Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith

1805–1844 (38 years)

Hometown: Sharon, Vermont

Biography

Joseph Smith Jr. founded the Church of Christ (later renamed The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) in 1830 in Fayette, New York. Raised in a religiously diverse environment in upstate New York during the Second Great Awakening, Smith claimed to have experienced a theophany in 1820 known as the First Vision, where God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him. In 1827, he said he received golden plates from the angel Moroni, which he translated into the Book of Mormon, published in 1830.

Smith introduced many distinctive doctrines including temple ordinances, eternal marriage, plural marriage (polygamy), baptism for the dead, and the potential for humans to become gods. He secretly practiced polygamy, marrying approximately 33-40 women, including teenagers as young as 14 and women already married to other men. The church has officially acknowledged these marriages. His leadership was marked by both rapid growth and intense controversy, including the destruction of a printing press that criticized his polygamy, which led to his arrest.

On June 27, 1844, Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were killed by a mob at Carthage Jail in Illinois, making him a martyr to his followers. His legacy remains deeply contested: revered as a prophet by millions of Latter-day Saints, while critics point to documented treasure-digging activities, changing accounts of his visions, and the secret practice of polygamy.

Parents

Joseph Smith Sr.
Joseph Smith Sr. Father
Lucy Mack Smith
Lucy Mack Smith Mother

Apostles Who Served During This Presidency

Apostles who served under this leader during their presidency:

Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon 1793–1876 (83 years)
Brigham Young
Brigham Young 1801–1877 (76 years)
Heber C. Kimball
Heber C. Kimball 1801–1868 (67 years)
Lyman E. Johnson
Lyman E. Johnson 1811–1859 (48 years)
John F. Boynton
John F. Boynton 1811–1890 (79 years)
Luke S. Johnson
Luke S. Johnson 1807–1861 (54 years)
David W. Patten
David W. Patten 1799–1838 (38 years)
Orson Hyde
Orson Hyde 1805–1878 (73 years)
William E. McLellin
William E. McLellin 1806–1883 (77 years)
William Smith
William Smith 1811–1893 (82 years)
Parley P. Pratt
Parley P. Pratt 1807–1857 (50 years)
Thomas B. Marsh
Thomas B. Marsh 1800–1866 (65 years)
Orson Pratt
Orson Pratt 1811–1881 (70 years)
John Taylor
John Taylor 1808–1887 (78 years)
John E. Page
John E. Page 1799–1867 (68 years)
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff 1807–1898 (91 years)
George A. Smith
George A. Smith 1817–1875 (58 years)
Willard Richards
Willard Richards 1804–1854 (49 years)
Hyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith 1800–1844 (44 years)
Lyman Wight
Lyman Wight 1796–1858 (61 years)
Amasa Lyman
Amasa Lyman 1813–1877 (63 years)

Wives (31)

Joseph Smith was a polygamist with 31 wives. Note these are simultaneous marriages — married to multiple living spouses at the same time. 5 of these wives were a teenager (18 or less) at the time of marriage.

31 wives · Lifespan: 1805–1844

Emma Hale
1827–1844 (17 yrs)
Fanny Alger
1835–1844 (9 yrs)
Lucinda Pendleton Morgan Harris
1838–1844 (6 yrs)
Louisa Beaman
1841–1844 (3 yrs)
Zina Diantha Huntington
1841–1844 (3 yrs)
Presendia Lathrop Huntington
1841–1844 (3 yrs)
Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner
1842–1844 (2 yrs)
Sylvia Porter Sessions
1842–1844 (2 yrs)
Patty Bartlett Sessions
1842–1844 (2 yrs)
Elizabeth Davis Durfee
1842–1844 (2 yrs)
Eliza R. Snow
1842–1844 (2 yrs)
Sarah Bapson Cleveland
1842–1844 (2 yrs)
Delcena Diadamia Johnson Sherman
1842–1844 (2 yrs)
Sarah Ann Whitney
1842–1844 (2 yrs)
Martha McBride Knight
1842–1844 (2 yrs)
Mary Heron Snider
1843–1844 (1 yrs)
Olive Grey Frost
1843–1844 (1 yrs)
Vienna Jacques
1843–1844 (1 yrs)
Ruth Daggett Vose Sayers
1843–1844 (1 yrs)
Emily Dow Partridge
1843–1844 (1 yrs)
Eliza Maria Partridge
1843–1844 (1 yrs)
Almera Woodard Johnson
1843–1844 (1 yrs)
Helen Mar Kimball
1843–1844 (1 yrs)
Lucy Walker
1843–1844 (1 yrs)
Sarah Lawrence
1843–1844 (1 yrs)
Elvira Annie Cowles Holmes
1843–1844 (1 yrs)
Hanna Ells
1843–1844 (1 yrs)
Rhoda Richards
1843–1844 (1 yrs)
Desdemona Wadsworth Fullmer
1843–1844 (1 yrs)
Melissa Lott
1843–1844 (1 yrs)
Fanny Young Murray
1843–1844 (1 yrs)
1805 (born) 1815 1825 1835 1844 (died)
Wife

11 children from 1 wives · Lifespan: 1805–1844

Emma Hale
11 children
1805 (born) 1815 1825 1835 1844 (died)
Wife Child born

31 wives · Ages at marriage

Her age His age Teenage bride (<18)
#NameBornDiedMarriedHer AgeHis AgeAge DiffChildren
1
Emma Hale Emma Hale
Jul 10, 1804Apr 30, 1879 Jan 18, 1827 2221111
2
Fanny Alger Fanny Alger ⚠
Sep 30, 1817Nov 29, 1889 c. Jan 1, 1835 c. 1729120
3
Lucinda Pendleton Morgan Harris
Jan 1, 1801Jan 1, 1876 c. Jan 1, 1838 c. 373250
4
Louisa Beaman Louisa Beaman
Feb 7, 1815May 15, 1850 Apr 5, 1841 263590
5
Zina Diantha Huntington Zina Diantha Huntington
Jan 31, 1821Aug 28, 1901 Oct 27, 1841 2035150
6
Presendia Lathrop Huntington Presendia Lathrop Huntington
Sep 7, 1810Feb 1, 1892 Dec 11, 1841 313540
7
Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner
Apr 9, 1818Dec 17, 1913 c. Feb 1, 1842 c. 2336130
8
Sylvia Porter Sessions Sylvia Porter Sessions
Jul 31, 1818Apr 12, 1882 Feb 8, 1842 2336130
9
Patty Bartlett Sessions Patty Bartlett Sessions
Feb 4, 1795Dec 14, 1892 Mar 9, 1842 4736110
10
Elizabeth Davis Durfee
Jan 1, 1791Jan 1, 1876 c. Jun 1, 1842 c. 5136150
11
Eliza R. Snow Eliza R. Snow
Jan 21, 1804Dec 5, 1887 Jun 29, 1842 383620
12
Sarah Bapson Cleveland
Jan 1, 1788Jan 1, 1856 c. Jun 29, 1842 c. 5436180
13
Delcena Diadamia Johnson Sherman Delcena Diadamia Johnson Sherman
Nov 19, 1806Oct 21, 1854 c. Jul 1, 1842 c. 353610
14
Sarah Ann Whitney ⚠
Mar 22, 1825Sep 4, 1873 Jul 27, 1842 1736190
15
Martha McBride Knight Martha McBride Knight
Mar 17, 1805Nov 20, 1901 c. Aug 1, 1842 c. 373610
16
Mary Heron Snider
Jan 1, 1819Jan 1, 1900 c. Jan 1, 1843 c. 2437130
17
Olive Grey Frost
Jul 24, 1816Oct 8, 1845 c. Jan 1, 1843 c. 2637110
18
Vienna Jacques
Jan 1, 1787Jan 1, 1884 c. Jan 1, 1843 c. 5637190
19
Ruth Daggett Vose Sayers
Feb 26, 1808Aug 18, 1884 c. Feb 1, 1843 c. 343730
20
Emily Dow Partridge Emily Dow Partridge
Feb 28, 1824Dec 9, 1899 Mar 4, 1843 1937180
21
Eliza Maria Partridge Eliza Maria Partridge
Apr 20, 1820Mar 2, 1886 Mar 8, 1843 2237150
22
Almera Woodard Johnson Almera Woodard Johnson
Oct 12, 1812Mar 4, 1896 c. May 1, 1843 c. 303770
23
Helen Mar Kimball Helen Mar Kimball ⚠
Aug 22, 1828Nov 13, 1896 c. May 1, 1843 c. 1437230
24
Lucy Walker Lucy Walker ⚠
Apr 30, 1826Oct 1, 1910 May 1, 1843 1737200
25
Sarah Lawrence ⚠
May 13, 1826Nov 28, 1872 May 11, 1843 1637210
26
Elvira Annie Cowles Holmes Elvira Annie Cowles Holmes
Nov 23, 1813Mar 10, 1871 Jun 1, 1843 293780
27
Hanna Ells
May 20, 1808Oct 1, 1845 c. Jun 1, 1843 c. 353720
28
Rhoda Richards Rhoda Richards
Aug 8, 1784Jan 17, 1879 Jun 12, 1843 5837210
29
Desdemona Wadsworth Fullmer Desdemona Wadsworth Fullmer
Oct 6, 1809Feb 9, 1886 c. Jul 1, 1843 c. 333740
30
Melissa Lott Melissa Lott
Jan 9, 1824Jul 13, 1898 Sep 20, 1843 1937180
31
Fanny Young Murray
Nov 8, 1787Jun 11, 1859 Nov 2, 1843 5537180

Children (11)

With Emma Hale Emma Hale  (11 children)

  1. Alvin Smith (b. Jan 1, 1828)
  2. Louisa Smith (b. Jan 1, 1831)
  3. Thaddeus Smith (b. Jan 1, 1831)
  4. Joseph Murdock Smith (b. Jan 1, 1831)
  5. Julia Murdock Smith (b. Jan 1, 1831)
  6. Joseph Smith III (b. Jan 1, 1832)
  7. Frederick Granger William Smith (b. Jan 1, 1836)
  8. Alexander Hale Smith (b. Jan 1, 1838)
  9. Don Carlos Smith (b. Jan 1, 1840)
  10. Thomas Smith (b. Jan 1, 1842)
  11. David Hyrum Smith (b. Jan 1, 1844)

Posts Related to Joseph Smith

Images Related to Joseph Smith

“The Prophet Joseph Smith declared—and he never taught more comforting doctrine—that the eternal sealings of faithful parents and the divine promises made to them for valiant service in the Cause of Truth, would save not only themselves, but likewise their posterity. Though some of the sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them, and sooner or later they will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching out after them and drawing them back to the fold. Either in this life or the life to come, they will return.” - Orson F. Whitney, LDS Apostle, Conference Report, Apr. 1929 | wasmormon.org “Dissenters within the Church and opponents outside the Church brought about the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith. Their deaths added a powerful seal to their testimonies of the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. A study of the life and martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith will help students consider the many blessings the Lord has given them through the ministry of the Prophet Joseph Smith, through whom He restored His gospel in the latter days... Joseph Smith laid the foundation for God’s work in this gospel dispensation. The Prophet Joseph Smith was innocent at the time of his death, and he had faithfully fulfilled the mission given to him by God.” - Foundations of the Restoration Teacher Manual, Lesson 22: The Martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith | wasmormon.org ”The event that focused anti-Mormon hostilities and led directly to the Martyrdom was the action of Mayor Joseph Smith and the city council in closing a newly established opposition newspaper in Nauvoo. Mormon historians— including Elder B. H. Roberts—had conceded that this action was illegal, but as a young law professor pursuing original research, I was pleased to find a legal basis for this action in the Illinois law of 1844... We should judge the actions of our predecessors on the basis of the laws and commandments and circumstances of their day, not ours.” - Dallin H. Oaks, LDS Apostle, Joseph, the Man and the Prophet, April 1996 | wasmormon.org “The Book of Abraham - Translated from the Papyrus, by Joseph Smith - A Translation of some ancient Records that have fallen into our hands from the catacombs of Egypt. The writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus.” - The Book of Abraham, Pearl of Great Price, LDS Scriptures | wasmormon.rg “To come to know Joseph Smith [we must] be loyal to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We cannot know the Savior or Joseph Smith without being one hundred percent loyal to this Church, and to the priesthood keys held by the prophets who now preside over it.” - Jayson Kunzler, Business Management Faculty Member, BYU Idaho, 2015 | wasmormon.org “As we humbly search the scriptures, we will come to know both Jesus Christ and his servant, Joseph Smith. In this connection, may I offer a suggestion to all of us? If we truly desire to know the Prophet, we must go to the right source—and that is not a Google search.” - Jayson Kunzler, Business Management Faculty Member, BYU Idaho, 2015 | wasmormon.org “Beware of the many voices—whether out of the Church or inside it—that humanize Joseph Smith by calling into question any aspect of his character. These voices come from those who ‘lift up the heel against [the Lord’s] anointed, and cry that [he has] sinned when [he has] not sinned before me, saith the Lord, but [has] done that… which I commanded [him].’ As the Lord warned, they ‘cry transgression… because they are the servants of sin, and are the children of disobedience themselves.’” - Jayson Kunzler, Business Management Faculty Member, BYU Idaho, 2015 | wasmormon.org “If this First Vision was but a figment of Joseph Smith’s imagination, then the Mormon Church is what its detractors declare it to be—a wicked and deliberate imposture.” - Hugh B Brown, LDS Apostle, 1965 | wasmormon.org “The earliest Latter-day Saints did not know much, if anything, about Joseph Smith’s first vision. It was not typically taught by missionaries or regarded as a point of orthodox belief.” - Steven C. Harper, LDS Historian, BYU Professor, 2020 | wasmormon.org The next day being Sunday, I sat down, instead of going to meeting, and wrote the conversation, and gave it to my sister, who was not a little surprised; but she said it would be best to go to meeting in the afternoon. We went, and Young administered the sacrament. After it was over, I was passing out, and Young stopped me, saying, 'Wait, Martha, I am coming.' I said, 'I cannot; my sister is waiting for me.' He then threw his coat over his shoulders, and followed me out, and whispered, 'Have you made up your mind, Martha?' 'Not exactly, sir,' said I; and we parted. I shall proceed to a justice of the peace, and make oath to the truth of these statements... - Martha H. Brotherton, Brigham Young & Joseph Smith, Brotherton Affidavit, July 13, 1842 | wasmormon.org 'Sir,' said I, rather warmly, 'it will be too late to think in a month or two after. I want time to think first.' ... 'Well, but look here,' said [Joseph Smith]; 'you know a fellow will never be damned for doing the best he knows how.' 'When, then,' said I, 'the best way I know of, is to go home and think and pray about it.' ... 'Well,' said Joseph, 'I see no harm in her having time to think, if she will not fall into temptation.' 'O, sir,' said I, 'there is no fear of my falling into temptation.' 'Well, but,' said Brigham, 'you must promise me you will never mention it to anyone.' 'I do promise it,' said I. 'Well,' said Joseph, 'you must promise me the same.' I promised him the same. 'Upon your honor,' said he, 'you will not tell.' 'No, sir, I will lose my life first,' said I... Joseph said, 'she looks as if she could keep a secret.'” - Martha H. Brotherton, Brigham Young & Joseph Smith, Brotherton Affidavit, July 13, 1842 | wasmormon.org [Brigham Young] returned with Joseph. 'Well,' said Young, 'sister Martha would be willing if she knew it was lawful and right before God.' 'Well, Martha,' said Joseph, 'it is lawful and right before God–I know it is. Look here, sis; don't you believe in me?' I did not answer. 'Well Martha,' said Joseph, 'just go ahead, and do as Brigham wants you to–he is the best man in the world, except me.... I know that this is lawful and right before God, and if there is any sin in it, I will answer for it before God; and I have the keys of the kingdom, and whatever I bind on earth is bound in heaven, and whatever I loose on earth is loosed in heaven, and if you will accept of Brigham, you shall be blessed... if you do not like it in a month or two, come to me, and I will make you free again; and if he turns you off, I will take you on.' - Martha H. Brotherton, Brigham Young & Joseph Smith, Brotherton Affidavit, July 13, 1842 | wasmormon.org If you will have me in this world, I will have you in that which is to come, and brother Joseph will marry us here today, and you can go home this evening, and your parents will not know anything about it.' 'Sir,' said I, 'I should not like to do anything of the kind without the permission of my parents,' 'Well, but,' said he, 'you are of age, are you not?' 'No, sir,' said I, 'I shall not be until the 24th of May.' 'Well,' said he, 'that does not make any difference. You will be of age before they know, and you need not fear... But brother Joseph wishes to have some talk with you on the subject–he will explain things–will you hear him?' 'I do not mind,' said I. 'Well, but I want you to say something,' said he. 'I want time to think about it,' said I. - Martha H. Brotherton, Brigham Young & Joseph Smith, Brotherton Affidavit, July 13, 1842 | wasmormon.org My feelings at that moment were indescribable. God only knows them. What, thought I are these men, that I thought almost perfection itself, deceivers? Is all my fancied happiness but a dream? It was even so; but my next thought was, which is the best way for me to act at this time? If I say no, they may do as they think proper; and to say yes, I never would. So I considered it best to ask for time to think and pray about it. I therefore said, 'If it was lawful and right, perhaps I might; but you know, sir, it is not.'— 'Well, but,' said [Brigham Young], 'brother Joseph has had a revelation from God that it is lawful and right for a man to have two wives; for, as it was in the days of Abraham. - Martha H. Brotherton, Brigham Young & Joseph Smith, Brotherton Affidavit, July 13, 1842 | wasmormon.org [Brigham Young] smiled, and then proceeded 'Sister Martha, I want to ask you a few questions; will you answer them?' 'Yes, sir,' said I. 'And will you promise not to mention them to any one?' 'If it is your desire, sir,' said I, 'I will not.' 'And you will not think any the worse of me for it, will you, Martha?' said he. 'No sir,' I replied. 'Well,' said he, 'what are your feelings toward me?' I replied, 'My feelings are just the same towards you that they ever were, sir.' 'But, to come to the point more closely,' said he, 'have not you an affection for me, that, were it lawful and right, you could accept of me for your husband and companion.' - Martha H. Brotherton, Brigham Young & Joseph Smith, Brotherton Affidavit, July 13, 1842 | wasmormon.org Monogamy, or restrictions by law to one wife, is no part of the economy of heaven among men. Such a system was commenced by the founders of the Roman empire....Rome became the mistress of the world, and introduced this order of monogamy wherever her sway was acknowledged. Thus this monogamic order of marriage, so esteemed by modern Christians as a holy sacrament and divine institution, is nothing but a system established by a set of robbers.... Why do we believe in and practice polygamy? Because the Lord introduced it to his servants in a revelation given to Joseph Smith, and the Lord's servants have always practiced it. 'And is that religion popular in heaven?' it is the only popular religion there... - Brigham Young, The Deseret News, August 6, 1862 | wasmormon.org “I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet.” - Joseph Smith, May 26, 1844, History of the Church, Vol 6:408-409 | wasmormon.org “We declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband... We have given the above rule of marriage as the only one practiced in this church, to show that Dr. J. C. Bennett's "secret wife system" is a matter of his own manufacture... We know of no other rule or system of marriage than the one published from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and we give this certificate to show that Dr. J. C. Bennett’s “secret wife system” is a creature of his own make as we know of no such society in this place nor never did.” - Joseph Smith, October 1, 1842. At the time, he had at least 13 wives. Times and Seasons, Vol. 3, No. 21, October 1, 1842, On Marriage | wasmormon.org “Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again.” - Joseph Smith, September 1, 1842. At the time, he had at least 13 wives. Times and Seasons, Vol. 3, No. 21, September 1, 1842, Notice | wasmormon.org “Do the Mormons believe in having more wives than one?” “No, not at the same time. But they believe that if their companion dies, they have a right to marry again.” - Joseph Smith, May 5, 1838. Joseph already has at least 2 wives. History of the Church Volume 3. Chapter 3, The Prophet's Answers to Sundry Questions | wasmormon.org Rumors prompted members and leaders to issue carefully worded denials that denounced spiritual wifery and polygamy but were silent about what Joseph Smith and others saw as divinely mandated “celestial” plural marriage. [Footnote: In the denials, “polygamy” was understood to mean the marriage of one man to more than one woman but without Church sanction.] LDS Church Website, Gospel Topics Essays: Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo | wasmormon.org The statements emphasized that the Church practiced no marital law other than monogamy while implicitly leaving open the possibility that individuals, under direction of God’s living prophet, might do so. [Footnote: See, for example, “On Marriage,” Times and Seasons, Oct. 1, 1842, 939–40; and Wilford Woodruff journal, Nov. 25, 1843, Church History Library, Salt Lake City; Parley P. Pratt, “This Number Closes the First Volume of the ‘Prophet,’” The Prophet, May 24, 1845, 2. George A. Smith explained, “Any one who will read carefully the denials, as they are termed, of plurality of wives in connection with the circumstances will see clearly that they denounce adultery, fornication, brutal lust and the teaching of plurality of wives by those who were not commanded to do so” (George A. Smith letter to Joseph Smith III, Oct. 9, 1869, in Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Oct. 9, 1869, Church History Library, Salt Lake City).] LDS Church Website, Gospel Topics Essays: Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo | wasmormon.org "Joseph Smith could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well- worded letter; let alone dictating a book like the Book of Mormon." - Emma Smith, Joseph Smith's Wife and Scribe, 1879 | wasmormon.org Joseph Smith wrote this [coherent and well-worded] letter from Harmony, Pennsylvania, to Oliver Cowdery, who was overseeing the printing of the Book of Mormon in Palmyra, New York. - Joseph Smith letter to Oliver Cowdery, 22 October 1829, Joseph Smith Papers | wasmormon.org Joseph Smith Letter to Oliver Cowdery, 22 October 1829 | wasmormon.org I wanted it all to be true. Like so many others, I began researching and chasing footnotes not to prove the church false but to prove it true. I felt sick. I felt angry. I felt deceived. So here I am, after nearly 50 years in the church, realizing that all I had believed in is false. The keystone of my religion has come crashing down taking Joseph Smith and the doctrines of the church with it. The Mormon church is not the one true church. Joseph Smith is not a prophet. The Book of Mormon is not a true history. I don't believe any of it because I can't. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/ Thank you Internet. Thank you Fawn Brodie, B.H. Roberts, Richard Bushman, Dan Vogel, William Clayton, Todd Compton, Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery, Grant Palmer, Robert Ritner, the Tanners, the Joseph Smith Papers, and a host of podcasters. And thank you Jeremy Runnells, Letter for My Wife, and thank you Gospel Topic Essays. There's more, so much more. And I had not been taught ANY OF IT—not at church meetings, general conference, Institute classes, BYU, a mission, a lifetime in the Mormon church. What a betrayal. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/ But the questions were growing. What about Joseph Smith and polygamy? 30+ wives? Did he really marry children as young as 14? Did he marry married women? What were the plates for if Joseph just needed a rock in a hat? Wait—a rock in a hat? What in the world does Masonry have to do with the temple ceremony? The Book of Abraham doesn't have anything to do with Abraham? - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/ “As to his present relation to the Mormons—Martin Harris believes that the work in its commencement was a genuine work of the Lord, but that Smith, having become worldly and proud, has been forsaken of the Lord, and has become a knave and impostor. He expects that the work will be yet revived, through other instrumentalities. This we had sometime since from Harris himself, and it has been repeated to us within the last week by a brother of his.” - Martin Harris, Financier of the Book of Mormon and Witness of Gold Plates Painesville Telegraph, Volume 7: 1841 June 30, No 26, Page 3 | wasmormon.org “The two [JST Matthew 26] translations are not identical; in fact, there are considerable differences... The most important changes were those that introduced new content or changed a verse’s meaning... some content changes were unique to one new translation or the other.... He made the same corrections but not in the same words or the same places. Why were the two inspired translations of the same chapter not identical?” - Kent P. Jackson “New Discoveries in the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible” By Study and by Faith (Religious Studies Center, BYU, 2009) | wasmormon.org “Joseph Smith translated Matthew 26 twice, each with the help of a different scribe. The translations were done several months apart, and it appears that the Prophet simply forgot that he had translated the chapter already. We studied the duplicate translations carefully, believing that they would help us understand the nature of the JST better. The two new translations are not identical; in fact, there are considerable differences.” - Kent P. Jackson “New Discoveries in the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible” By Study and by Faith (Religious Studies Center, BYU, 2009) | wasmormon.org “[Sidney Rigdon's] passion for learning and preaching the word of God took him into the Christian ministry... He soon found himself within the expanding influence of Alexander Campbell’s Reformed Baptist movement... Sidney Rigdon honed his public-speaking skills as a minister of the First Baptist Church... After his own conversion, Rigdon traveled to New York state with his former parishioner Edward Partridge to meet Joseph Smith. Rigdon’s extensive biblical knowledge and powerful preaching helped nurture the young Church. Rigdon also served as a scribe for Joseph Smith’s inspired revision of the Bible and was the subject of several early revelations.” - LDS Website, Church History Topics, Sidney Rigdon | wasmormon.org "Long before he received the priesthood, Joseph Smith learned of it from Moroni. According to an account of Oliver Cowdery published in 1835, Moroni appeared to Joseph in September of 1823 and informed him... While it is unclear to what extent this retrospective account may contain details that were actually learned after 1823, Joseph definitely learned more about the priesthood as he translated the Book of Mormon in 1829." - Brian Q. Cannon, Priesthood Restoration Documents, BYU Studies, Volume 35, Number 4 (1995-1996) | wasmormon.org "No single document written by the principals discusses both the appearance of Peter, James, and John and the revelation received in the Whitmer home, specifying the chronological order of these revelations, but the revelation described in documents 13 and 14 was definitely received prior to the organization of the Church, since Joseph Smith carried out its instructions on April 6, 1830." - Brian Q. Cannon, Priesthood Restoration Documents, BYU Studies, Volume 35, Number 4 (1995-1996) | wasmormon.org "The fact that the historical record can be used to support different interpretations demonstrates how puzzling any fragmentary record of the past can be. Because Joseph and Oliver never identified a date for the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood, they left room for speculation about the date of that priesthood’s restoration. Further complicating the task is our inability using extant documents to determine with certainty Joseph Smith’s full understanding of the nature of the priesthood at the time of the Church’s organization. While the documentary record is fragmentary regarding the date for the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood, the record is extensive and rich in many other respects. It strongly shows that Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery repeatedly testified that they received power from on high to perform ordinances, first from John the Baptist and then from Peter, James, and John. Their testimonies began early in Church documents and intensified as these first and second elders drew closer to their own impending deaths. The powerful thrust of these accounts, corroborated by numerous statements from other early members of the Church, is intellectually challenging and spiritually invigorating." - Brian Q. Cannon, Priesthood Restoration Documents, BYU Studies, Volume 35, Number 4 (1995-1996) | wasmormon.org Revelation given September 1830 “You shall not purchase wine, neither strong drink of your enemies” ... “John I have sent unto you, my servants, Joseph Smith, jr. and Oliver Cowdery, to ordain you unto this first priesthood which you have received, that you plight be called and ordained even as Aaron” ... “And also with Peter, and James, and John, whom I have sent unto you, by whom I have ordained you and confirmed you to be apostles” - 1835 Doctrine & Covenants Section 50 (Pages 179-181) Revised 1833 Book of Commandments Chapter 28 - Equivalent of D&C 27 today | wasmormon.org “The Melchizedek Priesthood, Mormons now believe, had been bestowed a year or two earlier with the visit of Peter, James, and John. If so, why did contemporaries say the high priesthood was given for the first time in June 1831? Joseph Smith himself was ordained to this 'high priesthood' by Lyman Wight. If Joseph was already an elder and apostle, what was the necessity of being ordained again?” - Richard Bushman, Rough Stone Rolling, Page 157-158 | wasmormon.org “Joseph Smith learned about the Aaronic Priesthood after finding mention of baptism for the remission of sins during his translation of the Book of Mormon. On May 15, 1829, Joseph and his scribe, Oliver Cowdery, went to the woods to pray about what they had read about baptism. In response, John the Baptist descended from heaven and conferred the Aaronic Priesthood, which includes the authority to baptize, upon Joseph and Oliver.” - LDS Website: The Life of Joseph Smith: Restoration of the Priesthood | wasmormon.org “Joseph Smith ordered a marshal, with the assistance of the Nauvoo Legion, to destroy the printing press. On Monday evening, June 10, the marshal and his posse of approximately 100 men removed the press, scattered the type, and burned the remaining copies of the newspaper... The Nauvoo City Council had reason to believe their actions were legal... Scholars have concluded that the Nauvoo City Council acted legally to destroy copies of the newspaper but may have exceeded its authority by destroying the press itself.” - LDS Website: Church History Topics: Nauvoo Expositor | wasmormon.org “On Friday, June 7, 1844, dissenters from the Church published the one and only issue of an opposition newspaper they called the Nauvoo Expositor... The dissenters... voiced their discontent with the practice of plural marriage, Joseph Smith’s teachings on the nature of God from his recent King Follett sermon, and his mixing of religious and civic authority in Nauvoo.” - LDS Website: Church History Topics: Nauvoo Expositor | wasmormon.org “The legality of the council's action in suppressing the Expositor depends upon the nature of the charges in the Expositor... some of the charges involve facts that are essentially undisputed... Politics. The Expositor's general complaints about the union of the authority of church and state in Nauvoo were essentially true... Religion. The same can be said of the Expositor's charges that Joseph Smith was teaching false religious doctrines, notably polygamy. Morality.... Whether the charges were true or false, they were malicious, scandalous, and defamatory.” - Dallin H. Oaks, “The Suppression of the Nauvoo Expositor,” Utah Law Review, Vol. 9, No. 4, 1965 | wasmormon.org And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. - Matthew 7:23 (KJV Bible) We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly. VS And then will I say, Ye never knew me; depart from me ye that work iniquity. - JST Matthew 7:33 Joseph Smith Translation. Inspired JST, more revelation than literal translation, restores truths to the KJV text that had become lost or changed. VS And then will I profess unto them: I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity. - 3 Nephi 14:23 - The Book of Mormon - The most correct of any book on earth. | wasmormon.org As the Savior concluded the Sermon on the Mount, He emphasized the eternal truth that “only by doing the will of the Father is the saving grace of the Son obtainable.” ... Our understanding of this episode is enlarged as we reflect upon an inspired revision to the text. Significantly, the Lord’s phrase reported in the King James Version of the Bible, “I never knew you,” was changed in the Joseph Smith Translation to “Ye never knew me.” - David A. Bednar, LDS Apostle, “If Ye Had Known Me”, General Conference, October 2016 | wasmormon.org “And then will I say, Ye never knew me; depart from me ye that work iniquity.” - Matthew 7:23—Joseph Smith Translation (JST) Footnote “a” | wasmormon.org “After having expressed myself so freely upon this subject, I do not doubt but those who have been forward in raising their voice against the South, will cry out against me as being uncharitable, unfeeling and unkind—wholly unacquainted with the gospel of Christ. It is my privilege then, to name certain passages from the bible, and examine the teachings of the ancients upon this matter, as the fact is uncontrovertable, that the first mention we have of slavery is found in the holy bible, pronounced by a man who was perfect in his generation and walked with God. And so far from that prediction’s being averse from the mind of God it remains as a lasting monument of the decree of Jehovah, to the shame and confusion of all who have cried out against the South, in consequence of their holding the sons of Ham in servitude!” - Joseph Smith, Letter to Oliver Cowdery, April 9, 1836 | wasmormon.org “I do not believe that the people of the North have any more right to say that the South shall not hold slaves, than the South have to say the North shall.... When I see persons in the free states signing documents against slavery, it is no less, in my mind, than an array of influence, and a declaration of hostilities against the people of the South!” - Joseph Smith, Letter to Oliver Cowdery, April 9, 1836 | wasmormon.org “No one will pretend to say, that the people of the free states are as capable of knowing the evils of slavery as those who hold them. If slavery is an evil, who, could we expect, would first learn it? Would the people of the free states, or would the slave states? All must readily admit, that the latter would first learn this fact.” - Joseph Smith, Letter to Oliver Cowdery, April 9, 1836 | wasmormon.org “Search the book of Covenants, in which you will see the belief of the church concerning masters and servants... we have no right to interfere with slaves contrary to the mind and will of their masters. In fact, it would be much better and more prudent, not to preach at all to slaves, until after their masters are converted: and then, teach the master to use them with kindness... and that servants are bound to serve their masters, with singleness of heart, without murmuring. I do, most sincerely hope, that no one who is authorized from this church to preach the gospel, will so far depart from the scripture as to be found stirring up strife and sedition against our brethren of the South.” - Joseph Smith, Letter to Oliver Cowdery, April 9, 1836 | wasmormon.org Jane Elizabeth Manning James (a Negro) Do you wish to be attached as a Servitor for eternity to the prophet Joseph Smith and in this capacity be connected with his family and be obedient to him in all things in the Lord as a faithful Servitor? (Yes.) President Joseph F. Smith acting for and in behalf of the Prophet Joseph Smith: Do you wish to receive Jane James as a Servitor to yourself and family? (Yes.) By the authority given me of the Lord I pronounce you, Jane James, a Servitor to the Prophet Joseph Smith (President Joseph F. Smith acting for and and in his behalf) and to his household for all eternity, through your faithfulness in the new and everlasting covenant, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. | Book of Temple Ordinances - Salt Lake Temple Adoption Record: Book A. Sealing of Jane Elizabeth Manning James by Proxy - May 18, 1894 | wasmormon.org “Please excuse me taking the liberty of writing to you, but be a Brother. I am anxious for my welfare for the future and I hope to be one bye and bye... First... a coloured brother, Brother Lewis wished me to be sealed to Him. He has been dead 35 or 36 years. Can I be sealed to him? Parley P. Pratt ordained Him an Elder. When can I ever be sealed to Him? Second, can I obtain my endowments for my dead? Third, can I also be adopted in Brother Joseph Smiths the prophets family. I think you are somewhat acquainted with me. I lived in the prophets family with Emma and others, about a year, and Emma said Joseph told her to tell me I could be adopted in their family. She asked me if I should like to. I did not understand the law of adoption then, but understanding it now, can that be accomplished and when?” - Jane Elizabeth James Manning, Letter to Joseph F. Smith, Feb 7, 1890 | wasmormon.org “The differences between these final two drawings are significant. In Smith's version, a human-headed figure holds a knife; in the professional reconstruction this is a jackal-headed figure without a knife. Also, in Smith's reconstruction the flying bird at the right has a bird's head, while in the professional reconstruction the bird has a man's head... In Smith's the man lying down has both hands raised; in the other a bird is hovering over a man who has one hand raised, there being too many lines in the upper hand in the photograph to represent fingers. The man lying down is also shown as an ithyphallic figure in the professional reconstruction.” - Charles M. Larson, By His Own Hand upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri, 1992 | wasmormon.org “Experts examined the illustrations on the papyri and looked closely at Facsimile No. 1. They discovered the complete illustration was not actually in the original papyri. There were two critical areas missing in the original Joseph inserted into Facsimile No. 1. The areas related to the head and hands of the Anubis character, the very areas experts identified many years earlier, were missing. It was now obvious Joseph reconstructed the facsimile on his own, lacking an accurate understanding of Egyptian practice and theology.” - J. Warner Wallace, How the Book of Abraham Exposes the False Nature of Mormonism, 2015 | Official Joseph Smith Reconstruction of Facsimile 1 | wasmormon.org “The discovery of the papyrus fragments renewed debate about Joseph Smith’s translation. The fragments included one vignette, or illustration, that appears in the book of Abraham as facsimile 1. Long before the fragments were published by the Church, some Egyptologists had said that Joseph Smith’s explanations of the various elements of these facsimiles did not match their own interpretations of these drawings... None of the characters on the papyrus fragments mentioned Abraham’s name or any of the events recorded in the book of Abraham.” - LDS Website, Gospel Topics Essays: Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham | churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics-essays/translation-and-historicity-of-the-book-of-abraham | wasmormon.org “Over time people have been confused about the Godhead. People have disagreed about what God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are like. This is one reason why the First Vision that Joseph Smith had was so important. He saw that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have bodies and are two separate beings.” - Gospel Basics | What Is the Godhead? | Liahona, June 2021 | wasmormon.org “When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” - The 1838 First Vision Account | Joseph Smith History 1:17 | wasmormon.org “A personage appeared in the midst of this pillar of flame, which was spread all around and yet nothing consumed. Another personage soon appeared, like unto the first. He said unto me, “Thy sins are forgiven thee.” He testified unto me that Jesus Christ is the son of God. And I saw many angels in this vision. I was about fourteen years old when I received this first communication.” - The 1835 First Vision Account | Joseph Smith Journal | wasmormon.org “While in the attitude of calling upon the Lord, in the sixteenth year of my age, a pillar of light above the brightness of the sun at noonday came down from above and rested upon me. I was filled with the spirit of God, and the Lord opened the heavens upon me and I saw the Lord.” - The 1832 First Vision Account | Joseph Smith Journal | wasmormon.org "God does not expect perfect performance or exceptional talent to participate in His work. If so, ... Joseph Smith would not be the Prophet of the Restoration." - Steven D. Shumway, LDS General Authority Seventy, April 2025 | wasmormon.org I don't believe the Book of Mormon is true. Not only has history proven that things never happened. But Joseph Smith looked into a Hat of Stones to read gold plates that he had to fight people off from stealing from him. He also had to run home with them. Joseph Smith had a bad limp and would not have been able to run with gold plates, away from people. Joseph Smith was a sick con-man. - Steven's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/scubasteven1013/ As I visited with Stephen, he said that he had concerns with the fact that Joseph Smith related four versions of the First Vision. He thought that this might mean that Joseph Smith made up his experience. I put Stephen in contact with a man who had researched these four versions decades earlier. Stephen visited with the researcher. The next time I spoke with Stephen I said, “So, how do you feel about the First Vision?” He said, “Well, I feel okay about that because my questions have been answered. That no longer bothers me... - Dale G. Renlund, LDS Apostle, and Sister Ruth L. Renlund, Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults • January 13, 2019 • BYU–Hawaii - Church History whack-a-mole | wasmormon.org My spouse was following a very public pressure campaign to get the church to eliminate sexist teachings and policies. It had always really bothered me that, in the endowment, men were allowed to covenant directly with God and women would turn and covenant to their husbands (and not with God). Then, I was sitting in an endowment session and discovered that church leaders had quietly changed the part of the endowment that had always bothered me. All of the sudden, women could now covenant directly with God instead of to their husband. I was always taught the covenants were eternal truths given directly by God to Joseph Smith. Witnessing first-hand the church leaders quietly change a covenant in what was obviously a response to external pressure finally gave my brain permission to think, “maybe they’re just making this all up as they go.” - Kendall's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/kendall/ While reading the gospel topics essay on the BoM translation, I had a flashback to watching the Mormons South Park episode as a teenager. I remember laughing about the silly things they got "wrong," like when Joseph Smith looked at a rock in a top hat to translate the Book of Mormon. Reading the article, I was suddenly slapped with the realization that a stupid TV show had given a more accurate portrayal of my church's founding history than the leaders I'd trusted for 32 years. The LDS church apologist’s website answers just felt like insane mental gymnastics and only made it worse. So once again, I put it all away and told myself that the church had given me a good life and that I would just have to focus on what was working and ignore the rest. - Kendall's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/kendall/ "The Anthon Transcript was a sheet of paper, thought to be lost, upon which Joseph Smith copied sample “reformed Egyptian” characters from the plates of the Book of Mormon. In the winter of 1828, Martin Harris showed these characters to Dr. Charles Anthon of Columbia College, and hence the name... [Anthon] maintained that he told Harris that he (Harris) was a victim of a fraud. Modern research suggests that, given the state of knowledge of Egyptian in 1828, Anthon’s views would have been little more than opinion... [The Anthon Transcript] contains seven horizontal lines of characters apparently copied from the plates. David Whitmer, who once owned the document, said it was this text that Martin Harris showed to Charles Anthon. However, this claim remains uncertain because the transcript does not correspond with Anthon’s assertion that the manuscript he saw was arranged in vertical columns. Even if the document is not the original, it almost certainly represents characters either copied from the plates in Joseph Smith’s possession or copied from the document carried by Harris. Twice in late 1844, after the Prophet’s martyrdom, portions of these symbols were published as characters that Joseph Smith had copied from the gold plates." Anthon Transcript. Danel W. Bachman. BYU Studies | wasmormon.org "The next morning at school, I told two of my closest friends I thought I was trans. That really was the beginning of the end. Instinctively, I knew I couldn't tell anyone at church or anyone in my family. I kept it a secret for a long time. I was trying desperately to reconcile my faith with my newfound identity. I was a firm believer in God, in Joseph Smith's righteousness, in my duty to spread the good word. I did everything to remain a devout follower and prove to myself it wasn't a sin to be Mormon AND trans." - Bennets "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/bennjh/ Much of what's discussed in the Gospel Topic Essays, Joseph Smith Papers, etc. were once described as "anti-mormon lies" by local and general leaders of the church. Discovering that those "anti-mormon lies" were true was heartbreaking because it meant that the church I'd grown to love had lied to me solely to protect its image. - Curtis' "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/curtishartley/ Instead of "Reformed Egyptian" many of the "Caractors" are deformed English, as any one will observe who will compare them with English letters, figures and signs. I have counted thirty-six different characters in the fac-simile, some of them occurring more than once, which are either identical with, or which closely resemble, the English. The fact is that Joseph Smith, in drawing the transcript, employed different kinds and styles of English letters, changing a few of them to make the imposture less observable. Latter-day Saints are very quick to see a resemblance between the "Caractors" a n d the letters in the Maya and Egyptian alphabets of Le Plongeon; will they be as quick to see the similarity between the "Caractors" and the English? If similarity proves anything, it proves that the transcript is a bold, bare forgery and one not above the ability of a Smith or a Harris to execute. - Cumorah Revisited, 1910, pp. 538-39 | wasmormon.org The angel charged Joseph Smith to translate the book from the ancient language in which it was written. The young man, however, had very little formal education and was incapable of writing a book on his own, let alone translating an ancient book written from an unknown language, known in the Book of Mormon as “reformed Egyptian.” Joseph’s wife Emma insisted that, at the time of translation, Joseph “could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter, let alone dictat[e] a book like the Book of Mormon.” - Gospel Topic Essay on Book of Mormon Translation, LDS Church | wasmormon.org Joseph Smith claimed these characters were reformed Egyptian but critics think they are deformed English. | wasmormon.org When you dig into the real history you'll find that what the Church teaches is not how it all went. Joseph Smith was a con artist who claimed to be able to find hidden treasures and (illegally) charged people for it. You find that there is no evidence of the Nephites and Lamanites. That the book of Abraham came from a papyrus containing the Book of Breathings which has nothing to do with Abraham (the word Abraham doesn't even appear on it) It became obvious that Joseph Smith made it all up. - Exmodad's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/exmodad/ It was all about the truth claims for me. The Church claims to be "the only true and living Church upon the face of the whole Earth" led by Jesus himself. They teach that Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus after an earnest prayer. They teach that the Book of Mormon is a real history of the American Indians, who came from a family in Jerusalem. They teach that the book of Abraham is a real scripture... - Exmodad's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/exmodad/ The CES letter says, "How could it have been expected of me and any other member to know about and to embrace the rock in the hat translation when even two faithful full-time professors of religion at BYU rejected it as a fictitious lie meant to undermine Joseph Smith and the truth claims of the restoration." How can it be expected of people when they do feel that they were taught something opposite of what the truth seems to be? “What he says is true. But, to complain that people taught him the truth, taught him error, when they believed it is the truth, what else should they teach him? They believed it was true, so they did their best to tell, teach him that. As it turned out, they were wrong. So as a mature person, you just have to be willing to change your views on things as new information comes along.” - Richard Bushman, LDS Historian | Interview on CES Letters (Study & Faith) Podcast | wasmormon.org The whole [seer stone translation] scene is made to appear ludicrous. The CES letter says these are crazy things, and you're saying they're not as ludicrous as they may seem. Why is that? “This is an old Mormon embarrassment, that the seer stone was something that had to be obscured, because it was degrading to think of Joseph Smith as a treasure seeker. That, I think, is a mistaken historical outlook... In 1834, E. D. Howe published a book in which he trotted out all the evidence he could find from the neighbors that the Smiths were practicing money digging. And this was to discredit them. And I think that's the first time that the smiths began to feel like this is something to be embarrassed about. And they began to change the story... And so ever since then, we've been embarrassed by something, and for the Smiths, it was part of everyday life. It wasn't embarrassing at all. In fact, it probably played a large part in their ability to accept the gold plates as legitimate.” - Richard Bushman, LDS Historian | Interview on CES Letters (Study & Faith) Podcast | wasmormon.org Some people may have concerns that the history was changed or that the narrative was changed a little bit. How would you help those people recognize the history and what is actually true and how to determine what is changed of the narrative or what is the actual truth of it? “It was changed. The Smiths immediately began trying to bury the fact. Joseph Smith played down his treasure seeking background as just a little episode which Josiah Stowell, just dismissed as something; Lucy Mack did the same. And what's significant is from the Book of Commandments to the Doctrine and Covenants, they changed one of the revelations to insert the word Urim and Thummim. See that's acceptable, desirable, versus seer stone. The church was trying to cover up, in that case, Joseph Smith's involvement with treasure seeking.” - Richard Bushman, LDS Historian | Interview on CES Letters (Study & Faith) Podcast | wasmormon.org “David Whitmer, Oliver Cowdery, and Martin Harris, are too mean to mention; and we had liked to have forgotten them.” - Joseph Smith | wasmormon.org How to Avoid a Faith Crisis. • Experiment on the word and desire to believe. • Doubt not, but be believing; ask deep questions. • Make sure that Jesus Christ is your only foundation. • Accept Joseph Smith as the Lord's restorer. • Let the Book of Mormon be your keystone. • Take an eternal view on earthly concerns. • Use sound study methods and clear reasoning. • Consult reliable, well-informed resources. • Listen to the Spirit and follow the prophets. • Find safety and peace in obeying the commandments. • Embrace the ever-changing Church policies. • Examine Church history with a 360º perspective. • Forgive, forget offensive leaders and members. • Maintain daily habits to stay on the covenant path. • Record the times when God spoke peace to you. | wasmormon.org A Mormon faith crisis is inevitable for those who seek to reconcile the religion's foundational claims with objective truth because the Mormon faith is built on a narrative that does not hold up to scrutiny. At its core, the church hinges on the prophetic authority of Joseph Smith, the historical authenticity of the Book of Mormon, and the divine mandate of its leadership—all claims that crumble under critical examination. Also, the church's history of racism, sexism, polygamy, and homophobia—justified as divine revelation—contradict its own teachings on morality and equality. Faith crises are not simply caused by offense or laziness, as the church often claims, but by the irreconcilable gap between its teachings and reality. When faith is tethered to a narrative that cannot withstand scrutiny, a crisis of faith and questioning are not only possible but they are unavoidable—especially for anyone who values integrity and truth. | wasmormon.org/how-to-avoid-a-faith-crisis/ "Although this account appears to be the writing of Joseph Smith, it is actually an excerpt from a journal of William Clayton... Where the ideas written by William Clayton originated is unknown." - Ensign, August 1981. Kinderhook Plates Brought to Joseph Smith Appear to Be a Nineteenth-Century Hoax, Stanley B. Kimball, professor of history at Southern Illinois University. wasmormon.org "A recent electronic and chemical analysis of a metal plate (one of six original plates) brought in 1843 to the Prophet Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, Illinois, appears to solve a previously unanswered question in Church history, helping to further evidence that the plate is what its producers later said it was—a nineteenth-century attempt to lure Joseph Smith into making a translation of ancient-looking characters that had been etched into the plates." - Ensign, August 1981. Kinderhook Plates Brought to Joseph Smith Appear to Be a Nineteenth-Century Hoax, Stanley B. Kimball, professor of history at Southern Illinois University. | wasmormon.org Contemporaneous sources say very little about Joseph Smith’s encounter with the Kinderhook plates, which occurred over a span of just a few days in 1843. Joseph apparently examined the plates and, according to his clerk William Clayton, remarked that they contained “the history of … a descendant of Ham through the loins of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” Joseph evidently did not attempt a revelatory translation as he had done with the Book of Mormon plates, but rather appears to have compared the symbols on the Kinderhook plates with other ancient artifacts in his possession. - LDS Website, Church History Topics: Kinderhook Plates https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/kinderhook-plates | wasmormon.org "A recent rediscovery of one of the Kinderhook plates which was examined by Joseph Smith, reaffirms his prophetic calling... Joseph Smith, pronounced them genuine and translated a part of them... This much remains, Joseph Smith, stands as a true prophet and translator of ancient records by divine means and all the world is invited to investigate the truth which has sprung out of the earth not only of the Kinderhook plates, but of the Book of Mormon as well." - The Improvement Era, September 1962. The Kinderhook Plates, Welby W. Ricks, President, University Archeological Society, BYU. Pages 636-637, 656, 658, 660. | wasmormon.org Another set of plates have been found in Pike county, in this State; they were dug out of a large mound, fifteen feet from the summit, by a company of persons, fifteen in number, who all affirm to the fact of their situation when found. There were six in number, about three inches in length, and two and a half broad at one end, and one inch broad at the other, being something of the form of a bell, about the sixteenth of an inch thick, with a hole in the small end of each, fastened together with a ring, apparantly of iron or steel, but which was so oxidised as to crumble to pieces when handled. The plates are evidently brass, and are covered on both sides with hyerogliphics. They were brought up and shown to Joseph Smith. He compared them in my presence with his Egyptian alphabet, which he took from the plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated, and they are characters. He therefore will evidently the same be able to decipher them. There can be no doubt but they are a record of some kind, buried with an individual, centuries ago; a skeleton was found with them-some of the bones in such a state of preservation as to show the size of the individual, whose height must have been eight and a half teet. You may expect something very remarkably pretty soon. - Late and Interesting from the Mormon Empire on the Upper Mississippi, Letter from "A Gentile" (Sylvester Emmons) published in New York Herald, Tuesday, May 30, 1843. Library of Congress, Washington, DC. | wasmormon.org One of the six original Kinderhook Plates created by counterfeiters in southwestern Illinois who hoped to discredit Latter Day Saints leader Joseph Smith in 1843. The plates were manufactured bearing a fabricated ancient language and buried near the town of Kinderhook, Illinois. The hucksters hoped Smith would translate the gibberish and reveal himself as a fake. - Chicago History Museum, Kinderhook plate | wasmormon.org I have seen 6 brass plates which were found in Adams County by some persons who were digging in a mound They found a skeleton about 6 feet from the surface of the earth which was 9 foot high [tracing of plate] The plates were on the breast of the skeleton. This diagram shows the size of the plates being drawn on the edge of one of them. They are covered with ancient characters of language containing from 30 to 40 on each side of the plates. Prest J. has translated a portion and says they contain the history of the person with whom they were found & he was a descendant of Ham through the loins of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and that he received his kingdom from the ruler of heaven & earth. - William Clayton's Journal, Joseph Smith's Official Scribe and Secretary, May 1, 1843 | wasmormon.org "I have seen 6 brass plates which were found... in a mound... covered with ancient characters of language containing from 30 to 40 on each side of the plates. President Joseph has translated a portion and says they contain the history of the person with whom they were found & he was a descendant of Ham through the loins of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and that he received his kingdom from the ruler of heaven & earth." - William Clayton's Journal, Joseph Smith's Official Scribe and Secretary, May 1, 1843 | wasmormon.org "The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. Take away the Book of Mormon and the revelations, and where is our religion? We have none." - Joseph Smith, Jr | wasmormon.org If you see a person at the post office preparing to send huge sums of money to a Nigerian prince, do you not have an obligation to warn them that they're being scammed? Maybe they'll ignore your input. Maybe they'll tell you that the Nigerian prince makes them happy and so they don't mind giving him money. Fine. You don't force them to stop sending him money. But as a matter of human decency, you're obligated to let that person know about the countless news articles you've seen where the Nigerian prince always turned out to be a con man. It's the same with Mormonism. There's overwhelming evidence showing that Joseph Smith was the original Nigerian prince and that the brethren leading the church today are no better. It would be morally wrong to stay silent about all that evidence when you see people you love losing huge amounts of time and money to a scam like that. - Doug's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/doug/ If you see a person at the post office preparing to send huge sums of money to a Nigerian prince, do you not have an obligation to warn them that they're being scammed? Maybe they'll ignore your input. Maybe they'll tell you that the Nigerian prince makes them happy and so they don't mind giving him money. Fine. You don't force them to stop sending him money. But as a matter of human decency, you're obligated to let that person know about the countless news articles you've seen where the Nigerian prince always turned out to be a con man. It's the same with Mormonism. There's overwhelming evidence showing that Joseph Smith was the original Nigerian prince and that the brethren leading the church today are no better. It would be morally wrong to stay silent about all that evidence when you see people you love losing huge amounts of time and money to a scam like that. - Doug's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/doug/ Joseph did a whole lot of things that would get a person rightfully thrown in jail if they tried those things nowdays, and which would definitely keep that person out of the Celestial Kingdom according to the teachings of Mormonism, but Mormons just shrug it off. They say, "Don't delve into the mysteries". They say not to worry about those "unknowable questions". They say to just be patient and God will explain it all later. This shows a stunning lack of integrity on the part of Mormons. Look at the articles published by the church which attempt to explain away that fact that Joseph Smith's "translation" of the Book of Abraham scrolls bears no resemblance whatsoever to what the scrolls actually say. Published right there in the Pearl of Great Price are images from the scrolls, side by side with Joseph's alleged translations. At the time the Pearl of Great Price was published, nobody could argue with Joseph's "translation" since nobody at that time could read Egyptian. But now people CAN read Egyptian and Joseph's "translations" are laughably wrong. And what's the church's explanation? They don't have one. The articles they publish which claim to refute that evidence simply say, "The Book of Abraham is a religions text, not a historical one, and therefore the only way to know if it's correct is to pray about it." - Doug's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/doug/ I've now been free from Mormonism for more than forty years... or at least as free as is possible for someone who still lives in Utah. My neighbors still try to bear their testimonies to me. They don't know that I’m an escapee. They just know that I’m not a Mormon. When they give me Books of Mormon and tell me how it'll change my life, I want to tell them that the reason I'm not Mormon is NOT because I haven't read the Book of Mormon. The reason I'm not Mormon is because I HAVE read it. I found a mountain of unrefuted evidence proving conclusively that Joseph Smith was con man, not a prophet. But if I say that to them then I'll be marked as one of Satan's emissaries and shunned by people with whom I need to have good relationships, so of course I have to just smile and nod and thank them for their concern on my behalf. - Doug's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/doug/ When missionaries teach other people about Mormonism, they always leave crucial details out. "Preach my Gospel" does not tell missionaries to share about the 30+ wives Joseph Smith had, and as young as 14 years old, nor the 50+ wives Brigham Young had. They don't teach you about the actual reason why Joseph Smith was killed - that he burned down a press. They don't teach that Joseph Smith was a known treasure digger. All these details are just the tip of the iceberg and will show red flags to anyone trying to join this cult. All the characteristics of a cult are present in the Mormon church. - Searjasub's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/searjasub/ “[The Book of Mormon] is chloroform in print. If Joseph Smith composed this book, the act was a miracle. Keeping awake while he did it, was at any rate. If he, according to tradtion, merely translated it from certain ancient and myteriously engraved plates of copper, which he declares he found under a stone, in an out of the way locality, the work of translating it was equally a miracle for the same reason.” - Mark Twain, Roughing It, 1872 | wasmormon.org “Joseph told associates that an angel appeared to him three times between 1834 and 1842 and commanded him to proceed with plural marriage when he hesitated to move forward. During the third and final appearance, the angel came with a drawn sword, threatening Joseph with destruction unless he went forward and obeyed the commandment fully.” - Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo, Gospel Topic Essay | wasmormon.org “[Joseph Smith] received the revelation in 1837, but he was himself afraid to promulgate it until the angel came and stood beside him with flaming sword and bade him do the command of God. Not until then did Joseph enter into polygamy, or get any of his disciples to take plural wives.” - Eliza R. Snow | wasmormon.org “This angel, [Joseph] states, stood over him with a drawn sword prepared to inflict the penalty of death if he should be disobedient.” - Helen Mar Kimball Whitney | wasmormon.org “For those without an understanding of how 19th-century people in Joseph’s region lived their religion, seer stones can be unfamiliar, and scholars have long debated this period of his life... The stone pictured here has long been associated with Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon translation. The stone Joseph Smith used in the Book of Mormon translation effort was often referred to as a chocolate-colored stone with an oval shape.” - Richard E. Turley Jr., Robin S. Jensen and Mark Ashurst-McGee, Joseph the Seer Ensign, October 2015 | wasmormon.org “The stone pictured here has long been associated with Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon translation. The stone Joseph Smith used in the Book of Mormon translation effort was often referred to as a chocolate-colored stone with an oval shape.” - Richard E. Turley Jr., Robin S. Jensen and Mark Ashurst-McGee, Joseph the Seer Ensign, October 2015 | wasmormon.org "In Joseph Smith’s day, some individuals claimed that they had a gift to “see,” or receive divine or supernatural messages, through seer stones. These beliefs came from the Bible and from European cultural traditions brought to early America by immigrants. Joseph Smith and his family accepted these beliefs, and Joseph occasionally used stones he located in the ground to help neighbors find missing objects or search for buried treasure." - Church History Topics: Seer Stones, Church Website, 2020 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/seer-stones | wasmormon.org “The other instrument, which Joseph Smith discovered in the ground years before he retrieved the gold plates, was a small oval stone, or “seer stone.” As a young man during the 1820s, Joseph Smith, like others in his day, used a seer stone to look for lost objects and buried treasure... Some people have balked at this claim of physical instruments used in the divine translation process, but such aids to facilitate the communication of God’s power and inspiration are consistent with accounts in scripture. Martin Harris sat across the table from Joseph Smith and wrote down the words Joseph dictated. Harris later related that as Joseph used the seer stone to translate, sentences appeared.” - Book of Mormon Translation, Gospel Topic Essay The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2013 | wasmormon.org "David Whitmer maintained [that] the Prophet used an oval-shaped, chocolate-colored seer stone slightly larger than an egg. Thus, everything we have in the Book of Mormon, according to Mr. Whitmer, was translated by placing the chocolate-colored stone in a hat into which Joseph would bury his head so as to close out the light... Such an explanation is, in our judgment, simply fiction created for the purpose of demeaning Joseph Smith and to undermine the validity of the revelations he received" - Joseph Fielding McConkie (BYU Professor of Ancient Scripture) & Craig J. Ostler (BYU Professor, Church History and Doctrine), Revelations of the Restoration. Page 95-96, Deseret Book, 2000 | wasmormon.org "Everything we have in the Book of Mormon, according to Mr. [David] Whitmer, was translated by placing the chocolate-colored stone in a hat into which Joseph would bury his head so as to close out the light... Such an explanation is, in our judgment, simply fiction created for the purpose of demeaning Joseph Smith and to undermine the validity of the revelations he received... Why all this flap and fuss if the Prophet didn't really have the plates and if they were not used in the process of translation? What David Whitmer is asking us to believe is that the Lord had Moroni seal up the plates and the means by which they were to be translated hundreds of years before they would come into Joseph Smith's possession and then decided to have the Prophet use a seer stone found while digging a well so that none of these things would be necessary after all. Is this, we would ask, really a credible explanation of the way the heavens operate?" - Joseph Fielding McConkie (BYU Professor of Ancient Scripture) & Craig J. Ostler (BYU Professor, Church History and Doctrine), Revelations of the Restoration. Page 95-96, Deseret Book, 2000. | wasmormon.org