‘Mormonism,’ Tiffany’s Monthly, Part 1b, pp 119-120; “Joseph Smith, junr., was one of a company of money-diggers… Joseph was the seer. He had a stone, in which, when it was placed in his hat, and his face buried therein, so as to exclude the light, he could see as a clairvoyant…
From our examination of the subject, we have no idea that there was any “Golden Bible,” or that Joseph Smith, junr., ever found any plates of any kind…
The whole thing can be accounted for upon purely psychological principles. Joseph Smith, junr., being what is called now-a-days a medium, and being subject to the influence of such a class of spirits, they could present before his vision anything they chose. The whole band of money-diggers were more or less mediative, and could be easily influenced. Had the subject of Mesmerism, Clairvoyance and Spiritualism been as well understood in 1827, ‘8, and ‘9, as they now are, Mormonism would never have obtained a foothold…
Many suppose the whole thing was a sheer fraud, deliberately planned, and purposely executed. That the entire pretence was a base lie. We have no doubt that there has been much of the spirit of “pious fraud” in the origin and progress of its development.” – Joel Tiffany
Mark 9:42; “And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.”
Memories of sitting through years of LDS Primary and Sunday School can’t help but come to mind whenever I read Jesus’ warning of what would happen to those who teach lies about God to little kids. How sad it is for those before, during, and after my time who are beguiled by the false gospel Smith peddled. Praise God that He sent His Son to rescue us! The thought of what He’s done in the mess of humanity is incomprehensible. PTL!
Mr. Joel Tiffany (1811-1893) was a highly respected, well known attorney in the States and author of the self-named periodical Tiffany’s Monthly. He spent years investigating, and thus exposing those who claimed to have psychic and clairvoyant powers. The focus in a few of his publications was on Joseph Smith and Mormonism.
Our example today came from the introductory part of a rare interview Tiffany had with Martin Harris on the origins of the Church and what part Harris played in the founding of Mormonism. As you can see neither Mr. Tiffany, nor others at the time, believed Smith’s stories, or those of his cohorts.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve been asked how Mormonism got to be so big or why people back then didn’t stop him. The easy answer of course is that men are evil, but I wanted to know the why and how because I used to ask myself the same questions.
In short, Mormonism ‘got this way’ due to the religious and political climate of the day. With the dawning of the 2nd Great Awakening and coming off the heels of the Revolutionary War, it was clear the spirit of rebellion had taken hold in the daily thought life of citizens in the new country known as the USA.
People were hungry for new thoughts and ideas that were just waiting to be discovered and became susceptible to whatever the cat dragged in. While they knew they wanted freedom, they weren’t aware of the new form of witchcraft Smith was introducing to the world.
What I found most compelling was Tiffany’s analysis of how Mormonism never would’ve taken hold if people had been aware of this type of witchcraft.
Your analysis seems over simplistic and unsubstantiated. You state the growth was based on psychological principles and people were susceptible to whatever the cat dragged in. You intimate people are not subject to the same witchcraft today. However, you didn’t vet your sources or provide concrete examples other than an ad hominem attack on Joseph Smith. Ad hominem attacks are one type of fallacial thinking and analysis. Additionally, if people are not subject to the same witchcraft today, why does the Christian Broadcasting Network (The 700 Club) report: “Mormonism is the fastest growing faith group in American History according to “U.S. News and World Report,” which reports that if present trends continue the could be 265 million members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints worldwide by 2080.” Is the same witchcraft fooling all of those who are so much smarter today than people were 175, 100, or 50 years ago?
It’s not only the same witchcraft, but its the same type of thinking. People are always looking from something ‘new’. As 2 Timothy 4:3-4 says “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
If someone isn’t ground in God’s truth it’s easy for them chase after anything that grabs their attention, and that sounds new and different.
Also, people seem to want to gravitate toward anything resembling legalism. In other words people are taken in by Mormonism because it gives them a list of things they must do to work toward something. For a Mormon, working toward exaltation (godhood) is the ultimate goal, and what unsaved person wouldn’t want to work toward that?
For many years, and probably years to come people will be fooled by this form of witchcraft. What else would you call something that leads people away from God’s truth, to a religion that tells them God lied? – Melissa Grimes
Yep. Same witchcraft. The road to hell is wide. Mormon follows Mormon down. Ps. 73