The disagreement is not typically so much about the events as much as the interpretation of events.

*Did Joseph Smith make up the first vision? Did he hold it sacred for over a decade?
*Did the Lord prepare for the 116 lost pages of The Book of Mormon? Did Joseph Smith panic when the pages were lost because he knew he would not be able to reproduce them?
*Was Joseph Smith’s treasure digging an honest way to earn a wage, and evidence he was being prepared by the Lord to accept the angel Moroni? Was it an early sign he was good at spinning lies to convince people to give him money and power?

These are the questions I investigate here, but ultimately it is up for you to decide.


Many links below are Wikipedia links. Please keep in mind Wikipedia is a website that summarizes information and links to primary sources. I suggest clicking through to as many primary sources as possible after reading a cursory summary of these topics.

*Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Bushman, the biography written with a faithful interpretation of events: (https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Smith-R...)
*No Man Knows My History by Fawn Brodie,the biography written with a skeptical interpretation of events: (https://shorturl.at/mnsyU)
*Mormon movie about the life of Joseph Smith: (   • Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Rest...  )
*Wikipedia page about Joseph Smith: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_...)
*Wikipedia page about the first vision: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_V...)
*Wikipedia page about Joseph Smith’s run-ins with the law: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_...)
*Wikipedia page about Archaeology and The Book of Mormon: (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeo...)
*Wikipedia page about Reformed Egyptian: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reforme...)
*Wikipedia page about Martin Harris
*Church Website summarizing Joseph Smith’s 1826 Treasure Digging Trial: (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/s...)
*Church Website summarizing Joseph Smith’s Treasure Seeking: (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/s...)
*CES Letter, a common tool used to deconstruct Mormonism: (https://cesletter.org/CES-Letter.pdf)
*My book, How to Leave the Mormon Church: An Exmormon's Guide for Rebuilding After Religion (https://www.amazon.com/How-Leave-Morm...)
*My Mormon wedding explained video (   • Mormon Temple Weddings Explained (Sor...  )
*My Mormon endowment explained video (   • Secret Mormon Temple Ceremony Explain...  )
*My Mormon garments explained video (   • Mormon Garments Explained  )
*My Mormon faith crisis (   • Why I Left the Mormon Church (Pay No ...  )

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