(or, over 50 reasons why current prophets of the LDS church won’t “prophesy”)
The following is a list of over 50 prophecies by Joseph Smith that did NOT come true, thus rendering him a FALSE PROPHET.
In light of the following list, remember that according to Deuteronomy 18:20-22 it only takes one false prophecy to make a prophet false, just as it only takes one murder to make a person a murderer. As you read the many false prophecies of Joseph Smith, keep this Biblical teaching in mind.
1) THE ABRIDGEMENT OF D&C 137.
Although there are actually dozens of false prophecies we could begin with, I thought it might be appropriate to begin with one which has come to new found prominence in recent years. In 1976, the 137th section of Doctrine & Covenants (D&C) was submitted to the general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for a vote to be "sustained" as scripture. It is a narrative of a vision supposedly seen by Joseph Smith in Kirtland, OH in 1836.
What the members who voted on this new addition to scripture were not told by "the Brethren," is that whole paragraphs (216 words) of the actual revelation as recorded in The History Of The Church had been conveniently left out of the version to be included in the D&C. The reason for these omissions was that four obviously false prophecies were contained in the part of the revelation which was censored out. These were prophecies so obviously false that even the average LDS reader would pick them up. Therefore they went down the "black hole" of Mormon history.
What exactly were in these missing parts? Well, if you go to the official history of the LDS church published by the church's own publishing company, you will be easily able to find the missing prophecies. Here is what is not in the new D&C 137:
[Joseph Smith:] "....I saw the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb, who are now upon the earth, who hold the keys of this last ministry, in foreign lands, standing together in a circle, much fatigued, with their clothes tattered and their feet swollen, with their eyes cast downward, and Jesus standing in their midst, and they did not behold him. The Saviour looked upon them and wept.
I also beheld Elder M'Lellin in the south, standing upon a hill, surrounded by a vast multitude, preaching to them, and a lame man standing before him supported by his crutches; he threw them down at his word and leaped as a hart, by the mighty power of God.
Also, I saw Elder Brigham Young standing in a strange land, in the far south and west, in a desert place, upon a rock in the midst of a bout a dozen men of color, who appeared hostile. He was preaching to them in their own tongue, and the angel of God standing above his head with a drawn sword in his hand, protecting him, but he did not see it.
And I finally saw the Twelve in the celestial kingdom of God. I also beheld the redemption of Zion and many things which the tongue of man cannot describe in full"
Now, if this were true, it was a truly inspiring and wonderful declaration! Unfortunately, for the LDS faithful, a short look at the official history of the church reveals the false prophecies contained therein.
First of all, Smith claimed to see his (original LDS) Twelve apostles all in the celestial kingdom. This is difficult to imagine, since there was already division between Smith and the majority of the Apostles, beginning with discord in Kirtland, Ohio. The first portion of the "missing words" shows his less than subtle rebuke of their resistance to his will. "...fatigued....tattered...eyes cast downward....The Saviour looked upon them and wept." Smith was calling them to get into line and submit themselves to his full authority. That's the carrot offered in the last portion, "I finally saw the Twelve in the Celestial Kingdom of God."
However, his "thus saith the Lord" must have had little effect on them, since at least seven of the twelve under discussion were soon excommunicated or apostasized from the church: John F. Boynton & Luke S. Johnson (1837), Lyman Johnson (1838), William E. M'Lellin (c.1838), Thomas B. Marsh & Orson Hyde (1838), and William Smith (1845)
How could they have ever attained the celestial kingdom under those conditions? They couldn't! They were not only accursed by their very acts of apostacy or excommunication, but fell victim to the LDS Church's own scriptural denunciation. D&C 84.40-41 clearly states:
"Therefore, all those who receive the priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved. But whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath received it, and altogether turneth there-from, shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come."
Although a few of these men later returned to the church, none of them were even close to the standards necessary for attainment of that highest degree of glory. The majority remained apart for life. Therefore, the prophetic utterance, "I finally saw the Twelve in the Celestial Kingdom of God." was obviously false. It would have been false even if only one Apostle remained outside the fold.
Second, the vision of M'Lellin preaching and working miracles in the south never came true because he apostasized from the church without ever doing it! (see above).
Third, Although Brigham Young did bring the Mormons west and was a great colonizer and orator, the vision of Brigham Young preaching to "men of color" in their own language, in some strange and faraway place in the southwest never took place either, or at least there is no trace of it in the very detailed records and diaries concerning his reign as prophet.
Finally, “Zion” (Independence, MO.) was never redeemed, has never been redeemed in the 150+ years since the prophecy was made. (see below, for more on Zion). Is it any wonder that the Brethren chose to remove whole chunks of this "inspired" revelation? Four false prophecies for the price of one!
2) THE BUILDING OF THE NEW TEMPLE.
In D&C 84 (esp. vs.2-5, 31, 114-115), Smith prophesied in 1832 that a temple would be built by the generation then living in Independence, MO. during THAT generation. Allowing the widest possible latitude of 100 years for a generation, that still leaves the prophecy unfulfilled over 50 years late!
There still is no temple in Independence; although one has been commenced by the RLDS Church, a splinter off of Mormonism which the LDS church contends is a false cult! Not only that, the temple lot which Joseph Smith dedicated as the "only true site" has been owned for generations by a third Mormon splinter sect; and the Utah Mormons couldn't build a temple there if they wanted to!
3) THE NAUVOO HOUSE.
In D&C 124.56-60, Smith prophesied that the Nauvoo House in Nauvoo, IL. would be in his family forever (1841). It did not remain in his family, and is not owned by them today. This makes for a very false prophecy.
4) OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES.
In the Pearl of Great Price (PGP), Joseph Smith-History (JSH) 1.40-41, (1823) Smith claimed that the angel Moroni told him that the prophecies in Isaiah 11 were "about to be fulfilled," and that those in Joel 2 were "soon to be" fulfilled. More than 165 years have passed and that interpretation of prophecy has not yet come to pass. Those prophecies certainly will be fulfilled, but Joseph Smith and his angel sure got their dates wrong!
5) CONVERSION OF THE INDIAN PEOPLES.
In D&C 3.3 (1828) it says, "Remember, that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men." This verse is considered sacred scripture by Mormons; and that means that Mormons, logically, must apply it to their history and Joseph Smith's prophecies. If Smith's prophecies were frustrated, then those prophecies were the work of men, not of God!
D&C 3.16-20 says that the Lamanites (Indians) will be converted. For a century and a half, the LDS missionaries have been trying to convert their “Lamanite brothers” and have not done so. The vast majority of Indians are not Mormons, and most of the few who become LDS turn inactive. This has obviously not been fulfilled, after many years and spending vast amounts of money on programs to convert Indians.
6) WHITE AND DELIGHTSOME INDIANS.
Speaking of the Lamanites, the Book of Mormon (BOM) contains a prophecy about them, which can easily be put to the test. 2 Nephi 30.6 prophesies that the Indians who converted would turn "white and delightsome" a few generations after joining the church. This is what is written in the original, handwritten manuscript of 2 Nephi 30. It is in the original 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon.
However, in 1840, Joseph Smith, evidently thinking to correct the "most correct book ever written," ordered the phrase changed to "pure and delightsome." Then later, Brigham Young ordered it changed back to "white and delightsome." Then in 1981, it was again changed back to "pure and delightsome", even though the correction does not clean up the parts of the BOM where they are turned from white and delightsome to "dark and loathsome."
A honest reader would have to speculate that since over 160 years have passed (4 Biblical generations) since Indians began joining the church, that at least some of them would have to turned at least a little whiter. None of them have; and this is evidently why they changed the verse without so much as a word of explanation.
7) GATHERING TO ZION.
D&C 57.1-3 (1831) identifies Independence, MO as the center place of Zion, the gathering place of the saints, it is "the land of promise." This revelation failed because, according to D&C 3.3 cited above, any work which is of God could not be frustrated. This "gathering" in Zion was really frustrated, because the Mormons tried to gather there and were physically driven out! To this day, there are few Mormons there; and actually many, many more RLDS members by far! If God was behind this revelation, then the Mormons could not have been driven out by men.
8) CONFOUND YOUR ENEMIES.
In D&C 71.6-10, the following prophecy was given:
"For unto him that receiveth it shall be given more abundantly, even power. Wherefore, confound your enemies; call upon them to meet you both in public and in private; and inasmuch as you are faithful, their shame shall be made manifest. Wherefore, let them bring their strong reasons against the Lord. Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you; there is no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and if any man lift his voice against you, he shall be confounded in mine own due time."
Mormons have never fulfilled this prophecy, in fact they shun it and constantly disobey it. There are over a hundred organized ministries to Mormons in the orthodox Christian church and no Mormon prophet or apostle has ever been willing to meet with them in public or in private to "confound" them. Indeed, very few Mormons of any sort will meet with them, unless they are already having doubts about the Church and want some straight answers.
Many have been bringing out "strong reasons" against the false god of Mormonism now for decades and official Mormondom has slunk away and refused to answer them, [except in their own forums, on their own websites and publications] even though they are continually called for dialog. To the best of anyone’s knowledge, no minister to the Mormons has ever had his "shame" made manifest. If anything, there are more ex-Mormons out there slugging away against the Zion empire than ever before!
9) THE EARTH SHALL SHAKE AND REEL AS A DRUNKEN MAN.
D&C 88.87 (1832) prophesies that:
"...not many days hence the earth shall tremble and reel as a drunken man; and the sun shall hide his face...and the moon shall be bathed in blood; and the stars shall become exceedingly angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from a fig tree."
Now over 58,000 days have past (as of 1991) since that prophecy was given. By any reasonable standard, "not many days" could not be construed to be more than 58,000 days; and yet none of these things have occurred. This prophecy has obviously failed.
10) THE WORD OF WISDOM.
The Mormons are noted for their Word of Wisdom revelation which forbids them from drinking liquor, coffee or tea, or to smoke. This is in D&C 89. Many Mormons do not realize that there is also a prophecy in it in vs.18-21:
"And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in the navel and marrow to their bones; and shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; and shall run and not be weary and shall walk and not faint, and I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen."
The fact is that this promise isn't working Although most Mormons diligently keep this Word of Wisdom, they do not find any treasures of knowledge. They certainly run and become weary; and they certainly become faint at times from walking. In fact, many of the highest leaders of the LDS church (who presumably are keeping this commandment) are sick and dying of degenerative diseases.
The destroying angel certainly is not passing the Mormons by; as it did the children of Israel in the Passover. Mormons die just like everyone else. Although they try hard to keep the LDS god's commandment, he does not seem to be keeping his end of the bargain, or else Joseph Smith is a false prophet!
11) ZION SHALL NOT BE MOVED.
D&C 101.17-20 (1833) prophesies:
"Zion shall not be moved out of her place, notwithstanding her children are scattered. They that remain, and are pure in heart, shall return, and come to their inheritances, they and their children, with songs of everlasting joy, to build up the waste places of Zion. And all these things that the prophets might be fulfilled. And behold, there is none other place appointed than that which I have appointed; neither shall there be any other place appointed than that which I have appointed for the work of the gathering of my saints."
First of all, the Mormons were driven out. Secondly, those who were driven out never returned with their children to come to their inheritances. Thirdly, a little over a decade after this, the "gathering" place of the saints was transplanted to Utah, even though the LDS god declared that "neither shall {future tense} there be any other place appointed." Three strikes, and Joseph Smith is out!
12) THE UNITED ORDER.
In D&C 104.1 (1834) a prophecy is given concerning the LDS institution, the ‘United Order” (a theocratic, communistic method of distributing and controlling property and goods):
"…I give unto you counsel and a commandment, concerning all the properties which belong to the order which I commanded to be organized and established, to be a united order, and an everlasting order for the benefit of my church, and for the salvation of men until I come..."
LDS history reveals that this "everlasting" order had to be disbanded soon after because it failed. It is obvious that today Mormons do not practice a communal approach to property. If anything, they are in favor of capitalism and against communism. This is one of the most blatantly false prophecies of Joseph Smith.
13) DESTROYER SENT FORTH.
A prophecy was given in D&C 105.13-15:
(1834)
"Therefore it is expedient in me that mine elders should wait for a little season, for the redemption of Zion. For behold, I do not require at their hands to fight the battles of Zion, for…I will fight your battles. Behold, the destroyer I have sent forth to destroy and lay waste your enemies; and not many years hence they shall not be left to pollute mine heritage, and to blaspheme my name upon the lands which I have consecrated for the gathering together of my saints."
Note that the LDS god says "I have {already accomplished} sent forth…" the destroyer. History shows that the enemies of the Mormons were not destroyed or laid waste. They still haven't been to this day! The "destroyer" must be slow! This is another prophecy that was frustrated (D&C 3.3) because the Mormons were still persecuted after this and were driven out of "Zion" about 5 years later!
14) THE DREADFUL DAY OF LORD IS NEAR.
In D&C 110.16, (1836) we find this prophecy:
"…the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors."
Over 150 years have passed, and that "dreadful day of the Lord" has not come. Another failed prophecy!
15) THE TREASURE OF THE CITY IS YOURS.
D&C 111 has a very strange revelation about treasures in Salem, MA:
"I have much treasure in this city for you, for the benefit of Zion, and many people in this city, whom I will gather out in due time for the benefit of Zion, through your instrumentality…and it shall come to pass in due time that I will give this city into your hands, that you shall have power over it, insomuch that they shall not discover your secret parts; and its wealth, pertaining to gold and silver shall be yours. Concern not yourselves about your debts, for I will give you power to pay them… And the place where it is my will that you would tarry, for the main, shall be signalized unto you by the peace and power of my Spirit, that shall flow unto you. This place you may obtain by hire. And inquire diligently concerning the more ancient inhabitants and founders of this city. For there are more treasures than one for you in this city."
Neither Joseph Smith nor other LDS leaders ever found any treasures in Salem. They did not take control of Salem, nor have any Mormons since. The "many people" were never gathered out, as only 13 were baptized out of the whole city. The silver and gold prophesied was never found. They returned to Kirtland, OH without funds to pay their debts! This prophecy fails on every count!
16) THOMAS MARSH'S "GREAT WORKS"?
A personal prophecy was given to Thomas B. Marsh on July 23, 1837 and recorded in D&C 112.3-12. At the time this prophecy was given, Marsh was the leader of the 12 apostles of the LDS church.
Here are key excerpts from it:
"…thou [Marsh] shall bear record of my name, not only unto the gentiles, but also unto the Jew; and thou shalt send forth my word unto the ends of the earth…for I, the Lord, have a great work for thee to do, in publishing my name among the children of men…thou art chosen, and thy path lieth among the mountains, and among many nations. And by thy word many high ones shall be brought low, and by thy word, many low ones shall be exalted. Thy voice shall be a rebuke unto the transgressor; and at thy rebuke let the tongue of the slanderer cease its perverseness. Be thou humble, and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers. I know thy heart, and have heard thy prayers concerning thy brethren…pray for thy brethren of the Twelve. Admonish them sharply for my name's sake, and let them be admonished for all their sins, and be ye faithful before me unto my name…"
In fact, Marsh was excommunicated from the LDS church less than two years later. Although he rejoined the church about 20 years later, he never did any of the mighty works listed in the above prophecy. For most of his 20 year absence he was, in fact, a bitter enemy of the Mormon church.
17) THE MYSTERIOUS MISSION OF DAVID W. PATTEN
Speaking of personal prophecies, here is a failed one in D&C 114.1:
(1838) "…thus saith the Lord: It is wisdom in my servant, David W. Patten, that he settle up all his business as soon as he possibly can, and make a disposition of his merchandise, that he may perform a mission unto me next spring, in company with others, even twelve including himself, to testify of my name and bear glad tidings unto all the world."
Sadly, Patten was killed before he could fulfill this prophecy. Mormons have two arguments against this fact. One is that Patten was actually being called on a mission to the spirit world after death. Although that is a very creative response, the verse itself contradicts it since 1) he was to go on the mission with eleven other men, none of whom were killed before spring; and 2) the verse says his mission was to "the whole world." That could hardly be just the spirit world.
The other argument is that he wasn't worthy of the mission so the Lord killed him. The problem with that assertion is that Joseph Smith himself proclaimed that "Brother David Patten was a very worthy man, beloved by all good men who knew him…and died as he had lived, a man of God, and strong in the faith of a glorious resurrection…one of his last expressions to his wife was: whatever you do else, O! do not deny the faith.' These explanations do not hold water! The prophecy is false!
18) REMEMBER OLIVER GRANGER?
Another personal prophecy of Smith's which fell to the ground was D&C 117.12-15, which says, in part:
"…I say unto you, I remember my servant Oliver Granger; behold, verily I say unto him that his name shall be had in sacred remembrance from generation to generation, forever and ever, saith the Lord…"
You ask 99 out of 100 Mormons who Oliver Granger is, and they will give you a blank look. His name is supposed to be in everlasting remembrance from generation to generation, and yet most Mormons have never heard of him.
19) DID JOSEPH TRIUMPH OVER HIS FOES?
This section of D&C 121 is prefaced in the LDS church introduction by being identified as “Prayers and Prophecies written by Joseph Smith the Prophet, while he was a prisoner in jail in Liberty…” Note what is said in part in vs.5-15:
"…My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes…And also that God hath set his hand and seal to change the times and seasons, and to blind their minds, that they might not understand his marvelous workings; and take them in their own craftiness…And not many years hence, that they and their posterity shall be swept from under heaven, saith God, that not one of them is left to stand by the wall…"
This prophecy promises that Smith and his church would triumph over all their foes. This never happened. They had just been driven out of their “Zion” in Independence, MO. Smith was to die by the hands of his foes, about five years later. The entire church was run out of the state about eight years later and had to flee to Utah! Can this be triumphing over your enemies?
Even in Utah, the power of the church was ultimately broken by the federal government who forced the church leaders to submit to government authority and to do away with their cherished doctrine of plural marriage! More recently, the church was forced to succumb to outside pressure again and change its racist position on the blacks or else lose its tax-exempt status. Likewise, its strong anti-abortion stand has been also reversed. Is this triumph?
We need to ask: When did God change the times and seasons on us (vs.12)? When did he blind the minds of Smith's enemies? When were every one of Smith's enemies "swept from under heaven"? In fact, most of them long outlived him!
20) THE INTEGRITY OF GEORGE MILLER
In D&C 124.20-21, (1841) we find the following revelation:
"…verily, I say unto you, my servant George Miller is without guile; he may be trusted because of the integrity which he has to my testimony I, the Lord, love him. I therefore say unto you, I seal upon his head the office of a bishopric…that he may receive the consecrations of mine house, that he may administer blessings upon the heads of the poor of my people, saith the Lord. Let no man despise my servant George, for he shall honor me."
In spite of this endorsement from "the Lord," George Miller was excommunicated seven years later. Another prophecy frustrated (D&C 3.3) by the work of men?
21) WHERE WAS JOSEPH'S VICTORY?
D&C 127.2 contains the following prophecy, similar to the one noted above in #18:
"…for to this day has the God of my fathers delivered me out of them all, and will deliver me from henceforth; for behold, and lo, I will triumph over all my enemies, for the Lord God hath spoken it."
This also promises that Smith would triumph over his enemies. Obviously he did not do so as they murdered him and drove his remaining church from pillar to post.
22) WAS EMMA SMITH "DESTROYED?"
One of the most significant sections of the Doctrine and Covenants is D&C #132, which deals with the plural marriage (polygamy) revelation. However, it also contains many false prophecies!
"(v.6) And as pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant [i.e.. polygamy or plural marriage], it was instituted for the fullness of my glory; and he that receiveth a fullness there must and shall abide the law, or he shall be damned, saith the Lord God.…(v.52-54) …let mine handmaid, Emma Smith [Joseph's first wife] receive all those [wives] that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure and have said they were pure shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God.…and I give unto my servant Joseph that he shall be ruler over many things; for he hath been faithful over a few things, and from henceforth I will strengthen him. And I command my handmaid, Emma Smith to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment [of plural marriage] she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law....(v.62) And if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore he is justified."
Where do I begin? First of all, plural marriage was an "everlasting covenant" that only lasted about 50 years. It was officially done away with in 1890. How can something everlasting stop? Obviously false! Secondly, according to v.6, everyone who is not living in plural marriage in the LDS church is damned. That means that almost all Mormons except for 30,000 or so "fundamentalists" today (who still keep the original commandments of plural marriage) are damned!
Verse 53 says that Joseph Smith would be strengthened henceforth. That depends on one's definition of "henceforth," as he was shot dead by his enemies less than a year later. That usually doesn't strengthen one.
Verse 54 threatens Emma Smith with destruction is she doesn't let Joseph have all of his wives without complaint and acknowledge the divine origins of plural marriage. Emma never did these things. She fought against the plural marriage doctrine; and yet she lived to ripe old age; and Joseph was shot just months later. Emma was so opposed to polygamy, that she went off with Joseph's son, Joseph Smith III and started the RLDS church, which denies that Smith ever taught polygamy. That pretty well blows that prophecy out of the water!
23) THE "LAST TIME" THE MISSIONARIES WENT OUT
In D&C 33.3, (1830) a "revelation" given through Joseph:
"For behold, the field is white already to harvest, and it is the eleventh hour, and the last time I shall call laborers into my vineyard."
Now this was in 1830, and it is quite evidently false for LDS missionaries are being "called" every day to go on missions. If the last time missionaries, who are certainly laborers in the field of harvest if anyone is, were to be called was 1830, then how can the LDS church call missionaries today and believe this scripture to be true?
24) "SOME REVELATIONS ARE OF THE DEVIL"
In the work, “An Address to All Believers in Christ”, David Whitmer, (one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon) related that in the winter of 1829-1830, Joseph Smith sent Hiram Page and Oliver Cowdery on a mission to Toronto, Canada to sell the copyright to the Book of Mormon. This mission was ordered by a revelation that Smith claimed he had received from God.
Unfortunately, both the mission and the revelation were utter failures. This is yet another false prophecy. Oddly enough, when Smith was asked why the revelation had fallen to the ground, he:
"…enquired of the Lord about it, and behold, the following revelation came through the stone: Some revelations are of God: some revelations are of man: and some revelations are of the devil.' So we see that the revelation to go to Toronto and sell the copy-right was not of God, but of man."
But the question must be asked, if the "prophet" Joseph Smith cannot tell which of his revelations are from God and which are not; why should we trust ANY OF THEM? It is a very flimsy proposition at best!
25) ANY NATIONS BOWING TO THE MORMON GOSPEL?
D&C 49.9-10 (1831) gives us a false prophecy, redolent with arrogance:
"Wherefore, I say unto you that I have sent unto you mine everlasting covenant, even that which was from the beginning. And that which I have promised I have so fulfilled, and the nations of the earth shall bow to it; and, if not of themselves, they shall come down, for that which is now exalted of itself shall be laid low of power."
This "everlasting covenant is term used constantly in Mormonism to refer to the LDS version of the gospel and specifically to the idea of temple marriage. Now we have yet to see any nations "bow" to the principles of the Mormon gospel, and it has been almost 160 years as of this writing, since the prophecy was given.
In fact, since this prophecy, various governments (whether rightly or wrongly) have driven the Mormons out of various states, forced them to give up their doctrines of celestial plural marriage and white racism, forbidden them to preach their weird gospel in many lands.
None of these governments or nations, including the US (which was the particular subject of death curses from the LDS temples for almost a century) have been "brought low" for not bowing down to Mormonism.
26) "I, THE LORD, PROMISE THE FAITHFUL AND CANNOT LIE…"
Joseph Smith prophesied in D&C 62: 1,6, & 9 (1831) that:
"…the faithful among you should be preserved and rejoice together in the land of Missouri. I, the Lord promise the faithful, and cannot lie… Behold, .the kingdom is yours. And behold, and lo, I am with the faithful always…"
There are some serious problems with this prophecy as well. The "faithful" weren't preserved; they did not rejoice together in Missouri (in fact, they were run out of the state); and the "kingdom" was not theirs and God certainly did not appear to be with them. Official LDS history shows how this prophecy failed!
27) WERE ALL THE PROMISES OF DOCTRINE & COVENANTS FULFILLED?
Even the celebrated first section of D&C (1831) does not emerge without a false prophecy of massive proportions. Section 1, verse 37 states:
"Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled."
I have already shown over twenty places in the D&C where the prophecies were not fulfilled. There are yet more to come.
28) WAS JESUS LATE?
D&C 133.17 (1831) prophecies:
"Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight, for the hour of his coming is nigh."
This prophecy was given nearly 160 years ago, and has still not occurred. That is stretching the meaning of the word "nigh" to the breaking point!
29) THE CIVIL WAR PROPHECY
This is a long one, but it needs to be looked at closely because the Mormons [especially the LDS missionaries] like to claim this prophecy as one of Joseph Smith's true prophecies, and it just doesn't bear close scrutiny!
In D&C 87.18, (1832) we read:
"Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls; And the time will come that war will be pour out upon all nations, beginning at this place. For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain…and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then war shall be poured out upon all nations.
"And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshalled and disciplined for war. And it shall come to pass also that the remnants who are left of the land will marshal themselves, and shall become exceedingly angry, and shall vex the Gentiles with a sore vexation.
"And thus, with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations.
"That the cry of the saints, and the blood of the saints, shall cease to come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath, from the earth, to be avenged of their enemies. Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen."
This prophecy was given on Christmas Day, 1832, in appearance almost 30 years before the Civil War. Although the prophecy looks good on the surface, it must be realized that at the time this was brought forth, South Carolina was already involved in many rebellious acts, and this fact was available in the papers of the time. Congress had passed a tariff in July of 1832 that South Carolina had declared unacceptable.
It was during the Christmas season that the nation's press expected and wrote about the impending outbreak of civil war, beginning with this rebellion in South Carolina. Even the U.S. Army was on alert. With these facts at hand, it didn't take much of a seer to predict the unfolding events. Even a paper published by the Mormons themselves contained such news!
However, the war did not come to pass. The entire prophecy was shelved and never appeared again during Joseph Smith's lifetime. The first two editions of the History of the Church did not include it even though it was in the original manuscript. It reappeared in 1852 when the war again seemed imminent.
Aside from the dating problems, the scope of the prophecy is not in balance. In just one item, the prophecy states that war would begin locally and pour out upon all nations and shall be the direct cause of an international global war. Even the great World War I did not encompass all nations, and it was 50 years after the Civil War and had no possible relationship to it! This is a definite false prophecy that did not come to pass.
Former Mormon Dick Baer has pointed out there are at least 20 elements in this prophecy, and for it to be a true prophecy, all of those elements would have to have come to pass. In human terms, those odds are 1 in 1,048,576 a truly remarkable achievement, had Smith pulled it off. Obviously he did not.
In another example, verses 4 through 6 state that the slaves shall rise up, the remnants left in the land shall rise up against the Gentiles (non-Mormons) and the bloodshed, famines, plagues (caused by this great war) shall bring with God's wrath, "...a full end of all nations." This did not happen. In fact, Smith only got two elements out of 20 right, and those were based on current events and common sense. Sorry, this is a bad one!
30) PESTILENCE AND EARTHQUAKE IN THE US?
Here is an explicit false prophecy (1833) from official Church history:
"And now I am prepared to say by the authority of Jesus Christ, that not many years shall pass away before the United States shall present such a scene of bloodshed as has not a parallel in the history of our nation; pestilence, hail, famine, and earthquake shall sweep the wicked of this generation from off the face of the land…flee to Zion before the overflowing scourge overtake you, for there are those now living upon the earth whose eyes shall not be closed in death until they see all these things, which I had spoken, fulfilled."
Obviously, none of these dire predictions have come to pass, and it has been over 150 years since they were given. No one is now left alive from that generation. The scope of the warning was centered on the generation in which the Mormons were still calling on their converts to leave their homes, cities and countries and Come to Zion. They have long since stopped this mandatory migration to the center of Mormonism. That generation had passed by before the end of the 19th century.
31) DID ZION FAIL?
D&C 97.19-20 (1833) prophesies:
"Surely, Zion is the city of our God, and surely Zion cannot fall, neither be moved out of her place, for God is there and the hand of the Lord is there; And he hath sworn by the power of his might to be her salvation…"
This makes Smith a false prophet or God too weak to keep his promises. "Zion" fell and the Mormons were driven out of Independence, MO in 1838-39!
32) WAS ZION REDEEMED AFTER "A LITTLE SEASON?"
D&C 100.13, 15 (1833) states:
"And now I give unto you a word concerning Zion. Zion shall be redeemed although she is chastened for a little season.…Therefore, let your hearts be comforted; for all things shall work together for good to them that walk uprightly, and to the sanctification of the church."
Again, over a century and a half has passed without this prophecy coming to pass. That would be stretching the idea of "a little season" beyond the point where the English language has any meaning at all.
33) SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT WRONG?
In a letter to "the Exiled Saints in Missouri," Joseph Smith declared:
"Therefore this is my counsel, that you retain your lands [in Missouri], even unto the utmost, and employ every lawful means to seek redress of your enemies; and pray to God day and night to return you in peace and safety to the lands of your inheritance; and when the judge fail you, appeal unto the executive; and when the executive fail you; appeal to the president; and when the president fail you, and all things also fail you but God alone, and you continue to weary Him with your importunings, as the poor woman did the unjust judge. He will not fail you to execute judgment upon your enemies, and to avenge his own elect that cry unto Him day and night. Behold, He will not fail you. He will come with ten thousand of his saints, and all His adversaries shall be destroyed with the breath of His lips."
Unfortunately for the Mormons, none of these things came to pass; nor have they yet. They did not retain their lands in Missouri. The god of Mormonism never destroyed their enemies; and in fact those very same enemies drove them out of the state! The only thing Smith got right was that they would petition all the authorities and be turned down. 25% accuracy doesn't cut it according to Deuteronomy 18:20-22.
34) THE MARCH OF ZION'S CAMP
In D&C 103.15ff, there is a prophecy concerning Zion's Camp. It begins:
"…(v.15) Behold, I [God] say unto you, the redemption of Zion must needs come by power…(v.19) Therefore, let not your hearts faint…(v.20) Mine angels shall go up before you , and also my presence, and in time ye shall possess the goodly land…(v.24) And inasmuch as mine enemies come against you to drive you from my goodly land, which I have consecrated to be the land of Zion, even from your own lands…ye shall curse them; and whosoever ye curse, I will curse, and ye shall avenge me of mine enemies."
Leaving aside for a moment the totally un-Biblical theology of all this (Jesus told us to pray for our enemies, not to curse them; and nowhere does God ask His people to avenge Him!), this is still a failed prophecy. Zion's Camp was an armed crusade of Mormons sent out by "revelation" to go to Missouri and rescue their fellow Latter-day Saints there. Actually, the march of Zion's Camp failed miserably, and so did the prophecy of God's presence going before them and cursing their enemies!
35) THE MOVE TO JACKSON COUNTY
In a letter to the High Council (8/16/1834), Joseph Smith declared,
"…I shall now proceed to give you such counsel as the Spirit of the Lord may dictate…[you are to have the churches] use every effort to gather to those regions and locate themselves, to be in readiness to move into Jackson County in two years from the eleventh of September next, which is the appointed time for the redemption of Zion"....
Well, the churches did not move into Jackson County on September 11, 1836. Nor was "Zion" redeemed at that time, as church history itself shows. Was the Holy Spirit wrong, or just Joseph?
36) THE KIRTLAND "ANTI-BANKING SOCIETY"
A false prophecy from the Latter-day Saint Messenger and Advocate,
"This place [Kirtland, OH] must be built up, and will be built up, and every brother that will take hold and help secure these contracts [for land] shall be rich."
This one fell with a "crash!" The Mormons were driven out of Ohio and no-one became rich by helping to secure those land contracts. Ironically, most of the men who helped Smith lost their shirts and Smith himself went bankrupt because of his "funny-money" scheme in the Kirtland Anti-banking Society.
37) NASA, PHONE JOSEPH SMITH!
Joseph Smith, not content with banking; also tried his hand at exo-biology and astronomy. He declared in 1837:
"Inhabitants of the Moon are more of a uniform size than the inhabitants of the Earth, being about 6 feet in height. They dress very much like the Quaker Style & and quite general in Style, or the one fashion of dress. They live to be very old; coming generally near a thousand years. This is the description of them as given by Joseph Smith the Seer."
[Yes, I do acknowledge that this prophecy was recorded by a member of the congregation, in his personal notebook, similar to what the members do in sacrement meetings today. So, the question goes, why would a member record what they hear, see, and do if it will just be discredited later in history when it becomes embarrassing to the church?]
Although Mormons will try and deny that Joseph Smith ever really taught this nonsense, they will find it confirmed from Brigham Young; who also taught it; and added that there were people also living in the sun! Obviously, modern science has condemned these prophecies to the ashcan of bad science fiction!
38) THAT POOR TEMPLE IN MISSOURI!
Another prophecy about the temple being built in Missouri is in D&C 115.1, 7-12:
"Verily, thus saith the Lord…Let the city, Far West, be a holy and consecrated land unto me; and it shall be called most holy, for the ground upon which thou standest is holy. Therefore I command you to build a house unto me, for the gathering together of my saints, that they may worship me. And let there be a beginning of this work, and a foundation, and a preparatory work this following summer;…Thus let them from that time forth labor diligently until it shall be finished, from the cornerstone thereof unto the top thereof, until there shall not anything remain that is not finished."
The temple has never been built, although the cornerstone was laid in 1838. Since this work has been frustrated for over a century and a half, it must be a work of men, not of God (D&C 3.3). The very best one can say about Joseph Smith and company is that they failed miserably in obeying their god's commands.
39) THE MARCH TO JACKSON COUNTY
Joseph Smith is quoted (1839) in "Reed Peck's Manuscript" as prophesying that:
"…within three years they [the Mormons] should march to Jackson County and there should not be a dog to open his mouth against them."
The Mormons didn't march into Jackson County by 1842, in fact, they still haven't.
40) THE "ASTONISHING" ANSON CALL?
An 1842 prophecy of Joseph Smith from the “Anson Call Diary” [discussing the Rocky Mountains] declared that:
"…there are some of these standing here that will perform a great work in that land…There is Anson [Call], he shall go and assist in building cities from one end of the country to the other and you shall perform as great a work as has ever been done by man, and the nations of the earth shall be astonished and many of them will be gathered in that land and assist in building cities."
As it happens, Anson Call did assist in settling Millard County, Utah in the southern part of the state. However, none of the "cities" in that region are particularly large or noteworthy. Nor did Call ever build cities from one end of the country to the other. He did not do anything which "astonished" the nations; nor did he do "as great a work as has ever been done by man."
41) JESUS' RETURN
Joseph Smith made this reference to the Second Coming of Jesus:
"Were I going to prophesy, I would say the end [of the world] would not come in 1844, 5 or 6, or in forty years. There are those of the rising generation who shall not taste death till Christ comes.
"I was once praying earnestly upon this subject, and a voice said unto me, "My son, if thou livest until thou art eighty-five years of age, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man." I was left to draw my own conclusions concerning this, and I took the liberty to conclude that if I did live to that time, He would make His appearance. But I do not say whether He will make His appearance or I shall go where He is. I prophesy in the name of the Lord God, and let it be written the Son of Man will not come in the clouds of heaven till I am eighty-five years old."[48 years hence or about 1890…]
Interestingly enough, this passage is taken from Smith's diary; and modern LDS "historians" have removed the phrase "48 years hence or about 1890" because it so clearly demonstrates the falsity of the prophecy .
Obviously, none of the "rising generation" ever saw Jesus' coming. Jesus certainly did not come in "about 1890." A century has passed since that date; and Smith's prophecy lies dead and buried along with that "rising generation."
42) THE POTSHERD PROPHECY
Although Mormons like to vaunt their patriotism, Joseph Smith was not very fond of the US government. In 1843, he declared:
"…if the government, which received into its coffers the money of citizens for its public treasury, cannot protect such citizens in their lives and property, it is an old granny anyhow; and I prophesy in the name of the Lord God of Israel, unless the United States redress the wrongs committed upon the Saints in the state of Missouri and punish the crimes committed by her officers, that in a few years the government will be utterly overthrown and wasted, and there will not be so much as a potsherd left…"
Congress failed to comply with Smith's demands. It did not protect the Mormons, and did not redress the wrongs done against them. In spite of this; the congress was never overthrown; and the US government has never been destroyed, overthrown or wasted. After over 140 years, the United States is the most powerful country in the World!
43) WARNING THE LAWLESS
In 1844, Joseph Smith made this "prophetic" threat:
"I therefore warn the lawless not to be precipitate in any interference in our affairs, for as sure as there is a God in Israel, we shall ride triumphant over all oppression."
A little over a week after this prophecy, Smith was shot to death by his enemies; and all the efforts of the Mormons in Nauvoo were brought to naught soon after that.
44) DID SMITH "SWALLOW UP ALL OTHER BANKS?"
In The Millennial Star, volume 19, p.343, Smith proclaimed that his Kirtland Anti-Banking Society was to "…swallow up all other banks." As has been discussed above, in False Prophecy #36; Smith's bank failed miserably.
45) NO PEACE SAVE IN ZION?
A statement of Joseph Smith's was published in Compendium in 1882 on p.271 in which he declared:
"The time is soon coming when no man will have any peace but in Zion [Independence, MO.] and her stakes."
More than 140 years have passed since that prophecy; and it's no more true now, than it was then.
46) W.W. PHELPS JUST DIED TOO SOON!
Joseph Smith prophesied by revelation that W.W.Phelps would not taste of death till Jesus came. Often in private and in public, did Mr. Phelps boast to the saints of this blessing, given to him by revelation and prophecy through Joseph. However, Phelps died March 7, 1872. Another blatantly false prophecy!
47) THAT WONDERFULLY "CORRECT" BOOK
Joseph Smith proclaimed this in 1841:
"I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding its precepts, than by any other book."
Now, if this is true, why have there been over 4,000 changes in the Book of Mormon since its 1830 publication; many of them substantive and significant? Can it still be "the most correct book" of any on earth with that many errors? How does it compare to the Bible?
Without wanting to get into a lengthy discourse on just how reliable the Bible really is; consider these simple facts: The New Testament, for example has about 20,000 lines of manuscript in it. It is roughly the same size document as the Book of Mormon, which has around 25,800 lines in it (in the 1830 edition). Playing the devil's advocate, we find that the New Testament has 0.5% (one-half of one percent) changes AT MOST in its text, between the oldest manuscripts we have, and the present translations, worst case scenario.
In applying the same math to the Book of Mormon, we find that its 4,000 changes produces a change rate of 1%, twice that of the New Testament! This is extraordinarily bad for the Book of Mormon when one considers that the New Testament has gone through hundreds of years copying while the Book of Mormon has been supposedly sitting pristine in the ground on golden plates and translated by the direct power of God. Further, since its discovery, it has been completely controlled for a mere 150+ years by "living prophets."
Think of that! The New Testament has managed to acquire only half the textual changes that the Book of Mormon has, even though the NT has been in existence for nearly 2,000 years! In other words, it means that in thirteen times the time span, the NT has at most 50% fewer corrections in its text than the "most correct book."
Beyond that false prophecy, there is another element in the statement. Joseph Smith declared that the Book of Mormon could draw folks nearer to God through obeying its teachings than any other book. However, absolutely none of the distinctive commands of the LDS church are in the Book of Mormon; nor are any of its doctrines! In fact, the Book of Mormon teaches against most points of LDS theology.
Among other things, it teaches the Trinity (2 Nephi 31.21); that God was never a man, and that He never changes (3 Nephi 24.6, Moroni 8.18); that plural marriage is incredibly evil (Jacob 2.22-27); that you are saved only through faith without works (Mosiah 3.18, 5.15); and that baptism for the dead is worthless for you must be born again before death(Alma 34.32-35).
This means you could read the Book of Mormon and never have the foggiest idea of how the LDS church teaches people must attain exaltation!
48) "THE HOUR IS NIGH"
In D&C 29.9-10, (1830) Joseph Smith again prophesied:
"For the hour is nigh and the day soon at hand when the earth is ripe and all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that wickedness should not be upon the earth; for the hour is nigh, and that which was spoken by mine apostles must be fulfilled; for as they spoke, so shall it come to pass."
Any reasonable reading of the words "nigh" and "soon" would indicate Smith was prophesying the coming of the Lord in his lifetime. Over 150 years and several generations have passed away since Joseph Smith passed away and still this prophecy is unfulfilled.
49) THE "UTTER ABOLISHMENT" OF NEW YORK AND BOSTON
Another "threat" prophecy was given by Smith in D&C 84.114-119 (1832) :
"…let the bishop go unto the city of New York, also to the city of Albany, and also to the city of Boston and warn the people of those cities with the sound of the gospel…of the desolation and utter abolishment [sic] which await them if they do reject these things. For if they do reject these things the hour of their judgment is nigh, and their house shall be left unto them desolate…(v.119) For I the Lord have put forth my hand to exert the powers of heaven; ye cannot see it now, yet a little while and ye shall see it and know that I am, and that I will come and reign with my people."
Now none of these cities ever listened to the LDS gospel to any measurable extent at all during Smith's lifetime; in fact, they rejected it and even now the LDS church represents a very tiny minority in these urban centers. Yet these cities never suffered "desolation and utter abolishment" for their failure to heed the LDS gospel. The prophecy failed.
50) THE KEYS, THE KEYS, WHO HAS THE KEYS?
A rather self-serving prophecy appears in D&C 112.15 (1837):
"…rebel not against my servant Joseph; for verily I say unto you, I am with him, and my hand shall be over him; and the keys which I have given unto him, and also to youward, shall not be taken from him till I come."
This revelation was given to Thomas B. Marsh, at the time the head of the Twelve Apostles. (see False Prophecy #15 above). The problems with it are two-fold. First, Smith was murdered in 1844 and the Lord hadn't come. That meant that the keys had to have been taken from him, or else Brigham Young would not have had them and would have been a false successor.
The Mormon might say, "Well, the promise is also to “youward,” meaning the recipient of the revelation, Marsh." However, that cannot be true, because surely the Lord would have known that 2 years later Marsh would be excommunicated and have any and all keys of the priesthood stripped from him.(see #15). Although Marsh did rejoin the church, he never again was an apostle nor held the "keys" that this prophecy promised he would hold until Jesus came again. So both Joseph Smith and Thomas Marsh failed to retain the keys promised.
51) WAS LYMAN WIGHT RIGHT?
Although not as directly involving Smith as the previous 50 prophecies have, this incident in 1831 during an ordination ceremony of Lyman Wight done by Smith shows that he taught and believed that Jesus would come within a generation:
"The Spirit of the Lord fell upon Joseph in an unusual manner, and he prophesied that John the Revelator was then among the Ten Tribes of Israel…He prophesied many more things I have not written. After he had prophesied, he laid his hands upon Lyman Wight and ordained him to the High Priesthood, after the holy order of God. And the Spirit fell upon Lyman and he prophesied concerning the coming of Christ. He said that there were some in the congregation that should live until the Savior should descend from heaven with a shout, with all the holy angels with him."
As we have had to observe many times before here, all the people of that generation have been in their graves for years. And Jesus hasn't come. According to the Bible, if Joseph Smith had disagreed with Lyman's prophecy, or felt he was off-base; he should have corrected him, especially since he was the "senior prophet", rather than let false teaching go abroad into the congregation while he was present.(1 Cor.14:29) Smith was not usually shy about rebuking those he disagreed with, and he let this prophecy stand, primarily because it agreed with several of his own.
52) "…56 YEARS SHOULD WIND UP THE SCENE."
Here is an example of Smith's own prophecies of the Second Coming from 1835 with which the above prophecy agreed:
"President [Joseph] Smith then stated that the meeting had been called, because God had commanded it; and it was made known to him by vision and by the Holy Spirit. He then gave a relation of some of the circumstances attending us while journeying to Zion, our trials and sufferings…[that we should]…go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time, or the coming of the Lord was nigh, even 56 years should wind up the scene."
[Again, I acknowledge that this statement was written by someone who merely wrote down his understanding of what Joseph Smith was saying, much like members today write down what they hear during sacrement meetings or Stake conferences, any of which can be discounted as unreliable 100 years from now should they prove embarrassing. Defending the Church by stating that these sources are unreliable because they were written by laymen in the pews is the same as admitting that what the individual members write down and keep record of in today's meetings are just as useless and without purpose]
Now 56 years would make the year of the Lord's coming 1891, which would agree with all of the preceding prophecies on this subject, but which would disagree with reality and history!
Smith later added that if he met with a violent end, the scene would wind up a good ten years earlier. Well, 1881 and 1891 came and went without the return of Christ. Another specific test of exact prophecy and another failure.
53) HAS THE MORMON CHURCH BEEN REJECTED?
In D&C 124.27-36, (1841) through Joseph Smith, the god of Mormonism gave an ultimatum to the LDS people in Nauvoo, IL in the form of this prophecy/commandment.
"…build a house to my name, for the Most High to dwell in. For there is not a place found on earth that he may come to and restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he hath taken away, even the fullness of the priesthood…(v.31) I command you, all ye my saints, to build a house unto me; and I grant unto you a sufficient time to build a house unto me; and during this time your baptisms shall be acceptable unto me. But behold, at the end of this appointment, your baptisms for the dead shall not be acceptable unto me; and if you do not these things at the end of the appointment ye shall be rejected as a church, with your dead, saith the Lord God."
Now bear in mind again the principle of D&C 3.3, that if a work is frustrated it is of men. The Mormon people did not build the temple in Nauvoo, IL in anywhere near the "end of the appointment." In fact, the temple was still unfinished when Smith was shot in 1844! Even some Mormon historians doubt that the temple was ever finished before it was burned to the ground by mobs. Obviously, the building of the temple was not the work of God then; which makes this whole prophecy false!
[I acknowledge that the Nauvoo Temple has been re-built and restored. It ONLY took almost 150 years to do it, so what does that imply for all the vicarious baptisms that had been performed in other temples during that time?]
This means that all the work which the LDS church has been doing for the dead is unacceptable to their god. Either this prophecy is false, or else the LDS church should "be rejected as a church." Which is it, reject the prophet or reject the church? Either one pulls the whole house of cards down!
FINALLY, we felt we might bring this rather dreary litany of godless failures to a close with some of the few prophecies Joseph Smith actually got right!
[Because even I can’t say that Joseph Smith was 100% wrong]
1) Boastful Prophets
In D&C 3.4 ( given in 1828), we find this:
"For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him.."
Now bear that prophecy in mind, as we move ahead several years to 1844. In May of that year, Smith proclaimed this:
"I have more to boast of than any man ever had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a church together since the days of Adam.…Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet."
Just 30 days from making that boast, on June 27, 1844; Joseph Smith was murdered by a mob in Carthage jail. He fell, and incurred the vengeance of a just God upon himself. Of course, that is not how the LDS members see it; but at least this time, Joseph got it right!
2) Porter Rockwell
Joseph Smith promised Orrin Porter Rockwell, his bodyguard and the great "Destroying Angel" that no bullet or blade in the hands of his enemies would harm him if he remained loyal, true to his faith and did not cut his hair. Rockwell kept his hair long and through thirty five years of fighting and countless enemies, died in bed after a hard night of drinking.
3) One More On Christ's Return
On March 10, 1844 Smith said that the Second Coming of Christ would NOT be that year or for the next 40 years. He was right.
4) Good and Evil
Joseph Smith said that the Angel Moroni told him that "my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of [me] among all people." While the "all nations, kindreds and tongues" may be a bit presumptuous, since the LDS church has only reached around 100 kindreds and tongues worldwide, surely wherever Mormonism has appeared, both good and evil is spoken about Smith.
5) Inspired Version Bible
Joseph Smith said that it was not the Lord's will that the Inspired Version of the New Testament portion of the Bible be published in Newspapers. He said that the Inspired New Testament and the Book of Mormon would be printed together. The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints printed and issued the two books together in 1892-1893 and thereby fulfilled the prophecy.
