The Hurlbut affidavits

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Criticism

Many of Joseph Smith’s friends and neighbors signed affidavits that accused him and his family of being lazy, indolent, undependable treasure-seekers.

Source(s) of the criticism

• Rodger I. Anderson, Joseph Smith's New York Reputation Reexamined, (Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books, 1990).
• Fawn M. Brodie, No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1945), 17–18.
• Eber D. Howe, Mormonism Unvailed (Painesville, OH: Telegraph Press, 1834)
• Grant Palmer, An Insider's View of Mormon Origins, (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2002), 228.
• Dan Vogel, Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet, (Salt Lake City, Utah; Signature Books, 2004)

Response

Background

Many critics cite a collection of affidavits from Joseph Smith’s neighbors which claim that the Smith family possessed a number of character flaws. These affidavits were collected by “Doctor” Philastus Hurlbut,^[1] who had been excommunicated from the Church on charges of "unvirtuous conduct with a young lady."^[2] Hurlbut sold this material to Eber D. Howe, who published it in his anti-Mormon book Mormonism Unvailed in 1834. In addition to the Hurlbut affidavits, Mormonism Unvailed contained the first presentation of the Spalding theory of Book of Mormon origin. It is interesting to note that the Spalding theory was also based upon some of the affidavits gathered by Hurlbut. Some critics, such as Fawn Brodie, are selective in their acceptance of Hurlbut's affidavits—They readily accept affidavits that attack the character of the Smith family, yet admit that some "judicious prompting" by Hurlbut may have been involved in those affidavits that were gathered to support the Spalding theory.^[3]

Howe's bias is evident throughout the book. He introduces the Smith family with the following:

All who became intimate with them during this period, unite in representing the general character of old Joseph and wife, the parents of the pretended Prophet, as lazy, indolent, ignorant and superstitious—having a firm belief in ghosts and witches; the telling of fortunes; pretending to believe that the earth was filled with hidden treasures, buried there by Kid or the Spaniards.^[4]

Smith family character claims and reliability

The following table summarizes the claims made in the Hurlbut affidavits regarding Joseph Smith, his family and his associates.

Claimant	Claims	Comments
Charles Anthon
Thomas Campbell
Parley Chase	Claimed that the Smith family was "lazy," "intemperate," "worthless" and "addicted to lying."
Willard Chase	Claimed that he discovered Joseph Smith's seer stone. Claimed that the seer stone rightfully belonged to Chase. Claimed that Joseph was required to wear certain clothes and perform certain actions in order to obtain the plates. Claimed that the angel Moroni appeared in the form of a toad.	The source is Joseph Smith, Senior. Chase's account is third-hand information.
Joseph Capron	Claimed that Joseph used his seer stone to locate "ghosts, infernal spirits, mountains of gold and silver, and many other invaluable treasures deposited in the earth."
Lemon Copley	Claimed that Joseph told him a story about seeing an old man who claimed to have a monkey in a box. Claimed that the Lord told Joseph that the man was Moroni with the plates, and that "five coppers, he might have got his plates again."
Alva Hale (Son of Isaac Hale)	Claimed that he knew Joseph Smith, Jr. and Martin Harris "to be an impostor, and a liar."
Isaac Hale
Abigail Harris	That Martin Harris said that Mormonism was a lie and that he would "make money out of it."
Henry Harris	Claimed that the Smith family "labored very little." Claimed that the Smith family primarily "dug for money." Claimed that Joseph Smith, Jr. "pretended to tell fortunes."
Lucy Harris (Wife of Martin Harris)	Claimed that Martin Harris "has whipped, kicked, and turned me out of the house." Claimed that Martin Harris was having an affair with a neighbor's wife.	Despite the fact that Lucy Harris makes no mention of the lost 116 pages of manuscript from the Book of Mormon, Fawn Brodie actually concludes that Harris beat his wife in order to get her to divulge what she had done with the lost 116 pages of manuscript.
Peter Ingersoll
Nathaniel Lewis	Claimed that Joseph Smith, Jr. "frequently said to me that I should see the plates at the time appointed." Claimed that Joseph Smith, Jr. said that "he, himself was deceived." Claimed that Joseph Smith, Jr. was "an impostor, hypocrite and liar."
Levi Lewis	Claimed that Joseph Smith, Jr. and Martin Harris said that "adultery was no crime." Claimed that he "knows Smith to be a liar." Claimed that he heard Joseph Smith say that he "was as good as Jesus Christ." Claimed that Joseph Smith, Jr. told him "[w]ith regard to the plates, Smith said God had deceived him."	Hezekiah M'Kune, Levi Lewis and Sophia Lewis went together to make their depositions before the justice.[5]
Sophia Lewis	Claimed that Joseph Smith, Jr. said that he "was as good as Jesus Christ." Claimed that Joseph Smith, Jr. said that "the Book of Plates could not be opened under penalty of death by any other person but his (Smith's) first-born, which was to be a male."	Hezekiah M'Kune, Levi Lewis and Sophia Lewis went together to make their depositions before the justice.[6]
Hezekiah M'Kune	Claimed that Joseph Smith said "he was nearly equal to Jesus Christ."	Hezekiah M'Kune, Levi Lewis and Sophia Lewis went together to make their depositions before the justice.[7]
Joshua M'Kune	Claimed that Joseph Smith, Jr. and Martin Harris were "artful seducers." Claimed that Joseph Smith, Jr. said that "(Smith's) first-born child was to translate the characters, and hieroglyphics, upon the Plates."
John Miller
Roswell Nichols	Claimed that the Smith family was known for "breach of contracts," and "non-payment of debts." Claimed that Joseph Smith, Sr. was "weak minded," and of "low character."
Robert Patterson
Oliver Smith
Barton Stafford	Claimed that Joseph Smith, Sr. was a "drunkard." Claimed that Joseph Smith, Jr. was "addicted to intemperance."
David Stafford	That Joseph Smith, Sr. was a "drunkard," a "liar," and a "gambler." That the "general employment" of the Smith family was "money digging" and "fortune telling." The Oliver Cowdery was a "worthless person" who was "not to be trusted."
Joshua Stafford	Claimed that the Smith family became "indolent" after "digging for hidden treasures." Claimed that the Smith family told stories of "ghosts, hob-goblins and caverns."
William Stafford
G. W. Stoddard	Claimed that Martin Harris was "industrious and enterprising" before he got involved with Mormonism. Claimed that Martin Harris' "moral and religious character" did "not entitle him to respect." Claimed that Martin Harris was known to "abuse his wife, by whipping her, kicking her out of bed and turning her out of doors."

Spalding manuscript claims and reliability

Hurlbut's affidavits regarding the Spalding manuscript consist of interviews with family and associates of Solomon Spalding.

Claimant	Claims	Comments
Artemas Cunningham	Claimed to have "partially examined" the "Mormon Bible." Claimed that Spalding's manuscript was called "Manuscript Found." Claimed "to remember the name of Nephi" as the "principal hero."
Nahum Howard	Claimed to have "lately read the Book of Mormon." Claimed that it was the same as Spalding wrote, "except the religious part."
Henry Lake
John Spalding (Brother of Solomon Spalding)	Claimed to have "recently read the Book of Mormon." Claimed that Spalding's book was entitled The Manuscript Found. Claimed that the book attempted to show that the American Indians are the descendents of the Jews. Claimed that the leaders of the group were called "Nephi" and "Lehi." Claimed that the book described two nations called the "Nephites" and the "Lamanites." Claimed that the people described in Spalding's book buried their dead in large mounds. Claimed that many sentences in Spalding's book began with "it came to pass."	The Spalding manuscript contains none of the details mentioned by John Spalding.
Martha Spalding (wife of Solomon Spalding)	Claimed that she had "read the Book of Mormon." Claimed that the Book of Mormon was based upon Spalding's story. Claimed that "the names of Nephi and Lehi are yet fresh in my memory, as being the principal heroes of his tale." Claimed that Spaldings' characters separated into two nations, "one of which was called Lamanites and the other Nephites." Claimed that Spalding's tale told of the dead "being buried in large heaps was the cause of the numerous mounds in the country." Claimed that Spalding's manuscript used the words "it came to pass."
Aaron Wright

Conclusion

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Endnotes

1. [note] "Doctor" was not a title—It was Hurlbut's actual given name.
2. [note] Benjamin Winchester, The origin of the Spalding story, concerning the Manuscript Found; with a short biography of Dr. P. Hulbert, the originator of the same; and some testimony adduced, showing it to be a sheer fabrication, so far as in connection with the Book of Mormon is concerned. (Philadelphia: Brown, Bicking & Guilbert, Printers, 1834), p. 5.
3. [note] Fawn M. Brodie, No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1945), 446–447.
4. [note] Eber D. Howe, Mormonism Unvailed (Painesville, OH: Telegraph Press, 1834), p. 11.
5. [note] Hugh W. Nibley, Tinkling Cymbals and Sounding Brass: The Art of Telling Tales About Joseph Smith and Brigham Young (Vol. 11 of the Collected Works of Hugh Nibley), edited by David J. Whittaker, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Deseret Book Company ; Provo, Utah : Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1991), 128. ISBN 0875795161. GL direct link
6. [note] Hugh W. Nibley, Tinkling Cymbals and Sounding Brass: The Art of Telling Tales About Joseph Smith and Brigham Young (Vol. 11 of the Collected Works of Hugh Nibley), edited by David J. Whittaker, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Deseret Book Company ; Provo, Utah : Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1991), 128. ISBN 0875795161. GL direct link
7. [note] Hugh W. Nibley, Tinkling Cymbals and Sounding Brass: The Art of Telling Tales About Joseph Smith and Brigham Young (Vol. 11 of the Collected Works of Hugh Nibley), edited by David J. Whittaker, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Deseret Book Company ; Provo, Utah : Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1991), 128. ISBN 0875795161. GL direct link

Further reading

FAIR wiki articles

• Joseph Smith and money digging

FAIR web site

• FAIR Topical Guide:

External links

• Richard Lloyd Anderson, "Review of Joseph Smith's New York Reputation Reexamined by Rodger I. Anderson," FARMS Review of Books 3/1 (1991): 52–80. off-site