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FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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Critics charge that Joseph Smith joined the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches between 1820 and 1830—despite the claim made in his 1838 history that he was forbidden by Deity (during the 1820 First Vision experience) from joining any denomination.{{ref|fn1}} Critics conclude that Joseph's alleged actions argue strongly against the reality of any encounter he might have had with God in the Sacred Grove. | Critics charge that Joseph Smith joined the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches between 1820 and 1830—despite the claim made in his 1838 history that he was forbidden by Deity (during the 1820 First Vision experience) from joining any denomination.{{ref|fn1}} Critics conclude that Joseph's alleged actions argue strongly against the reality of any encounter he might have had with God in the Sacred Grove. | ||
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===Source(s) of the criticism=== | ===Source(s) of the criticism=== | ||
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All three of the primary sources that charge Joseph Smith with joining sectarian churches between 1820 and 1830 were produced in the latter part of the nineteenth century. None of them are contemporary records; the earliest one was written 50 years after the First Vision took place. The Lapham source is secondhand at best—putting forward information that reportedly came from the Prophet's father. The Anderick source may simply be recalling an occasion when the young Prophet attended a church service with his Presbyterian mother and siblings. The Lewis source presents a scenario that would have been witnessed when the informants were quite young, and their version of events was directly contradicted in print by an adult eyewitness who was a Methodist church officer. | All three of the primary sources that charge Joseph Smith with joining sectarian churches between 1820 and 1830 were produced in the latter part of the nineteenth century. None of them are contemporary records; the earliest one was written 50 years after the First Vision took place. The Lapham source is secondhand at best—putting forward information that reportedly came from the Prophet's father. The Anderick source may simply be recalling an occasion when the young Prophet attended a church service with his Presbyterian mother and siblings. The Lewis source presents a scenario that would have been witnessed when the informants were quite young, and their version of events was directly contradicted in print by an adult eyewitness who was a Methodist church officer. | ||
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The two eyewitness sources that follow indicate that up until the time that Joseph Smith announced the existence of the golden plates of the Book of Mormon to his family (23 September 1823) he was not formally attached to a church, but had instead publicly rejected all of them and manifested his desire NOT to join their ranks. | The two eyewitness sources that follow indicate that up until the time that Joseph Smith announced the existence of the golden plates of the Book of Mormon to his family (23 September 1823) he was not formally attached to a church, but had instead publicly rejected all of them and manifested his desire NOT to join their ranks. | ||
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===Reminiscence Around 1820=== | ===Reminiscence Around 1820=== | ||
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===Contemporary Document - 1832=== | ===Contemporary Document - 1832=== | ||
:Orson Pratt and Lyman Johnson taught on 8 April 1832 that “in 1827 a young man called Joseph Smith of the state of New York, '''of no denomination''' [i.e., not belonging to a church], but under conviction, inquired of the Lord . . . [and] an angel [appeared to him] . . . who gave information where the plates were deposited.”{{ref|fn9}} Pratt clarified in a much later statement that between 1820 and 1823 Joseph Smith "'''was not a member of any church'''."{{ref|fn10}} | :Orson Pratt and Lyman Johnson taught on 8 April 1832 that “in 1827 a young man called Joseph Smith of the state of New York, '''of no denomination''' [i.e., not belonging to a church], but under conviction, inquired of the Lord . . . [and] an angel [appeared to him] . . . who gave information where the plates were deposited.”{{ref|fn9}} Pratt clarified in a much later statement that between 1820 and 1823 Joseph Smith "'''was not a member of any church'''."{{ref|fn10}} | ||
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==Conclusion== | ==Conclusion== |
Critics charge that Joseph Smith joined the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches between 1820 and 1830—despite the claim made in his 1838 history that he was forbidden by Deity (during the 1820 First Vision experience) from joining any denomination.[1] Critics conclude that Joseph's alleged actions argue strongly against the reality of any encounter he might have had with God in the Sacred Grove.
PRIMARY SOURCES:
All three of the primary sources that charge Joseph Smith with joining sectarian churches between 1820 and 1830 were produced in the latter part of the nineteenth century. None of them are contemporary records; the earliest one was written 50 years after the First Vision took place. The Lapham source is secondhand at best—putting forward information that reportedly came from the Prophet's father. The Anderick source may simply be recalling an occasion when the young Prophet attended a church service with his Presbyterian mother and siblings. The Lewis source presents a scenario that would have been witnessed when the informants were quite young, and their version of events was directly contradicted in print by an adult eyewitness who was a Methodist church officer.
The two eyewitness sources that follow indicate that up until the time that Joseph Smith announced the existence of the golden plates of the Book of Mormon to his family (23 September 1823) he was not formally attached to a church, but had instead publicly rejected all of them and manifested his desire NOT to join their ranks.
As can be seen by the continuing chronological sources which follow, Joseph Smith and his associates were teaching from 1825 to 1832 that the Prophet did not belong to any church between the years 1825 and 1827.
No critic who has charged Joseph Smith with joining a church between 1820 and 1830 has ever produced any authentic denominational membership record that would substantiate such a claim. Eyewitness reminiscences and contemporary records provide strong evidence that this claim is not valid and does not reflect historical reality.
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