Joseph Smith False Prophet

Following are some quotes that you may also want to consider from L.D.S authors.
Joseph Fielding Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p.325
Many of our young people, and some older ones, too, are not familiar with their own religion nor with the beautiful and striking
doctrines of the gospel with which it is so laden. This class devote more time to reading useless or sensational books than they
do to the study and contemplation of works that would familiarize them with the principles of the gospel. If they were better
informed in this line, and understood the saving doctrines and every-day questions of their religion, more than
they do, they would not be trapped by false teachings, false leaders, and advocates of cults that are false.

Harold B. Lee, Stand Ye In Holy Places, p.359
The mission of this church is to bear witness of the truths of the gospel and put to flight the false teachings on
every side that are causing the restlessness and the aimlessness that threaten all who have not found the straight path and
that which could be an anchor to their souls.

Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah,Vol.2, p192 p.193
We learned from Jesus as he sat on the Mount of Beatitudes, delivering his incomparable Sermon on the Mount, that we
should beware of false prophets -- of the scribes and Pharisees, of the priests and Levites, who professed to be teachers and
leaders and prophets but who were in fact ravening wolves in sheep's clothing. Though they wore the mantle of religious
leadership, their false teachings tore apart the spiritual well-being of their flocks.

There are many L.D.S doctrines that can be proven to be in error when contrasted with the bible. However there are some
issues that are more important than others. One example is pre-existence and salvation. What difference does it make if
someone believes in pre-existence or not, if they are lost because of a belief in a false Christ and a false gospel? Obviously
salvation is more important. I believe that the key issues should be the focal point before the minor issues when engaging in
conversation concerning Mormon Doctrine. The key issues are
(1) Was Joseph Smith a true prophet of God?
(2) Does the L.D.S church teach the truth about God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?
(3) Does the L.D.S church teach the true gospel?
(4) The L.D.S Standard Works

THE PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH

There are people who are believed to have made some remarkable predictions yet they are not prophets of God. For example
Nostradamus is credited for making some amazing predictions, of course he did not claim to be a prophet of God. There are
those that have claimed to be a prophet of God and have started a religion. Charles Taze Russell claimed to be a prophet of
God and he founded the Jehovah Witnesses Church known today as the Watchtower Society. Now the informed Mormon and
Christian would agree that Russell was not a prophet of God nor did he found "the true church" So the question is what
separates a true prophet of God and these people and is it important to distinguish the difference?
When we look to the Bible we can soon learn how to distinguish a false prophet from a true prophet. We are also told why it is
important to do so.

(One test is if they tell us to follow after a god other than the God of the Bible. Deut. 13:1-10)

Mt 7:21-23
21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in
heaven.
22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out
demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me,

Here we learn that there are those who prophesy in Jesus name and even perform miracles, but that does not mean they are
from God!

Acts 3:22-23
22 "Moses said, 'The Lord God shall raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed in
everything He says to you.
23 'And it shall be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.'

In this passage we can see why it would be important to distinguish a false prophet from a true one. It certainly does not sound
wise to ignore what someone has to say, if they really are a prophet of God.

Deut 18:18-22 (NAS)
18 'I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to
them all that I command him.
19 'And it shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of
him.
20 'But the prophet who shall speak a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which
he shall speak in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.'
21 "And you may say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?'
22 "When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the
thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

(1) In verse 18-19 We see that we should listen to a true prophet or answer to God for it.

(2) In verse 21&22 We see it is easy to tell the difference from a true prophet from a false one. If he is a true prophet and he
tells us something about the future it will come to pass. Notice he does not mention any exceptions, one false prophecy makes
one a false prophet.

(3) As we can see in verse 20 God does not take the matter of false prophets lightly.
One might ask how can God judge the false prophet so harshly? The answer is because the prophet said God said something
that he knows God did not say. God himself is the one that causes the prophecy to come true. Man when he is involved is only
an instrument that God uses. Following is some scripture that shows this.

Ezek 12:25
"For I the LORD shall speak, and whatever word I speak will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, for in your days, O
rebellious house, I shall speak the word and perform it," declares the Lord GOD.'"

Hab 2:2-3
Then the LORD answered me and said, "Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. "For
the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will
certainly come, it will not delay.

Here we have seen that the Lord is the one that fulfills the prophecy and the fulfillment of it is certain. We know that God does
not lie and nothing is to hard for him. Heb.6:18, Jer.32:27. L.D.S scripture also tells us that the Lord fulfills the prophecy and the
fulfillment is certain.

D&C 1:38
38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my
word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.

It is interesting to me that many from Protestants type denominations will willingly enough put the prophecies of Joseph Smith
to the test. While many Mormons are not willing to do so either because they do not believe it is important or they think it is
wrong to do so. Following are a couple of statements from L.D.S authors that show that it is important to establish that Joseph
Smith was a prophet of God.

Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.13
Conversely, if Joseph Smith was not called of God, if he was a fraud and an impostor, if he was a false prophet -- then
Mormonism, as the restored gospel is often called, is itself a fraud and a delusion. In that event we as a people are in as dark,
as benighted, and as fallen a state as the rest of mankind. And thus the issue is squarely put. Joseph Smith either was a
prophet or he was not. He was either a revealer of Christ and God and their saving truths or he was not. His work on earth was
either for good or for ill. There is no middle ground, no gray area, no room for compromise.

Paul F. Royall, BYU Speeches, December 17, 1963, p.4
Joseph Smith was either a prophet of God, or be was a fraud. There is no halfway mark about him. He was either what he
claimed he was, or he was the greatest prevaricator that this world has ever known. I say that it is expedient for each of us
to prove to ourselves whether he was a prophet or whether he was a fraud.

Of course there are still those Mormons who say I already believe Joseph Smith was a prophet so what need is there for me to
put his prophecies to the test? I say to them that the more I have studied even what I already believed the more it has increased
my faith. I can honestly say that my faith in God and his word has increased greatly by sharing this faith with people with
opposed views. The truth will endure all test and through opposition faith is strengthened. Take to heart what was said in the
following L.D.S Conference Report.

Bryant S. Hinckley, Conference Report, April 1939, p.62
John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards, and many others were given the
opportunity, not only to prove their loyalty to the Prophet, but to prove their fidelity to the truth. These men were tried in the
crucible of affliction. Spurgeon once said: "The great soldiers of the Cross have been gathered from the highlands of
adversity." It was true in those early days of our history. Those people were winnowed and sifted by the winds of adversity,
until nothing but the wheat was left.

Following we will examine three prophecies by Joseph Smith. Your job is to decide if he was a true or false prophet. If they are
not false then you must be able to explain how you can justify them as being true prophecies.