Problems with the

Book of Mormon

Part 2

Revival Facts

            As indicated in part 1, Mormons will tend to believe what they are told by their Church leadership rather than look at evidence and make up their own minds.

            Part 1 dealt with dates concerning the production of the Book of Mormon. In particular, the date of the revival which stirred Joseph Smith Jr. and which - eventually - led to the formation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. - the Mormon Church.

            This revival is said to have occurred in the year 1820. However, I stated that there was no revival in Joseph’s area in that year. I said that the revival Joseph had in mind actually began in Autumn 1824

            That difference of four years caused major problems for Smith’s account of the events leading to the production of the Book of Mormon. Part 2 seeks to give the reader some of the evidence which supports the 1824 date, and destroys the 1820 date.

            Joseph Smith informed us that during the revival four of his family joined the Presbyterian Church, his Mother Lucy; two brothers and one sister. That statement is true, their names appear in the records showing when they joined. (And the dates they were expelled!)

            Lucy Smith wrote a book*: in her book she says she joined the Presbyterian Church following the death of her son, Alvin.

Alvin Smith died November 19, 1823.

Until the year 1981 all Mormon books wrongly dated Alvin’s death as Nov. 19, 1824.

Ministers

            From a number of sources we know the names of the Ministers involved in the revival, for example, Joseph’s brother, William Smith, wrote a book entitled, “William Smith on Mormonism”. In his book he speaks of the revival and mentions the ministers involved. The same Ministers are recorded in the Comprehensive History of the Church, Vol. 1 pp. 51-53. The two ministers mentioned are:

Ÿ Reverend Lane - Methodist,

Ÿ Reverend Stockton - Presbyterian.

            What do we know about these men?

Rev. Stockton - Took over as Minister of the Presbyterian Church on Feb, 18, 1824. He had visited the area months earlier, possibly to make arrangements for his impending arrival. During that visit he preached the sermon at the funeral of Alvin Smith. In his sermon he implied that Alvin had gone to Hell, not a very sensitive thing to do at a funeral. William Smith states that it was because of this remark that their father, Joseph Smith Senior, would not join the Presbyterian Church with his wife, Lucy. This information provides further evidence that Lucy joined after Alvin’s death in November 1823.

Rev. Lane - The Reverend George Lane became the Minister of the Methodist Church in July 1824 but due to ill health left the Ministry in January 1825.

            Obviously, any revival, which involved both men, had to begin after July 1824. (The revival started the following month, August 1824).        

            The records show that during the 1824 revival the Baptists gained 94 people; the Presbyterians 99 and the Methodists 208. As a matter of interest - what changes are shown on the Church Records for 1820?

            In 1820 the Methodist Church LOST 6 members and the Baptist gained 6 members, not what you would call a revival, is it?

Deceit

            At least three Mormon writers have used a quotation from a religious magazine published in Joseph Smith’s time. The last writer to use it, to my knowledge, was Hinckley (President-1994-2008) in his short Mormon History, Truth Restored. Hinckley used the quotation in spite of being advised not to by the Church Historian.

            The quotation reads: “One week a Rochester paper noted: ‘More than 200 souls have become hopeful subjects of divine grace in…[towns mentioned] since the late revival commenced… more that four hundred souls have already confessed that the Lord is good’”. end of quote. Hinckley continues: “Under the impetus of this revival, four of the Smith family - the mother and three children - joined the Presbyterian Church.” (emphasis mine)

            Why did the Historian not want the quotation used? Because he knew the truth. The “Rochester paper” in question did not exist in 1820. The religious Advocate of Rochester did not begin publication until about October 1824, a few months into the revival. It could not POSSIBLY have printed the above quotation in 1820. That quotation refers to the 1824-25 revival not an earlier one.

1 - Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet and his progenitors for many Generations.