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DID JOSEPH SMITH MAKE PREDICTIVE PROPHECIES THAT CONFIRM HIS
STATUS AS A DIVINELY APPOINTED PROPHET?
Well, Joseph Smith and his acolytes certainly thought so and
so do his present day followers! The fact is that Smith made
many utterances that could be construed as prophecy or
predictive in some way. They were nearly all written down in
his many books and pamphlets, so a good place to look for them
is in his major works: Book of Mormon, Book of Abraham,
Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price, although he
did claim that the Book of Abraham was a translation
(done by him) of a newly found, but ancient document (as was
the Book of Mormon).
MEANING OF PROPHECY
Before we examine the above writings, it may be opportune to
look at what is meant by prophecy, for it depends what
interpretation is put on it what is adduced, one way or the
other. It is clear that present day adherents of the Mormon
faith regard many of their leader`s predictions as
conditional, i.e. they state or even suggest that
something may or should happen in the near (or distant)
future , the fact that it did not happen is no
contravention of the claimed (divine) status of their prophet.
Such is their belief. With this caveat in mind we can examine
the Smith documents.
The Church of Latter-Day Saints has many critics, many of them
denying the “divine” status of Joseph Smith himself, and
consequently of his predictions. The list is extensive of
“failed” prophecies which cannot be denied: events which have
signally failed to come true. This essay is not specially
concerned with these, but rather with those that did come to
pass. The Book of Mormon, claimed by Smith to have been
translated by him from sources revealed to him by an angel, is
full of so-called prophecies which in the fullness of time
have been shown to be fallacious. Of course there are
predictive statements in the Bible that strictly have not been
fulfilled and supporters of the LDS are quick to point these
out. Also, genuine prophecies . must be made in the name of
God, which Smith did not always do, although critics look upon
them as attempts at prophecy. However the sheer number
of unfulfilled “prophecies” made by Smith is perhaps the best
evidence that he was not “called” by God to do momentous work.
THE PLATES
Joseph Smith`s own explanation of his “divine “ mission is in
essence the one concerning the “plates” he was shown by the
angel, Moroni, which contained the revelations made to the
prophet Mormon by God. By the aid of Moroni but chiefly by the
agency of the Lord, Smith translated the Book of Mormon
(echoing the “inspired” writers of the Bible), and reflecting
the truths revealed to him by God. Or so he would have us
believe. Smith was himself conscious that several of his
utterances might be construed as prophecy; hence his well
known nostrum: “a prophet was a prophet only when he was
acting as such” (History of the Church: 5; 265) – which
narrows the field down somewhat. He made one other important
caveat re prophecy: nothing is to be taken as in any way
predictive if it is in conflict with what the Lord has
revealed.
It cannot be denied that Joseph Smith was very much a mortal
man with (many) faults. However he claimed to have seen a
vision of God when he was a teenager which set him on his
evangelican course. Later as a young man he “translated” the
Book of Mormon (by divine aid) which he and his followers to
the present day regard as sacred Scripture, (on a par with the
Bible) but in the eyes of LDS adherents more than the Bible as
it contains Joseph Smith`s own interpretations and
interpolations. Important as it is, the Book of Mormon does
not reveal as much of the dogma and beliefs of the
religion as the book of Doctrine and Covenant.. In it we read
of the supposed words of God; naturally very supportive of the
writer: “Behold, thou art Joseph and thou wast chosen to do
the work of the Lord....” (3;37) This is the current belief
(among adherents). In the History of the Church, 1, vol 5,
p. 516, Smith says : ..”I was called by my Heavenly Father
to lay the foundation of this great work and kingdom....” It
is therefore possible to think that either Smith was a
charlatan or was indeed a prophet of God. Maybe an examination
of the predictions he made will help us decide. No doubt the
words of Jeff Lindsay, an ardent apologist for the Mormon
faith, sums up the present situation well: “Joseph Smith was
as mortal as any of us, though he was a great and often
inspired man. He saw God, he translated sacred scriptures with
the power of God, he was ordained under the hand of angels and
he made many true prophecies of the future—but he was a mortal
man who lacked omniscience” (Essay on the Fallibility of
Inspired Human Leaders)
.
CHOSEN BY GOD
From this sentence. it is also equally clear that Joseph is
not regarded as divine, but that he was chosen by God
and that he did make true predictions. Therefore it follows
that if Smith was divinely appointed, his prophecies should
be genuine and finally fulfilled. The escape clause lies
in the acknowledgement that , however, Joseph Smith was
fallible---and only human!. In fact the issue of infallibility
comes up frequently in any discussion of the predictions of
Joseph Smith, leaving the reader with the impression that when
he was right he was divinely inspired but that when he was
wrong he was a fallible human being. However, it must equally
be understood that one unfulfilled prophecy does not
make a person a false prophet. On that assumption, Joseph
Smith would indeed be false.
There are various definitions of prophecy, most of them
warning of the dangers of a too literal interpretation,
especially when circumstances might change. Unfulfilled
prophecies from the bible are adduced in mitigation of the
charge that too many of Smith`s predictions did not
come true and that too few did come true. This I
venture to claim is the fundamental reason for attacks on
Joseph Smith and the Church he founded. However, wrong
interpretation (of Smith`s words) can enter into the
generality of judgement.
It is true that Smith did make some verifiable prophecies. But
many of these related to nugatory matters, such as the harmful
use of tobacco, dietary principles of nutrition, while some,
to be fair, were of greater consequence, such as forecasting
the outbreak of the civil war (American) , but likely to be
foreseen! the establishment of the LDS Church (now some 20
million world-wide) , and his own martyrdom (he had made many
enemies! As we have said above, Joseph Smith was not perfect;
he was fallible but this does not of itself debar Smith from
possessing the gift of prophecy. The point at issue is: was
Smith divinely appointed – or self appointed?
Clearly
Smith himself was conscious of the credibility of his
prophetic utterances. He did not regard himself as in any way
perfect (only God is this, he knew). He has a revealing
sentence in D & C, 132: 13-14, where he alludes to his
revelations: “And everything...that is not by me or by my word
...shall be thrown down , and shall not remain after men are
dead...For whatsoever things remain are by me; and whatsoever
things are not by me shall be shaken and destroyed.” An
explicit statement of self-belief indeed! But much of which
was misplaced. Critical comment has adduced about fifty
utterances which could be construed as predictive and which
did not come to be realised. (A list can be found in the
article by Richard Packham, to be located on the Web at:
http://
www.exmormon.org/prophet.htm
) This essay however is not about unfulfilled prophecy but
with what was fulfilled.
NATURE OF THE PROPHECIES
There are many foretellings in the oral and written words of
Joseph Smith. Some of these are about future events and
naturally Smith used the future tense when speaking of them ,
e.g. “will”, “would” and their variants. This is not
necessarily the same as saying (or implying) that he
“prophesied” the coming of future events. Again,
interpretation is the crux. It is largely a question of the
emphasis the utterer (Joseph Smith gave them. For example,
Smith did speak about the establishment of his Church in years
to come in a context that could be construed as prophetic –
(in so far as the prediction did come true). Other statements
alluding to future time often concerned people (he knew) and
predicted what they might do or become; these tend not to be
of great moment. Often the statements about future events were
little more than promises, which sometimes came true (but
which could be intelligently guessed at). Of a different
nature altogether, for example, is his stricture (or prophecy)
that false prophets will be thrown down: “For although a man
may have many revelations....yet if he boasts in his own
strength and sets at nought the counsels of God....he must
fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him. ” (D&C:
3;4) From this it is evident that Smith regarded himself as a
true prophet, but as is well known, possessing the gift of
prophecy does not make all utterances divinely inspired. His
prediction about the American Civil War did come true and was
possibly his “best”---(we have mentioned this earlier), but
whether divine inspiration was behind this...?
Another accurate prophecy is that concerned with the hardships
and tribulations that the early Mormon Church would face, but
whether a divinely guiding hand was at work is doubtful.
However, in his article “Fulfilled Prophecies of Joseph Smith”
Jeff Lindsay (mentioned earlier) writes: “Joseph never claimed
to be infallible, and no prophet is. He may have been
frustrated by the delayed fulfilment of some prophecies such
as the establishment of Zion in Missouri, which has yet to
come. But those who knew him well
knew that he was a prophet of God and those who have
examined carefully the prophetic Book of Mormon or Doctrine
and Covenant or Pearl of Great price will find abundant
evidence of heavenly inspiration”. High praise indeed, but all
may not agree with it. (We shall examine the Book of Mormon
shortly).
What Mormons do agree on however is that God gives direction
of (or to) the Church through the current President of the
Church. This is divine revelation. Heavenly inspired scripture
is contained in the BOOK OF MORMON whose prophecies we can
examine.. The Book itself is named after a prophet named
Mormon who was we are to believe the author of it; Joseph
Smith claimed to have translated the Book and it was then
published in 1830. According to Smith the Book is a
translation of an ancient text on gold plates containing the
writings of prophets who lived about 500 BC to 500 AD. The
last of these prophets was called Moroni who buried the plates
somewhere in what is now North America. Smith said he received
the plates from an angel (possibly Moroni now translated into
heaven) . However serious doubts have been expressed about
Smith`s version of events. Smith insisted that the Book was
translated under divine inspiration. Thus it is regarded by
adherents as evidence of the truth of the Church and that
Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet of God. The Book`s
ostensible purpose is to show what great things the Lord has
done for the House of Israel and to convince Jew and Gentile
that Jesus is the Christ. Cynics of course claim that it is an
attempt at justifying the existence of the new Church. The
Book itself is composed of books named after the prophet named
as author of the book. The books in the Book of Mormon are as
follows:
First Book of Nephi : his reign and ministry,
Second Book of Nephi
Book of Jacob – the brother of Nephi
Book of Enos
Book of Jarom
Book of Omni
Words of Mormon
Book of Mosiah
Book of Alma: the son of Alma
Book of Helaman
Third Nephi: the son of Nephi
Fourth Nephi ; the son of Nephi. One of the disciples of Jesus
Christ
Book of Mormon;
Book of Ether
Book of Moroni
There
are some thirty statements in the Book of Mormon which are
capable of being construed as prophecy but which have been
criticised as fallacious. A full consideration of these
statements (adverse of course!) is given in the article
“Skeptic`s Annotated Book of Mormon” obtainable on the web
site:
www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/BOM/pr/long.html
These criticisms, if valid, are devastating in an article on
prophecy in the Book of Mormon which purports to be one of the
most treasured texts of the Church of Latter-Day Saints.
It is however only fair to say that there are many/some
prophecies of Joseph Smith which were fulfilled. Whether
these were divinely inspired; indeed whether they were of such
a nature that the guiding hand of God was required is a
matter for debate.
ACCURATE PROPHECIES?
As we have mentioned perhaps the most significant of Smith`s
prophecies concerns the outbreak of the Civil War some thirty
years after he made the prophecy. (c 1830 and 1860) This
insight was given by God to Smith in a revelation.
In 1831, Smith prophesised that his church would establish
itself and prosper in the area known as the Rocky Mountains.
It was in Utah that the Church particularly flourished and
gained a great many followers.
In 1838 the LDS was singularly persecuted and Joseph himself
was thrown into jail. There he prayed for deliverance; the
Lord spoke to him assuring him of eventual comfort and
deliverance. Soon after, Joseph did escape, probably by
collusion with a guard.
Smith prophesied in 1856 that a close acquaintance, one
Stephen Douglas would occupy future high office . This he did,
but failed to achieve the highest. i.e. becoming USA
President.
Joseph predicted that there would be much lawlessness and
concomitant destruction in Jackson County, Missouri, thereby
saving life and limb of those who were going to enter the
County.
In 1838, Joseph and some of his followers were condemned to
execution. In the midst of their desperate plight Joseph
cheered his fellow captives and promised them deliverance.
This came true.
In 1829, Joseph Smith learned in a divine revelation that he
needed three witnesses to see the gold plates he was about to
translate. Smith picked three men ostensibly at random to pray
for heavenly guidance. Apparently this they received and
subsequently swore they were witnesses to Joseph`s
translation.
Parts of the Book of Mormon offer geographical detail –-since
verified as authemtic.
In 1833, Smith gave to the world his health guide, concerning
such as alcohol and smoking , and dietary principles, advanced
for his day but accepted today.
In 1836, Smith and a close henchman, Oliver Chowdery, declared
that the prophet Elijah had visited them to impart to them
authority for turning the hearts of children to their fathers.
Apparently this meant genealogical work by which children seek
out the names and histories of their fathers and forebears.
Liberally interpreted, this has come to fruition as
genealogical studies have from that day loomed large in Mormon
interests. The Mormon archives harbour the largest collection
of genealogical records in the world.
Beyond dispute are the fulfilled predictions of Smith
concerning the futures of some of his close colleagues.
Even reports of “miraculous” happenings are cited. One
concerns a woman who could not lift her arm. Joseph Smith it
appears went up to her and said: “Woman in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ, I command thee to be whole,” and from that
moment she obtained full movement of her arm. The story is
given in Early History of the Disciples by A.S. Hayden,
Chase and Hall, 1876. (The disciples being of course LDS
disciples.)
An interesting event occurred on the occasion of an
imprisonment of Joseph and one of his friends. Apparently,
Joseph had “visions of the future” vouchsafed to him as a
result of which he awoke his friend and told him of the right
time to make a bid for freedom, This he did and they both
escaped. (Reported in History of the
Church, Vol 3, p316)
In 1839, the Mormon Church was under renewed hostility, so
much so that Joseph sought guidance from the Lord with regard
to the best course of action. This involved a moving to
another geographical area. Under divine protection and
guidance the Church located safely.
There are others, mostly predicting the immediate future of
his colleagues, but they are minor and in no way could they be
described as divine prophecy. Maybe we should end this section
on a note commendatory of Joseph Smith. We can do no better
than quote the words of one of the most influential of LDS
scholars, Jeff Lindsay:
The scriptures Joseph
left us must be given special emphasis in determining his
status as a prophet. Hearsay , etc., ....may appear to show
false prophecies, but these are much less reliable ...than the
canonized writings we have where the claim of prophetic
influence is to be taken seriously. Prophecy in the Book of
Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, demand attention –and
respect, for they, like the other scriptures given through
Joseph, are prophetic indeed.
In Doctrine and Covenant, (110) there is a revelation
purported to have come to Joseph from God: “I am Jesus Christ
, the Son of God; wherefore gird up your loins and I will
suddenly come to my temple...” This was in 1830; the story
goes that the Lord did appear in the Church`s first temple,
soon after its dedication, in 1936.
It may be claimed that the growth of the Church was predicted
in the words given in D&C, 64;33, “Wherefore be not weary in
well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work”:
the words of God, revealed to Joseph.
Another revelation says that no-one against the LDS church
will prosper: “There is no weapon that is formed against you
that shall prosper”; LDS adherents claim that no-one has been
able to grievously injure the Church.
The enigmatic statement in D&C, (87;4) : “Slaves shall rise up
against their masters” is taken to refer to such as
anti-colonial riots and rebellions of present history,
In 1833, Smith gave a “word of wisdom” which warned against
the use of now considered harmful substances.
A statement by Smith in D&C : 98;6, seemed to suggest that
the USA Constitution was established under God`s influence.
(It has certainly survived!)
According to D&C, Moses appeared to some LDS followers and
“committed unto us the keys of the gathering.....from the four
parts of the earth”; this is taken as a prophecy of the second
coming of Christ: one of the main tenets of the faith.
Some/many of Joseph`s so-called prophecies are really
revelations of material items which were on the cusp of
generally accepted knowledge in his time. Thus what he said
about the nature of matter (nothing is immaterial) and the
motion of stars in the universe are more to be taken as
revelation than as prophecy.
Often Smith foretold his own prominence – via the angel Moroni,
message derived from God. He (Smith) had work to do he alleged
(from Moroni`s words): rewriting accepted Christian teaching;
cleansing present day practice.
As we have pointed out, Joseph Smith made predictions
concerning some of his colleagues, which mainly came true; he
forecast for example that Brigham Young would later preside
over the Church.
At one stage in early Mormon life, it seems there was much
dissent and quarrelling, so much so that Joseph predicted a
scourge among the quarrellers, unless they kept to the
commandments (of the Bible according to Smith). This they did
and the plague was lifted. (It might have gone away anyway.)
One of the most interesting events concerning Joseph Smith was
that purported to have happened in 1841. It seems that Smith
instructed a “dedicatory” prayer to be given by a follower, in
Palestine as it then was, precisely, on the Mount of Olives.
This is taken to foretell the eventual wholesale migration of
Jews to Palestine.
Some of the (alleged) prophecies of Smith are more in the
nature of premonitions, rather than predictions. There were
times when he believed something was amiss or not quite right
which was later proved to be a correct presumption. But in no
way could these be regarded as prophetical or predictive of
the future.
Perhaps nearer the mark is a statement of the early thirties,
in which Joseph Smith spoke of there being established in the
near future “stakes” in major cities of the USA. This did come
to fruition as the New York stake was established in 1934 and
other stakes followed in other cities. (A “stake” in LDS
parlance means an organised or administrative unit of the
Church, parallel to say a diocese in the Catholic Church.)
Maybe we should end this section with a significant entry! In
the summer of 1844 there is a “prophecy” made by Smith of his
own death! This is taken from the History of the Church (one
of the basic books of the Mormon Church) where Smith says the
following: “I told that if Hyrum [ a colleague] and I were
ever taken again we should be massacred, or I was not a
prophet of God.”
Soon after Smith met his death
COMMENT
I have adduced all the evidence I can find in an attempt to
answer the question posed in the essay title. I remain
unconvinced that Joseph Smith was indeed a divinely appointed
prophet. Mostly, we have his word for it – but not only his
word. There is for example the evidence of some of his
contemporaries whose interpretation of Smith`s words and
actions which seem to testify to the predictive or prophetic
gifts of Joseph Smith. Some of this testimony is given above.
Often his own words reveal a deep belief in his powers. Real
prophecy is more than intuition. Examining the above it is not
seldom that the thought occurs: is this really prophecy or
just a thoughtful guess at the future. Much of it seems
directed at minor matters which it is hard to belief needs
divine guidance or motivation .Of course he is regarded by
millions as a true prophet divinely appointed.
The LDS church flourishes. But speaking personally I am not
convinced by the prophecies which with some exceptions seem
not to be real prophecy. I have tried to answer the question
regarding what is true prophecy. I do not think it should be
concerned with prognostifications about the future careers of
someone or about happenings which would not be of any
particular moment. As Smith claims divine authority for his
work it is fair that we can refer to biblical prophecies as a
yardstick. I am not saying that all prophecies in the bible
were fulfilled, but at least most of them were (unlike those
of Smith) and they related to important events that often did
occasion fundamental change.
That Smith was convinced of his “chosen” status as a religious
leader who would as it were cleanse the religious Augean
stables of centuries of obfuscation and indeed corruption,
there is little doubt. The doubt is entertained by others (who
are not LDS followers).. Is his status that of a divinely
appointed prophet? I think not. However let us look at the
foregoing more closely and then judge.
THE PROPHECIES CONSIDERED
They do vary in gravity; with this proviso in mind it is
possible to come to the conclusion that often the barrel is
being scraped – by members of Smith`s Church. Nevertheless
some of the items in the above list are introduced by
statements that relate to heavenly provenance; for example,
when the instance begins with such as: learned in a divine
revelation; the prophet Elijah; by the power of God [healing]
; seeking guidance from God; I am Jesus Christ; words of God;
appearance of Moses; the angel Moroni. Thus there are eight
adduced that refer specifically to heavenly guidance or
inspiration. This also leaves some thirty that do not. It is
not however justified to dismiss the thirty as too mundane or
worse, of no great significance; just as it is not justified
to adjudge the others as of greater moment than the rest. We
need to look at them individually and try to put them in
context with what we know. This we shall now do.
The first “prophecy” in our list is concerned with predicting
the American Civil War. This prophecy did come true, but
whether it was by divine inspiration, as usually adduced, is
problematical. Could anyone have seen it coming? I tend
to think so
The prediction that the Church would be established and grow
in several parts of America certainly denotes confidence in
his own movement but was this prophecy as it is general
known. Possibly; or wishful thinking? This could perhaps be
given as positive evidence of Joseph`s power?
When Joseph Smith was imprisoned, awaiting probable execution,
he later claimed that Jesus Christ spoke to him and gave him
words of encouragement, In the event, Smith did escape.
This could be cited as some proof of Joseph being a “chosen
one” by God, but as an instance of genuine prophecy it
falls far short. In hindsight it is seems like a
recollection.
Here there is alleged evidence of Smith`s ability to foresee
the future, where he foretells (prophesies) the rise to
prominence of a colleague. He was right over this but I cannot
equate it with heavenly guidance!
We are told that Smith did forecast lawlessness and
destruction in Jackson County, thus preventing a body of his
supporters from going there and meeting their fate.
Again we may query whether this was common sense or real
prophecy.
Yet again, Joseph and some of his followers were awaiting
execution when he sought comfort from God, cheered his
companions and later all escaped. Is this an example of
prophecy? It was undoubtedly a correct inspiration – but
anything more?
It was revealed (by heavenly agency) to Joseph that he would
need witnesses to the authenticity of the gold plates and his
translation of them, so he gathered three people (whether
known to him is not clear) who later testified in writing to
this very act. Was Joseph guided by God in his surmise—that he
would need witnesses?
The Book of Mormon is attacked because of seemingly
inaccuracies in geographical detail. However, it does seem ,
according to present day researches, that much ( if not all)
the geographical references are authentic. Joseph could not
possibly have known much of biblical geography at that time.
Perhaps a plus point for Smith!
Much has been made (I believe too much) of Smith`s warnings
and strictures concerning health matters. Do you need to be a
prophet to deliver these warnings?
The episode where Smith and others “saw” the prophet Elijah,
instigated the interest in matters genealogical, when Elijah
spoke of children seeking out their fathers. This is taken to
mean the delving into family records. This certainly bore
fruit as the LDS genealogical records are huge. Maybe this is
one piece of heavenly guidance that is credible.
Possibly most puzzling of all is the incident where it is
reported that Joseph by the power of God healed the paralysed
arm of the woman. More instances of Smith`s healing power
would not have gone amiss in verification of his “divine”
status; even so, these could not have been considered
prophecy.
On another occasion when Smith and companions were
incarcerated (according to the Church accounts this seemed to
occur quite frequently) he saw a vision of the future (must
have been by heavenly agency) which betokened an opportune
time to make an escape. This wisdom was conveyed and all
ultimately escaped. More testimony to Joseph`s special status?
One time it became clear to Joseph that his movement was under
some threat. He sought the guidance of God which was to
relocate. This he did which was beneficial. Perhaps this also
adds to the esteem Joseph is held in by his followers. But is
the reporting of this episode accurate?
A revelation from God? Joseph was told that “I Jesus Christ”
will appear in “my temple” According to Mormon history Christ
did appear in the Church temple, much later. This was
undoubtedly in the nature of a prophecy which, if all is to be
believed, did come true
.
The next one we shall consider is similar to one of the
earlier ones, predicting the growth of Mormonism and its
churches. Is this prophecy or merely anticipating the obvious;
but it may not have been so obvious in the 1830s.!
Smith prophesised that no-one would prosper who harmed his
Church. Although there have been, and are, many critics of the
LDS, those who wish to do the Church actual harm are as yet
unknown to history. More in the nature of a threat than a
prediction?
One of Smith`s forecasts concerns the revolt among “slaves” as
well as unrest in certain counties. This can only be
interpreted if later anti-colonial unrest combined with
aspirations for freedom are considered. Was this prophecy?
There was later some unrest and trouble.
Possibly one of the strangest predictions, prophecies or what
you will, is the statement made by Joseph Smith that in all
probability the Constitution of the USA was (to be)
established under the guidance of the Lord. This, if it is a
prophecy, can never be verified (or denied): it is a statement
one can accept -or reject.
I realise the danger of repetition; but as Smith often
proclaimed the futures of his close followers, I could
re-emphasise. These could be considered as prognostications
and as one utterance concerned a future leader of the Mormon
Church, Brigham Young, some of them are not without
significance. But again, I can not see the hand of God
displayed in this.
On the occasion of Moses appearing to Smith and some
followers., it seems some words were uttered by the patriarch
which were interpreted as prophesying the Second Coming of
Christ (something which the Mormon Church eagerly awaits) .
Clearly this has not happened yet. But as we do not know the
time scales involved, it might yet happen – and one of Smith`s
prophecies (by proxy) may come true.
It is quite common nowadays to claim (by LDS supporters) that
Smith was well before his time in scientific as well as
religious matters. His comments on the universe and on the
nature of matter, were perhaps somewhat avant-guarde for his
time, but to be fair,they have been borne out by present
study,
But they were not prophecy.
Smith, via the angel Moroni, foretold his own prominence and
his mission in life. He did become a prominent figure and
established a new religion. Has this the ring of true
prophecy? No doubt more than most of his utterances. Cynics
might however claim: he would say this, wouldn`t he?!
At one stage there was a good deal of unrest and indeed
dissent among Smith`s disciples. He predicted a scourge of
some kind would come upon them unless they abided by “his”
commandments. His prophecy seemed to be taken seriously as
they did change their behaviour and the plague (for such it
was) did not take a hold. There is a strong spiritual element
seen in this perhaps which it may be thought to be lacking in
some other predictions.
An intriguing episode occurred in 1841 when for some reason
Smith ordered a dedicatory prayer be said by one of his
followers. The portend of this is, according to Mormon
historians, that Smith foresaw the later mass migration of
Jews to Palestine. The prayer was given on the Mount of
Olives. If this interpretation is correct then Smith`s
prophecy was fulfilled.
In the mid 1830s Joseph Smith stated that “Stakes” would be
established throughout America. He was right in this prophecy
or prediction; they were. The Church did grow very
substantially. (Just a reminder: “Stakes” in Mormon parlance
are religious communities: equivalent to a diocese.)
Finally, perhaps one we cannot argue with! In 1844, Smith
declared that if he were to be captured again he would be
killed – or he was not a prophet of God. Soon after
this utterance, he was slain by a gunshot. Did this
prove he was a divine prophet? If it were a prophecy it
certainly came true!
CONCLUSION
I would state categorically that Joseph Smith did not
make prophecies that confirm his status as a divinely
appointed prophet. Many of the items given above are common
sense or hopeful predictions. (I have tried to seek out
anything that could remotely be considered as prophetic.) I
believe I have done him more than justice on this score.
Some are almost banal; but this does not stop them being cited
(by some) as testimony to Smith`s preternatural powers. A few
may be considered as border-line true prophecies, but even
these strain credulity. Maybe those predictions that quote
heavenly or biblical figures can with some leniency be
believed in. One or two could result from heavenly motivation
or instigation. But they are few. My conclusion is that Joseph
Smith was no divinely inspired prophet; he may on occasion
have displayed a talent for futuristic utterance; he was
without doubt a remarkable man who could convince others who
were of uncommitted faith i.e. those looking for guidance.
However from the evidence above, I remain unconvinced of
Joseph Smith`s genuine gift of prophecy
.
Finally one observation: as with so much of history we are at
the mercy of contemporary or near contemporary scribes, and/or
later commentators. Some may be biased either way; some may
have an axe to grind. Often we do not know of the authenticity
or reliability of the sources we read or rely on. This is as
true of material about Joseph Smith as it is, alas , about
some historical figures – including those of the Bible.
WHAT WAS THE MORMON CHURCH`S ORIGINAL DOCTRINE ABOUT
AFRICAN-AMERICANS?
Originally, the doctrine was racist. But this bald
statement needs to be modified and indeed explained. The first
thing to do is to put this attitude (to African-Americans ) in
context; in the milieu of the time. We know that Joseph Smith
began to rise to prominence in a religious sense, about 1830
in an age that took for granted the legitimacy of slavery and
therefore the inferiority of black people. Reinforcing this
attitude was the importance of the biblical story (at least to
religious minds) concerning the “seed of Cain” : Cain who was
the murderer of his brother Abel and who therefore God cursed
with a black skin. It was believed by members of the fledgling
Mormon Church that ,it followed, black people were descended
from the sinner Cain. It is from this perspective that we need
to examine the statement.
A RACIST SOCIETY
We also need to remember that racist policies in general had
for a long time flourished in America. These policies were
societal as well as religious. These were certainly in place
in Joseph Smith`s time so maybe it is not surprising that the
early Mormon Church reflected these attitudes. It must however
also be noted that black Americans were not barred from
membership of the Church but were barred from religious
office in the Church, especially the priesthood. Nevertheless,
many black people joined the church; maybe they took racist
attitudes for granted as well!
Joseph Smith himself initially
was anti-abolitionist, i.e. for the retention of slavery. If
he harboured notions of setting negroes free, he could not be
overt about this, and in fact, preached the importance of
working the land which then necessitated servitude. Biblical
authority seemed to be on his side too as we are told that Ham
(one of the sons of Noah) “begat” Canaan who would be cursed
(by God) and become a servant of servants. The accepted belief
of the age among both Christians and Jews was that the
African races were descended from Ham or Canaan and were
destined to be slaves. After all, they had been cursed by God!
So initially, the Church`s attitude to black people was
inimical –but was modified over the years (of Smith`s
lifetime) – when he perceived it to be politic to change. To
be fair to Smith, however, it does seem as if he did not
actually mention African-Americans in connection with their
greatest disadvantage ( in Church membership) – barring from
the priesthood. It appears that Joseph Smith did actually
ordain an African-American to the priesthood in 1836.
Whether this action was from genuine conviction or was an
example of tokenism we do not know. Perhaps to encourage the
others!
INFLUENCE OF BRIGHAM YOUNG
After some liberalisation of the
racist attitude, and after Joseph Smith`s death the incoming
President Brigham Young reverted to a full proclamation of the
belief that Blacks were indeed descended from Cain via Ham and
were therefore “cursed” (possessing the “mark” of Cain: a
black skin!) Under Young `s Presidency, strict interpretation
of the Gospel passages that seemingly condemn blacks to an
everlasting serfdom was the order of the day. He believed
implicitly in the doctrine of prohibition from the priesthood.
Only a decree or revelation from God could alter this.
Apparently this never came,
There was to be no quick answer
to the dilemma facing the Mormon Church: racial discrimination
was not as virulent or prevalent by the early 20th
century and movement was growing for the acceptance of
African-Americans to the Mormon priesthood. Even so, it was
not until the publication of a book called THE WAY TO
PERFECTION (1931) by the tenth President. Joseph Fielding
Smith that matters vis-a- vis the priesthood began to be
resolved. Apart from examining the current issues, the book
propounded the theory that African-Americans from premortal
eras had been unreliable: i.e. that even in the time of war in
heaven they had favoured Lucifer`s cause but had been too
cowardly to openly rebel. This theory was accepted with great
enthusiasm by the body of the Church as more rational than the
existing doctrine (which seemed somewhat arbitrary). It was
felt that Joseph Fielding Smith had addressed (and solved) a
theological problem. The problem was that Fielding Smith`s
book had done very little to resolve the question as to who
should actually receive the priesthood.
CHANGING ATTITUDES
In the early days of the Mormon
Church its membership was mainly in the northern states of
America, but as its evangelising work spread to the southern
states the problem of discrimination came to the fore. Much
activity took place in Missouri, one of the “slave states”, so
much so that the exclusion issue became acute. One of the
“difficulties” was that although practice suggested otherwise,
there was actually nothing written down of a racist nature in
Mormon “Bibles”, in such as the Doctrine and Covenant”.
As we have said earlier, discrimination was strengthened by
the second President Brigham Young , who for example was
reported as replying to the question: “What chance is there
for the redemption of the negro?” with the rejoinder: “The
Lord has cursed Cain`s seed with blackness and prohibited
them the priesthood.” Also when asked if the spirits of
negroes were neutral in heaven, Young replied, “No they were
not; there were no neutral spirits in heaven at the time of
the rebellion; all took sides. All spirits are pure that came
from the presence of God.”
It has to be remembered that at
this time, the South believed that the Bible did
acknowledge slavery as permissible; however to balance this
belief is the fact that the Book of Mormon and the
Doctrine and Covenant did condemn slavery . But at
the time these were voices crying in the wilderness. Joseph
Smith was indeed anti slavery even if blacks were not
worthy enough in his eyes to aspire to the priesthood. Smith
and the other early Presidents regarded themselves as Prophets
of God so it is a mystery that they ignored the pertinent
passage in Galations where Paul writes: “There is neither Jew
nor Greek , there is neither bond nor free, there is neither
male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus”(3;28).
The tenets of pre-existence and skin colour form the basis of
early Mormon belief in the inferiority of black races. There
is nothing in the Bible which supports this belief. However,
different “break-away” groups of the Mormon Church have
different practices. Some have always allowed black people to
hold high office, while others continue racist practices.
DESCENDANTS OF CAIN
The first written reference to
dark skin is to be found in the Book of Mormon, in the chapter
on Nephi (mentioned earlier) where it is explained that those
who rebelled against God were called Lamanites and those who
supported were called Nephites. The mark of Cain was put upon
the Lamanites, that is a black skin, and by analogy all of
negroid race were held to be descendants of the sinful Cain.
It must be pointed out though that the Book of Mormon did not
support the theory that God had cursed the black race. The
position seems to be that the Mormon hierarchy originally
supported the system of slavery, but later changed its mind,
Joseph Smith being one of them, while at the same time
prohibiting African-Americans from attaining the highest
office of the priesthood. Membership itself of the Church we
may remind ourselves was never denied on the ground of race.
Certainly in the 1830s it does
seem as if Joseph Smith was definitely a supporter of slavery
but by the 1840s he had become strongly anti-slavery. But this
does not necessarily mean that Smith was in general
sympathetic to the basic worthiness or equality of blacks.
When asked what he thought of the then prevalent situation of
blacks, he is reputed to have replied, “They came into the
world slaves mentally and physically....had I anything to do
with the negro, I would confine them by law to their own
species...” (History of the Church, Vol 5,). Attitudes
have now certainly changed. The main LDS Church has at present
a strictly no tolerance stance regarding racial
discrimination; and in 1978 declared that a divine revelation
had been received forbidding further discrimination of any
kind in the Church. As we have mentioned however, other
branches of the Mormon Church have different practices with
regard to discrimination. Male African-Americans can
now be admitted to the Mormon priesthood.
A fitting conclusion to this
essay is provided by the passage in the Bible (Genesis) which
the first Mormons believed gave them authority for their
(racist) attitude to African-Americans. The passage is seen in
9;20-27:
Noah was the first
tiller of the soil. He planted a vineyard, and he drank of the
wine, and became drunk. He lay uncovered in his tent. Ham, the
father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his
two brothers outside. Then Shem and Japheth took a garment,
laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and
covered the nakedness of their father; their faces were turned
away and they did not see their father`s nakedness. When Noah
awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to
him, he said.
Cursed be Canaan: a
slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers.
Blessed by the Lord
my God be Shem, and let Canaan be his slave.
God enlarge Japheth,
and let him dwell in the tents of Shem;
And let Canaan be his
slave. |
