Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet
Encyclopedia
Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet is a biography of the formative years of the founder of Mormonism
written by Dan Vogel
. The book covers the period of Smith’s life up until 1831. Vogel casts Smith in the role of a magician, who perhaps believes in his own ability to perform magic while using fraud to support his position: a charlatan
that came to believe that he was called of God. The author assumes Smith to be the author of the Book of Mormon
and takes the position that the book may be used as a "primary source document" that represents a reflection of Smith’s own life. Events portrayed in the Book of Mormon are compared to specific events in Smith’s life to illustrate similarities and to deduce Smith’s thoughts and aspirations during these periods.
, the author states that Smith was not acting in a malicious or selfish manner, but instead was attempting to elevate others in order to elevate himself.
In order to support the thesis of Smith’s primary focus in life being treasure hunting, the author makes extensive use of the Hurlbut
affidavits originally published in E. D. Howe
’s exposé Mormonism Unvailed
and other early anti-Mormon publications.
deserved consideration. Critics state that the author preferred second and third-hand sources over eye-witness sources, and that Smith’s own words were rarely used. Also noted is the fact that a large number of interviews relied upon in the sources occurred fifty or more years after the events described. Using the Lorenzo Saunders interview as an example, the author responds to this criticism by stating that his use of this source “was selective and limited to the most reliable parts of his testimony.”
The author, in a detailed rebuttal to the LDS reviews, acknowledges that he is presenting his own version of Joseph Smith, just as other authors have presented their versions of Smith.
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
written by Dan Vogel
Dan Vogel
Daniel Arlon Vogel is the author of a number of books related to early Mormon history. He is a former member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, an atheist and a skeptic.- Joseph Smith biography :...
. The book covers the period of Smith’s life up until 1831. Vogel casts Smith in the role of a magician, who perhaps believes in his own ability to perform magic while using fraud to support his position: a charlatan
Charlatan
A charlatan is a person practicing quackery or some similar confidence trick in order to obtain money, fame or other advantages via some form of pretense or deception....
that came to believe that he was called of God. The author assumes Smith to be the author of the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
and takes the position that the book may be used as a "primary source document" that represents a reflection of Smith’s own life. Events portrayed in the Book of Mormon are compared to specific events in Smith’s life to illustrate similarities and to deduce Smith’s thoughts and aspirations during these periods.
Overview of the book
Vogel’s stated purpose in the book is to integrate various pieces of information to explain Smith’s complex personality, particularly the opposing perceptions that Smith was a “man of God” and a “fraud who exploited his followers for his own purposes.” The author proposes that Smith was a “pious deceiver” or “sincere fraud,” although the author states that he applies the term fraud when describing only some of Smith’s activities. Vogel states that “Smith believed he was called of God, yet occasionally engaged in fraudulent activities to preach God’s word as effectively as possible.” The portrayal of Smith as actually being religious is contrasted with the irreligious portrayal of him presented by Fawn Brodie in her 1945 biography of Smith No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith the Mormon Prophet. Vogel states that previous authors who have attempted to describe Smith’s motives do not go far enough to “explore the inner moral conflicts of an individual who deceives in God’s name while holding sincere religious beliefs.” The author states that “No biographer is completely free of bias. As is no doubt apparent, my inclination is to interpret any claim of the paranormal-precognition, clairvoyance, telekinesis, telepathy-as delusion or fraud.” Regarding Smith’s role as a prophetProphet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
, the author states that Smith was not acting in a malicious or selfish manner, but instead was attempting to elevate others in order to elevate himself.
Smith as a treasure seeker
Vogel states that he believes that the significance of treasure seeking in Smith’s early life deserves greater emphasis than has been given in previous biographies, and presents Smith as “a leader among the treasure seers of Manchester, New York.” Regarding these activities, it is suggested that “Smith was both convinced of his ability and also deceptive” and that “Smith may have believed himself to be inspired and may have at times heard voices or experienced visions but still used some deception to convince others.”In order to support the thesis of Smith’s primary focus in life being treasure hunting, the author makes extensive use of the Hurlbut
Doctor Philastus Hurlbut
Doctor Philastus Hurlbut was a 19th-century Latter Day Saint dissenter. Hurlbut is best known for his collection of affidavits which in 1834 were published in Eber D. Howe’s anti-Mormon book Mormonism Unvailed...
affidavits originally published in E. D. Howe
Eber Dudley Howe
Eber Dudley Howe was the founder and editor of the Painesville Telegraph, a newspaper that published in Painesville, Ohio from 1822 to 1835. Howe was the author of one of the first books that was critical of the spiritual claims of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement...
’s exposé Mormonism Unvailed
Mormonism Unvailed
Mormonism Unvailed is an anti-Mormon book published in 1834 by Eber D. Howe. The title page proclaims the book to be a contemporary exposé of Mormonism, and makes the claim that the historical portion of the Book of Mormon text was based upon a manuscript written by Solomon Spalding.The...
and other early anti-Mormon publications.
The Book of Mormon as a representation of Smith’s life
Vogel considers the Book of Mormon and Smith’s revelations as valid “primary sources” which may be used to deduce his state of mind, thoughts and dreams as a reflection of environmental and cultural influences. Some specific comparisons are:- The rivalry between NephiNephiAccording to the Book of Mormon, Nephi was the son of Lehi, a prophet, founder of the Nephite people, and author of the first two books of the Book of Mormon, First and Second Nephi.- Early life :Nephi was the fourth of six sons of Lehi and Sariah...
and his older brothers Laman and Lemuel represents a rivalry between Smith and his brothers. The author states that although “neither Joseph nor his mother spoke of this rivalry,” the description of sibling rivalry as a theme in the Book of Mormon makes the possibility of such a rivalry “impossible to ignore.” - The incident in which Nephi breaks his steel bow and subsequently successfully locates food is stated to be a fantasyFantasyFantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
that Smith might have had in his own thoughts. - The abduction of the Lamanites daughters by the wicked priests of King Noah is said to represent Smith's elopement with his wife Emma.
- Abinadi's absence from King NoahKing NoahAccording to the Book of Mormon, King Noah was a wicked monarch best known for burning the prophet Abinadi at the stake. King Noah, described in the Book of Mosiah, is said to have presided over a wicked kingdom guided by false priests...
's domain for two years is said to represent Smith's absence from Harmony, Pennsylvania. - Jacob’s criticism of the Nephites for having multiple wives is said to represent Smith criticizing his father, whom the author speculates was unfaithful.
- Amalikiah’s poisonPoisonIn the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ing of Lehonti in order to become the king of the Lamanites is suggested to represent the death of Smith’s older brother Alvin, whom the author speculates died of poisoning.
LDS response
Response to the book from LDS reviewers has focused on the author’s methods of defining which source documentsPrimary source
Primary source is a term used in a number of disciplines to describe source material that is closest to the person, information, period, or idea being studied....
deserved consideration. Critics state that the author preferred second and third-hand sources over eye-witness sources, and that Smith’s own words were rarely used. Also noted is the fact that a large number of interviews relied upon in the sources occurred fifty or more years after the events described. Using the Lorenzo Saunders interview as an example, the author responds to this criticism by stating that his use of this source “was selective and limited to the most reliable parts of his testimony.”
The author, in a detailed rebuttal to the LDS reviews, acknowledges that he is presenting his own version of Joseph Smith, just as other authors have presented their versions of Smith.
External links
- Excerpts from Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet at Signature Book's website.