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(→An analysis of Wikipedia article "Joseph Smith, Jr." (Section Version January 2010): rm) |
(→Founding a new religion (1827–30) {{WikipediaUpdate|1/12/2010}}: update) |
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[[/051909|19 May 2009]] | [[/051909|19 May 2009]] | ||
− | ===Founding a new religion (1827–30) {{WikipediaUpdate|1/ | + | ===Founding a new religion (1827–30) {{WikipediaUpdate|1/14/2010}}=== |
{{Main|Life of Joseph Smith, Jr. from 1827 to 1830}} | {{Main|Life of Joseph Smith, Jr. from 1827 to 1830}} | ||
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− | + | aided by money from their well-to-do neighbor [[Martin Harris (Latter Day Saints)|Martin Harris]]. | |
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− | *{{Harvtxt|Walker|1986|p=35}}; {{Harvtxt|Remini|2002|p=55}} (Harris' money allowed Smith to pay his debts and thus allowed him to move without being arrested for evading his creditors); {{Harvtxt|Smith|1853|p=113}}; {{Harvtxt|Howe|1834}}. | + | *{{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=62–63}}; {{Harvtxt|Walker|1986|p=35}}; {{Harvtxt|Remini|2002|p=55}} (Harris' money allowed Smith to pay his debts and thus allowed him to move without being arrested for evading his creditors); {{Harvtxt|Smith|1853|p=113}}; {{Harvtxt|Howe|1834}}. |
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Smith transcribed some of the strange "[[reformed Egyptian]]" characters he said were engraved on the plates and dictated their translations to his wife. | Smith transcribed some of the strange "[[reformed Egyptian]]" characters he said were engraved on the plates and dictated their translations to his wife. | ||
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− | *{{Harvtxt|Remini|2002|p=56}}; {{Harvtxt|Roberts|1902|p=19}};{{Harvtxt|Howe|1834|pp=270–71}} (Smith sat behind a curtain and passed transcriptions to his wife or her brother). | + | *{{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=63}}; {{Harvtxt|Remini|2002|p=56}}; {{Harvtxt|Roberts|1902|p=19}};{{Harvtxt|Howe|1834|pp=270–71}} (Smith sat behind a curtain and passed transcriptions to his wife or her brother). |
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*{{WikipediaCorrect}} | *{{WikipediaCorrect}} | ||
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Smith said that he used the "[[Urim and Thummim (Latter Day Saints)|Urim and Thummim]]" for this early translation, | Smith said that he used the "[[Urim and Thummim (Latter Day Saints)|Urim and Thummim]]" for this early translation, | ||
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− | * | + | *{Harvtxt|Smith|1838|p=9}}; {{Harvtxt|Remini|2002|p=57}} (noting that Emma Smith said that Smith started translating with the Urim and Thummim and then eventually used his dark seer stone exclusively); {{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=66}}. |
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*{{WikipediaCorrect}} | *{{WikipediaCorrect}} | ||
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*{{WikipediaCorrect}} | *{{WikipediaCorrect}} | ||
− | *Bushman notes: | + | *Bushman notes: |
+ | <blockquote> | ||
+ | [A]s work on the ''Book of Mormon'' proceeded, a seerstone took the place of the Urim and Thummin as an aid in the work, blending magic with inspired translation." (Bushman, p. 131) "There is evidence that the translation stone was given him after he lost the Urim and Thummim when the 116 pages disappeared. (Bushman, p. 590, note 24 citing Van Wagoner and Walker, "'The Gift of Seeing,'" 54) | ||
+ | </blockquote> | ||
*{{Detail|Joseph Smith/Seer stones|Book of Mormon/Translation/Method}} | *{{Detail|Joseph Smith/Seer stones|Book of Mormon/Translation/Method}} | ||
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− | Smith usually translated in full view of witnesses, but | + | Smith usually translated in full view of witnesses, but sometimes concealed the process by raising a curtain or dictating from another room. |
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− | *{{Harvtxt|Howe|1834|p=14}}. | + | *{{Harvtxt|Cole|1831}}; {{Howe|1834|p=14}}. |
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− | + | Smith considered giving up the translation because of opposition from his in-laws, | |
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− | *{{Harvtxt| | + | *{{Harvtxt|Booth|1831}} (Smith "had given [the translation] up, on account of the opposition of his wife and others".); {{Harvtxt|Howe|1834|p=266}} (Smith confided to Emma's uncle, a [[Methodism|Methodist]] deacon, that despite the commandment from God, "he was afraid of the people"); {{Harvtxt|Phelps|1833|p=7}} (July 1828 revelation rebuking Smith because he had often "gone on in the persuasions of men...behold, you should not have feared man more than God"). |
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===== ===== | ===== ===== | ||
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− | Martin Harris arrived to spur him on | + | but in February 1828, Martin Harris arrived to spur him on |
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− | *{{Harvtxt|Booth|1831}}. | + | *{{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=63}} (Harris had a vision that he was to assist with a "marvelous work"); {{Harvtxt|Roberts|1902|p=19}} (Harris arrived in Harmony in February 1828); {{Harvtxt|Booth|1831}} (Harris had to convince Smith to continue translating, saying, "I have not come down here for nothing, and we will go on with it"). |
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by taking the [[Anthon transcript|characters]] and their translations to a few prominent scholars. | by taking the [[Anthon transcript|characters]] and their translations to a few prominent scholars. | ||
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− | *{{Harvtxt|Remini|2002|p=57–58}} (noting that the plan arose from a vision of Martin Harris). | + | *{{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=63–64}} (the plan to use a scholar to authenticate the characters was part of a vision received by Harris; author notes that [[Lucy Mack Smith|Smith's mother]] said the plan to authenticate the characters was arranged between Smith and Harris before Harris left Palmyra); {{Harvtxt|Remini|2002|p=57–58}} (noting that the plan arose from a vision of Martin Harris). According to {{Harv|Bushman|2005|p=64}}, these scholars probably included at least [[Luther Bradish]] in [[Albany, New York]] {{Harv|Lapham|1870}}, [[Samuel L. Mitchill]] of New York City ({{Harv|Hadley|1829}}; {{Harvnb|Jessee|1976|p=3}}), and [[Charles Anthon]] of New York City {{Harv|Howe|1834|pp=269–272}}. |
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===== ===== | ===== ===== | ||
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− | + | Harris claimed that one of the scholars he visited, [[Charles Anthon]], initially authenticated the characters and their translation, then recanted upon hearing that Smith had received the plates from an angel. | |
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*{{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=64–65}}; {{Harvtxt|Remini|2002|p=58–59}}. | *{{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=64–65}}; {{Harvtxt|Remini|2002|p=58–59}}. | ||
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− | Harris returned to Harmony in April 1828 motivated to act as Smith's scribe. | + | Harris returned to Harmony in April 1828 motivated to act as Smith's scribe. |
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+ | *{{Harvtxt|Roberts|1902|p=20}}. | ||
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*{{WikipediaCorrect}} | *{{WikipediaCorrect}} | ||
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Harris then lost the manuscript—of which there was no copy—at about the same time as Smith's wife Emma gave birth to a [[stillbirth|stillborn]] son. | Harris then lost the manuscript—of which there was no copy—at about the same time as Smith's wife Emma gave birth to a [[stillbirth|stillborn]] son. | ||
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− | *He had had great hopes for his first-born child, reportedly telling people that the child would see the plates {{Harv|Howe|1834|p=264}} and assist in the translation {{Harv|Howe|1834|p=267}}. During this period Smith | + | *He had had great hopes for his first-born child, reportedly telling people that the child would see the plates {{Harv|Howe|1834|p=264}} and assist in the translation {{Harv|Howe|1834|p=267}}. During this dark period, Smith briefly attended his in-laws' [[Methodism|Methodist]] church, but one of Emma's cousins "objected to the inclusion of a 'practicing necromancer' on the Methodist roll", and Smith voluntarily withdrew rather than face a disciplinary hearing. {{Harv|Bushman|2005|pp=69–70}}. |
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*{{WikipediaSYN|editor=John "Foxe"|wikipedialink=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joseph_Smith,_Jr.&diff=230852617&oldid=230795425}} The sources say nothing about Joseph having "great hopes" for his child—this is that addition of the wiki editor. The wiki editor has also used two dubious, hostile third-hand sources to synthesize the conclusion that Joseph's first-born child would see and translate the plates. These are the only two sources that make such a claim. | *{{WikipediaSYN|editor=John "Foxe"|wikipedialink=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joseph_Smith,_Jr.&diff=230852617&oldid=230795425}} The sources say nothing about Joseph having "great hopes" for his child—this is that addition of the wiki editor. The wiki editor has also used two dubious, hostile third-hand sources to synthesize the conclusion that Joseph's first-born child would see and translate the plates. These are the only two sources that make such a claim. | ||
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===== ===== | ===== ===== | ||
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− | Smith did not begin translating again in earnest until April 1829, when | + | Smith did not begin translating again in earnest until April 1829, when he met [[Oliver Cowdery]], a teacher and [[dowsing|dowser]], |
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− | *Cowdery was | + | *{{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=73}} ("Cowdery was open to belief in Joseph's powers because he had come to Harmony the possessor of a supernatural gift," and his family had apparently engaged in treasure seeking and other magical practices.). |
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− | *{{WikipediaCITE|editor= | + | *{{WikipediaCITE|editor=COgden|wikipedialink=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joseph_Smith,_Jr.&diff=337859880&oldid=337859761}}Bushman said that Oliver's "family ''may'' have engaged in treasure-seeking." {{ea}}. The wiki editor has converted Bushman's speculation to a statement that Oliver's family ''apparently'' engaged in treasure seeking. |
*Oliver himself may have used a divining rod, although there is no evidence that it was used for treasure-seeking. According to the cited source, "Most likely, Cowdery used a rod to discover water and minerals." (Bushman, p. 73). | *Oliver himself may have used a divining rod, although there is no evidence that it was used for treasure-seeking. According to the cited source, "Most likely, Cowdery used a rod to discover water and minerals." (Bushman, p. 73). | ||
*{{Detail|Doctrine and Covenants/Oliver Cowdery and the "rod of nature"}} | *{{Detail|Doctrine and Covenants/Oliver Cowdery and the "rod of nature"}} | ||
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− | The two of them translated full time between April and early June 1829 | + | who now became Smith's scribe. |
+ | || | ||
+ | *{{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=74}} (Smith and Cowdery began translating where the narrative left off after the [[lost 116 pages]], now representing the [[Book of Mosiah]]. A revelation would later direct them not to re-translate the lost text, to ensure that the lost pages could not later be found and compared to the re-translation.). | ||
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+ | | | ||
+ | ===== ===== | ||
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+ | The two of them translated full time between April and early June 1829, | ||
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*{{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=70-74}}. | *{{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=70-74}}. | ||
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− | and then moved to [[Fayette, New York]] where they continued to work at the home of Cowdery's friend [[Peter Whitmer]]. | + | and then moved to [[Fayette, New York]] where they continued to work at the home of Cowdery's friend [[Peter Whitmer]]. When the translation spoke of an institutional church and a requirement for baptism, Smith and Cowdery had baptized each other, |
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− | *{{Harvtxt| | + | *{{Harvtxt|Quinn|1994|p=5–6, 38}} (contrasting the 1829 view with the churchless Mormonism of 1828); {{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=74–75}}. |
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− | + | years later claiming that [[John the Baptist]] had appeared and ordained them to a priesthood. | |
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− | *{{Harv|Bushman|2005|pp= | + | *{{Harvtxt|Quinn|1994|p=15–20}} (noting that Mormon records and publications contain no mention of any angelic conferral of authority until 1834); {{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=75}} (posing Mormon apologetic theories for the five-year delay in mentioning the vision of John the Baptist). |
+ | |- | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | ===== ===== | ||
+ | || | ||
+ | Translation was completed around July 1, 1829. | ||
+ | || | ||
+ | *{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=78}}. | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | ===== ===== | ||
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+ | Knowing that potential converts to the planned church might find Smith's story of the plates incredible, | ||
+ | || | ||
+ | *{{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=77}} (Smith "began to seek converts the question of credibility had to be addressed again. Joseph knew his story was unbelievable."). | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | ===== ===== | ||
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+ | Smith asked a group of [[Book of Mormon witnesses|eleven witnesses]], including Martin Harris and male members of the Whitmer and Smith families, to sign a statement testifying that they had seen the golden plates. | ||
+ | || | ||
+ | *{{Harv|Bushman|2005|pp=77–79}}. There were two statements, one by a set of [[Three Witnesses]] and another by a set of [[Eight Witnesses]]. The two testimonies are undated, and the exact dates on which the Witnesses are said to have seen the plates is unknown. | ||
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*{{WikipediaCorrect}} | *{{WikipediaCorrect}} | ||
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− | + | Secular scholars argue that the witnesses thought they saw the plates with their "spiritual eyes", or that Smith showed them something physical like fabricated tin plates, or that they signed the statement out of loyalty or under pressure from Smith. | |
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+ | *{{Harvtxt|Vogel|2004|pp=466–69}}; {{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=79}}. | ||
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*{{Detail|Book of Mormon/Witnesses/Spiritual or literal}} | *{{Detail|Book of Mormon/Witnesses/Spiritual or literal}} | ||
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===== ===== | ===== ===== | ||
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− | The translation, known as the [[Book of Mormon]], was published in Palmyra on March 26, 1830 by printer [[Egbert Bratt Grandin|E. B. Grandin]] | + | According to Smith, the [[angel Moroni]] took back the plates after Smith was finished using them. |
+ | || | ||
+ | *{{Harvtxt|Smith|1838|p=8}}. | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | ===== ===== | ||
+ | || | ||
+ | The translation, known as the [[Book of Mormon]], was published in Palmyra on March 26, 1830 by printer [[Egbert Bratt Grandin|E. B. Grandin]]. | ||
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− | *{{ | + | *{{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=82}}. |
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*{{WikipediaCorrect}} | *{{WikipediaCorrect}} | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | ===== ===== | ||
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+ | [[Martin Harris (Latter Day Saints)|Martin Harris]] financed the publication by mortgaging his farm. | ||
+ | || | ||
+ | *{{Harv|Bushman|2005|p=80}} (noting that Harris' marriage dissolved in part because his wife refused to be a party, and he eventually sold his farm to pay the bill. | ||
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Soon thereafter on April 6, 1830, Smith and his followers formally organized the [[Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)|Church of Christ]], | Soon thereafter on April 6, 1830, Smith and his followers formally organized the [[Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)|Church of Christ]], | ||
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− | * | + | *Scholars and eye-witnesses disagree whether the church was organized in [[Manchester (town)|New York|Manchester, New York]] at the Smith log home, or in [[Fayette, New York|Fayette]] at the the home of [[Peter Whitmer]]. {{Harvtxt|Bushman|2005|p=109}}; {{Harvtxt|Marquardt|2005|pp=223–23}} (arguing that organization in Manchester is most consistent with eye-witness statements). |
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*{{WikipediaMissingRef}} Several Fayette references are missing. | *{{WikipediaMissingRef}} Several Fayette references are missing. | ||
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− | Even so, Smith and Cowdery had to flee Colesville to escape a gathering mob. Probably referring to this period of flight, Smith later | + | Even so, Smith and Cowdery had to flee Colesville to escape a gathering mob. Probably referring to this period of flight, Smith told years later of hearing the voices of [[Saint Peter|Peter]], [[James, son of Zebedee|James]], and [[John the Apostle|John]] who he said gave Smith and Cowdery an apostolic authority. |
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*{{Harv|Bushman|2005|p=118}}. | *{{Harv|Bushman|2005|p=118}}. | ||
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− | After founding the church, Smith dictated and compiled revelations defining his role within the church. Smith was to be supported by church funds, | + | After founding the church, Smith dictated and compiled revelations defining his role within the church. Smith was to to be supported by church funds, |
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*{{Harvtxt|Phelps|1833|pp=55–57, XXV:5, 10, 28}}. | *{{Harvtxt|Phelps|1833|pp=55–57, XXV:5, 10, 28}}. | ||
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− | + | n anticipation, Smith dispatched missionaries, led by [[Oliver Cowdery]], to the area. On their way, they converted a group of [[Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)|Disciples of Christ]] adherents in [[Kirtland, Ohio]] led by [[Sidney Rigdon]]. Then, to avoid growing opposition in New York, Smith moved the headquarters of the church to Kirtland. | |
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*[http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/37 Doctrine and Covenants 37<!-- Bot generated title -->]. | *[http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/37 Doctrine and Covenants 37<!-- Bot generated title -->]. |
Early years | A FairMormon Analysis of Wikipedia: Mormonism and Wikipedia/Joseph Smith, Jr. A work by a collaboration of authors (Link to Wikipedia article here)
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1831 to 1838 |
The name Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. Wikipedia content is copied and made available under the GNU Free Documentation License. |
Every witness to Joseph Smith's translation of the Book of Mormon said that he looked at a stone in his hat. Arguing that Smith never said how he translated is arguing from silence. There is no evidence for anything else but the hat and just Mormon embarrassment at how silly this method must seem to most prospective converts today.....The burden of proof is on you. There are no accounts of Smith translating that indicate he used any other method but the hat. You can't argue from silence. Where are the references to any other method? Even the father of lies himself didn't spell one out.....Baloney. No other eyewitness said there was any other method. No scholarship argues for any other method. You're just pushing this POV because there's no reason to preserve golden plates for generations if Smith made no use of them. But according to all eyewitnesses that's exactly what happened. Embarrassing, isn't it?
—Hi540 insisting that the stone-in-hat was the only Book of Mormon translation method ever documented, 23 October 2009 off-site
- | Wikipedia Main Article: Joseph Smith, Jr.– | Wikipedia Footnotes: Joseph Smith, Jr.–Notes | A FAIR Opinion |
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In October 1827, Smith and his now-pregnant |
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wife moved from Palmyra to Harmony (now Oakland),Pennsylvania, |
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aided by money from their well-to-do neighbor Martin Harris. |
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Living near his disapproving in-laws, |
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Smith transcribed some of the strange "reformed Egyptian" characters he said were engraved on the plates and dictated their translations to his wife. |
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Smith said that he used the "Urim and Thummim" for this early translation, |
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a term he used to refer to the silver spectacles found with the golden plates, |
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but no witnesses said they saw Smith using such spectacles. |
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Many witnesses did observe Smith translating using the same or similar method that he had previously used to find buried treasure: he would gaze at a seer stone in the bottom of his hat, excluding all light so that he could reportedly see the translation reflecting off the stone. |
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The plates themselves were not directly consulted. |
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Smith usually translated in full view of witnesses, but sometimes concealed the process by raising a curtain or dictating from another room. |
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Smith considered giving up the translation because of opposition from his in-laws, |
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but in February 1828, Martin Harris arrived to spur him on |
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by taking the characters and their translations to a few prominent scholars. |
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Harris claimed that one of the scholars he visited, Charles Anthon, initially authenticated the characters and their translation, then recanted upon hearing that Smith had received the plates from an angel. |
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Although Anthon denied this, |
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Harris returned to Harmony in April 1828 motivated to act as Smith's scribe. |
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Translation continued until mid-June 1828, until Harris began having doubts about the existence of the golden plates. |
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Harris importuned Smith to let him take the existing 116 pages of manuscript to Palmyra to show a few family members. |
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Harris then lost the manuscript—of which there was no copy—at about the same time as Smith's wife Emma gave birth to a stillborn son. |
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Smith said the angel had taken away the plates and he had lost his ability to translate |
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until September 22, 1828, when they were restored. |
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Smith did not begin translating again in earnest until April 1829, when he met Oliver Cowdery, a teacher and dowser, |
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who now became Smith's scribe. |
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The two of them translated full time between April and early June 1829, |
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and then moved to Fayette, New York where they continued to work at the home of Cowdery's friend Peter Whitmer. When the translation spoke of an institutional church and a requirement for baptism, Smith and Cowdery had baptized each other, |
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Smith and Cowdery had baptized each other, both of them later claiming that John the Baptist had appeared and given them the necessary authority. Knowing that potential converts might find Smith's story of the plates incredible, |
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years later claiming that John the Baptist had appeared and ordained them to a priesthood. |
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Translation was completed around July 1, 1829. |
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Knowing that potential converts to the planned church might find Smith's story of the plates incredible, |
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Smith asked a group of eleven witnesses, including Martin Harris and male members of the Whitmer and Smith families, to sign a statement testifying that they had seen the golden plates. |
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Secular scholars argue that the witnesses thought they saw the plates with their "spiritual eyes", or that Smith showed them something physical like fabricated tin plates, or that they signed the statement out of loyalty or under pressure from Smith. |
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According to Smith, the angel Moroni took back the plates after Smith was finished using them. |
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The translation, known as the Book of Mormon, was published in Palmyra on March 26, 1830 by printer E. B. Grandin. |
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Martin Harris financed the publication by mortgaging his farm. |
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Soon thereafter on April 6, 1830, Smith and his followers formally organized the Church of Christ, |
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and small branches were established in Palmyra, Fayette, and Colesville, New York (near where Smith had been tried in 1826 as a treasure seeker). The Book of Mormon brought Smith regional notoriety in the press even before it was published, and the church faced strong opposition, particularly in Colesville. Soon after Smith reportedly performed an exorcism in Colesville, he was again tried as a disorderly person but was acquitted. |
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Even so, Smith and Cowdery had to flee Colesville to escape a gathering mob. Probably referring to this period of flight, Smith told years later of hearing the voices of Peter, James, and John who he said gave Smith and Cowdery an apostolic authority. |
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After founding the church, Smith dictated and compiled revelations defining his role within the church. Smith was to to be supported by church funds, |
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and his wife Emma was to be similarly supported. |
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After one of the Eight Witnesses began producing his own well-received revelations about the location of the American New Jerusalem prophesied in the Book of Mormon, Smith dictated a revelation indicating that he alone could receive binding revelations for the church. |
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He also dictated a revelation about the "New Jerusalem": although its precise location was not yet known, it was to be somewhere in the Indian Territory, near Missouri. |
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n anticipation, Smith dispatched missionaries, led by Oliver Cowdery, to the area. On their way, they converted a group of Disciples of Christ adherents in Kirtland, Ohio led by Sidney Rigdon. Then, to avoid growing opposition in New York, Smith moved the headquarters of the church to Kirtland. |
Wikipedia references for "Joseph Smith, Jr." |
Contents
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Editors who wish to participate in editing LDS-themed Wikipedia articles can access the project page here: Wikipedia:WikiProject Latter Day Saint movement. You are not required to be LDS in order to participate—there are a number of good non-LDS editors who have made valuable contributions to these articles.
FAIR does not advocate removing any references from Wikipedia articles. The best approach to editing Wikipedia is to locate solid references to back up your position and add them rather than attempting to remove information. Individuals who intend to edit should be aware that posting information related to the real-world identities of Wikipedia editors will result in their being banned from editing Wikipedia. Attacking editors and attempting to "out" them on Wikipedia is considered very bad form. The best approach is to treat all Wikipedia editors, whether or not you agree or disagree with their approach, with respect and civility. An argumentative approach is not constructive to achieving a positive result, and will simply result in what is called an "edit war." Unfortunately, not all Wikipedia editors exhibit good faith toward other editors (see, for example, the comment above from "Duke53" or comments within these reviews made by John Foxe's sockpuppet "Hi540," both of whom repeatedly mocked LDS beliefs and LDS editors prior to their being banned.)
Although there exist editors on Wikipedia who openly declare their affiliation with the Church, they do not control Wikipedia. Ironically, some critics of the Church periodically falsely accuse Wikipedia editors of being LDS simply because they do not accept the critics' desired spin on a particular article.
Again, the answer is no. The truth is that Wikipedia is generally self-policing. Highly contentious articles do tend to draw the most passionate supporters and critics.
Although some LDS-related Wikipedia articles may appear to have a negative tone, they are in reality quite a bit more balanced than certain critical works such as One Nation Under Gods. Although many critical editors often accuse LDS-related Wikipedia articles of being "faith promoting" or claim that they are just an extension of the Sunday School manual, this is rarely the case. Few, if any, Latter-day Saints would find Wikipedia articles to be "faith promoting." Generally, the believers think that the articles are too negative and the critics believe that the articles are too positive. LDS Wikipedia articles should be informative without being overtly faith promoting. However, most of the primary sources, including the words of Joseph Smith himself, are "faith promoting." This presents a dilemma for Wikipedia editors who want to remain neutral. The unfortunate consequence is that Joseph's words are rewritten and intermixed with contradictory sources, resulting in boring and confusing prose.
We examine selected Wikipedia articles and examine them on a "claim-by-claim" basis, with links to responses in the FairMormon Answers Wiki. Wikipedia articles are constantly evolving. As a result, the analysis of each article will be updated periodically in order to bring it more into line with the current version of the article. The latest revision date may be viewed at the top of each individual section. The process by which Wikipedia articles are reviewed is the following:
The ability to quickly and easily access literature critical of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been made significantly easier through the advent of the Internet. One of the primary sites that dominates search engine results is Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia that “anyone can edit.” Wikipedia contains a large number of articles related to Mormonism that are edited by believers, critics, and neutral parties. The reliability of information regarding the Church and its history is subject to the biases of the editors who choose to modify those articles. Even if a wiki article is thoroughly sourced, editors sometimes employ source material in a manner that supports their bias. This essay explores the dynamics behind the creation of Wikipedia articles about the Church, the role that believers and critics play in that process, and the reliability of the information produced in the resulting wiki articles.
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