"A half truth is much worse than a whole lie because it makes it even harder to tell the difference between the two."- Gene Ruyle

• At least 4 accounts over a 10 year period (real number is ~9)
• 1838 account is in the PGP (more or less)
• Joseph did present several accounts which changed over time.
• Yes, the new testament has contradictions in it's stories.

• The age is different.
• The personages who appeared are different.
• The evil forces are different.
• The catalysts that caused him to seek God are different.
• The messages delivered by God are different.
• The message evolved over time and eventually acted as a foundation for him to change the religion.

[2] - Fair's site (did this move somewhere or was it taken down?[2] . On this, compare the language. I can guess who had a heavy hand in writing this.

[3] - Here's another[3] first vision account that disappeared from FAIR.

[4] - They meant the 1839 version as that's when it was published.

On June 1, 1830, less than two months after Joseph Smith (JS) officially launched his religious movement, he wrote "Old Testament Revision 1", which said:

"Adam knew [had sex with] Eve his wife andamp; she conceived andamp; bear Cain andamp; said I have gotten [sired] a man from the Lord wherefore he may not rejectandnbsp;his words but behold also cain hearkened not saying Who is the Lordandnbsp;that I should know him andamp; she again conceived andamp; bear his brother Abelandnbsp;andamp; Abel hearkened unto the voice of the Lord andamp; Abel was a keeper of shee[p]."andnbsp; (Click here to see the digital scan of JS' written materialandnbsp;on the LDS Church's JosephSmithPapers.org website.)

The next page of JS' OT Rev. 1 stated:

"(B)ut Cain was a tiller of the ground andamp; he loved Satan more than God... And it came to pass that Cain took one of his brothers daughters to wife andamp; they loved Satan more than God andamp; satan saith unto Cain swear unto me by thy throat andamp; if thou tell it thou shalt die andamp; swear thy brethren by their heads andamp; by the living Godandnbsp; that they tell it not for if they tell it they shall surely die andamp; this thatandnbsp; thy father may not know it andamp; this day I will deliver thy brother Abel into thine hands andamp; Satan swore unto Cain that he would do according to his commands andamp; all these things were done in secret andamp; Cain saith truly I am Mahon the master of this great secret that I may murder andamp; get gain(.) Wherefore Cain was called master Mahon andamp; he gloried in his wickedness andamp; Cain went into the field andamp; Cain talked with Abel his brother andamp; it cameandnbsp; to pass that while they were in the field that cain rose up against Abel hisandnbsp;brother andamp; slew him andamp; cain gloried in that which he had done saying I am free surely the flocks of my brother falleth into my hands...andnbsp;

"And the Lord said unto Cain where is Abel thy brother andamp; he said I know not am I thy my brothers keeper andamp; he said what hast thou done the voice of thy brothers blood cries unto me from the ground andamp; now thou shalt be cursed from the Earth which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brothers blood from thy hand when thou tillest the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength a fugitive andamp; a vagabond shalt thou be in the Earth...

"Cain said unto the Lord Satan tempted me because of my brothers flock andamp;andnbsp;I was wroth also for his offering thou didst except andamp; not mine my punishment is greater than I can bear Behold thou hast driven me out thisandnbsp; day from the face of the Earth andamp; from thy face shall I be hid andamp; I shall be a fugitive andamp; a vagabond in the Earth andamp; it shall come to pass that every oneandnbsp; that findeth me shall slay me because of mine oath for these things are not hid from the Lord andamp; the Lord said unto him Therefore whosoeverandnbsp; slayeth Cain vengeance shall be taken on him seven fold andamp; the Lord set a mark upon Cain lest any finding him should kill him andamp; Cain went out from the presence of the Lord andamp; his wife andamp; many of his brethren andamp; dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden andamp; Cain knew his wife andamp; she conceived andamp; bearandnbsp;Enoch andamp; he also begat many Sons andamp; daughters".

So, what was the "mark" that "the Lord" (Mormonism's Jehovah/premortal Jesus) "set...upon Cain"?andnbsp; JS provided the 'answer' in "An extract from the translation of the Bible as revealed to Joseph Smith the Prophet, June 1830-February 1831", quoting the LDS Church's webpage for the Book of Moses (in the Pearl of Great Price).andnbsp;Specifically, verses 21 and 22 of Moses 7 say:

21 And it came to pass that the Lord showed unto Enoch all the inhabitants of the earth; and he beheld, and lo, Zion, in process of time, was taken up into heaven. And the Lord said unto Enoch: Behold mine abode forever.

22 And Enoch [Mormonism's ancient prophet Enoch, who was - apparently - not Cain's "cursed" son, Enoch] also beheld the residue of the people which were the sons of Adam; and they were a mixture of all the seed of Adam save it was the seed of Cain, for the seed of Cain were black, and had not place among them.andnbsp;

According to the LDS Church, JSandnbsp;"translated" chapter 7 of the Book of Moses in "December 1830."andnbsp;

How did Negroes survive theandnbsp;Biblical Flood that JSandnbsp;andandnbsp;many other people in the early 19th century believed happened, the worldwide catastropheandnbsp;that wiped out nearly all of ancient humanity, according to the Old Testament?andnbsp;The answerandnbsp;is related toandnbsp;Ham, one of Noah's sons,andnbsp;all of whom were aboardandnbsp;the life-saving ark (boat) built byandnbsp;their father, according to the Bible.

What otherandnbsp;'truths' about Hamandnbsp;have been taught by the Mormon Church? Its online dictionaryandnbsp;says thatandnbsp;Ham was a "Son of Noah", "cursed", and "his descendants...were the southern nations: from Cush came the dark-skinned race of eastern Africa and southern Arabia; from Mizraim the Egyptians; from Phut the Libyans; from Canaan the inhabitants of Palestine before the arrival of the Semitic races."

But there is a potentially 'inconvenient' problem concerning Ham's father, Noah, who was, according to the LDS Church, a "patriarch...andnbsp;ordained to the priesthood by Methuselah (Dandamp;C 107:52). He became a preacher of righteousness and declared the gospel of Jesus Christ... His life was sought by unbelievers, but he was preserved by the power of God (Moses 8:18, 26). He and his sons Japheth, Shem, and Ham, and their wives, making eight in all, were saved from the Flood by the ark he had built at the command of God (Gen. 6-8; Heb. 11:7; 1 Pet. 3:20). We learn from latter-day revelation that Noah is also the angel Gabriel (HC 3:386)... Noah, a righteous man, holds the keys of a dispensation and stands next to Adam in [priesthood] authority (HC 3:386)."andnbsp;

What's the problem?andnbsp;For his son, Ham, to be "cursed" and his progeny to be "the dark-skinned race of eastern Africa and southern Arabia", either Noah and/or his wife had to have had Negro genes. In other words,andnbsp;either one or both of them was/were the "seed of Cain." I'll return to this point in a moment.

Next, when JS "translated" the Egyptian papyri that he obtained in 1835 (his 'translation' became the Book of Abraham), he wrote in the first chapter, verses 21 to 24:

21 Now this king of Egypt was a descendant from the loins of Ham, and was a partaker of the blood of the Canaanites by birth.

22 From this descent sprang all the Egyptians, and thus the blood of the Canaanites was preserved in the land.

23 The land of Egypt being first discovered by a woman, who was the daughter of Ham, and the daughter of Egyptus, which in the Chaldean signifies Egypt, which signifies that which is forbidden;

24 When this woman discovered the land it was under water, who afterward settled her sons in it; and thus, from Ham, sprang that race which preserved the curse [dark skin] in the land.andnbsp;

I'll get back to "the Canaanites" and "the curse" supposedly "preserved in the land" near the end of this post. For now, there's a crucial point to make: Noah could NOT have been "cursed" (i.e., been partly or fully Negro) because according to Mormonism, as one of the "seed of Cain" he could not have received the priesthood and used its 'spiritual' power to preach "righteousness" and declare "the gospel of Jesus Christ."

Bear in mind that generations of Mormonandnbsp;'prophets' and other LDS priesthood leadersandnbsp;taught that Negroes were "cursed as to the priesthood", an idea that stemmed fromandnbsp;JS' 'translation' in the 1830s of theandnbsp;Egyptian papyri that he acquired. In particular, Abraham 1:25-27 says:

25 Now the first government of Egypt was established by Pharaoh, the eldest son of Egyptus, the daughter of Ham, and it was after the manner of the government of Ham, which was patriarchal.

26 Pharaoh, being a righteous man, established his kingdom and judged his people wisely and justly all his days, seeking earnestly to imitate that order established by the fathers in the first generations, in the days of the first patriarchal reign, even in the reign of Adam, and also of Noah, his father, who blessed him with the blessings of the earth, and with the blessings of wisdom, but cursed him as pertaining to the Priesthood.

27 Now, Pharaoh being of that lineage by which he could not have the right of Priesthood, notwithstanding the Pharaohs would fain claim it from Noah, through Ham, therefore my [Abraham's, according to JS] father was led away by their idolatry;

A century later, LDS Church 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 [the] Priesthood and the fulness of the blessings of the Gospel. These are the descendants of Cain. Moreover[,] they have been made to feel their inferiority and have been separated from the rest of mankind from the beginning...

"But what a contrast! The sons of Seth, Enoch and Noah honored by the blessings and rights of [the] Priesthood!... And the sons of Cain, denied the priesthood; not privileged to receive the covenants of glory in the kingdom of God!"

In his encyclopedic volume, "Mormon Doctrine", LDS apostleandnbsp;Bruce McConkie wrote:

"Negroes in this life are denied the Priesthood; under no circumstances can they hold this delegation of authority from the Almighty (Abraham 1:20-27). The gospel message of salvation is not carried affirmatively to them... Negroes are not equal with other races where the receipt of certain spiritual blessings are concerned, particularly the priesthood and the temple blessings that flow there from, but this inequality is not of man's origin. It is the Lord's doing and is based on his eternal laws of justice, and grows out of the lack of Spiritual valiance of those concerned in their first estate."

"Certainly the caste systems in communist countries and in India, for instance, are man[-]made and are not based on true principles. However, in a broad sense, caste systems have their root and origin in the gospel [Mormonism] itself, and when they operate according to the divine decree, the resultant restrictions and segregation are right and proper and have the approval of the Lord. To illustrate: Cain, Ham, and the whole negro race have been cursed with a black skin, the mark of Cain, so they can be identified as a caste apart, a people with whom the other descendants of Adam [the rest of humanity] should not intermarry."

For Ham to haveandnbsp;been one of the "seed of Cain" and passandnbsp;along the skin color and priesthood "curses" to "the dark-skinned race of eastern Africa and southern Arabia", "the Egyptians", "the Libyans", "the inhabitants of Palestine before the arrival of the Semitic races", and "all the Egyptians", viaandnbsp;his daughter, Egyptus,andnbsp;per LDS scripture, Noah and/or Ham's mother had to have been "cursed."andnbsp;

However, according to the Mormon Church, Noahandnbsp;"was ordained to the priesthood" and "holds the keys of a dispensation and stands next to Adam in authority", ergo, he could not have been partly or wholly Negro for all the reasons previously explained. Therefore,andnbsp;we are forced to conclude that it was Ham's mother who wasandnbsp;among theandnbsp;"seed of Cain."

Was Noah's wife (the woman with him on the ark) the mother of "cursed" Ham?andnbsp;Or did Ham's Negro mother die when he was younger, and Noah re-married and Ham remained in contact with his non-"cursed" father and stepmother? Who was Ham'sandnbsp;"cursed" mother? The Bible doesn't say and, not surprisingly, no LDS 'prophet'andnbsp;hasandnbsp;provided any clarification, despite theirandnbsp;reputed ability to receive "revelations" from "the Lord."andnbsp;andnbsp;

Now, you might be wondering aboutandnbsp;the "cursed" Canaanites. The following is an "Extract from the prophecy of Enoch. andlt;Given by Revelation to Joseph Smith Jun.andgt;", according to the LDS Church's Joseph Smith Papers website:

"Behold the people of Canaan, which are numerous, shall go forth in battle array against the people of Shum, and shall slay them, that they shall utterly be destroyed; and the people of Canaan shall divide themselves in the land, and the land shall be barren and unfruitful, and none other people shall dwell there but the people of Canaan: for behold the Lord shall curse the land with much heat, and the barrenness thereof shall go forth for ever: And there was a blackness come upon andlt;allandgt; the children of Canaan, that they were despised among all people."

So, there you have it! A mythical Old Testament murderer (Cain) was supernaturally "cursed" byandnbsp;Mormonism's premortal Jesusandnbsp;with a "black covering emblematical of eternal darkness", quoting LDS Church president Joseph Fielding Smith. We're talking aboutandnbsp;Cain, a.k.a. "Master Mahan",andnbsp;according to the LDS Church, the Bible's first evil man, who became the father of a race of LDS-imagined incarnated spirits (Negroes-to-be), who all lacked "Spiritual valiance"andnbsp;duringandnbsp;a Mormon-concocted mystical realm called theandnbsp;"Premortal Existence", whichandnbsp;nobody on this planet remembers due to the fantastical Latter-day Saintandnbsp;"veil ofandnbsp;forgetfulness"!

And Mormons are puzzled that non-members think the LDS religion is weird!

"34. EGYPTUS-Abr. 1:21-23. This woman was the wife of Ham and a descendant of Cain."

"39. EGYPTUS-Abr. 1:23-26. This Egyptus was the daughter of Ham and Egyptus and the mother of the first Pharaoh in Egypt."

To review, the Mormon Church's online dictionaryandnbsp;says that Ham was "cursed."andnbsp;According toandnbsp;'true' LDS doctrine, his "cursed" state made his daughter Egyptus "cursed", asandnbsp;well as all of her progeny (Egyptians, etc.) because the "curse" ("mark of Cain") was passed down throughandnbsp;her "seed."

Alternatively,andnbsp;the BoM's Laman and Lemuel were "cursed" by "the Lord" with dark (but not black) skin because of their "unrighteousness", not because there were partly or wholly Negroes (i.e., the "seed of Cain").

Considering that JS, the so-called "prophet of the Restoration", repeatedly disobeyed "the Lord" in relation to the "principle of plural marriage" by going after the wives ofandnbsp;several men,andnbsp;thereby committing adultery, as made clear in Dandamp;C 132:61, it's surprising that he wasn't "cursed" by God with dark skin!andnbsp;

"Section 58 The Land of Zion

"Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual, (2002), 119-124

"Historical Background

"The Prophet Joseph Smith gave the following explanation of the coming forth of this section:

"'The first Sabbath after our arrival in Jackson county, Brother W. W. Phelps preached to a western audience over the boundary of the United States, wherein were present specimens of all the families of the earth; Shem, Ham and Japheth; several of the Lamanites or Indians-representative of Shem; quite a respectable number of negroes-descendants of Ham; and the balance was made up of citizens of the surrounding country, and fully represented themselves as pioneers of the West. At this meeting two were baptized, who had previously believed in the fulness of the Gospel.'"

"andnbsp;plural marriage...was instituted among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the early 1840s. Thereafter, for more than half a century, plural marriage was practiced by some Latter-day Saints."

"On an exceptional basis, some new plural marriages were performed between 1890 and 1904, especially in Mexico and Canada, outside the jurisdiction of U.S. law; a small number of plural marriages were performed within the United States during those years. In 1904, the Church strictly prohibited new plural marriages."

"Women were free to choose their spouses, whether to enter into a polygamous or monogamous union, or whether to marry at all."

"[P]lural marriage was a religious principle that required personal sacrifice. Accounts left by men and women who practiced plural marriage attest to the challenges and difficulties they experienced, such as financial difficulty, interpersonal strife, and some wives’ longing for the sustained companionship of their husbands."

"Virtually all of those practicing it in the earliest years had to overcome their own prejudice against plural marriage and adjust to life in polygamous families."

"Church leaders recognized that plural marriages could be particularly difficult for women. Divorce was therefore available to women who were unhappy in their marriages; remarriage was also readily available."

"Outside opponents mounted a campaign against the practice, stating that they hoped to protect Mormon women and American civilization. For their part, many Latter-day Saint women publicly defended the practice of plural marriage, arguing in statements that they were willing participants."

"For behold, I (God) reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned." (Doctrine and Covenants 132:4) andnbsp; andnbsp;

"But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord... But if she will not abide this commandment, then shall my servant Joseph do all things for her, even as he hath said; and I will bless him and multiply him and give unto him an hundred-fold in this world, of fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, houses and lands, wives and children, and crowns of eternal lives in the eternal worlds. andnbsp;And again, verily I say, let mine handmaid forgive my servant Joseph his trespasses." (Dandamp;C 132:54-56)

• They do mention that plural marriages were performed after 1890. Despite the attempt to focus on Mexico and Canada, it is technically correct.
• Polygamists are excommunicated today.
• Polygamy was a sacrifice for the members. Brigham himself is quoted as telling the women to stop complaining, and telling the missionaries to stop marrying converts on their way to Utah. The LDS church calls this "seek[ing] to develop a generous spirit of unselfishness". The FLDS would call this "keep[ing] sweet".
• Polygamy was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, and the US government made a large push to stamp it out over several decades.
• Most leaders had a multitude of wives (It's not mentioned, but several had multiple dozens).
• 30-50% of Utah were in polygamous households at any one time. (Napkin math: that puts unmarried men at ~15-25%) Note hinckley called this 2-5% on national TV. See: http://www.mormoncurtain.com/topic_po...

• It tries to word the 1890 claim as instigated by God rather than first and foremost a requirement by the state. To quote the manifesto: "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."
• Peculiar people doctrine is true, but it wasn't always tied to Polygamy. It's also no longer in effect (see the I'm a Mormon campaign).
• There are some accounts that are moderately supportive of polygamy, but the equating the "belief" of obedience = happiness with actual results are neither consistent nor common. I'd say anti-depressants = happiness if Utah is to be the guide. Likewise, Brigham's statement against women shows how "happy" everyone was. 1856 Speech[2] see:http://wonderwitch.blogspot.com/2006/...
• It is true that Joseph Fielding Smith taught that everyone must accept polygamy, and that not everyone would be able enter into it; however, he also stated that you had to enter into it to get to the highest tier of the celestial Kingdom. It also leaves out that if you could practice, but did not, then you would be damned[3] See: http://mormonthink.com/QUOTES/polygam... . See more on this in the outright lies section.
• The LDS church did claim sole right to gate polygamous marriages when speaking to the people; however, they also feigned ignorance when speaking to the Government between 1890 - 1910. See OD 1
• They try to claim young marriages was typical in the frontier areas at the time; however, this wasn't a universal truth. Also, the age of first marriage was earlier in the 1950s than it was in the 1850s.
• They claim women married at older ages as society matured, but left out the 15 and 16 year olds still marrying the LDS leaders; and they leave out those ages. A first time marriage would have been at the high end of 19 in the 1800s to about 24 for females and 27 for males in the 1900s[4] (See: http://www.answers.com/topic/demograp...) - note that in any case, a 14 or 15 or even 16 year old marrying a 50+ year old man would have been exceptionally rare and practically unheard of outside of polygamous societies.
• The rate of polygamous marriages does decrease in the 1870s and following years - they just leave out that this was because many of the polygamists were being arrested, especially the leadership. It's hard to enter a new marriage in the temple when you're stuck in jail.
• The LDS church did encourage polygamists to stay outside of the US, but they try to spin this under a guise of building up the church in more areas or to "pursue opportunities". (Note that they later highlight these areas outside of Utah as Monogamous and explain how Monogamy was the right path).
• The New Testament and Book of Mormon do teach that Monogamy is usually best; although, someone should remind them that the Old Testament is part of the bible. Also note that they claim to restore all of God's commandments, and one of those was polygamy. So it's less of a "specific time" matter and government said no matter.

• Claims Plural marriage was implemented in the 1840s. Ignores Fanny Alger (1833-1835*), Lucinda Harris (1838), and advances towards 12 year old Mary Rollins (1831). That's just Joseph Smith.
• Claims Joseph only instituted this after the President "held the keys authorizing the performance of new plural marriages". This is wrong. Fanny Alger was before the claimed 1836 return of Elijah and delivery of those keys.
• Polygamous marriages did not result in more children per woman, as per their own source. They claimed overall fertility rate was improved based on polygamy having the potential of increasing children with an excess of women in the society; however, they leave out that there were unmarried men due to approximately equal male to female ratios. There would have likely been more children if they capped the number of wives and only married off the surplus insuring all men had a wife. That didn't happen.
• Per-capita diminishing of wealth inequality is a myth. It assumes polygamous women were cared for by their husbands (see wife #19). Women were often left on their own with minimal support. A wealthy husband does not mean a wealthy family (many argued neglect) and extreme wealth was still an issue (see Brigham who could have single handedly paid off the church's debts - the ones they cited as the reason to stop paying bishops and stake presidents). They even mention financial difficulties later on, which did not affect the upper leadership.
• "willing to endure ostracism for their principles". Who in Utah was ostracizing polygamists other than the US government? In fact, you would have been ostracized if you spoke out against polygamy, and that ostracism was from same government that scared them into stopping the practice.
• They claimed, "Church leaders viewed plural marriage as a command to the Church generally, while recognizing that individuals who did not enter the practice could still stand approved of God." Bold Faced Lie. Several quotes countering this (incomplete sampling below):
• I understand the law of celestial marriage to mean that every man in this Church, who has the ability to obey and practice it in righteousness and will not, shall be damned, I say I understand it to mean this and nothing less, and I testify in the name of Jesus that it does mean that - Joseph F Smith JoD vol 20, p 31
• He said to me that unless I accepted it and introduced it, and practiced it, I, together with my people, would be damned and cut off from this time hence forth - Joseph Smith Jr
• Yes, sir, President Woodruff, President Young, and President John Taylor, taught me and all the rest of the ladies here in Salt Lake that a man in order to be exalted in the Celestial Kingdom must have more than one wife, that having more than one wife was a means of exaltation. - Temple Lot case transcript
• Now, where a man in this church says, `I don't want but one wife, I will live my religion with one.' He will perhaps be saved in the Celestial Kingdom; but when he gets there he will not find himself in possession of any wife at all.... and he will remain single forever and ever - Brigham Young, Deseret News, Sept 17, 1873
• Plural marriage is the patriarchal order of marriage lived by God and others who reign in the Celestial Kingdom. - John J Stewart, Brigham Young and his Wives
• Claims areas outside of Utah were bastions of monogamy; however, they're referencing the Mexico and Canadian[5] See: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?t... polygamist colonies. These were missions from Brigham Young for this purpose.

• DandC 132 linked to; however, they leave out DandC 101 entirely.
• Nearly Everything from Nauvoo - the founding of polygamy - where most of the complaints come from. To quote the article: "This essay primarily addresses plural marriage as practiced by the Latter-day Saints between 1847 and 1890". This includes (again not complete):
• All of Joseph's wives.
• Polyandry.
• Joseph's polygamous children.
• Joseph telling a 12 year old that she would marry him.
• Public lies about Joseph not being a polygamist.
• Reasons for the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor.
• Claims of Bennett performing abortions on Joseph's pregnant wives.
• Joseph's advances on his servants and other very young girls.
• Rightly so, they leave out Josephs 1831 revelation on marrying Native Americans to make their posterity white. Apologists use this as support for Joseph's early polygamy (despite being non-natives, and not about polygamy).
• The supreme court found polygamy laws to be constitutional (mentioned), but it's left out that the LDS church was arguing for marriage between a man and multiple women with the same arguments used against homosexual marriage today.
• Spiritual polygamy via sealings still exists through legal divorces or death.
• The claim that God and Jesus are polygamists.
• The FLDS were break-offs who believed polygamy should still be practiced.
• The RLDS denied Joseph ever taught polygamy.
• First presidency and apostleship teaching that monogamy is evil. (Credit to /u/HighPriestofShiloh[6] )

1. Increased ethnic intermarriages - they must be talking about an american marrying a European. Not a black marrying an Native American. Furthermore, this seems to run contrary to the last essay they published.
2. 2/3 of men only had 2 wives.

• The claims of what Moroni said do match some of what's found in the currently canonized "Joseph Smith History" (See: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/js...).
• Oliver was the primary scribe.
• The bible is not consistent on how God talks to his chosen people.
• Joseph was a treasure scryer. I take issue with their claim of making this a boy's game rather than a profession, but it's technically correct.

• "had very little formal education and was incapable of writing a book on his own" is partially correct. He did have little formal education, and he didn't have the skills to write a good book on his own; however, the book is neither good, transcribed by him, nor was Joseph too dumb. He wrote quite a bit during and after that time that is left out here.
• It did contain some LDS doctrine, but there was nothing new in the Book of Mormon theologically speaking. The new doctrine appeared in the DandC.
• "he was called to render into his own language an entire volume of scripture amounting to more than 500 printed pages..." is mostly a lie. Yes he spoke english, but people in the 1830s didn't speak in King James English.

• It's implied that Joseph was an uneducated dunce without the imagination to create or partially fabricate the hoax. He wasn't. (See: http://mormonthink.com/josephweb.htm#...)
• They say that almost all of the present Book of Mormon text was translated during a three-month period. They need to say dictated. The book also wasn't translated. We can see the errors in the KJV copied word for word into the current book along with the rest of the KJV text they used to fill the gaps (See: http://kmabom.wordpress.com/kjv-in-th...) . Then there's the "Cambelite influences" (See: https://archive.org/details/delusions...)
• "This manuscript corroborates Joseph Smith's statements that the manuscript was written within a short time frame and that it was dictated from another language." Yes. The manuscript was dictated. Joseph's source material may not have been. The implicit lie is again that Joseph translated the plates into a manuscript within the timeframe claimed.
• "Apparently for convenience, Joseph often translated with the single seer stone" - and here we see a blatant white wash. There's no mention of Moroni taking the Urim and Thummim because Joseph gave away 116 pages (See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gm6JY...).
• "The scribes who observed the process". [There were four first hand accounts](Source: http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Morm...) and they don't differ in the ways suggested. Three of the four have him using a hat to scry, 3 of the four explicitly state he did not use the plages, 3 of the four mention one or more stones, and 1 of the four claim it was by pure inspiration.

• The three / eight witnesses story is almost entirely missing. As are their subsequent recants and the fact that oliver penned the story and signatures of the 8 (who were both smiths and Whitmers).
• Anything to do with Lucy harris, the loss of the plates, and the taking of the Urim and Thummim.
• It does mention the claim that the characters appeared on the stone (See: http://www.mormonthink.com/transbomwe...) ; however, it fails to mention that they were to be read off and confirmed before new characters would appear. It also fails to connect this with the changes it fails to mention.
• Joseph Smith said that the Book of Mormon was "the most correct of any Book on earth". This is true, but they did not mention the 3913+ changes to the content or recent header changes (See: http://www.utlm.org/onlinebooks/3913i...)
• Joseph Smith did say an angel appeared on September 21, 1823. He named the angel "Moroni" in at least the 1832 History. It's also not mentioned that Joseph and others periodically called the angel "Nephi" (See: http://en.fairmormon.org/Moroni%27s_v...).
• There is no mention of the Angel telling Joseph the Lamanites were the ancestors (See: http://www.i4m.com/think/lists/lamani...) of the Native Americans (not some of or part of).
• It's true the account claims Joseph was prayed and Moroni appeared. It's left out the many reports that had others saying he had a vision in a dream. Whitmer, Cowdery, Emma, Emma's cousin, Joseph Sr, Harris, and Pratt (See: http://mormonthink.com/moroniweb.htm#...). To name a few.
• Moroni claimed the book of Mormon had "the fulness of the everlasting Gospel as delivered by the Savior." Still though, this leaves out all of the things not mentioned or supported in the book. Endowments, Baptism for the dead, Polygamy, church organization, or most of the Law of Moses. To name a few.
• In her last testimony, Emma did say that Joseph couldn't dictate a coherent letter; however, that testimony (See: http://www.angelfire.com/ok3/shaversb...) had her blatantly lying about polygamy. This hurts her credibility. The writers also leave off the massive number of letters, missives, and documents written by Joseph in the next few years. It also leaves out the sheer number of religious discourses, his experience within a religious debate club, his being trained from the KJV, and that several members of his immediate family were teachers.
• Oliver was Joseph's 3rd cousin (See: https://www.google.com/url?sa=tandrct=j...) .
• The original manuscript was partially damaged, but the printer's manuscript survived.
• It almost comes out and says it. It's just there, but they aren't willing to say no first hand accounts have Joseph even using the plates, nor do they mention the stone in a hat was how Joseph translated. Also note that it says Joseph used the Urim and Thummim without mentioning that the Angel is claimed to have taken them (See: http://www.mormonthink.com/transbomwe...)
• I'm impressed. They mention one occult relic. Sure, they leave out that the Rod of Aaron was a divining rod. Sure they forget to mention the more recent examples such as juniper pendants or rodsmen. But it's a step.

• Spaulding's education and professional history.
• Theories have been tossed around regarding the origin of the Book of Mormon.
• Manuscript Found was one of the earlier theories.

• "This claim has been discredited many times by people inside and outside of the Church." - To my knowledge, the claim has never been discredited. It has been apologized for, but not discredited. I'm hesitant to mention this, but they opened the door with this claim. Stanford (See: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?t...) postulated (in a peer reviewed journal) that Spaulding was an author of the Book of Mormon based on their computer analysis. Note that I highly discourage accepting these models or stylometrics as gospel truth. I only mention it as it shows the theory has not been discredited by external sources. It's also worth mentioning that Brodie expressed suspicion with the testimony, but that's not the same as discrediting the theory.
• So many strawmans. They constantly reference "manuscript story" with "manuscript found". It's happening so much that I have a hard time believing it was by accident. It's a textbook strawman. They redefine the theory and then show how the new theory is wrong. The 1886 manuscript was not considered the origin manuscript for this theory. To quote wikipedia (See: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?t...), "The second 'lost' manuscript purported to exist by Howe has never been discovered."
• "Joseph was an unlearned man." We've already discussed this in a prior essay, and I would love for this myth to die.
• "Eleven witnesses saw the plates". It looks like they're borrowing from other essays again. 8 testimonies were penned by Cowdery, the 3 were claimed to have rebutted their theory, and the 12th (Mary Rigdon) claimed to have seen the plates carried by angel Nephi. So we really only have 4 people + Joseph claiming to have seen the plates, and that takes some hand waving (See: http://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comm...).

• Sources. There is not a single citation in this essay.
• Information on manuscript found, or information beyond what's found on wikipedia on manuscript story. It's interesting how they avoid discussing any details of the actual theory (See: http://solomonspalding.com/ModernS-R....).
• Details on the contemporary claims, such as Spaulding's widow saying that Nephi and Lehi were still fresh names in her mind (having read them previously in the manuscript), or the 1834 expose presenting the claim (See: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?t...).

• The Book of Mormon lands were really limited to such a small region, we can't find them...yet.
• The Nephites and Lamanites were really a small group and only became millions when they wandered out of their very limited, unique geography, and were swalllowed up in a massive indigenous population--all but vanishing their DNA.
• The Garden of Eden existed in a bubble, surrounded by a massive earth-laboratory of God's evolution experiment. That bubble vanished somewhere in Missouri, without trace.
• The Flood happened in a very localized region, and only accounted for the local population and animals. The earth's baptism by water was in fact, only a local sprinkling, but it's not the same as the Catholic sprinkling, so stop that!
• The Tower of Babel was actually only about three stories high and confounded perhaps a half-dozen people who fell from the top and then couldn't talk coherently for days. But they all died anyway.
• The supply of money at the Church Offices are limited and we need more!

Nothing is known about the DNA of Book of Mormon peoples

The Book of Mormon provides little direct information about cultural contact between the peoples it describes and others who may have lived nearby.

The Book of Mormon itself, however, does not claim that the peoples it describes were either the predominant or the exclusive inhabitants of the lands they occupied.

Finding and clearly identifying their DNA today may be asking more of the science of population genetics than it is capable of providing.

Genetic variations are introduced through what geneticists call random mutation.

Even if geneticists had a database of the DNA that now exists among all modern American Indian groups, it would be impossible to know exactly what to search for.

It is possible that each member of the emigrating parties described in the Book of Mormon had DNA typical of the Near East, but it is likewise possible that some of them carried DNA more typical of other regions.

The effect of drift is especially pronounced in small, isolated populations or in cases where a small group carrying a distinct genetic profile intermingles with a much larger population of a different lineage.

Much as critics and defenders of the Book of Mormon would like to use DNA studies to support their views

Nothing is known about the DNA of Book of Mormon peoples.

Their promise to all who study the book "with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ," is that God "will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." For countless individuals who have applied this test of the book's authenticity, the Book of Mormon stands as a volume of sacred scripture with the power to bring them closer to Jesus Christ.

On the evening of the 21st of September, A. D. 1823, while I was praying unto God, and endeavoring to exercise faith in the precious promises of scripture on a sudden a light like that of day, only of a far purer and more glorious appearance, and brightness burst into the room, indeed the first sight was as though the house was filled with consuming fire; the appearance produced a shock that affected the whole body; in a moment a personage stood before me surrounded with a glory yet greater than that with which I was already surrounded. This messenger proclaimed himself to be an angel of God sent to bring the joyful tidings, that the covenant which God made with ancient Israel was at hand to be fulfilled, that the preparatory work for the second coming of the Messiah was speedily to commence; that the time was at hand for the gospel, in all its fulness [fullness] to be preached in power, unto all nations that a people might be prepared for the millennial reign.

I was informed that I was chosen to be an instrument in the hands of God to bring about some of his purposes in this glorious dispensation.

I was also informed concerning the aboriginal inhabitants of this country, and shown who they were, and from whence they came; a brief sketch of their origin, progress, civilization, laws, governments, of their righteousness and iniquity, and the blessings of God being finally withdrawn from them as a people was made known unto me: I was also told where there was deposited some plates on which were engraven an abridgement [abridgment] of the records of the ancient prophets that had existed on this continent. The angel appeared to me three times the same night and unfolded the same things. After having received many visits from the angels of God unfolding the majesty, and glory of the events that should transpire in the last days, on the morning of the 22d of September A. D. 1827, the angel of the Lord delivered the records into my hands.

In this important and interesting book the history of ancient America is unfolded, from its first settlement by a colony that came from the tower of Babel, at the confusion of languages to the beginning of the fifth century of the Christian era. We are informed by these records that America in ancient times has been inhabited by two distinct races of people. The first were called Jaredites and came directly from the tower of Babel. The second race came directly from the city of Jerusalem, about six hundred years before Christ. They were principally Israelites, of the descendants of Joseph. The Jaredites were destroyed about the time that the Israelites came from Jerusalem, who succeeded them in the inheritance of the country. The principal nation of the second race fell in battle towards the close of the fourth century. The remnant are the Indians that now inhabit this country.

When you look up into the heavens at night and see the countless numbers of stars, it is easy to imagine other people "out there" being tested and tried and experiencing struggles and joys somewhat similar to those we are going through. But the most exciting thing about this whole basic and fundamental concept is that it is true. Totally and completely true. People growing, developing, and finding fulfillment-out there!...

Long before our God began his creations, he dwelt on a mortal world like ours, one of the creations that his Father had created for him and his brethren. He, with many of his brethren, was obedient to the principles of the eternal gospel. One among these, it is presumed, was a savior for them, and through him they obtained a resurrection and an exaltation on an eternal, celestial world. Then they gained the power and godhood of their Father and were made heirs of all that he had, continuing his works and creating worlds of their own for their own posterity-the same as their Father had done before, and his Father, and his Father, and on and on...

The great hope of the gospel for us is that we may come to a oneness with our Lord and our Father and partake of this same work and glory and godhood. Being joint-heirs of all that the Father has, we may then look forward to using those powers to organize still other worlds from the unorganized matter that exists throughout boundless space. Creating other worlds, peopling them with our own eternal posterity, providing a savior for them, and making known to them the saving principles of the eternal gospel, that they may have the same experiences we are now having and be exalted with us in their turn-this is eternal life.

We do not know how extensive is the order of heavens that pertain to our Lord Jesus Christ and that were created by him. It may consist of the local group of stars to which our sun belongs, or of our whole galaxy, or of our cluster of galaxies, or of all of the galaxies we have so far discovered.

"The angel charged Joseph Smith to translate the book from the ancient language in which it was written. The young man, however, had very little formal education and was incapable of writing a book on his own, let alone translating an ancient book written from an unknown language, known in the Book of Mormon as "reformed Egyptian." Joseph's wife Emma insisted that, at the time of translation, Joseph "could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter, let alone dictat[e] a book like the Book of Mormon."

"The other instrument, which Joseph Smith discovered in the ground years before he retrieved the gold plates, was a small oval stone, or "seer stone." As a young man during the 1820s, Joseph Smith, like others in his day, used a seer stone to look for lost objects and buried treasure. As Joseph grew to understand his prophetic calling, he learned that he could use this stone for the higher purpose of translating scripture."

"Apparently for convenience, Joseph often translated with the single seer stone rather than the two stones bound together to form the interpreters."

"Some people have balked at this claim of physical instruments used in the divine translation process, but such aids to facilitate the communication of God's power and inspiration are consistent with accounts in scripture. In addition to the Urim and Thummim, the Bible mentions other physical instruments used to access God's power: the rod of Aaron, a brass serpent, holy anointing oils, the Ark of the Covenant, and even dirt from the ground mixed with saliva to heal the eyes of a blind man."

"In the preface to the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith wrote: "I would inform you that I translated [the book], by the gift and power of God." When pressed for specifics about the process of translation, Joseph repeated on several occasions that it had been done "by the gift and power of God" and once added, "It was not intended to tell the world all the particulars of the coming forth of the book of Mormon."

"Nevertheless, the scribes and others who observed the translation left numerous accounts that give insight into the process. Some accounts indicate that Joseph studied the characters on the plates. Most of the accounts speak of Joseph's use of the Urim and Thummim (either the interpreters or the seer stone), and many accounts refer to his use of a single stone. According to these accounts, Joseph placed either the interpreters or the seer stone in a hat, pressed his face into the hat to block out extraneous light, and read aloud the English words that appeared on the instrument. The process as described brings to mind a passage from the Book of Mormon that speaks of God preparing "a stone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light."

"The process as described brings to mind a passage from the Book of Mormon that speaks of God preparing "a stone, which shall shine forth in darkness unto light."

"According to Emma, the plates "often lay on the table without any attempt at concealment, wrapped in a small linen table cloth."

"He (Joseph Jr) again opened the box, and in it saw the book, and attempted to take it out, but was hindered. He saw in the box something like toad, which soon assumed the appearance of a man, and struck him on the side of his head. - Not being discouraged at trifles, he again stooped down and strove to take the book, when the spirit struck him again, and knocked him three or four rods, and hurt him prodigiously. After recovering from his fright, he inquired why he could not obtain the plates; to which the spirit made reply, because you have not obeyed your orders."

"The principal scribe, Oliver Cowdery, testified under oath in 1831 that Joseph Smith "found with the plates, from which he translated his book, two transparent stones, resembling glass, set in silver bows. That by looking through these, he was able to read in English, the reformed Egyptian characters, which were engraven on the plates." In the fall of 1830, Cowdery visited Union Village, Ohio, and spoke about the translation of the Book of Mormon. Soon thereafter, a village resident reported that the translation was accomplished by means of "two transparent stones in the form of spectacles thro which the translator looked on the engraving."

" Joseph Smith consistently testified that he translated the Book of Mormon by the "gift and power of God." His scribes shared that testimony."

"The angel who brought news of an ancient record on metal plates buried in a hillside and the divine instruments prepared especially for Joseph Smith to translate were all part of what Joseph and his scribes viewed as the miracle of translation."

"When he sat down in 1832 to write his own history for the first time, he began by promising to include "an account of his marvelous experience."

"The truth of the Book of Mormon and its divine source can be known today. God invites each of us to read the book, remember the mercies of the Lord and ponder them in our hearts, "and ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true." God promises that "if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost."

"Joseph Smith testified repeatedly that he experienced a remarkable vision of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Neither the truth of the First Vision nor the arguments against it can be proven by historical research alone. Knowing the truth of Joseph Smith's testimony requires each earnest seeker of truth to study the record and then exercise sufficient faith in Christ to ask God in sincere, humble prayer whether the record is true. If the seeker asks with the real intent to act upon the answer revealed by the Holy Ghost, the truthfulness of Joseph Smith's vision will be manifest. In this way, every person can know that Joseph Smith spoke honestly when he declared, "I had seen a vision, I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it."

Just as the earth was immersed in water, so we must be baptized by water and by the Spirit before we can enter the celestial kingdom.

Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives were the only people on the whole earth saved from the flood

Consistent with our fundamental beliefs, Church officers will not employ their ecclesiastical authority to perform marriages between two people of the same sex, and the Church does not permit its meetinghouses or other properties to be used for ceremonies, receptions, or other activities associated with same-sex marriages. Nevertheless, all visitors are welcome to our chapels and premises so long as they respect our standards of conduct while there.

As members of the Church, we are responsible to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to illuminate the great blessings that flow from heeding God's commandments as well as the inevitable consequences of ignoring them. We invite you to pray that people everywhere will have their hearts softened to the truths of the gospel, and that wisdom will be granted to those who are called upon to decide issues critical to society's future.

Marriage between a man and a woman was instituted by God and is central to His plan for His children and for the well-being of society.

Strong families, guided by a loving mother and father, serve as the fundamental institution for nurturing children, instilling faith, and transmitting to future generations the moral strengths and values that are important to civilization and crucial to eternal salvation.

• "Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives, and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned," - Journal of Discourses, vol. 3, p. 266.
• "The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy," - Journal of Discourses, vol. 11, p. 269.
• "Since the founding of the Roman empire monogamy has prevailed more extensively than in times previous to that. The founders of that ancient empire were robbers and women stealers, and made laws favoring monogamy in consequence of the scarcity of women among them, and hence this monogamic system which now prevails throughout Christendom, and which had been so fruitful a source of prostitution and whoredom throughout all the Christian monogamic cities of the Old and New World, until rottenness and decay are at the root of their institutions both national and religious." - Prophet Brigham Young Journal of Discourses, Vol. 11, p. 128
• "Monogamy, or restrictions by law to one wife, is no part of the economy of heaven among men." - Prophet Brigham Young, The Deseret News, August 6, 1862

Changes in the civil law do not, indeed cannot, change the moral law that God has established.

sexual relations are proper only between a man and a woman who are legally and lawfully wedded as husband and wife

We affirm that those who avail themselves of laws or court rulings authorizing same-sex marriage should not be treated disrespectfully.

As members of the Church, we are responsible to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ

and to illuminate the great blessings that flow from heeding God's commandments as well as the inevitable consequences of ignoring them.

We invite you to pray that people everywhere will have their hearts softened to the truths of the gospel, and that wisdom will be granted to those who are called upon to decide issues critical to society's future.

The above text is drawn from a letter prepared by the Council of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to Church leaders in March 2014.

After receiving a revelation commanding him to practice plural marriage, Joseph Smith married multiple wives and introduced the practice to close associates.

Although the Lord commanded the adoption-and later the cessation-of plural marriage in the latter days, He did not give exact instructions on how to obey the commandment.

President Wilford Woodruff issued an inspired statement known as the Manifesto in 1890, which led to the end of plural marriage in the Church.

Plural marriage was introduced among the early Saints incrementally, and participants were asked to keep their actions confidential.

They did not discuss their experiences publicly or in writing

The historical record of early plural marriage is therefore thin:

later reminiscences are not always reliable.

The revelation on plural marriage was not written down until 1843, but its early verses suggest that part of it emerged from Joseph Smith's study of the Old Testament in 1831.

People who knew Joseph well later stated he received the revelation about that time.

In Joseph Smith's time, monogamy was the only legal form of marriage in the United States.

During the third and final appearance, the angel came with a drawn sword, threatening Joseph with destruction unless he went forward and obeyed the commandment fully.

Fragmentary evidence suggests that Joseph Smith acted on the angel's first command by marrying a plural wife, Fanny Alger, in Kirtland, Ohio, in the mid-1830s.

Little is known about this marriage, and nothing is known about the conversations between Joseph and Emma regarding Alger.

On April 3, 1836, the Old Testament prophet Elijah appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple and restored the priesthood keys necessary to perform ordinances for the living and the dead, including sealing families together.

By Joseph Smith's time, many couples insisted on marrying for love, as he and Emma did when they eloped against her parents' wishes.

Latter-day Saints' motives for plural marriage were often more religious than economic or romantic.

Joseph married many additional wives and authorized other Latter-day Saints to practice plural marriage.

Participants in these early plural marriages pledged to keep their involvement confidential, though they anticipated a time when the practice would be publicly acknowledged.

A few men unscrupulously used these rumors to seduce women to join them in an unauthorized practice sometimes referred to as "spiritual wifery."

the rumors prompted members and leaders to issue carefully worded denials that denounced spiritual wifery and polygamy but were silent about what Joseph Smith and others saw as divinely mandated "celestial" plural marriage.

"The statements emphasized that the Church practiced no marital law other than monogamy while implicitly leaving open the possibility that individuals, under direction of God's living prophet, might do so.

Sealings for time and eternity included commitments and relationships during this life, generally including the possibility of sexual relations. Eternity-only sealings indicated relationships in the next life alone.

Evidence indicates that Joseph Smith participated in both types of sealings. The exact number of women to whom he was sealed in his lifetime is unknown because the evidence is fragmentary

Most of those sealed to Joseph Smith were between 20 and 40 years of age at the time of their sealing to him.

The youngest was Helen Mar Kimball, daughter of Joseph's close friends Heber C. and Vilate Murray Kimball, who was sealed to Joseph several months before her 15th birthday.

Marriage at such an age, inappropriate by today's standards, was legal in that era, and some women married in their mid-teens.

Following his marriage to Louisa Beaman and before he married other single women, Joseph Smith was sealed to a number of women who were already married.

Neither these women nor Joseph explained much about these sealings, though several women said they were for eternity alone.

There are several possible explanations for this practice. These sealings may have provided a way to create an eternal bond or link between Joseph's family and other families within the Church

These sealings may also be explained by Joseph's reluctance to enter plural marriage because of the sorrow it would bring to his wife Emma. He may have believed that sealings to married women would comply with the Lord's command without requiring him to have normal marriage relationships.

This could explain why, according to Lorenzo Snow, the angel reprimanded Joseph for having "demurred" on plural marriage even after he had entered into the practice.

After this rebuke, according to this interpretation, Joseph returned primarily to sealings with single women.

Living in a time when divorce was difficult to obtain, these women may have believed a sealing to Joseph Smith would give them blessings they might not otherwise receive in the next life.

Records of Emma's reactions to plural marriage are sparse; she left no firsthand accounts, making it impossible to reconstruct her thoughts. Joseph and Emma loved and respected each other deeply.

But Emma likely did not know about all of Joseph's sealings

some directed at Emma.

Nevertheless, toward the end of the revelation, the Lord said that if the first wife "receive not this law"-the command to practice plural marriage-the husband would be "exempt from the law of Sarah," presumably the requirement that the husband gain the consent of the first wife before marrying additional women.

God declared in the Book of Mormon that monogamy was the standard; at times, however, He commanded plural marriage so His people could "raise up seed unto [Him]."44 Plural marriage did result in an increased number of children born to believing parents.