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.
Difference between revisions of "Joseph Smith/Moon inhabited"
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==Question== | ==Question== | ||
| − | + | Critics claim that Joseph Smith teach that the moon was inhabited, and that this is proof he was a false prophet. | |
| − | == | + | ===Source(s) of the criticism=== |
| + | *Jay Jacobson, "Three Reasons Not to Become a Mormon," p. 7. | ||
| − | The source for this claim is not Joseph Smith himself; the first mention comes in 1881 in Oliver B. Huntington's journal | + | ==Response== |
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| + | The source for this claim is not Joseph Smith himself; the first mention comes in 1881 in Oliver B. Huntington's journal, who claimed that he had the information from Philo Dibble. So, we have a late, third-person account of something Joseph is supposed to have said.{{ref|vanhale1}} Hyrum Smith{{ref|hyrum1}} and Brigham Young{{ref|by1}} both expressed their view that the moon was inhabited. | ||
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| + | A patriarchal blessing given to Huntington also indicated that "thou shalt have power with God even to translate thyself to Heaven, & preach to the inhabitants of the moon or planets, if it shall be expedient."{{ref|blessing1}} | ||
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| + | Huntington later wrote an article about the concept for a Church magazine: | ||
:As far back as 1837, I know that he [Joseph SmithJ said the moon was inhabited by men and women the same as this earth, and that they lived to a greater age than we d~that they live generally to near the age of a 1,000 years. | :As far back as 1837, I know that he [Joseph SmithJ said the moon was inhabited by men and women the same as this earth, and that they lived to a greater age than we d~that they live generally to near the age of a 1,000 years. | ||
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:He described the men as averaging nearly six feet in height, and dressing quite uniformly in something near the Quaker style.{{ref|ywj1}} | :He described the men as averaging nearly six feet in height, and dressing quite uniformly in something near the Quaker style.{{ref|ywj1}} | ||
| + | ''There is a news | ||
==Endnotes== | ==Endnotes== | ||
| + | #{{note|vanhale1}}{{Sunstone1|author=Van Hale|article=Mormons And Moonmen|vol=7|num=5|date=September/October 1982|start=13|end=14}} | ||
| + | #{{note|hyrum1}}BYU Studies 18:177. | ||
| + | #{{note|by1}}{{JoD13|author=Brigham Young|title=X|date=Y|start=271|end=271}} | ||
| + | #{{note|blessing1}}''Patriarchal Blessings Books'' 9:294–295. | ||
#{{note|ywj1}} ''Young Woman's Journal'' (1892) Vol. 3: 263. | #{{note|ywj1}} ''Young Woman's Journal'' (1892) Vol. 3: 263. | ||
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*Stephen R. Gibson, [http://www.lightplanet.com/response/answers/moon.htm Didn't Joseph Teach the Moon was Inhabited?] | *Stephen R. Gibson, [http://www.lightplanet.com/response/answers/moon.htm Didn't Joseph Teach the Moon was Inhabited?] | ||
===Printed material=== | ===Printed material=== | ||
| − | * | + | *{{Sunstone|author=James B. Allen|article=But Dick Tracy Landed On The Moon|vol=7|num=5|date=September/October 1982|start=19|end=20}} |
| + | *{{Sunstone|author=Van Hale|article=Mormons And Moonmen|vol=7|num=5|date=September/October 1982|start=13|end=17}} | ||
Revision as of 08:16, 19 November 2005
This article is a draft. FairMormon editors are currently editing it. We welcome your suggestions on improving the content.
Contents
Question
Critics claim that Joseph Smith teach that the moon was inhabited, and that this is proof he was a false prophet.
Source(s) of the criticism
- Jay Jacobson, "Three Reasons Not to Become a Mormon," p. 7.
Response
The source for this claim is not Joseph Smith himself; the first mention comes in 1881 in Oliver B. Huntington's journal, who claimed that he had the information from Philo Dibble. So, we have a late, third-person account of something Joseph is supposed to have said.[1] Hyrum Smith[2] and Brigham Young[3] both expressed their view that the moon was inhabited.
A patriarchal blessing given to Huntington also indicated that "thou shalt have power with God even to translate thyself to Heaven, & preach to the inhabitants of the moon or planets, if it shall be expedient."[4]
Huntington later wrote an article about the concept for a Church magazine:
- As far back as 1837, I know that he [Joseph SmithJ said the moon was inhabited by men and women the same as this earth, and that they lived to a greater age than we d~that they live generally to near the age of a 1,000 years.
- He described the men as averaging nearly six feet in height, and dressing quite uniformly in something near the Quaker style.[5]
There is a news
Endnotes
- [note] Van Hale, "Mormons And Moonmen," Sunstone 7 no. (Issue #5) (September/October 1982), 13–14. off-site
- [note] BYU Studies 18:177.
- [note] Brigham Young, "X," Journal of Discourses, reported by D.W. Evans and John Grimshaw, (Y), Vol. 13 (London: Latter-day Saint's Book Depot, 1871), 271–271.off-site
- [note] Patriarchal Blessings Books 9:294–295.
- [note] Young Woman's Journal (1892) Vol. 3: 263.
Further reading
FAIR wiki articles
FAIR web site
- FAIR Topical Guide: Infallibility
- FAIR Topical Guide: Personal beliefs of prophets
External links
- Stephen R. Gibson, Didn't Joseph Teach the Moon was Inhabited?