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{{Resource Title|Is there no evidence that Joseph or his family were persecuted because of the First Vision?}} | |||
{{FirstVisionPortal}} | {{FirstVisionPortal}} | ||
=={{Criticism label}} | == == | ||
{{Criticism label}} | |||
Some claim that there is no evidence that Joseph or his family were persecuted because of the First Vision. They argue that this means that Joseph invented the story later. | Some claim that there is no evidence that Joseph or his family were persecuted because of the First Vision. They argue that this means that Joseph invented the story later. | ||
{{CriticalSources}} | {{CriticalSources}} | ||
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== == | |||
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There is evidence both from Joseph's family, contemporary history, and later Smith family memories that support Joseph's account of being persecuted. | There is evidence both from Joseph's family, contemporary history, and later Smith family memories that support Joseph's account of being persecuted. |
Some claim that there is no evidence that Joseph or his family were persecuted because of the First Vision. They argue that this means that Joseph invented the story later.
To see citations to the critical sources for these claims, click here
There is evidence both from Joseph's family, contemporary history, and later Smith family memories that support Joseph's account of being persecuted.
Contemporary newspaper articles report an episode that likely provides some window into the persecution which the Smiths endured. Milton Backman recounts the events surrounding the death of Alvin, Joseph's elder brother:
This kind of malicious gossip and rumor is cruel, but is also not the sort of thing likely to leave much trace on the historical record, save in memories. But, if the Smith family could be the subject of malicious gossip when faced with a tragedy like Alvin's death, can we really expect that things before then were much better?
Joseph's mother recalled:
William Smith, Joseph's brother remembered:
With William's accounts, we again see that the persecution was largely verbal, in the form of gossip and slander.
Thomas H. Taylor, was asked, ""What did the Smiths do that the people abused them so?" He replied:
The raw notes for the Taylor interview likewise mention Joseph Smith being "ducked in the creek in Manchester" despite the fact that the Smiths "did nothing" and "nothing has been sustained [a]gainst [Joseph] Smith".[7]
Here too, then, we see an element of physical persecution, though the gossip and slander identified by William and Lucy was likely far more common.
== Notes ==
FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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