Mormonism and Wikipedia/Joseph Smith, Jr./1831 to 1838

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An analysis of Wikipedia article "Joseph Smith"

1827 to 1830

A FairMormon Analysis of Wikipedia: "Joseph Smith" A work by a collaboration of authors (Link to Wikipedia article here)

1838 to 1839

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Reviews of previous revisions of this section

19 May 2009

Summary: A review of this section as it appeared in Wikipedia on 19 May 2009.

Section review

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

When Smith moved to Kirtland, Ohio in January 1831,

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , pp. 98–99, 116, 125 (Smith first lived with Newel K. Whitney in Kirtland, then moved in with John Johnson in 1831 in the nearby town of Hiram, Ohio, and by 1832 had secured a large estate in Kirtland).

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

his first task

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , p. 98 (citing LDS D&C 50 Phelps (1833) , pp. 119–23 as Smith's "first important revelation in Kirtland").

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

was to bring the Ohio congregation within his own religious authority

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , pp. 99–100 (stating that Smith "appealed as much to reason as to emotion," and referred to Smith's style as "autocratic" and "authoritarian," but noted that he was effective in utilizing members' inherent desire to preach as long as they subjected themselves to his ultimate authority); Remini (2002) , p. 95 ("Joseph quickly settled in and assumed control of the Kirtland Church.").

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

by quashing the new converts' exuberant exhibition of spiritual gifts.

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , p. 99 (gifts included hysterical fits and trances, frenzied rolling on the floor, loud and extended glossalalia, grimacing, and visions taken from parchments hanging in the night sky); Bushman (2005) , pp. 150–52.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Rigdon's congregation of converts included a prophetess that Smith declared to be of the devil.

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , p. 100 (noting that the prophetess, named Hubbel, was a friend of Rigdon's)

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Prior to conversion, the congregation had also been practicing a form of Christian communism, and Smith adopted a communal system within his own church, calling it the United Order of Enoch.

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , pp. 104–108 (stating that the United Order of Enoch was Rigdon's conception (p. 108)); Bushman (2005) , pp. 154–55; Hill (1977) , p. 131 (Rigdon's communal group was called "the family"); see also Phelps (1833) , p. 118 (revelation introducing the communal system, stating, "For behold the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the air, and that which cometh of the earth is ordained for the use of man, for food, and for raiment, and that he might have in abundance, but it is not given that one man should possess that which is above another.").

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

At Rigdon's suggestion,

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , p. 103 (stating that Rigdon suggested that Smith revise the Bible in response to an 1827 revision by Rigdon's former mentor Alexander Campbell).

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Smith began a revision of the Bible in April 1831,

Author's sources:

1. • Hill (1977) , p. 131 (although Smith described his work beginning in April 1831 as a "translation," "he obviously meant a revision by inspiration").

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

on which he worked sporadically until its completion in 1833.

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , p. 142 (noting that though Smith declared the work finished in 1833, the church lacked funds to publish it during his lifetime).

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Rectifying what Rigdon perceived as a defect in Smith's church,

Author's sources:

1. • Prince (1995) , p. 116.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Smith promised the church's elders that in Kirtland they would receive an endowment of heavenly power.

Author's sources:

1. • Phelps (1833) , p. 83; Bushman (2005) , pp. 125, 156, 308.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Therefore, in the church's June 1831 general conference,

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , pp. 111–13 (describing this conference as "the first major failure of his life" because he made irresponsible prophesies and performed failed faith healings, requiring Rigdon to cut the conference short).

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

he introduced the greater authority of a High ("Melchizedek") Priesthood to the church hierarchy.

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , p. 111; Bushman (2005) , pp. 156–60; Quinn (1994) , pp. 31–32; Roberts (1902) , pp. 175–76 (On 3 June 1831, "the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood was manifested and conferred for the first time upon several of the Elders." Annotation by Roberts gives an apologetic explanation.).

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

The church grew as new converts poured into Kirtland.

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , p. 101.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

By the summer of 1835, there were fifteen hundred to two thousand Mormons in the vicinity of Kirtland

Author's sources:

1. • Arrington (1992) , p. 21.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

expecting Smith to lead them shortly to the Millennial kingdom.

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , pp. 101–02, 121.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Though Oliver Cowdery's mission to the Indians was a failure,

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , pp. 110 (describing the mission as a "flat failure").

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

he sent word he had found the site for the New Jerusalem in Jackson County, Missouri.

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , p. 108.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

After he visited there in July 1831, Smith agreed and pronounced the county's rugged outpost

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , p. 162; Brodie (1971) , p. 109.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Independence to be the "center place" of Zion.

Author's sources:

1. • Smith (Cowdery) , p. 154.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Rigdon, however, disapproved of the location, and for most of the 1830s, the church was divided between Ohio and Missouri.

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , p. 115.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Smith continued to live in Ohio but visited Missouri again in early 1832 in order to prevent a rebellion of prominent Saints, including Cowdery, who believed Zion was being neglected.

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , pp. 119–22.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Smith's trip was hastened

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , p. 180; Brodie (1971) , p. 119.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

by a mob of residents led by former Saints who were incensed over the United Order and Smith's political power.

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , pp. 178–79; Remini (2002) , pp. 109–10.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

The mob beat Smith and Rigdon unconscious and tarred and feathered them.

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , p. 119 (noting that Smith may have narrowly escaped being castrated over some perceived intimacy between Smith and the sixteen year old sister of one of the mob's instigators); Bushman (2005) , pp. 178–79 (arguing that the evidence for Smith's intimacy with the girl is thin). Bruised and scarred, Smith preached the following day as if nothing happened (Brodie (1971) , p. 120; 2002 , pp. 110–11).

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

The old Jackson Countians resented the Mormon newcomers for various political and religious reasons.

Author's sources:

1. • These reasons included the settlers' understanding that the Saints' intended to appropriate their property and establish a Millennial political kingdom (Brodie (1971) , pp. 130–31; Remini (2002) , pp. 114), the Saints' friendliness with the Indians (Brodie (1971) , p. 130); Remini (2002) , pp. 114–15), the Saints' perceived religious blasphemy Remini (2002) , p. 114, and especially the belief that the Saints were abolitionists (Brodie (1971) , pp. 131–33; Remini (2002) , pp. 113–14).

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Mob attacks began in July 1833,

Author's sources:

1. • Vigilantes tarred and feathered two church leaders, destroyed some Mormon homes, destroyed the Mormon press, then the westernmost American newspaper, including most copies of the unpublished Book of Commandments. (Bushman (2005) , pp. 181–83; Brodie (1971) , p. 115.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

but Smith advised the Mormons to patiently bear them

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , pp. 135–36; Bushman (2005) , p. 235.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

until a fourth attack, which would permit vengeance to be taken.

Author's sources:

1. • Quinn (1994) , pp. 82–83 (Smith's August 1833 revelation said that after the fourth attack, "the Saints were "justified" by God in violence against any attack by any enemy "until they had avenged themselves on all their enemies, to the third and fourth generation.," citing Smith (Cowdery) , p. 218).

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Nevertheless, once they began to defend themselves,

Author's sources:

1. • Quinn (1994) , pp. 83–84 (after the fourth attack on 2 November 1833, Saints began fighting back, leading to the Battle of Blue River on 4 November 1833).

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

the Mormons were brutally expelled from the county.

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , pp. 222–27; Brodie (1971) , p. 137 (noting that the brutality of the Jackson Countians aroused sympathy for the Mormons and was almost universally deplored by the media).

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Under authority of revelations directing Smith to lead the church like a modern Moses to redeem Zion by power

Author's sources:

1. • Roberts (1904) , p. 37 (February 1834 revelation: "[T]he redemption of Zion must needs come by power; [t]herefore, I will raise up unto my people a man, who shall lead them like as Moses led the children of Israel,...and ye must needs be led out of bondage by power, and with a stretched out arm."); Brodie (1971) , p. 146 ("Quick-springing visions of an army of liberation marching triumphantly into the promised land betrayed his sounder judgment."); Hill (1989) , pp. 44–45 (suggesting that although members of the camp expected to do battle, Smith might have hoped they could merely intimidate the Missourians by a show of force).

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

and avenge God's enemies,

Author's sources:

1. • Smith (Cowdery) , p. 237 (December 1833 revelation: Smith must "get ye straightway unto my land; break down the walls of mine enemies; throw down their tower, and scatter their watchmen. And inasmuch as they gather together against you, avenge me of mine enemies, that by and by I may come with the residue of mine house and possess the land."); Quinn (1994) , pp. 84–85 (arguing that as of February 1834, the Saints were "free to take 'vengeance' at will against any perceived enemy").

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

he led to Missouri a paramilitary expedition, later called Zion's Camp.

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , pp. 146–58; Remini (2002) , p. 115.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

When the camp found itself outnumbered, Smith retreated and produced a revelation explaining that the church was unworthy to redeem Zion in part because of the failure of the recently disbanded

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , p. 141.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

United Order.

Author's sources:

1. • Roberts (1904) , p. 108 (quoting text of revelation); Hill (1989) , pp. 44–45 (noting that in addition to failure to unite under the celestial order, God was displeased the church had failed to make Zion's army sufficiently strong).

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Redemption of Zion would have to wait until after the elders of the church could receive another endowment of heavenly power,

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , pp. 156–57; Roberts (1904) , p. 109 (text of revelation).

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

this time in the Kirtland Temple

Author's sources:

1. • Smith (Cowdery) , p. 233 (Kirtland Temple "design[ed] to endow those whom [God] ha[s] chosen with power on high"); Prince (1995) , p. 32 & n.104 (quoting revelation dated 12 June 1834 (Kirtland Revelation Book pp. 97–100) stating that the redemption of Zion "cannot be brought to pass until mine elders are endowed with power from on high; for, behold, I have prepared a greater endowment and blessing to be poured out upon them [than the 1831 endowment]").

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

then under construction.

Author's sources:

1. • Construction began in June 1833 Remini (2002) , p. 115, not long before the first attack on the Missouri Saints.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Zion's Camp was a major failure

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , p. 159 (describing it as Smith's "second major failure").

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

that stunned Smith for months

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , p. 328 (Smith was "stunned for months, scarcely knowing what to do.").

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

and resulted in a crisis in Kirtland.

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , p. 160; Quinn (1994) , p. 87 (noting that in October 1834, Smith only gathered two votes in his failed election as Kirtland's coroner).

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

But Zion's Camp also led to a transformation in Mormon leadership and culture.

Author's sources:

1. • Quinn (1994) , p. 85.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Just before Zion's Camp left Kirtland, Smith disbanded the United Order

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , p. 141 ("In the Missouri debacle Joseph now saw a chance to erase the whole economic experiment—which in Kirtland had never yielded anything but trouble.").

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

and changed the name of the church to "Church of Latter Day Saints."

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , pp. 147–48.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

After the Camp returned, Smith drew heavily from its participants to establish five governing bodies in the church, all of equal authority to check one another.

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , p. 161 (The five equal councils were "the presidency, the apostles, the seventies, and the two high councils of Kirtland and Missouri").

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

He also produced fewer revelations, relying more heavily on the authority of his own teaching,

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , pp. 159–60 (comparing only 13 or so revelations after July 1834, several of them trivial, to the over 100 in the five years previous); Bushman (2005) , pp. 322, 419.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

and he altered and expanded many of the previous revelations to reflect recent changes in theology and practice, publishing them as the Doctrine and Covenants.

Author's sources:

1. • Quinn (1994) , pp. 5–6, 9, 15–17, 26, 30, 33, 35, 38–42, 49, 70–71, 88, 198; Brodie (1971) , p. 141 (Smith "began to efface the communistic rubric of his young theology").

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Smith also claimed to translate, from Egyptian papyri he had purchased from a traveling exhibitor, a text he later published as the Book of Abraham.

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , pp. 170–75.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

The Saints built the Kirtland Temple at great cost,

Author's sources:

1. • Remini (2002) , p. 116 ("The ultimate cost came to approximately $50,000, an enormous sum for a people struggling to stay alive.").

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

and at the temple's dedication in March 1836, they participated in the prophesied endowment, a scene of visions, angelic visitations, prophesying, speaking and singing in tongues, and other spiritual experiences.

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , pp. 310–19; Brodie (1971) , p. 178 ("Five years before...[Joseph] had found a spontaneous orgiastic revival in full progress and had ruthlessly stamped it out. Now he was intoxicating his followers with the same frenzy he had once so vigorously denounced.")

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

The period from 1834–1837 was one of relative peace for Joseph Smith.

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , pp. 165–66.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Nevertheless, after the dedication of the Kirtland temple in late 1837, "Smith's life descended into a tangle of intrigue and conflict"

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , p. 322.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

and a series of internal disputes led to the collapse of the Kirtland Mormon community.

Author's sources:

1. • Brooke (1994) , p. 221 ("Ultimately, the rituals and visions dedicating the Kirtland temple were not sufficient to hold the church together in the face of a mounting series of internal disputes," citing the failure of Zion's camp, the Alger "affair," and new theological innovations).

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Although the church had publicly repudiated polygamy,

Author's sources:

1. • Hill (1977) , pp. 340–41 (noting that Smith confided to Brigham Young in Kirtland that "if I were to reveal to this people what the Lord has revealed to me, there is not a man or a woman that would stay with me.").

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

behind the scenes there was a rift between Smith and Oliver Cowdery over the issue.

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , pp. 323–25; Hill (1977) , p. 188 (noting that Benjamin F. Johnson "realized later that Joseph's polygamy was one cause of disruption and apostasy in Kirtland, although it was rarely discussed in public.").

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Smith had by some accounts been teaching a polygamy doctrine as early as 1831.

Author's sources:

1. • Compton (1997) , p. 27; Bushman (2005) , p. 326; Hill (1977) , p. 340.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Sometime between 1833 and 1836, Smith engaged in a furtive relationship with his adolescent serving girl Fanny Alger.

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , p. 323 (noting that Alger was fourteen in 1830 when she met Smith, and her involvement with Smith was between that date and 1836, and suggesting that the relationship began as early as 1831). Compton (1997) , p. 26; Bushman (2005) , p. 326 (noting Compton's date and conclusion)

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Although Cowdery claimed the relationship was a "filthy affair,"

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , pp. 181–82; Bushman (2005) , pp. 323–25; Smith (2008) , pp. 38–39 n.81 (questioning whether Smith and Alger were actually married; "a dirty, nasty, filthy affair,").

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Smith insisted the relationship was not adulterous, presumably because he had taken Alger as a plural wife.

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , p. 325: Smith "wanted it on record that he had never confessed to such a sin. Presumably, he felt innocent because he had married Alger."

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Cowdery, who was in the process of leaving the church,

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , pp. 323–25 ("In the contemporaneous documents, only one person, Cowdery, believed that Joseph had had an affair with Fanny Alger. Others may have heard the rumors, but none joined Cowdery in making accusations. David Patten, who made inquiries in Kirtland, concluded the rumors were untrue. No one proposed to put Joseph on trial for adultery. Only Cowdery, who was leaving the Church, asserted Joseph's involvement.")

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

was eventually charged with slander and expelled from the church.

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , p. 324: "In 1838, [Cowdery] was charged with 'seeking to destroy the character of President Joseph Smith jr by falsly insinuating that he was guilty of adultry &c.' Fanny Alger's name was never mentioned, but doubtless she was the women in question."

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Emma Smith "suspected a relationship and threw Fanny out of the house."

Author's sources:

1. • Ostling (1999) , p. 60.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Building the temple left the church deeply in debt, and Smith was hounded by creditors.

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , pp. 217, 329 The temple left a debt of $13,000, and Smith borrowed tens of thousands more to make land purchases and purchase inventory for a merchandise store. By 1837, Smith had run up a debt of over $100,000.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

After Smith heard about treasure supposedly hidden in Salem, Massachusetts, he traveled there and received a revelation that God had "much treasure in this city."

Author's sources:

1. • Quinn (1998) , pp. 261–64; Brodie (1971) , p. 192; Bushman (2005) , p. 328.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

After a month, he returned empty-handed.

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , p. 328; Brodie (1971) , p. 193: "Joseph made no apology for this indiscretion. In his history he described the trip to Salem as an ordinary missionary tour, and the incident eventually was forgotten."

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Smith then turned to wildcat banking, establishing the Kirtland Safety Society in January 1837, which issued bank notes capitalized in part by real estate.

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , p. 328.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Smith invested heavily in the notes

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , p. 328 (Smith "had bought more stock than eighty-five percent of the investors.").

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

and encouraged the Saints to buy them as a religious duty.

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , pp. 195–96; Bushman (2005) , p. 334.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

The bank failed within a month.

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , p. 330 (noting that business started on 2 January 1837, business was floundering within three weeks, and payment stopped on 23 January 1837).

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

As a result, the Kirtland Saints suffered intense pressure from debt collectors and severe price volatility.

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , pp. 331–32.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

Smith was held responsible for the failure, and there were widespread defections from the church,

Author's sources:

1. • Bushman (2005) , pp. 332, 336–38. Richard Bushman notes that Heber C. Kimball claimed that in June 1837, not more than 20 men in Kirtland believed Smith was a prophet, but argues that this was an exaggeration, and that there were still "hundreds and probably thousands of loyal followers" during this time Bushman (2005) , p. 332.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

including many of Smith's closest advisers.

Author's sources:

1. • The fallout included an unseemly row in the temple where guns and knives were drawn Bushman (2005) , p. 339. When a leading apostle, David W. Patten, raised insulting questions, Smith slapped him in the face and kicked him into the yard Bushman (2005) , pp. 332, 337, 339. Even stalwarts Parley P. Pratt and Orson Pratt left the church for a few months Bushman (2005) , p. 332.

The author(s) of Check link or content make(s) the following claim:

After a warrant was issued for Smith's arrest on a charge of banking fraud, Smith and Rigdon fled Kirtland for Missouri on the night of January 12, 1838.

Author's sources:

1. • Brodie (1971) , p. 207; Bushman (2005) , pp. 339–40; Hill (1977) , p. 216 (noting that Smith characterized the warrant as "mob violence...under the color of legal process").

References

Wikipedia references for "Joseph Smith, Jr."

• Abanes, Richard, (2003), One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church Thunder's Mouth Press
• Allen, James B., The Significance of Joseph Smith's "First Vision" in Mormon Thought off-site .
• (1992), The Mormon Experience University of Illinois Press .
• (1980), The Lion and the Lady: Brigham Young and Emma Smith off-site .
• Bergera, Gary James (editor) (1989), Line Upon Line: Essays on Mormon Doctrine Signature Books .
• Bloom, Harold, (1992), The American Religion: The Emergence of the Post-Christian Nation Simon & Schuster .
• Booth, Ezra, Mormonism—Nos. VIII–IX (Letters to the editor) off-site .
• Brodie, Fawn M., (1971), No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith Knopf .
• Brooke, , (1994), The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644–1844 Cambridge University Press .
• Bushman, Richard Lyman, (2005), Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling , New York: Knopf .
• Clark, John A., (1842), Gleanings by the Way , Philadelphia: W.J. & J.K Simmon off-site .
• Compton, Todd, (1997), In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith Signature Books .
• Foster, Lawrence, (1981), Religion and Sexuality: The Shakers, the Mormons, and the Oneida Community , New York: Oxford University Press .
• Harris, Martin, (1859), Mormonism—No. II off-site .
• Hill, Donna, (1977), Joseph Smith: The first Mormon , Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Co. .
• Hill, Marvin S., (1976), Joseph Smith and the 1826 Trial: New Evidence and New Difficulties off-site .
• Hill, Marvin S., (1989), Quest for Refuge: The Mormon Flight from American Pluralism Signature Books off-site .
• Howe, Eber Dudley, (1834), Mormonism Unvailed: Or, A Faithful Account of that Singular Imposition and Delusion, from its Rise to the Present Time , Painesville, Ohio: Telegraph Press off-site .
• Hullinger, Robert N., (1992), Joseph Smith's Response to Skepticism Signature Books off-site .
• Jessee, Dean, (1976), Joseph Knight's Recollection of Early Mormon History off-site .
• Lapham, [La]Fayette, (1870), Interview with the Father of Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet, Forty Years Ago. His Account of the Finding of the Sacred Plates off-site .
• Larson, Stan, (1978), The King Follett Discourse: A Newly Amalgamated Text off-site .
• Mormon History off-site .
• Mack, Solomon, (1811), A Narraitve [sic] of the Life of Solomon Mack Windsor: Solomon Mack off-site .
• (1994), Inventing Mormonism Signature Books .
• Marquardt, H. Michael, (1999), The Joseph Smith Revelations: Text and Commentary Signature Books .
• Marquardt, H. Michael, (2005), The Rise of Mormonism: 1816–1844 Xulon Press .
• Matzko, John, (2007), The Encounter of the Young Joseph Smith with Presbyterianism off-site .
• Morgan, Dale, Walker, John Phillip (editor) (1986), Dale Morgan on Early Mormonism: Correspondence and a New History Signature Books off-site .
• (2008), Joseph Smith Jr.: reappraisals after two centuries Oxford University Press .
• Newell, Linda King, (1994), Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith University of Illinois Press .
• (1999), Mormon America: The Power and the Promise HarperSanFrancisco .
• Persuitte, David, (2000), Joseph Smith and the origins of the Book of Mormon McFarland & Co. .
• Phelps, W.W. (editor) (1833), A Book of Commandments, for the Government of the Church of Christ , Zion: William Wines Phelps & Co. off-site .
• Prince, Gregory A, (1995), Power From On High: The Development of Mormon Priesthood Signature Books .
• Quinn, D. Michael, (1994), The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power Signature Books .
• Quinn, D. Michael, (1998), Early Mormonism and the Magic World View Signature Books .
• Remini, , (2002), Joseph Smith: A Penguin Life Penguin Group .
• Roberts, B. H. (editor) (1902), History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , Salt Lake City: Deseret News off-site .
• Roberts, B. H. (editor) (1904), History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , Salt Lake City: Deseret News off-site .
• Roberts, B. H. (editor) (1905), History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , Salt Lake City: Deseret News off-site .
• Roberts, B. H. (editor) (1909), History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , Salt Lake City: Deseret News off-site .
• Shipps, Jan, (1985), Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition University of Illinois Press .
• Smith, George D., (1994), Nauvoo Roots of Mormon Polygamy, 1841–46: A Preliminary Demographic Report off-site .
• Smith, George D, (2008), Nauvoo Polygamy: "...but we called it celestial marriage" Signature Books .
• Smith, Joseph, Jr., (1830), The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi , Palmyra, New York: E. B. Grandin off-site . See Book of Mormon.
• Smith, Joseph, Jr., Jessee, Dean C (editor) (1832), Personal Writings of Joseph Smith , Salt Lake City: Deseret Book .
• Jessee, Dean C (editor) (1839–1843), Personal Writings of Joseph Smith Deseret Book .
• (1835), Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints: Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God , Kirtland, Ohio: F. G. Williams & Co off-site . See Doctrine and Covenants.
• Smith, Joseph, Jr., Church History [Wentworth Letter] off-site . See Wentworth letter.
• Smith, Lucy Mack, (1853), Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations , Liverpool: S.W. Richards off-site . See The History of Joseph Smith by His Mother
• Tucker, Pomeroy, (1867), Origin, Rise and Progress of Mormonism , New York: D. Appleton off-site .
• Turner, Orsamus, (1852), History of the Pioneer Settlement of Phelps and Gorham's Purchase, and Morris' Reserve , Rochester, New York: William Alling off-site .
• Joseph Smith: The Gift of Seeing off-site .
• Van Wagoner, Richard S., (1992), Mormon Polygamy: A History Signature Books .
• Vogel, Dan, (1994), The Locations of Joseph Smith's Early Treasure Quests off-site .
• Vogel, Dan, (2004), Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet Signature Books .
• Widmer, Kurt, (2000), Mormonism and the Nature of God: A Theological Evolution, 1830–1915 McFarland .

Further reading

FAIR Answers—back to home page

Mormonism and Wikipedia

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FairMormon's approach to Wikipedia articles

FairMormon regularly receives queries about specific LDS-themed Wikipedia articles with requests that we somehow "fix" them. Although some individual members of FAIR may choose to edit Wikipedia articles, FairMormon as an organization does not. Controversial Wikipedia articles require constant maintenance and a significant amount of time. We prefer instead to respond to claims in the FAIR Wiki rather than fight the ongoing battle that LDS Wikipedia articles sometimes invite. From FAIR’s perspective, assertions made in LDS-themed Wikipedia articles are therefore treated just like any other critical (or, if one prefers, "anti-Mormon") work. As those articles are revised and updated, we will periodically update our reviews to match.

Who can edit Wikipedia articles?

Editors who wish to participate in editing LDS-themed Wikipedia articles can access the project page here: Wikipedia:WikiProject Latter Day Saint movement. You are not required to be LDS in order to participate—there are a number of good non-LDS editors who have made valuable contributions to these articles.

Recommendations when editing Wikipedia articles

FAIR does not advocate removing any references from Wikipedia articles. The best approach to editing Wikipedia is to locate solid references to back up your position and add them rather than attempting to remove information. Individuals who intend to edit should be aware that posting information related to the real-world identities of Wikipedia editors will result in their being banned from editing Wikipedia. Attacking editors and attempting to "out" them on Wikipedia is considered very bad form. The best approach is to treat all Wikipedia editors, whether or not you agree or disagree with their approach, with respect and civility. An argumentative approach is not constructive to achieving a positive result, and will simply result in what is called an "edit war." Unfortunately, not all Wikipedia editors exhibit good faith toward other editors (see, for example, the comment above from "Duke53" or comments within these reviews made by John Foxe's sockpuppet "Hi540," both of whom repeatedly mocked LDS beliefs and LDS editors prior to their being banned.)

Do LDS editors control Wikipedia?

Although there exist editors on Wikipedia who openly declare their affiliation with the Church, they do not control Wikipedia. Ironically, some critics of the Church periodically falsely accuse Wikipedia editors of being LDS simply because they do not accept the critics' desired spin on a particular article.

Do "anti-Mormons" control Wikipedia?

Again, the answer is no. The truth is that Wikipedia is generally self-policing. Highly contentious articles do tend to draw the most passionate supporters and critics.

Why do certain LDS articles seem to be so negative?

Although some LDS-related Wikipedia articles may appear to have a negative tone, they are in reality quite a bit more balanced than certain critical works such as One Nation Under Gods. Although many critical editors often accuse LDS-related Wikipedia articles of being "faith promoting" or claim that they are just an extension of the Sunday School manual, this is rarely the case. Few, if any, Latter-day Saints would find Wikipedia articles to be "faith promoting." Generally, the believers think that the articles are too negative and the critics believe that the articles are too positive. LDS Wikipedia articles should be informative without being overtly faith promoting. However, most of the primary sources, including the words of Joseph Smith himself, are "faith promoting." This presents a dilemma for Wikipedia editors who want to remain neutral. The unfortunate consequence is that Joseph's words are rewritten and intermixed with contradictory sources, resulting in boring and confusing prose.

FairMormon's analysis of LDS-related Wikipedia articles

We examine selected Wikipedia articles and examine them on a "claim-by-claim" basis, with links to responses in the FairMormon Answers Wiki. Wikipedia articles are constantly evolving. As a result, the analysis of each article will be updated periodically in order to bring it more into line with the current version of the article. The latest revision date may be viewed at the top of each individual section. The process by which Wikipedia articles are reviewed is the following:

1. Update each Wikipedia passage and its associated footnotes.
2. Examine the use of sources and determine whether or not the passage accurately represents the source used.
3. Provide links to response articles within the FairMormon Answers Wiki.
4. If violation of Wikipedia rules is discovered, identify which Wikipedia editor (by pseudonym) made the edit, provide a description of the rule violated and a link to the Wikipedia "diff" showing the actual edit.
5. If a violated rule is later corrected in a subsequent revision, the violation is removed and a notation is added that the passage is correct per cited sources. This doesn't mean that FAIR necessarily agrees with the passage—only that it is correct based upon the source used.

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, "Mormonism and Wikipedia: The Church History That “Anyone Can Edit”"

Roger Nicholson,  Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, (2012)

The ability to quickly and easily access literature critical of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been made significantly easier through the advent of the Internet. One of the primary sites that dominates search engine results is Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia that “anyone can edit.” Wikipedia contains a large number of articles related to Mormonism that are edited by believers, critics, and neutral parties. The reliability of information regarding the Church and its history is subject to the biases of the editors who choose to modify those articles. Even if a wiki article is thoroughly sourced, editors sometimes employ source material in a manner that supports their bias. This essay explores the dynamics behind the creation of Wikipedia articles about the Church, the role that believers and critics play in that process, and the reliability of the information produced in the resulting wiki articles.

Click here to view the complete article

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Wikipedia and anti-Mormon literature

Key sources	Roger Nicholson, "Mormonism and Wikipedia: The Church History That 'Anyone Can Edit'," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 1/8 (14 September 2012). [151–190] link
Wiki links	Mormonism and Wikipedia Martin Harris—analysis of wikipedia treatment Oliver Cowdery—analysis of wikipedia treatment First Vision—analysis of wikipedia treatment Joseph Smith—analysis of wikipedia treatment Golden plates—analysis of wikipedia treatment Three Witnesses—analysis of wikipedia treatment
Online	"Wiki Wars: In battle to define beliefs, Mormons and foes wage battle on Wikipedia", Michael De Groote, Deseret News, January 30, 2011. "Wiki Wars: In battle to define beliefs, Mormons and foes wage battle on Wikipedia", Michael De Groote, Mormon Times, January 31, 2011. "Something Wiki This Way Comes: How collaborative editing is changing the face of online LDS apologetics", R. Scott Lloyd, Church News, August 8, 2011. Something Wiki This Way Comes: How Collaborative Editing is Changing the Face of Online LDS Apologetics. A close look at the challenges and history of editing LDS topics in a Wikipedia. This is a 2011 FAIR conference presentation by Roger Nicholson, in PDF format.
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