... and Rigdon’s resulting letter informing the dissenters that they must ‘depart before a more fatal calamity’ befell them. While the dissenters had gone to procure legal aid to prevent Smith and Rigdon from taking their land (or their lives), the Danites invaded and plundered their homes and property. So, for those Mormons, ‘consecration’ meant having their goods taken away by force, upon the order of church leaders. David Whitmer
Wilford Woodruff, who remained true to the Church and became the fourth President, confirmed the fact that Joseph Smith claimed to have a revelation concerning the bank. Under the date of January 6, 1837, he recorded the following in his journal: ‘I also herd [sic] President Joseph Smith, junior declare in the presence of F Williams, D Whitmer, S Smith, W Parrish, and others in the Deposit office that had had received that morning the word of the Lord upon the subject of the Kirkland Safety Society. He was alone in a room by himself and he had not only [heard] the voice of the Spirit upon the Subject but even an audible voice. He did not tell us at that time what the Lord said upon the subject but remarked that if we would give heed to the commandments the Lord had given this morning all would be well’. Wilford Woodruff’s Journal 6th January 1837, cited Conflict at Kirtland p296
Antique documents worth millions. Techniques that fooled America’s greatest experts. A master-plan so profound it takes years to unfold. And a brilliant mind driven to the absolute edge. The Man Who Forged America, BBC 2003
1980 Salt Lake City Utah. Home of the Mormon Church. The setting for a discovery that sent shock waves around America. Mark Hofmann, a first year medical student, has brought an old Bible. Stuck between its pages is a mysterious document ... The long-lost Anthon transcript. ibid.
Hofmann sells his amazing find to the Mormon Church for $20,000. ibid.
Hofmann makes another incredibly find. He unearths three Joseph Smith letters that he sells for $95,000. The money pours in. ibid.
Over the next year Hofmann makes more apparent discoveries including documents of national importance from the hand of Daniel Boone, Abe Lincoln, George Washington and Jack London. His fame spreads. The Mormon Church believes he is touched by God. ibid.
The world’s most astounding series of forgeries. ibid.
Over six hundred extraordinary forgeries. ibid.
He creates the Salamander letter, the first in a series of controversial documents that threatens the very foundation of the Mormon Church. ibid.
Hofmann now travels east ... He creates an entirely new persona for himself. ibid.
Hofmann poses as an innocent history buff. ibid.
The Oath of a Freeman ... His asking price $1.5 million. He has reached the pinnacle of the forger’s art. ibid.
And it isn’t long before some of his disgruntled investors get ugly. ibid.
Hofmann targets Christensen because he was about to expose Hormann’s financial dealings. ibid.
A massive plan so profound it takes years to unfold. And a brilliant mind driven to the absolute edge. 1980, Salt Lake City, Utah: home of the Mormon Church, setting for a discovery that sends shockwaves throughout America. Mark Hofmann, a first year medical student, has purchased an old Bible; stuck between its pages is a mysterious document … a long lost Anthon transcript … ‘One of the great historical finds of Mormon history.’ Masterminds s1e1: The Anthon Forgeries, History 2011
Hofmann sells his amazing find to the Mormon church for $20,000. ibid.
Six months later Hofmann makes another incredible find: he unearths three Joseph Smith letters that he sells for $95,000. ibid.
Including documents of national importance. ibid.
He has created over 600 extraordinary forgeries. ibid.
He creates the Salamander Letter: the first of a series of controversial documents that threatens the very foundation of the Mormon faith. ibid.
Hofmann targets [Steven] Christensen because he was about to expose Hofmann’s financial dealings. ibid.
His [Mark Hofmann] great desire in life was to fool the experts. Robert Stott, prosecutor
As investigators circle closer to Hofmann as their killer the case throws a cloud of doubt over the Church’s documents and others Hofmann has sold from coast to coast. News report cited The Man Who Forged America
Mark Hofmann was a forger and shrewd observer of human behavior. Like any good con-man, he knew part of his success manufacturing and selling fake historical documents depended on willing victims – people who wanted to believe his claims.
Growing up Mormon, Hofmann realized he was surrounded by credulous people who were trained to trust those who presented themselves as authorities ...
From his years of poking around old documents and studying church history, Hofmann knew there were skeletons in the Mormon closet. Authentic LDS history is far murkier than the official version. He also knew the church was interested in acquiring potentially embarrassing documents so they could suppress them ...
So Hofmann concocted the ‘Salamander letter’, an account of Joseph Smith encountering a talking salamander that turned into an angel. The forgery neatly connected the Smith family’s occult practices with the origins of Mormonism ...
How is it that church leaders could meet several times with Mark Hofmann and never discern the dark spirit inside him? How could they not recognize the devil within their midst? And how many times before had they failed at similar challenges? How many more times would they fail? ...
What about the church’s document experts? Well, they turned out not to be so expert.
Before Hofmann started blowing up people, the church trumpeted the Salamander letter as a marvelous, wonderful new find while carefully spinning its content. After law enforcement forgery experts declared the Salamander letter a fake, however, the brethren had to spin their way back out without making it look like they had been duped and swindled. Furthermore, they resisted cooperating with the investigation out of fear their ineptitude would be further exposed.
The Hofmann case was a shameful moment of ecclesiastical bungling. I don’t imagine it’s an isolated case. The brethren work pretty much in secret, with no checks and balances, answering to no one, except each other and the still, small voices they hear in their heads. Stray Mutt, board post ‘For Newbies and Lurking TBMs – A Review of the Hofmann Case’
The calm of Salt Lake City Utah was rocked today by two booby-trap bombs that left two people dead … Murder Among the Mormons I, newscaster, Netflix 2021
A morning that brought fear and death. The first explosion ripped through a downtown office building, killing one man. The second explosion outside a holiday home claimed another life … ibid.
There was dark talk involving religious documents, hired professional killers … ibid.
The bombing’s impact has drawn the Church into an uncomfortable spotlight. ibid.
Salt Lake City 1980: At that time I was introduced to Mark Hofmann. And I was very excited to meet Mark. He was in the Mormon document world, he was a rock star. ibid. Shannon Flynn, rare document dealer
The Anthon Transcript discovery was widely publicized and brought Mark Hofmann into contact with top leaders in the Mormon Church. ibid. reporter
I’d never seen anybody come up with the material that Mark was coming up with. ibid. Brent Ashworth, historical document collector
He takes out from his briefcase the Salamander letter. ibid. Flynn
It just changed everything. Instead of God and angels, now it’s salamanders and magic. ibid. Sandra Tannner
The McLellin Collection was potentially devastating. ibid. Flynn
Last year Hofmann sold a document known as the White Salamander letter to the men who were the apparent targets of the first attack. Murder Among the Mormons II
For more than three hours officers sifted through boxes and collected evidence they hope to use in their case against Hofmann. ibid. news
The FBI has reportedly concluded there is no reason to believe the Salamander letter is a phony. ibid.
Every single document that Hofmann had handled had that cracked ink. ibid. document verification dude
It’s the biggest forgery case to ever occur. Period. Murder Among the Mormons III, observer
After Mark’s confessions, the Parole Board decides he will serve his entire life in prison. ibid. caption