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Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Mormonism 101/Chapter 17
| Chapter 16: Lamanites, Seed of Cain, and Polygamy | A FAIR Analysis of: Criticism of Mormonism/Books A work by author: Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson
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Chapter 18: The Church and Its Leadership |
Index of Claims made in Chapter 17: Joseph Smith
"They will circulate falsehoods to destroy your reputation, and also will seek to take your life" --Angel Moroni to Joseph Smith (1823)2
This review of Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson's book, Mormonism 101, is limited to an examination of Chapter Seventeen--"Joseph Smith." It is seemingly McKeever and Johnson's most important chapter, as the first sentence in their introduction repeats the quote that "Mormonism...must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith."3
The authors' approach is typical of writings hypercritical of Mormonism. The chapter generally consists of contextually lacking quotes from the writings of others, with no consideration given to enlighten the reader as to the original authors' intentions, biases, or interpretations. The challenge in reviewing this chapter rests in the fact that the review is not so much that of McKeever and Johnson's work, but rather a review of the fragments that McKeever and Johnson selectively pieced together from other works. The fact that so many of the issues dealt with in Mormonism 101 are already addressed elsewhere in various sources, both pro and con, is an indicator that the "fresh" material the authors present is, in reality, nothing more than an outdated and stale recompilation designed to provide fresh income.
The authors attempt to add the illusion of validity to their work by calling upon an odd mix of several names that bear the label of "Mormon" or "LDS." For example, the authors readily cite:
* "former Mormon historian D. Michael Quinn"4 * "LDS historian Richard Van Wagoner"5 * "LDS historian Todd Compton"6 * "Historian Reed C. Durham"7 * "Mormon Church historian Andrew Jenson"8 * "LDS historian Stephen C. LeSueur"9 * "LDS historians James B. Allen and Glen M. Leonard"10
Such a sampling would certainly lend itself to a balanced approach from an ill-informed reader's viewpoint. Yet while McKeever and Johnson allude to Smith's "high morals" and "impeccable integrity," as described by "Mormon historians,"11 one is left to wonder why, of the seven Latter-day historians they cite, not one of the selected quotes presents a "high moral" view." While there are volumes of accounts and testimonies of the prophet's good character, the authors did not consider or mention a single one.
The authors state that the descriptions of the prophet they present may seem "unfathomable by many faithful Latter-day Saints."12 What the reader may find surprising is that such a respected faith and devoted people could be the product of the unscrupulous, drunk, lying, womanizing deceiver that the authors present. Joseph's character is found as the ultimate target of doubt as the authors rely upon contextually lacking personal interpretations of historical detail. In the end, the reader will likely be shocked by the rapid succession of emotionally charged wording. In all, there are nearly 100 such instances, many of which are repeats, in thirteen pages of reproduced speculations and misrepresentations ranging from sexual issues to the occult. This review reflects a small, representative sampling of Chapter 17 in an attempt to disabuse the public mind of the images McKeever and Johnson have portrayed of the prophet.