“A decent man who claimed to be a prophet of God”

Here are some notes from an unpublished and as yet incomplete manuscript of mine:

The nineteenth century Chamber’s Encyclopedia said of Joseph Smith that

From his early years he was regarded as a visionary and a fanatic; a fact which is of the utmost importance as affording a clue to his real character, and an explanation of that otherwise unaccountable tenacity of purpose and moral heroism displayed in the midst of fiercest persecution.  A mere impostor . . . would have broken down under such a tempest of opposition and hate as Smith’s preaching excited.[1]

“I really do believe,” says Joseph Smith’s non-Mormon biographer Robert Remini, “that he believed himself to be a prophet of God.”[2]  He was “a man absolutely convinced that his religious authority came directly from God.”[3]

If Joseph Smith was honest—if he was, as Remini’s final summation has it, “a decent man who claimed to be a prophet of God”[4]—that leaves only the general, broad notions that he was (b) mad, or in some other way sincerely deceived, or that (c) he was a true prophet. For he never modified or mitigated his claim that the Book of Mormon had been revealed to him and translated by divine power. He always claimed to be a prophet of God.

[1] Find original.

[2] As quoted by Dennis Lythgoe, “Writer finds ‘his Joseph,’” Salt Lake City Deseret News (13 October 2002), E10.

[3] Remini, Joseph Smith, 87.

[4] Remini, Joseph Smith, 181-182.

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It being Friday, a new article has been published in Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture:

““If I Pray Not Amiss””

Happy reading!  Happy weekend!

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Yet another new entry has been published on my Mormon Scholars Testify site:

Holly Hamilton-Bleakley

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For the 23 September broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show, Steve Densley, Matthew Bowen, and David Calabro discussed Jared Ludlow’s new book on the Apocrypha, the new LDS history Saints, and the subject of Bishop’s interviews and disciplinary actions.

You can now listen to that broadcast, at your leisure, online:

Interpreter Radio Show — September 23, 2018

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This is a fun piece:

“Bishop Caussé Gives Unexpected Piano Performance, Shares What to Do When We Don’t Have Any Questions About the Gospel”

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Here’s an important announcement from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for those who are intending or hoping to attend General Conference:

“Safety and Efficiency Changes to Enhance General Conference Experience: Attendees need to know new guidelines”

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Some will find this helpful and/or interesting:

“5 Criticisms of the Book of Mormon and How They’ve Been Proven False”

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I’m very happy that we have what we have:

“What the Salt Lake Temple Might Have Looked Like”

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I got to know Jeremy Guthrie a bit during a recent trip to Israel that we shared.  I really like him, so I was interested to see this:

“Jeremy Guthrie Shares Incredible Stories of 3 Missionaries Who Turned Down MLB Offers to Serve the Lord”

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In other religion-oriented news:

“Could the Catholic Church Collapse?”