Sidney Rigdon - wasmormon.org

Joseph Smith’s Twice “Inspired” Translation of Matthew: Two Versions and Considerable Differences

“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

Joseph Smith claimed to be a prophet, seer, and revelator—one uniquely gifted by God with the power to translate ancient scripture by divine means. Among his translation projects was the “Joseph Smith Translation” (JST) of the Bible, also known as the Inspired Version. But a close look at this work raises serious questions about the …

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Did Sidney Rigdon Influence the Priesthood Restoration?

“Other churches at the time—including ones with which many early Church members were familiar—taught about the priesthood. The Disciples of Christ, from which many early members of the Church converted, for example, had developed its own priesthood doctrines, influenced by Alexander Crawford, a Scottish minister living in Canada. In 1827, Crawford had delineated the existence of three distinct priesthoods: a patriarchal priesthood (which he also called a priesthood after the “order of Melchisedec”), an Aaronical priesthood (originally held by Aaron)... Alexander Campbell and the Disciples of Christ were influenced by Crawford’s ideas...” - Matthew C. Godfrey “A Culmination of Learning: D&C and the Doctrine of the Priesthood” 2012, Exploring the Text of the Doctrine and Covenants, Religious Studies Center, BYU | wasmormon.org

The modern LDS Church presents the restoration of priesthood authority—first the Aaronic Priesthood by John the Baptist on May 15, 1829, and then the Melchizedek Priesthood by Peter, James, and John—as pivotal, well-documented events in church history. However, early sources and the timeline of doctrinal development tell a much murkier story, one that raises serious …

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The Other Mormon Extermination Order, from Brigham Young against the Timpanogos People

“I feel it best to kill the Indians” “My voice is for war, exterminate them.” “I say go kill them!” “We shall have no peace until the men are killed off - Never treat an Indian as your equal.” - Parley P. Pratt, Willard Richards, and Brigham Young Extermination Order - Timpanogos, January 31, 1850 | wasmormon.org

The Provo River Massacre, also known as the Battle of Fort Utah, was a brutal campaign of extermination carried out in 1850 under the direct orders of Brigham Young against the Timpanogos people in what is now Provo, Utah. Tensions between Mormon settlers and the Timpanogos had escalated over land disputes and trade conflicts. Rather …

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Lilburn Boggs’ Extermination Order and Mormon War

“Our rights shall no more be trampled on with impunity. The man or the set of men, who attempts it, does it at the expense of their lives. And that mob that comes on us to disturb us; it shall be between us and them a war of extermination.” - Sidney Rigdon, July 4 1838, Far West Missouri - Precedes the Mormon Extermination Order, or Executive Order 44 Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs on October 27, 1838 | wasmormon.org

The Mormon-Missouri War (1838) was a conflict between the Mormon settlers in Missouri and their non-Mormon neighbors, culminating in violent clashes, forced expulsions, and the infamous Missouri Executive Order 44, also known as the so-called “Extermination Order.” While the Mormon Church often portrays itself as the innocent victim of religious persecution, the historical reality is …

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Apostates Can Never Have a Really Happy Day?

“"I have not enjoyed one day's peace since I left the Church." This is the declaration of the apostates today, when they tell the truth about it.” - Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, speaking in for all disaffected church members. | wasmormon.org

At the end of Section 76, (3 Degrees of Glory) the ‘D&C Commentary’ issues a salient warning to all those who would desert the faith, by naming brother Lyman Johnson as a: ‘Particular kind of apostate’ who “never had a really happy day” after leaving the fold and ended up drowning in an accident. “In one portion of this Revelation the eternal misery …

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On Being a Mormon Historian from Michael Quinn

"The tragic reality is that there have been occasions when Church leaders, teachers, and writers have not told the truth they knew about difficulties of the Mormon past, but have offered to the Saints instead a mixture of platitudes, half-truths, omissions, and plausible denials... A so-called "faith-promoting" Church history which conceals controversies and difficulties of the Mormon past actually undermines the faith of Latter-day Saints who eventually learn about the problems from other sources." Dr. D Michael Quinn, Excommunicated Mormon | wasmormon.org

The late Dr. D. Michael Quinn was among the many scholars who were forced to choose between promoting church propaganda and maintaining their integrity as historians in response to Elder Packer’s controversial talk “The Mantle is Far Greater Than the Intellect,”. Quinn delivered a pointed response to Elder Packer’s remarks in his lecture entitled “On …

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The Joseph Smith “Like a Lamb to the Slaughter” Narrative is Myth

"Brother Joseph snapped the pistol six successive times. Two or three were wounded by these discharges, two of whom died."- John Taylor. "I am going like a lamb to the slaughter" - Joseph Smith. wasmormon.org

Joseph Smith purportedly knew he was going to be killed, and said the following, which is now canonized in the D&C scriptures as the dominant narrative of the church. I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer’s morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, …

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