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=Was the young Joseph Smith a teller of "tall tales"?=
==The Prophet's mother's account of her son telling "amusing recitals" about the ancient inhabitants of the American continent occurred during the years that Joseph was being prepared to receive the plates==

Lucy's 1853 autobiography, ''Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and His Progenitors for many Generations'' was considered inaccurate by Brigham Young and was ordered to be rewritten. The reasons for this had nothing to do with Lucy's account of her son Joseph's "amusing recitals." The 1853 autobiography and the 1845 manuscript upon which it was based still exist, and both confirm that the "amusing recitals" mentioned by Lucy were done during the period during which Joseph was being instructed by the angel as he waited to retrieve the gold plates. Lucy Mack Smith said the following in her 1853 autobiography:

<blockquote>
During our evening conversations, Joseph would occasionally give us some of the most amusing recitals that could be imagined. He would describe the ancient inhabitants of this continent, their dress, mode of travelings, and the animals upon which they rode; their cities, their buildings, with every particular; their mode of warfare; and also their religious worship. This he would do with as much ease, seemingly, as if he had spent his whole life among them.<ref>{{EarlyMormonDocs1| vol=1|start=296}} citing {{Book:Smith:Biographical Sketches|pages=36-173}}</ref>
</blockquote>

The quote from Lucy Mack Smith is used by critics of the Church to show how Joseph Smith told "yarns" about Native Americans "long before any golden plates had been found." The chronology found in Lucy Mack Smith's history, however, tells just the opposite story, and puts this quotation in its proper context. Lucy says that the angel Moroni told her son (during his first appearance) about the existence of the plates and informed him where they were buried (see Lavina F. Anderson, ed., ''Lucy's Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir'' [Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2001], 335-36). Lucy then states that Joseph (the evening after he had seen the Nephite record in their place of deposit) told his family all about "the plates" (ibid., 343).

==Lucy Mack Smith: "From this time forth Joseph continued to receive instructions from time to time and every evening we gathered our children"==

Lucy Mack Smith's account of her son telling "amusing recitals" about the ancient inhabitants of the American continent occurred during the years that Joseph was being prepared to receive the plates. The stories that he was telling related to information that he was receiving from the angel Moroni: These were not "tall tales" that he fabricated for his family's amusement.

From Lucy's 1845 manuscript, we read:

<blockquote>
Now said he[,] Father and Mother the angel of the Lord says that we must be careful not to proclaim these things or to mention them abroad For we do not any of us know the wickedness of the world which is so sinful that when we get the plates they will want to kill us for the sake of the gold if they know we <s>had</s> <have> them...by sunset [we] were ready to be seated and give our <s>atten</s> undivided attention to Josephs recitals...From this time forth Joseph continued to receive instructions from time to time and every evening we gathered our children togather [together]...In the course of our evening conversations Joseph would give us some of the most ammusing [amusing] recitals which could be immagined [imagined]. he would describe the ancient inhabitants of this continent their dress their man[n]er of traveling the animals which they rode The cities that were built by them the structure of their buildings with every particular of their mode of warfare  their religious worship as particularly as though he had spent his life with them...<s>The angel informed him at one time that he might make an effort to obtain the plates</s> <on> the <22nd of the> ensueing september....<ref>{{EarlyMormonDocs| vol=1|start=294|end=296 }} citing the 1845 manuscript of Lucy Mack Smith's autobiography.</ref>
</blockquote>

Clearly, Joseph Smith told his stories ''after'' he learned about, and saw, the golden plates. Indeed, it is known that Moroni showed Joseph visions and gave him information regarding the people whose stories were found on the Nephite record (see ''Times and Seasons'', vol. 3, no. 9, 1 March 1842, 707-708), so the young man undoubtedly had quite a few stories to tell. Lucy Mack Smith simply said in her autobiography that her son told the family about information connected with the angel and the Book of Mormon plates.<ref>{{Book:Anderson:Lucy's Book|pages=346}}</ref> Lucy told the same information to Wandle Mace about seven years prior to producing her 1845 autobiography and clarified that this information was connected with the Book of Mormon "Nephites" and was shown to her son by vision. 

In Joseph Smith's own official history he confirmed that he learned this information through the power of visions<ref>{{TS|vol=3|num=9|date=1 March 1842|pages=707}}</ref> and Oliver Cowdery made note of the same thing.<ref>{{MA|vol=1|num=7|date=April 1835|pages=112}}</ref> Thus, the origin of the stories mentioned by Joseph's mother in her autobiography was a heavenly one—she was not even remotely implying that her son was a teller of tall tales.

{{Critical sources box:Joseph Smith/"Amusing recitals" of ancient American inhabitants/CriticalSources}}{{blankline}}

=Was Joseph Smith, Jr. known as a "disreputable person?"=
==Joseph was only seen as lacking character in the opinion of those that misunderstood him and opposed his efforts in restoring the Church==

In many&mdash;if not most&mdash;critical treatments of the Church, Joseph is made out to be "one of the basest men that ever lived." A ''Boston Bee'' reporter wrote after interviewing Joseph:

<blockquote>
I could not help noticing that he dressed, talked and acted like other men, and in every respect appeared exactly the opposite of what I had conjured up in my imagination a prophet [to be].<ref>"Mormonism," ''Boston Bee'' (24 March 1843); cited in {{Periodical:Times and Seasons|vol=4|date=15 May 1843|num=13|article=From the Boston Bee|pages=119&ndash;120}}</ref>
</blockquote>

Clearly, Joseph is not what the critics imagine a prophet to be either. Was Joseph perfect? No; he never said he was. What he did say of himself was, "Although I do wrong, I do not the wrongs that I am charged with doing; the wrong that I do is through the frailty of human nature, like other men. No man lives without fault."<ref>{{Book:Smith:History of the Church|pages=140|vol=5}}</ref>

Joseph was only seen as lacking character in the opinion of those that misunderstood him and opposed his efforts in restoring the Church. The recorded details and testimonies from firsthand accounts as to Joseph's good character cannot be ignored and certainly must be looked at by anyone serious in their study of Mormonism. The critics often avoid portraying the simple man who recognized the saving grace of Christ for his errors and sought to further the cause of righteousness.

Sectarian critics in particular ought to be careful, since the standard they apply to Joseph Smith might easily disqualify various biblical prophets.  Paul for example, would not have been called to be an Apostle after his participation in the persecution of Christians and role in the martyrdom of Stephen ({{b||Acts|8|1-3}}).

Ultimately, however, attacks, on Joseph's character are classic ''[[Logical fallacies/Page 1#Ad hominem|ad hominem]]''&mdash;the man is attacked instead of the message.

=Do Joseph Smith's personality and temperament indicate that he was not a true prophet of God?=
==Although we cannot fully detach the man from the message, we should remember that Joseph Smith was a man as well as a prophet==

As a man, Joseph was subject to the same passions and opinions as other men, but as a prophet, he restored the truths, ordinances, and authority necessary to exalt mankind.

At its base, this attack is simply [[Logical fallacies/Page 1#ad hominem abusive|ad hominem abusive]]&mdash;an attack on the messenger, rather than his claims.

This criticism is not driven so much by facts as it is by ''expectations''&mdash;people have their own preconceived notions of how a prophet should look, speak, and act. When a person who claims to be a prophet, often people dismiss him because he doesn't fit their idea of what a prophet should be, regardless of what he has accomplished.

Joseph Smith encountered and recognized this sort of prejudice, and he spoke about it:

<blockquote>
I never told you I was perfect, but there is no error in the revelations which I have taught. Must I then be thrown away as a thing of nought? <ref>Joseph Smith, Jr., Thomas Bullock Report, 12 May 1844, Temple Stand; cited in {{wordsjs1|start=369, punctuation modernized}}</ref>
</blockquote>

Brigham Young explained it this way:

<blockquote>
I recollect a conversation I had with a priest who was an old friend of ours, before I was personally acquainted with the Prophet Joseph. I clipped every argument he advanced, until at last he came out and began to rail against "Joe Smith," saying, "that he was a mean man, a liar, moneydigger, gambler, and a whore-master;" and he charged him with everything bad, that he could find language to utter. I said, hold on, Brother Gillmore, here is the doctrine, here is the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the revelations that have come through Joseph Smith the Prophet. I have never seen him, and do not know his private character. The doctrine he teaches is all I know about the matter, bring anything against that if you can. As to anything else I do not care. If he acts like a devil, he has brought forth a doctrine that will save us, if we will abide it. He may get drunk every day of his life, sleep with his neighbor's wife every night, run horses and gamble, I do not care anything about that, for I never embrace any man in my faith. But the doctrine he has produced will save you and me, and the whole world; and if you can find fault with that, find it.<ref>{{JDfairwiki|author=Brigham Young|vol=4|disc=15|start=77|end=78}}</ref>
</blockquote>

At a 1894 gathering of Latter-day Saints who personally knew Joseph Smith, Joseph F. Smith (his nephew) arose and made the following remarks:

<blockquote>
Now, some of us remember one thing, and some remember another thing, with relation to the Prophet [Joseph Smith]. I remember several instances, general incidents, myself, which might be considered inappropriate to mention here tonight. For it is sometimes the ludicrous things and drastic things which occur that impress themselves with greater vigor upon the mind; and we remember them more distinctly than we do other things of far greater importance and which are far more worthy to be recollected. No matter what we may recollect of the Prophet or what may be said to us here tonight with regard to our memeory [''sic''] of him, the one thing that I wish to call your attention to first and foremost of all other things is this, that whatever else the Prophet Joseph Smith may have done or may have been, we must not forget the fact that he was the man out of the millions of human beings that inhabited this earth at the time&mdash;the only man, that was called of God, by the voice of God Himself, to open up the dispensation of the Gospel to the world for the last time; and this is the great thing to bear in mind, that he was called of God to introduce the Gospel to the world, to restore the holy priesthood to the children of men, to organize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the world, and to restore all the ordinances of the Gospel, for the salvation not only of the living, but also of the dead, and he was called to this mission by God Himself. Now, if somebody tells us about Joseph being fond of wrestling, fond of running a foot race, fond of having a good scuffle with some lusty neighbor or friend; or if you hear somebody tell about the good, that is, the overflowing of the human nature that was in him, it need not detract one iota from the great and glorious principles which were revealed through him to the world.<ref>"Joseph, the Prophet. His Life and Mission as Viewed by Intimate Acquaintances", ''Salt Lake Herald, Church and Farm Supplement'' (12 January 1895): 210. Reprinted in {{CD1|author=Joseph F. Smith|article=Joseph, the Prophet. His Life and Mission as Viewed by Intimate Acquaintances|date=1894?|vol=5|start=26ff}}</ref>
</blockquote>

Dr. John M. Bernhisel, related his impressions of Joseph Smith to Illinois Governor Ford in 1844. He wrote:

<blockquote>
Having been a boarder in General Smith's family for more than nine months, and having therefore had abundant opportunities of contemplating his character and observing his conduct, I have concluded to give you a few of my "impressions" of him.

General Joseph Smith is naturally a man of strong mental powers, and is possessed of much energy and decision of character, great penetration, and a profound knowledge of human nature. He is a man of calm judgment, enlarged views, and is eminently distinguished by his love of justice. He is kind and obliging, generous and benevolent, sociable and cheerful, and is possessed of a mind of a contemplative and reactive character. He is honest, frank, fearless and independent, and as free from dissimulation as any man to be found.

But it is in the gentle charities of domestic life, as the tender and affectionate husband and parent, the warm and sympathizing friend, that the prominent traits of his character are revealed, and his heart is felt to be keenly alive to the kindest and softest emotions of which human nature is susceptible; and I feel assured that his family and friends formed one of the greatest consolations to him while the vials of wrath were poured upon his head, while his footsteps were pursued by malice and envy, and reproach and slander were strewn in his path, as well as during numerous and cruel persecutions, and severe and protracted sufferings in chains and loathsome prisons, for worshiping God according to the dictates of his own conscience.

He is a true lover of his country, and a bright and shining example of integrity and moral excellence in all the relations of life. As a religious teacher, as well as a man, he is greatly beloved by this people. It is almost superfluous to add that the numerous ridiculous and scandalous reports in circulation respecting him have not the least foundation in truth.<ref>{{book:Smith:History of the Church|pages=467&ndash;468; citing Bernhisel to Thomas Ford (14 June 1844)|vol=6}}</ref>
</blockquote>

Attorney John S. Reed, a life-long non-Mormon, said in May 1844:

<blockquote>
The first acquaintance I had with Gen. Smith was about the year 1823. He came into my neighborhood, being then about eighteen years of age, and resided there two years; during which time I became intimately acquainted with him. I do know that his character was irreproachable; that he was well known for truth and uprightness; that he moved in the first circles of the community, and he was often spoken of as a young man of intelligence and good morals, and possessing a mind susceptible of the highest intellectual attainments. I early discovered that his mind was constantly in search of truth, expressing an anxious desire to know the will of God concerning His children here below, often speaking of those things which professed Christians believe in. I have often observed to my best informed friends (those that were free from superstition and bigotry) that I thought Joseph was predestinated by his God from all eternity to be an instrument in the hands of the great Dispenser of all good, to do a great work; what it was I knew not.<ref>{{Periodical:Times and Seasons|article=Some of the Remarks of John S. Reed, Esq., as Delivered Before the State Convention|date=1 June 1844|vol=5|num=11|pages=549&ndash;550}}</ref>
</blockquote>

Peter H. Burnett, a former Governor of California and attorney for Joseph wrote:

<blockquote>
You could see at a glance that his education was very limited. He was an awkward and vehement speaker. In conversation he was slow, and used too many words to express his ideas, and would not generally go directly to a point. But, with all these drawbacks, he was much more than an ordinary man. He possessed the most indomitable perseverance, was a good judge of men, and deemed himself born to command, and he did command. His views were so strange and striking, and his manner was so earnest, and apparently so candid, that you could not but be interested. There was a kind, familiar look about him, that pleased you. He was very courteous in discussion, readily admitting what he did not intend to controvert, and would not oppose you abruptly, but had due deference to your feelings. He had the capacity for discussing a subject in different aspects, and for proposing many original views, even of ordinary matters. His illustrations were his own. He had great influence over others. As an evidence of this I will state that on Thursday, just before I left to return to Liberty [Missouri], I saw him out among the crowd, conversing freely with every one, and seeming to be perfectly at ease. In the short space of five days he had managed so to mollify his enemies that he could go unprotected among them without the slightest danger.<ref>{{Book:Burnett:Recollections of an Old Pioneer|pages=66&ndash;67}}</ref>
</blockquote>

A ''New York Herald'' writer said he was "one of the most accomplished and powerful chiefs of the age." He then described him as follows:

<blockquote>
Joseph Smith, the president of the church, prophet, seer, and revelator, is thirty-six years of age, six feet high in pumps, weighing two hundred and twelve pounds. He is a man of the highest order of talent and great independence of character--firm in his integrity--and devoted to his religion; . . as a public speaker he is bold, powerful, and convincing; . . as a leader, wise and prudent, yet fearless as a military commander; brave and determined as a citizen, worthy, affable, and kind; bland in his manners, and of noble bearing.<ref>James Gordon Bennet, "The Mormon Prophets," ''New York Herald'' (19 February 1842).</ref>
</blockquote>

Opposite the positive views presented here and the conflicting views of Joseph which critics seek to take advantage of, there is reason to pause and consider the absoluteness of one opinion of Joseph over another. Speaking of Joseph's human side, the world's expectations of him, and reconciling the two realities, Marvin S. Hill concluded:

<blockquote>
If a look at the human side of Joseph Smith seems at times somewhat unflattering, it comes from no desire to diminish him. It comes rather from the belief that at times in the Church we tend to expect too much of him, to ask him to be more than human in everything he did. This may lead to some disillusionment, if occasionally we find that he did not measure up to all our expectations. The early Saints usually avoided that kind of mistake. Brigham Young said of Joseph: 'Though I admitted in my feelings and knew all the time that Joseph was a human being and subject to err, still it was none of my business to look after his faults.' Brigham chose to stress the positive side.
</blockquote>
Parley P. Pratt said that Joseph was "like other men, as the prophets and apostles of old, liable to errors and mistakes which were not inspired from heaven, but managed by...[his] own judgment."

These brethren knew Joseph as a man with human weaknesses, yet they believed in his divine calling and in his greatness. It seemed to them that what he had achieved as a prophet far outweighed his imperfections. In the long run their love of him and their faith in his calling were decisive in shaping their lives. Seeing Joseph in his various moods, they still called him a prophet of God... Those who would understand the Prophet must give consideration to his spiritual side as well as his human side. It was his strong commitment to things spiritual which made him so aware of his human failings, so desirous to overcome his weaknesses and to give his all to the work of the Lord.<ref>{{Periodical:BYU Studies|author=Marvin S. Hill|article=Joseph Smith the Man: Some Reflections on a Subject of Controversy|vol=21|date=1981|num=1|pages=9}} {{pdflink|url=http://byustudies.byu.edu/articleDownload.aspx?title=5461&linkURL=21.2Hill.pdf}}</ref>

=Did Joseph Smith engage in "land speculation" in Nauvoo?=

==Those that made this accusation against Joseph Smith had their profits harmed by Joseph's policy of giving land to the poor==

The Law's claimed that Joseph Smith used Church members' donations to engage in "land speculation" in Nauvoo. However, the Laws’ profits were harmed by Joseph’s policy of giving land to the poor, and the Laws also resented his ability to influence buyers. G. D. Smith’s account is a caricature of the facts. Few citations to the relevant literature are provided.

G. D. Smith claims that "the Law brothers came into a . . . dispute with [Joseph] over his conduct as trustee-in-trust for the church. In that capacity, [Joseph] had appropriated church members’ charitable donations for real estate speculation, buying low and reselling high to those immigrants who could afford to pay" (p.&nbsp;423). In fact, Joseph had signed two promissory notes of $25,000 for Nauvoo, payable to Eastern land speculators. 

Yet the dispossession suffered by the Saints in Missouri made repayment difficult since many could not afford to purchase land.<ref>{{RSR1|start=430}}</ref>  "Joseph wanted to help," reports Richard Bushman, "but huge debts prevented him from simply giving away land. What could poor converts do?" Joseph’s preference was "to give land to the poor, especially to widows and orphans. To finance these free gifts, he wanted others to pay generously. The high council priced Nauvoo lots from $200 to $800, leaving room for negotiation. All these judgments required patience and wisdom and exposed Joseph to criticism for gouging and unfair treatment." <ref>{{RSR1|start=414, 417}}</ref>  In addition, "in June 1840, he asked the high council to appoint someone else to attend to ‘the temporalities of the Church.’ . . . [B]ut his appeal went unheeded, . . . leaving Joseph responsible for the debts and final disposition of land." <ref>{{RSR1|start=417}}</ref>

Thus the charge that Joseph was involved in "real estate speculation" is not true. G. D. Smith’s claim that Joseph was selling high "to those . . . who could afford to pay" is a bit of verbal legerdemain—it is true, while still managing to hide the fact that the Prophet was ''giving away'' land to those who could not pay. Joseph was already in debt for the land; land sold for higher prices did not benefit Joseph but did benefit those Saints too poor to afford land at all. 

On what basis, then, were the Law brothers complaining? Their motives were not so pure as G. D. Smith suggests, just as Joseph’s actions were not so venal as G. D. Smith’s version implies. The Laws invested in lots in upper Nauvoo and on the outskirts while the church held title to the lower city. As Lyndon Cook has explained,

<blockquote>
By 1843 the fundamental economic interests of the [Laws] and the Mormon leader were in definite conflict. Brisk competition caused the Prophet to insist that the Saints purchase building lots from only the Church. Although most recognized this as a sacrifice which would assist in liquidating Church debts, to William Law it sounded too much like totalitarianism.<ref>Lyndon W. Cook, "William Law: Nauvoo Dissenter," ''BYU Studies'' 22/1 (Fall 1982): 62.</ref>
</blockquote>

{{Critical sources box:Joseph Smith/Land speculation in Nauvoo/CriticalSources}}{{blankline}}

=Did Joseph Smith really tell Orrin Porter Rockwell 'it was right to steal'?=
==The only evidence for this statement is a fourth-hand claim made by a convicted fifteen-year-old thief attempting to justify himself==

The only evidence for this statement is a fourth-hand claim made by a convicted fifteen-year-old thief attempting to justify himself.  Joseph's diary recorded the comment, suggesting it cannot have threatened or worried him.

==Quinn's use of the source is incorrect, and his lumping of a later journal entry with it creates a false impression==

Historian D. Michael Quinn's material for this claim reads:

<blockquote>
10 Mar [1843]. Fifteen-year-old Thomas Morgan says that Orrin Porter Rockwell told him "Joseph had taught that it was right to steal…which was the means of drawing Thomas into the practice of stealing." Smith's next remark about his boyhood friend: "conversed much about Porter, wishing the boy well." <ref>{{CriticalWork:Quinn:Mormon Hierarchy|pages=637}}</ref>
</blockquote>

Unfortunately, in this section of his book, Quinn provides no references, footnotes, or endnotes.  One reviewer noted that "In a work where source notes are taken as seriously as they are in this book, it is unfortunate that they were not included in appendices 6 (Biographical Sketches) and 7 (Selected Chronology). The careful student needs to be able to weigh the evidence for the extensive and sometimes sensational information that is given here." <ref>{{JMH1|author=Dean C. Jessee|article=review of ''The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power''|vol=22|num=2|date=Fall 1996|start=167&ndash;168}}</ref>

So it proves here.

==Background: identifying the participants==

The source for Quinn's source appears to be an entry made in Joseph Smith's journal.  A transcript of the journal for the period in question reads:

<blockquote>
[Entry for February 20, 1843] Last night Arthur Milikin had a quantity of books stolen and found them at 3 this P.M. in Hyrum Smith's Hayloft. '''Thomas Morgan''' and Robert Taylor ('''Morgan 15''', Robert Taylor 13 years old next April) /both members of the Church/ were arrested on suspicion in the forenoon. On finding the books [they] immediately went to trial before the Mayor having had a brief examination about noon. Court adjourned till 10 [A.M.] tomorrow....<ref>{{AmericanProphetsRecord|pages=307}}</ref>
</blockquote>

So, Thomas Morgan was a fifteen-year-old member of the Church brought before Joseph (in his role as a civil judge) for theft.  The ''History of the Church'' notes that the next day:

<blockquote>
Robert Taylor was again brought up for stealing, and Thomas Morgan for receiving the books, [referred to above] and each sentenced to six months imprisonment in Carthage jail.<ref>{{HC1|vol=5|start=283, for date 20-21 Feb 1843}}</ref>
</blockquote>

Morgan and Taylor were found guilty, and sentenced to jail.  The ''History of the Church'' later says that

<blockquote>
I [Joseph] went with Marshal Henry G. Sherwood to procure some provisions for Thomas Morgan and Robert Taylor, who, on petition of the inhabitants of the city, I had directed should work out their punishment on the highways of Nauvoo.<ref>{{HC1|vol=5|start=292, for date 1 March 1843}}</ref>
</blockquote>

So, far from approving theft, Joseph sentenced the young thieves to jail time, which was later converted into labor at the petition of others.

==Evaluating the claim==

We now come to the source (9 days later) to which Quinn likely alludes:

<blockquote>
Friday, March 10th 1843 Clear and cold....As Thomas Morgan went out to speak with Mayor, said he had been told by several that Joseph had taught that it was right to steal viz. O. P. Rockwell, David B. Smith, and James Smith which was the means of drawing Thomas into the practice of stealing.<ref>{{AmericanProphetsRecord|pages=329}}</ref>
</blockquote>

So, it turns out that Quinn's source is a hearsay statement from a fifteen-year-old member boy found guilty of stealing, and sentenced to jail by Joseph (later commuted to road work).  The young man doubtless wanted to excuse himself in the prophet's eyes, and so makes the claim that the only reason he was 'draw[n]...into the practice of stealing' is what he has heard (unnamed) others say that Joseph said to Porter Rockwell.  This statement is thus at least fourth hand:

<blockquote>
Joseph -> Rockwell -> "others" -> Thomas Morgan.
</blockquote>

Moreover, why would Joseph's personal journal record this incident if there were any truth to it?  Why would Joseph allow a record to be made of advocating theft?

==Next remark: wishing the boy well?==

Quinn follows his claim about what Joseph told Porter by writing:

<blockquote>
Smith's next remark about his boyhood friend: "conversed much about Porter, wishing the boy well."
</blockquote>

This is disingenuous at best.  The entry which reads "Conversed much about Porter, wishing the boy well," comes from a diary entry on March 14, 1843&mdash;four days after the encounter with Thomas Morgan! <ref>{{AmericanProphetsRecord|pages=334}}</ref>  Quinn gives the impression that the very next thing that Joseph said, after hearing the tale from Morgan, were warm reminiscences regarding Porter Rockwell.  Nothing could be further from the truth&mdash;this is simply the next remark about Porter in Joseph's journal, eight journal pages later.  Small wonder that Joseph's thoughts turned to Rockwell, since on March 4, 1843, Rockwell was arrested for the attempted murder of former governor Boggs of Missouri.<ref>{{HC1|vol=5|start=295}}</ref>

{{Critical sources box:Joseph Smith/Taught Porter Rockwell 'it was right to steal'/CriticalSources}}{{blankline}}

=Brigham Young (1855): "he was an honorable man and dealt justly, we know his true character. But let his enemies give his character, and they will make him out one of the basest men that ever lived."=

The history of Joseph and Mary is given to us by their best friends, and precisely as we will give the history of the Prophet Joseph. We know him to have been a good man, we know that he performed his mission, we know that he was an honorable man and dealt justly, we know his true character. But let his enemies give his character, and they will make him out one of the basest men that ever lived. Let the enemies of Joseph and Mary give their characters to us, and you would be strongly tempted to believe as the Jews believe. Let the enemies of Jesus give his character to us, and, in the absence of the testimony of his friends, I do not know but that the present Christian world would all be Jews, so far as their belief that Jesus Christ was an impostor and one of the most degraded men that ever lived.<ref>{{JDfairwiki|author=Brigham Young|vol=3|start=366|disc=51|date=6 October 1855}}</ref>
</blockquote>

=Did B.H. Roberts state that it was possible for Joseph Smith to have come up with the Book of Mormon on his own?=
==B.H. Roberts was a believer in the divine origin of the Book of Mormon, and talked of young Joseph Smith as he sat up late detailing to the family the wonderful conversations he had with the angel==

B.H. Roberts [[B.H. Roberts' testimony of the Book of Mormon|retained his belief that the Book of Mormon was of divine origin]] up until the end of his life. Yet, according to one critical website, B.H. Roberts "postulated that it was certainly possible for Joseph Smith to have come up with the Book of Mormon on his own." <ref>"Could Joseph Smith have written the Book of Mormon?", MormonThink.com</ref> Roberts, however, believed that Joseph had conversations with the Angel Moroni.

B.H. Roberts, in his critical study of the Book of Mormon, pointed out how future critics might make use of this.

<blockquote>
The face of it is first established by the testimony of the mother who bore him, Lucy Smith. Speaking of the days immediately following the revelation making known the existence of the Book of Mormon to her son...Lucy Smith in her ''History of the Prophet Joseph Smith'', recounts how in the evening of that day, the young prophet sat up late detailing to the family the wonderful conversations he had with the angel;<ref>B. H. Roberts, ''Studies of the Book of Mormon'', (Salt Lake City, UT; Signature Books, 1992), 243. Some online ministries quote Roberts' use of Lucy's quote as "evidence" that Roberts lost his testimony of the Book of Mormon. They completely ignore Roberts's statements on the same page that Joseph was describing the "wonderful conversations he had with the angel."</ref>
</blockquote>

=Stephen H. Webb: "Evidence That Demands Our Amazement... Joseph Smith was a remarkable person"=
Non-LDS Christian Stephen H. Webb wrote:<ref name="webbID">"Webb is Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He is a graduate of Wabash College and earned his PhD at the University of Chicago before returning to his alma mater to teach.   Born in 1961 he grew up at Englewood Christian Church, an evangelical church.  He joined the Disciples of Christ during  He was briefly a Lutheran, and on Easter Sunday, 2007, he officially came into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church."</ref>
<blockquote>
By any measurement, Joseph Smith was a remarkable person. His combination of organizational acumen with spiritual originality and '''personal decorum and modesty is rare in the history of religion'''. He was so steadfast in his ability to inspire men and women through times of great hardship that none of those who knew him could claim to fully understand him. He knew more about theology and philosophy than it was reasonable for anyone in his position to know, as if he were dipping into the deep, collective unconsciousness of Christianity with a very long pen. He read the Bible in ways so novel that he can be considered a theological innocent—he expanded and revised the biblical narrative without questioning its authority—yet he brusquely overturned ancient and impregnable metaphysical assumptions with the aplomb of an assistant professor. For someone so charismatic, '''he was exceptionally humble''', even ordinary, and he delegated authority with the wisdom of a man looking far into the future for the well-being of his followers. It would be tempting to compare him to Mohammed—who also combined pragmatic political skill and a genius for religious innovation—if he were not so deeply Christian. [Title is Webb's.]<ref name="webbBook">{{BYUS|author=Stephen H. Webb|article=[http://byustudies.byu.edu/PDFLibrary/50.3WebbGodbodied-a31ea084-327e-467b-bedc-4fa6c6f7d0c4.pdf Godbodied: The Matter of the Latter-day Saints] (reprint from his book ''Jesus Christ, Eternal God: Heavenly Flesh and the Metaphysics of Matter'' (Oxford University Press, 2012)|vol=50|num=3|date=2011}} {{ea}}</ref>{{Rp|95}}</blockquote>

B.H. Roberts:
<blockquote>
[Joseph Smith] claimed for himself no special sanctity, no faultless life, no perfection of character, no inerrancy for every word spoken by him. And as he did not claim these things for himself, so can they not be claimed for him by others; for to claim perfection for him, or even unusual sanctity, would be to repudiate the revelations themselves which supply the evidence of his imperfections, whereof, in them, he is frequently reproved.

Joseph Smith was a man of like passions with other men; struggling with the same weaknesses; subjected to the same temptations; under the same moral law, and humiliated at times, like others, by occasionally, in word and conduct, falling below the high ideals presented in the perfect life and faultless character of the Man of Nazareth.

But though a man of like passions with other men, yet to Joseph Smith was given access to the mind of Deity, through the revelations of God to him; and likewise to him was given a divine authority to declare that mind of God to the world.<ref>{{Book:Roberts:CHC|pages=360&ndash;361|vol=2}}</ref>
</blockquote>
Joseph was open and direct about his weaknesses, saying to his accusers:
<blockquote>
Being of very tender years, and persecuted by those who ought to have been my friends... I was left to all kinds of temptations; and mingling with all kinds of society, I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the foibles of human nature; which, I am sorry to say, led me into divers temptations, offensive in the sight of God. In making this confession, no one need suppose me guilty of any great or malignant sins. A disposition to commit such was never in my nature. But I was guilty of levity, and sometimes associated with jovial company, etc., not consistent with that character which ought to be maintained by one who was called of God as I had been. But this will not seem very strange to any one who recollects my youth, and is acquainted with my native cheery temperament.<ref>Joseph Smith, History (1838), 3&ndash;4; cited in {{Book:Jessee:Personal Writings of Joseph Smith 1st|pages=9&ndash;11}}</ref>
</blockquote>

Joseph Smith:
<blockquote>
:...during this time, as is common to most, or all youths, I fell into many vices and follies; but as my accusers are, and have been forward to accuse me of being guilty of gross and outrageous violations of the peace and good order of the community, I take the occasion to remark that, though as I have said above, 'as is common to most, or all youths, I fell into many vices and follies,' I have not, neither can it be sustained, in truth, been guilty of wronging or injuring any man or society of men; and those imperfections to which I allude, and for which I have often had occasion to lament, were a light, and too often, vain mind, exhibiting a foolish and trifling conversation. This being all, and the worst, that my accusers can substantiate against my moral character, I wish to add that it is not without a deep feeling of regret that I am thus called upon in answer to my own conscience, to fulfil a duty I owe to myself, as well as to the cause of truth, in making this public confession of my former uncircumspect walk, and trifling conversation and more particularly, as I often acted in violation of those holy precepts which I knew came from God. But as the 'Articles and Covenants,' of this Church are plain upon this particular point, I do not deem it important to proceed further. I only add, that I do not, nor never have, pretended to be any other than a man 'subject to passion,' and liable, without the assisting grace of the Savior, to deviate from that perfect path in which all men are commanded to walk.<ref>Letter to Oliver Cowdery [December 1834]; cited in Jessee, 336&ndash;337.</ref>
</blockquote>

=1819 trial=
In 1819, a year prior to the First Vision, Joseph Smith was thirteen years old.  His family sued a neighboring farmer over a dispute regarding some horses they had purchased.  One author explained that Joseph's use as a witness indicates that the trial judge and jury found him both trustworthy and competent to give evidence:
<blockquote>
Under New York law, being just thirteen, Joseph's testimony about the work he had performed was admissible only after the court found him competent.  His testimony proved credible and the court record indicates that every item that he testified about was included in the damages awarded to the Smiths.  Although Hurlbut [the farmer they were suing] appealed the case, no records have survived noting the final disposition of that case; perhaps it was settled out of court.  The significance of this case is not limited to the fact that a New York judge found the young Joseph, just a year prior to his [[Joseph Smith's First Vision|First Vision]], to be competent and credible as a witness....

The trial was held on February 6, 1819.  Twelve jurors were impaneled, all men and property owners.  The Smiths called five witnesses, Hurlbut seven.  Both Joseph Jr. and Hyrum were called to testify.  This appears to be young Joseph's first direct interaction with the judicial process.  He had turned thirteen years old a month and a half previously.  New York law and local practice permitted the use of child testimony, subject to the court's discretion to determine the witness' competency.  The test for competency required a determination that the witness was of 'sound mind and memory.'  A New York 1803 summary of the law for justices of the peace notes that 'all persons of sound mind and memory, and who have arrived at years of discretion, except such as are legally interested, or have been rendered infamous, may be improved as witnesses.'  This determination of competency rested within the discretion of the judge....

From the record it appears that Judge Spear found Joseph Jr. competent, and he indeed did testify during the trial.  This is evident in a review of the List of Services that was part of the court file.  Joseph Jr.'s testimony would have been required to admit those services he personally performed.  His testimony was certainly combined with Hyrum's.  Hyrum was born February 11, 1800, and was therefore nineteen years old at the time this case was tried.<ref>{{Periodical:Walker:Joseph Smith's Introduction to the Law|pages=129-130}}</ref>
</blockquote>

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[[pt:Joseph Smith/Caráter/Ele era uma pessoa de má reputação]]
[[es:José Smith/Carácter/Era una buena persona]]