|
|
|
—————— 6 —————— False
Prophet
and
Occult Connections “God made Aaron to be the mouthpiece for the children of Israel, and he will make me be God to you in his stead…and if you don’t like it, you must lump it.”
–Joseph Smith [1]
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them.”
– Matthew 7:15
Every pseudo-Christian cult is started by a false prophet or manipulative leader. Listed below are some examples:
Mormonism (all factions) .............................. Joseph Smith, Jr.
Jehovah’s Witnesses ...............................Charles Taze Russell
Christian Science ........................................Mary Baker Eddy
Unity School of Christianity ...........Charles and Myrtle Filmore
International Church of Christ .............................Kip McKean
Seventh Day Adventist[2] ......................................Ellen White Joseph Smith Jr., founder and originator of the Latter Day Saint movement, declared he was a prophet of God chosen to restore true Christianity to the earth. He was either who he claimed to be or an impostor who has caused millions of people to be deceived. Since the Bible gives us a way to test those professing to be prophets, Joseph Smith’s claims can and must be evaluated. The Bible states, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord? If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken” (Deut. 18:21-22). An early Latter Day Saint newspaper, The Evening and Morning Star, agreed, “When therefore, any man, no matter who, or how high his standing may be, utters or publishes anything that afterwards proves to be untrue, he is a false prophet.”[3] Every intellectually honest RLDS should agree with the following statement by Mormon prophet Joseph Fielding Smith. “Mormonism,
as it is called, must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. He was either
a prophet of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned, or he
was one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. There is no middle
ground. If Joseph Smith was a deceiver, who willfully attempted to mislead the
people, then he should be exposed, his claims should be refuted, and his
doctrines shown to be false, for the doctrines of an imposter cannot be made to
harmonize in all particulars with divine truth.… The doctrines of false
teachers will not stand the test when tried by the accepted standards of
measurement, the scriptures.”[4]
It
is clear then, that we must examine Joseph Smith’s assertion that he was a
prophet of God by comparing his teachings with the accepted standard of
measurement, the Bible. We must also evaluate his story in the light of
established historical facts. We will begin by considering some of the most
familiar claims of Mormonism which originated with Joseph Smith. The 1820 RevivalJoseph Smith’s claim that there was a great revival in the vicinity of Palmyra, New York, in 1820 cannot be validated according to recent findings. In 1967, Presbyterian historian Wesley Walters, traveled to Palmyra to research the records of the Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian churches, the denominations supposedly involved in the revival. He recorded his findings in a booklet entitled New Light on Mormon Origins which contains the following excerpts. “A vision, by its inward, personal nature, does not lend itself to historical investigation. A revival is a different matter, especially one such as Joseph Smith describes, in which “great multitudes” were said to have joined the various churches involved. Such a revival does not pass from the scene without leaving some traces in the records and publications of the period. In this study we wish to show by the contemporary records that the revival which Smith claimed occurred in 1820, did not occur until the fall of 1824. We also show that in 1820 there was no revival in any of the churches in Palmyra or its vicinity…. The Presbyterian Church in Palmyra certainly experienced no awakening that year [1820].
“Reverend James Hotchkin’s history
records revivals for that church as occurring in the years 1817, 1824, 1829,
etc., but nothing for the year 1820. The records of Presbytery and Synod give
the same picture…. Since these reports always rejoice at any sign of a revival
in the churches, it is inconceivable that a great awakening had occurred in
their Palmyra congregation and gone completely unnoticed. The Baptist Church
records also show clearly that they had no revival in 1820, for the Palmyra
congregation gained only 6 by baptism, while the neighboring Baptist churches of
Lyons, Canadaigua, and Farmington showed net losses of 4, 5, and 9
respectively…. The Methodist figures, though referring to the entire circuit,
give the same results, for they show net losses of 23 for 1819, 6 for 1820, and
40 for 1821. This hardly fits Joseph Smith’s description of ‘great
multitudes’ being added to the churches of the area. In fact, the Mormon
prophet could hardly have picked a poorer year in which to place his revival, so
far as the Methodists were concerned.” [5] More recently Wesley Walters uncovered additional evidence that there was no 1820 revival. In his article “Joseph’s First Vision Story Undermined” he tells of two newly discovered documents, the Palmyra Road Tax Record and the Manchester Assessment. They show that Joseph Smith’s family did not move to Manchester, New York until some time after April, 1822. This information contradicts Joseph’s timing of his first vision. “When we bring these two contemporary documents. .
.to bear on Joseph’s story, it becomes clear that the Smith family did not
move to Manchester until some time after April 1822 and before July 1823. If the
revival, as young Smith said, did not occur until the second year after the
Smiths moved to Manchester, then the revival would have occurred some time in
the 1824-25 period. This is exactly when a previous study (New Light on Mormon
Origins) shows that it did occur. What does all this new contemporary evidence
about the Smith’s move to Manchester and an 1824 revival date mean?…. It
means that the story on which the Mormon Church rests its origin and its claim
to be God’s only true church sits on a cracked foundation.”[6]
Local newspapers confirmed the fact that the revival occurred in 1824 and not 1820.[7] Chronologically, the lack of a revival in 1820 is extremely important. If the l820 date is inaccurate, then the dates of all the important events leading up to the publication of the Book of Mormon are also erroneous. Joseph Smith related the following time-line. 1820 first vision–Joseph is told not to join any church “for they were all wrong”
1823 second vision–Joseph is told about gold plates buried in Hill Cumorah
1823–1827 Joseph meets yearly with the angel Moroni at Hill Cumorah
1827 Joseph receives the plates from Moroni
1827–1829 Joseph “translates” the gold plates (Book of Mormon)
1830 Book of Mormon is published
If this same chronology is followed from the year 1824, the actual date of the revival, the Book of Mormon could not have been published until 1833, three years after it was actually published!! The above information shows clearly that Joseph Smith’s allegation of an 1820 revival is not substantiated by historical facts. Joseph Smith’s First Vision
There are several differing accounts of Joseph Smith’s first vision,
two of which appear in detail below. The Official Version as Recorded in 1838
“I was at this time in my 15th year…. After I had retired into the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me and found myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God.… [8] I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun…. When the light rested upon me I saw two personages…standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said…’This is my beloved Son, hear him’.
“My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join.… I asked the personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right, (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong,) and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong, and the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt…. They teach for doctrine the commandments of men…. He again forbade me to join with any of them.”[9]
Excerpt from Joseph Smith’s 1832 Hand Written Account
“I
cried unto the Lord for mercy for there was none else to whom I could go and
obtain mercy and the Lord heard my cry in the wilderness and while in the
attitude of calling upon the Lord, in the
16th yr.of my age a piller of light above the brightness of the sun at noon
day come down from above and rested upon me and I was filled with the spirit of
God and the Lord opened the heavens upon me and I
saw the Lord and he spake unto me saying Joseph my Son thy Sins are forgiven
thee. Go thy way walk in my statutes and keep my commandments behold I am the
Lord of glory I was crucifyed for the world that all those who believe on my
name may have Eternal life behold the world lieth in sin at this time and none
doeth good no not one they have turned aside from the gospel and keep not my
commandments they draw near to me with their lips while their hearts are far
from me and mine anger is kindling against the inhabitants of the earth to visit
them according to th[e]ir ungodliness and to bring to pass that which hath been
spoken by the mouth of the prophets and Ap[o]stles behold and lo I come quickly
as it written of me…. I pondered these things in my heart but after many days
I fell into transgression and sinned in many things which brought a wound upon
my soul…. And it came to pass when I was seventeen years of age I called again upon the Lord and
he shewed unto me a heavenly vision for behold an angel of the Lord came and stood before me and it was by night
and he called me by name and revealed unto me that in the Town of Manchester
Ontario County N.Y. there was plates of gold upon which there was engravings
which was engraven by Maroni & his fathers the servants of the living God in
ancient days and deposited by the commandments of God and kept by the power
thereof and that I should go and get them…”[10]
(emphasis added) The following chart provides several conflicting accounts of Joseph’s first vision:
No Vision in 1820
In 1834, Book of Mormon witness Oliver Cowdery, under
the supervision of Joseph Smith, wrote a history of the rise of the Latter
Day Saint movement. When the history
was completed there was not a single
reference to Joseph having had a vision in 1820 in which he was visited by
the Father and the Son. It is inconceivable that this all-important foundational
event would not be mentioned unless it never took place. In fact, the first
mention of an 1820 vision, where both the Father and Son appeared to Joseph, was not recorded until 1838, eighteen years after the supposed event.
[11] Joseph Smith Seeks Membership in Methodist Church in 1828If the 1838 account of the first vision was a fabrication, as the previous information indicates, then Joseph did not receive direction from God to shun all existing churches in 1820. This would explain why his mother Lucy and other members of his family joined the Presbyterian Church in 1825, and remained members there for three years.[12] It would also explain why Joseph felt free to seek membership in the local Methodist Church in 1828. Joseph’s effort to join this church in Harmony, Pennsylvania was reported by Joseph Lewis, Emma Smith’s cousin. “I,
with Joshua McKune, a local preacher at that time…heard on Saturday, that Joe Smith had joined the church on Wednesday afternoon…. We
thought it was a disgrace to the church to have a practicing necromancer, a
dealer in enchantments and bleeding ghosts, in it. So on Sunday we…talked to
him some time…before the meeting. [We] told him that his occupation, habits,
and moral character were at variance with the discipline, that his name would be
a disgrace to the church, that there should have been recantation, confession,
and at least promised reformation. That he could that day publicly ask that his
name be stricken from the class book, or stand an investigation. He chose the
former, and did that very day make the request that his name be taken off the
class-book.”[13] Book of AbrahamAs related in Chapter One, in 1835 Joseph Smith purchased some Egyptian papyri and “translated” a fragment of it into what he called the Book of Abraham, claiming it contained the writings of the ancient patriarch. The RLDS have tried to ignore this work since the plurality of gods is included in its teachings. They have consistently claimed this teaching was introduced by Brigham Young after Joseph Smith’s death. However, this can be disproved by the fact that this material was published in the church newspaper, apparently with Joseph’s knowledge and approval since he was editor of the paper at the time. On March l, l842, he wrote: “I commenced publishing my translation of the Book of Abraham in the Times and Seasons.” [14] In the following excerpts from the Book of Abraham we are exposed to Joseph’s teaching of a plurality of gods. “Now
the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized
before the world was…. And then the Lord said: ‘Let us go down.’ And they
went down at the beginning, and they, that is, the Gods, organized and formed
the heavens and the earth…. And they, the Gods said: ‘Let there be light,’
and there was light…. And the Gods took counsel among themselves and said:
‘Let us go down and form man in our image…’ So the Gods went down to
organize man in their own image, in the image of the Gods…. Now I, Abraham,
saw that it was after the Lord’s time which was after the time of Kolob; for
as yet the Gods had not appointed unto Adam his reckoning.”[15] For many years, the Book of Abraham went unchallenged because the papyrus Joseph used was thought to be lost. But in 1967, it was discovered in the Metropolitan Art Museum in New York City. Three Egyptologists, independently of each other, translated the papyrus and all agreed that it contained ancient writings from the Egyptian Book of Breathings (also known as the Book of the Dead). Their findings revealed nothing about Abraham or the God of the Bible. The Book of Breathings is a collection of ancient Egyptian funerary texts, consisting of spells and incantations believed by the ancient Egyptians to assist the soul of the departed during its perilous journey through the afterlife. This ancient paganism has nothing to do with scripture purportedly written by Abraham. In 1915, while Elbert A. Smith, was editor of the RLDS Saints Herald, the validity of the Book of Abraham was being questioned by scholars. This prompted a response by Elbert Smith who stated that even if Joseph’s translation of the Book of Abraham proved false, it would not discredit the Book of Mormon. He reasoned that the Book of Mormon had been translated by the use of the Urim and Thummim, while the Book of Abraham had not, the implication being that the use of the Urim and Thummim guaranteed accuracy.[16] But, according to the Millennial Star, a Latter Day Saint Newspaper, (published during Joseph Smith’s lifetime), the Book of Abraham was translated by use of the Urim and Thummim. An article in this publication read, “We have much pleasure this month in being able to give an illustration and extract from the Book of Abraham…now in course of translation by means of the Urim and Thummim.”[17] If the Book of Abraham was
translated by means of the Urim and Thummim and proven false by modern
scholars (which was the case), then the credibility of the Book of Mormon, which
was supposedly translated with the Urim and Thummim, is also at stake! Other
evidence against the authenticity of the Book of Abraham is the obvious
plagiarism from the King James Bible. (It is interesting to note that in The
New York Times, May 3, 1970, the
RLDS church made the following statement, “…it may be helpful to suggest
that the Book of Abraham represents simply the product of Joseph Smith’s
imagination…”) Church UnityJoseph Smith boasted that he was the only person able to keep a whole church together and that neither Jesus, Paul, John nor Peter were able to do so. However, at least ten different groups broke away from his church during his life time, and more than 150 groups have broken away since 1830.[18]
Mormonism contends that
because there are so many different denominations of Protestants,
none can be the true church. But the fact is, that true born-again
believers (which make up the true church), whether they be Baptist, Methodist,
Presbyterian, Pentecostal etc., all agree
on the essentials of the Christian faith, even though they may disagree on some
peripheral issues and worship in various ways. So we see that established
historical facts do not support Joseph Smith’s claims regarding the genesis of
his church. Further Evidence of a False Prophet: Failed Prophecies
Joseph Smith gave numerous false prophesies, some of which are listed
below. Toronto Prophecy (1829)
According to David Whitmer (a Book of Mormon Witness), Joseph Smith
placed his “peep stone” into his hat and received a revelation that some of
the brethren would go to Toronto, Canada, and sell the copyright for the Book of
Mormon. Hiram Page and Oliver Cowdery went as directed, but failed to sell the
copyright. They came back disillusioned because the prophecy had failed. Joseph
again put the stone in his hat and asked the Lord why this had happened and was
told the following: “Some revelations are of God: some revelations are of man:
and some revelations are of the devil.”[19]
The brethren concluded that the revelation to go to Toronto was not of the Lord.
(If Joseph was wrong about this revelation, why should his other revelations be
trusted?) Independence Missouri Temple Prophecy (1832)On September 22, l832, Joseph Smith prophesied, “Verily,
this is the word of the Lord that the city, New Jerusalem, shall be built by the
gathering of the saints, beginning at this place [(Independence, Mo], even the
place of the temple, which temple shall be
reared in this generation, for verily, this generation shall not all pass away
until an house shall be built unto the Lord…(emphasis added)”[20] Joseph Smith’s generation had long since passed away before the RLDS temple was constructed in Independence, Mo. (on a location other than the one he had dedicated!) Civil War Prophecy (1832)On December 25, l832, Joseph Smith gave a prophecy predicting the Civil War. “Verily,
thus saith the Lord, concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass,
beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in
the death and misery of many souls. The days will come that war will be poured
out upon all nations, beginning at that place (South Carolina); for behold, the
southern states shall be divided against the northern States, and the Southern
states will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is
called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend
themselves against other nations, and thus war shall be poured out upon all
nations. And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up
against their Masters, who shall be marshaled and disciplined for war…and with
famine, and plague, and earthquakes and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce
and vivid lightening also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel
the wrath…of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full
end of all nations.”[21] Facts regarding the Civil War prophecy.
Joseph Smith’s Generation Would Witness the Destruction of America’s Wicked (1833)
Joseph Smith, writing to N.E. Seaton, January 4, l833, prophesied the following. “And now I am prepared to say by the authority of Jesus Christ that not many years shall pass away before the United States shall present such a scene of bloodshed as has not a parallel in the history of our nation; pestilence, hail, famine, and earthquakes will sweep the wicked of this generation from off the face of the land, to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel from the north country.
“The people of the Lord, those who have
complied with the requisitions of the new covenant [Joseph Smith’s teachings]
have already commenced gathering together to Zion, which is in the State of
Missouri; therefore I declare unto you the warning which the Lord has commanded
me to declare unto this generation…. For the hour of his judgment is come: Repent ye,
repent ye, and embrace the everlasting covenant, and flee to Zion before the
overflowing scourge overtake you, for
there are those now living upon the earth whose eyes shall not be closed in
death until they shall see all these things which I have spoken fulfilled.”[23]
This prophecy failed to materialize, as all those living when it was given have long since died. Yet, the wicked still thrive in the land of America. Saints to Return to Jackson County (1834)
In l833 the Latter Day Saints were driven from Jackson County,
Missouri. In 1834 Joseph Smith, who was living in Kirtland, Ohio at the time,
gathered a group of “warriors” and marched to Clay County under arms
intending to fight for the rights of his people to re-settle in “Zion.” When
his plan was thwarted, he attempted to console his people with the following
prophecy: “…within three years they [
the saints] should march to Jackson County and there should not be a dog to open
his mouth against them. [24]
The Saints did not return to Jackson County within three years. This was a false
prophecy. The Lord to Return in 56 years (1835)
Joseph Smith prophesied in l835, “It was the will of God that those who
went to Zion, with a determination to lay down their lives if necessary, should
be ordained to the ministry, and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last
time, for the coming of the Lord, which was nigh, even
fifty-six years should wind up the scene.”[25] Far West temple prophecy (1838)On April 26, 1838, Joseph Smith wrote, “Verily
thus saith the Lord unto you, my servant Joseph Smith Jr…let the city Far West
be a holy and consecrated land unto me, and it shall be called most holy…. I
command you to build an house unto me…. And let there be a beginning of this
work…made on the fourth day of July next (1838)…. Thus let them from that
time forth labor diligently until it shall be finished, from the cornerstone
thereof unto the top thereof, until there
shall not anything remain that is not finished.”[26]
By November 1838, Governor Boggs of Missouri, issued an order stating
that the Mormons must leave the state. The Temple was never built. Another false
prophecy! Nauvoo House Prophecy (1840)
Joseph Smith prophesied in 1841 that a house, which was called the Nauvoo
House, was to be built in Nauvoo, Illinois. According to Joseph’s revelation
the Lord said: “Let it [Nauvoo House], be built unto my name…and let
my servant Joseph and his house have place therein, from generation to
generation; for this anointing have I put upon his head, that his blessing
shall also be put upon the head of his posterity after him; and as I said unto
Abraham, concerning the kindreds of the earth, even so I say unto my servant
Joseph, in thee, and in thy seed, shall the kindred of the earth be blessed
(Doc. and Cov. 107:17-18). Neither Joseph (who was killed three years later) nor
his seed lived from generation to generation in the Nauvoo House, since
construction on it was never completed.[27]
This was a false prophecy. Thousands to Gather to Nauvoo Temple (1843)
In January, 1843, Joseph Smith said, “I prophesy, in the name of the
Lord God, as soon as we get the Temple built, so that we shall not be obliged to
exhaust our means thereon, we will have means to gather the Saints by the
thousands and tens of thousands.”[28]
There was no gathering of thousands and ten thousands. Joseph was killed one
year after he gave this prophecy. By l846 most of the Saints had left Nauvoo
with Brigham Young and in1848 the unfinished temple was destroyed. This prophecy
was false. Prophecy Concerning the Overthrow of U. S. Government (1843)In 1843, Joseph Smith prophesied, “… in the name of the Lord God…in a few years this government [United States] will be utterly overthrown and wasted so that there will not be a potsherd left for their wickedness in conniving at the Missouri mobocracy.”[29] Clearly, Joseph Smith was not a prophet of God. Joseph Smith’s Occult ConnectionsOne thing the leaders of many pseudo-Christian cults have in common, is an interest in and involvement with the world of the occult. This was true of Joseph Smith. Some of the areas he was involved in are described below. DowsingMost RLDS are not aware of the deep occultic roots of their religion. The Smith family’s involvement in the occult did not begin with Joseph Smith in Palmyra. His father, Joseph Smith Sr., and Oliver Cowdery’s father William (the two were distant cousins) were both involved in the Woods’ Movement. This movement was a fervent religious group formed near Poultney, Vermont in the early 1800’s by Nathaniel Woods. It earned the nickname “Rodsmen” due to the use of witch hazel sticks for finding water, treasure hunting, fortune telling and receiving revelations. Today, these activities, known as dowsing, are still being practiced and Vermont is the national headquarters for this occultic activity. An article in the Independence, Missouri newspaper, The Examiner, expounds on this curiosity. “‘To
be successful, a dowser must be able to tap into a collective understanding
shared by everyone on earth and the earth itself,’ dowsers said. ‘Your
unconscious is already part of this; if you allow it, it can instruct your
conscious about things that aren’t visible, or even about things that
haven’t happened yet. Your unconscious,’ dowsers say, ‘already knows where
the water is, where the oil is; or what’s going to happen next week. You
create the thought in your mind, and throw it out to the universe.’ ”[30]
Joseph Smith’s roots go back to the dowsing movement in Vermont and no doubt influenced his occupation of treasure seeking. When the Smiths and Cowderys migrated from Vermont to New York State, they brought with them the knowledge of this ‘rodsmen magic’ as well as their beliefs in enchanted treasures. An article which appeared in Gnosis Magazine, portrays Mormonism as a purely American Gnosis. The article entitled, Joseph Smith, America’s Hermetic Prophet, explains Joseph’s involvement with the occult and ceremonial magic, and his understanding and use of the Zohar in the development of Mormonism. The author Lance Owens, quotes Harold Bloom as saying, “The
god of Joseph Smith is a daring revival of the god of some of the Kabbalists and
Gnostics. Mormonism is a purely American Gnosis, for which Joseph Smith was and
is a far more crucial figure than Jesus could be.” [31]
(It is interesting to note that this article was not a criticism of Joseph
Smith, but one rather, that stands
in awe of this esoteric mystic.) The following excerpt from one of Joseph Smith’s Jr.’s early revelations given to Oliver Cowdery, reveals the continuing effect of this rodsman movement on the Smith and Cowdery families. Joseph credited the Lord as saying, “For you [Oliver Cowdery] have another gift, which is the gift of working with a rod: Behold it [the rod] has told you things. Therefore, whatsoever you shall ask me to tell you by that means, that will I grant unto you” (Book of Commandments Ch. 7 vs. 3). When this revelation was included in the Doctrine and Covenants two years after it was first given, Joseph changed the phrase, “the gift of working with a rod” to read “the gift of Aaron” in order to cover the obvious reference to divination, an occultic practice (Doc. and Cov. 8:3a-d). According to The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, divination is defined as “the attempt to obtain secret knowledge, especially of the future…by the reading…[of] certain signs, called omens…or the use of the divining Rod.”[32] The many testimonies given concerning Joseph Smith’s glass looking to locate buried treasure, give undeniable evidence that he engaged in the occult practice of divination which is strictly forbidden in the Bible, “Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel says: Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you…they are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them declares the Lord” (Jer. 29:8-9, Deut. 18:10). Joseph Smith’s prime instructor in the occult was Lumas Walters, known as “Walters The Magician.” Walters was well known in the Palmyra area in the early 1820’s as a conjurer. The local money-diggers, which included the Smith family, paid him $3.00 a day for his divining services.[33] It was common knowledge that Walters was Joseph’s spiritual mentor, leading him into the deep secrets of magic, divination and necromancy (attempted communication with departed spirits). When Walters left the neighborhood it was believed by some that his occultic mantle had fallen on the shoulders of Joseph Smith Jr. Money DiggingThat Joseph continued using his occult knowledge is illustrated in the following sworn affidavit given by a neighbor, Willard Chase in l833. “I
became acquainted with the Smith family…in the year 1820. At that time they
were engaged in the money digging business…. In the year 1822, I was engaged
in digging a well. I employed Alvin and Joseph Smith to assist me…. After
digging about twenty feet below the surface of the earth, we discovered a
singularly appearing stone which excited my curiosity. I brought it to the top
of the well, and as we were examining it, Joseph put it into his hat, and then
his face into the top of his hat…. The next morning he came to me, and wished
to obtain the stone, alleging that he could see in it; but I told him I did not
wish to part with it…but would lend it. After obtaining the stone, he began to
publish abroad what wonders he could discover by looking in it and made so much
disturbance among the credulous part of [the] community, that I ordered the
stone to be returned to me again…. Some time in l825, Hiram [sic] Smith came
to me and wished to borrow the same stone…. I told him…if he would pledge me
his word and honor, that I should have it when called for, he might take it;
which he did…. In April, l830, I again asked Hiram for that stone which he had
borrowed of me; he told me I should not have it, for
Joseph made use of it in translating his Bible.”[34] Not only did Joseph use the stone to ‘translate’ the Book of Mormon, but according to Martin Harris he used it to find the gold plates.
“Joseph
Smith Jr., found at Palmyra…the plates of gold…. These plates were found at
the north point of a hill two miles north of Manchester village. Joseph had a
stone which was dug from the well of Mason Chase… In this stone he could see
many things to my certain knowledge. It
was by means of this stone he first discovered these plates.”[35]
(Emphasis added)
Joseph Smith’s mother, Lucy Mack Smith, confirmed the fact that the Smith family practiced ritual magic. In the first draft of her l845 history she stated, “Let
not the reader suppose that because I shall pursue another topic for a season
that we stopt (sic) our labor and went at trying to win the faculty of Abrac
[abracadabra] drawing magic circles or sooth saying; to the neglect of all kinds
of business. We never during our lives suffered one important interest to
swallow up every other obligation.”[36]
In this quote Joseph’s mother does not deny her family’s participation in occult activities but simply affirms that these did not prevent family members from accomplishing other, equally important tasks. In her book Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet Lucy Smith gave the reason why Josiah Stowel,[37] from Chenango County, sought Joseph Smith’s assistance in digging for hidden treasure, “A short time before the house was completed, a man by the name of Josiah Stoal, came from Chenango county, New York, with the view of getting Joseph to assist him in digging for a silver mine. He came for Joseph on account of having heard that he possessed certain keys, by which he could discern things invisible to the natural eye.”[38]
Joseph’s money digging activities began as early as 182l and by the
year 1826, he was well known in his community for his magic skills. His claim
that he could find buried treasure through the use of his peep-stone by placing
it in a hat and then looking into it, earned him the title of glass-looker and
money-digger.[39] Blood SacrificesEvidence points to the fact that Joseph Smith made sacrifices to demons. During Joseph’s searches for buried treasures, he would often call for the slaying of a lamb or dog and the sprinkling of the blood over the ground where the treasure was supposed to be buried. On one occasion while searching for buried silver, Joseph called for a human sacrifice to appease the occult spirit. “The
prophet had a vision: the blood of a black sheep must be shed and sprinkled
around the diggings. Black sheep were scarce, and while they waited for one, the
faithful obtained their needed rest. At length, no sheep appearing, Joe said
that a black dog might answer. A dog therefore was killed…. At last the
prophet decided that it was of no use to dig unless one of their number was made
a sacrifice. None of the faithful responded to his call, and thus the
magnificent scheme was abandoned. Oliver Harper, one of the diggers who
furnished the money, was soon afterward murdered. The prophet thought this might
answer for a sacrifice: he again rallied the diggers, but the charm remained
stubborn and would not reveal the silver.”[40] William Stafford, who was a neighbor of the Smith family, gave the following account of a blood sacrifice in an affidavit published in 1834. “I, William Stafford, having been called upon to give a true statement…do say, that I first became acquainted with Joseph, Sen., and his family in the year 1820…. A great part of their time was devoted to digging for money…. [People said]…that nearly all the hills in this part of New York, were thrown up by human hands, and in them were large caves, which Joseph, Jr., could see, by placing a stone of singular appearance in his hat, in such a manner as to exclude all light; at which time they pretended he could see all things within and under the earth—-that he could see within the above mentioned, large gold bars and silver plates-—that he could also discover the spirits in whose charge these treasures were, clothed in ancient dress…. Joseph Smith, Sen., came to me one night, and told me that Joseph Smith Jr. had been looking in his glass, and had seen, not many rods from his house, two or three kegs of gold and silver…. Joseph, Sen. first made a circle, twelve or fourteen feet in diameter.
“This circle, said he, contains the treasure. He then stuck in the ground a row of witch hazel sticks, around the said circle, for the purpose of keeping off the evil spirits. Within this circle he made another, of about eight or ten feet in diameter. He walked around three times on the periphery of this last circle, muttering to himself something which I could not understand. He next stuck a steel rod in the centre [sic.] of the circles, and then enjoined profound silence upon us, lest we should arouse the evil spirit who had the charge of these treasures. After we had dug a trench about five feet in depth around the rod, the old man…went to the house to inquire of young Joseph the cause of our disappointment.
“He
soon returned and said, that Joseph had remained all this time in the house,
looking in his stone and watching the motions of the evil spirit — that he saw
the spirit come up to the ring and as soon as it beheld the cone which we had
formed around the rod, it caused the money to sink…. Another time, they
devised a scheme, by which they might satiate their hunger, with the mutton of
one of my sheep. They had seen in my flock a sheep, a large, fat, black weather.
Old Joseph and one of the boys came to me one day, and said that Joseph Jr. had
discovered some very remarkable and valuable treasures, which could be procured
only in one way. That way, was as follows — That a black sheep should be taken
to the ground where the treasures were concealed — that after cutting the
throat, it should be led around in a circle while bleeding. This being done, the
wrath of the evil spirit would be appeased…. To gratify my curiosity, I let
them have a large fat sheep. They afterwards informed me, that the sheep was
killed pursuant to commandment; but as there was some mistake in the process, it
did not have the desired effect.”[41]
Joseph Arrested
Joseph’s fraudulent behavior was not in seeking for treasure, but for accepting money in exchange for finding treasure he was never able to produce. His repeated failures as a treasure hunter eventually resulted in his arrest and a subsequent trial. This trial is recorded in Frazer’s magazine.
“State of New York vs. Joseph Smith. Warrant issued upon written complain (sic) upon oath of Peter G. Bridgeman, who informed that one Joseph Smith of Bainbridge was a disorderly person and an impostor.
“Prisoner brought before Court March 20, 1826. Prisoner examined: says
that he came from the town of Palmyra, and had been at the house of Josiah
Stowel in Bainbridge most of time since…. That he had a certain stone which he
had occasionally looked at to determine where hidden treasures in the bowels of
the earth were, that he professed to tell in this manner where gold mines were a
distance under ground, and had looked for Mr. Stowel several times, and had
informed him where he could find these treasures, and Mr. Stowel had been
engaged in digging for them.That at Palmyra he pretended to tell by looking at
this stone where coined money was buried in Pennsylvania, and while at Palmyra
had frequently ascertained in that way where lost property was of various kinds;
that he had occasionally been in the habit of looking through this stone to find
lost property.… And therefore the Court finds the Defendant guilty. Costs:
Warrant, 19c. Complaint upon oath, 25 1/2c. Seven witnesses, 87 1/2c.
Recognizances, 25 c. Mittimus, 19c. Recognizances of witnesses, 75c. Subpoena,
18 c.-$2.68.[42]
After Joseph was tried, found guilty and sentenced, he refused to pay his fine and instead took “leg bail”meaning he was to walk out of the county and stay out! It is significant that at his trial, Joseph did not deny his treasure seeking. He in fact, admitted under oath that while at Palmyra he had only pretended to know where coined money was buried in Pennsylvania.
Mr. Stowel, above mentioned, had an employee by the name of Mr.Thompson who was a witness at Joseph Smith’s 1826 trial. Excerpts from Thompson’s testimony are representative of many similar accounts of Joseph Smith’s “treasure seeking:”
“Digging
was commened (sic) with fear and trembling, in the presence of this imaginary
charm. In a few feet from the surface the box of treasure was struck by the
shovel, on which they redoubled their energies, but
it gradually receded from their grasp. One of the men placed his hand upon the
box, but it gradually sunk from his
reach…. Mr. Stowell went to his flock and selected a fine vigorous lamb,
and resolved to sacrifice it to the demon spirit who guarded the coveted
treasure…. Smith, with a lantern in one hand to dispel the midnight darkness
might be seen making a circle around the spot, sprinkling the flowing blood from
the lamb upon the ground as a propitiation to the spirit that thwarted
them…but the treasure…was never obtained.”[43]
(emphasis added)
It is interesting that three years after his trial, Joseph incorporated
his own treasure-seeking experiences into the narrative of the Book of Mormon,
“And these Gadianton robbers, who were among the Lamanites, did infest the
land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof began to hide up their treasures in
the earth; and they became slippery because the Lord had cursed the land, that
they could not hold them nor retain them again.”[44] In spite of numerous sworn statements by those who knew of Joseph Smith’s occult activities, they have, for the most part, been ignored in the official RLDS Church history or if mentioned are made to appear insignificant. However, a recent discovery has confirmed beyond any doubt that the charges brought against Joseph were valid. In 1971, Wesley Walters, discovered among old court records in New York State, two court bills which proved Joseph Smith was known as a glass looker, a misdemeanor offense. He was arrested, found guilty and subsequently fined.[45] Joseph Smith’s fascination for the occult followed him to his death. When he was assassinated he had in his possession a jupiter talisman, a medallion containing material relating to astrology and magic. It supposedly enables the person carrying it to call upon celestial intelligences which bring the possessor riches, favor, powers, etc.[46] Regarding the talisman, Charles E. Bidamon, Emma Smith’s foster son, stated in an affidavit, “Emma Smith Bidamon…prized this piece [talisman] very highly on account of its being one of the prophet’s intimate possessions.”[47] Significantly, as is true for many other occultists, both of Joseph’s parents were involved in the world of the psychic and the occult. This explains Joseph’s predisposition to such activities. Occultic activities can affect whole families and groups even down through several generations. “When
occultism is practiced in a family, it is often transmitted to children both by
education and, for lack of a better term, “psychic” transference. This power
of transference is documented in the clinical research of…Dr. Nandor Fodor’s
Encyclopedia of Psychical Science. Smith’s predilection for
occultism may thus have been both ‘hereditary’ and taught-by direct
instruction from his parents.”[48] Biblical Warnings About the OccultThe RLDS Church was born and nurtured in the occult and continues to be influenced by occultic spirits today. By definition necromancy is communication with the dead. It is a common RLDS belief that deceased individuals can return to earth as angels and communicate with the living, even though the Bible forbids it, “Should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this Word [the Bible], they have no light of dawn.”[49] “Let no one be found among you…who consults the dead” (Deut. 18:10-11). That Joseph Smith was involved in necromancy is undeniable. He claimed to have been visited by several deceased people such as Moroni, Nephi, Peter, James and John [the apostles] and John the Baptist.
Commenting about Moroni, Joseph Smith wrote in the Elders’ Journal,
“Moroni, the person who deposited the plates…in a hill…in Manchester,
Ontario County, New York, being dead, and raised again therefrom, appeared unto
me, and told me where they were.” [50] Standard of Truth: “Spiritual Experiences?”— or the Bible?Pre-conditioned to accept occultic forms of communication, many RLDS church members readily believe lying spirits which prophesy all kinds of messages, assuring them they are the Lord’s chosen, that Zion will become a reality in due time and that the choice seer and sealed portion of the Book of Mormon will come forth when they are sufficiently righteous. They hold fast to their dreams, visions, prophecies and expectations which, like ‘a carrot before a donkey,’ continue to entice them onward but never result in fulfillment. Their “spiritual experiences” rather than the Bible become their standard of truth. Because of its occultic roots, the religious belief system that Joseph Smith originated continues to be a breeding ground for extremist groups today. As recently as 1989, in Kirtland, Ohio, one such group led by Jeff Lundgren was composed primarily of young people who had been raised in the RLDS church. Lundgren claimed God told him to murder a family of five (who were numbered among his following), as a cleansing ritual so that the remaining cult members could go into the wilderness to meet with God. After being apprehended and tried for murder, Lundgren received the death penalty. Many of his intelligent, well-educated followers are now serving time in prison. This tragic waste of human life was a direct result of “lying spirits” which continue to blind many followers of Joseph Smith even today. Ron Luff is one of those who was imprisoned as an accomplice. Thankfully, he has renounced Joseph Smith’s teachings as false, and has come into a personal relationship with Christ. The Lord is using him in a special way now, in his writings as well as in personal witnessing, to help others see the dangers of religious cults. Ron’s testimony is a grim reminder of how innocent victims can be drawn into these groups. He relates, “I was a fifth generation member of the RLDS church. Joseph Luff, who was once an apostle in the church, was my great-great grandfather. I therefore had a rich inheritance by the way of a long line of family members who served in the priesthood, with many experiences to validate my faith.
“As time passed, I found myself very frustrated about the direction the church was going and God’s purpose for my own life, and my family eventually became active outside the local RLDS congregation, into what is now called the ‘Restoration Branches.’
“Leaving a particular religious belief after many years of passionate service is a traumatic event. It leaves one feeling betrayed and temporarily disoriented. This feeling of betrayal will create doubts and will cause many to become dispassionate toward God.
“One night in April of 1989, a family of five very precious people were murdered in Kirtland, Ohio. The devastation which occurred that night is irreversible, both to the family killed and to those of us who were not. The confusion of what had become of the life that I and my family once had, became overwhelming. As I sat in a jail cell in Painsville, Ohio, I thanked our Lord that my wife and children were alive and that we had managed to escape the dangerous setting which we had become a part of. It’s a shameful thing to have to enter a jail cell in order to find the gift which is offered to us freely all along; But thus is the difference between ritual and truth. As I prayed and studied through that trying time, my mind began to open up to the understanding of God’s Word toward me; as the resurrected Jesus had suffered for me and died upon the cross, yet had risen again to be alive.
“May we each one live above the trying fire…in order to stand and sing in victory over our afflictions. This is my hope and my prayer toward you.
In Christ-bonds,
|