
JosephSmith
"I have more to brag about than any man ever had. I am the only man who has ever been able to hold the whole Church together since the days of Adam...Neither Paul, John, Petrus_cc781905-5cde-3194 -bb3b-136bad5cf58d_nor Jesus were able." (History of the Church, Vol 6. p. 408, 409)
Joseph Smith a God to the Mormons
Joseph Smith once made himself God in thehe said:
"God made Aaron a mouthpiece for the children of Israel andhe will make me God for you in his steadand the elders to mouthpiece for me; and if you do not like it, you must leave it." (History of the Church, Vol. 6, pp. 319-320, 1844)
Smith is revered by members as a prophet, seer, and revelator. His worship often led to statements like this:
"The day will come, ladies and gentlemen, whether you are of the Church or not, when you will look up to (Joseph Smith) as a god." (Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, 5:88)
Brigham Young made him equal to God, saying that no one would go to heaven without his consent:
"No man or woman shall ever enter the celestial kingdom of God in this dispensation without the consent of Joseph Smith...every man and woman must have Joseph Smith Jr.'s certificate as a pass for their entry into the mansions where God and Christ are." (Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p. 289 ,1869)
Prophecies of Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith held a variety of offices and responsibilities. These included mayor, general, religious leader, etc. But first and foremost he was a prophet, a man who reveals the will and intentions of God. The Mormon scriptures themselves speak of this principle:
“And what they shall speak, moved by the Holy Spirit, shall be scripture, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and shall be the power of God unto salvation. " (Doctrine and Covenants, Section 68:4)
However, Joseph Smith had exceptions. He once received a revelation through the seer stone, through which he sent some men to Canada to sell the copyright for the Book of Mormon. The purpose of the journey was not fulfilled, and Joseph Smith justified himself by proclaiming that there are revelations that come from men and from evil sources. (BH Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church, Vol.1, p.165)
The Bible speaks of these exceptions somewhat differently:
"But a man who does not listen to my words, which the prophet will declare in my name, I will call to account myself. But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, such a prophet shall die.
And if you think: How can we recognize a word that the Lord has not spoken? Then you should know: When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord and his word is not fulfilled and does not come to pass, then it is a word that the Lord has not spoken. The prophet only presumed to speak it." (The Bible, Deut. 18:19-21)
Here again space is created for an interesting, theological discussion. letLet's put these aside and turn to the formula by which a prophet can be recognized: the fulfillment of his prophecies, which must come to light with the help of time.
I know that at the end of this chapter I will be accused of only listing those revelations that were not fulfilled and for which the prophet justified himself in advance. I do not want to go into the so-called "fulfilled prophecies" (e.g. the prediction of the civil war, Rocky Mountain prophecy, etc.) here, because I hope that the reader will question and examine them with new insight after the comparison made. It's definitely worth it.
The Toronto trip
As mentioned earlier, in the winter of 1829-1830, Joseph Smith, based on revelation, sent Oliver Cowdery and Hiram Page to Canada to sell the copyright of the Book of Mormon and to raise money.
The mission was completely unsuccessful.
The Missouri Prophecies
Smith made a number of prophecies relating to Missouri as the gathering place of the Saints, which he located as Zion.
Mar. 7, 1831, D&C 45:64-74
The saints are to gather riches and buy their inheritance, which is to be called New Jerusalem. A land of peace, refuge and security where the wicked will not come and against which they will not fight. All nations will fear.
July 1831, D&C 57:1-3
Missouri is named as the gathering place of the Saints and the location for the city of Zion. The temple is to be built in Independence. This will be bought by the saints as an everlasting inheritance.
Aug. 13, 1831, D&C 62:1–6
The faithful will be preserved and rejoice in Missouri. "I, the Lord, make promises to those who are faithful and cannot lie."
22 and 23 September 1832, D&C 84:2-5, 31
Zion will be built with its temple "in this generation" in Independence. This generation shall not die until the temple is built in that place.
All of these prophecies were not fulfilled. The Mormons were driven out of Independence and all of its settlements in 1839. The temple was not built and the land for it is now owned by the Church of Christ - Temple Lot. Nobody from this generation is alive anymore. The "wicked" were not driven out, but the Mormons. The lost ten tribes were not gathered in Missouri. None of the prophecies were fulfilled, although most Mormons were faithful and followed Joseph Smith.
Oct. 12, 1833, D&C 100:13-25
Zion (Missouri) will be chastened for a short time but then redeemed.
December 10, 1833, History of the Church 1:455
Joseph Smith told the Saints to keep their lands in Missouri and seek legal redress from their enemies. If they don't do this, God will avenge them with ten thousand of his saints and all their adversaries will be destroyed.
The Mormons lost all of their lands in Missouri. Legal redress was not given and their enemies were not destroyed and their wickedness not avenged.
In 1834 Joseph Smith prophesied to the members of Zion Camp that within three years they would march into Jackson County and not a dog would dare open its mouth against them. (Reed Peck Manuscript, p.3. Quoted in Tanners Mormon Kingdom 1:4)
The Zions Camp was organized but later dissolved without success. The venture was a failure. Joseph Smith blamed the failure of the establishment of Zion on the disobedience of the Saints. This view is still held in the church today and thus justifies the non-accomplishment of the prophecies.
The coming of Christ foretold
Joseph Smith prophesied in 1835 that the Second Coming of Christ would take place in about 56 years, and that by then some of his present generation would not taste death (c. 1891) 5. He testified in D&C 130:14-17, - when asked when Christ will come again - that when he would be 85 years old, he would see the face of the Son of Man ( c. 1890 ).
The Second Coming did not take place. Joseph Smith did not live to be 85. These statements contradict the New Testament. No one of this generation has seen the Second Coming.
New York is to be destroyed, D&C 84:114-115.
New York, Albany and Boston are to be destroyed if they reject the gospel.
Newell K. Whitney and Joseph Smith went to these places and preached there. The message was not accepted. The cities were not destroyed.
The end of all nations
December 25, 1832, D&C 87
Joseph Smith prophesied the rebellion of the South and war between the states. The South will ask Britain for help and as a result war will come upon all nations. The slaves will revolt. Famines, plagues, earthquakes, thunder, lightning and the end of all nations will come.
This prophecy is used very often by Mormons. However, most are unaware of the political situation at the time. By November 1832, South Carolina had declared its independence, and President Jackson was ready to restore federal powers through war funds. Most people expected war. Thus, the prophecy reflects only the general assumptions of the time. Although the South revolted in 1861 and Britain came to her aid, the slaves did not rise up, war was not poured out on all nations, there were no worldwide famines, plagues, or earthquakes that could be connected with this civil war. And the end of all nations did not come.
In 1843 Joseph Smith revisited the subject in the form of prophecy (D&C 130:12-13). What is interesting is the so-called prophecy, "It will probably come about as a result of the slave question." First, that wasn't hard to guess, and would God really make a "probable" prophecy?
United order forever
April 23, 1834, D&C 104.
Revelation speaks of a unified order to last until Christ comes (verse 1).
The order failed at every place it was begun and did not last until Christ comes again.
Mormon debts are to be paid
Apr. 23, 1836, D&C 104:78-83.
God promises that He will deliver the members from their debts. The heart of the debtor shall be softened.
Joseph Smith and other leaders had to flee Kirtland to escape their debtors. They left thousands of dollars unpaid. Smith eventually had to file for bankruptcy.
Apostles in foreign lands and in heaven
January 21, 1836. Joseph Smith had a vision of the future 6 in which he described “the twelve apostles of the Lamb who were now upon the earth...standing together in a circle in strange lands, weary, with their feet swollen, and clothes in tatters..." He saw "Elder M'Lellin standing on a hill to the south, surrounded by a large crowd to whom he was preaching." He also saw Brigham Young "in a strange land, in a far country to the south and west, in a desolate place...preaching to them in their own language." He also saw the Twelve in celestial glory.
The Quorum of the Twelve as then existed were never together in a foreign land. Elder M'Lellin never preached in the South and was excommunicated from the Church in 1838. Brigham Young never preached in a strange land in their own language. If church history is correct, five of the twelve apostles mentioned could never see the celestial kingdom because they fell away from the church or were excommunicated: Lyman Johnson, Luke S. Johnson, William E. M'Lellin, John F. Boynton, and William Smith.
Salem will be in Mormon hands
6 Aug 1836, D&C 111.
According to a revelation, Joseph Smith is to go to Salem, Massachusetts. He and his companions were promised that the city would be given into their hands and they would receive its riches.
Joseph returned to Kirtland in November without success. The city and the riches do not fall into his hands.
Kirtland Bank will be successful
Smith urged members to invest in the Kirtland Safety Society, saying that it is God's will that this bank be formed. He prophesied that this bank would grow and other banks would survive. (LDS Messanger $ Advocate. 3:443, Tanners, MSR 531. History of the Church, Vol 2. pp. 509-510. Zion's Wachtman, March 24, 1838)
The bank collapsed. Joseph Smith and Sydney Rigdon convicted and fined $1,000 for operating an illegal bank. Everyone who invested money lost it.
Prophecy to Thomas Marsh
23 Jul 1837, D&C 112.
Thomas Marsh was promised that he would be exalted, preach to the Jews and Gentiles, to the ends of the earth among many nations. God would know his heart.
None of this came true. Marsh was excommunicated and was a bitter enemy of the Church for many years (although he later rejoined the Church). God didn't seem to know his heart.
Joseph Smith's successor will be his son
April 22, 1839 and August 27, 1834.
Smith states that his eldest son would be his successor. (Quinn pp.638, 630. Quoted in Mormonism - Shadow or Reality, by Jerald and Sandra Tanner, p.195)
His son left the mainstream of the Church under Brigham Young and became President of the Reorganized Church in 1860.
These are just a few of about 60 prophecies that have not been fulfilled. More can be seen at www.exmormon.org/prophet.htm. The Doctrine and Covenants is full of such prophecies, and it is amazing how uncritical the Saints are about them. Some suppress the facts, others find questionable explanations and still others still await their fulfillment today.
occultism
If one looks more closely at the life of Joseph Smith and those around him using historical data, one will see that Smith can be repeatedly associated with magic, occultism and superstition. Research, such as that done by D. Michael Quinn (former BYU professor and historian) in his book Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, indicates that both Smith, his family, and other community leaders of the time were involved with the were familiar with various occult practices. These include the use of dowsing, astrology to determine good times for conception, study of skull contours, magical formulas, seer stones and protective talismans.
Apologists and leaders have vehemently resisted such accusations over the years, but there is too much fact and evidence, including observations and statements from those close to Joseph Smith (e.g., Martin Harris, Joseph Knight, Oliver Cowdery, and Lucy Mack Smith)
But Joseph Smith was not alone in his love of magic and the occult, as a revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants to Oliver Cowdery shows.
D&C 8:6-11
Revelation to Oliver Cowdery: Knowledge of the mysteries of God and power to translate ancient records come by faith.
Verse 6: “Now this is not all your gift, for you have another gift, which is the gift of Aaron; behold, she has told you many things;"
https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/8.6?lang=eng
In the Book of Commandments, the predecessor of the Doctrine and Covenants, the gift of Aaron is still called the gift of dowsing. (Verse 3: “the gift of working with the rod”)
Oliver Cowdery's use of dowsing to search for buried treasure evokes images similar to Joseph Smith searching for treasure with a rock in a hat. Oliver also wanted to use his dowsing rod in the same way that Joseph Smith used his stone and hat to translate ancient documents.