Add to that the Kinderhook fraud where people, who admittedly were trying to hurt Joseph Smith, gave him fake plates to translate, and he did. He gave a translation that he said came from God, and God didn't tell him that it was all a fake.
On May 1, 1843, William Clayton, Joseph Smith’s private secretary, wrote in his journal:
I have seen 6 brass plates covered with ancient characters of language containing from 30 to 40 on each side of the plates. Prest J. [Joseph Smith] has translated a
portion and says they contain the history of the person with whom they were found and he was a descendant of Ham through the loins of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Clayton’s diary account then became the basis for the entry about the plates in the official History of the Church, vol. 5, page 372.
On May 7, 1843, Apostle Parley P. Pratt wrote a letter that included:
Six plates having the appearance of Brass have lately been dug out of the mound by a gentleman in Pike Co. Illinois. They are small and filled with engravings in
Egyptian language and contain the genealogy of one of the ancient Jaredites back to Ham the son of Noah.
Front and back of four of the six Kinderhook plates are shown in these facsimiles, which appeared in 1909 in History of the Church, vol. 5, pp. 374–75.
All of this combined to be inarguable proof that the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith could not be what I had been taught. Not at all.
2. The Masons and Mormons
My grandpa was not a Mormon, but was a Mason, and I remember well how upset my mom would get by many of the Masonic rituals, and in particular the aprons that they wore. As a child I didn't understand any of it since I didn't know anything about either Mormon temple rituals or Masonic rituals. In my investigations however I learned how similar they are. I also learned that Joseph Smith became a 33rd degree Master Mason in 1842 and that the temple rituals are beyond similar to the point of being nearly identical at times. This is verified by the Mormon History of the Church and by my speaking with former temple Mormons who verified the rituals for me personally.
Tuesday, [March] 15. — I officiated as grand chaplain at the installation of the Nauvoo Lodge of Free Masons, at the Grove near the Temple. Grand Master Jonas, of Columbus, being present, a large number of people assembled on the occasion. The day was exceedingly fine; all things were done in order, and universal satisfaction was manifested. In the evening I received the first degree in Freemasonry in the Nauvoo Lodge, assembled in my general business office. History of the Church (Joseph Smith)|History of the Church, by Joseph Smith, Deseret Book, 1978, Vol.4, Ch.32, p.550-1)
The link between Mormonism and Masonry is undeniable, and incompatible with the church being true.
3.
Joseph Smith Prophesied too many things that didn't happen.
If a prophet is a prophet and when he is publicly saying he is prophesying it has to happen or it isn't from God. There are many many examples of his prophesies that didn't happen, but a few examples from Mormon literature and history are:
A. The Coming of the Lord
President Smith then stated that the meeting had been called, because God had commanded it; and it was made known to him by vision and by the Holy Spirit. . . . it was the will of God that they should be ordained to the ministry and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time, for the coming of the Lord, which was nigh — even fifty six years should wind up the scene. (History of the Church, Vol. 2, page 182).
This prophecy was spoken by Joseph Smith in 1835, and recorded by Oliver Cowdery. 1891 marked the end of the 56 years and the possibility of it being true.
B. David W. Patten to go on a mission
Verily, thus saith the Lord: It is wisdom in my servant David W. Patten, that he settle up all his business as soon as he possibly can, and make a disposition of his merchandise, that he may perform a mission unto me next spring, in company with others, even twelve including himself, to testify of my name and bear glad tidings unto the world. (Doctrine & Covenants 114:1)
This prophecy was made on April 17, 1838. David W. Patten died in October of 1838 and of course, never went on a mission the following spring. This one is even part of Mormon scripture and is untrue!
C. Oliver B. Huntington wrote in 1892 in the "Young Woman's Journal", a church publication:
"Astronomers and philosophers have, from time almost immemorial until very recently, asserted that the moon was uninhabited, that it had no atmosphere, etc. But recent discoveries, through the means of powerful telescopes, have given scientists a doubt or two upon the old theory.
"Nearly all the great discoveries of man in the last half century have, in one way or another, either directly or indirectly, contributed to prove Joseph Smith to be a Prophet.
"As far back as 1837, I know that he [Joseph Smith] said the moon was inhabited by men and women the same as this earth, and that they lived to be a greater age than we do, that they lived generally to near the age of 1000 years.
"He described the men as averaging near six feet in height, and dressing quite uniformly in something near the Quaker style.
"In my Patriarchal blessing, given by the father of Joseph the Prophet, in Kirtland, 1837, I was told that I should preach the gospel to the inhabitants of the sea -- to the inhabitants of the moon, even the planet you can now behold with your eyes," (Vol. 3, pp. 263-264).
Learning these things, and finding them in Mormon literature, and trying to find a way to reconcile them is impossible. It can't be done. Either he was a prophet or he was not. There is a lot more than this to prove he was not.
4. Polygamy
It is true that polygamy is found in the Old Testament. No question about it, so to say that the Mormon church is completely off base is not really fair. My problem is in how it was instituted and how many lies, and outright moral problems with it were proven to be associated with Joseph Smith personally. He married girls as young as 14. He married women who were already married, and he did it long before the "revelation" came to Emma Smith. He did it behind her back and even a few weeks before Smith’s death he preached, “What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one.” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, (Sunday, May 26, 1844), vol. 6, p. 411) He had at least thirty-four wives at the time of this sermon.
5. The Word of Wisdom
This one is more experiential and more of a specific irritation than historical and therefore somewhat different than the others. In Mormon literature there is a passage that they call the Word of Wisdom. To most Mormons it is a defining precept that differentiates them from others, and they take it very seriously. It specifies that there should be no smoking, alcohol, or what they call hot beverages, and Mormons generally define as coffee and tea. In modern years most Mormons acknowledge that by hot beverages the Word of Wisdom was talking about caffeinated beverages. The problem is that almost universally Mormons drink Coke, Mountain Dew, take caffeine pills and so forth, but refuse to drink coffee or tea, and yet do drink herbal teas, hot chocolate and so forth. So either it is hot beverages or it is caffeine that is the problem, but which? I don't think even Mormons could answer that question.
The Word of Wisdom also says,
16. All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground—
17. Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain.
The revelation suggests that barley-based mild drinks (such as beer) may be permissible. As recently as 1901, Apostles Brigham Young, Jr. and John Henry Smith argued that the revelation did not prohibit beer and revered Mormon Porter Rockwell owned and operated a brewery well known to Brigham Young where the state Prison now is at the point of the mountain in Draper. Church leaders now teach that consumption of any form of alcohol, including beer, violates the Word of Wisdom. (LDS Church (2002, 2d ed.) “Chapter 27: The Word of Wisdom,” Gospel Fundamentals (Salt Lake City, Utah: LDS Church) p. 150.)
I could go on, but this is enough for today. So where did I land? I landed in the Bible. I landed on the cross of Jesus Christ that does not depend on all I can do first. I landed as a Born Again Christian and everything I believe can stand up to scrutiny, scholarship, and investigation. I am not afraid of my kids visiting a Mormon church and we allow them to do so. I will speak the Truth to them, and they will see it for themselves. I will never be afraid of Truth.
I should say that I spent a great deal of time deciding whether I should write this. There are a lot of people in my life who I love dearly, family and friends who are Mormon, and I do not want to hurt them. I will delete immediately any comments or posts that are in any way ugly or hurtful to them. I am expressing MY views and why I left the Mormon church, and I am not trying to convince anyone to my views. I just felt like it was time for me to publicly say why; to explain to them why I left, and to show them that it was not a casual decision or that I was deceived by someone. It was me.
