Question: How did the false quote alleged to have been made by Elder David B. Haight about doing "nothing without the assistance of the moon" originate?


Question: How did the false quote alleged to have been made by Elder David B. Haight about doing "nothing without the assistance of the moon" originate?

D. Michael Quinn's treatment of Elder David B. Haight's actual quote started the process of misinterpretation

It is claimed that Elder David B. Haight "reinvoked the astrological principle that people should 'do nothing without the assistance of the moon'" in a talk that he gave during General Conference in 1998. This claim has evolved over time due to successive misinterpretation of the original sources. Quinn's is the first iteration of this process; it culminates in a completely non-existent quote in the work of Richard Abanes.

There is no evidence at all that Haight was referring to astrological principles

There is no evidence that:

  • Elder Haight invoked astrology or astrological principles;
  • Elder Haight believed it was necessary that a full moon be present;
  • Elder Haight questioned a planetarium worker and/or instructed him to check into the matter and report back;
  • Elder Haight was proceeding on anything more than a poetical wondering or imagination of what might have happened to show God's approval.

It is astonishing that Quinn has tried to hang his theory on such a stream of misreadings and textual mismanagement.

Quinn's use of the quote over the course of two pages contains many distortions of the textual record

D. Michael Quinn uses a talk by Elder David B. Haight which he claims demonstrates that "without mentioning astrology, Apostle David B. Haight in 1998 reinvoked the astrological principle that people should 'do nothing without the assistance of the Moon' (see ch. 3)."[1] Quinn's use of the quote over the course of two pages contains many distortions of the textual record. We will examine these below.

We here include the published text of Elder Haight's talk and a transcript that was made from a video recording of the same talk.

The talk

Transcription of live talk [April 1998 General Conference] from home recorded video in Rancho Cucamonga, CA Chaffey Ward church library. Talk as printed in the Ensign: David B. Haight, “Live the Commandments,” Ensign, May 1998, p 6. Comments

And as we left that little meeting that evening and left that little farmhouse, there was a full moon shining down through the trees. And I said to Ruby,

As we left our meeting that evening and left that little farmhouse, there was a full moon shining down through the trees. I said to Ruby,

  • Some minor grammar cleanup to remove the repetition of the phrase "that little."

“I can imagine that on the night of April 6, 1830, after that small group had assembled, the Church had been organized, the six members had signed the necessary papers to see that it was recognized under the laws of the state of New York.

“I can imagine the night of April 6, 1830, after that small group had assembled, the Church had been organized, and six men agreeable to its organization were present to be in harmony with the laws of the state of New York;

  • The phrase "agreeable to its organization" was added.
  • The spoken phrase "recognized under the laws" was reworded to read "in harmony with the laws."

And of the occasion was said what was prophesied, the future of the church, the testimony that would have been born. I said I would imagine that the night of April the 6th, 1830, the moon was shining showing that our Savior smiled upon that occasion and upon that setting.

I can imagine what was said, what was prophesied about the future of the Church, and the testimonies that would have been borne.” Then I said, “I would imagine that on the night of April the 6th, 1830, there was a full moon shining, showing that our Savior was smiling upon that occasion and upon that setting.”

  • Grammar modifications.

And later I said that to the little group and Brother Chamberlain who then was the director of the Hansen Planetarium in Salt Lake heard me say that. And he was thoughtful enough to get in touch with our, with our observatory, naval observatory, to find out what might have happened on April the 6th, 1830.

Later I expressed that idea to a group where Brother Chamberlain, who then was the director of the Hansen Planetarium in Salt Lake, heard me say it. He was thoughtful enough to get in touch with the naval observatory to find out what might have happened on April the 6th, 1830.

  • Grammar cleanup

They didn’t have records back that far and so he was thoughtful enough to contact in England the Naval Observatory and the records that might have been available over there and he later sent me some document-- documentar-- documentary indicating what was happening in the horizon in that week of April the 6th, 1830 and indicating on there that there was evidence that there was a full moon those days before and after and during April the 6th, 1830, which I have now as a prized possession that there was a full moon. The glories of the Lord had been poured out upon the occasion.

They didn’t have records back that far, so he was thoughtful enough to contact the Royal Observatory at Greenwich in England for records that might have been available over there. He later sent me some documents indicating what was happening in the horizon that week of April the 6th, 1830, indicating that there was a full or beautifully beaming moon those days before and after April the 6th. The glories of the Lord had been poured out upon the occasion.

  • Grammar again.
Learn more about how one false source about David B. Haight propagated through anti-Mormon literature
Key sources

Source evolution

  • Original source: Talk given by Elder David B. Haight, “Live the Commandments,” Ensign, May 1998, p 6.
    —Elder Haight comments to his wife, after leaving a meeting at the Whitmer cabin, "“I would imagine that on the night of April the 6th, 1830, there was a full moon shining, showing that our Savior was smiling upon that occasion and upon that setting.” A transcription of a video recording of the actual talk shows that Elder Haight said "I said I would imagine that the night of April the 6th, 1830, the moon was shining showing that our Savior smiled upon that occasion and upon that setting."
    • Source (level 2): D. Michael Quinn, Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, revised and enlarged edition, (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1998), 290–291 ( Index of claims )
      —"Nonetheless, in April 1998 an LDS apostle (ordained in 1976) presented an astrological correlation for the organization date of the LDS church. ' I would imagine that on the night of April the 6th, 1830, there was a full moon shining,' David B. Haight told the general conference. [Note that Quinn omits the phrase which follows this remark, explaining Elder Haight's meaning: "...showing that our Savior was smiling upon that occasion and upon that setting.] This possibility was sufficiently important to him that the apostle inquired with the director of a local planetarium, who had to contact associates in England for evidence that 'there was a full or beautifully shining moon those days before and after April the 6th.' The apostle did not explain why he initially assumed there was a full moon when 'the glories of the Lord had been poured out upon the occasion,' but this was obviously more significant to him than a mere coincidence of astronomy.' [ref 410, p. 564 - David B. Haight, "Live the Commandments," Ensign 28 (May 1998): 6–7.]...[para] Without mentioning astrology, Apostle David B. Haight in 1998 reinvoked the astrological principle that people should 'do nothing without the assistance of the Moon' (see ch. 3)."[n. 412, p. 565 - "Agrippa, Three Books of Occult Philosophy, 279; Barrett, The Magus, 1:148; also Patrick Curry, Prophecy and Power: Astrology In Early Modern England (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1989), 11.]
      • Source (level 3): Richard Abanes, Becoming Gods: A Closer Look at 21st-Century Mormonism (Harvest House Publishers: 2005). 352, n155. ( Index of claims )
        —Abanes uses Quinn as a source to claim that Elder Haight "reinvoked the astrological principle that people should 'do nothing without the assistance of the moon'".
        • Source (level 4): Richard Abanes, One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church (New York: Four Walls Eight Windows, 2003), 521n58 (HB) 519n58 (PB) ( Index of claims )
          —Abanes, apparently noting that Elder Haight's published talk said nothing about doing "nothing without the assistance of the moon," cites Quinn once again but claims that "when the transcribed text of the speech was made available online through the LDS Church's official Internet site, the phrase had been deleted." (emphasis added)
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Astrological correlation?

Quinn claims that Elder Haight is presenting an "astrological correlation"[2] for the Church's reorganization (though he then admits a page later that Haight never mentioned astrology, though he claims that Haight "reinvokes" an astrological principle).

But, Quinn snips out the subsequent phrase that tells us exactly why Elder Haight was mentioning the full moon. "I would imagine that on the night of April the 6th, 1830, there was a full moon shining," quotes Quinn. Why would Elder Haight imagine this? Because of astrology, Quinn has told us.

But, Quinn omits the very next phrase: "...showing that our Savior was smiling upon that occasion and upon that setting." This has nothing to do with astrology at all. The moon gives light, light is a sign/symbol of God/Christ, and so Elder Haight wonders if the fullness of light at night showed God's approval.

From bad to worse

Quinn compounds the confusion by claiming, "The apostle did not explain why he initially assumed there was a full moon when 'the glories of the Lord had been poured out upon the occasion,' but this was obviously more significant to him than a mere coincidence of astronomy." Nonsense—Elder Haight explained exactly why he "imagined" (not "assumed," as Quinn has it; Elder Haight uses the phrase "imagined" three times in succession) there might be a full moon--because such light would indicate God's approval of the goings-on.

Quinn also omits the earlier part of the story, which has Elder Haight explaining WHY his mind went down this particular path. He talks of a meeting at the reconstructed Peter Whitmer farmhouse. He then says:

"Near the end of that very spiritual meeting with those mission presidents, I walked up the stairs and looked at the two little bedrooms. The Peter Whitmer family lived there. But they turned one of those rooms over to the Prophet Joseph Smith, and there he did some of the translating of the Book of Mormon. Oliver Cowdery worked with him in that humble little setting. My heart burned with the wonderful feeling I had of just being in that little farmhouse and imagining what took place and the blessings of heaven that had been poured out upon them.
"As we left our meeting that evening and left that little farmhouse, there was a full moon shining down through the trees. I said to Ruby, “I can imagine the night of April 6, 1830, after that small group had assembled, the Church had been organized, and six men agreeable to its organization were present to be in harmony with the laws of the state of New York; I can imagine what was said, what was prophesied about the future of the Church, and the testimonies that would have been borne.” Then I said, “I would imagine that on the night of April the 6th, 1830, there was a full moon shining, showing that our Savior was smiling upon that occasion and upon that setting.”" (emphasis added)

Elder Haight makes it clear that his experience at the farmhouse in the modern day had a full moon. This gets him to picturing and imagining what it would have been like on the date the Church was organized, imagining what people would say, and he then adds the rather whimsical or poetical touch that God's approval might even have been signaled by a full moon. This has nothing whatever to do with astrology or invoking the idea that one ought to do nothing "without the moon."

The planetarium worker

Quinn also misrepresents what Elder Haight does about this. Quinn writes:

"This possibility [of a full moon] was sufficiently important to him that the apostle inquired with the director of a local planetarium, who had to contact associates in England for evidence that 'there was a full or beautifully shining moon those days before and after April the 6th."

Note that Quinn's version has Haight regarding this as "so important" that he asks someone to check into it, and that person "had to" touch base with England to answer this vital question.

Elder Haight's account is markedly different:

"And later I said that to the little group and Brother Chamberlain who then was the director of the Hansen Planetarium in Salt Lake heard me say that. And he was thoughtful enough to get in touch with our, with our observatory, naval observatory, to find out what might have happened on April the 6th, 1830. They didn’t have records back that far, so he was thoughtful enough to contact the Royal Observatory at Greenwich in England for records that might have been available over there."

In Elder Haight's talk, he only mentioned his notion about the full moon to a small group, Bro. Chamberlain heard him say it, and on his own initiative (Elder Haight characterizes him as "thoughtful" for doing it) investigates the matter and reports back.

Haight never "inquires" of the planetarium worker as Quinn claims, he is merely thinking out loud. The Chamberlain does not "have to" check England—Quinn's constant tendency to emphasize the power and authoritarianism of Church leaders makes this sound like Elder Haight has insisted that Chamberlain investigate this matter and report back.

In fact, Chamberlain does all this on his own, and then reports back, to Elder Haight's pleased surprise—the apostle even notes that the documents thoughtfully sent him "later" by Chamberlain "I have now as a prized possession" (see original transcript; not present in published version).



Learn more about how one false source about David B. Haight propagated through anti-Mormon literature
Key sources

Source evolution

  • Original source: Talk given by Elder David B. Haight, “Live the Commandments,” Ensign, May 1998, p 6.
    —Elder Haight comments to his wife, after leaving a meeting at the Whitmer cabin, "“I would imagine that on the night of April the 6th, 1830, there was a full moon shining, showing that our Savior was smiling upon that occasion and upon that setting.” A transcription of a video recording of the actual talk shows that Elder Haight said "I said I would imagine that the night of April the 6th, 1830, the moon was shining showing that our Savior smiled upon that occasion and upon that setting."
    • Source (level 2): D. Michael Quinn, Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, revised and enlarged edition, (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1998), 290–291 ( Index of claims )
      —"Nonetheless, in April 1998 an LDS apostle (ordained in 1976) presented an astrological correlation for the organization date of the LDS church. ' I would imagine that on the night of April the 6th, 1830, there was a full moon shining,' David B. Haight told the general conference. [Note that Quinn omits the phrase which follows this remark, explaining Elder Haight's meaning: "...showing that our Savior was smiling upon that occasion and upon that setting.] This possibility was sufficiently important to him that the apostle inquired with the director of a local planetarium, who had to contact associates in England for evidence that 'there was a full or beautifully shining moon those days before and after April the 6th.' The apostle did not explain why he initially assumed there was a full moon when 'the glories of the Lord had been poured out upon the occasion,' but this was obviously more significant to him than a mere coincidence of astronomy.' [ref 410, p. 564 - David B. Haight, "Live the Commandments," Ensign 28 (May 1998): 6–7.]...[para] Without mentioning astrology, Apostle David B. Haight in 1998 reinvoked the astrological principle that people should 'do nothing without the assistance of the Moon' (see ch. 3)."[n. 412, p. 565 - "Agrippa, Three Books of Occult Philosophy, 279; Barrett, The Magus, 1:148; also Patrick Curry, Prophecy and Power: Astrology In Early Modern England (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1989), 11.]
      • Source (level 3): Richard Abanes, Becoming Gods: A Closer Look at 21st-Century Mormonism (Harvest House Publishers: 2005). 352, n155. ( Index of claims )
        —Abanes uses Quinn as a source to claim that Elder Haight "reinvoked the astrological principle that people should 'do nothing without the assistance of the moon'".
        • Source (level 4): Richard Abanes, One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church (New York: Four Walls Eight Windows, 2003), 521n58 (HB) 519n58 (PB) ( Index of claims )
          —Abanes, apparently noting that Elder Haight's published talk said nothing about doing "nothing without the assistance of the moon," cites Quinn once again but claims that "when the transcribed text of the speech was made available online through the LDS Church's official Internet site, the phrase had been deleted." (emphasis added)
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Notes

  1. ↑ D. Michael Quinn, Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, revised and enlarged edition, (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1998), 291 ( Index of claims )
  2. ↑ Quinn, 290.

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