“Historical or Hysterical— Anti-Mormons and Documentary Sources” by Matthew B. Brown is an informative and entertaining essay based on a presentation he gave about the abuse of historical sources by anti-Mormons in their attacks on the Joseph Smith story. The document includes a number of graphics taken from PowerPoint slides that can be expanded upon clicking to see details. Numerous references are provided for the points Brown makes.
If you’ve been bothered by some of the claims critics make regarding the historicity of the First Vision or the events leading to the Book of Mormon, you may find essay to be very helpful. I like it enough that I’ve included it as a resource on my LDS Intro page.
A Spanish pirate ghost with a slit throat gave Joe the plates. Wow. That goes on the same list as the theory that Mormons have big families because they think the prophet’s going to call on them to colonize other planets any minute now.
Does anyone actually believe this stuff?
Apparently intellectual giants like Huckabigot.
-NOYDMB
“Huckabigot”? Do you mean the former presidential canditate that came to Utah? – who after having spoken against mormons, had never spoken against morons?
That Pomeroy Tucker quote is quite something. With Matthew Brown’s color coding, Tucker’s quote retells the same course of events in Joseph’s life as what Joseph says happened, and becomes a witness Joseph did not make his story up.
And, so the detractors say the First Vision was added to church history long after it happened? Such things as the Palmyra Reflector article and Mrs. Palmer’s comments show the First Vision story was circulating even before the church was officially organized.