Q) What kind of a life did the prophet lead in Nauvoo?
A) Joseph lived in great plenty. He entertained his friends and had a right good time. He was a jolly fellow. I don’t think that in his family tea and coffee were used, but they were served to the strangers when he entertained as tavern-keeper. At least, I suppose so. The Smiths had plenty of money. Why, when I came to Nauvoo I paid Hyrum $700 in gold for a barren lot and at that rate they sold any amount of lots after having got the land very cheap, to be sure. Their principle was to weaken a man in his purse, and in this way take power and influence from him. Weaken everybody, that was their motto. Joseph’s maxim was, when you have taken all the money a fellow has got, you can do with him whatever you please.
... Oh yes, he used to boast of his riches. He expressed the opinion, that it was all-important that he should be rich. I heard him say myself, ‘it would be better that every man in the church should lose his last cent, than that I should fall and go down.’ ibid.
Q) Was Joseph a coward?
A) Yes, he was a coward and so was Hyrum. You see it already in the fact that when I attacked him on the street with most violent words, he did not dare to answer a word. ibid.
Q) How was it with Joseph’s wrestling?
A) The forces of the prophet in this line have been exaggerated. My brother Wilson wrestled once with him and he laid him down on the floor like a baby. Wilson could throw a lead bar much farther than Joe could. But Wilson was an uncommonly fine and strong man, over 6 feet. He could hold a weight of 56 pounds on his little finger and write his name on the wall in big letters. Joseph was flabby; he never worked at anything and that probably made him so. Rockwell did everything about the house. ibid.
Early the next morning, Mr Knight discovered both his horse and wagon were gone, suspected some rogue had stolen them. Lucy Smith volunteered no information as to Joseph having made use of the horse and wagon, but tried to pacify Mr Knight with the idea that they were but temporarily out of the way. B H Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I:87
The Seer Stone referred to here was a chocolate-colored, somewhat egg-shaped stone which the Prophet found while digging a well in company with his brother Hyrum ... It possessed the qualities of Urim and Thummim, since by means of it ... Joseph was able to translate the characters engraven on the plates. ibid. I:129
I first became acquainted with Joseph Smith junior in November, 1825. He was at that time in the employ of a set of men who were called ‘money diggers’; and his occupation was that of seeing, or pretending to see by means of a stone placed in his hat, and his hat closed over his face. In this way he pretended to discover minerals and hidden treasure. His appearance at this time, was that of a careless young man, not very well educated, and very saucy and insolent to his father. Isaac Hale, Joseph Smith's father-in-law, sworn statement
I was born in Palmyra New York near where old Jo Smith settled, January 4 1807. I attended school with Prophet Jo. His father taught me to mow. I worked with old and young Jo at farming. I have frequently seen old Jo drunk. Young Jo had a forked witch-hazel rod with which he claimed he could locate buried money or hidden things. Later he had a peep-stone which he put into his hat and looked into it. I have seen both. Signed ... Isaac Butts
I was acquainted with the family of Joseph Smith senior both before and since they became Mormons, and feel free to state that not one of the male members of the Smith family were entitled to any credit, whatsoever. They were lazy, intemperate and worthless men, very much addicted to lying. In this they frequently boasted of their skill. Digging for money was their principal employment. In regard to their Gold Bible speculation, they scarcely ever told two stories alike. The Mormon Bible is said to be a revelation from God, through Joseph Smith junior, his Prophet, and this same Joseph Smith junior to my knowledge, bore the reputation among his neighbors of being a liar. The foregoing statement can be corroborated by all his former neighbors. Parley Chase December 1833
When the day arrived, great numbers convened from the different Churches in the country. They spent the day in fasting and prayer, and in washing and perfuming their bodies, they also washed their feet, and anointed their heads with what they called holy oil, and pronounced blessings.
In the evening, they met for the endowment. The fast was then broken by eating light what bread, and drinking as much wine as they saw proper.
Smith knew well how to infuse the spirit which the expected to receive; so he encouraged the brethren to drink freely, telling them that the wine was consecrated, and would not make them drunk.
As may be supposed, they drank to the purpose. After this, they began to prophesy, pronouncing blessings upon their friends, and curses upon their enemies.
If I should be so unhappy as to go to the regions of the damned, I never expect to hear language more awful, or more becoming the infernal pit, than was uttered that night. The curses were pronounced principally upon the clergy of the present day, and upon the Jackson county mob in Missouri. After spending the night in alternate blessings and cursing, the meeting adjourned. William Harris, 1841
Joseph Smith was accused and found guilty of parting a local farmer from his money in a less than honest scheme, commonly known as ‘money-digging’ or ‘glass-looking’ ... an activity that brought him rebuke from his soon-to-be father-in-law Isaac Hale ... also ... He was removed from membership in a local Methodist church because of the activity and trial results. Derick S Hartshorn, Bearing the Testimony of Truth
cf.
If this court record is authentic it is the most damning evidence in existence against Joseph Smith. Hugh Nibley, historian & apologist, The Mythmakers
Joseph & Hyrum Smith were Master Masons and they were put to death by Masons or through their instigation and he gave the sign of distress & he was shot by Masons while in the act. Wilford Woodruff’s Journal 19th August 1860 vol 5, fourth Mormon president
How did it come? By the ministering of an holy angel from God ... The angel taught Joseph Smith those principles which are necessary for the salvation of the world ... He told him the Gospel was not among men, and that there was not a true organization of His kingdom in the world ... This man to whom the angel appeared obeyed the Gospel. Wilfred Woodruff, Journal of Discourses II:196-197
I, William Stafford … first became acquainted with Joseph senior and his family in the year 1820. They lived, at that time, in Palmyra, about one mile and a half from my residence. A great part of their time was devoted to digging for money: especially in the night time, when they said the money could be most easily obtained. I have heard them tell marvelous tales, respecting the discoveries they had made in their peculiar occupation of money digging … When they found that the people of this vicinity would no longer put any faith in their schemes for digging money, they then pretended to find a gold bible, of which, they said, the book of Mormon was only an introduction. William Stafford, sworn statement
They would say, for instance, that in such a place, in such a hill, on a certain man’s farm, there were deposited keys, barrels and hogsheads of coined silver and gold – bars of gold, golden images, brass kettles filled with gold and silver – gold candlesticks, swords etc. etc. They would say, also, that nearly all the hills in this part of New York, were thrown up by human hands, and in them were large caves, which Joseph junior could see by placing a stone of singular appearance in his hat, in such a manner as to exclude all light; at which time they pretended he could see all things within and under the earth – that he could see within the above mentioned caves, large gold bars and silver plates – that he could also discover the spirits in whose charge these treasures were, clothed in ancient dress. At certain times, these treasures could be obtained very easily; at others, the obtaining of them was difficult. The facility of approaching them, depended in a great measure on the state of the moon. New moon and good Friday, I believe, were regarded as the most favorable times for obtaining these treasures. ibid.
I have been acquainted with the family of Joseph Smith senior for several years, and I know him to be a drunkard and a liar, and to be much in the habit of gambling. He and his boys were truly a lazy set of fellows, and more particularly Joseph, who, very aptly followed his father’s example, and in some respects was worse. When intoxicated he was very quarrelsome ... It is well known that the general employment of the Smith family was money digging and fortune-telling. They kept around them constantly, a gang of worthless fellows who dug for money nights, and were idle in the day time. David Stafford, sworn statement December 1833
Joseph Smith senior was a noted drunkard and most of the family followed his example, and Joseph junior especially, who was very much addicted to intemperance. In short, not one of the family had the least claims to respectability. Ever since he professed to be inspired of the Lord to translate the Book of Mormon, he one day while at work in my father’s field, got quite drunk on a composition of cider. Barton Stafford, sworn statement December 1833
I, Joshua Stafford, became acquainted with the family of Joseph Smith senior about the year 1819 or 20. They then were laboring people, in low circumstances. A short time after this, they commenced digging for hidden treasures, and soon after they became indolent, and told marvelous stories about ghosts, hob-goblins, caverns, and various other mysterious matters. Joshua Stafford, sworn statement November 1833
Joseph Smith junior, Martin Harris and others, used to meet together in private, a while before the gold plates were found, and were familiarly known by the name of the ‘Gold Bible Company’. They were regarded by the community in which they lived, as a lying and indolent set of men and no confidence could be placed in them. Henry Harris, sworn statement November 1833