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Forgerers
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Throughout the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, many individuals have forged revelations and historical documents. Their motivations were varied, and included lust for power or money, and a desire to embarrass the Church and its leaders. This article examines some of the more prominent forgerers in Church history, in chronological order.
Contents
The Kinderhook Plates
Main article: Kinderhook Plates
James Strang
Main article: James Strang
William Saunders Parrot
In the 19th century, forged metal plates and took them to Salt Lake City. His intent was to prove that Mormonism was a fraud. His daughter, F. Phyllis Parrot, donated the plates to the Bath library in England in 1975. Mr. Parrot also wrote two anti-Mormon pamphlets. Future forger Mark Hofmann displayed great interest in the plates during his LDS mission to England. [See Linda Sillitoe & Allen Roberts, Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders, 212.]
Ben Fuchs
On 14 January 1976, President Spencer W. Kimball and other Church leaders were told that a London man named Ben Fuchs had informed some LDS missionaries that he had artifacts which belonged to the Church. Investigation showed that Fuchs had some small and large ring-bound brass plates (weighing about 150 lbs), some strange spectacles, and a sword with gems in the hilt.
Fuchs claimed he had received the items from his grandfather, who had gotten them from South America. Fuchs said that he was to give the plates to the church whose missionaries came to his door and said certain words.
Fuchs and his family were baptized, and eventually came to Salt Lake City where they were sealed. Paul Cheesman of BYU retrieved the artifacts, and studied them closely. Anomalies in Fuch's story became evident, and the supposedly ancient 'plates' were determined to be of modern manufacture. The 'gems' in the sword hilt were made of glass.
Fuchs "seemed motivated by material gain" and was excommunicated.
[See Linda Sillitoe & Allen Roberts, Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders, 213-214.]
Mark Hofmann
- Main article: Mark Hofmann
- Church reaction to Hofmann forgeries
Christopher Marc Nemelka
Main article: Christopher Marc Nemelka
Former employee of Church security (and sometime self-professed atheist) Christopher Marc Nemelka has announced that he has been called to translate the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon plates. He has also produced a text purporting to be from the large plates of Nephi, which was lost by Martin Harris as the well-known "Lost 116 pages."