Criticism of Mormonism/Books/No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith/Index

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Index to claims made in No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith

This is an index of claims made in this work with links to corresponding responses within the FAIRwiki.

Chapter 2: Treasure in the Earth

Page	Claim	Response
16	Joseph's reputation was that of a "likeable ne'er-do-well"
16	Joseph was notorious for telling tall tales, necromantic arts and treasure digging	Joseph Smith and money digging
16	Joseph was charged with being "a disorderly person and an impostor" at his 1826 trial
17	The Hurlbut affidavits corroborated and supplemented the court record
18	Fifty-one of Joseph's neighbors signed affidavits accusing him of being "destitute of moral character" and "addicted to vicious habits"
18	Joseph dreamed of an "illustrious and affluent" future
18	Joseph "detested the plow" and despaired about the family's debts
19	A "vagabond fortune-teller" named Walters became popular in the area
19	When Walters left the area, "his mantle fell upon" Joseph Smith
20	William Stafford told a story about Joseph could find money using a bleeding black sheep
20	Joseph could see "ghosts, infernal spirits" and "mountains of gold" in his seer stone
23	Palmyra newspapers took no notice of Joseph's vision at the time it was supposed to have occurred
24	The story of Joseph first vision evolved greatly between his 1832 and 1838 accounts
24	Oliver Cowdery described Joseph's first vision as having occurred in 1823	Oliver Cowdery not aware of First Vision in 1834-35
24	Some of Joseph's close relatives confused the first vision with Moroni's visit
25	Joseph's own family did not know of his first vision at the time that it happened
25	Joseph's vision may have been an invention to cancel out stories of his fortune telling and money digging
26	Joseph liked preaching because it gave him an audience, and this was as "essential to Joseph as food."
27	Joseph stared into his crystal and saw gold in every odd-shaped hill	Joseph Smith and money digging
30	In March 1826 Joseph got into serious trouble because of his "magic arts"	Joseph Smith's 1826 glasslooking trial
30	The court pronounced Joseph "guilty" at the 1826 trial	Joseph Smith's 1826 glasslooking trial
31	Joseph's mentor was "the conjurer Walters."

Chapter 3: Red Sons of Israel

Page	Claim	Response
35	Joseph's mother reported that he was "spinning theories" about the moundbuilders before he was twenty years old	Moundbuilders [needs work]
35	Between 1820 and 1827 Joseph decided to write a history of the moundbuilders	Moundbuilders [needs work]
37	Peter Ingersoll claimed that Joseph told him that no one could see the golden Bible and live
39	The "magic" Urim and Thumminn was found with the plates	Joseph Smith and seer stones
40	The four year period during which Joseph waited to get the plates corresponded with his most intensive money-digging activities	Joseph Smith and money digging
40	Lucy Smith described the Urim and Thummin as "two smooth three-cornered diamonds set in glass and the glasses set in silver bows."	Joseph Smith and seer stones
40	Martin Harris described the Urim and Thummin as "white, like polished marble, with a few grey streaks."	Joseph Smith and seer stones
40	David Whitmer described the Urim and Thummin as "two small stones of a chocolate color, nearly egg shape, and perfectly smooth, but not transparent."	Joseph Smith and seer stones
41	Joseph warned his family that it meant instant death to look at the plates
43	Joseph was able to translate the plates without unwrapping them by using his stone	Book of Mormon translation method
43	Emma said that Joseph used the Urim and Thummin for the first 116 pages and then the seer stone for the remainder of the translation	Joseph Smith and seer stones
43	God cursed the Lamanites and all their descendents with a "red skin"
43	A neighbor, Lemuel Durfee. Signed an affidavit in 1833 charging Joseph with vicious habits and an immoral character
44	After each battle in the Book of Mormon, the dead were "heaped upon the face of the earth, and they were covered with a shallow covering" - a reference to the Indian mounds	Moundbuilders [needs work]
46	Joseph's familiarity with the idea that the Indians descended from the Hebrews seems to have come primarily from Ethan Smith's View of the Hebrews	Book of Mormon and View of the Hebrews
49	Joseph Smith took the whole Western Hemisphere as the setting for the Book of Mormon	Book of Mormon geography:New World:HGT

Chapter 4: A Marvelous Work and a Wonder

Page	Claim	Response
53	Joseph warned Martin Harris that God's wrath would strike him down if he examined the plates or looked at him while he was translating
53	Harris once tried to trick Joseph by substituting an ordinary stone for the seer stone
54	Lucy Harris stole the manuscripte and "neither pleas nor blows could make her divulge its hiding place."
54	Joseph realized that he could not duplicate the 116 pages exactly.
55	Joseph's family was counting on sales of the Book of Mormon to prevent foreclosure on their farm
55	Once Joseph had translated the small plates of Nephi, he could go back to the old plates and carry on.
58	Joseph was careful to to modify the italicized interpolation in the King James text.
58	Joseph incorporated one of his father's dreams into the Book of Mormon	Joseph Smith, Sr.'s dream and Lehi's vision
59	Early in the writing Joseph vigorously attacked the Catholic Church as the "great and abominable church" and the "whore of all the earth"	Great and abominable church
60	Lucy Smith's stories about the Golden Bible had converted Oliver Cowdery
62	Joseph Smith's lack of education is "a favorite thesis designed to prove the authenticity" of the Book of Mormon
62-63	Joseph Smith borrowed many stories from the Bible
63	Joseph's sentence structure in the Book of Mormon was "loose-jointed, like an earthworm hacked into segments that crawl away alive and whole"
65	The story of the Gadianton band reflects the anti-Masonic feelings in New York at the time that the Book of Mormon was produced	Book of Mormon anachronisms:Gadianton masons

Chapter 5: Witnesses for God

Page	Claim	Response
68	The Church has "exaggerated the ignorance" of Joseph Smith in order to bolster the divinity of the Book of Mormon
70	The Book of Mormon claims that Jesus was born in Jerusalem (quoting Alexander Campbell)
70-71	Joseph added the story of the Jaredites in order to explain how animals had come to America	[Book of Mormon anachronisms:Animals]]
72	Joseph had the Jaredites bring horses, swine, sheep, cattle, and asses, yet these animals were not found in the Americas at the time of Columbus
73	Martin Harris and Oliver Cowdery were caught in Joseph's "spell"	Book of Mormon witnesses:Spiritual or literal
74	Joseph had a talent for making men see visions
77	The Three Witnesses all told different versions of their experience
77	The Three Witnesses were hypnotized by Joseph Smith
78	Martin Harris stated that he viewed the plates through "the eye of faith"	"Eye of Faith"/"Spiritual Eye" statements by Martin Harris
78	Years after the event, David Whitmer embellished his story of seeing the gold plates
78	The Three Witnesses never denied their vision even after the all left the Church because Joseph had "conjured up a vision they would never forget"	Book of Mormon witnesses:Spiritual or literal
79-80	Joseph convinced the Eight Witnesses by showing them an empty box and claiming that they did not have sufficient faith to see them	Book of Mormon witnesses:Eight witnesses
80	Joseph may have built some kind of "makeshift deception" to account for those witnesses who described the size, weight and metallic texture of the plates	Descriptions of the size, weight and texture of the plates
81	Hyrum suggested to Joseph that they attempt to sell the copyright of the Book of Mormon in order to obtain enough money to get it published	Did Joseph Smith attempt to sell the Book of Mormon copyright?
82	Martin Harris sold his farm to pay for the publication of the Book of Mormon only after Joseph frightened him with the revelation found in the Book of Commandments Chapter xvi, pp. 40-41

Further reading

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{{To learn more box:responses to: 8: The Mormon Proposition}}	To learn more box:responses to: 8: The Mormon Proposition	edit
{{To learn more box:''Under the Banner of Heaven''}}	To learn more about responses to: Under the Banner of Heaven	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Robert Price}}	To learn more about responses to: Robert Price	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Ankerberg and Weldon}}	To learn more about responses to: Ankerberg and Weldon	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Ashamed of Joseph}}	To learn more about responses to: Ashamed of Joseph	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Beckwith and Moser}}	To learn more about responses to: Beckwith and Moser	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Beckwith and Parrish}}	To learn more about responses to: Beckwith and Parrish	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Benjamin Park}}	To learn more about responses to: Benjamin Park	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Bible versus Joseph Smith}}	To learn more about responses to: Bible versus Joseph Smith	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Bible versus Book of Mormon}}	To learn more about responses to: Bible versus Book of Mormon	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: ''Big Love''}}	To learn more about responses to: Big Love	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Brett Metcalfe}}	To learn more about responses to: Brett Metcalfe	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Bill Maher}}	To learn more about responses to: Bill Maher	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Bruce H. Porter}}	To learn more about responses to: Bruce H. Porter	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Carol Wang Shutter}}	To learn more about responses to: Carol Wang Shutter	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: CES Letter}}	To learn more about responses to: CES Letter	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Charles Larson}}	To learn more about responses to: Charles Larson	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Christopher Nemelka}}	To learn more about responses to: Christopher Nemelka	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Colby Townshed}}	To learn more about responses to: Colby Townshed	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Contender Ministries}}	To learn more about responses to: Contender Ministries	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Crane and Crane}}	To learn more about responses to: Crane and Crane	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: D. Michael Quinn}}	To learn more about responses to: D. Michael Quinn	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Dan Vogel}}	To learn more about responses to: Dan Vogel	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: David John Buerger}}	To learn more about responses to: David John Buerger	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: David Persuitte}}	To learn more about responses to: David Persuitte	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Denver Snuffer}}	To learn more about responses to: Denver Snuffer	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Dick Bauer}}	To learn more about responses to: Dick Bauer	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Duwayne R Anderson}}	To learn more about responses to: Duwayne R Anderson	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Earl Wunderli}}	To learn more about responses to: Earl Wunderli	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Ed Decker}}	To learn more about responses to: Ed Decker	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Erikson and Giesler}}	To learn more about responses to: Erikson and Giesler	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Ernest Taves}}	To learn more about responses to: Ernest Taves	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Fawn Brodie}}	To learn more about responses to: Fawn Brodie	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: George D Smith}}	To learn more about responses to: George D Smith	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Grant Palmer}}	To learn more about responses to: Grant Palmer	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Hank Hanegraaff}}	To learn more about responses to: Hank Hanegraaff	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Hurlbut-Howe}}	To learn more about responses to: Hurlbut-Howe	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: James Brooke}}	To learn more about responses to: James Brooke	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: James Spencer}}	To learn more about responses to: James Spencer	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: James White}}	To learn more about responses to: James White	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Jerald and Sandra Tanner}}	To learn more about responses to: Jerald and Sandra Tanner	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Jesus Christ-Joseph Smith or Search for the Truth DVD}}	To learn more about responses to: Jesus Christ-Joseph Smith or Search for the Truth DVD	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: John Dehlin}}	To learn more about responses to: John Dehlin	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Jonathan Neville}}	To learn more about responses to: Jonathan Neville	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Kurt Van Gorden}}	To learn more about responses to: Kurt Van Gorden	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Laura King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery}}	To learn more about responses to: Laura King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Loftes Tryk aka Lofte Payne}}	To learn more about responses to: Loftes Tryk aka Lofte Payne	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Luke WIlson}}	To learn more about responses to: Luke WIlson	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Marquardt and Walters}}	To learn more about responses to: Marquardt and Walters	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Martha Beck}}	To learn more about responses to: Martha Beck	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Mcgregor Ministries}}	To learn more about responses to: Mcgregor Ministries	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: McKeever and Johnson}}	To learn more about responses to: McKeever and Johnson	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: New Approaches}}	To learn more about responses to: New Approaches to the Book of Mormon	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Richard Abanes}}	To learn more about responses to: Richard Abanes	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Richard Van Wagoner}}	To learn more about responses to: Richard Van Wagoner	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Richard and Joan Ostling}}	To learn more about responses to: Richard and Joan Ostling	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Rick Grunger}}	To learn more about responses to: Rick Grunger	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Robert Ritner}}	To learn more about responses to: Robert Ritner	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Rod Meldrum}}	To learn more about responses to: Rod Meldrum	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Roger I Anderson}}	To learn more about responses to: Roger I Anderson	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Ronald V. Huggins}}	To learn more about responses to: Ronald V. Huggins	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Sally Denton}}	To learn more about responses to: Sally Denton	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Simon Southerton}}	To learn more about responses to: Simon Southerton	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Thomas Murphy}}	To learn more about responses to: Thomas Murphy	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Todd Compton}}	To learn more about responses to: Todd Compton	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Vernal Holley}}	To learn more about responses to: Vernal Holley	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Walter Martin}}	To learn more about responses to: Walter Martin	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Wesley Walters}}	To learn more about responses to: Wesley Walters	edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Will Bagley}}	To learn more about responses to: Will Bagley	edit