Tag Archives: Benjamin Franklin

Book of Mormon Anachronisms – Slippery Treasures and Treasure Digging Concepts

Joseph Smith was brought up being praised for a “gift.” What gift is that? The gift his father practiced and saw in him. The practice was condemned by Benjamin Franklin 100 years earlier. The practice appears in church history, in the doctrine and covenants, and even the Book of Mormon. This practice is easily ridiculed …

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“This odd humour of digging for money ... has for several years been mighty prevalent among us. Men, otherwise of very good sense, have been drawn into this practice through an over weening desire of sudden wealth, and an easy credulity of what they so earnestly wished might be true. While the rational and almost certain methods of acquiring riches by industry and frugality are neglected or forgotten. There is certainly something very bewitching in the pursuit after mines of gold and silver, and other valuable metals; and many have been ruined by it. Surely, this is nothing less than the most egregious folly and madness.” - Benjamin Franklin, The Busy-Body, No. 8, March 27, 1729 | wasmormon.org
“This odd humour of digging for money ... has for several years been mighty prevalent among us. Men, otherwise of very good sense, have been drawn into this practice through an over weening desire of sudden wealth, and an easy credulity of what they so earnestly wished might be true. While the rational and almost certain methods of acquiring riches by industry and frugality are neglected or forgotten. There is certainly something very bewitching in the pursuit after mines of gold and silver, and other valuable metals; and many have been ruined by it. Surely, this is nothing less than the most egregious folly and madness.” - Benjamin Franklin, The Busy-Body, No. 8, March 27, 1729
“There are amongst us great numbers of honest artificers and labouring people, who, fed with a vain hope of growing suddenly rich, neglect their business, almost to the ruining of themselves and [their] families, and voluntarily endure abundance of fatigue in a fruitless search after imaginary treasures. They wander through the woods and bushes by day to discover the marks and signs; at midnight they repair to the hopeful spot with spades and pickaxes; full of expectation they labour violently, trembling at the same time in every joint, through fear of certain malicious demons who are said to haunt and guard such places. At length a mighty hole is dug, and perhaps several cartloads of earth thrown out, but alas, no cag or iron pot is found! No seaman’s chest crammed with Spanish pistoles, or weighty pieces of eight! Then they conclude, that through some mistake in the procedure, some rash word spoke, or some rule of art neglected, the guardian spirit had power to sink it deeper into the earth and convey it out of their reach.” - Benjamin Franklin, The Busy-Body, No. 8, March 27, 1729 | wasmormon.org
“There are amongst us great numbers of honest artificers and labouring people, who, fed with a vain hope of growing suddenly rich, neglect their business, almost to the ruining of themselves and [their] families, and voluntarily endure abundance of fatigue in a fruitless search after imaginary treasures. They wander through the woods and bushes by day to discover the marks and signs; at midnight they repair to the hopeful spot with spades and pickaxes; full of expectation they labour violently, trembling at the same time in every joint, through fear of certain malicious demons who are said to haunt and guard such places. At length a mighty hole is dug, and perhaps several cartloads of earth thrown out, but alas, no cag or iron pot is found! No seaman’s chest crammed with Spanish pistoles, or weighty pieces of eight! Then they conclude, that through some mistake in the procedure, some rash word spoke, or some rule of art neglected, the guardian spirit had power to sink it deeper into the earth and convey it out of their reach.” - Benjamin Franklin, The Busy-Body, No. 8, March 27, 1729