Joseph Smith - Prophet? Part 4

In this post we will look at eleven more prophecies by Joseph Smith and examine whether or not they came true.

This first one was cited in Fawn Brodie’s book, No Man Knows My History, on p. 195, and is recorded in The Millennial Star, vol. 19, p.343. 

18.  "The Kirtland Bank was said to have been established by a revelation from God [in late 1836], and rumor skipped through the town that the prophet had predicted that like Aaron's rod it would swallow up all other banks 'and grow and flourish, and spread from the rivers to the ends of the earth, and survive when all others should be laid ruins.'"

[Footnote] "According to Warren Parrish, who succeeded Joseph as cashier of the bank, in a letter dated March 6, 1838, published March 24, 1838 in Zion's Watchman.  This letter was certified to be a statement of fact by Luke Johnson and John F. Boynton (former apostles) and Sylvester Smith and Leonard Rich (former seventies)."

What was the final disposition of the Kirtland Bank?  It failed within a fairly short time.  Was this in accordance with the prophecy?  Absolutely not - the prophecy failed.

19.  D&C Section 111 (Aug. 6, 1836 in Salem, MA): “I have much treasure in this city for you, for the benefit of Zion, and many people in this city, whom I will gather out in due time for the benefit of Zion, through your instrumentality.... And it shall come to pass in due time that I will give this city into your hands, that you shall have power over it, insomuch that they shall not discover your secret parts; and its wealth pertaining to gold and silver shall be yours.  Concern not yourselves about your debts, for I will give you power to pay them.... This place you may obtain by hire.  And inquire diligently concerning the more ancient inhabitants and founders of this city; for there are more treasures than one for you in this city.” 

As noted in the booklet, ...And it DIDN’T Come to Pass..., by J. Edward Decker & William J. Schnoebelen, "Neither Smith nor other LDS leaders ever found any treasures in Salem.  They did not take control of Salem, nor have any Mormons since.  The 'many people' were never gathered out, as only 13 were baptized out of the whole city.  The silver and gold prophesied was never found.  They returned to Kirtland without funds to pay their debts." 

Since none of these things took place as specified, doesn't that make this a false prophecy?

20.  The Latter-day Saint Messenger and Advocate, April 1837, p.488 quotes Joseph Smith as saying: “This place [Kirtland, OH] must be built up, and every brother that will take hold and help secure these contracts [for land] shall be rich.” 

No one became rich, the Mormons were driven out of Ohio, and the Bank failed, with even Joseph going bankrupt.  How is this accounted for; is this not a false prophecy?

21.  D&C Section 112:4-9 (July 23, 1837, to Thomas Marsh): “...thou shalt bear record of my name not only unto the Gentiles, but also unto the Jews; and thou shalt send forth my word unto the ends of the earth.  ...for I, the Lord, have a great work for thee to do, in publishing my name among the children of men.... And by thy word many high ones shall be brought low, and by thy word many low ones shall be exalted. Thy voice shall be a rebuke unto the transgressor; and at thy rebuke let the tongue of the slanderer cease its perverseness.” 

Marsh was excommunicated from the church less than two years later.  Although he did rejoin the church 20 years later, during his absence he was a bitter enemy of the church.  He never did any of the works this prophecy claimed he would do.  If this was a prophecy of God, how can this be explained?

22.  D&C Section 114:1 (Apr. 17, 1838):  “Verily thus saith the Lord:  ‘It is wisdom in my servant David W. Patten, that he settle up all his business as soon as he possibly can, and make a disposition of his merchandise, that he may perform a mission unto me next spring, in company with others, even twelve including himself, to testify of my name and bear glad tidings unto all the world.’” 

Six months later David Patten was killed in Missouri.  Did God not know that would happen?  The LDS church, in an effort to weasel out of this blatantly false prophecy, says that Patten was called on a mission to the Spirit world, but the context does not support this claim. 

23.  D&C Section 115:1. 7-12 (Apr.26, 1838): “Verily thus saith the Lord.... ‘7. Let the city, Far West, be a holy and consecrated land unto me; and it shall be called most holy, for the ground upon which thou standest is holy. 8. Therefore, I command you to build a house unto me, for the gathering together of my saints, that they may worship me. 9. And let there be a beginning of this work, and a foundation, and a preparatory work, this following summer; 10. And let the beginning be made on the fourth day of July next, and from that time forth let my people labor diligently to build a house unto my name; 11. And in one year from this day let them re-commence laying the foundation of my house.  12. Thus let them from that time forth labor diligently until it shall be finished, from the corner stone thereof unto the top thereof, until there shall not anything remain that is not finished.’”

Although the cornerstone of this temple was laid, the temple was never built.  How is this accounted for, especially since God said that Far West was "holy and consecrated land”?  Is this not another false prophecy?

24. D&C Section 117:12-15 (July 8, 1838): “I remember my servant Oliver Granger; behold, verily I say unto him that his name shall be had in sacred remembrance from generation to generation, forever and ever, saith the Lord.” 

Have you heard of Oliver Granger before reading this?  Has he been held in "sacred remembrance"?  Wouldn’t this be another false prophecy?

25.  Joseph Smith's Diary/Journal for 1838, written by scribe George W. Robinson, has the following for September 1, 1838:  “The First Presidency [with] Judge Higbee (as surveyor) started this morning for the halfway house (as it is called) kept [by] Br. Littlefield, some 14 or 15 miles from Far West directly north, for the purpose of appointing a City of Zion for the gathering of the Saints in that place for safety and from the Storm which will soon come upon this generation.  That the brethren may be together in the hour of the coming of the Son of Man and that they may receive instructions to prepare them for that great day which will come upon this generation as a thief in the night.”

Did "that great day" (i.e., "the coming of the Son of Man") come in that generation?  No, it did not.  This prophecy failed to come to pass.

26.  The following was written by Joseph Smith in a letter from Liberty Jail, Missouri, December 16, 1838, to the church in Caldwell County:  "and all the Saints who are scattered abroad:  I say unto you that those who have thus vilely treated us like Haman shall be hanged upon their own gallows, or in other words, shall fall into their own gin and snare and ditch and trap which they have prepared for us and shall go backwards and stumble and fall, and their names shall be blotted out, and God shall reward them according to all their abominations.”

There is no record that any of those who were responsible for Joseph being in jail suffered from any of these curses.  Doesn’t that mean this prophecy failed?

27.  D&C Section 121:7-15 (March 20, 1839): “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.... And also that God hath set his hand and seal to change the times and seasons, and to blind their minds, that they may not understand his marvelous workings.... And not many years hence, that they and their posterity shall be swept from under heaven, saith God, that not one of them is left to stand by the wall.” 

Did Joseph triumph over all his foes?  No, he was killed by them.  Did the LDS church triumph over its enemies?  No, it had to eventually evacuate to Utah.  

While in Utah, the church was forced to submit to federal law, give up polygamy, and change their position on blacks or lose their tax-exempt status; is this triumphing over enemies?  

When did God change the times and seasons?  When did God blind the minds of Smith's enemies?  Was every one of Smith's enemies "swept from under heaven?"  Absolutely not.  This short paragraph has several false prophecies, doesn’t it?

28.  D&C Section 124:56,59 (Jan. 1841) In reference to the Nauvoo House. "And now I say unto you, as pertaining to my boarding house which I have commanded you to build for the boarding of strangers, let it be built unto my name, and let my name be named upon it, and let my servant Joseph and his house have place therein, from generation to generation. ... Therefore, let my servant Joseph and his seed after him have place in that house, from generation to generation, forever and ever, saith the Lord."

Was the Nauvoo House ever finished?  No, it was not.  Have any of Joseph Smith’s family possessed it for this past almost 174 years?  No they haven’t.  Two failed prophecies.

Although I have noted 28 specific items, some of these entailed more than one prophecy, so that there are approximately 35 failed prophecies noted in this series so far.  How can Mormons of any sect continue to claim Joseph Smith was a prophet when the evidence demonstrates a track record of so many false prophecies?

There are much more false prophecies to be posted; keep tuned in.