The author is Webster G. Tarpley. Do a quick search and you can buy the book or watch his presentation to the McClendon Group: National Press Club this last week.

This is not a joke and he does not hold anything back. I wonder if the brethren know about this yet.

I don't know, I looked up the author and at his website. He appears to advance a number of conspiracy theories.

He does, but he probably sounds the most reasonable out of all the conspiracy theorists. I used to listen to him just to pick out the facts (he's good at digging) and then his conclusions would just go in one ear and out the other.

He's unfortunately got a pretty weird name.

Just sayin'

Definitely a crackpot, fringe author.

From his website:

"Tarpley reveals that Mormonism, Mitt Romney's tradition, is not
actually a religion but a synthetic ideology sponsored by
British intelligence, as part of their campaign of covert
warfare against the United States."

I just finished the book. It is well worth reading, and if you are patient and willing to read the supporting material I am sure you will find that he, Webster Trapley,. is not a crackpot of any kind.

We need to remember that 19th Century Mormonism has been so whitewashed for so long that any attempt to explore early motivations of Brigham young, et al, will sound strange to our modern ears at the first reading.

As to pulling out one portion of a text to disparage the author ? Not a single book ever published could withsatand that type of attack.

While we might never know the truth about 19th Century Moromonsim nor current day Mormonism. Any fair attempt is welcomed by me.

I assume that most of us on this forum do not believe that J.S. was a prophet, if so it is a normal curiosity to wonder who fed him the analysis of the coming war within the states. Right ?

lostman Wrote:
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> I assume that most of us on this forum do not
> believe that J.S. was a prophet, if so it is a
> normal curiosity to wonder who fed him the
> analysis of the coming war within the states.
> Right ?

If you go back to the late fall of 1832 there was a crisis with South Carolina nullifying a federal law. There was talk of secession and of civil war being imminent.

All Joseph Smith had to do was read the newspapers that were full of talk of the "rebellion of South Carolina."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nullification_Crisis

Yes baura, you understand that as do I. However many TBM's actually think it was revealed to J.S. from God. So any study that we can point our friends and family to, to read a different explanation might be worth the effort.

Also, the point you make would be good for all Mormons to be exposed to, because it draws into question the idea of Joseph being a unlearned farm boy.