The Real Joseph Smith:
The real Joseph Smith Jr., founding prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, hardly resembles the man depicted by the LDS Church today. The real Joseph Smith was involved in the money digging business from 1822—1827.[1]
On the subject of money digging, one of Joseph Smith’s neighbors said:
“I, Peter Ingersoll, first became acquainted with the family of Joseph Smith, Sen. in the year of our Lord, 1822. — I lived in the neighborhood of said family, until about 1830… The general employment of the family, was digging for money. (Eber D. Howe, Mormonism Unvailed, 1834, p. 232)
Money Digging:
The local Palmyra newspaper spelled out:
“We are not able to determine whether the elder Smith was ever concerned in money digging transactions previous to his emigration from Vermont, or not, but it is a well authenticated fact that soon after his arrival here, he evinced a firm belief in the existence of hidden treasures, and that this section of country abounded in them. — He also revived, or in other words, propagated the vulgar, yet popular belief that these treasures were held in charge by some evil spirit …” (THE REFLECTOR February 1, 1831)
Lippincott’s Magazine spelled out:
“Certain ceremonies were always connected with these money-digging operations. Midnight was the favorite hour, a full moon was helpful, and Good Friday was the best date. Joe would sometimes stand by, directing the digging with a wand. The utmost silence was necessary to success. More than once, when the digging proved a failure, Joe explained to his associates that, just as the deposit was about to be reached, some one, tempted by the devil, spoke, causing the wished-for riches to disappear. …
Joe even tried on his New York victims the Pennsylvania device of requiring the sacrifice of a black sheep to overcome the evil spirit that guarded the treasure. William Stafford opportunely owned such an animal, and, as he puts it, ‘to gratify my curiosity,’ he let the Smiths have it. But some new ‘mistake in the process’ again resulted in disappointment.” (Lippincott’s Magazine, August 1880)
Money Digging Continued:
Smith’s neighbor, Joseph Capron said:
“Joseph discovered, northwest of my house, a chest of gold watches; but, as they were in the possession of the evil spirit, it required skill and stratagem to obtain them.”[2]
Alva Hale [Emma Smith’s brother] said:
“… ‘Joe Smith never handled one shovel full of earth in those diggings. All that Smith did was to peep with stone and hat, and give directions where and how to dig, and when and where the enchantment [evil spirit] moved the treasure.’” (Review of Mormonism: Rejoinder to Elder Cadwell, Amboy Journal (IL), June 11, 1879)
How it all Started:
Former Palmyra resident, Fayette Lapham, gave this account:
“I think it was in the year 1830, I heard that some ancient records [the golden plates] had been discovered that would throw some new light upon the subject of religion; being deeply interested in the matter, I concluded to go to the place and learn for myself the truth of the matter. … he [Joseph Smith] had a very singular dream; but he did not tell his father of his dream, until about a year afterwards. He then told his father that, in his dream, a very large and tall man appeared to him, dressed in an ancient suit of clothes, and the clothes were bloody.
And the man said to him that there was a valuable treasure, buried many years since, and not far from that place; and that he had now arrived for it to be brought to light, for the benefit of the world at large; and, if he would strictly follow his directions, he would direct him to the place where it was deposited, in such a manner that he could obtain it.” (The Fayette Lapham Account)
The Real Joseph Smith, Conclusion:
The real Joseph Smith was a man who, by looking at a seer stone in a hat, claimed that he could see where buried treasure was, and the spirit guardians watching over the treasure.[3]
Smith’s early stories of obtaining golden plates are almost identical to the money digging accounts he was known for in his day:
“Joseph, Sen. told me that the best time for digging money, was, in the heat of summer, when the heat of the sun caused the chests of money to rise near the top of the ground. You notice, said he, the large stones on the top of the ground — we call them rocks, and they truly appear so, but they are, in fact, most of them chests of money raised by the heat of the sun.” (Eber D. Howe, Mormonism Unvailed, 1834, p. 233)
The rocks Joseph Sen. claimed were actually chests of money are described in the same manner as the stone box that contained the golden plates:
“On the west side of this hill, not far from the top, under a stone of considerable size, lay the plates, deposited in a stone box. This stone was thick and rounding in the middle on the upper side; and thinner towards the edges, so that the middle part of it was visible above the ground; but the edges all around was covered with earth.” Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1845, Page 84 (josephsmithpapers.org) [edited to remove the words ages.]
Please send links to this article to those in need; together we can enlighten souls.[4]
Articles of interest:
■ Ten LDS Plot holes — Rich Kelsey
○ Joseph Smith Money Digging Accounts
■ Joseph Smith 1823 Bedroom Dream — Rich Kelsey
Endnotes:
[1] “The combined testimony from area residents, which is examined in detail below, identifies six specific locations in Manchester for Smith family treasure quests (see Map 2). The majority of these Smith-inspired digs date to the earliest period of Joseph Smith’s activities as treasure seer (1822-25), before his employment with Josiah Stowell in October 1825 and subsequent treasure searches in Pennsylvania and southern New York. One dig, which evidently occurred in 1827 on the Joseph Capron farm before Smith procured the Book of Mormon gold plates in September, is also considered.” (dialoguejournal.com/articles/the-locations-of-joseph-smiths-early-treasure-quests)
[2] Joseph Capron said:
“… Joseph discovered, northwest of my house, a chest of gold watches; but, as they were in the possession of the evil spirit, it required skill and stratagem to obtain them. Accordingly, orders were given to stick a parcel of large stakes in the ground, several rods around, in a circular form. This was to be done directly over the spot where the treasures were deposited. A messenger was then sent to Palmyra to procure a polished sword: after which, Samuel F. Lawrence, with a drawn sword in his hand, marched around to guard any assault which his Satanic majesty might be disposed to make. Meantime, the rest of the company were busily employed in digging for the watches. They worked as usual till quite exhausted. But, in spite of their brave defender, Lawrence, and their bulwark of stakes, the devil came off victorious, and carried away the watches.” (TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH CAPRON, Mormonism Unvailed — Eber Howe’s 1834 book, p.p. 260-261)
[3] “Mr. Stowell went to his flock and selected a fine vigorous lamb, and resolved to sacrifice it to the demon spirit who guarded the coveted treasure. Shortly after the venerable Deacon might be seen on his knees at prayer near the pit, while Smith, with a lantern in one hand to dispel the midnight darkness, might be seen making a circuit around the pit, sprinkling the flowing blood from the lamb upon the ground, as a propitiation to the spirit that thwarted them.” (Joseph Smith 1826 Glass Looking Trial / Jonathan Thompson Testimony)
And,
Joathan Thompson’s testimony of a lamb sacrifice: “… was declared under oath, in a Court of Justice, by one of the actors in the scene, and not disputed by his co-laborers. They then descended the excavation, but the treasure still receded from their grasp, and it was never obtained.” (The Joseph Smith Papers, Appendix: Reminiscence of William D. Purple, 28 April 1877)
[4] “Mormonism, as it is called, must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. He was either a prophet of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned, or he was one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. There is no middle ground … the doctrines of an impostor cannot be made to harmonize in all particulars with divine truth. If his claims and declarations were built upon fraud and deceit, there would appear many errors and contradictions, which would be easy to detect.” (Doctrines of Salvation, Joseph Fielding Smith, 1954, Vol. 1, p. 188)