Anti-Mormonism Unveiled

Introduction

LDS Church critic Matt Slick of Christian Apologetics Research Ministry (CARM)[1] has attempted to assassinate the character of Joseph Smith and his family through republishing vile accounts about them as found in E.D. Howe's dismal 1834 anti-Mormon book "Mormonism Unvailed"[sic]. This paper re-visits the Hurlbut testimonies and briefly explores Joseph Smith’s core personality and Slick’s anti-Mormon Ministry.

The Hurlbut Testimonials

Mormonism Unvailed [sic], published in 1834, was the first significant book whose purpose was that of destroying the Church and has become the basis for countless anti-Mormon books ever since. Philastus Hurlbut, who composed the material for the book, was employed by an anti-Mormon public committee to expose Joseph Smith. The committee's goal in gathering the evidence was openly declared to "completely divest Joseph Smith of all claims to the character of an honest man."[2] Hurlbut, a former Latter-day Saint, was twice excommunicated by the Church for immoral conduct within a 20-day period in 1833. Hurlbut became vindictive and publicly threatened the life of Joseph Smith. This led to his arrest and a subsequent trial on March 31, 1834, in Chardon, county seat of Geauga County. Because he was so personally vindictive towards Smith, he was put under a court order restraining him from doing harm to the person or property of Joseph Smith and ordered to post a bond and pay court costs.[3]

Due to Hurlbut's reputation, the book could not be published under his name. Instead, E. D. Howe published Hurlbut's material, thus making available the supposed testimonies from neighbors and acquaintances of Joseph Smith concerning the "dubious character of him and his family." Slick has reprinted some of these "testimonies" in yet another attempt to discredit Joseph Smith and the LDS church. Slick claims that labeling Hurlbut "as one who is excommunicated is ... a type of character assassination." This is in fact the exact tactic Slick has taken with his approach to Mormonism. There is ample material written that demonstrate the mind-set of the Hurlbut testimonials to be skeptical, hypercritical, and ridiculing. The integrity of the witness's statements have been shown to contain atypical statements in interviews, conflicting confessions, rumor substitution for first hand experience, witness prompting, selective interviewing to get the answer sought for, half-quotes and half-truths.[4]

Slick believes the statements "are sufficiently accurate to accurately reflect" Joseph Smith's nature. What does Matt consider sufficient? The Hurlbut affidavits contained many common phrases and similar vocabulary, though various individuals signed them. Most of the accusations were vague, undocumented, and unsubstantiated. The so-called witnesses relied on hearsay information or assumptions. For example[5], a number of the Hurlbut affidavits specifically stated that Joseph Smith and members of his family were:
1."Indolent and lazy." This contradicts the exhausting work of laboring with their hands while maintaining a large farm. An examination of the family’s economic activities from 1818 to 1828 demonstrates dependability and industriousness. They purchased 100 acres of land and cleared it with hand tools. They constructed a house, farm buildings, and extensive fencing. Additionally, they raised wheat crops, cared for 1,500 trees and processed the sap they gathered to make sugar and molasses. They also manufactured barrels, baskets, and birch brooms for sale. Finally, they supplemented their income by regularly hiring out as laborers and selling refreshments to crowds on holidays.[6] Orlando Saunders, born 2 years before Joseph Smith, worked by the side of the Smiths on a nearby farm. He said of the Smith family: "[T] hey have all worked for me many a day; they were very good people. Young Joe (as we called him then)... was a good worker; they all were [T] hey were poor people ...[7]
2."Intemperate." Critics have failed to produce evidence that Joseph was intemperate or an alcoholic. Joseph's teachings contradict this claim. Joseph's said, "How long, O Lord, will this monster intemperance find its victims on the earth!"[8] "...let truth and righteousness prevail and abound in you; and in all things be temperate; abstain from drunkenness, and from swearing, and from all profane language, and from everything which is unrighteous or unholy; also from enmity, and hatred, and covetousness, and from every unholy desire."[9] An acquaintance of Joseph Smith, a Mr. Bryant, declared in a Michigan newspaper that the young man was "a lazy, drinking fellow, loose in his habits every way." When William Bryant was interviewed shortly after the account was published, he admitted that he had seen Joseph only once or twice. In answer to the question, "Were they [the Smiths] drunkards," he replied, "Everybody drank whiskey in them times," and denied that he had uttered the statement that had been attributed.[10]
3."Money diggers." When Joseph was asked if he was a money digger he said, “Yes, but it was never a very profitable job... only got fourteen dollars a month for it.”[11] Money digging was very common and was considered an honorable and profitable employment during Joseph Smith‘s time. Twenty-seven towns or ten-percent of Vermont's communities dug for treasure. A Vermont paper said it could name at least 500 respectable men, who do, in the simplicity and sincerity of their hearts, verily believe that immense treasures lie concealed in the earth. Many of them have been industriously and perseveringly engaged in digging it up. Vermont's emigration swept into upstate New York, and the money digging frenzy came with it. Digging was intensive, with nearly every hill and gully being searched for gold.[12]
4."Entirely destitute of moral character." There is no evidence of Joseph or his family lacking in moral character, in fact it goes against all his teachings. In Doctrine and Covenants 121:45, Joseph, speaking for the Lord, says: "...let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly;" and again in Doctrine and Covenants 4:6, Joseph states: "Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence."

While many of the names appearing on the purported affidavits lived near the townships of the Smith's farm, it is unlikely any of them could be considered an authority on the character of Joseph Smith or his family. During most of their residence in western New York, the Smiths lived in a sparsely settled section of Genesee County. Their periodic travels probably gave only a casual acquaintance with locals in the other communities where the affidavits were gathered. The affidavits are more likely circulated stories about the Smith's rather than reliable assessments of their character.[13] While Matt exclaims: They are sworn statements! It really is irrelevant. The question is credibility, not form. The president of the United States made sworn statements in his legal battles. Those sworn statements turned out to be perjured remarks and resulted in his being disbarred for 5 years.

Slick checked for himself?

Matt's showcase piece of detective work is found in his section entitled: "Howe checked from himself." Howe had doubts about the reliability of Hurlbut's work so he wrote to Isaac Hale (Joseph's father in-law) and received a notarized statement from him stating his feelings about Smith. Howe then traveled to Conneaut, Ohio; spot checking the authenticity of the statements Hurlbut had collected there accusing Smith of plagiarism in writing the Book of Mormon. While there he saw most of the witnesses and was satisfied they were not mistaken in their statements.

Matt say's: "Why is it that the Mormons don't include this information in their rebuttals to the Hurlbut affidavits? Is it because they don't do sufficient research or is it because they don't like the evidence and exclude it? This kind of evidence strongly supports the reliability and accuracy of the eyewitness accounts against the character of Joseph Smith."

Isaac Hale Statement -

Issac Hale oscillated between accepting Joseph and not. Mostly not. He blamed Joseph for treasure finding failures; stealing his daughter, Emma, at the age of 23; having his view of Joseph finally tainted by Emma's uncle, Nathaniel, who told him falsehoods concerning Joseph of a most shameful nature. This turned Isaac completely against Joseph. Ultimately, Isaac Hale became progressively more bitter and antagonistic towards Smith and being urged on by Joseph's enemies, finally signed an affidavit against the Prophet at age seventy-one. Though Joseph attempted to reconcile with Hale, Isaac rejected him and was finally swayed from truth by a combination of unsatisfied greed, hurt pride, and infectious hatred.[14]

The Conneaut Testimonials -

The affidavits collected in Conneaut, Ohio claimed that the Book of Mormon was plagiarized from Solomon Spaulding’s missing romance manuscript about American Indians. At the time, Spaulding’s book, “Manuscript Found,” was thought to be the source of the Book of Mormon. Some twenty years before Howe’s visit, the residents of Conneaut had heard Spaulding read his unpublished novel and they could now recall that it was remarkably similar to narrative portions of the Book of Mormon, and that many of the names in the Book of Mormon were also taken from Spalding's novel. Howe’s visit to Conneaut was to verify these PLAGIARISM claims against Joseph Smith. One of the witness statements Slick reproduces states: “I well remember the name of Nephi, which appeared to be the principal hero of the story.” Year’s later, Spaulding's book “Manuscript Found” was located and had nothing to do with the Book of Mormon, no Nephi, no anything! Historians have discarded the Spaulding theory. Thus, it hardly seems relevant to refute testimonies that testify of something that never was.[15] Although Matt is defending the Spaulding theory and the 170 year old testimonies that go with it, the theory has proven false, thereby rendering the accompanying testimonies nothing more than lies. Why is it that Matt does not include this information in his defense of the Hurlbut affidavits? Is it because he does not do sufficient research or is it because he does not like the evidence and chooses to ignore it? This kind of evidence strongly supports the unreliability and inaccuracy of the eyewitness accounts against the character of Joseph Smith.

This hopefully gives the reader an idea of the type of deceptive claims that Hurlbut put together and Matt has carried on in anti-Mormon tradition.

Joseph Smith - The Real Issue

Matt holds the Hurlbut testimonies close to his heart and publicly defends them, however, they are widely held as not reliable and their existence to Latter-day Saints is insignificant. Joseph Smith never claimed to be without fault. He said of himself: "Although I do wrong, I do not the wrongs that I am charged with doing; the wrong that I do is through the frailty of human nature, like other men. No man lives without fault."[16]

The issue is really not what Joseph Smith was, but what he became. After receiving the plates in 1827, his life is well documented and all his visible goals were doctrinal and practical. Joseph's work of publishing a major scripture was met with hostile persecution, ridicule, and death as his only earthly reward. A preoccupation with the Prophet's early life is to miss his intense devotion to restoring Christ's gospel and re-establishing His church and people. To study Joseph's transformation is to understand the core of his personality. The Prophet's testimony asks for belief in his spiritual progression during years of preparation. His early visions were the guiding lights that led the young Joseph out of the dark pathways of his environment. Joseph Smith's final frontiers were all revelatory, biblical, and Christian.

Matt no doubt has trouble with this gradual and sometimes stumbling journey that the rest of us mere mortals progress through. If Christ only wanted perfect servants to do his work, Paul for example, would not have been called to be an Apostle. Paul was active in the persecution of Christians and took part in the martyrdom of Stephen.[17]

The overwhelming theme of Joseph Smith's life from the time he received the plates is steady devotion to his calling, culminating in the decision to face martyrdom for the safety of his people. Preoccupation with the early surroundings of Joseph Smith is a barrier to understanding what he became. The Prophet said of himself: "I never told you I was perfect, but there is no error in the revelations which I have taught."[18]

The Lord took Joseph Smith, a man innocently caught up in the culture of his day, and turned him in the right direction. Joseph Smith himself was reported as saying "I am a rough stone. The sound of the hammer and chisel was never heard on me until the Lord took me in hand. I desire the learning and wisdom of heaven alone."[19]

Which Witness to Believe?

"If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son." (1 John 5:9)

What the courts prevented Hurlbut from doing with physical violence, Howe allowed him to accomplish through verbal assault. Hurlbut took the money he made from his services and bought a farm in the township of Girard, Pennsylvania. He was later suspected of stealing and fled to escape justice. He was never heard from again. In contrast, The Book of Mormon contains 11 witnesses attesting that "through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ"... "have seen the plates which hath been spoken" ... "and the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost" ... "L [ying] not, God bearing witness of it."[20] These 11 men knew their testimonies would be published for the world to see with no purpose other than that of honoring God. They endured hostile ridicule and persecution. While they each faced spiritual battles that led them down different paths, all remained steadfast, even until death, in their assertion that they had seen the plates and that they believed the Book of Mormon to be of divine origin.[21] Joseph Smith and the 11 others, as God's servants, testify of this true work. It is for the reader to decide which testimonies are greater. Those produced by men out of hate, or those that witness of God out of love.

CARM and Anti-Mormonism

Slick admits Joseph Smith "isn't wrong because the eyewitnesses said he is," this is "not the real issue." If it is not the real issue, why expend so much effort in making an issue of it? Simple: in Matt's own words, it is "character assassination." Matt's final argument for the Hurlbut testimonies is that they do not matter. He conveniently backs out of defending Hurlbut by concluding it is not the testimonies that make Joseph a false prophet, which position he has been arguing in his lengthy analysis, but rather concluding with “God says he is wrong,” the end.

Matt's website is but one example of how Joseph's "name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues... [and] should be both good and evil spoken of among all people."[22] Of course in Matt's case, it is had solely for evil speaking.

Matt claims 20 years of apologetic experience and has seemingly spent some amount of time studying Mormonism. When asked, "Have you ever read the book of Mormon?" He replied "Most of it..." What was his intent? "To study. I know. Mormonism teaches us to read it and pray about it to get a testimony that it's true. We're to pray about it with a sincere heart, etc., But it doesn't matter what I feel..."[23] Matt's own words best describe his level of spiritual understanding, "I do not... get words of knowledge."[24]

Paul foresaw the challenge of our day regarding this type of issue and warned that there would be men in the latter times whose conscience would be "seared with a hot iron," or in other words, permanently scared by false doctrine (1 Tim. 4:2). He also warned of those having "seducing spirits ... who are speaking lies in hypocrisy" and trying to induce us to "depart from the faith" (1 Tim 4:1-3)

Matt, as the Bible defender, has become the latter times offender. He has jealously guarded his limited collection of dead prophets and opposed more revelation. Matt has reproduced many popular quotes that get copied from one anti-Mormon book to another without much understanding of the circumstances that produced them. Ultimately, we all must come to terms with our relationship with the Savior and gain our own witness of the truthfulness of God's works. A personal testimony, born of the Spirit, is the only source of truth.

"...If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32)

Notes

[1] Owned and maintained by Matt Slick, CARM is a website that reproduces anti-Mormon literature from the past 170 years. Other religions, which Matt labels as "cults," are also included on his site. All quotes pertaining to him were found on his website under the Mormonism section and in his Resume as of January 6, 2001. Matt complains that he is called a liar for having false material on his site. His policy is to remove the false material if you can convince him it is wrong. If he were honest and removed the false material, he would not have a website and book to sell.

[2] Committee statement, Painesville [Ohio] Telegraph, January 31, 1834; cited in Richard L. Anderson, "Joseph Smith's New York Reputation Reappraised," BYU Studies 10 (Spring 1970), 284.

[3] HC 2:46-47; Ohio, Geauga County, Court of Common Pleas Records, Book P, pp. 431-32; cited in Milton V. Backman, Jr., The Heavens Resound: A History of the Latter-day Saints in Ohio, 1830-1838 [Salt Lake City: Desert Book Co., 1983], 202.

[4] see Richard Lloyd Anderson's review of "Joseph Smith's New York Reputation Reexamined," F.A.R.M.S. Review of Books Vol. 3, (1991); Backman, Ibid., pp. 201-210.

[5] HC 1:475; E. D. Howe, Mormonism Unvailed, pp. 232-62; Richard Lloyd Anderson, "Joseph Smith's New York Reputation Reappraised," BYU Studies 10 (Spring 1970) 286-90.

[6] Richard Lloyd Anderson, Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1981], 143.

[7] Ibid., p. 144

[8] Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976], 108.

[9] Ibid., p. 129.

[10] William H. Kelley, "The Hill Cumorah, and the Book of Mormon . . . from late interviews," Saints' Herald (Plano, Illinois), June 1, 1881, p. 162; cited in Backman, Ibid., p 203.

[11]Teachings p. 120

[12] Information taken from the Susquehanna Register, 10 August 1827; Harris, "Myths of Ononda," p. 37; cited in Ronald W. Walker, "The Persisting Idea of American Treasure Hunting," BYU Studies Vol. 24 No. 4 (1984) 447-48; For a complete discussion on money digging and the transformation of Joseph Smith from boy to Prophet, see Richard Lloyd Anderson, "The Mature Joseph Smith and Treasure Searching," BYU Studies Vol. 24 No. 4 (1984).

[13] HC 1:1, 6-7; cited in Backman, Ibid., 202-203.

[14] Susan Easton Black, "Isaac Hale: Antagonist of Joseph Smith" Regional Studies in Latter-day Saint Church History, New York (Provo, Utah: Department of Church History and Doctrine, Brigham Young University, 1992), p. 100.

[15] Noel B. Reynolds, ed., Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins [Provo: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1997]

[16] Teachings, p 258.

[17] (Acts 8:3; 26:10; Gal. 1:13) (Acts 7:58; 8:1)

[18] May 12, 1844 discourse, Thomas Bullock report, in Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook, The Words of Joseph Smith (Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center, 1980), 369.

[19] HC 5:423

[20] Book of Mormon, The Testimonies of Three and Eight Witnesses.

[21] For an in-depth examination on the Book of Mormon witnesses see Richard Lloyd Anderson, Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1981]

[22] JS-H 1:33.

[23] Excerpt from Matt's alleged “Real Discussion” with two Mormons.

[24] From note 1 of Matt‘s resume: “I do not speak in tongues, interpret them, or get words of knowledge.”