23) ARROGANCE: Was the Prophet Joseph arrogant?

Prophetic Statements Joseph Smith The question was put to him, “Joseph, is the principle of self-aggrandizement wrong? Should we seek our own good?”  His answer: “It is a correct principle and may be indulged upon only one rule or plan-and that is to elevate, benefit, and bless others first. If you will elevate others, the […]

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21) CIVIL WAR: Was the Civil War in part a result of the murders of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, and the rejection of the latter-day Saints from the United States?

Prophetic Statements Wilford Woodruff Many of you may have read, years before it was fulfilled, the revelation and prophecy of the Prophet Joseph in regard to the trouble, anarchy, and war that should befall this nation. Wise men said its fulfillment was a matter of impossibility—that the government was too sound and too well established […]

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06) COMMUNISM: Did Joseph Smith experiment with communal practices through his institution of the law of consecration and the united order? Were the failures to institute the united order due to lack of vision and incorrect principles?

Prophetic Statements First Presidency “Warning to Church Members” (Statement published in the Improvement Era, July 1936 by the First Presidency, under date of July 3,1936. Reprinted in “The Messenger Presiding Bishopric Publication, Oct. 1961) Ezra Taft Benson #1: “Has it occurred to you that one may interpret doctrine when he or she undertakes to explain […]

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14) TEMPLE: Were portions of the temple ceremony “borrowed” from Masonic rites?

Commentary Please see the documentary Statesmen & Symbols: Prelude to the Restoration for a full discussion of this question. https://josephsmithfoundation.org/store/product/statesmen-symbols-prelude-to-the-restoration-dvd/ Supporting Statements Heber C. Kimball We have the true Masonry.  The Masonry of today is received from the apostasy which took place in the days of Solomon, and David.  They have now and then a […]

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18) BIBLE: What did Joseph Smith teach concerning the Bible? Are his teachings antagonistic to the Old and New Testaments?

Prophetic Statements Joseph Smith “I shall comment on the very first Hebrew word in the Bible; I will make a comment on the very first sentence of the history of the creation in the Bible—Berosheit. I want to analyze the word. Baith—in, by, through, and everything else. Rosh—the head. Sheit—grammatical termination. When the inspired man […]

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11) LUCY MACK SMITH: Was the Prophet’s mother, Lucy Mack Smith, given to vanity and extravagance? What was the character of Mother Smith?

Associated Locations: Gilsum, New Hampshire – Lucy Mack Smith Birthplace Associated Dates: July 8, 1775 – Lucy Mack Smith Born Prophetic Statements Joseph F. Smith Though poor, his parents were honest and good; they delighted in the truth, and it was their honest desire to live according to the best light within them.

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01) PLURAL MARRIAGE: Was plural marriage revealed by the Lord? Was Joseph Smith ensnared by many convoluted activities and expediencies because of his involvement in plural marriage? Was the Prophet involved in adulterous practices or live a dual life?

Please see Plural Wives of Joseph Smith for further references. Questions Answered: Was Joseph Smith’s introduction of plural marriage revealed by the Lord? Was Joseph Smith ensnared by many convoluted activities and expediencies because of his involvement in plural marriage? Should we entertain the possibility of self-deception? Was the Prophet involved in adulterous practices or […]

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02) JOSEPH SR.: Was Joseph Smith Senior a failure as a father? Was he a poor provider, oft defeated and unmoored? Did he have a problem with alcohol and other vices?

Prophetic Statements Joseph Smith #1: Sunday 11th [October 1835] visited my Father who was very sick. In secret prayer in the morning the Lord said, “My servant thy father shall live.” I waited on him all this day with my heart raised to God in the name of Jesus Christ that He would restore him […]

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03) MAGIC: Did Joseph Smith mix Christianity with Nineteenth Century tradition and magical powers? Did he attempt to employ dark arts to discover hidden treasure?

Prophetic Statements Joseph Smith #1: “In the year 1823 my father’s family met with a great affliction by the death of my eldest brother, Alvin. In the month of October, 1825, I hired with an old gentleman by the name of Josiah Stoal, who lived in Chenango county, State of New York. He had heard […]

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17) MIRACLES: Did Joseph Smith do many miracles in the name of Jesus? Are there eye witnesses of these miracles?

Supporting Statements George A. Smith Among the early baptisms in Northern Ohio, was a Methodist minister by the name of Ezra Booth. He was present when the Elders first received the ordination of the High Priesthood. They met together in June, 1831, in a log schoolhouse in Kirtland, a room about eighteen feet by twenty. […]

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12) ANCESTRY: Did Joseph Smith have a noble and righteous heritage? Was the Prophets ancestral line prepared and watched over through the ages?

Prophetic Statements Brigham Young It was decreed in the counsels of eternity, long before the foundations of the earth were laid, that he, Joseph Smith, should be the man, in the last dispensation of this world, to bring forth the word of God to the people, and receive the fulness of the keys and power […]

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