Difference between revisions of "Joseph Smith"

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==Death==
 
==Death==
 
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{{SummaryItem2|link=/Martyrdom/Joseph fired a gun|subject=Joseph fired a gun|subject=Was Joseph Smith actually not a martyr because, while in jail, he had a gun and he had the temerity to defend himself? Did Joseph kill two men by firing at the mob? }}
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{{SummaryItem2|link=/Martyrdom/Joseph fired a gun|subject=Joseph fired a gun|summary=Was Joseph Smith actually not a martyr because, while in jail, he had a gun and he had the temerity to defend himself? Did Joseph kill two men by firing at the mob? }}
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{{SummaryItem2|link=/Martyrdom/Hiding Joseph's gun|subject=Hiding Joseph's gun?|subject=Critics claim that the Church has tried to hide the fact that Joseph fired a pepperbox pistol at the mob which murdered Hyrum and was soon to kill him, despite the fact that the gun is on display at the Church History museum.}}
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{{SummaryItem2|link=/Martyrdom/Hiding Joseph's gun|subject=Hiding Joseph's gun?|summary=Critics claim that the Church has tried to hide the fact that Joseph fired a pepperbox pistol at the mob which murdered Hyrum and was soon to kill him, despite the fact that the gun is on display at the Church History museum.}}
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{{SummaryItem2|link=/Martyrdom/Nauvoo Legion to rescue Joseph|subject=Nauvoo Legion to rescue Joseph?|subject=Did Joseph panic at Carthage Jail, and write an order to Jonathan Dunham (head of the Nauvoo legion), telling him to have the Legion attack the jail and "save him at all costs?"}}
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{{SummaryItem2|link=/Martyrdom/Nauvoo Legion to rescue Joseph|subject=Nauvoo Legion to rescue Joseph?|summary=Did Joseph panic at Carthage Jail, and write an order to Jonathan Dunham (head of the Nauvoo legion), telling him to have the Legion attack the jail and "save him at all costs?"}}
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{{SummaryItem2|link=/Martyrdom/Masonic cry of distress|subject=Masonic distress cry|subject=Just before he died, did Joseph Smith begin to give the Masonic cry of distress?}}
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{{SummaryItem2|link=/Martyrdom/Masonic cry of distress|subject=Masonic distress cry|summary=Just before he died, did Joseph Smith begin to give the Masonic cry of distress?}}
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{{SummaryItem2|link=/Martyrdom/Removed garments|subject=Removed garments prior to leaving for Carthage|subject=Critics have claimed that Joseph and others with him removed their garments prior for leaving for Carthage in order to avoid identification as polygamists. What was the real reason for this?}}
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{{SummaryItem2|link=/Martyrdom/Removed garments|subject=Removed garments prior to leaving for Carthage|summary=Critics have claimed that Joseph and others with him removed their garments prior for leaving for Carthage in order to avoid identification as polygamists. What was the real reason for this?}}
  
 
==Other critical claims==
 
==Other critical claims==

Revision as of 18:49, 1 January 2011

  1. REDIRECTTemplate:Test3
Answers portal
Joseph Smith, Jr.
Joseph smith1.jpg
Resources.icon.tiny.1.png    RESOURCES
Perspectives.icon.tiny.1.png    PERSPECTIVES
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Resources.icon.tiny.1.png    OTHER PORTALS


Character

Character

Summary: Critics claim that Joseph Smith was a disreputable person.

The Hurlbut affidavits

Summary: Many critics cite a collection of affidavits from Joseph Smith’s neighbors which claim that the Smith family possessed a number of character flaws. Many of Joseph Smith’s friends and neighbors signed affidavits that accused him and his family of being lazy, indolent, undependable treasure-seekers.

"Amusing recitals" and "Tall Tales?"

Summary: Joseph Smith's mother reported that he told "amusing recitals" about the ancient inhabitants of the American continent well before he translated the Book of Mormon. Does this indicate that Joseph was simply a teller of "tall tales?"

Land speculation in Nauvoo

Summary: Did Joseph Smith engage in "land speculation" in Nauvoo?

Personality and temperament

Summary: Critics point to what they perceive as personal failings of Joseph Smith, such as his allegedly short temper, as evidence that he was not a true prophet of God.

Boastful about the Church?

Summary: Why did Joseph Smith say that he had "more to boast of than ever any man had" and that he was the only man who had been "able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam?"

Joseph taught Porter Rockwell 'it was right to steal'?

Summary: Did Joseph really teach Orrin Porter Rockwell that "it was right to steal?"

Psychobiographical analysis

Summary: Is it possible to deduce Joseph Smith's thoughts and dreams years after his death? Some critics think so.

Treasure seeking and money digging

Treasure seeking

Summary: Was Joseph Smith's engagement in "money digging" or looking for buried treasure a blot on his character?

Practitioner of occultism and magic?

Summary: Critics claim that Joseph Smith's spiritual experiences began as products of "magic," the "occult," or "treasure seeking," and that only later did Joseph describe his experiences in Christian, religious terms: speaking of God, angels, and prophethood.

First Vision

First Vision

Occultism and magic

Jupiter talisman

Summary: Critics claim that Joseph Smith had a Jupiter Talisman on his person when he was martyred and cite this as proof of his fascination with the occult.

The magician Walters as a mentor to Joseph Smith?

Summary: Did a "vagabond fortune-teller" named Walters who became popular in the Palmyra area pass his "mantle" to Joseph Smith?

Translator

Joseph as a translator

Summary: Critics claim that Joseph Smith claimed to translate other texts or items, which can be checked against modern academic translations. They claim that this "cross-checking" proves that Joseph could not have translated the Book of Mormon or other ancient texts.

Joseph's use of seer stones

Summary: What do we know about Joseph's seer stone? What is its relation to the "Urim and Thummim"? Did Joseph place his seer stone in his hat while he was translating the Book of Mormon?

Joseph and the Greek psalter

Summary: Did Joseph Smith misidentify an ancient text of Greek psalms (a "psalter") as containing "reformed" Egyptian hieroglyphics?

Book of Abraham

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Summary: The Joseph Smith "translation" of the Bible and its relationship to the Book of Mormon

Miracles

Healings and miracles

Summary: Do we have any record of Joseph Smith performing healings or other miracles by the power of Christ's priesthood?

Walking on water

Summary: Did Joseph pretend to walk on water?

Priesthood holder

Date of the restoration of the Melchizedek priesthood

Prophet

No more prophets after Christ?

Summary: Most of Christianity today claim that there are not supposed to be any more prophets after Christ's day.

Prophecies

Summary: Critics claim that Joseph Smith was not a true prophet, and that he made "false prophecies."

Personages who appeared to Joseph Smith

Legal

Legal trials

Summary: What can you tell me about Joseph Smith's problems with the law?
    • 1826 glasslooking trial—
      Brief Summary: Joseph Smith was brought to trial in 1826 for "glasslooking." Didn't Hugh Nibley claim that if this trial record existed that it would be "the most damning evidence in existence against Joseph Smith?" (Click here for full article)
      ∗       ∗       ∗

Finance

Kirtland Safety Society

Summary: Joseph established the Kirtland Safety Society, which later failed. Many left the Church because they thought that Joseph's involvement and his calling as a prophet would guarantee its success. When the bank failed, many thought that Joseph was a fallen prophet.

Politics and Government

Politics

Summary: Critics charge that Joseph Smith's decision to run for President of the United States in 1844 shows him to be either a megalomaniac bent on amassing ever more power, or a fanatic with delusions of grandeur.

City of Nauvoo

Polygamy

Joseph Smith and polygamy

Death

Martyrdom

    • Joseph fired a gun—
      Brief Summary: Was Joseph Smith actually not a martyr because, while in jail, he had a gun and he had the temerity to defend himself? Did Joseph kill two men by firing at the mob? (Click here for full article)
      ∗       ∗       ∗
    • Hiding Joseph's gun?—
      Brief Summary: Critics claim that the Church has tried to hide the fact that Joseph fired a pepperbox pistol at the mob which murdered Hyrum and was soon to kill him, despite the fact that the gun is on display at the Church History museum. (Click here for full article)
      ∗       ∗       ∗
    • Nauvoo Legion to rescue Joseph?—
      Brief Summary: Did Joseph panic at Carthage Jail, and write an order to Jonathan Dunham (head of the Nauvoo legion), telling him to have the Legion attack the jail and "save him at all costs?" (Click here for full article)
      ∗       ∗       ∗
    • Masonic distress cry—
      Brief Summary: Just before he died, did Joseph Smith begin to give the Masonic cry of distress? (Click here for full article)
      ∗       ∗       ∗
    • Removed garments prior to leaving for Carthage—
      Brief Summary: Critics have claimed that Joseph and others with him removed their garments prior for leaving for Carthage in order to avoid identification as polygamists. What was the real reason for this? (Click here for full article)
      ∗       ∗       ∗

Other critical claims

Did certain Church leaders say that Joseph Smith was the Holy Ghost or that he "held the office of Holy Ghost?"

Did Church leaders claim that Joseph had the right to "approve whether or not someone gets into heaven," rather than Jesus Christ? Do Latter-day Saints worship Joseph Smith, as critics claim?

Did Joseph claim that the moon was inhabited?

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