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This piece is adapted from the latest episode of Matt Fradd All Access. You can watch the full episode here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n This is a controversial topic, so let\u2019s dive right in: Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, was a false prophet.<\/p>\n A couple of disclaimers, right off the bat: entire books have been written on this subject, so we\u2019re only going to scratch the surface. And to my Mormon friends, I understand that some of this may be difficult to hear. And I just want you to know that this isn\u2019t meant to be some kind of attack. I love you guys, but we have to get to the truth. I encourage you to hear what I have to say, look into it for yourself, and let me know what you think.<\/p>\n Here we go.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s start with one of the easiest ways to test a prophet: are their prophecies actually true? Deuteronomy 18:20-22 lays it out clearly: if what a prophet says doesn\u2019t come true, then they\u2019re not speaking for God.<\/p>\n Joseph Smith gave numerous revelations that are flat-out false.<\/p>\n For example, in 1842 Joseph Smith published a supposedly prophetic translation of real Egyptian documents he owned, which he called The Book of Abraham. He claimed, as a prophet, to translate specific Egyptian writings and drawings, and to know their meaning. Important to note, at the time, scholars couldn\u2019t translate Egyptian. But now they can, and we know that his translations are simply wrong. In one drawing, Smith claimed one figure was \u201cKing Pharaoh, whose name is given in the characters above his head,\u201d but it turns out this figure is the goddess Isis, and the characters above the head read, \u201cIsis the great, the god\u2019s mother.\u201d He falsely claims the god Osiris is Abraham, and that the god Anubis is a slave. A prophet\u2019s words have to match reality, and in Smith\u2019s case, they just don\u2019t.<\/p>\n Another red flag with Joseph Smith is his contradicting revelations. For example, the Book of Mormon says, \u201cIs there more than one God? And he answered, No.\u201d But in a later revelation, he says that \u201cthe Gods organized and formed the heavens and the earth,\u201d and that righteous Mormons \u201cshall be gods,\u201d \u201cfrom everlasting to everlasting,\u201d with \u201call power.\u201d Smith even claimed that God was once a man who became divine.<\/p>\n This is a huge change in foundational beliefs! If someone is truly a prophet of God, their message should be consistent, especially when it comes to who God is. Yet with Smith, we see clear contradictions that raise serious doubts about his claims to divine revelation.<\/p>\n Next, let\u2019s talk about the Book of Mormon itself. Joseph Smith claimed it tells the history of ancient American civilizations, including the Nephites and Lamanites, who came from Jerusalem. But here\u2019s the problem: there\u2019s zero archaeological evidence for these civilizations. No cities, no artifacts, nothing.<\/p>\n Now, some might argue, \u201cThere\u2019s little archaeological evidence for the Exodus, and Christians believe that.\u201d But while evidence for the Exodus may be debated, there is some support \u2014 such as Egyptian records mentioning Semitic peoples and archaeological findings in the Sinai suggesting nomadic groups. Scholars continue to explore these possibilities.<\/p>\n With the Book of Mormon, however, we\u2019re talking about entire civilizations that supposedly existed for thousands of years but did not leave behind a single trace. If these civilizations were real, we\u2019d expect something \u2014 but we find nothing. That\u2019s a major problem.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also strong evidence that the Book of Mormon simply mirrors Joseph Smith\u2019s time and place. Many books at this time, and in Smith\u2019s area, theorized that the American Indians had come from Israel. And Smith lifted entire sections from the King James Bible, even copying translation errors from the King James Version into his \u201cancient\u201d text. This isn\u2019t the behavior of a divinely inspired prophet; it\u2019s the behavior of someone fabricating a religious document.<\/p>\n We can\u2019t ignore the moral inconsistencies in Joseph Smith\u2019s life. He secretly practiced polygamy and even married \u2014 and slept with \u2014 teenage girls, claiming he was divinely commanded to do so.<\/p>\n This is someone who violated the Christian principles of marriage and morality. A true prophet should be held to a high standard of holiness and integrity, but Smith\u2019s life was filled with moral failures. It\u2019s hard to reconcile that with someone who claims to be God\u2019s chosen messenger.<\/p>\n But isn\u2019t there polygamy in the Bible? Yes. But it\u2019s important to note that polygamy in the Old Testament is descriptive, not prescriptive. And the New Testament makes it very clear that monogamy is the only expected and permitted form of marriage.<\/p>\n Smith\u2019s famous \u201cFirst Vision,\u201d where he claims to have seen God the Father and Jesus Christ, is foundational to Mormonism. But did you know there are multiple versions of this event that contradict each other?<\/p>\n In the earliest version, Smith says he saw only one figure, \u201cthe Lord,\u201d but later versions claim he saw God the Father and Jesus as separate beings. If this vision were a true, divine encounter, it wouldn\u2019t make sense for there to be conflicting stories about such a pivotal moment. The discrepancies suggest that Smith may have fabricated or embellished his experience over time.<\/p>\n Finally, Joseph Smith taught that God was once a man who became God, that humans can become gods in the same way, and that there are many gods in existence. That\u2019s not just a different emphasis. It\u2019s a different view of God altogether.<\/p>\n In the King Follett Discourse, Smith said that God \u201cwas once as we are now\u201d and that we must learn how to become gods ourselves. In other words, God is not the eternal, uncreated Creator, but a being who progressed to divinity.<\/p>\n This is directly opposed to biblical monotheism. Isaiah 44:6 says, \u201cI am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bible is clear: there is one God. Smith\u2019s teaching of an eternal progression to godhood is not just unbiblical, it\u2019s a complete departure from the Christian understanding of God\u2019s nature. Any prophet who teaches something so fundamentally opposed to Scripture can\u2019t be a true prophet of God.<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s his failed prophecies, shifting doctrines, or contradictions in his story, the evidence is compelling: Joseph Smith was a false prophet.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to learn more, see my interview with Joe Heschmeyer, <\/i>The Incoherence of Mormonism<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\nReason #1: False Prophecies That Didn\u2019t Come True\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
Reason #2: Contradicting Revelations<\/b><\/h3>\n
Reason #3: The Book of Mormon\u2019s Historical Problems\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
Reason #4: Fabrication & Plagiarism\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
Reason #5: Joseph Smith\u2019s Dubious Character\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
Reason #6: Contradictions in the First Vision Accounts\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
Reason #7: The Problem of Polytheism\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n