Joseph Smith - Prophet? Part 5

Today’s prophecies are the remaining which I have at this time from official LDS sources.  I’m sure with further study I will find more.

This time, if there are multiple prophecies in one item, I will be sure to count them!  Again, the numbers are in chronological sequence from previous posts.

29.  Hist. Vol. 5, p. 336 In 1842 Smith said the following: “Were I going to prophesy, I would say the end would not come in 1844, 5 or 6, or in forty years.  There are those of the rising generation who shall not taste death till Christ comes.  I was once praying earnestly upon this subject, and a voice said unto me, "My son, if thou livest until thou art eighty-five years of age, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man." ...I prophecy in the name of the Lord God, and let it be written - the Son of Man will not come in the clouds of heaven till I am eighty-five years old.[48 years hence or c. 1890].”

This passage is taken from Smith's diary, but modern LDS historians have removed the last phrase.  Even without that phrase, Smith is stating that Christ will return about 1890.  Did this come to pass?  He claimed that some of the "rising generation" would not die before seeing Christ; since they are all dead, did Christ come?  In this item there are two failed prophecies.

30.  D&C Section 127:2 (Sep. 1, 1842):  “...for to this day has the God of my fathers delivered me out of them all, and will deliver me from henceforth; for behold, and lo, I shall triumph over all my enemies, for the Lord God hath spoken it.” 

Did Smith triumph over all his enemies?  No, he was killed two years later by his enemies.  Therefore this is a failed prophecy

31.  Joseph Smith's Journal, as kept by Willard Richards, has the following for December 29, 1842:  “Joseph said... ‘Let the government of Missouri redress the wrongs she has done to the Mormons or let the curse follow them from generation to generation till they do.’”

Did Missouri ever redress the "wrongs" done to Mormons?  No.  Has it suffered the curse "from generation to generation"?  No it has not, therefore this prophecy has failed.

32.  Joseph Smith's Journal, as kept by Willard Richards, has the following entry for January 20, 1843: “Hyde told of the excellent white wine he drank in [Palestine].  Joseph prophesied in the name of the Lord that he would drink wine with him in that country.  Joseph said, ‘From the 6th day of April next, I go in for preparing with all present for a Mission through the United States and when we arrive at Maine we will take ship for England and so on to all countries where we are a mind for to go.’”

Joseph never left the U.S.; would this then be a false prophecy?

33.  Joseph Smith's Journal, as kept by Willard Richards, has the following entry for April 6, 1843:  “I [Joseph Smith] prophecy in the name of the Lord God, and let it be written, that the Son of Man will not come in the heavens till I am 85 years old, 48 years hence or about 1890.”

This is similar to item 29.  Did Jesus come in 1890?  Nope.  False prophecy.

34.  Hist. Vol. 5, p. 394 (also found in Teachings, p. 302):  “In 1843 Smith made this prophecy against the U.S.:  ‘I prophesy in the name of the Lord God of Israel, unless the United States redress the wrongs committed upon the Saints in the state of Missouri and punish the crimes committed by her officers that in a few years the government will be utterly overthrown and wasted, and there will not be so much as a potsherd left…'"  

The U.S. did not redress the wrongs; was this prophecy fulfilled?  No; it failed to come to pass.

35.  D&C Section 132 (July 12, 1843):  “4. For behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory. ... 6. And as pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant [i.e., polygamy or plural marriage], it was instituted for the fulness of my glory; and he that receiveth a fulness thereof must and shall abide the law, or he shall be damned, saith the Lord God. ... 52. And let my handmaid, Emma Smith, receive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God. ... 54. And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph and none else.  But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law.” 

There are two specific prophecies in this item.  1) If this was an "everlasting" covenant, why was it officially discontinued in 1890?  According to this prophecy, those who reject this command and are not living in plural marriage are damned.  2) Emma never agreed with this prophecy, and even later claimed it was a product of Brigham Young and Hiram Smith.  Was she destroyed?  No, she lived to be almost 75 years old, 36 years after this prophecy was given.

36.  Hist. Vol. 6, p. 58 cites the following prophecy from Joseph Smith:  "I prophesy, in the name of the Lord God of Israel, anguish and wrath and tribulation and the withdrawing of the Spirit of God from the earth await this generation, until they are visited with utter destruction." 

Did this happen to that generation? No, it did not.  The prophecy failed.

37.  Joseph Smith's Journal, as kept by Willard Richards, has the following for August 27, 1843: “I [Joseph Smith] bear record this morning that all the combined powers of Earth and hell shall not overcome this boy.”

Doesn't Joseph's death at the hands of a mob prove this prophecy false?

38.   Joseph Smith's Journal, as kept by Willard Richards, has the following for October 15, 1843: “I [Joseph] prophecy in the name of the Lord God that anguish and wrath and trembulity and tribulation and the withdrawing of the spirit of God await this generation until they are visited with utter destruction.  This generation is as corrupt as the generation of Jews that crucified Christ and if he were here today and should preach the same doctrine he did then, why they would crucify him.  I defy all the world and I prophecy they will never overthrow me till I get ready.”

This is similar to item 36.  Two specific failed prophecies.  1) Did that generation experience the prophecy; were they visited with "utter destruction"?   2) Since Joseph had a gun and fought back, was he ready to be overthrown when he was killed? The self-defense act would suggest he was not ready.

39.  Hist. Vol. 6, p. 116 cites this prophecy given 16 December 1843 (originally printed in the Millennial Star, vol.22, pg 455, and cited in Joseph's Journal as recorded by Willard Richards): "While discussing the petition to Congress, I prophesied, by virtue of the Holy Priesthood vested in me, and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that if Congress will not hear our petition and grant us protection, they shall be broken up as a government.  AND GOD SHALL DAMN THEM.  AND THERE SHALL NOTHING BE LEFT OF THEM - NOT EVEN A GREASE SPOT."    

Congress refused to hear the petition; was it broken up as a government?  No; the prophecy failed to come to pass.

40.  The Nauvoo Neighbor, 19 Jun 1844, quotes Joseph Smith: "I therefore, in behalf of the Municipal Court of Nauvoo, warn the lawless, not to be precipitate in any interference in our affairs, for as sure as there is a God in heaven, WE SHALL RIDE TRIUMPHANT OVER ALL OPPRESSION."  

Just eight days later Smith was killed, and within two years the Mormons were driven from Illinois.  Wouldn’t this be a false prophecy?  Why or why not?

So today I have presented 16 false prophecies in 12 items.  I have gone over the past three articles in this series to count total prophecies.  There are 39 separate items listed in this series (item 10 was explanatory and clarification of item 9), containing a total of 62 individual prophecies, all of which failed.

It should be very conclusive to anyone that Joseph Smith was not a prophet of God.

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.

Joseph Smith - Prophet? Part 3

In this episode, we examine nine more prophecies given by Joseph Smith, which will be numbered sequentially following the previous post.

9.  D&C Section 101:17-21 (Dec. 1833): "Zion shall not be moved out of her place, notwithstanding her children are scattered. They that remain, and are pure in heart, shall return, and come to their inheritances, they and their children, with songs of everlasting joy, to build up the waste places of Zion - And all these things that the prophets might be fulfilled.  And, behold, there is none other place appointed than that which I have appointed; neither shall there be any other place than that which I have appointed, for the work of the gathering of my saints - Until the day cometh when there is found no more room for them; and then I have other places which I will appoint unto them, and they shall be called stakes, for the curtains or the strength of Zion.”  (emphasis mine)

LDS leaders say that Zion was "re-established" in Salt Lake City.  Since the revelation says "none other place," has God changed his mind?  What about Num. 23:19; 1 Sam. 15:29; or Ps.110:4 (KJV "repent" means to "change his mind")?  Doesn’t this fit the definition of a false prophecy?

10.  Previous LDS leaders believed the preceding revelation indeed meant a return to Zion, as they talked of this one and D&C Section 84:

"Who is there that is prepared for this movement back to the centre stake of Zion, and where the architects amongst us that are qualified to erect this temple and the city that will surround it?... And let me remind you that it is predicted that this generation shall not pass away till a temple shall be built, and the glory of the Lord rest upon it, according to the promises."  (George A. Smith, 3/10/1861, speaking in the Tabernacle; Journal of Discourses 9:71)

"The day is near when a Temple shall be reared in the Center Stake of Zion, and the Lord has said his glory shall rest on that House in this generation, that is in the generation in which the revelation was given, which is upwards of thirty years ago."  (George Q. Cannon, 10/23/1864, in the Tabernacle; Journal of Discourses, 10:344).

"We have just as much confidence in returning to Jackson county and the building of a great central city that will remain there a thousand years before the earth passes away, as the Jews have in returning to Palestine.  In fact we have more faith that they have; for they have been so many generations cast out of their land that their descendants have almost lost their faith in returning.  But the Latter-day Saints are fresh, as it were.  There are many of the old stock, who passed through all those tribulations I have named, still living, whose faith in returning to Jackson county, and the things that are coming, is as firm and fixed as the throne of the Almighty."  (Orson Pratt in Salt Lake City, 4/10/1870; Journal of Discourses 13:138). 

"...God promised in the year 1832 that we should, before the generation then living had passed away, return and build up the City of Zion in Jackson County that we should return and build up the temple of the Most High where we formerly laid the corner stone.  He promised us that He would manifest Himself on that temple, that the glory of God should be upon it; and not only upon the temple, but within it, even a cloud by day and a flaming fire by night. We believe in these promises as much as we believe in any promise ever uttered by the mouth of Jehovah.  The Latter-day Saints just as much expect to receive a fulfillment of that promise during the generation that was in existence in 1832 as they expect that the sun will rise and set tomorrow.  Why?  Because God cannot lie.  He will fulfill - all His promises.  He has spoken, it must come to pass.  This is our faith."  (Orson Pratt in Salt Lake City, 5/4/1870; Journal of  Discourses 13:362).

Those who were driven out never returned with their children for their inheritances.  Since it is obvious that previous leaders understood the prophecies to be about a literal return to Zion, why did the prophecies fail to come to pass?  

11.  Patriarchal Blessing Books, vol. 1, pp. 8-20.  Blessings are dated Dec. 18, 1833:  “Blessed is my father.  For the hand of the Lord shall be over him.  For he shall see the affliction of his children pass away when his head is fully ripe.... Blessed of the Lord is my brother Hyrum for the integrity of his heart.  He shall be girt about with truth and faithfulness shall be the strength of his loins from generation to generation.  He shall be a shaft in the hand of his God to exicute [sic] Judgement upon his enemies.  He shall be hid by the hand of the Lord that none of his secret parts shall be discovered unto his hurt. ... When he is in trouble and great tribulation hath come upon him he shall remember the God of Jacob and he will shield him from the power of Satan.”

Did Joseph's father see "the affliction of his children pass away" or did he see continuous "affliction" of his children until his death in 1840?  Did Hyrum "execute judgement" on his enemies and did God protect him, or wasn't Hyrum killed with Joseph while in jail?  This prophecy failed to come to pass.

12.  D&C Section 103:15ff (Feb. 24, 1834): 15. “Behold, I say unto you, the redemption of Zion must needs come by power. ... 20. But I say unto you: Mine angels shall go up before you, and also my presence, and in time ye shall possess the goodly land. ... 24. And inasmuch as mine enemies come against you to drive you from my goodly land, which I have consecrated to be the land of Zion, even from your own lands after these testimonies, which ye have brought before me against them, ye shall curse them; 25. And whomsoever ye curse, I will curse, and ye shall avenge me of mine enemies. 26. And my presence shall be with you even in avenging me of mine enemies, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." 

Did the angels go before Zion's Camp so as to redeem Zion?  No.  Were the Missourians cursed and avenged by God?  There is no evidence of such.  The prophecy failed to come to pass.

13.  Joseph Smith's Diary/Journal 1832-1834.  In his own handwriting for April 1, 1834 we have the following:  “The Lord shall destroy him who has lifted his lifted his heel against me, even that wicked man Doctor P. Hurlbut.  He will deliver him to the fowls of heaven and his bones shall be cast to the blast of the wind for he lifted his arm against the Almighty.  Therefore the Lord shall destroy him.”

This was written because Hurlbut published an expose against the Mormon Church.  Hurlbut lived until 1883 when he died a natural death at the age of 74.  Does this seem that God destroyed him?  Or does this really demonstrate another failed prophecy?

14.  D&C Section 104: 1 (Apr. 23, 1834): “I give unto counsel, and a commandment, concerning all the properties which belong to the order which I commanded to be organized and established, to be a united order, and an everlasting order for the benefit of my church, and for the salvation of men until I come.” 

Although this prophecy says the "United Order" would be everlasting, the order failed and was disbanded.  Is this not then a failed prophecy?

15.  D&C Section 105:15 (in Zion's Camp June 22, 1834), in regards to the Missouri war: “Behold, the destroyer I have sent forth to destroy and lay waste mine enemies; and not many years hence they shall not be left to pollute mine heritage, and to blaspheme my name upon the lands which I have consecrated for the gathering of my saints.” 

God said he had already "sent forth" his "destroyer," but over 180 years have passed and God's “enemies” in Missouri were never destroyed or laid waste.  How is this accounted for?

16.  Hist. Vol. 2, pp. 144-145.  Joseph's letter to the High Council of Zion, dated 8/16/34, said: “...I shall now proceed to give you such counsel as the Spirit of the Lord may dictate...[Have the churches] use every effort to gather to those regions and locate themselves, to be in readiness to move into Jackson County in two years from the 11th of September next, which is the appointed time for the redemption of Zion.”

Did Zion's redemption happen on Sept. 11, 1836?  No, it did not; this prophecy failed to come to pass.

17.  Hist. Vol. 2, p. 182.  In February 1835 Joseph Smith said, "...and it was the will of God that those who went to Zion, with a determination to lay down their lives, if necessary, should be ordained to the ministry, and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time, or the coming of the Lord, which was nigh - even fifty-six years should wind up the scene." 

Did the Lord return within 56 years?  Of course not; this prophecy failed to come to pass.

So far we have 17 prophecies given by Joseph Smith, all of which failed to come to pass.  So is he a false prophet, or not?