What They Talk About: Joseph Ran a Scam Business?

[The Nehor]

Otherwise respectable people were engaged in treasure hunting but treasure hunting as a phenomenon was dying out at the time and was seen as charlatanism or a waste of time and resources because it really never worked.

Was Joseph scamming people? Maybe, but in general when it came to treasure hunting you hired a magician (the role Joseph played) when you were already looking. The magician didn’t usually organize the treasure hunt. The only time I can think of that we know Joseph did organize a treasure hunt is in the D&C when they heard rumors of buried treasure they thought would alleviate the debts of Joseph and/or the Church and they didn’t find anything.

[california boy]

I did find a little more documentation on what was going on.  Hope it helps to shed light on this subject:

 

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Hiel Lewis, a cousin of Joseph Smith’s first wife Emma Smith, spoke in 1879 of Joseph Smith sacrificing dogs during treasure digs:

"The facts are that the sacrifice of white dogs, black sluts, black cats, and such like was an indispensable part or appendage of the art which Smith, the embryo prophet, was then practicing. He claimed to possess the supernatural power of second sight, or to see things at a distance, and deep under ground, and his frequent references to "the enchantment," proves that he was a conjurer, a sorcerer, which Webster defines an "an enchanter," and sorcery as witchcraft, or intercourse with the devil....So we have no reason to doubt the truth of the statement about the white dog, and the black slut, and that something of the kind took place each time the enchantment removed the treasure. It is hard to believe that men of common intelligence could believe that Smith could thus see, and believe in his conjuration; be so foolish as to spend thousands of dollars in such a way; but Smith translated his book of Mormon, mostly with this same peep stone and hat....and it is just as hard to believe in this inspired translation as to believe in the fact and efficacy of his dog sacrifices....Smith translated the book of Mormon by means of the same peep stone, and under the same inspiration that directed his enchantments and dog sacrifices; it was all by the same spirit." (Early Mormon Documents, Dan Vogel, 4:308-309)

 

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Emily M. Austin, a convert to Mormonism in 1830, recalled Joseph Smith sacrificing a dog during a treasure dig on Joseph Knight’s farm:

“For in the time of their digging for money and not finding it attainable, Joe Smith told them there was a charm on the pots of money, and if some animal was killed and the blood sprinkled around the place, then they could get it. So they killed a dog and tried this method of obtaining the precious metal; but again money was scarce in those diggings. Still, they dug and dug, but never came to the precious treasure. Alas! how vivid was the expectation when the blood of poor Tray was used to take off the charm, and after all to find their mistake, that it did not speak better things than that of Abel. And now they were obliged to give up in despair, and Joseph went home again to his father’s, in Palmyra.” (Life Among the Mormons, Emily M Austin, 1882).

 

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Justice Joel King Noble, who tried Smith in an 1830 trial in Colesville, N.Y., wrote the following in 1842:

“An [anecdote]: Jo. (Joseph Smith) and others were digging for a chest of money in night could not obtain it.They procured one thing and another together with [a] black **** (dog). The **** was offered a Sac[rifise], [blo]od Sprinkled, prayer made at the time (no money obtained). The above sworn to on trial." (Letter of Justice Noble, dated March 8, 1842)."

 

 

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Joseph Capron, 1833 (Joseph Smith would conduct a dig on Joseph Capron’s farm in 1827): “I, Joseph Capron, became acquainted with Joseph Smith Sen. in the year of our Lord, 1827... The family of Smiths held Joseph Jr. in high estimation on account of some supernatural power, which he was supposed to possess. This power he pretended to have received through the medium of a stone of peculiar quality. The stone was placed in a hat, in such a manner as to exclude all light, except that which emanated from the stone itself. This light of the stone, he pretended, enabled him to see any thing he wished.... I will mention one circumstance, by which the uninitiated may know how the company dug for treasures. The sapient Joseph discovered, north west 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.” (Mormonism Unveiled, E.D. Howe, pgs 258-260)

 

[california boy]

I also found this in the Joseph Smith Papers.  It is the testimony of one of the witnesses at the trial.:

 

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People of State of  New York ,)

vs.)

Joseph Smith.)

Warrant issued upon written complaint 1  upon oath of  Peter G. Bridgman  who informed that one Joseph Smith of  Bainbridge  was a disorderly person and and an Impostor. Prisoner brought before court 20 March. Prisoner examined, says, that he came from town of  Palmyra  and, had been at the house of  Josiah Stowel[l] s in  Bainbridge  most of time since, had small part of times been employed in looking for mines,—but the major par[t] had been employed by said  Stowel  on his farm, and going to school, That he had a certain stone, which he had occasionally looked at to determine where hidden treasures in the bowels of the earth were, that he professed to tell in this manner where gold mines were a distance under ground, and had looked for  Mr. Stow[e]l  several times and informed him where h[e] could find those treasures, and  Mr. Sto[w]el  had been engaged in digging for them—that at  Palmyra  he had pretended to tell by looking at this stone, where coined money was buried in  Pennsylvania , and while at  Palmyra  he had frequently ascertained in that way where lost property was of various kinds; that he has occasionally been in the habit of looking through this stone to find lost property for 3 years, but of late had pretty much given it up on account of injuring his Health, especially his eyes, made them sore—that he did not solicit business of this kind, and had always rather declined having anything to do with this business.

Josiah Stowel  sworn, says that, prisoner had been at his house, something like 5 months, had been employed by him to work on farm part of time—that he pretended to have skill of telling where hidden treasures in the earth were by means of looking through a certain stone—that Prisoner had looked for him some times once to tell him about money buried on Bend Mountain in  Pennsylvania , once for gold on Monument hill, and once for Salt Spring and that he positively knew that the Prisoner could tell and possessed 2 the art of seeing those valuable treasures through the medium of said stone—that he found the digging part at Bend and Monument Hill, as prisoner represented it—that prisoner had looked through said stone for Deacon Attlton—for a mine did not exactly find it but got a (piece) of oar which resembled gold, he thinks; that Prisoner had told by means of this stone where, a Mr. Bacon had buried money, that he and prisoner had been in search of it; that prisoner said that it was on a certain Root of a stump 5 feet from surface of the earth, and with it would be found a tail feather that said  Stowel  and prisoner thereupon commenced digging, found a tail feather, but money was gone, that he supposed that money moved down—that prisoner did not 3  offer his services; that he never deceived him,—that Prisoner looked through stone and described  Josiah Stowel s house and out houses, while at  Palmyra  at Simpson Stowels correctly, that he had told about a painted tree with a man’s hand painted upon it by means of said stone; that he had been in company with prisoner digging for gold, and had the most implicit faith in Prisoners skill.

Horace Stowel[l] sworn, says he see Prisoner look into that strange stone, 4  pretending to tell where a chest of dollars were buried in Windsor a number of miles distant, marked out size of chest in the leaves on ground. 5

Arad Stowel[l] sworn, says that he went to see whether Prisoner could convince him that he possessed the skill that he professed to have, upon which prisoner laid a Book open 6  upon a White Cloth, and proposed looking through another stone which was white and transparent; held the stone to the candle, turned his back 7  to book and read, the deception appeared so palpable that 8  went off disgusted.

McMaster, sworn, says he went with Arad Stowel, to be convinced of Prisoner’s skill, 9  and likewise came away disgusted, finding the deception so palpable. 10  Prisoner pretended to him that he could discern objects at a distance by holding this white stone to the sun or candle; that prisoner rather declined looking into a Hat at his dark-colored stone as he said that it hurt his eyes.

Johathan Thompson, says that Prisoner was requested to look Yoemans 11  for chest of money—did look and pretended to know where it was, and that Prisoner, Thompson and Yoemans went in search of it; that Smith arrived at Spot first, was in night, that Smith looked in Hat while there and when very dark, and told how the chest was situated—after digging several feet struck upon something sounding like a board or plank—Prisoner would not look again pretending that he was alarmed, the last time that he looked 12  on account of the circumstances relating to the trunk being buried came all fresh to his mind, that the last time that he looked, he discovered distinctly, the two Indians who buried the trunk, that a quarrel ensued between them and that one of said Indians was killed by the other and thrown into the hole beside of the trunk, to guard it as he supposed—Thompson says that he believes in the prisoners professed skill, that the board he struck his spade upon was probably the chest but on account of an enchantment, the trunk kept settling away from under them while digging, that notwithstanding they continued constantly removing the dirt, yet the trunk kept about the same distance from them, Prisoner said that it appeared to him that salt might be found in  Bainbridge , and that he is certain that Prisoner, can, divine things by means of said Stone and Hat; 13  that as evidence of fact—Prisoner looked into his hat to tell him about some money Witness lost 16 years ago, and that he described the man that Witness supposed had taken it, and disposition of money. And therefore the court find the defendant guilty— 14 cost warrant, 19 cts, complaint upon oath 25.7 Witnesses 87½, Recognizance 25,  Mittimus  19, Recognizance or witness 75, Subpoena 18—$268. 15  [p. [1]]

View entire transcript

 

 

 

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I want to point out the part that I have put in bold.

I think the OP is very misleading in claiming that Joseph Smith was just there to help in the digging.  According to the court papers, Joseph Smith claimed to see a vision of two indians fighting over the treasure, a fight ensued and one of the indians was murdered and thrown in the hole to guard the treasure.  The excuse Joseph Smith gave about the chest now not being there?  It kept sinking just out of reach.  

This also states that the court found him guilty

The question I have is, do you all believe that Joseph Smith did in fact see the indians fighting by looking into the peep stone?  Do you really believe that the chest kept sinking into the ground just ahead of their digging?  Can you convince me that what is in the court documents is not a sworn record of what was claimed by Joseph Smith?

I don't really have an ax to grind on this subject, but when I read the OP, I felt like he was glossing over a LOT of what we do know about what happened and proping up Joseph Smith as some kind of day laborer who was just hired to dig as he was instructed to do.  That doesn't seem to be the case at all.  

 

Here is the link to the Joseph Smith Papers that has a record of the trial.

https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/appendix-docket-entry-20-march-1826-state-of-new-york-v-js-a/1

Edited August 27, 2025 by california boy

[webbles]

36 minutes ago, california boy said:

I also found this in the Joseph Smith Papers.  It is the testimony of one of the witnesses at the trial.:

 

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I want to point out the part that I have put in bold.

I think the OP is very misleading in claiming that Joseph Smith was just there to help in the digging.  According to the court papers, Joseph Smith claimed to see a vision of two indians fighting over the treasure, a fight ensued and one of the indians was murdered and thrown in the hole to guard the treasure.  The excuse Joseph Smith gave about the chest now not being there?  It kept sinking just out of reach.  

This also states that the court found him guilty

The question I have is, do you all believe that Joseph Smith did in fact see the indians fighting by looking into the peep stone?  Do you really believe that the chest kept sinking into the ground just ahead of their digging?  Can you convince me that what is in the court documents is not a sworn record of what was claimed by Joseph Smith?

I don't really have an ax to grind on this subject, but when I read the OP, I felt like he was glossing over a LOT of what we do know about what happened and proping up Joseph Smith as some kind of day laborer who was just hired to dig as he was instructed to do.  That doesn't seem to be the case at all.  

 

Here is the link to the Joseph Smith Papers that has a record of the trial.

https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/appendix-docket-entry-20-march-1826-state-of-new-york-v-js-a/1

There is debate on whether that is a true record of the trial.  In the summary about the 1826 trial ( https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/introduction-to-state-of-new-york-v-js-a/1 ), it says:

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Because of uncertain provenance, however, questions remain regarding the reliability of the printed document, and it is included here as an appendix item.

...[it describes how we get what we have]...

Without the original source, it remains unknown how accurately any of the published versions represents Neely’s original docket entry. The Utah Christian Advocate is featured here as it appears to be the most complete version of the text, capturing elements that were omitted from the earlier versions.

So, there is a possibility that much of what is in that document is made up.  We don't know.  It is definitely not an exact record of what happened.  So what was added, what was removed?  Take your pick.

[california boy]

44 minutes ago, webbles said:

There is debate on whether that is a true record of the trial.  In the summary about the 1826 trial ( https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/introduction-to-state-of-new-york-v-js-a/1 ), it says:

So, there is a possibility that much of what is in that document is made up.  We don't know.  It is definitely not an exact record of what happened.  So what was added, what was removed?  Take your pick.

Do you know why some believe it might not be authentic ?

 

[webbles]

1 hour ago, california boy said:

Do you know why some believe it might not be authentic ?

 

The provenance of the record is not very good.  Per https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/introduction-to-state-of-new-york-v-js-a/1, this is its provenance:

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According to later accounts, following Neely’s death the original docket book was inherited by his niece, Emily Pearsall, who served as a Methodist missionary in Utah in the early 1870s.18 At some point, Pearsall reportedly “tore the leaves” pertaining to the case “out of the record.”19 In 1872, British journalist Charles Marshall visited Utah, where Pearsall permitted him to copy the “original papers” of Neely’s “judicial proceedings,” which he published in Fraser’s Magazine in England.20 After Pearsall’s death in 1872, the excised pages passed to Episcopal bishop Daniel S. Tuttle, with whom she had lived in Utah. Unaware of Marshall’s earlier publication, in 1883 Tuttle published a transcript of the document in Philip Schaff’s Religious Encyclopaedia.21 Finally, in 1886 the anti-Mormon Utah Christian Advocate published a transcript of “the Manuscript” they had obtained from Tuttle. Although “the Manuscript” likely referred to the “original papers” torn from Neely’s docket, it is also possible that the term refers to a copy made by Tuttle. Each printing was apparently made independent of the others, as each contains unique omissions and errors. Without the original source, it remains unknown how accurately any of the published versions represents Neely’s original docket entry.

 

Additionally, the very last part ("And therefore the court find the defendant guilty") is very suspect.  We have the original itemized bill which doesn't include a charge for recording conviction, nor do we have any evidence that he was incarcerated.  There is a late memory of an attendee (William Purple in 1877) who remembers things that match with what we know but he remembers a discharge, not a conviction.  You can read his recollection at https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/appendix-reminiscence-of-william-d-purple-28-april-1877-state-of-new-york-v-js-a/1.  He also remembers different witnesses and different statements that are more friendly to Joseph Smith.

Edited August 28, 2025 by webbles

[The Nehor]

13 hours ago, california boy said:

I did find a little more documentation on what was going on.  Hope it helps to shed light on this subject:

Good info though I think the insistence in the first account that it was all devil worship is ridiculous and is just a bunch of leftover Puritan witch-hunter style nonsense where fools believed in an international cabal of devil worshipping witches out to overthrow Christianity because the End of Days was imminent. The spells and the magical battles associated with treasure hunting in New England (and in European descended cultures generally) involved calling on God and angels. Occasionally they mixed in some older pagan deities. In practice it appears no one or almost no one was calling on the devil for magical effects. This was true more generally. We have magical grimoires and spellbooks or necromancy and the like from this period and they almost always called on God or angels or saints or old pagan deities or even what to us would seem like an irrational mixture of religious traditions.

You can call it blasphemous or say that magic is sinful or whatever but that doesn’t make it devil worship. 

[SeekingUnderstanding]

On 8/26/2025 at 1:25 PM, Pyreaux said:

Cabot Phillips Really Stepped In It

Cabot Phillips, a conservative political activist and media personality, currently serving as a writer and editor at The Daily Wire.  Recently posted an anti-Mormon tweet because he believes a common conservative notion that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is harmful to society, aligning with his conservative views and political activism. 

A recent tweet while dunking on a normal LDS girl who claimed all churches have a shady past, the LDS church has the least shady past. She now has 1 million views on her tweet on X because of Cabot Phillips' reply to her:

"Before founding Mormonism, Joseph Smith ran a scam business using a magical ‘seer stone’ which he said directed him to buried treasure on people's property."

In 1826 he was put on trial for ripping so many people off.

In 1827 he just happened to dig up the "golden plates" that became the Book of Mormon.

Totally not shady!!!!" (@cabot-philllips, X [formerly Twitter])

Mormon Stories

I asked AI to search into this, it couldn't find the tweet, however the AI largely agreed with it. When I asked where the source for its information came from, it was all links from Mormon Stories webpages, with a blend of other primary sources that said no such thing.

What I see as happening is, there seems to be a resurgence inspired by The Joseph Smith Papers and Gospel Essays in which critics say the church changed its official tone from a denial that Joseph engaged in any Treasure Hunting, to supposedly admitting Joseph Smith operated a scam business, implying intentional deception and fraud. He used a seer stone (a folk-magic object) to locate buried treasure on other people’s land. The discovery of the “golden plates” in 1827 is insinuated to be just another 'treasure' story. Because that is more or less what Ex-LDS say about every Gospel Topic. As for AI, I'm sure like many non-LDS do, just thinks Mormon Stories is a source for information. 

Was there a Shift?

In the 2010s with the Joseph Smith Papers and Gospel Topics Essays, the Church supposedly shifted to acknowledge Joseph’s treasure-digging and seer stone use in a more open, contextualized way. But I don't see any past denials of treasure hunting nor mining, just not "money-digging", always distinguishing "treasure seeking" from "money digging."

B.H. Roberts (early 1900s, LDS General Authority)  in Comprehensive History of the Church (1902–1932), Roberts described "money-digging" stories but framed them as hostile exaggerations of his manual labor. Joseph "hired out to Mr. Stowell … to dig for the silver mine … for something like a month … they vainly sought to find the 'hidden treasure.'"

Joseph Fielding Smith (Apostle, 1950s–60s) in Doctrines of Salvation acknowledged Joseph's participation in treasure-seeking, Joseph F. Smith emphasized that it was a cultural phenomenon and not indicative of fraud. “Joseph Smith never was a money-digger. The whole story is a fabrication.” “Informed people do not dispute the fact that Joseph Smith searched for buried treasure. The disagreement is about what it means.”

The only "shift" as I read it, is the church officially calling out most arguments against all treasure hunting, as the Presentist Fallacy it is:

Judging 1820s folk practices by 2020s standards of scams or devilry, instead of understanding them in their own cultural and religious context. In the early 1800s, many respectable American people (not just Joseph) engaged in treasure-seeking. To dismiss it as “scamming” ignores the wider cultural acceptance and reduces it to a modern insult.

Critics proceed to exaggerate the evidence (Hasty Generalization) and misrepresent the church's admissions (Strawman). They also twist ambiguous facts into hostile certainty. There isn't hard evidence he scammed folk.

Joseph in 1822 finds a Seer Stone as a Youth

Historical sources (both friendly and hostile) agree Joseph found a brown seer stone while digging a well around 1822. It’s clear he experimented with it; looking for things, trying to find objects underground, and sometimes telling neighbors what he "saw." And before the Book of Mormon, he developed a positive reputation of success.

The important note: this was as a teen - long before he organized the Church. Early American folk practices weren’t unusual in rural New York.

Joseph Knight Sr. (an early, faithful believer) wrote in his reminiscences:

“Young Joseph … looked in the stone and told them there was a treasure.” (Dean Jessee, Early Mormon Documents, vol. 4, p. 15)

Joseph’s Mother, Lucy Mack Smith's memoir, she acknowledged Joseph’s reputation for looking into a stone and that the neighbors sought him for it.

She framed it positively: he was known for “having the gift of seeing” - not as a fraud, but as someone with a spiritual gift. (Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations (1853)).

Joseph’s 1826 Court Hearing as a Glass-Looker

Surviving bills and notes from Justice Albert Neely’s 1826 Bainbridge, NY examination calls Joseph Smith a "glass-looker" under his name, thought not his crime but rather to distinguish between all other Joseph Smiths. “Glass-looking” itself wasn’t a chargeable crime under New York law in the 1820s. What could be a chargeable offense was the much broader “disorderly person” statute in New York’s Laws of 1813, which allowed local justices to prosecute anyone who: pretended to tell fortunes or otherwise made money by deception.

He was never sent to trial, as we see there were no credible witnesses against him, but the documents show Joseph was at least publicly known as a glass-looker.

Glass-looking: A clairvoyant looking into a stone or glass, or other medium to try to see hidden things - often underground objects, lost items, or distant events.

(Wesley Walters, “Joseph Smith’s Bainbridge, N.Y., Court Trial” (1971), reproduces the actual bills and notes.)

Joseph was Not a "Money Digger"

Lucy Mack Smith (Joseph’s mother, in Biographical Sketches) said "Joseph … endeavored to divert [Stowell] from his vain pursuit … laboring for about a month. It was from this … that the very prevalent story arose of Joseph’s being a money-digger."

In Joseph Smith History, Joseph said that him being a "money digger" was a "rumor" started he was hired to dig for a Silver Mine. He was accused of being a "money digger" as a “charge brought against him” by critics, but he denied being what that implied: a fraudulent swindler.

There’s a big difference between occasionally participating in digging for a mine (a normal cultural activity) and being a professional “money digger” or scam artist. 

In early 19th-century New England, a "money digger" was generally understood as someone who: Claimed to locate buried treasure (often Spanish gold or pirate loot). Using any modernly non-conventional or supernatural means (peep stone, divining rods, astrology, etc.) to do so. They usually accepted payment or promised a share of the treasure if found, in exchange for their services.

This practice was widely mocked and stigmatized. By the 1820s, a “money digger” was as a derogatory label, similar to calling a psychic a fortune teller.

How it applied to Joseph Smith

Joseph had a Seer Stone he found in a well as a child, and by his 20s had a positive reputation for occasionally helping people find things with his gift.

An Ensign article states Stowell arrived in the Susquehanna area “carrying a purported treasure map” with a digging crew. 

A Church History Department interview transcript (Legacy radio) says Stowell “had a map of some kind” pointing to a Spanish silver mine. 

The silver-mine idea and location was already on Stowell’s radar, via a map, before Joseph got involved. He hoped Joseph would join. Promising nothing, Joseph just wanted to be paid as a digger, while Josiah may have hoped by just having him around would give him an edge.

The title of “money digger” was applied by critics to paint him as a fraud or charlatan, triggered by the events surrounding the 1826 Court Hearing.

Semantics Matter - Key Nuance

There is no source I've seen, that Joseph regularly took money just 'find' treasure, how do we know he wasn't just helping out of curiosity or folk faith, without payment, then he wasn’t technically a "money digger" in the economic sense - he’d just been part of a folk religious/mining activity that was common in his community. Mining isn't money digging. Joseph could truthfully say he wasn’t a “money digger” if by that, he meant “I wasn’t a fraud who lived off of deceiving people,” even if he once helped a man search for a silver mine. He became absolved of any wrongdoing by both the law and even Josiah himself, against accusations of Josiah's nephews.

1830 Palmyra Reflector (Newspaper)

It seems the neighbors only started sharing the 'negative' rumors in 1829 after Joseph found the golden plates. In 1830, the Reflector began publishing mocking reports about Joseph as a “money digger”. Abner Cole (using the pen name Obadiah Dogberry) disliked Joseph and in the newspaper parodied the Book of Mormon before it had officially released. Example: “This work [Book of Mormon]… is said to be a history of the first settlers of America, written by one of their prophets… translated from the golden plates by Joseph Smith, Jr., who has been known as a money-digger."

1834 Eber D. Howe’s Mormonism Unvailed

Eber D. Howe was a newspaper editor in Painesville, Ohio. In 1831–32, right after the Church’s move to Kirtland, Ohio, apostates and outsiders in Ohio and New York were compiling negative accounts from New York neighbors about Joseph Smith. Howe collected these reports and in 1834 published Mormonism Unvailed, the first major anti-Mormon book.

Mormonism Unvailed leaned heavily on affidavits gathered by Doctor Philastus Hurlbut, a disaffected Mormon.

These affidavits came from Joseph’s Palmyra and Manchester neighbors; Chase, Stafford, and Stowell families (of course not Josiah Stowell). They claimed Joseph was a “money digger” and “lazy", alleged that Joseph deceived people into believing he could find buried riches. I've seen nothing yet about being paid for just looking for treasure.

Howe was also the origin point of the debunked "Spaulding Manuscript theory" that the Book of Mormon was plagiarized from a lost unpublished romance by Solomon Spaulding. The dominate anti-Mormon argument for decades, though it has since collapsed (once the actual Spaulding manuscript resurfaced and bore no resemblance to the Book of Mormon).

It was Mormonism Unvailed that cemented the "money-digger" narrative in public discourse. Joseph himself pushed back: in his 1838 history he called such stories "folly and lies" used to discredit him. The critic kept the “money digger” stigma alive for decades.

2007 John Foxe and Wikipedia Editing Wars

As early as July 2007, John Foxe was a pseudonymous editor on Wikipedia was actively editing multiple LDS-related pages, including the First Vision article, pushing for sections on "treasure-seeking" to be included as the lead paragraph, even when other editors argued it was undue detail. Foxe created secondary accounts, like Hi540, later exposed as sock puppet accounts used in the editing wars. The masquerade led to a two-week Wikipedia suspension.

In the 2000s, Wikipedia became the first stop for casual research. Because Wikipedia ranks so high on Google, their framing disproportionately influenced journalists, students, and even lazy "scholars". The "money digger" gets "locked in" as neutral fact.

2010-2020 Ex-Mo Media Era

Platforms like Mormon Stories, CES Letter, and ex-Mo Reddit all take the “money digger” framework and lean hard into ridicule - and strangely they become a source, creating another loop: Where mainstream journalists and editors like Cabot Phillips are Googling Joseph Smith, find ex-Mo takes, then amplify it in their own articles and X feeds.

What make Cabot Phillips tweet striking is that even someone outside from Mormonism parrots this Ex-Mormon ridicule narrative as if it’s settled fact. That shows how effective the ex-Mo content machine has been. Cabot probably didn’t dig into the early sources, he likely picked it up secondhand through the ex-Mo ecosystem that dominates search and social media.

Ex-Mo echo chambers, each retelling added more certainty. What began as “Smith was accused of glass-looking” slowly became “Smith was convicted of the fraud of glass-looking” (though no conviction exists). Each loop hardened the language and erased nuance.

First it was Anti-Mormon books making exaggerated claims and quoting from and sourcing other Anti-Mormon books. Ex-Mormon forums, and YouTube amplified these recycled claims. Since digital platforms reward volume and repetition, these old, exaggerated claims got repeated thousands of times - giving the impression of being overwhelming facts.

Oh, The Irony

Ex-Mormon Critics often accuse the Church of lying to control the narrative but in reality the anti-LDS narrative has thrived through uncritical repetition rather than fresh evidence. Only when scholars, including the Joseph Smith Papers team, emphasize the need to go back to original documents because so much of the narrative was built on secondhand and thirdhand claims. The critics uses the documents the church published to claim the Church was hiding documents about Joseph Smith’s past because they’re too embarrassing or proves Joseph was a fraud.

The Church funded, compiled, edited, and published the Joseph Smith Papers Project, making documents like the 1826 hearing record publicly available. That’s the opposite of a cover-up: If the Church wanted to bury them, they easily could have. Yet the documents still don’t support the critics’ most pointed claims. The hearing transcript doesn’t prove fraud or scam. It shows a subset of neighbors arguing, a second-hand testimony, and a justice letting Joseph walk without a conviction.

Critics contently misstate it as a trial (it wasn’t), saying Joseph was convicted (he wasn’t), and claiming he profited by scamming (no evidence). The documents failed to condemn Joseph, yet ex-Mormon influencers accuse Joseph of fraud with no proof anyway and blame the Church for "lying" if they do not agree with their interpretation, and the Church "controls the narrative" through censorship.

When it's them who clearly controls the wider non-LDS public narrative that dominates public perception. They rely on lying exaggerations that the actual documents don’t support. If anyone is controlling a narrative by omission and distortion, it’s the critics, not the Church. The only reason we even know about these documents is because the LDS Church made them public. That undermines the very conspiracy claim that the Church lies and hides evidence. And the documents themselves don’t prove the fraud claim, so the critics are left propping up their narrative with recycled accusations.

I think the evidence that Joseph often participated in treasure hunts as the seer is pretty strong. See here: https://www.dialoguejournal.com/articles/the-locations-of-joseph-smiths-early-treasure-quests/

But perhaps the best evidence is the Book of Mormon itself which appeared with a guardian spirit (and many other hallmarks), and contains stories of slippery treasure sinking into the earth. 

[california boy]

14 hours ago, webbles said:

The provenance of the record is not very good.  Per https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/introduction-to-state-of-new-york-v-js-a/1, this is its provenance:

 

Additionally, the very last part ("And therefore the court find the defendant guilty") is very suspect.  We have the original itemized bill which doesn't include a charge for recording conviction, nor do we have any evidence that he was incarcerated.  There is a late memory of an attendee (William Purple in 1877) who remembers things that match with what we know but he remembers a discharge, not a conviction.  You can read his recollection at https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/appendix-reminiscence-of-william-d-purple-28-april-1877-state-of-new-york-v-js-a/1.  He also remembers different witnesses and different statements that are more friendly to Joseph Smith.

Thanks for the additional information.  It sounds to me like things are not nearly as black and white as either side is claiming it to be.  My takeaway is that there is a lot of hard evidence that Joseph Smith was far more than just a laborer hired to do some digging.  It seems to me he was hired specifically because of his claims of being able to find buried treasure through his magical stones.   It seems pretty clear that some kind of treasure hunting claim has a lot of documentation.  Just how deeply that claim is documented and the final outcome of the trial seems to be more elusive.

Is there any documentation that he actually EVER found treasure for anyone using his magic stone?  Or was it just a claim that Joseph Smith made up.

Part of me has always read these verses in Helaman as a narrative so similar to Joseph Smiths claims of treasure hunting slipping away just as they got close to it.  That concept in the Book of Mormon and in Joseph Smiths claims to be able to find slippery treasure seems to have no basis in reality for me.  It just seemed like the same kind of "cursed magic" that I don't really believe physically happens to things that are buried, even if they are treasures.  These are the verses I am referring to.

Quote

Helaman 13

31 And behold, the time cometh that he curseth your riches, that they become slippery, that ye cannot hold them; and in the days of your poverty ye cannot retain them.

32 And in the days of your poverty ye shall cry unto the Lord; and in vain shall ye cry, for your desolation is already come upon you, and your destruction is made sure; and then shall ye weep and howl in that day, saith the Lord of Hosts. And then shall ye lament, and say:

33 O that I had repented, and had not killed the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out. Yea, in that day ye shall say: O that we had remembered the Lord our God in the day that he gave us our riches, and then they would not have become slippery that we should lose them; for behold, our riches are gone from us.

34 Behold, we lay a tool here and on the morrow it is gone; and behold, our swords are taken from us in the day we have sought them for battle.

35 Yea, we have hid up our treasures and they have slipped away from us, because of the curse of the land.

 

The same concept of slipping treasure is also referred to in Mormon 1

 

Quote

 

18 And these Gadianton robbers, who were among the Lamanites, did infest the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof began to hide up their treasures in the earth; and they became slippery, because the Lord had cursed the land, that they could not hold them, nor retain them again.

19 And it came to pass that there were sorceries, and witchcrafts, and magics; and the power of the evil one was wrought upon all the face of the land, even unto the fulfilling of all the words of Abinadi, and also Samuel the Lamanite.

 

 

 

[Pyreaux]

On 8/27/2025 at 4:18 AM, Calm said:

CFR please.

At first, I was just going to show a case of disorderly person begins with sworn complaints. A Justice of the Peace conducts an initial hearing called an "examination" where testimonies are given.

John A. Dunlap, The New-York Justice (1815) - a widely-used New York JP manual laying out forms and procedure of a first appearance hearing for a disorderly person was: a complaint, a warrant, bringing the accused before the justice, an examination of witnesses, a decision to discharge, bind over, or otherwise dispose. Dunlap supplies the standard oaths and forms for witnesses and for commitments/bind-overs from a JP examination. (Primary procedural handbook used by NY JPs.)

Thusly, as it is in the Joseph Smith Papers—State of New York v. JS–A Introduction

"According to the manual, prosecutions under the disorderly persons statute were initiated by a complainant who described the alleged disorderly conduct under oath. Based on the complaint, the justice would then issue a warrant for the arrest of the offender. The statute outlined three methods by which a justice could convict an individual of being a disorderly person: first, ‘by his own view’; second, by the confession of the accused; or third, ‘by the oath of one or more credible witness or witnesses.’"

JSP Overview—Justice of the Peace Court Authority

'[Justices of the Peace were] conservators of the peace ... possessing authority to prosecute disorderly persons and to hold preliminary examinations to determine whether there was sufficient evidence that a crime had been committed to send the case to trial at a county-level court."

Justices of the Peace were ones who handled initial hearings for minor offenses. Their role was to assess whether cases should proceed deeper into the judicial system.

Now I found the other shoe.

The reason for the ambiguity

Since "disorderly person" was not like other criminal indictments that required a jury or trial. It just needed 2 or 3 credible witnesses to make a conviction, if the person fit the statutory definition of "disorderly." If the justice found the accusation sustained, he could enter a conviction on the spot and impose the statutory remedies (like binding the defendant to keep the peace, requiring sureties, or in default, jail).

So, it was both a first proceeding and, effectively, the trial, because it was so petty it didn't need a trial or a jury.

To put it in modern terms:

One gets a felony = preliminary hearing + grand jury + trial before a judge.

A petty disorderly person = one-step summary proceeding before a local magistrate.

That’s why we're arguing over whether Joseph Smith’s 1826 case should be labeled a "trial" (since there are trial-like elements like testimony and a decision without another proceeding, like an actual trial) or just a "hearing" (since It was the first appearance, there wasn’t a jury, and the justices of the peace was handling it summarily).

Edited August 28, 2025 by Pyreaux

[Pyreaux]

5 hours ago, SeekingUnderstanding said:

I think the evidence that Joseph often participated in treasure hunts as the seer is pretty strong. See here: https://www.dialoguejournal.com/articles/the-locations-of-joseph-smiths-early-treasure-quests/

But perhaps the best evidence is the Book of Mormon itself which appeared with a guardian spirit (and many other hallmarks), and contains stories of slippery treasure sinking into the earth. 

Again, there is no dispute Joseph Smith was associated with local treasure-digging culture in the 1820s. But the surviving accounts differ: some were from hostile critics, others are secondhand recollections decades later the Book of Mormon. Nearly all "failures" to find treasure seems to specifically refer to Josiah's silver mine. So, while there’s evidence he participated, the details (frequency, seriousness, whether he actually "led" any hunts, or paid for anything more than to just dig) are not fully consistent.

But what was First, the Chichen or the Egg?

Some of the "treasure guardian," "slippery treasure," or "vanishing gold" anecdotes about Joseph before the Book of Mormon were written down decades after the Book of Mormon was published and after Joseph had already become a figure of controversy. That means: It's possible the influence runs both ways. The Book of Mormon itself, once published, could just as easily have reshaped how neighbors, critics, and later storytellers remembered or described earlier events.

Historians note this problem. Richard Bushman and Mark Ashurst-McGee both point out that distinguishing between "actual treasure-digging traditions Joseph participated in" versus "stories retold after the Book of Mormon gave people a new interpretive framework" is very difficult. Some treasure stories may predate the Book of Mormon, but it’s equally plausible that some stories only took on their final shape because of the Book of Mormon’s publication and the cultural debates it sparked.

Native American Traditions

Who is to say the Book of Mormon people couldn't believe in slippery gold? Algonquian (Wabanaki) stories speak of stones or treasures that "slip back into the earth" if approached incorrectly. In Cherokee stories, spirit guardians protect sacred objects; attempts to steal them cause the items to vanish. (Stith Thompson, Motif-Index of Folk-Literature (1932–36), esp. D1825–D1829 ("Treasure sinks into earth when grasped improperly").

Middle Eastern Traditions

All over the Middle East were stories of treasure guarded by jinn (genies, demons of King Solomon fame), treasure that disappeared if the seeker breaks ritual rules. Jinn were believed to transport or sink gold to thwart humans. (Robert Irwin, The Arabian Nights: A Companion (Tauris, 1994))

The Science of Slippery Gold

While not magic, should I get the Tanners to remind you, gold is dense (about 19x heavier than water). In soil, or sand, or clay, heavy objects like gold naturally work their way downward through natural processes like; bioturbation, freeze-thaw cycles, rain wash and soil compaction over time.

This is why some pan for gold in riverbeds, gold tends to sink below lighter material and settle in cracks or bedrock. So, the belief that "treasure sinks" wasn’t just superstition, it had a real-world basis people could observe. I'm sure American soil has swallowed its share of ancient gold. I'm sure the Book of Mormon people could find such instances to be a very profound spiritual lesson.

[california boy]

2 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

 

 

The Science of Slippery Gold

While not magic, should I get the Tanners to remind you, gold is dense (about 19x heavier than water). In soil, or sand, or clay, heavy objects like gold naturally work their way downward through natural processes like; bioturbation, freeze-thaw cycles, rain wash and soil compaction over time.

This is why some pan for gold in riverbeds, gold tends to sink below lighter material and settle in cracks or bedrock. So, the belief that "treasure sinks" wasn’t just superstition, it had a real-world basis people could observe. I'm sure American soil has swallowed its share of ancient gold. I'm sure the Book of Mormon people could find such instances to be a very profound spiritual lesson.

I hope you can understand the difference between gold sinking very slowly over years, decades even centuries compared to claims that the gold was just out of reach when it sunk deeper into the ground and was guarded by some spirit.

 

And just because other cultures have similar mystical beliefs does not make it true.

[Pyreaux]

1 hour ago, california boy said:

I hope you can understand the difference between gold sinking very slowly over years, decades even centuries compared to claims that the gold was just out of reach when it sunk deeper into the ground and was guarded by some spirit.

And just because other cultures have similar mystical beliefs does not make it true.

I’m not arguing that there are or not spirits guarding treasure. It's what are the odds that the Book of Mormon would contain a 'treasures slipping away' motif. Perhaps, it simply shows it’s a more universal idea not just of 19th century Americans, hence its in other cultures. Or maybe it even could mean there’s a kernel of truth to the idea, and there are forces, natural or divine that makes buried treasure elusive. Maybe Samual or Mormon are purposely echoing any similar conditions in the "last days," and that included Joseph’s day. Like Isaiah often had dual fulfillment. Or Joseph translated the story in the language of his day, though the original plates said some other idiom (e.g., “your wealth will vanish”), Joseph could have rendered it in a phrase he understood "slippery."

Edited August 28, 2025 by Pyreaux

[webbles]

6 hours ago, california boy said:

Thanks for the additional information.  It sounds to me like things are not nearly as black and white as either side is claiming it to be.  My takeaway is that there is a lot of hard evidence that Joseph Smith was far more than just a laborer hired to do some digging.  It seems to me he was hired specifically because of his claims of being able to find buried treasure through his magical stones.   It seems pretty clear that some kind of treasure hunting claim has a lot of documentation.  Just how deeply that claim is documented and the final outcome of the trial seems to be more elusive.

Yeah, it is definitely not black and white.  The 1825 treasure seeking with Josiah Stowell has quite a bit of evidence.  There is the 1826 case that we are talking about.  There is also an 1830 case that brought up things from the 1826 case.  Joseph Smith talks about the experience though doesn't mention anything about the stone, but his mother does write about the experience and does say that Stowell specifically sought out Joseph Smith because "he was in possession of certain means, by which he could discern things, which that could not be seen by the natural eye" https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1845/102

That and the Golden Plates are the only two well documented case of treasure seeking.  There is a lot of other potential digs that Dan Vogel, D. Michael Quinn, and others have uncovered, but those are heavily debated as they don't have contemporary documentation and are almost always late retellings and usually from an antagonistic person.  Were there more than Josiah Stowell and the Golden Plates?  Probably but we don't have definite details.

7 hours ago, california boy said:

Is there any documentation that he actually EVER found treasure for anyone using his magic stone?  Or was it just a claim that Joseph Smith made up.

The only documentation that he found treasure is the Golden Plates, but then we can argue over whether or not that documentation is valid

[webbles]

6 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

The reason for the ambiguity

Since "disorderly person" was not like other criminal indictments that required a jury or trial. It just needed 2 or 3 credible witnesses to make a conviction, if the person fit the statutory definition of "disorderly." If the justice found the accusation sustained, he could enter a conviction on the spot and impose the statutory remedies (like binding the defendant to keep the peace, requiring sureties, or in default, jail).

So, it was both a first proceeding and, effectively, the trial, because it was so petty it didn't need a trial or a jury.

To put it in modern terms:

One gets a felony = preliminary hearing + grand jury + trial before a judge.

A petty disorderly person = one-step summary proceeding before a local magistrate.

That’s why we're arguing over whether Joseph Smith’s 1826 case should be labeled a "trial" (since there are trial-like elements like testimony and a decision without another proceeding, like an actual trial) or just a "hearing" (since It was the first appearance, there wasn’t a jury, and the justices of the peace was handling it summarily).

Yeah, it definitely wasn't a trial with a jury.  It was in front of a single judge.  But that judge could pronounce judgement at that point and have the person forced to hard labor for up to 60 days.  So, that sounds like a trial, not just an examination.  I think the modern term is a "Bench Trial" and is still allowed for crimes that have a low penalty (I think it has to be under 6 months).

[Calm]

46 minutes ago, webbles said:

It was in front of a single judge

I did not realize you could technically (not just lazily  ) call a Justice of the Peace a judge.

Quote

Justice of the peace (JP) is a title for a public officer authorized to preside over a local court of limited jurisdiction, referred to as a court of a justice of the peace. A justice of the peace is sometimes referred to as a “lay judge”, as many jurisdictions do not require JPs to be qualified lawyers.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/justice_of_the_peace_(jp)#:~:text=Justice of the peace (JP) is a title for a,JPs to be qualified lawyers.

So Justices of the Peace are at bottom of the judge pecking order, I guess?

 

Edited August 29, 2025 by Calm

[The Nehor]

5 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

But what was First, the Chichen or the Egg?

Some of the "treasure guardian," "slippery treasure," or "vanishing gold" anecdotes about Joseph before the Book of Mormon were written down decades after the Book of Mormon was published and after Joseph had already become a figure of controversy. That means: It's possible the influence runs both ways. The Book of Mormon itself, once published, could just as easily have reshaped how neighbors, critics, and later storytellers remembered or described earlier events.

Historians note this problem. Richard Bushman and Mark Ashurst-McGee both point out that distinguishing between "actual treasure-digging traditions Joseph participated in" versus "stories retold after the Book of Mormon gave people a new interpretive framework" is very difficult. Some treasure stories may predate the Book of Mormon, but it’s equally plausible that some stories only took on their final shape because of the Book of Mormon’s publication and the cultural debates it sparked.

No, the whole treasure hunting motif with a magical duel with slippery treasure was a common motif before the Book of Mormon was published. The Book of Mormon didn’t create it. I am not sure which is the chicken or the egg in this metaphor but whichever of them is the Book of Mormon came second.

5 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

Native American Traditions

Who is to say the Book of Mormon people couldn't believe in slippery gold? Algonquian (Wabanaki) stories speak of stones or treasures that "slip back into the earth" if approached incorrectly. In Cherokee stories, spirit guardians protect sacred objects; attempts to steal them cause the items to vanish. (Stith Thompson, Motif-Index of Folk-Literature (1932–36), esp. D1825–D1829 ("Treasure sinks into earth when grasped improperly").

True.

5 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

Middle Eastern Traditions

All over the Middle East were stories of treasure guarded by jinn (genies, demons of King Solomon fame), treasure that disappeared if the seeker breaks ritual rules. Jinn were believed to transport or sink gold to thwart humans. (Robert Irwin, The Arabian Nights: A Companion (Tauris, 1994))

 

Yes, and that is why you would hire a magician like Joseph Smith. He was supposed to battle the guardian in a magical duel to uncover the treasure.

5 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

The Science of Slippery Gold

While not magic, should I get the Tanners to remind you, gold is dense (about 19x heavier than water). In soil, or sand, or clay, heavy objects like gold naturally work their way downward through natural processes like; bioturbation, freeze-thaw cycles, rain wash and soil compaction over time.

This is why some pan for gold in riverbeds, gold tends to sink below lighter material and settle in cracks or bedrock. So, the belief that "treasure sinks" wasn’t just superstition, it had a real-world basis people could observe. I'm sure American soil has swallowed its share of ancient gold. I'm sure the Book of Mormon people could find such instances to be a very profound spiritual lesson.

It wouldn’t be something people would realistically observe. If it were the correct response would be to dig deeper. The magicians tended to not find the treasure and the treasure being slippery is a good explanation. Whether the magician believed the treasure or treasure guardians thwarted them or were just frauds playing up the guardians to explain their failure probably varied. The general consensus at the time of Joseph Smith was that they were frauds. Some still tried it of course.

[The Nehor]

Joseph Smith getting shocked by the plates when he tries to take them is consistent with the whole dueling with a treasure guardian trope.

[InCognitus]

On 8/26/2025 at 8:57 PM, webbles said:

It was a trial.  Witnesses were called and it was before a judge.  We don't know if he wasn't convicted.  There is evidence either way.  The bill doesn't mention any conviction but Stowell testified in 1830 that Joseph "escaped" from the officer in the 1826 trial which would be odd if he wasn't convicted in some manner.

And "glass-looking" for the purpose of discovering lost goods (such as hidden treasures) was a crime.  In his 1830 trial, Joseph Smith's lawyer called it "the crime of Glass Looking".

You can see actual bills and notes on line at https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/introduction-to-state-of-new-york-v-js-a/1.  Makes it easier instead of tracking down a fairly rare book.

There are Oliver Cowdery's letters published in the Messenger and Advocate, October 1835.  In his 8th letter, he includes the following related to this period of time, and for the charges of him being "a disorderly person", Cowdery says that Joseph Smith was "honorably acquitted":

Quote

Soon after this visit to Cumorah, a gentleman from the south part of the state, (Chenango County), employed our brother as a common laborer and accordingly he visited that section of the country; and had he not been accused of digging down all, or nearly so, the mountains of Susquehanna, or causing others to do it by some art of necromancy, I should leave this for the present unnoticed. You will remember, in the meantime, that those who seek to vilify his character, say that he has always been notorious for his idleness. This gentleman whose name is Stoal, resided in the town of Bainbridge, on or near the head-waters of the Susquehanna river. Some forty miles south, or down the river, in the town of Harmony, Susquehanna County, Pa., is said to be a cave or subterraneous recess, whether entirely formed by art or not, I am uninformed, neither does this matter; but such is said to be the case--where a company of Spaniards, a long time since, when the county was uninhabited by white settlers, excavated from the bowels of the earth ore, and coined a large quantity of money, after which they secured the cavity and evacuated, leaving a part still in the cave, purposing to return at some distant period. A long time elapsed, and this account came from one of the individuals who was first engaged in this mining business. The country was pointed out, and the spot minutely described. This, I believe is the substance, so far as my memory serves, though I shall not pledge my veracity for the correctness of the account as I have given it. Enough, however, was credited of the Spaniard's story, to excite the belief of many that there was a fine sum of precious metal lying coined in this subterraneous vault, among whom was the employer; and accordingly our brother was required to spend a few months with some others in excavating the earth in pursuit of this treasure.

While employed here he became acquainted with the family of Isaac Hale, of whom you read in several of the productions of those who have sought to destroy the validity of the Book of Mormon. It may be necessary hereafter, to refer you more particularly to the conduct of this family, as their influence has been considerably exerted to destroy the reputation of our brother, probably because he married a daughter of the same, contrary to some of their wishes; and in connection with this, to certain statements of some others of the inhabitants of that section of country. But in saying this I do not want to be understood as uttering aught against Mrs. Smith [formerly Emma Hale].

She has certainly evinced a decidedly correct mind and uncommon ability of talent and judgment, in a manifest willingness to fulfill on her part of that passage in sacred writ--"and they twain shall be one flesh"--by accompanying her husband against the wishes and advice of her relatives, to a land of strangers: and however I may deprecate their actions, can say in justice her character stands as fair for morality, piety, and virtue, as any in the world. Though you may say, this is a digression from the subject proposed, I trust I shall be indulged, for the purpose of satisfying many who have heard so many slanderous reports that they are led to believe them true because they are not contradicted; besides, this generation are determined to oppose every item in the form or under the pretense of revelation, unless it comes through a man who has always been as pure as Michael the great prince, and as this is the fact, and my oppressors have put me to the necessity, I shall be more prolix, and have no doubt, before I give up the point, shall prove to your satisfaction and to that of every man, that the translator of the Book of Mormon is worthy of the appellation of a seer and a prophet of the Lord. In this I do not pretend that he is not a man subject to passion like other men, beset with infirmities and encompassed with weaknesses; but if he is, all men were so before him and a pretense to the contrary would argue a more than mortal which would at once destroy the whole system of the religion of the Lord Jesus; for He anciently chose the weak to overcome the strong, the foolish to confound the wise, (I mean considered so by this world), and by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe.

On the private character of our brother I need add nothing further, at present, previous to his obtaining the records of the Nephites, only that while in that country, some very officious person complained of him as a disorderly person, and brought him before the authorities of the county; but there being no cause for action he was honorably acquitted.

Also, I'm surprised that nobody in this thread has mentioned Gordon A. Madsen's 1990 BYU Studies article titled, "Joseph Smith's 1826 Trial: The Legal Setting".  Is there something in his article that is outdated or viewed differently now given other documents that he didn't consider?

[Okrahomer]

On 8/30/2025 at 5:54 PM, InCognitus said:

There are Oliver Cowdery's letters published in the Messenger and Advocate, October 1835.  In his 8th letter, he includes the following related to this period of time, and for the charges of him being "a disorderly person", Cowdery says that Joseph Smith was "honorably acquitted":

Also, I'm surprised that nobody in this thread has mentioned Gordon A. Madsen's 1990 BYU Studies article titled, "Joseph Smith's 1826 Trial: The Legal Setting".  Is there something in his article that is outdated or viewed differently now given other documents that he didn't consider?

I had never seen this article before.  It's excellent.  

[InCognitus]

On 9/3/2025 at 8:55 AM, Okrahomer said:

I had never seen this article before.  It's excellent.  

It really is a good article, which is why I was surprised that nobody else mentioned it yet.  The context of the legal statutes of the day are essential to understanding what was going on and how to interpret the other evidence we have from the situation (such as the bill for services from Justice Neely and the bill from the constable), and how to interpret the supposed accounts of the "trial".  Madsen covered all the bases.

[Calm]

26 minutes ago, InCognitus said:

It really is a good article, which is why I was surprised that nobody else mentioned it yet.  The context of the legal statutes of the day are essential to understanding what was going on and how to interpret the other evidence we have from the situation (such as the bill for services from Justice Neely and the bill from the constable), and how to interpret the supposed accounts of the "trial".  Madsen covered all the bases.

Apparently there’s an updated version in a book published in 2014:

Quote

Happily, some of his important contributions are conveniently available in a newly published BYU Studies anthology titled “Sustaining the Law: Joseph Smith’s Legal Encounters,” edited by Madsen, Jeffrey Walker and John Welch. For those interested in Mormon history, the book offers rich insights. For any who are particularly interested in the legal history of Mormonism, it’s a treasure trove.

In this column, I will focus on two of Madsen’s significant articles.

His piece on “Joseph Smith’s 1826 Trial: The Legal Setting” first appeared in 1990, in the quarterly journal “BYU Studies.” Now updated, it’s been included in the anthology under the title “Being Acquitted of a ‘Disorderly Person’ Charge in 1826.”

With a single exception, scholars agree that Joseph was never convicted of any of the criminal charges that were often filed against him by his enemies. In several of those cases, in fact, he was officially cleared of wrongdoing. The sole possible outlier is an 1826 trial in South Bainbridge, New York, in which a sworn complaint was brought before Justice Albert Neely alleging Joseph to be a “disorderly person” — a misdemeanor under the relevant laws. Some have claimed that he was convicted of the charge, which proves him guilty of being an “imposter.”

Based on meticulous analysis of the surviving legal documents in their 1826 legal context, however, Madsen concludes that Oliver Cowdery’s later account of the case “had it just about right.” Cowdery, who himself served as a justice of the peace or practiced as a lawyer for roughly a dozen years until his death in 1848, reported that Joseph was “honorably acquitted.”

https://www.deseret.com/2014/8/14/20546458/2-legal-tests-of-joseph-smith-s-integrity/

And it’s available here:

https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/sites/default/files/archive-files/pdf/madsen/2020-11-30/04_gordon_a._madsen_being_acquitted_of_a_disorderly_person_charge_2014.pdf

Edited September 5, 2025 by Calm

[Calm]

Just came across another what looks like to be an interesting article by an individual (who I believe is a nonmember living in Utah, maybe exmember, maybe never member) examining the context of the glasslooker label.  Didn’t have time to read much of it though.

https://www.dialoguejournal.com/articles/cunning-and-disorderly-early-nineteenth-century-witch-trials-of-joseph-smith/

https://independent.academia.edu/ManuelPadro

He apparently has a BS in Anthropology, so seems like would be seen as an amateur.  Has invested a lot of time it would seem into this hobby.

Edited September 5, 2025 by Calm

[InCognitus]

57 minutes ago, Calm said:

Apparently there’s an updated version in a book published in 2014:

https://www.deseret.com/2014/8/14/20546458/2-legal-tests-of-joseph-smith-s-integrity/

And it’s available here:

https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/sites/default/files/archive-files/pdf/madsen/2020-11-30/04_gordon_a._madsen_being_acquitted_of_a_disorderly_person_charge_2014.pdf

Thank you, I wasn't aware of the updated version!

[Tacenda]

I didn't want to start a topic but did want to share this article that the pay wall was taken down. I thought it was interesting about Richard Bushman. https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2026/03/08/lds-historian-richard-bushman/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQlGS5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe4YxdTU3ZEPZBzKbcrRRAT4UMZs_R6ClKh8S-F_-5FFrn5k8L8jcWYhvaT5Y_aem_xRaTw8neV5XOW3tNlLsgTQ