Mark Hofmann

FAIR Answers—back to home page

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Articles about Latter-day Saint history

Overview	Latter-day Saint history Approaching history Responding to criticisms about Church history Primary source documents of early Church history
Accuracy of Church History	Alleged whitewashing of Church history Alleged whitewashing of polygamy in Church history Alleged hiding of facts in Church history History scholars and Church discipline Accuracy of Church art History of the Church (6-volume history) Lucy Mack Smith's biography of Joseph Smith Histories written by scholars
Forgeries and folklore	Mark Hofmann Kinderhook Plates The Sealed Book of Mormon by Mauricio Berger The Mentinah Papers The Ang Aklatan The Bat Creek Stone The Burrows Cave artifacts Mormon urban legends or folklore

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

∗       ∗       ∗

FAIR Answers—back to home page

V

Articles about Latter-day Saint history

Overview	Latter-day Saint history Approaching history Responding to criticisms about Church history Primary source documents of early Church history
Accuracy of Church History	Alleged whitewashing of Church history Alleged whitewashing of polygamy in Church history Alleged hiding of facts in Church history History scholars and Church discipline Accuracy of Church art History of the Church (6-volume history) Lucy Mack Smith's biography of Joseph Smith Histories written by scholars
Forgeries and folklore	Mark Hofmann Kinderhook Plates The Sealed Book of Mormon by Mauricio Berger The Mentinah Papers The Ang Aklatan The Bat Creek Stone The Burrows Cave artifacts Mormon urban legends or folklore

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

∗       ∗       ∗

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.

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Learn more about forgeries related to the Church: Mark Hofmann

Key sources	Richard E. Turley, Victims: The LDS Church and the Mark Hofmann Case (Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1992). ISBN 0252018850.  (Key source) Steve Mayfield and George Throckmorton, "Salamander Letters," Proceedings of the 2006 FAIR Conference (August 2006). link
Wiki links	Mark Hofmann and his forgeries
FAIR links	Documents known to have been forged by Mark Hofmann
Online	Dallin H. Oaks, "Recent Events Involving Church History and Forged Documents," Ensign (October 1987): 63.off-site Richard Lloyd Anderson, "The Alvin Smith Story: Fact and Fiction," Ensign (August 1987): 58.off-site
Video	Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case, George Throckmorton, Steve Mayfield, 2006 FAIR Conference Part 1:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case Part 2:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case Part 3:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case Part 4:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case Part 5:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case
Print	Linda Sillitoe and Allen Roberts, Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders, 2nd. ed., (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1989). ISBN 0941214877
Navigators	Table of contents Abuse Bible Book of Abraham Book of Mormon CES Letter Church history Church finances Doctrine and Covenants First Vision Joseph Smith Latter-day Saint temples Mountain Meadows Massacre Plural marriage Prophets and leaders Scripture Brigham Young forgeries

Notes

FAIR Answers—back to home page

V

Articles about Latter-day Saint history

Overview	Latter-day Saint history Approaching history Responding to criticisms about Church history Primary source documents of early Church history
Accuracy of Church History	Alleged whitewashing of Church history Alleged whitewashing of polygamy in Church history Alleged hiding of facts in Church history History scholars and Church discipline Accuracy of Church art History of the Church (6-volume history) Lucy Mack Smith's biography of Joseph Smith Histories written by scholars
Forgeries and folklore	Mark Hofmann Kinderhook Plates The Sealed Book of Mormon by Mauricio Berger The Mentinah Papers The Ang Aklatan The Bat Creek Stone The Burrows Cave artifacts Mormon urban legends or folklore

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

∗       ∗       ∗

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.

⍗

Learn more about forgeries related to the Church: Mark Hofmann

Key sources	Richard E. Turley, Victims: The LDS Church and the Mark Hofmann Case (Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1992). ISBN 0252018850.  (Key source) Steve Mayfield and George Throckmorton, "Salamander Letters," Proceedings of the 2006 FAIR Conference (August 2006). link
Wiki links	Mark Hofmann and his forgeries
FAIR links	Documents known to have been forged by Mark Hofmann
Online	Dallin H. Oaks, "Recent Events Involving Church History and Forged Documents," Ensign (October 1987): 63.off-site Richard Lloyd Anderson, "The Alvin Smith Story: Fact and Fiction," Ensign (August 1987): 58.off-site
Video	Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case, George Throckmorton, Steve Mayfield, 2006 FAIR Conference Part 1:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case Part 2:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case Part 3:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case Part 4:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case Part 5:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case
Print	Linda Sillitoe and Allen Roberts, Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders, 2nd. ed., (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1989). ISBN 0941214877
Navigators	Table of contents Abuse Bible Book of Abraham Book of Mormon CES Letter Church history Church finances Doctrine and Covenants First Vision Joseph Smith Latter-day Saint temples Mountain Meadows Massacre Plural marriage Prophets and leaders Scripture Brigham Young forgeries

Notes

FAIR Answers—back to home page

V

Articles about Latter-day Saint history

Overview	Latter-day Saint history Approaching history Responding to criticisms about Church history Primary source documents of early Church history
Accuracy of Church History	Alleged whitewashing of Church history Alleged whitewashing of polygamy in Church history Alleged hiding of facts in Church history History scholars and Church discipline Accuracy of Church art History of the Church (6-volume history) Lucy Mack Smith's biography of Joseph Smith Histories written by scholars
Forgeries and folklore	Mark Hofmann Kinderhook Plates The Sealed Book of Mormon by Mauricio Berger The Mentinah Papers The Ang Aklatan The Bat Creek Stone The Burrows Cave artifacts Mormon urban legends or folklore

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

∗       ∗       ∗

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.

⍗

Learn more about forgeries related to the Church: Mark Hofmann

Key sources	Richard E. Turley, Victims: The LDS Church and the Mark Hofmann Case (Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1992). ISBN 0252018850.  (Key source) Steve Mayfield and George Throckmorton, "Salamander Letters," Proceedings of the 2006 FAIR Conference (August 2006). link
Wiki links	Mark Hofmann and his forgeries
FAIR links	Documents known to have been forged by Mark Hofmann
Online	Dallin H. Oaks, "Recent Events Involving Church History and Forged Documents," Ensign (October 1987): 63.off-site Richard Lloyd Anderson, "The Alvin Smith Story: Fact and Fiction," Ensign (August 1987): 58.off-site
Video	Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case, George Throckmorton, Steve Mayfield, 2006 FAIR Conference Part 1:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case Part 2:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case Part 3:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case Part 4:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case Part 5:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case
Print	Linda Sillitoe and Allen Roberts, Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders, 2nd. ed., (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1989). ISBN 0941214877
Navigators	Table of contents Abuse Bible Book of Abraham Book of Mormon CES Letter Church history Church finances Doctrine and Covenants First Vision Joseph Smith Latter-day Saint temples Mountain Meadows Massacre Plural marriage Prophets and leaders Scripture Brigham Young forgeries

Notes

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.

⍗

Learn more about forgeries related to the Church: Mark Hofmann

Key sources	Richard E. Turley, Victims: The LDS Church and the Mark Hofmann Case (Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1992). ISBN 0252018850.  (Key source) Steve Mayfield and George Throckmorton, "Salamander Letters," Proceedings of the 2006 FAIR Conference (August 2006). link
Wiki links	Mark Hofmann and his forgeries
FAIR links	Documents known to have been forged by Mark Hofmann
Online	Dallin H. Oaks, "Recent Events Involving Church History and Forged Documents," Ensign (October 1987): 63.off-site Richard Lloyd Anderson, "The Alvin Smith Story: Fact and Fiction," Ensign (August 1987): 58.off-site
Video	Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case, George Throckmorton, Steve Mayfield, 2006 FAIR Conference Part 1:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case Part 2:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case Part 3:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case Part 4:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case Part 5:Mythmaking and the Hofmann Case
Print	Linda Sillitoe and Allen Roberts, Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders, 2nd. ed., (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1989). ISBN 0941214877
Navigators	Table of contents Abuse Bible Book of Abraham Book of Mormon CES Letter Church history Church finances Doctrine and Covenants First Vision Joseph Smith Latter-day Saint temples Mountain Meadows Massacre Plural marriage Prophets and leaders Scripture Brigham Young forgeries

Notes