Criticism of Mormonism/Books/One Nation Under Gods/Chapter 7


Claims made in "Chapter 6: No rest for the Righteous"
A FAIR Analysis of:
Criticism of Mormonism/Books
A work by author: Richard Abanes
 Claims made in "Chapter 8: Big Trouble In Little Missouri"

Claims made in "Chapter 7: Woe In Ohio"

Smith decided to solve his economic dilemma by establishing a bank for the purpose of land speculation.
—One Nation Under Gods, p. 135. (paperback edition)

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Page Claim Response Author's sources

127 epigraph, 527n1 (PB)

 Joseph is claimed to have declared that "[s]ome revelations are of God: some revelations are of man: and some revelations are of the devil."
  • David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ, 31.
  • DC 46꞉7

127-8, 528n5 (PB)

 Joseph said that "[f]ifty-six years should wind up the scene" before the second coming.
  • History of the Church, vol. 2, 182.
  • History of the Church, vol. 5, 336.

128-9, 528n10 (PB)

 The revelations published in the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants "were drastically 'amended, added to, excised, and in some cases assigned different historical settings.'"
  • H. Michael Marquardt, The Joseph Smith Revelations: Text & Commentary, xv.

129, 529n14-15 (PB)

 Joseph broke Ohio law by marrying Newel Knight to "undivorced Lydia G. Baily," despite having no license to perform marriages in Ohio.
  •  The author's claim is false
  • No law was broken, and marriage certificates were issued by the state of Ohio; no license was required.
  • Any religious leader had a right to perform marriages in Ohio.
  • Ohio marriages illegal?

129

 Joseph performed marriages "for participants who had not obtained licenses giving them civil permisiion to enter into marriage."
  • No source provided.

129, 529n16 (PB)

 "Kirtland was full of converts who had left behind them spouses who could not be persuaded to join the church."
  • This is a direct, attributed quote from Brodie's book, however, this is Brodie's own opinion. She does not provide a source to back up this claim.

529n16 (PB)

 *In the endnote, the author claims that "[d]isruptions of the family unit and marriage break-ups are often seen among religious groups termed "cults," and that "ex-Mormons have reported that LDS leaders/counselors commonly encourage divorce when the spouse of a faithful Mormon forsakes the faith."
  •  The author's claim is false
  • Church leaders do not advise divorce under these circumstances.
  • Note that the author takes the opportunity to classify the Church as a "cult" based upon this supposition.
  • Loaded and prejudicial language
  • No sources provided for this claim.

130, 530n22

 Levi Lewis claimed that Joseph tried to seduce Eliza Winters in 1830.
  • Levi Lewis, Susquehanna Register, May 1, 1834 reprinted in Howe, Mormonism Unvailed, 268.

131, 530n23-24 (PB)

 "Mormon males" were encouraged to take plural wives "of the Lamanites and Nephites" in order to make them "white, delightsome and just."

132 (PB)

 "Although Smith never took any Lamanites as wives, he did begin establishing what would gradually become a fairly large harem of young girls and women taken from his flock of "white and delightsome" disciples."
  • No source provided.

132, 530-531n29-36 (PB)

 Joseph's first polyamous union was with Fanny Alger.

133, 531n37-40 (PB)

 William McLellin reported that Joseph and Fanny were found "in the barn together alone..."

133, n42 (PB)

 The statement on marriage in the 1835 D&C was "an attempt to cover-up the Smith-Alger affair."
  • D&C 1835, 251.

135, 531n45 (PB)

 "The mad rush to acquire land in hopes of cashing in on it at a later date consumed the thoughts of nearly every Saint, including Smith."
  • The citiation does not support the author's assertion that this involved "nearly every Saint, including Smith."
  • The endnote quotes Kimball as saying, "we were much grieved to see the spirit of speculation prevaiiling in the church..." Kimball doesn't say anything about Joseph Smith's involvment. He does state that, "all seemed determined to become rich; in my feelings they were artificial or imaginary riches." A more complete quote is included in the endnote.
  • Mind reading
  • Heber C. Kimball, "History of Heber Chase Kimball by his own Dictation," 47-48 quote in Jessee, 397-398.

135, 531n46-48

 Joseph is said to have owned "one hundred and forty acres of land adjoining the temple besides his four acres of business property."
  • Robert Kent Fielding, "The Growth of the Mormon Church in Kirtland, Ohio," Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Indiana University, 1957, typed copy, 202-204. 206-208, 211-212. Quoted in Jerald and Sandra Tanner, The Mormon Kingdom, vol. 1, 9.
  • Unfortunately, the primary sources used by Fielding and Tanner are not provided.

531n48

 Isaac McWithy was "brought to trial before the church's High Council for insolence" after he "refused to sell his land to Joseph for $3000."
  • The High Council court was to "investigate the charges of 'A want of benevolence to the poor, and charity to the Church,' which [Joseph] had previously preferred against Brother Preserved Harris and Elder Isaac McWithy.
  • Note that Joseph said "We offered him..."—this was not a personal transaction with Joseph.
  • History of the Church states: "In the pleas of the Councilors, in the case of Elder McWithy, they decided that the charges had been fully sustained; after which, I spoke in my turn as accuser, and stated that I called on the accused, in company with President Oliver Cowdery, for money to send up to Zion, but could get none; afterwards saw him, and asked him if he would sell his farm. He at first seemed willing, and wished to build up Zion. He pleaded excuse in consequence of his liberality to the poor. We offered him three thousand dollars for his farm, would give him four or five hundred dollars to take him to Zion, and settle him there, and an obligation for the remainder, with good security and interest. He went and told Father Lyon that we demanded all his property, and so we lost four or five hundred dollars; because the accused told him [Lyon] such a story, [that] he calculated to keep it [the aforesaid four or five hundred dollars] himself."
  • History of the Church, vol. 2, 446.

135 (PB)

 "Smith decided to solve his economic dilemma by establishing a bank for the purpose of land speculation."

136, 532n51 (PB)

 Joseph Smith is said to have claimed that "God told him that the bank was to be opened."
  • The author paraphrases Brodie's assertion that "The bank was said to have been established by a revelation from God..."

136, 532n54 (PB)

 The bank was backed only by boxes "filled with 'sand,lead, old iron, stone, and combustibles...'"
  • The author quotes Brodie, who in turn cites three anti-Mormon sources: Wilhelm Wyl, Mormon Portraits Volume First: Joseph Smith the Prophet, His Family and Friends (Salt Lake City: Tribune Printing and Publishing Co., 1886), 36., Oliver Olney, Absurdities of Mormonism Portrayed, p. 4 and E.G. Lee, The Mormons, or Knavery Exposed, p. 14.
  • Kirtland Safety Society

136, 532n56

 "As one historian has commented, "[e]veryone's pockets bulged with bills."
  • The author quotes Brodie's opinion. Brodie provides no citation to back up the assertion that "everyone's pockets bulged with bills."

Further reading

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{{To learn more box:responses to: 8: The Mormon Proposition}} To learn more box:responses to: 8: The Mormon Proposition edit
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{{To learn more box:responses to: Benjamin Park}} To learn more about responses to: Benjamin Park edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Bible versus Joseph Smith}} To learn more about responses to: Bible versus Joseph Smith edit
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{{To learn more box:responses to: George D Smith}} To learn more about responses to: George D Smith edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Grant Palmer}} To learn more about responses to: Grant Palmer edit
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{{To learn more box:responses to: Jerald and Sandra Tanner}} To learn more about responses to: Jerald and Sandra Tanner edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Jesus Christ-Joseph Smith or Search for the Truth DVD}} To learn more about responses to: Jesus Christ-Joseph Smith or Search for the Truth DVD edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: John Dehlin}} To learn more about responses to: John Dehlin edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Jonathan Neville}} To learn more about responses to: Jonathan Neville edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Kurt Van Gorden}} To learn more about responses to: Kurt Van Gorden edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Laura King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery}} To learn more about responses to: Laura King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery edit
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