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Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Mormonism Unvailed
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Response to Mormonism Unvailed
| A FAIR Analysis of: Mormonism Unvailed, a work by author: Eber D. Howe
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Response to claims made in Mormonism Unvailed by Eber D. Howe
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The Hurlbut affidavits
Jump to Subtopic:
- Question: What are the Hurlbut affidavits?
- Question: What do the Hurlbut affidavits claim about the Smith family's character and reliability?
- Question: What did Parley Chase claim about Joseph Smith in the Hurlbut affidavits?
- Question: What did Henry Harris claim about Joseph Smith in the Hurlbut affidavits?
- Question: What did Barton Stafford claim about Joseph Smith in the Hurlbut affidavits?
- Question: What did David Stafford claim about Joseph Smith in the Hurlbut affidavits?
- Question: What did Willard Chase claim about Joseph Smith in the Hurlbut affidavits?
- Question: What did Peter Ingersoll claim about Joseph Smith in the Hurlbut affidavits?
- Question: What did William Stafford claim about Joseph Smith in the Hurlbut affidavits?
- Question: What did the Hurlbut affidavits say about Martin Harris?
- Question: What do the Hurlbut affidavits say about Joseph Smith claiming that he was "as good as Jesus Christ"?
- Question: What do the Hurlbut affidavits say about the Spalding manuscript and the Book of Mormon?
About this work
Published by Eber D. Howe in 1834, Mormonism Unvailed is considered one of the first true "anti-Mormon" books. This book is notable for the introduction of the following:
- A collection of affidavits by Doctor Philastus Hurlbut which cast Joseph Smith and his family as lazy treasure-seekers. These affidavits have provided critics of the Church with a rich source of information with which to attack the character of Joseph Smith, Jr. For a detailed response, see: The Hurlbut affidavits
- The introduction of the Spalding theory of Book of Mormon origins. A once popular secular theory for the origin of the Book of Mormon, the Spalding theory lost credibility when it was discovered that the only extant Spalding manuscript bore little resemblance to the Book of Mormon. The theory retains a few die-hard adherents even to this day. For a detailed response, see: Book of Mormon/Authorship theories/Spalding manuscript