Tag Archives: Joseph Smith

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Joseph Smith View the Joseph Smith Church Leader profile →

Founder of Mormonism (1805-1844). Claimed to be a prophet who restored Christ’s church. Practiced polygamy and was killed by a mob.

“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
“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
“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 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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
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
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.
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
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

Bishop Warren S. Snow’s Teenage Brides and The Castration of Thomas Lewis

In 1857, just as tensions with the U.S. government were escalating toward the Utah War, a dark and largely forgotten episode of Mormon frontier justice played out in Manti, Utah. It involved a young man named Thomas Lewis, potentially an unnamed teenage girl, and Warren S. Snow, a high-ranking Mormon bishop and militia leader. What …

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“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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

Joseph Smith on Slavery

In recent years, LDS apostle Quentin L. Cook has claimed that early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were persecuted because they were abolitionists and anti-slavery. Today leaders promote the narrative that latter-day saints of the day were driven out of Missouri in significant part because they were opposed to slavery. …

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Leadership Suppress Dissenfecting Light – The Nauvoo Expositor

On June 7, 1844, a bold and short-lived newspaper called the Nauvoo Expositor published its first—and only—issue in Nauvoo, Illinois. It was created by former Mormon insiders who could no longer remain silent. They leveled charges against Joseph Smith, including abuse of power, political tyranny, and most explosively, his secret polygamy. The Nauvoo Expositor printed …

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Jane Manning James: Faithful Servant, Denied Sisterhood, Sealed into Slavery

Jane Elizabeth Manning James was a remarkable woman who exemplified deep faith and resilience, despite the racism and systemic exclusion she endured within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Born free in Wilton, Connecticut, in the early 19th century. As a child, she worked as a domestic servant in a prosperous white household. …

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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
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

Facsimile Problems with the Book of Abraham Translation Theory of Papyri as Catalyst

Apologists for the LDS Church have proposed a theory, the Catalyst Theory, to explain the translation of the Book of Abraham. This theory suggests that the Egyptian papyri Joseph Smith obtained were merely a spiritual trigger, or “catalyst,” for receiving inspired scripture. In other words, the physical texts weren’t actually translated in the traditional sense; …

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“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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

LDS Leadership on Appearances: “Put on a little lipstick,” “Even a barn looks better painted”

Sexism, Patriarchy, and the Lingering Legacy of Polygamy in the LDS Church Two statements made by high-ranking LDS church leaders reveal more than just outdated social attitudes—they expose the deeply entrenched gender roles and patriarchal frameworks that continue to shape the church’s view of women. In a devotional, President David O. McKay once said, “Even …

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Shifting Visions of God: Unpacking Mormonism’s Developing Theology Through Joseph Smith’s First Vision Accounts

Joseph Smith’s various accounts of the First Vision provide a window into his evolving theology, particularly regarding the nature of the Godhead. The changes in each version, when looked at as a narrative through a lens to understand the thinking of church leadership at the time, show ideas developing and how these changing ideas were …

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