The Prophet Puzzle: Suggestions Leading Toward a More Comprehensive Interpretation of Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith was just one of a proliferation of preachers and prophets who found God along the stony ridges and narrow lakes of western New York in the first half of the nineteenth century. It was a place and a time of intense interest in religion: pathways to paradise ran in all directions. Prospective pilgrims had a choice, and many a wanderer journeyed a little way down first one path and then another testing alternate routes to heaven. The story of the strange systems and unusual faiths that resulted is essentially a record of unsuccessful experiments with religion. Some survived for a season, but most of the cults and sects of the day disappeared at the death of their leaders—if they lasted that long. Of all the unorthodox theological systems that were introduced in the New York hinterland between 1800 and 1850, the only one that has become an important American religion is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The Mormon church found scant support in New York State, however. Within a year after the formal organization of the church, the Mormons had started their celebrated westward hegira by moving to Ohio. Because the phenomenal growth of the organization began after this initial move from New York State, the successful development of the church has generally been predicated on evidence found in the subsequent history of the sect. Tendentious histories—whether pro or con—almost invariably begin with the events that preceded the founding of the church in 1830, but for a very long time the objective historiography of Mormonism was largely made up of studies which explained how the Mormons built the Kingdom of the Saints following the removal of that realm from western New York.Recently the “Case of the Missing Information about Mormon Origins,” as Truman G. Madsen once styled the problem posed by the paucity of information on the New England-New York background, can be said to have been reopened. James B. Allen's article on “The Significance of Joseph Smith's ‘First Vision’ in Mormon Thought” was published in Dialogue in 1966, and the following year an intensive reexamination of Mormon beginnings was spurred headlong by the challenge to the integrity of Joseph Smith represented in the outcome of the Reverend Wesley P. Walters's investigation of the religious situation in and around Palmyra, New York, in the 1820s.1 So much research has been carried out since then that a steady stream of articles, essays, and books on the early period in Mormon history is pouring forth.2While some of these new works are little more than arguments with the Reverend Walters about LDS chronology, or with Philastus Hurlbut and Eber D. Howe about valid interviewing techniques, much of it is extremely interesting—and extremely significant. Richard L. Bushman's description of what one can learn from a close reading of the rhetoric of the Book of Mormon, for example, is not only intrinsically useful, but methodologically important. Mario S. De Pillis, with his analysis of dream accounts, is also making a methodological contribution while adding to our understanding of the initial appeal of Mormonism.3 At a less theoretical level, Dean Jessee's work with holograph writings provides precise information about who wrote what when, and, at the same time, demonstrates the procedures employed in the original production of such basic works as the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith's history.4Nevertheless, complacency is not in order. It is true that many major points have been clarified and many minor issues settled, but there are still loose ends not neatly tied up between the covers of BYU Studies and Dialogue; inconsistencies still exist that must be resolved before the case can be considered closed. Perhaps Marvin Hill's projected biography of the prophet, which—judging from his published articles—seems to promise a much needed new interpretation of Joseph Smith, will provide answers to all the unanswered questions about the Latter-day Saint leader's early career and the church's beginnings. In the meantime, all that can be said is that, while a great deal is known about the methods used in building up this extraordinary religious society, its creation is still surrounded by mystery.Throughout the nineteenth century, when the church was regarded as a threat to the social and political fabric of the nation, those who wrote about it were less concerned with the mysterious nature of Mormon origins than with their perceptions of present dangers. For a very long time the mystery connected with Mormonism appeared to be corporate—and criminal—and its solution was seen, therefore, less as a matter of understanding Mormon origins and theological beliefs than discovering the secrets of the temple and penetrating the plottings of the “sinister” hierarchy.5 When polygamy and the political Kingdom were shorn away, the mystery for a time seemed to dissipate. Emphasis on the radical and revolutionary elements in Mormonism diminished, and the Saints seemed destined to fade unobtrusively into the American religious landscape. From the outside it even looked as if they might, in their search for acceptance and respectability, find a place, if not in the fold, then certainly along the fringes of American Protestantism.In a recent essay, Klaus J. Hansen speculates that something of this sort has, in fact, happened. After reviewing the reasons which explain Mormonism's failure to fit into the pluralistic, voluntaristic pattern of nineteenth century American religion, he points out that, in the twentieth century, these reasons no longer function as boundaries marking Mormon peculiarity, and suggests that, as a result, Mormonism as a “distinct cultural unit” has more or less ceased to exist.6 As is usually the case, Professor Hansen's elegant argument is extremely persuasive. Here, however, agreement must be made contingent on a clear understanding of the difference between a “cultural entity” and a religio-theological unit. While the homogeneous character of Mormondom is plainly giving way, the Saints are still set apart—certainly in their own self-consciousness—as a “community of the faithful.” Despite a value structure and belief in Christ which Mormons share with middleclass American Protestants, the Saints have not been absorbed into in the new of the of be a to the they an as and from American as or For that the of the early of not only for Latter-day Saints who a understanding of their but also for who American that the nineteenth century as the of Mormonism is away, it is that the place to begin is with the of Joseph Smith's is not an however. As is the case with the and built up which they have been at to of the Mormon leader's to be As a result, the must with the on the one in by and in by Smith's and, on the in the of the a of events by the which was in with the of the by which were to the character of the church and its The situation is by the to the to which the of the Book of Mormon, the of and the of the with the of be as these to the a must be made to the mystery of Mormonism by to the at its The that is and The must be a of the in the of the and theological from which he the of must be to the information and the that can be found in the Mormon and the must be with an a and a to the evidence that to from it it then will the outcome be a of the and an of the of the Mormon which will be to which and in the of of are some in that the first of the nineteenth century, western New York in the New As they the from New the that had church to be down from to the the social that had in the of the all but long after the character of this had away, religion to the than the social of the The that the building of the seemed to all with and no longer church social or religious and social made an of the theological of and the was still close to the to the between and works in of the As a the way of the was the way out by and the in New in the the were by a that the of into the of the the of the made the a or a the the pattern of its that were of the known of and that to they were and his the to the day of While the these were into of to the and the with about the of to the of an As and the with for the that the of were of and for were the to from to and When a the of and and in and on had been as such their the of a that a between the in the of and and the of the religious as a the had to and into a but the of the of this great were when to at the of it had been by the was the development of an that made the of religious had such a as has been but has the or for long as it the of the the of Joseph Smith, the Mormon western New York with such that the looked on the as the The religious by the of this to however, and in it was clear that the that the was the in the of the that and was not As if of had by what it the of the had one of those of religious that have from time to time history as the for new theological a of after the way to the that the building of De this a of and that had from faiths to along As the and the into or into they a more and move to to search for with they the at New or the of the at in of a of known that God with or some has a way of the his when he from place to place, and most of those who in the had with that no was The of western New looked for religious in the and the of and all to provide to the to the the these of the religious not for when than and was made the of the a matter of since this was not by the of the successful had to his church by was a in and, in the of and it was not at all unusual for a to have been the Mormon from this no evidence to that the religious there to many religious a of with religious for answers to his his Joseph Smith and to of the in the to a by his Joseph Smith, not become a of of the that were he a dream which he had had in Smith, the of in the Book of Mormon, regarded dream and as a that these were the of to the same in a not When he the to the in the the way that the religious had said that in he had made about which church he and that the had been in a he and was that he of the as they were all the of the first published in the of Joseph Smith, the to it to a that was on in and since the this if at before 1830, and since no description of it to have been down a after it is said to have and Wesley P. and many the that the first the it in to when his was be of the Reverend Walters's of the events the and his argument that this was the of and the of the is more than the that Smith was to an that place, not in the but around the in the as the for that an early which Joseph Smith to from is less persuasive. all the it is an in to the same to the of Smith's of subsequent and to that his of or of the events in his the are to the story of the of the which the for the Book of for all the In to Smith's known of his which not the first to the and in to the of the from which an of and can be the evidence which has not been to on this is the Book of Mormon this work has been at of it has by and been as a which a understanding of Joseph Smith's early The reasons for this on the answers that have usually been to questions about who wrote the Book of Mormon and what its of the Mormons have the that Joseph Smith was the of the not its which of that since they the not the they not it as a of into his early the nineteenth and much of the twentieth century, many were to a not they the of the Book of Mormon had been from the of but the work was to have been from a which had been by the Reverend if this were and Joseph Smith had the the work into in his career seemed after what an as about a situation is In the and made it clear that who to Joseph Smith have to to with his in a in his of the Latter-day made it just as clear that are in of the Book of Mormon as in and in at description of the as of from As a result, are the Book of it is that, its it was from on or from Joseph Smith's extraordinary as a and of and the American and it a of major in the religious and history of the is that, its the Book of Mormon of the with theological of the posed by and with religious that are not with the that its religious was an it a Book of Mormon by an essentially such a in fact, a of than a which that Joseph up in a with that, as he he the and to that around he have a or some which at that his dream about the all in was that in the of he have to his about the to about the matter a time, a around that will be in with his he found some or he much to that the or the for the the of the Book of the of the has plainly the religious and that had been an important of his that Smith's to have been at a of events and a and as Joseph in and theological he to have some of the that in his early the of the of the will be the to learn more must be for the our of the history in the to 1830, the more are to the of events which after the founding of the the of the events of Joseph Smith's which the as an of his is not with what it in understanding his of not those by this and strange were by no in western New York in the but these were to Joseph Smith that he was set from his of for the for acceptance that into and after he had been those who he have been and to have to but he he not fit the pattern of were by scant and religion. was he and the made to the of it was in by his this his It to place an value on and and it made to with an that, at in his of into was not his to that first made Joseph Smith's difference and introduced to however, for he was also with what his a which as a for as a of Smith to the of his by in the of and Because of this nature which unsuccessful the to of and Smith was to in after he had to a he had to and he was found of a and a year or following the of that Smith that he in his a an of the of this and the from which they The of the Smith had been by an they were of which after be the of the in of the new of the of When the of the was and published to the the of these for and used to the integrity into and to on the of his was in from a who had in the same the and their the of the Smith and of the search for Mormon have to these by and how the information the was by the of the are on to the information by Philastus Hurlbut and Eber D. Howe can that the in the were not generally or that the information in is articles, by the Reverend and James which the same information were published in before the of Mormonism that many of Smith's and used the of the Smith important but one which will not be with and the to the between the they and a of God is not if the extraordinary difference between their of Joseph and their of prophets is in situation can be to one in his and and it to their of the and that the had been a as these are in a which will an understanding of the the and Hurlbut and Howe of the way the of the are to the development of a religious of Joseph Professor is in his that and religious were not in nineteenth century it is clear that the and those who with in the of the of the Church were not to the early with the It to that the for down this of the was the that it be used as the for that his by that of his in the of his Smith to the that have been used from that day to this as to at at the for the of his career out of the is and the events of that of his are the events of his early a pattern which little for that Smith's of the was an important of his early and interest in and that it an important in his in this the early events of Smith's up to a that more than the which has Mormon history from the who deal with Joseph Smith's career are also with but since the of the after the church was are more to these not the same sort of that have been to explain the Book of The building up of and the of an and structure for the church, and the development and growth of Mormonism were which can be to a in the and at and for that to a with Some of the Mormon have Smith's as the of the that he was a a or a who was to have around to and who to be as the to his to become of the this the that than Smith wrote the Book of Mormon, has not survived in the of of the in are generally that the was the in of the of the Mormon they not on the reasons this is explain in of the out of the of the but of Smith's in the are on Joseph Smith as and Joseph Smith as are not as they are not on the of that of Smith's which the founding of the church, therefore, less than the of the of his The even questions are not with the that the was an he was in by his own or with the that the was a only when he was as the situation will be clarified if the problem is from another Joseph Smith was a it is and there was a to his his is not as a function of his but as an of his as prophet, and the reasons for the to his of Mormons and will be more While the made was not important for the of the Saints who his and his as it is important in the of those Saints who made Smith's to before contingent on their about the of his When his and Saints to that Smith was a prophet, his for prophet, and is to an understanding of the Because this out and was the Book of Mormon and the its it is there that must to a of how the was by Joseph Smith and by his must if begin to the of the of the as a in early Mormonism's Book of Mormon to be the history of the between and but its of that was with such an of and theological that it was that this was no The work of and and of and the most in the Book of Mormon were those which were essentially of that had also been a of the of Joseph Smith's to the to Smith's own were in the of his extraordinary were clear in the of the the of a of which a description of the of that exist at the day when the of be to the of and to the of the that were and that a a from God from the of the to the be into the of a the that of his be who the who the to a of the was concerned with the history of the it to that its initial appeal was not was a time when the of the were in the of for with to the and the and a of biography to political into in the time, Joseph Smith's of the American therefore, not out of The which to the as the of and as which is all to the of the in in Smith's was a of the American to cultural from In a that the James of the the Book of Mormon that the American were of the of and that Christ had appeared on this in this a between the history of the and the that the this history of the western in be regarded as but and for the that the of and that the who the record found on the be the which the church in all its be Smith said that the of was by of a which the and set in the of a to a that to the as if it were As of his unusual the a of Joseph of the of and most of Smith's own the of the work as Smith it from a to be out on by or or his new and they were that Joseph Smith had a was and after a of the had been the to those in to to that the work was of was not had Joseph Smith, and of with not that to his to the of Smith's and when on the that resulted the new religion. Joseph Smith for and that the not be the of the making to the God provide another set of which the in the Joseph Smith the suggests that the of the situation with which Smith was to be the for the of he that a belief in was to the of the new religion, and that it have in to the with much that the were a an the that the story of the was and that Smith on their his and that this was in Mormon and most of Mormonism that of the origins of The Church of Jesus Christ of Saints usually the of to this in Joseph Smith's the of the of in the development of the have been made to the difference between these and Smith's Church no between the character of the Book of Mormon and the and that explain Latter-day Saints have not From the all the of and and the of and the of with a to become that it is that the problem by that it is all a matter of it just as and were to to theological to the social and and political in New the of Mormon history must the of many of the events in Mormon history in the between and the of the Latter-day Joseph Smith's early and his are as between God and The difference on who the it is regarded as a or a a is an which the who has it with a of been in with the of and are of the it is true that many of the the to with or with the organization of the by or some much of the in Mormonism from a more but more of with As it out in Mormon this of for and an of the will of the in In theological God the and for and God difference was clear even to the The with no about the of what he had and When James said that who have religious by from it they have had their and they have been to Joseph Smith who the to what have For had a it and God and not same not to the however. said that Smith, said are of the when his the of the for the Book of Mormon to who deal with the and the history of the church must of the of that and the of the to some not not a the and of a and is It to and what and Kingdom a of the that a on which the can be At its are the which in those when a into the at its are the which be not as Smith the but as in history are when the is the history of religion. in of the of Mormon with its of Joseph Smith as a of God and Joseph Smith as a of who his for his own up as a religious a is that between the character of the of the Mormon will to the as more than is not an on Joseph that of that to with he was at on even for how many he or how many he that the mystery of Mormonism be the mystery of Joseph a biography once as the biography of an American as a have a biography of the Joseph Smith was also a an our of is but have in Mormon historiography is the one who started out for and when he was to and the one who had and the church, and the of the to a While the has the have much the are of not at has the of a from which to the The be Joseph had the many of his it to of the to not a but a for all of that, a than