SETTING: Winter 1829-1830. Comp Hist 1:165 Joseph had a revelation that Hiram Page and Oliver Cowdery were to go to Toronto to sell the copyright of the Book of Mormon to raise money.

RESULT: Unfulfilled!

They went, according to the revelation, but were completely unsuccessful. Joseph Smith “inquired of God” and was told that some “revelations” are not from God. David Whitmer reports this incident in his book An Address To All Believers In Christ, Richmond, 1887, photo reprinting by Utah Lighthouse Ministry, pp 30-31.

Even Joseph Smith had to admit that some of his “revelations” might be of man or even of the devil. Comp Hist 1:165. This is contradictory in concept to the Deuteronomy 18:22 test, which says that the failure of the test indicates that the prophet is false. Joseph Smith here implies that the prophecy may be false, but the prophet himself is apparently still a prophet. One might ask then, what good is a prophet?

Hyrum Smith, who was also a “prophet,” on Nov 1, 1831, commented about prophecy and said that “if you hit once in 10 times, that is alright.” [quoted by Abraham O. Smoot in 1868 at the Provo School of the Prophets] This also is a contradiction of Deuteronomy 18:22.

Note that the prophecies and promises which are in the D&C “shall all be fulfilled.” If even one remains unfulfilled, then this also is a false prophecy. D&C 1:37