Joseph Smith Civil War False Prophocie

Civil War Prophecy by Joseph Smith

First I would like you to look at the Civil War prophecy carefully and see if it was intended to be divided into time frames of the
(1) Civil War (2) World War 1&2 (3 ) The second coming of Christ.
This is the way the L.D.S authorities have interpreted it so that it was not a false prophecy. I suggest to you that to interpret this
prophecy in such a manner is not being true to the context! To help see the problem with this type of interpretation I have
marked each time frame in the following way.

1. Everything to the left of #C# would have to pertain to the Civil War time period.
2. Everything to the left of #W# would have to pertain to World War 1&2 time period this section is also underlined.
3. Everything to the left of #2# would have to pertain to the 2nd coming of Christ this section is also in italics.
Other things that are in Bold are points that you should take notice of.

Date: December 25, 1832 D&C 87:1-8
1 Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South
Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls; #C#
2 And the time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, #W# beginning at this place.
3 For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other
nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend
themselves against other nations; #C# and then war shall be poured out upon all nations. #W#
4 And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshaled and disciplined
for war.
5 And it shall come to pass also that the remnants who are left of the land will marshal themselves, and shall become
exceedingly angry, and shall vex the Gentiles with a sore vexation. #C#
6 And thus, with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and
earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel
the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end
of all nations;
7 That the cry of the saints, and of the blood of the saints, shall cease to come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, from the
earth, to be avenged of their enemies.
8 Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the
Lord. Amen.#2#

To interpret this prophecy in the manner that the L.D.S Authorities have explained it to us including World War 1&2 we have to
change time frames at least 6 times in only 8 verses.

(1) I cannot find any wording in the context of this passage that would suggest that it was intended to be interpreted in these
time frames? If so what is it?

(2) Interpreting this prophecy in this way how would one explain the fact that World War 1&2 are brought into the picture it is
right in the middle of a sentence in verse 2 which is referring to the Civil War and then the subject changes back to the Civil
War?

(3) Considering the fact that this passage starts out and ends with "saith the Lord" Do you think this was intended to be a
prophecy or just Joseph Smith's opinion?

(4) According to verse 1&2 war was to be poured out on all nations beginning at what place? Did this happen in the Civil War
time period?

(5) If you are true to the context when should there be a full end to all nations?

(6) Is this a true or false prophecy? How should you respond according to the Bible? Duet.18:18-22

Herber Kimball a member of the first presidency made the following statement. Keep in mind the civil war took place from
1861-1865

Journal of Discourses, Vol.9, p.54 - p.55,
Heber C. Kimball, April 14, 1861
There are many good books for you to read, and that are full of good instruction. Here are the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and
Book of Doctrine and Covenants. You will see many revelations in the last-named book that are already fulfilled, and there are
others that are still in the future. The Almighty through his Prophets foretold that the nation would make war upon this people,
and that he would come out of his hiding place, and pour out his judgments upon those that rebel against him, and who
persecuted his people, and set themselves against his house. Then it shall go forth like a mighty whirlwind upon the face of the
whole earth. In this country the North and the South will exert themselves against each other, and ere long the
whole face of the United States will be in commotion, fighting one against another, and they will destroy their
nationality. They have never done anything for this people, and I don't believe they ever will. I have never prayed for the
destruction of this Government, but I know that dissolution, sorrow, weeping, and distress are in store for the inhabitants of the
United States, because of their conduct towards the people of God. Then the judgments will go forth to the nations of the earth.
I have an understanding of these things, and I sincerely hope that you comprehend as clearly as I do. If you do, you will strive to
prepare for those things that are coming upon the earth in these last days

Does it sound like Herber Kimball understood the civil war prophecy was to all be fulfilled at that time when he said "and they
will destroy their nationality" ?

Even if you interpret this prophecy as something that was to all take place in one time period as I believe it was intended.
(making it a false prophecy) One would still wonder about the parts of the prophecy that did come true. I am referring to the fact
that the Civil War did take place, it did begin in South Carolina. How could Joseph have known that much before it happened?
It might not be as amazing as you think if you take a look at what was happening in history at the time of his prophecy.

For Example the tension was bad enough between the north and the south that John Quincy Adams (then Secretary of State)
predicted civil war himself 12 years earlier than Joseph Smith. The following can be found in the L.D.S Collectors Library under
the bonus title American History, "An apprehensive view of the Missouri compromise"

AUTHOR: Thomas Jefferson
DATE: 1820
SOURCE: America, Vol.5, Pg.305
[THE Missouri Compromise was the first of the great measures that followed the spirit of mutual accommodation found in the
Constitution itself. It was an arrangement between the free and slave States, embodied in an Act of Congress approved March
6, 1820, which provided for the admission of Missouri into the Union as a slave State, but which prohibited slavery in all other
Louisiana territory north of the southern boundary line of Missouri.
Jefferson betrays both apprehension and alarm for the future of the Union, in these three letters written in 1820. It is the
Southern view of a lukewarm slave holder. Following it is the Northern view taken from the journal of John Quincy Adams,
then (1820) Secretary of State. His prophecy of civil war, in the third paragraph, was fulfilled in 1861. Niles, whose moderate
view follows, founded (1815) and edited "Niles' Weekly Register," the files of which are an invaluable record of contemporary
events.]

Still this leaves the fact that Joseph Smith stated that the rebellion would begin in South Carolina. This is what a lot of people
would have expected at that time. Before Joseph Smith's prophecy Congress passed a tariff act that South Carolina refused to
accept and President Andrew Jackson alerted the troops to be ready for war.

The following can be found in the L.D.S Collectors Library (bonus title)

History of the American People, Vol.4, Pg.36 - Pg.37
The election over, General Jackson once more chosen, her party ties broken, her principles of opposition still unsanctioned
and untested, South Carolina proceeded with her radical programme of redress. On the 24th of November (1832) a state
convention, summoned for the purpose and formed upon the model of a constitutional convention, adopted and promulgated a
formal Ordinance of Nullification, which declared the tariff Acts of 1828 and 1832 null and void and without force of law within
the jurisdiction of South Carolina, and gave solemn warning to the rest of the country that any attempt on the part of
the federal government to enforce the nullified laws within her limits would sever South Carolina's connection with
the Union and force her to organize a separate government. The legislature of the State immediately took steps looking
towards a resumption of some of the powers before formally surrendered to the Union, and provided for putting the State in
readiness to resist coercion by force of arms. Mr. Hayne was recalled from Washington to become governor of the State;
and Mr. Calhoun resigned the vice presidency to take his place upon the floor of the Senate, that he might, there contest every
inch of the ground in debate.

In summary this prophecy by Joseph Smith did not come true. War was not poured out on all nations beginning at South
Carolina. There also was not an end to all nations. The part that Joseph Smith did get right was common knowledge to the
people at that time.