer the primary questions, the secondary questions get answered too, or they pale in significance, and you can deal with things you understand and things you don’t and things you agree with and things you don’t, without jumping ship altogether.” - Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019 | wasmormon.org
“If you answer the primary questions, the secondary questions get answered too, or they pale in significance, and you can deal with things you understand and things you don’t and things you agree with and things you don’t, without jumping ship altogether.” - Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019
“By contrast, the secondary questions are unending. They include questions about Church history, polygamy, people of African descent and the priesthood, women and the priesthood, how the Book of Mormon was translated, the Pearl of Great Price, DNA and the Book of Mormon, gay marriage, the different accounts of the First Vision, and on and on.” - Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019 | wasmormon.org
“By contrast, the secondary questions are unending. They include questions about Church history, polygamy, people of African descent and the priesthood, women and the priesthood, how the Book of Mormon was translated, the Pearl of Great Price, DNA and the Book of Mormon, gay marriage, the different accounts of the First Vision, and on and on.” - Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019
“There are primary questions and there are secondary questions. Answer the primary questions first. Not all questions are equal and not all truths are equal. The primary questions are the most important. Everything else is subordinate.” - Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019 | wasmormon.org
“There are primary questions and there are secondary questions. Answer the primary questions first. Not all questions are equal and not all truths are equal. The primary questions are the most important. Everything else is subordinate.” - Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019
“There are only a few primary questions. I will mention four of them. Is there a God who is our Father? Is Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Savior of the world? Was Joseph Smith a prophet? Is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the kingdom of God on the earth?” - Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019 | wasmormon.org
“There are only a few primary questions. I will mention four of them. Is there a God who is our Father? Is Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Savior of the world? Was Joseph Smith a prophet? Is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the kingdom of God on the earth?” - Lawrence E. Corbridge, LDS Seventy, BYU Devotional, Stand Forever, January 22, 2019
"1) There are, in the church, two priesthoods, namely, the Melchizedek and Aaronic, including the Levitical Priesthood. 2) Why the first is called the Melchizedek Priesthood is because Melchizedek was such a great high priest. 3) Before his day it was called the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God. 4) But out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too frequent repetition of his name, they, the church, in ancient days, called that priesthood after Melchizedek, or the Melchizedek Priesthood." - Doctrine and Covenants 107:1–4 Priesthood called Melchizedek out of respect of God, to avoid too frequent repetition. | wasmormon.org
"1) There are, in the church, two priesthoods, namely, the Melchizedek and Aaronic, including the Levitical Priesthood. 2) Why the first is called the Melchizedek Priesthood is because Melchizedek was such a great high priest. 3) Before his day it was called the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God. 4) But out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too frequent repetition of his name, they, the church, in ancient days, called that priesthood after Melchizedek, or the Melchizedek Priesthood." - Doctrine and Covenants 107:1–4 Priesthood called Melchizedek out of respect of God, to avoid too frequent repetition.
The “interpreters” used by Joseph during the translation process included the “two stones in silver bows” that were deposited by Moroni with the plates. In addition to these two seer stones, Joseph used at least one other seer stone that the Lord had provided. David Whitmer, provided this additional information: “Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man.” - Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr., Church Historian, Ensign January 2020 The Translation of the Book of Mormon: A Marvel and a Wonder | wasmormon.org
The “interpreters” used by Joseph during the translation process included the “two stones in silver bows” that were deposited by Moroni with the plates. In addition to these two seer stones, Joseph used at least one other seer stone that the Lord had provided. David Whitmer, provided this additional information: “Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear. Thus the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and not by any power of man.” - Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr., Church Historian, Ensign January 2020 The Translation of the Book of Mormon: A Marvel and a Wonder
"In Pennsylvania, Joseph began to translate the writing on the gold plates. He did not know what the writing meant, but when he used the Urim and Thummim, God helped him understand the words. (Joseph Smith—History 1:62) - Scripture Stories for Children, Doctrine and Covenants Stories, Chapter 4, page 18 | wasmormon.org
"In Pennsylvania, Joseph began to translate the writing on the gold plates. He did not know what the writing meant, but when he used the Urim and Thummim, God helped him understand the words. (Joseph Smith—History 1:62) - Scripture Stories for Children, Doctrine and Covenants Stories, Chapter 4, page 18
"Each of the Ensign images from 1974 to 2014 is inconsistent with some aspects of documented Church history of the translation process of the Book of Mormon. For example, only one painting in the past forty-three years depicts Joseph Smith using the Urim and Thummim." - The Role of Art in Teaching Latter-day Saint History and Doctrine, 2015 Anthony Sweat, BYU Professor of Church History | wasmormon.org
"Each of the Ensign images from 1974 to 2014 is inconsistent with some aspects of documented Church history of the translation process of the Book of Mormon. For example, only one painting in the past forty-three years depicts Joseph Smith using the Urim and Thummim." - The Role of Art in Teaching Latter-day Saint History and Doctrine, 2015 Anthony Sweat, BYU Professor of Church History
Each of the Ensign images from 1974 to 2014 is inconsistent with some aspects of documented Church history of the translation process of the Book of Mormon. For example, in each of the seventeen Ensign images, Joseph Smith is shown looking into open plates (not closed or wrapped or absent plates). In eleven of the images Joseph Smith has his finger on the open plates, usually in a studious pose, as though he is translating individual characters through intellectual interpretive effort and not through revelatory means through the Urim and Thummim. Only one painting in the past forty-three years depicts Joseph Smith using Urim and Thummim - The Role of Art in Teaching Latter-day Saint History and Doctrine, 2015 Anthony Sweat, BYU Professor of Church History | wasmormon.org
Each of the Ensign images from 1974 to 2014 is inconsistent with some aspects of documented Church history of the translation process of the Book of Mormon. For example, in each of the seventeen Ensign images, Joseph Smith is shown looking into open plates (not closed or wrapped or absent plates). In eleven of the images Joseph Smith has his finger on the open plates, usually in a studious pose, as though he is translating individual characters through intellectual interpretive effort and not through revelatory means through the Urim and Thummim. Only one painting in the past forty-three years depicts Joseph Smith using Urim and Thummim - The Role of Art in Teaching Latter-day Saint History and Doctrine, 2015 Anthony Sweat, BYU Professor of Church History
Curiously, in illustrating various instruction manuals, the LDS Church does not depict Smith using either the Urim and Thummim or the seer stone. He is almost always shown sitting at a desk and simply looking at the plates, as though he were doing a regular translation. - Sandra Tanner, "Too Mean To Mention" The Book of Mormon Witnesses, Salt Lake City Messenger, November 2011, No. 117 | wasmormon.org
Curiously, in illustrating various instruction manuals, the LDS Church does not depict Smith using either the Urim and Thummim or the seer stone. He is almost always shown sitting at a desk and simply looking at the plates, as though he were doing a regular translation. - Sandra Tanner, "Too Mean To Mention" The Book of Mormon Witnesses, Salt Lake City Messenger, November 2011, No. 117
“I wrote, with my own pen, the entire Book of Mormon (save a few pages,) as it fell from the lips of the Prophet Joseph Smith, as he translated it by the gift and power of God, by the means of the Urim and Thummim, or, as it is called by that book, ‘holy Interpreters.’ I beheld with my eyes and handled with my hands the gold plates from which it was translated. I also saw with my eyes and handled with my hands the ‘holy interpreters.’ That book is true.” - Testimony of Oliver Cowdery, Millennial Star, August 20, 1859. | wasmormon.org
“I wrote, with my own pen, the entire Book of Mormon (save a few pages,) as it fell from the lips of the Prophet Joseph Smith, as he translated it by the gift and power of God, by the means of the Urim and Thummim, or, as it is called by that book, ‘holy Interpreters.’ I beheld with my eyes and handled with my hands the gold plates from which it was translated. I also saw with my eyes and handled with my hands the ‘holy interpreters.’ That book is true.” - Testimony of Oliver Cowdery, Millennial Star, August 20, 1859.