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Mark Hofmann: Difference between revisions

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{{:Question: If Gordon B. Hinckley were a true prophet, why did he not discern the nature of the Hofmann forgeries?}}
{{:Question: If Gordon B. Hinckley were a true prophet, why did he not discern the nature of the Hofmann forgeries?}}


{{FME-Source
|title=Question: If Gordon B. Hinckley were a true prophet, why did he not discern the nature of the Hofmann forgeries?
|category=Mark Hofmann
}}
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==Question: If Gordon B. Hinckley were a true prophet, why did he not discern the nature of the Hofmann forgeries?==
===Prophets are not omniscient nor are they infallible===


Critics of the Church raise the question: If Gordon B. Hinckley were a true prophet, why would he be fooled into buying the forgeries? Would he not be able to discern the fraud? <ref>Criticisms related to President Hinckley's inability to detect the Mark Hofmann forgeries are raised in the following publications: {{CriticalWork:Abanes:One Nation|pages=424}} {{Specific|One_Nation_Under_Gods/Use_of_sources/Church_leaders_will_always_know_deception}}; {{CriticalWork:Tanner:Changing World|pages=337}}; {{CriticalWork:Watchman Fellowship:Articles|pages=3}}</ref>
The assumption that President Hinckley should have discerned the nature of the forgery stems from incorrect expectations of what a prophet is. Prophets are not omniscient nor [[Fallibility_of_prophets|infallible]].  The Church bought the documents when assured by experts that they were genuine.
Prophets do not generally act to take away the free agent choices of others.  President Hinckley's decision to purchase the documents allowed them to be examined, and kept them available for further study so that the forgery could be discovered.  (Had a private collector, especially one hostile to the Church, acquired the documents, access might have been much more difficult.)
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Hofmann made the decision to lie and cover his lies with murder.  Tragic as such choices are, LDS doctrine would not expect God to typically intervene via a prophet, or personally, to prevent a person bent on making wicked choices from carrying out his or her plans.(See {{s||DC|10|37}}  If God did so routinely, unfettered choice would be threatened.
Hofmann made the decision to lie and cover his lies with murder.  Tragic as such choices are, LDS doctrine would not expect God to typically intervene via a prophet, or personally, to prevent a person bent on making wicked choices from carrying out his or her plans.(See {{s||DC|10|37}}  If God did so routinely, unfettered choice would be threatened.

Revision as of 21:29, 12 October 2014

If Gordon B. Hinckley was a prophet, why was he fooled by Mark Hofmann?

But as you cannot always judge the righteous, or as you cannot always tell the wicked from the righteous, therefore I say unto you, hold your peace until I shall see fit to make all things known unto the world concerning the matter.

—Doctrine and Covenants 10:37
∗       ∗       ∗

Questions


Question: What are the Hofmann forgeries and the Salamander Letter?

The Church purchased several alleged nineteenth-century documents from Mark Hofmann which were later identified as forgeries

Gordon B. Hinckley, then a member of the First Presidency, purchased several apparently nineteenth-century documents from Mark Hofmann which were later identified as forgeries.


But as you cannot always judge the righteous, or as you cannot always tell the wicked from the righteous, therefore I say unto you, hold your peace until I shall see fit to make all things known unto the world concerning the matter.

—Doctrine and Covenants 10:37
∗       ∗       ∗

Questions


Question: What are the Hofmann forgeries and the Salamander Letter?

The Church purchased several alleged nineteenth-century documents from Mark Hofmann which were later identified as forgeries

Gordon B. Hinckley, then a member of the First Presidency, purchased several apparently nineteenth-century documents from Mark Hofmann which were later identified as forgeries.

Template loop detected: Question: If Gordon B. Hinckley were a true prophet, why did he not discern the nature of the Hofmann forgeries?


Hofmann made the decision to lie and cover his lies with murder. Tragic as such choices are, LDS doctrine would not expect God to typically intervene via a prophet, or personally, to prevent a person bent on making wicked choices from carrying out his or her plans.(See DC 10꞉37 If God did so routinely, unfettered choice would be threatened.

Template loop detected: Question: Was President Hinckley suspicious that the Salamander letter might not be authentic?


For further information related to this topic


Church reaction to forgeries

Summary: Did the Church acquire the "Salamander letter" with the intent of 'suppressing' it? The reality is that the historical record is clear that the Church did nothing to hide the Hofmann "Salamander Letter," even though to some it appeared to pose problems for the Church's story of its origins.



Hofmann made the decision to lie and cover his lies with murder. Tragic as such choices are, LDS doctrine would not expect God to typically intervene via a prophet, or personally, to prevent a person bent on making wicked choices from carrying out his or her plans.(See DC 10꞉37 If God did so routinely, unfettered choice would be threatened.


But as you cannot always judge the righteous, or as you cannot always tell the wicked from the righteous, therefore I say unto you, hold your peace until I shall see fit to make all things known unto the world concerning the matter.

—Doctrine and Covenants 10:37
∗       ∗       ∗

Questions


Question: What are the Hofmann forgeries and the Salamander Letter?

The Church purchased several alleged nineteenth-century documents from Mark Hofmann which were later identified as forgeries

Gordon B. Hinckley, then a member of the First Presidency, purchased several apparently nineteenth-century documents from Mark Hofmann which were later identified as forgeries.

Template loop detected: Question: If Gordon B. Hinckley were a true prophet, why did he not discern the nature of the Hofmann forgeries?


Hofmann made the decision to lie and cover his lies with murder. Tragic as such choices are, LDS doctrine would not expect God to typically intervene via a prophet, or personally, to prevent a person bent on making wicked choices from carrying out his or her plans.(See DC 10꞉37 If God did so routinely, unfettered choice would be threatened.

Template loop detected: Question: Was President Hinckley suspicious that the Salamander letter might not be authentic?


For further information related to this topic


Church reaction to forgeries

Summary: Did the Church acquire the "Salamander letter" with the intent of 'suppressing' it? The reality is that the historical record is clear that the Church did nothing to hide the Hofmann "Salamander Letter," even though to some it appeared to pose problems for the Church's story of its origins.



For further information related to this topic


Church reaction to forgeries

Summary: Did the Church acquire the "Salamander letter" with the intent of 'suppressing' it? The reality is that the historical record is clear that the Church did nothing to hide the Hofmann "Salamander Letter," even though to some it appeared to pose problems for the Church's story of its origins.


Notes