Category: Joseph Smith

Was Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet, a complete fraud and licentious criminal, a brilliant but uninspired leader, or the real thing?

  1. Do Mormons Worship Joseph Smith?

    Reviewed by: Joshua Steimle on December 5th, 2011 Categories: Ask Me Questions, Joseph Smith Comments: 0

    In responding to comments on another post I did quite a bit of research on the question of whether Mormons worship Joseph Smith, so I thought it was worthy of it’s own post.

    The question seems to arise due to the amount of praise and attention heaped on Joseph Smith by Mormons. I won’t deny this is the case. We have pictures of Joseph Smith in our churches, we have lessons about him in our classes, we study his life, and we do honestly revere him. But we don’t worship him. Some quotes from LDS leaders past and present should

    … Read the rest of this entry »

  2. Do Mormons Believe No One Can Enter Heaven Without Joseph Smith’s Consent?

    Reviewed by: Joshua Steimle on November 28th, 2011 Categories: Ask Me Questions, Joseph Smith, Mormon Beliefs Comments: 52

    This question is sparked in response to a statement from Church President Brigham Young, who said “that no man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith. From the day that the Priesthood was taken from the earth to the winding-up scene of all things, every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are—I with you and you with me. I cannot go there without his consent.”

    It therefore seem fair … Read the rest of this entry »

  3. Joseph Smith – A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?

    Reviewed by: Joshua Steimle on March 31st, 2011 Categories: Answer My Questions, Joseph Smith Comments: 6

    Many have interpreted Matthew 7:15 which read “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” as applying to Joseph Smith, the alleged “prophet” of the Mormons. This scripture is often coupled with others mentioning false prophets, such as:

    Mark 13:22 – For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

    Matthew 24:24 – For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall … Read the rest of this entry »

  4. If Joseph Smith was a fraud where did the Book of Mormon come from?

    Reviewed by: Joshua Steimle on September 24th, 2008 Categories: Answer My Questions, Anti-Mormonism, Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith Comments: 395

    Critics say the Book of Mormon is not the word of God, that it is a fraud and false. So then what is your explanation for the existence of the book? It must have come from somewhere. Joseph Smith had an elementary school education and wasn’t known for having great writing skills. Did he write it on his own? Could you, even with the help of your college education and the Internet write such a book? Before you answer, have you actually read the book from cover to cover? The idea that Joseph Smith, or any other person or group … Read the rest of this entry »

  5. Joseph Smith’s Fulfilled Prophecies

    Reviewed by: Joshua Steimle on September 23rd, 2008 Categories: Joseph Smith Comments: 1

    Prophet prophesy, right? So if Joseph Smith were a real prophet, couldn’t we verify that by looking at his prophecies and seeing if they came true. Well yes, you can. However, far be it from me to do the research when somebody else already has, which is why I’ll refer you to Jeff Lindsay’s Fulfilled Prophecies of Joseph Smith page.

    There you can read Accurate Prophecies of the Civil War, The Saints to Flourish in the Rocky Mountains, and one my favorites, The Stephen A. Douglas Prophecy.… Read the rest of this entry »

  6. Joseph Smith’s False Prophecies

    Reviewed by: Joshua Steimle on September 16th, 2008 Categories: Joseph Smith Comments: 2

    Q: There are the many false prophecies of Joseph Smith.

    A: Which prophecies of Joseph Smith are you referring to as false? I can argue specifics but not general statements.

    Q: Joseph Smith said “that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book” (History of the Church, Vol. 4, page 461).

    Regarding false prophecies of Joseph Smith

    http://www.carm.org/lds/js_false_prophecies.htm

    A: When Joseph Smith said “the most correct” he wasn’t making a … Read the rest of this entry »