EVIDENCE THAT JOSEPH SMITH WAS NOT A TRUE PROPHET
In an e-mail letter to Free-Saints, dated Wednesday September 24, 1997, Greg M. (I don't know his full name) asked the group for compelling evidence about Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet. This is how the questions were asked,
"1. What is the most compelling, objective evidence that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God?
2. What is the most compelling, objective evidence that Joseph Smith was not a prophet of God?
I am not interested in testimonies. I am not interested in how you might feel toward Joseph Smith. I am not interested in whether the Holy Ghost has revealed to some of you that the church is true or that the BOM is true. I am not interested in a broad statement such as JS's teachings are not biblical. I would like to know, what you find to be the most compelling, specific evidence from an objective standpoint, either in his favor, or contrary to his claims. Please try to limit your response to specific evidence and not a broad brush approach if you can."
I have in mind three specific items involving Joseph Smith, 1) his teachings about the attributes of God, 2) Scripture changes, 3) his practice of polygamy. The reasons I chose three was to follow the biblical injunction to have evidence in twos or threes (2 Cor. 13:1; Deut 17:6, 19:15).
THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
Is it important, even vital to our salvation, to know the correct attributes of God? Let us take a look at what Joseph Smith said about this. In the 1835 Doctrine & Covenants (D&C) Joseph Smith said,
2 Let us here observe, that three things are necessary, in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation.
3 First, The idea that he actually exists.
4 Secondly , A correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes.
(1835 Doctrine and Covenants, Lecture Third of Faith, p. 36)
Several years later Smith made another statement similar to this one. At the Mormon Church's official general conference in April 1844 Joseph Smith said, "It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God...." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345; Journal of Discourses, 6:3).
Note that the first principle is, "to know for a certainty the Character of God...." . Note why we must have a correct idea of God's character, perfections and attributes. We need to know these to " exercise faith in God unto life and salvation." So knowing God is a vital part of gaining "life and salvation". It is not just an academic activity. I agree with these teachings. They are biblical (John 17:3).
Joseph Smith in his early teachings (roughly 1830-1835) said God was a spirit, God had always been God in the eternity past and there was only one God. (D&C 20:17, 28, 39:1; Alma 11:28-29, 44, 31:15, 18:4-5, 26-29, 22:8-11; 2 Nephi 31:21; Mormon 7:7; Mosiah 3:5-6, 15:3-5; Mormon 9:9; 1835 D&C, Lecture Fifth of Faith, 5:1-2, pp. 52-53; John 4:24; Is 43:10; 44:6, 8, 24; Nehemiah 9:6; Heb. 1:2; Ps 90:3, ). Smith's teachings are clear and repeated, but he did not retain them.
By 1839 Smith was not even sure if there was only one God or many gods. D&C 121:28 says, "28 A time to come in the which nothing shall be withheld, whether there be one God or many gods, they shall be manifest." By at least 1842 Smith was teaching that there were many Gods. The Book of Abraham, 4:1-29, first published in 1842 (Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1:134) speaks of "Gods". By April 2, 1843 Smith knew God the Father had a body of flesh and bones (D&C 130:22)
At the Mormon Church's official general conference on April 6, 1844 Joseph Smith, (in what is now called "The King Follet Discourse") not only said, "It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God....", he also said,
....for I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see. These are incomprehensible ideas to some, but they are simple. It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God, and to know that we may converse with him as one man converses with another, and that he was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did; and I will show it from the Bible. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345; Journal of Discourses, 6:3).
This is a radical departure from his early teachings. Note how Joseph Smith in 1844 said he once thought that God was God from all eternity and now he knows he is not and that God the Father was once a man like us and dwelt on an earth.
By Smith's King Follett Discourse his teachings about God's attributes changed significantly. God now has not been God from eternity (said April 1844), God is not a spirit but now has a body of flesh and bones (April 2, 1843) and God is one of many Gods (1842). (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345,; Journal of Discourses, 6:3; D&C 130:32; Book of Abraham 4:1-29).
Even the Apostle Paul said he could not change the gospel (Gal 1:8) and if he did he would be accursed (verse 9).
In one or both of the time frames covered above, Joseph Smith, an alleged prophet of God, did not have a correct idea of God's character, perfections and attributes. Joseph Smith for many years broke the first commandment (Ex 20:3), he did not know God (John 17:3). It is not possible to be a true prophet of the one true God and not know which god you are proclaiming.
SCRIPTURE CHANGES
The second item that shows me that Joseph Smith was not a prophet of God are the many changes to Mormon Scripture after they had first been given. Two examples, which compare the original to the changed version, will be shown. The first example is Book of Commandments (1833 edition) Chapter VI, page 18, verse 1-2 compared to D&C 7, verses 1-7 (1981 edition). 123 words were added to the original, and part of a sentence was removed. The 1835 edition (Sections XXXIII, verses 1-2) reads the same as our present 1981 edition, showing the changes were made while Joseph Smith was alive, thus were made by him or with his approval (Far West Record, pp. 3, 29 and D&C 21:1, 28:6-7, 43:1-3).
The second comparison is Book of Commandments (1833 edition) chapter IV, verses 2, page 10, dated March 1829 compared to D&C 5, verses 4 (1981 edition), dated March 1829. These are about gifts Joseph Smith was to have and not have. Book of Commandments chapter IV, verse 2, has,
"...and he [Joseph Smith] has a gift to translate the book, and I have commanded him that he shall pretend to no other gift, for I will grant him no other gift."
This same revelation, now D&C 5:4 (1981 edition), dated March 1829, on the exact same subject reads significantly different. It says,
"And you have a gift to translate the plates; and this is the first gift that I bestowed upon you; and I have commanded that you should pretend to no other gift until my purpose is fulfilled in this; for I will grant unto you no other gift until it is finished."
The 1835 D&C (Section XXXII, verse 1, page 158) reads the same as the 1981 edition, showing that the changes were made while Joseph Smith was alive, thus were made by him or with his approval.
What are the gifts Joseph was to have or not have? Why were they changed without telling anyone? Not telling the truth, when it is called for, is lying. (Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness," Ensign, Oct. 1994, p.54). The two changes shown above are examples of long term lying. Many other examples could be given.
PRACTICE OF POLYGAMY
Starting about 1835 (maybe as early as 1831) Joseph Smith practiced polygamy (having more than one wife, in reality polygyny) without an alleged approved revelation from God allowing it. At the same time an alleged revelation from God in the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants condemned it, as does the Book of Mormon. One of many sources about Smith's many wives is, Mormon Polygamy - A History, by Richard S. Van Wagoner; in the Mormons Scriptures see: 1835 D&C, Section CI, page 251, verses 2 and 4; Jacob 2:24, 27; 3:5; Mosiah 11:2; Ether 10:5; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12. The alleged revelation allowing the practice of polygamy (the new and everlasting covenant) is found in D&C 132 and is dated July 12, 1843, well after Smith started the practice.
Joseph Smith, while married to Emma, his first wife, took other men's wives and single women as his plural wives. In doing this, while existing LDS Scriptures condemned it, he for many years committed fornication and adultery, both of which are condemned in the Bible and Book of Mormon. And at the same time it was publicly denied, thus also making him a long term liar. Mormon Apostle (soon to be president and prophet) Spencer W. Kimball said,
"We can hardly be too forceful in reminding people that they cannot sin and be forgiven and then sin again and again and expect repeated forgiveness... (The Miracle of Forgiveness, by Spencer W. Kimball, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1969, page 360)
D&C 82:7 has a similar message,
7 And now, verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, will not lay any sin to your charge; go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God.
How do these thoughts apply to Joseph Smith? Based upon all the above it is evident the Joseph Smith repeatedly committed the same sins over an extended period of time. We have shown that he was a liar, a fornicator, an adulterer and that starting about 1840 he did not know the one true God of the Bible. In reality he did not even know the God that he taught from 1830 to roughly 1840. Did Smith repent of these sins before he died? This is between him and God.
John Farkas
Berean Christian Ministries; P.O. Box 1091; Webster, NY 14580
E-mail: bcmmin@frontiernet.net
Web page: http://www.frontiernet.net/~bcmmin
art/smithevi 9-26-97