On Mormonism.
Spurious Documents and Failed Prophecies
Rex Banks
The Book of Abraham
The Book of Abraham is a document of five chapters which is included in the Mormon publication Pearl of Great Price (PGP), one of three works by Joseph Smith which are regarded as scripture by the LDS Church. The following heading appears above chapter one of the Book of Abraham:
"A Translation of some ancient Records, that have fallen into our hands from the catacombs of Egypt. The writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus."
Joseph Smith's claim to have discovered the "writings of Abraham" upon "ancient Records...from Egypt," and to have translated these writings, has been the subject of much investigation by critics of Mormonism since at least 1842, when the "translation" was published serially in the Mormon publication Times and Seasons. The reason that the Book of Abraham has received so much attention from those who do not accept Joseph Smith's claim to be a prophet of God, is that this book provides a unique opportunity to test the credentials of the founder of Mormonism. Here's how the Book of Abraham saga has unfolded.
In his History of the Church Joseph Smith gave the following account of how he came into possession of the "writings of Abraham":
"On the 3rd of July, Michael H. Chandler came to Kirtland to exhibit some Egyptian mummies. There were four human figures, together with some two or more rolls of papyrus covered the with hieroglyphic figures and devices. As Mr Chandler had been told I could translate them, he brought me some of the characters, and I gave him the interpretation, and like a gentleman, he gave me the following certificate:
'KIRTLAND, July 6, 1835. This is to make known to all who may be desirous, concerning the knowledge of Mr Joseph Smith, Jun., in deciphering the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic characters in my possession, which I have, in many eminent cities, showed to the most learned; and, from the information that I could ever learn, or meet with, I find that of Mr Joseph Smith, Jun., to correspond in the most minute matters. MICHAEL H. CHANDLER, Traveling with, and proprietor of, Egyptian mummies.' " (p. 235)
"Soon after this, some of the Saints at Kirtland purchased the mummies and papyrus, a description of which will appear hereafter, and with W.W. Phelps and Oliver Cowdery as scribes, I commenced the translation of some of the characters or hieroglyphics, and much to our joy found that one of the rolls contained the writings of Abraham, another the writings of Joseph of Egypt, etc., - a more full account of which will appear in its place, as I proceed to examine or unfold them. Truly we can say, the Lord is beginning to reveal the abundance of peace and truth." (p. 236)
"The record of Abraham and Joseph...is beautifully written...with black, and a small part red, ink or paint, in perfect preservation.... The records were obtained from one of the catacombs in Egypt, near...where once stood the renowned city of Thebes, by the celebrated French traveler, Antonio Sebolo, 1831". (p. 348)
According to Smith, Michael H. Chandler, Sebolo's nephew inherited the mummies and papyri following Sebolo's death in 1832.
Although the original text of the Book of Abraham was thought to have been destroyed, three drawings from the papyri are included in the translation. These appear in each copy of PGP under the heading Facsimile From The Book Of Abraham No 1, Facsimile From The Book Of Abraham No 2, and Facsimile From The Book Of Abraham No 3. Each facsimile is accompanied by Joseph Smith's interpretation of the figures and translation of any text thereon. Because these facsimiles play an important role in testing Smith's abilities as a translator, we include a copy of them here along with a summary of Smith's Explanations:
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What are we to make of
these facsimiles and Joseph Smith's Explanations? As Jerald
and Sandra Tanner point out "(i)n Joseph Smith's time the
science of Egyptology was in its infancy" and therefore "Joseph
Smith's work as a translator could not be adequately tested."
(The Changing world of Mormonism p. 332)
They explain: "The knowledge of
hieroglyphic, hieratic and demotic Egyptian writing had been lost
many centuries before, and it was not until the beginning of the
nineteenth century that there appeared much hope of deciphering
these strange writings. Just before the turn of the century (1799)
some French soldiers found a stone with Greek, demotic and
hieroglyphic writings upon it. This is known as the Rosetta Stone.
Since the Greek writing recorded the same information as the
Egyptian, it was used as a key to decipher Egyptian writings. At the time Joseph
Smith received the papyri there were only a very limited number of
scholars who understood anything about the Egyptian language... From
this information it is plain to see that there was little chance of
Joseph Smith's work coming into conflict with the science of
Egyptology during his lifetime." (ibid) Thanks to work the
Rosetta Stone and other sources, this situation changed dramatically
within a few years, and it became possible for Egyptologists to
accurately translate Egyptian texts. In 1856 Theodule Deveria, a
pioneer in the field of Egyptology examined the Book of Mormon
facsimiles along with Joseph Smith's "explanations." He
identified the facsimiles as poorly transcribed copies of Egyptian
funerary documents, and was able to decipher the names of certain
Egyptian deities mentioned in the text. Deveria was able to
ascertain that Facsimile 3 had been prepared for a deceased Egyptian
named Horus, who is pictured being led into the presence of the god
Osiris. Clearly Deveria's identification of the facsimiles as
funerary texts is completely at odds with Joseph Smith's
explanations of these facsimiles, and Deveria not only dismissed
Smith's work as a false translation, but also accused the "prophet"
of altering the scenes in the facsimiles. In 1861 Deveria's study of
the facsimiles was published in a book entitled A
Journey to Great Salt Lake City, by Jules Remy, and in
1873 it was republished in T.B.H. Stenhouse's The Rocky
Mountain Saints. Evidence of Joseph Smith's failure as
a translator was widely circulated. The next major
event in the Book of Abraham saga occurred in 1912
when Franklin S. Spalding, Episcopal Bishop of Utah, published a
book entitled Joseph Smith Jr As A Translator.
(A photomechanical reproduction of this work is included in Jerald
and Sandra Tanner's Why Egyptologists Reject The Book of
Abraham and quotes are from this work). Spalding
pointed out: "It is now clear
that in the translation of the Egyptian hieroglyphics, known as the
'Book of Abraham' we have just the test we need of Joseph Smith's
accuracy as a translator. The original text with the Prophet's
translation are available for our investigation. If, in the judgment
of competent scholars, this translation is correct, then the
probabilities are all in favor of the correctness of the Book of
Mormon. If, however, the translation of the 'Book of Abraham' is
incorrect, then no thoughtful man can be asked to accept the Book of
Mormon..." (p. 18) On this basis,
Spalding sent copies of the three Book of Abraham facsimiles
to some of the world's leading Egyptologists requesting an
independent assessment of Joseph Smith's "Explanations."
The Bishop explains that "(t)he opinions (of these specialists)
were obtained from the scholars themselves, and in no case did
one man know the opinion of the other." (ibid p. 19)
[emphasis mine] He explains that although there was no collusion,
there was "practically complete agreement as to the real
meaning of the hieroglyphics, and that this meaning is altogether
different from that of Joseph Smith's translation." (ibid) The
following comments from leading scholars of the day in response to
Spalding's request are taken from Joseph Smith Jr As A
Translator: Dr A. H. Sayce of
Oxford University: "It is difficult
to deal seriously with Joseph Smith's impudent fraud. The facsimile
from the Book of Abraham No. 2 is an ordinary hypocephalus, but the
hieroglyphics upon it have been copied so ignorantly that hardly one
of them is correct. I need scarcely say that Kolob, &c., are
unknown to the Egyptian language. Number 3 is a representation of
the Goddess Maat leading the Pharaoh before Osiris, behind whom
stands the Goddess Isis. Smith has turned the goddess Isis into a
king and Osiris into Abraham. The hieroglyphics, again, have been
transformed into unintelligible lines. Hardly one of them is copied
correctly." Dr Flinders Petrie of
London University: "I have examined
the illustrations given in the 'Pearl of Great Price.' In the first
place, they are copies (very badly done) of Egyptian subjects of
which I have seen dozens of examples. Secondly, they are all many
centuries later than Abraham.... Third, as to the real meaning of
them: Number 1 is the well-known scene of Anubis preparing the body
of the dead man;... Number 2 is one of the usual discs with magic
inscriptions placed beneath the head of the dead... Number 3 is the
very common scene of the dead person before the judgments seat of
Osiris, which occurs in most copies of the funeral papyri... To
anyone with knowledge of the large class of funeral documents to
which these belong, these attempts to guess a meaning for them, in
the professed explanations, are too absurd to be noticed. It may be
safely said that there is not one single word that is true in these
explanations."
Dr James H. Breasted
of the Haskell Oriental Museum, University of Chicago: "To sum up, then,
these three facsimiles of Egyptian documents in the 'Pearl of Great
Price' depict the most common objects in the mortuary religion of
Egypt. Joseph Smith's interpretation of them as part of a unique
revelation from Abraham, therefore, very clearly demonstrates that
he was totally unacquainted with the significance of these documents
and absolutely ignorant of the simplest facts of Egyptian writing
and civilization." Dr Arthur Mace,
Assistant Curator of the Metropolitan Museum: "Joseph Smith's
interpretation of these cuts is a farrago of nonsense from beginning
to end. Egyptian characters can now be reared almost as easily as
Greek, and five minutes study in an Egyptian gallery of any museum
should be enough to convince any educated man of the clumsiness of
the imposture." Dr John Peters of the
University of Pennsylvania: "The plates
contained in the 'Pearl of Great Price' are rather comical and a
very poor imitation of Egyptian originals, apparently not of any one
original, but of Egyptian originals in general... The text of this
chapter, as also the interpretation of the plates, displays an
amusing ignorance." Prof. C.A.B. Mercer,
custodian of the Hibbard collection of Egyptian reproductions at the
Western Theological Seminary, who also responded to Spalding's
inquiry, stated that "the author (of the Explanations of the
three facsimiles) knew neither the Egyptian language nor the meaning
of the most commonplace Egyptian figures..." German scholar Dr
Edward Meyer of the University of Berlin said: "The papyrus
which Joseph Smith declared to be the Book of Abraham, and
'translated' or explained in his fantastical way, and of which three
specimens are published in the ' Pearl of Great Price' are parts of
the well-known 'Book of the Dead'."
Dr Friedrich Freiheer Von Bissing, Professor of Egyptology at the
University of Munich declared that Smith had "utterly failed"
to decipher the ancient hieroglyphics, adding that "(w)hat he
calls the 'Book of Abraham' is a funeral Egyptian text, probably not
older than the Greek age." Little comment is
needed. In 1912 Franklin S. Spalding tested Joseph Smith's claim to
have translated ancient Egyptian papyri by inviting some of the
world's leading Egyptologists to study the three Book of Abraham
facsimiles. Working independently, these specialists all arrived at
the conclusion that the facsimiles were nothing more than common
funerary texts, and they dismissed Joseph Smith's
"Explanations of the Facsimiles" as an "impudent
fraud," and "a farrago of nonsense." According to
these experts, the professed "Explanations" are " too
absurd to be noticed," and demonstrate conclusively that Smith
was ignorant of "the simplest facts of Egyptian writing and
civilization." Facsimile no.1 does not depict "Abraham
fastened upon an altar" but rather "Anubis preparing the
body of the dead man." Facsimile no.2 has nothing to do with a
planet named "Kolob," but is simply a disk "with
magic inscriptions placed beneath the head of the dead."
Facsimile no.3 does not show "Abraham sitting upon Pharaoh's
throne" but contains a "very common scene of the dead
person before the judgment seat of Osiris." Clearly Joseph
Smith had no supernatural ability to translate, and the Book of
Abraham provides ample evidence of this. Spalding's
investigation focused upon the three facsimiles of the Book of
Abraham because it was thought at the time that the original text of
the Book of Abraham had been destroyed. However in
1966 the situation changed dramatically as Marvin W. Cowan explains: "After Smith's
death the original (Book of Abraham) papyri were missing and
presumed lost for many years. Then in the spring of 1966, while Dr.
Aziz S. Atiya from the University of Utah was at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New York City, he noticed some old Egyptian papyri
that looked familiar. Upon closer examination, he found that they
were the papyri once owned by Joseph Smith. The papyri were easily
identified because Emma Smith Bidamon had a signed statement with
them stating she was the former wife of Joseph Smith. After Joseph
Smith's death, Emma married Lewis Bidamon on Dec. 23, 1847 in
Nauvoo, IL. The papyri had been glued to some stiff backing paper of
nineteenth century vintage. On the back of that paper someone had
drawn a map of Kirtland, OH, as well as a temple." (Mormon
Claims Answered) Subsequently it was
discovered that one of the papyri (known as the Small Sen-Sen
Papyrus) contained symbols which were identical with, and in the
same sequence as symbols which had been copied into the Book of
Abraham manuscript next to verses of that book. Thus it became
apparent that the papyri contained the Egyptian text which was the
source of the Book of Abraham. In their Mormonism,
Shadow or Reality, Jerald and Sandra Tanner quote
several Mormon scholars who affirm that the Sen-Sen text was the
basis for the Book of Abraham, including leading Mormon apologist
Hugh Nibley who stated that "the original papri...includ(es)
those used by the prophet in preparing the text of the book of
Abraham." (p. 314) This was a truly remarkable development as
Charles M. Larson explains: "The stage was
finally set for resolving the long, puzzling story of the Book of
Abraham papyri: the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic language had been
deciphered by scholars, Joseph Smith's original papyri had been
rediscovered and were available for study, and the three translation
manuscripts pinpointed the specific fragment from which the Book of
Abraham text had been taken, as well as providing a guide to how the
Prophet related the Egyptian symbols to the English translation. All
of the requirements for validation which both LDS Church apologists
and the critics had insisted on for the last hundred years had been
met. The question of whether or not Joseph Smith was telling the
truth could at last be determined. But more was at stake
than Joseph Smith's reputation; more even than the validity of the
Book of Abraham. Hanging in the balance was the entire religious
system established by Joseph Smith. Mormonism could at last be
proven to be either true or false." (By His Own
Hand Upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri) And the "religious
system established by Joseph Smith" was proven to be false by
this small fragment of text. Like the experts of Spalding's era,
leading Egyptologists like John A. Wilson, Professor of Egyptology
at the University of Chicago, and Richard A. Parker, Wilbour
Professor of Egyptology at Brown University, unhesitatingly
identified the papyrus as an Egyptian funerary text called the Book
of Breathings. (Mormonism, Shadow or Reality
p. 315)
The text said nothing about Abraham or his family, and it
dated from the Ptolemaic and Roman period, long after the time of
Abraham. The Book of Breathings is an outgrowth of
the Egyptian Book of the Dead, about which we have
the following in the Microsoft Encarta Online
Encyclopedia 2001: "(N)ame generally
given to a large collection of funerary texts of various dates,
containing magical formulas, hymns, and prayers believed by the
ancient Egyptians to guide and protect the soul (Ka) in its
journey into the region of the dead (Amenti). Egyptians
believed that the knowledge of these texts enabled the soul to ward
off demons attempting to impede its progress, and to pass the tests
set by the 42 judges in the hall of Osiris, god of the underworld...
This vast collection of mortuary texts has survived in three
critical revisions..." Thus what Smith
identified as the text of the Book of Abraham was, in reality, part
of a work containing "magical formulas, hymns, and (pagan)
prayers." Now although the Book
of Abraham is five chapters long, Smith "translated" the
Book from just a handful of Egyptian characters. Klaus Bauer,
Associate Professor of Egyptology at Chicago University, provided
the following translation of the text: "Osiris shall be
conveyed into the Great Pool of Khons -- and likewise Osiris Hor,
justified, born to Tikhebyt, justified -- after his arms have been
placed on his heart and the Breathing Permit (which [Isis] made) and
has writing on its inside and outside -- has been wrapped in royal
linen and placed under his left arm near his heart; the rest of his
mummy-bandages should be wrapped over it. The man for whom this book
has been copied will breathe forever as the bas of the gods do."
(Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought,
Autumn 1968, pp. 119 - 120) The essential
correctness of Bauer's translation has been confirmed by both Mormon
and non-Mormon scholars.
So what Joseph Smith
identified as the "writings of Abraham" was, in reality, a
pagan magic formula. What he claimed was "written by ...
(Abraham's) own hand" was, in fact, a document from a much
later era. Joseph Smith "translates" the opening words of
the text as follows:
"In the Land of
the Chaldeans, at the residence of my father, I, Abraham, saw that
it was needful for me to obtain another place of residence."
(PGP 1:1) However Egyptologists
tell us that the Sen-Sen text opens, "Osiris shall be conveyed
into the Great Pool of Khons etc." In a desperate attempt to
save the Book of Abraham, some Mormon apologists have come up with
the suggestion that Smith used the Egyptian characters as a "memory
device." Others have suggested that the characters have a
"hidden meaning" and so on. But the fact is that Joseph
Smith claimed that the Book of Abraham was the product of the
translation process. He wrote:
"The remainder of
this month, I was continually engaged in translating an
alphabet to the Book of Abraham, and arranging a grammar of the
Egyptian language as practiced by the ancients." (History
of the Church
Vol. 2, p. 236) "Thus I have
given a brief history of the manner in which the writings of the
fathers, Abraham and Joseph, have been preserved, and how I came in
possession of the same - a correct translation of which I
shall give in its proper place." (ibid) What's more in 1878
Mormon Apostle Orson Pratt gave the following account of Joseph
Smith's encounter with Michael H. Chandler: "After some
conversation with the Prophet Joseph, Mr Chandler presented to him
the ancient characters, asking him if he could translate
them...(Smith) enquired of the Lord concerning some few characters
which Mr. Chandler, gave him by way of a test, to see if he could
translate them. The Prophet Joseph translated these characters and
returned them, with the translation to Mr Chandler; and who, in
comparing it with the translation of the same few characters by
learned men, that he had before obtained, found the two to agree."
(Journal of Discourses
20:62) So according to this
Mormon Apostle Joseph Smith's translation of the Egyptian characters
agreed with that of "learned men." Clearly then these new
suggestions that the characters were a "memory device" or
that they possessed a "hidden meaning" have no merit at
all. The bottom line is this: since the Book of Mormon plates were
allegedly returned to heaven following translation, the papyri for
the Book of Abraham provide the only means of testing Joseph Smith's
ability as a translator - and Smith fails the test miserably. What's
more Smith's successors have also failed miserably as translators.
In Doctrine and Covenants we read:
"And again, the
duty of the President of the office of the High Priesthood is to
preside over the whole church, and to be like unto Moses - Behold,
here is wisdom; yea, to be a seer, a revelator, a translator,
and a prophet, having all the gifts of God which he bestows upon the
head of the church." (107:91, 92) We need to ask: "If
the President of the LDS Church has a supernatural ability to act as
"translator," why has the Mormon church relied upon
the scholars rather than upon the President in the
matter of translating the papyri? Could it be that the President has
no more ability to translate than Joseph Smith had back in the 1830?
Certainly the Book of Abraham saga supplies ample evidence that
Mormonism is built upon a foundation of sand.
Doctrine and Covenants
Current editions of Doctrine and Covenants contain an Explanatory Introduction which reads in part: "The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of divine revelations and inspired declarations given for the establishment and regulation of the kingdom of God on the earth in the last days...
Most of the revelations in this compilation were received through Joseph Smith, Jun., the first prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Others were issued through some of his successors in the Presidency...
The book of Doctrine and Covenants is one of the standard works of the Church in company with the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Pearl of Great Price. However, the Doctrine and Covenants is unique because it is not a translation of an ancient document, but is of modern origin and was given of God through his chosen prophets for the restoration of his holy work and the establishment of the kingdom of God on the earth in these days...
In successive editions of the Doctrine and Covenants, additional revelations or other matters of record have been added, as received, and as accepted by competent assemblies or conferences of the Church...
It is evident that some errors have been perpetuated in past editions, particularly in the historical portions of the section headings. Consequently this edition contains corrections of dates and place names and also a few other minor corrections when it seemed appropriate (such as discontinuing the unusual names beginning with Section 78)..."
The first 65 claimed revelations in Doctrine & Covenants were published in an earlier work entitled A Book of Commandments For The Government Of The Church of Christ, Organized According To Law On April 6, 1830 (Book Of Commandments). This was published in 1833. In 1835 an enlarged compilation was published under the heading Doctrine and Covenants.
Now the very least that we can expect of "a collection of divine revelations and inspired declarations," is internal harmony. True, revelation may be progressive, but it cannot be contradictory. A body of divinely-inspired writing may be incomplete, but clearly incompleteness "does not allow for alteration, revising, and changing of doctrines, commandments and prophetic statements." (Brodie Crouch, The Myth of Mormon Inspiration p. 117) And therein lies a real problem for Mormon apologists because there is an abundance of evidence that over the years radical changes have been made to many of the revelations which are contained in Doctrine & Covenants. LDS authorities have introduced these changes in order to eliminate glaring contradictions, and the fact that they have been forced to do so disproves the claim of inspiration. Among the many changes to Doctrine & Covenants are the following:
Book of Commandments 4:2 contains a 1929 revelation in which the Lord says concerning Joseph Smith: "and he has a gift to translate the book, and I have commanded him that he shall pretend to no other gift, for I will grant him no other gift." In Doctrine & Covenants 5:4 this revelation reads:
"And you have a gift to translate the plates; and this is the first gift that I bestowed upon you; and I commanded that you should pretend to no other gift, until my purpose is fulfilled in this; for I will grant unto you no other gift until it is finished."
Clearly the meaning of the revelation has been completely changed, as disaffected Book of Mormon witness David Whitmer points out:
"(The words added) change and reverse the original meaning: as if God had commanded Joseph to pretend to no other gift but to translate the Book of Mormon, that he would "grant him no other gift," and then afterwards God had changed his mind and concluded to grant him another gift. God does not change and work in this manner. The way this revelation has been changed, twenty-two words being added to it, it would appear that God had broken His word after giving His word in plainness; commanding Brother Joseph to pretend to no other gift but to translate the Book of Mormon, and then the Lord had changed and concluded to grant Joseph the gift of a Seer to the Church." (Address to All Believers in Christ p. 56)
Why was the alteration necessary? Simply because by this time Smith had claimed the ability to produce an inspired translation of the Bible. Not long afterwards he claimed to possess the gift to translate ancient papyri. The original revelation had to be altered to accommodate Smith's new ambitions.
Book of Commandments 15:2 reads:
"Behold, I have manifested unto you, (Oliver Cowdery) by my spirit in many instances, that the things which you have written are true; wherefore you know that they are true. And if you know that they are true, behold I give unto you a commandment, that you rely upon the things which are written; for in them are all things written, concerning my church, my gospel, and my rock. Wherefore if you shall build up my church, and my gospel, and my rock, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you."
In Doctrine & Covenants 18:2-5 the revelation reads:
"Behold, I have manifested unto you, (Oliver Cowdery) by my spirit in many instances, that the things which you have written are true; wherefore you know that they are true. And if you know that they are true, behold I give unto you a commandment, that you rely upon the things that are written; for in them are all things written, concerning 'the foundation of ' my church, my gospel, and my rock; wherefore, if you shall build up my church 'upon the foundation of ' my gospel and my rock, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you."
Again Book of Mormon witness David Whitmer explains the significance of the changes:
"The change in this revelation is of great importance; the word "them" refers to the plates - the Book of Mormon. We were commanded to rely upon it in building up the church; that is, in establishing the doctrine, the order of offices, etc.: "FOR IN THEM ARE ALL THINGS WRITTEN CONCERNING MY CHURCH, my gospel, and my rock." But this revelation has been changed by man to mean as follows: That therein is not all things written concerning the church, but only all things concerning "the foundation of " the church -- or the beginning of the church: that you must build up the church, beginning according to the written word, and add new offices, new ordinances, and new doctrines as I (the Lord) reveal them to you from year to year: As a Seer to the Church; High Priests; Three of the First Presidency; Baptism for the Dead; Polygamy, etc., etc. When the Book of Doctrine and Covenants was compiled in 1834, the church had then received many revelations to establish new offices and doctrines that are not even mentioned in the New Covenant of either of the two sacred books. They changed this revelation in order to sustain these new doctrines: If they had not made this change, the plain language of the original revelation would have condemned the Book of Doctrine and Covenants." (ibid p. 58)
Whitmer explains that the church " had no high priests, etc. in the beginning" and points out that these changes suggest that "after we had preached almost two years, and had baptized and confirmed about 2000 souls into the Church of Christ, then God concluded he had not organized it right." (ibid p. 57) He states: "God does not change and work in any such manner." (ibid p. 57) But man does.
In the Book of Commandments 16:22 the Lord says to Martin Harris:
"And I command you that you preach nought but repentance; and show not these things until the world, for they cannot bear meat, but milk they must receive: Wherefore, they must not know these things lest they perish."
In Doctrine & Covenants 19:21, 22 this is changed to:
"And I command you that you preach naught but repentance, and show not these things unto the world until it is wisdom in me. For they cannot bear meat now, but milk they must receive; wherefore, they must not know these things, lest they perish."
Cowdery says that "(t)he words, 'until it is wisdom in me,' were added to this revelation...(because) they had to add these words in order to publish the revelations." (ibid p. 54) He explains:
"In the spring of 1832, in Hiram, Ohio, Brothers Joseph and Sydney, and others, concluded that the revelations should be printed in a book. A few of the brethren - including myself - objected to it seriously. We told them that if the revelations were published, the world would get the books, and it would not do; that it was not the will of the Lord that the revelations should be published." (ibid)
Once the decision to publish had been made, the revelation was changed to accommodate the new plan.
According to section 15 of Doctrine & Covenants, the Aaronic Priesthood had been conferred upon Smith and Cowdery on May 15 1829, but this section is nowhere to be found in the Book of Commandments. Section 28 of Book of Commandments contains a revelation from the Lord which is supposed to have been given in 1830, and this revelation appears in Section 27 of Doctrine & Covenants, with hundreds of additional words, including the following:
"I have sent unto you (Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery) John (the Baptist) to ordain you unto the first priesthood which you have received, that you might be called and ordained even as Aaron." (Doctrine & Covenants 27:5)
Whitmer comments:
"I do not think the word priesthood is mentioned in the New Covenant of the Book of Mormon... This matter of two orders of priesthood in the Church of Christ, and lineal priesthood of the old law being in the church, all originated in the mind of Sydney Rigdon... This is the way the High Priests and the 'priesthood' as you have it, was introduced into the Church of Christ almost two years after its beginning - and after we had baptized and confirmed about two thousand souls into the church." (ibid p. 64)
Now why was the original revelation altered to make it appear that the priesthood was restored in 1829? The reason is that as the doctrine of the restored priesthood evolved, Joseph Smith began to teach that only those who hold the priesthood in the Mormon church have the authority to administer the ordinances of the gospel. Clearly it had to appear that the priesthood had existed prior to the establishment of the Church and her ordinances (e.g. baptism) and these additions give this impression.
Section 132 of Doctrine & Covenants contains a revelation dated July 12, 1843 which reads in part:
"Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Joseph, that inasmuch as you have inquired of my hand to know and understand wherein I, the Lord Justified my servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as also Moses, David and Solomon, my servants, as touching the principle and doctrine of their having many wives and concubines... Therefore, prepare thy heart to receive and obey the instructions which I am about to give unto you; for all those who have this law revealed unto them must obey the same... For behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory... And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood - if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery with that belongeth unto him and to no one else. And if he have ten virgins given unto him by the law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him: therefore is he justified." (vs 1,3,4,61,62)
A little over a decade later Brigham Young, the second prophet of the church said:
"Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives and continue to do so, I promise you will be damned... take this revelation, or any other revelation that the Lord has given, and deny it in your feelings, and I promise that you will be damned." (Deseret News, November 14, 1855)
A few years later Young said:
"We are told that if we would give up polygamy - which we know to be a doctrine revealed from heaven, and it is God and the world for it - but suppose this Church should give up this holy order of marriage, then would the devil, and all who are in league with him against the cause of God, rejoice that they had prevailed upon the Saints to refuse to obey one of the revelations and commandments of God to them. Would they be satisfied with this? No; but they would next want us to renounce Joseph Smith as a true prophet of God, then the Book of Mormon, then baptism for the remission of sins and the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost.... They want us to yield all these points, transgress the laws God has revealed for the salvation of the world, and change all the ordinances of God's house, and conform to the dogmas of modern Christianity and to the corruptions of the age. Will the Latter-day Saints do this? No; they will not to please anybody. (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 11, p. 239)
Keep in mind that Young once said: "I have never yet preached a sermon and sent it out to the Children of men, that they may not call scripture!" (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 13, p. 95)
In 1879 George Q. Cannon, July 20, a member of the First Presidency taught:
"If plural marriage be divine, as the Latter-day Saints say it is, no power on earth can suppress it, unless you crush and destroy the entire people... A man that enters this Church ought to be able to die for its principles if necessary, and certainly should be able to go to prison for them without crying about the matter. If you are sentenced to prison for marrying more wives than one, round up your shoulders and bear it like men and no murmuring about it; prepare yourselves to take the consequences... We have embraced certain doctrines. They are unpopular. Still if we are men we will be prepared to endure all the consequences, whatever they may be, and make no fuss about them." (Journal of Discourses Vol. 20, pp. 276, 277)
In light of the above it is simply amazing to find an Official Declaration in Doctrine & Covenants dated Oct 6, 1890 from then President Wilford Woodruff which reads in part:
"We are not teaching polygamy or plural marriage, nor permitting any person to enter into its practice... Inasmuch as laws have been enacted by Congress forbidding plural marriages, which laws have been pronounced constitutional by the court of last resort, I hereby declare my intention to submit to those laws, and to use my influence with the members of the Church over which I preside to have them do likewise. There is nothing in my teachings to the Church or in those of my associates, during the time specified, which can be reasonably construed to inculcate or encourage polygamy; and when any Elder of the Church has used language which appeared to convey any such teaching, he has been promptly reproved. And I now publicly declare that my advice to the Latter-day Saints is to refrain from contracting any marriage forbidden by the law of the land."
What makes this revelation even more startling is the fact that just a few years earlier in 1869 Woodruff himself had said:
"If we were to do away with polygamy, it would only be one feather in the bird, one ordinance in the Church and kingdom. Do away with that, then we must do away with prophets and Apostles, with revelation and the gifts and graces of the Gospel, and finally give up our religion altogether and turn sectarians and do as the world does, then all would be right. We just can't do that, for God has commanded us to build up His kingdom and to bear our testimony to the nations of the earth, and we are going to do it, come life or come death. He has told us to do thus, and we shall obey Him in days to come as we have in days past." (Journal of Discourses Vol. 20, pp. 165, 166)
The fact that Church authorities were willing to give up a teaching which they and earlier Mormon leaders had declared non-negotiable, is further evidence that LDS doctrines originate with frail, fallible human beings.
Editions of Doctrine & Covenants appearing after 1981 contain Official Declaration 2, which includes a letter from the First Presidency. The letter, addressed to "all general and local priesthood officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout the world," contains details of a revelation received by Spencer W. Kimball, who is described as "prophet, seer, and revelator, and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
"Aware of the promises made by the prophets and presidents of the Church who have preceded us that at some time, in God's eternal plan, all of our brethren who are worthy may receive the priesthood, and witnessing the faithfulness of those from whom the priesthood has been withheld, we have pleaded long and earnestly in behalf of these, our faithful brethren, spending many hours in the Upper Room of the Temple supplicating the Lord for divine guidance.
He has heard our prayers, and by revelation has confirmed that the long-promised day has come when every faithful, worthy man in the Church may receive the holy priesthood, with power to exercise its divine authority, and enjoy with his loved ones every blessing that flows there-from, including the blessings of the temple. Accordingly, all worthy male members of the Church may be ordained to the priesthood without regard for race or color."
Those who have any knowledge of LDS history will recognize that this revelation flatly contradicts earlier Mormon doctrine and practice. Listen to Brigham Young again:
"You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth, un-comely, disagreeable and low in their habits, wild, and seemingly deprived of nearly all the blessings of the intelligence that is generally bestowed upon mankind. The first man that committed the odious crime of killing one of his brethren will be cursed the longest of any one of the children of Adam. Cain slew his brother... and the Lord put a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin...then another curse is pronounced upon the same race - that they should be the "servant of servants;" and they will be, until that curse is removed;.. How long is that race to endure the dreadful curse that is upon them? That curse will remain upon them, and they never can hold the Priesthood or share in it until all the other descendants of Adam have received the promises and enjoyed the blessings of the Priesthood and the keys thereof. Until the last ones of the residue of Adam's children are brought up to that favorable position, the children of Cain cannot receive the first ordinances of the Priesthood." (Journal of Discourses Vol. 7, pp. 290, 291)
"Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 10, p. 110)
"Let this Church which is called the kingdom of God on the earth; we will sommons the first presidency, the twelve, the high counsel, the Bishoprick, and all the elders of Israel, suppose we sommons them to appear here, and here declare that it is right to mingle our seed, with the black race of Cain, that they shall come in with us and be partakers with us of all the blessings God has given to us. On that very day, and hour we should do so, the priesthood is taken from this Church and kingdom and God leaves us to our fate. The moment we consent to mingle with the seed of Cain the Church must go to destruction, - we should receive the curse which has been placed upon the seed of Cain, and never more be numbered with the children of Adam who are heirs to the priesthood until that curse be removed." (Brigham Young Addresses as quoted in Mormonism-Shadow or Reality? p.293, Jerald and Sandra Tanner)
Tenth President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote:
"Not only was Cain called upon to suffer, but because of his wickedness, he became the father of an inferior race. A curse was placed upon him and that curse has been continued through his lineage and must do so while time endures. Millions of souls have come into this world cursed with a black skin and have been denied the privilege of Priesthood and the fullness of the blessings of the Gospel." (The Way to Perfection, p. 102)
Now, time did not cease to endure in 1978. All the children of Adam who are not descended from Cain had not received the promises and enjoyed the blessings of the Priesthood by 1978. Despite Young's claim that God's law prescribes the death penalty for miscegenation, and that this will always be so, the Mormon Church no longer condemns inter-racial marriage. In short, we are not dealing here with the gradual unfolding over time of God's plan for the priesthood. This would be quite compatible with divine inspiration. What we are dealing with here is contradictory teaching on this subject, and this is not compatible with divine inspiration.
These are just a few of the many alterations to have taken place in Doctrine and Covenants, but hopefully enough has been said to show that, upon examination, this book, like the Book of Mormon and Pearl of Great Price, shows itself to be a flawed, human production masquerading as divine revelation. As such it is incapable of imparting knowledge, wisdom or guidance in spiritual matters.
False Prophecy
In Isaiah 41:23 Jehovah issues the following challenge to the idols worshipped by various nations: "Declare the things that are going to come afterward, that we may know that you are gods." Of course lumps of wood and stone do not possess prescience, and God alone is capable of "Declaring the end from the beginning," (Isa. 46:10) or foretelling the future. Earlier the Lord had told Israel:
"And you may say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?' When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him." (Deuteronomy 18:20-22)
Throughout the ages, many who have claimed to be spokesmen for God have tried their hand at predictive prophecy, and time and time again they have failed the test of Deuteronomy 18:20-22. These failures have demonstrated that they were speaking "from their own inspiration" (Ezek. 13:2). Now, Joseph Smith and other LDS leaders are among those who have boasted of their ability to "declare... the things that are coming," (Isa. 44:7) and their spectacular failures in this area provide further evidence that Mormonism is not of God. In the following paragraphs we will look at just a few examples of these many failures, and as we do so, let's remember that true prophets of God never make mistakes.
The Second coming of Christ
Like many cult leaders before and after him, Joseph Smith was unable to resist the temptation to make confident pronouncements about the Lord's return and he was not afraid to assure his contemporaries: "There are those of the rising generation who shall not taste death till Christ comes." (History of the Church Vol. 5, p. 336)
Under the heading Kirtland, February 14, 1835 we find the following in History of the Church:
"President Smith then stated that the meeting had been called, because God had commanded it; and it was made known to him by vision and by the Holy Spirit. He then gave a relation of some of the circumstances attending us while journeying to Zion - our trials, sufferings: and said God had not designed all this for nothing, but He had it in remembrance yet; and it was the will of God that those who went to Zion, with a determination to lay down their lives, if necessary, should be ordained to the ministry, and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time, or the coming of the Lord, which was nigh-even fifty-six years should wind up the scene." (2:182)
At this same meeting on Feb 14, 1835, and at another meeting on Feb 15 certain blessings were bestowed by the First Presidency (Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon and Frederick Williams) including the following:
"The blessing of Lyman E. Johnson was, in the name of Jesus Christ, that he should bear the tidings of salvation to nations, tongues, and people, until the utmost corners of the earth shall hear the tidings...and he shall see the Savior come and stand upon the earth with power and great glory." (ibid p. 188)
"John F. Boynton's Blessing: - Thou hast prevailed and thou shalt prevail, and thou shalt declare the Gospel unto many nations... Thou shalt overcome all the evils that are in the world; thou shalt have wisdom to put to silence all the wisdom of the wise; and thou shalt see the face of thy Redeemer in the flesh. These blessings are pronounced and sealed upon thee. Even so. Amen." (ibid)
"William Smith's Blessing: - We pray that he may be purified in heart; that he may have communion with God;... He shall be preserved and remain on the earth, until Christ shall come to take vengeance on the wicked." (ibid)
These prophecies were made about 170 years ago and needless to say Johnson, Boynton and Smith all died without witnessing their fulfilment. The fact is that literally dozens of blessings prior to the year 1900 contained assurances that certain individuals would remain until the time of Christ's return. Smith reports that he was the subject of such a prophecy:
"Among the number, my father presented himself, but before I washed his feet, I asked of him a father's blessing, which he granted by laying his hands upon my head, in the name of Jesus Christ, and declaring that I should continue in the Priest's office until Christ comes." (Journal of Discourses Vol. 1 p. 323)
Despite such repeated failures, Mormon leaders continued to make confident statements about the time of Lord's return, and their literature is littered with prophecies such as the following from Wilford Woodruff, fourth LDS Prophet:
"Infidelity overwhelms the earth, in fact it is a hard matter to-day to get either priest or people, sect or party... of any name or denomination under heaven to believe in the literal fulfillment of the Bible, as translated in the days of King James, which contains the revelations given from the days of Father Adam down to our own time, and which point out to us the signs of heaven and earth indicating the coming of the Son of Man. We live in the generation itself when Jesus Christ will come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." (Journal of Discourses 1:124)
Today LDS leaders are far less inclined to set dates for the Lord's return, but these and many other such prophecies continue to haunt the Mormon Church.
The Missouri Temple
Doctrine & Covenants 84:0 records a revelation "given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, September 22 and 23, 1832." Verses 1-5 read:
"A revelation of Jesus Christ unto his servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and six elders, as they united their hearts and lifted their voices on high. Yea, the word of the Lord concerning his church, established in the last days for the restoration of his people, as he has spoken by the mouth of his prophets, and for the gathering of his saints to stand upon Mount Zion, which shall be the city of New Jerusalem. Which city shall be built, beginning at the temple lot, which is appointed by the finger of the Lord, in the western boundaries of the State of Missouri, and dedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith, Jun., and others with whom the Lord was well pleased. Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation. For verily this generation shall not all pass away until an house shall be built unto the Lord, and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house."
On Oct 23, 1864 George Q. Cannon stated:
"The day is near when a Temple shall be reared in the Center Stake of Zion, and the Lord has said his glory shall rest on that House in this generation, that is in the generation in which the revelation was given, which is upwards of thirty years ago." (Journal of Discourses Vol. 10, p. 344)
Almost 40 years after the 1832 revelation, in 1870 Mormon Apostle Orson Pratt said:
"God has been with us from the time that we came to this land, and I hope that the days of our tribulation are past. I hope this, because God promised in the year 1832 that we should, before the generation then living had passed away, return and build up the City of Zion in Jackson County; that we should return and build up the temple of the Most High where we formerly laid the corner stone. He promised us that He would manifest Himself on that temple, that the glory of God should be upon it; and not only upon the temple, but within it, even a cloud by day and a flaming fire by night. We believe in these promises as much as we believe in any promise ever uttered by the mouth of Jehovah. The Latter-day Saints just as much expect to receive a fulfilment of that promise during the generation that was in existence in 1832 as they expect that the sun will rise and set to-morrow. Why? Because God cannot lie. He will fulfil all His promises. He has spoken, it must come to pass. (Journal of Discourses 13:361, 362)
A year later in 1871 Pratt said:
"Let me read a few passages in the Book of Covenants. Thirty-nine years ago a revelation was given, a passage or two of which I will now read; (He here quotes from Doctrine & Covenants 84)... Here then we see a prediction, and we believe it. Yes! The Latter-day Saints have as firm faith and rely upon this promise as much as they rely upon the promise of forgiveness of sins when they comply with the first principles of the Gospel. We just as much expect that a city will be built, called Zion, in the place and on the land which has been appointed by the Lord our God, and that a temple will be reared on the spot that has been selected, and the cornerstone of which has been laid, in the generation when this revelation was given; we just as much expect this as we expect the sun to rise in the morning and set in the evening; or as much as we expect to see the fulfillment of any of the purposes of the Lord our God, pertaining to the works of his hands. But says the objector, 'thirty-nine years have passed away.' What of that? The generation has not passed away; all the people that were living thirty-nine years ago have not passed away; but before they do pass away this will be fulfilled." (Journal of Discourses 14:275)
One hundred and thirty years after Pratt made this confident assertion, the LDS Church still does not have a temple on this property in Jackson County Missouri, and thus we can say without fear of contradiction that the prophecy of 1832 cannot be fulfilled. Clearly this is all very damaging to the Mormon Church and various attempts have been made to explain away Joseph Smith's failure. For example, some Mormon apologists try to argue that the prophecy was not fulfilled because of the disobedience of the generation in question, but Joseph Smith nowhere suggested that its fulfilment was conditional. In fact as we have seen Apostle Pratt was still affirming in 1870 "(God) will fulfil all His promises. He has spoken, it must come to pass." Others have argued that we cannot be certain of what Joseph Smith meant by the expression " this generation," but it is clear from the above that LDS leaders understood this to mean the generation when this revelation was given. In fact in his Mormon Doctrine (p. 310) Bruce R. McConkie says: "A generation may be measured in terms of the life of the oldest persons who live in a particular period." (Doctrine & Covenants 45:30-31; 84:4-5)
Finally Mormon apologists appeal to a convenient revelation of Joseph Smith dated January 19, 1841 which was given after the Mormons had been driven out of Missouri. Allegedly this revelation frees the generation of Smith's day from the obligation to build the temple. It reads:
"49 Verily, verily I say unto you, that when I give a command-ment to any of the sons of men to do a work unto my name, and those sons of men go with all their might and with all they have to perform that work, and cease not their diligence, and their enemies come upon them and hinder them from performing that work, behold, it behooveth me to require that work no more at the hands of those sons of men, but to accept of their offerings.
50 And the iniquity and transgression of my holy laws and commandments I will visit upon the heads of those who hindered my work, unto the third and fourth generation, so long as they repent not, and hate me, saith the Lord God.
51 Therefore, for this cause have I accepted the offerings of those whom I commanded to build up a city and a house unto my name, in Jackson county, Missouri, and were hindered by their enemies, saith the Lord your God." (Doctrine & Covenants 124:49-51)
However keep in mind that Mormon leaders like Pratt and Cannon still anticipated the fulfillment of the temple prophecy decades after 1841. This is proof positive that the original command to build the temple was never revoked. If this revelation had removed from the Saints of 1830's the obligation to build the temple, the above comments from Mormon leaders after 1841 are meaningless. What's more, according to Doctrine & Covenants 3:1-3:
"The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught... Remember, that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men."
Since it was God's plan for the temple to be built, and since God's plans "cannot be frustrated," it is clear that human opposition to the Missouri project cannot account for the failure.
Actually the 1841 revelation is also an embarrassment to the Mormon Church since it continues:
"And now I say unto you, as pertaining to my boarding house which I have commanded you to build for the boarding of strangers, let it be built unto my name, and let my name be named upon it, and let my servant Joseph and his house have place therein, from generation to generation. For this anointing have I put upon his head, that his blessing shall also be put upon the head of his posterity after him. And as I said unto Abraham concerning the kindreds of the earth, even so I say unto my servant Joseph: In thee and in thy seed shall the kindred of the earth be blessed. Therefore, let my servant Joseph and his seed after him have place in that house, from generation to generation, forever and ever, saith the Lord. And let the name of that house be called Nauvoo House; and let it be a delightful habitation for man, and a resting-place for the weary traveller, that he may contemplate the glory of Zion, and the glory of this, the corner-stone thereof.." (Doctrine & Covenants 124:56-60)
The Nauvoo boarding house was never completed and Joseph Smith and his house did not have "place therein, from generation to generation."
The War Prophecy
On December 25, 1832, Joseph Smith received the following revelation:
"Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls; And the time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at this place. For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then war shall be poured out upon all nations. And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshalled and disciplined for war. And it shall come to pass also that the remnants who are left of the land will marshal themselves, and shall become exceedingly angry, and shall vex the Gentiles with a sore vexation. And thus, with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations.." (Doctrine & Covenants 87:1-6)
Many Mormons believe that Joseph Smith here predicted the Civil War between the North and South which broke out about 30 years later, and they regard this prophecy as confirmation of Smith's status as a spokesman for God. In fact, as we shall see, this prophecy too is a thorn in the side of Mormon apologists. First, let's say a word about the political situation at the time of the prophecy. In 1828 and 1832 the U.S. Congress imposed tariffs upon manufactured goods, an action which many in the South found unacceptable. In 1832, John Caldwell Calhoun led South Carolina in an attempt to nullify the 1832 act, and this precipitated a crisis which led to open speculation about the possibility of a North-South war. Like everyone else at that time Joseph Smith was aware of the crisis, as the following entry in History of the Church makes evident:
"Appearances of troubles among the nations became more visible this season than they had previously been since the Church began her journey out of the wilderness. The ravages of the cholera were frightful in almost all the large cities on the globe. The plague broke out in India, while the United States, amid all her pomp and greatness, was threatened with immediate dissolution. The people of South Carolina, in convention assembled (in November 1832 [Rex]), passed ordinances, declaring their state a free and independent nation; and appointed Thursday, the 31st day of January, 1833, as a day of humiliation and prayer, to implore Almighty God to vouchsafe His blessings, and restore liberty and happiness within their borders. President Jackson issued his proclamation against this rebellion, called out a force sufficient to quell it, and implored the blessings of God to assist the nation to extricate itself from the horrors of the approaching and solemn crisis." (Vol. 1, p. 301)
It was just after the South Carolina assembly in November that Smith received his revelation about "the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina." Is this really so surprising? Newspapers of the day were full of speculation about impending war.
When the Civil War did break out on April 12, 1861, almost 30 years later, Mormons claimed that Joseph Smith was vindicated as a prophet, but even a cursory examination of the 1832 revelation shows that he missed the mark. Although Smith said twice that war would be "poured out upon all nations" this never happened. Nor did the war culminate in "a full end of all nations." The "prophet" said that "the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations." Apostle Orson Pratt wrote in 1854:
"It seems from this, that Great Britain will already be at war with some nations at the time the South will appeal to her for assistance; for she will be obliged to seek assistance to defend herself from other nations." (The Seer 2:4:242)
Britain did not have to "seek assistance to defend herself from other nations" while the South was at war. Smith struck out again.
The prophecy continues:
"And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshalled and disciplined for war."
Apostle Orson Pratt explained:
"From this, it is quite evident, that the South will consider themselves hardly competent to withstand the force of the North without bringing into requisition the strength of the slave. However much assistance this may for awhile render to the South, it is certain, according to the revelation, that this strength will fail them: for, saith the Lord, 'And it shall come to pass after many days, slaves shall rise up against their masters.' From the expression, 'after many days,' we are led to conclude that the calamity, arising from the rebellion of the slaves, will not take place, until the nation has, by its previous struggles been reduced to great weakness." (ibid)
No such rebellion occurred.
Smith also predicted that "the remnants who are left of the land will marshal themselves, and shall become exceedingly angry, and shall vex the Gentiles with a sore vexation." Apostle Pratt explained that Smith was referring to "the aborigines," and he says:
"To what extent the Indians will have power over the nation is not stated in this revelation; but from what Jesus informed their forefathers at the time of his personal ministry among them, as recorded in the Book of Mormon, they will have power in a great measure over the whole nation." (ibid)
Of course nothing of the sort ever happened. Interestingly during the course of the war Brigham Young said:
The following from book of Mormon witness David Whitmer needs no comment:
"Brother Hyrum (Smith) said it had been suggested to him that some of the brethren might go to Toronto, Canada, and sell the copyright of the Book of Mormon for considerable money: and he persuaded Joseph to inquire of the Lord about it. Joseph concluded to do so. He had not yet given up the stone. Joseph looked into the hat in which he placed the stone, and received a revelation that some of the brethren should go to Toronto, Canada, and that they would sell the copyright of the Book of Mormon. Hiram Page and Oliver Cowdery went to Toronto on this mission, but they failed entirely to sell the copyright, returning without any money. Joseph was at my father's house when they returned. I was there also, and am an eye witness to these facts. Jacob Whitmer and John Whitmer were also present when Hiram Page and Oliver Cowdery returned from Canada. Well, we were all in great trouble; and we asked Joseph how it was that he had received a revelation from the Lord for some brethren to go to Toronto and sell the copyright, and the brethren had utterly failed in their undertaking. Joseph did not know how it was, so he enquired of the Lord about it, and behold the following revelation came through the stone: "Some revelations are of God: some revelations are of men: and some revelations are of the devil." So we see that the revelation to go to Toronto and sell the copyright was not of God, but was of the devil or of the heart of man." (An Address To All Believers In Christ p.31)
Under the heading A Discourse by President Heber C. Kimball, delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, September 6, 1856 we find the following from President Kimball:
"The Church and kingdom to which we belong will become the kingdom of our God and his Christ, and brother Brigham Young will become President of the United States... and I am Vice-President, and brother Wells is the Secretary of the Interior - yes, and of all the armies in the flesh. You don't believe that; but I can tell you it is one of the smallest things that I can think of. You may think that I am joking; but I am perfectly willing that brother Long should write every word of it; for I can see it, just as naturally as I see the earth and the productions thereof." (Journal of Discourses 5:219)
Concluding Comment
The prophecies which we have discussed above have been taken from a veritable potpourri of pronouncements, promises and predictions from LDS leaders which have proven to be false. In June 1833 the Mormon publication The Evening and the Morning Star carried an article dealing with the subject of prophecy in which the following comment was made:
"The only way of ascertaining a true prophet, is to compare his prophecies with the ancient word of God, and see if they agree, and if they do and come to pass, then certainly he is a true prophet: For it is not possible that the Lord will suffer FALSE prophets, to bring forth the truth, moved upon by the Holy Ghost, for it is written that the Holy Ghost dwelleth not in unholy temples. By their fruits shall they be known. When, therefore any man, no matter who, or how high his standing may be, utters, or publishes, any thing that afterwards proves to be untrue, he is a false prophet." (Vol. 2, no.14 p. 105)
Clearly judged by this standard, the many failures of LDS leaders to "declare the things that are going to come" (Isa. 41:23) must be considered evidence that these individuals were speaking "from their own inspiration" (Ezek. 13:2) when they claimed to speak for God.