Part 1
When will the Mormon Death Cult openly and honestly acknowledge that its foundational religious roots are firmly planted in documentable, demonstrable death cult/occultic beliefs and practices? It is a matter of clear historical record that the Mormon Death Cult has left a gruesome trail of blood-atoning, violently-contexted doctrine and behavior that is nothing shgrt of bizarre and barbaric.
Evidence of that fact can be found, for example, in the historical content of the Mormon Death Cult's secret temple rituals, in which faithful participants are led by their handlers in acting out their own killings (as symbolically committed against themselves by themselves or at the hands of God's designated avengers). From these graphic, blood-themed temple ceremonies follows a veritable parade of proof that Mormonism is, undeniably, a death-obsessed cuother lt.
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--Exhibit A: The Death-Centric Details of Ceremonial Execution of Sinners from behind the Mormon Death Cult’s Temple Walls:
The Mormon Death Cult’s secret temple rituals have included over the years (in various forms and permutations) play-acted scenarios wherein its members symbolically slit their throats, disembowel their guts and rip out their hearts-. For decades, this ghoulish hokey-pokey was conducted within Mormon temples and described by the faith as being too sacred to talk about outside temple walls. Below is what exactly went on in that regard within the Mormon Death Cult’s “Unholies of Unholies” when it came to its "divinely-revealed" blood oaths, penalties and practices:
"'Sign and Penalties'
"Before April of 1990, [Mormon temple] patrons made certain oaths along with signs showing the "penalty" for divulging the aforementioned tokens. For instance, after the patron was given the 'First Token of the Aaronic Priesthood,' he was instructed to place his right 'thumb under the left ear, the palm of the hand down, and by drawing the thumb quickly across the throat to the right ear, and dropping the hand to the side.' A promise was then made that the person would suffer his "life to be taken" rather than reveal the token. In the earlier days, members had to be more specific with their oaths. They had to promise that, if the secret were ever revealed, their throats would be 'cut from ear to ear' and their 'tongues torn out by their roots' ('Temple Mormonism,' p.18).
"[Mormon Church] [m]embers were also compelled to make another oath accompanied by a sign representing the penalty for divulging the Second Token of the Aaronic Priesthood. By promising that they would rather die than divulge the secret, they would draw their right hands (in cupping shape) across their chests. Again, this oath has been toned down. Earlier Mormons agreed to 'have our breasts cut open and our hearts and vitals torn from our bodies and given to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field' ('Temple Mormonism,' p.20).
"A third oath was given when the patron received the First Token of the Melchizedek Priesthood. This penalty was represented by drawing the right thumb (palm downward) quickly across the stomach area. Earlier oaths made members promise that their "bodies be cut asunder in the midst of all and the bowels gush out" should they divulge the secret given them ('Temple Mormonism,' p. 20). The penalties were completely removed in 1990 although patrons still vow not to discuss the ceremony.
"By making these various promises or oaths, the Mormon is actually violating his own scripture found in the Book of Mormon. Throughout the Book of Mormon, secret oaths are considered to be an abomination (Alma 37:27, Helaman 6:22-26, 4 Nephi 42, Ether 8:15-16, 3 Nephi 12:34-36)."
("The LDS Temple Ceremony," by Bill McKeever. at:
http://www.mrm.org/temple-ceremony)
In the article, "Complete List of Latest Ceremony and Ordinance Changes: Comparing the Mormon Temple Endowment Ceremony Past and Present," a complete transcript is provided of "the pre-1990 . . . temple endowment ordinance with the April 1990 changes marked to indicate where differences occur between versions. Significant changes include the elimination of [s]everal temple covenants which require temple patrons to have their throats slit, their hearts ripped out, or their bellies torn open for revealing the secrets of the temple rite."
("Complete List of Latest Ceremony and Ordinance Changes" . . . [T]he pre-1990 transcript of the temple endowment ordinance with the April 1990 changes marked to indicate where differences occur between versions," at:
http://www.i4m.com/think/temples/temple_ceremony.htm)
Here are re-enactment photos of Mormon temple patrons performing of these death oaths inside their temples, as provided on Richard Packham's website, under the heading, "Mormon Temples and Temple Rituals," at:
http://home.teleport.com/~packham/temples.htm)
And here is a re-enactment video of those death oaths, tokens, signs and penalties, as it was historically demonstrated and practiced by Mormons within their own temples:
("Mormon Masonic Temple Rituals (pre-1990)," at;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKG5kMnZZcM; hidden-camera filming of actual Mormon Church temple rituals with its death signs and tokens can be found on the internet but are not posted here)
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--Exhibit B: The Mormon Death Cult’s Temple Oaths Were Not Merely Symbolic; They Were Commanded to be Carried Out Against Enemies of the Mormon Death Cult
Mormons claim to be America's biggest fans when it comes to pom-poming for the U.S. Constitution. Maybe someone should ask them how constitutional the Mormon secret temple "Oath of Vengeance" was. For Mormons who want to hide the truth from the rest of America, thems are fightin' words. It's not surprising how they howl bloody, throat-slitting, temple-ritual murder--screaming "SACRED!" at the top of their latter-day lungs--when honest efforts are made to examine the history of their secret, ceremonial, violence-laden Mormon temple oaths and rituals. One of the more notorious ones in this regard was the infamous
“Oath of Vengeance,” which Mormons swore against the United States government. Into the first two decades of the 20th century, faithful, temple-attending Mormons, secretly took this Oath of Vengeance. The U.S. Senate considered it a serious enough threat to convene hearings on this Mormon temple vow and other matters related to the LDS Church. Below are some pertinent historical details regarding this Oath of Vengeance that Mormons are not inclined to talk about in openly:
“Following Joseph Smith's martyrdom [actually, Smith, armed with a pistol, was shot to death in a jailhouse gunfight after being place behind bars for ordering the destruction of a newspaper press], Brigham Young [Smith's successor] introduced an oath in the [Mormon temple] endowment which required members [of the church] to swear vengeance 'upon this nation.' It became the subject of a United States Senate investigation.
“Reed Smoot was a Mormon Apostle who had been elected a Senator from Utah. In 1903 a protest was filed in the United States Senate to have [the] Hon. Smoot removed from office, on the grounds that he had taken this treasonous oath in the endowment ritual.
"The complete record of this episode was published in 'U.S. Senate Document 486 (59th Congress, 1st Session) Proceedings Before the Committee on Privileges and Elections of the United States Senate in the Matter of the Protests Against the Right of Hon. Reed Smoot, a Senator from the State of Utah, to hold his Seat,' 4 vols.[+1 vol. index] (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1906).”
When questioned about it under oath during U.S. Senate hearings, Smoot refused to divulge this secret Mormon temple Oath of Vengeance.
(for a “New York Times” account of Smoot's cover-up in this regard, see: “Smoot Would Not Tell of Endowment Secrets,” in “New York Times," 23 January 1905, at:
http://1857massacre.com/MMM/PDF/Smoot_01-23-1905_NYTimes.pdf ; and “Oath of Vengeance,” at:
http://1857massacre.com/MMM/oath_of_vengeance.htm;)
This secret Mormon temple ritual's multi-generational Oath of Vengeance against the U.S. government was worded as follows:
“You and each of you do covenant and promise that you will pray and never cease to pray to Almighty God to avenge the blood of the prophets upon this nation, and that you will teach the same to your children and to your children's children unto the third and fourth generation.” (“Oath of Vengeance,” at:
http://www.lds-mormon.com/veilworker/oathvenge.shtml)
With word leaking out of its existence, the Mormon Church eventually removed this Oath of Vengeance was from its secret temple rituals. Below is an overall history of this vow of vengeance and retribution against their own government, as temple-attending Mormons promised to obey it:
“One of the oaths which was formerly taken in the temple ritual was the source of so much trouble that the Mormon leaders finally removed it entirely from the ceremony. This oath was printed in 'Temple Mormonism,' pa. 21, as follows: 'You and each of you do solemnly promise and vow that you will pray, and never cease to pray, and never cease to importune high heaven to avenge the blood of the prophets on this nation, and that you will teach this to your children and your children's children unto the third and fourth generation.'
“A great deal of testimony has been given concerning this oath, and although all of the witnesses did not agree as to its exact wording, there can be little doubt that such an oath was administered to the Mormon people after Joseph Smith's death. John D. Lee related that the following occurred after Joseph Smith's death:
“' . . . Brigham raised his hand and said, 'I swear by the eternal Heavens that I have unsheathed my sword, and I will never return it until the blood of the Prophet Joseph and Hyrum, and those who were slain in Missouri, is avenged. This whole nation is guilty of shedding their blood, by assenting to the deed, and holding its peace.' .. . . Furthermore, every one who had passed through their endowments, in the Temple, were placed under the most sacred obligations to avenge the blood of the Prophet, whenever an opportunity offered, and to teach their children to do the same, thus making the entire Mormon people sworn and avowed enemies of the American nation ('The Confessions of John D. Lee,' p. 160).
“Some Mormon apologists have maintained that there was no 'Oath of Vengeance' in the temple ceremony, but the 'Daily Journal of Abraham H. Cannon' makes it very plain that there was such an oath. Under the date of December 6, 1889, Apostle Cannon recorded the following in his diary:
“'About 4:30 p.m. this meeting adjourned and was followed by a meeting of Presidents Woodruff, Cannon and Smith and Bros. Lyman and Grant. . . . In speaking of the recent examination before Judge Anderson Father said that he understood when he had his endowments in Nauvoo that he took an oath against the murderers of the Prophet Joseph as well as other prophets, and if he had ever met any of those who had taken a hand in that massacre he would undoubtedly have attempted to avenge the blood of the martyrs.' ('Daily Journal of Abraham H. Cannon,' December 6, 1889, pp. 205-06).
“Apostle Cannon went on to relate that [eventual Mormon church president] Joseph F. Smith was about to murder a man with his pocket knife if he even expressed approval of Joseph Smith's death.
“The Oath of Vengeance probably had a great deal to do with the massacre at Mountain Meadows, in which about 120 men, women, and children were killed, and other murders which were committed in early Utah (see 'Mormonism—Shadow or Reality?' pp. 493-515, 545-59).
“Just after the turn of the century the Mormon leaders found themselves in serious trouble because of the oath of vengeance. They were questioned at great length concerning this oath in the 'Reed Smoot Case.' The Oath of Vengeance remained in the temple ceremony, however, even after the 'Reed Smoot Case' was printed . . . . It must have been removed sometime between then and 1937, because in a lecture delivered on February 28, 1937, Francis M. Darter complained that 'The Law and prayer of Retribution, or divine judgment, against those who persecute the Saints, has been entirely removed from Temple services. . . . The reason why it was taken out, says one Apostle, was because it was offensive to the young people.' ('Celestial Marriage,' p. 60).
“. . . [T]he oaths taken in the temple were originally very crude. . . . [O]ne example here [From the Smoot hearings]—i.e., the testimony of J. H. Wallis, Sr., who had been through the temple about 20 times:
“MR. WALLIS: ' . . . [A]nother vow was what we used to call the "oath of vengeance.' . . .
“MR. TAYLER: 'Stand up, if it will help you, and give us the words, if you can.'
“MR. WALLIS (standing up): 'That you and each of you do promise and vow that you will never cease to importune high heaven to avenge the blood of the prophets upon the nations of the earth or the inhabitants of the earth.' ('The Reed Smoot Case,' vol. 2, pp. 77-79).
“The next day Mr. Wallis corrected his testimony concerning the oath of vengeance:
“MR. WALLIS: 'In repeating the obligation of vengeance I find I made a mistake; I was wrong. It should have been 'upon this nation.' I had it 'upon the inhabitants of the earth.' It was a mistake on my part. (ibid., pp. 148-49). (“Temple Work,” at:
http://www.utlm.org/onlinebooks/changech22b.htm#532)
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--Exhibit C: Official Mormon Death Cult/Joseph Smith Approval of Animal Sacrifice in Its Temples
As a preface (and as the Mormon Death Cult has a habit of doing), this Corpse Cult ignores the teachings of its own Book of Mormon--in this case, animal blood sacrifice. This despite the fact the the Mormon Death Cult's "prophet" Joseph Smith had boasted that the Book of Mormon is the “most correct book of any on Earth." Said Smith:
“I spent the day in the council with the Twelve Apostles at the house of President Young, conversing with them upon a variety of subjects. . . . 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 by its precepts, than by any other book.“
(“History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” B.H. Roberts, ed. [Salt Lake Cit, Utah: Deseret Book, 1957], vol. 4, p. 461)
If, as it claims, the Mormon Death Cult regards the Book of Mormon as the most dead-on book in the world, then why ddoesn't it when it comes to the post-mortem Jesus doctrine forbidding the blood-sacrificing of animals? Perhaps Mormons want to get closer to dead animals through any book other than the Book of Mormon. The fact of the matter is that the Mormon Death Cult officially teaches blood-sacrifice of animals--even after the death of Jesus--and despite the fact that Book of Mormon declares emphatically that such barbaric blood-letting is now a no-no. According to the Mormon Jesus's own words:
"And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.” (3 Nephi 9:19 )
Damn the Book of Mormon. bring out the knives, full speed ahead (or headless, as the case may be).
Apparently Smith, in another one of his Articles of Faith believed in sacrificing animals, as long as they are sacrificed correctly. According to the Mormon Death Cult-sanctioned “Encyclopedia of Mormonism,” when it comes to “sacrifice in Biblical times,” there is official justification for the Mormon Cdeath ult's present-day, non-New Testamental doctrine of slitting the throats of altar-bound animals. It goes simply like this:
“ . . . [T]he sacrificial system that antedated Moses was not fulfilled in Jesus.“ (Translated: It's acceptable--indeed, it's required--for Mormons to blood-sacrifice animals in these, the latter-days. Why? Because that's what their God has commanded them to do). To back up this bloody belief, the “Encyclopedia of Mormonism” invokes Joseph Smith (the same Joseph Smith who, in his Book of Mormon, said blood sacrifices were no longer acceptable to Joseph's Jesus):
“The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that blood sacrifices similar to those revealed to Adam will once again be performed prior to Christ's second coming in order to complete the RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS.” (original emphasis) The “Encyclopedia of Mormonism” then goes on to provide Smith-related references on the matter of animal splatter, wherein Smith's is quoted as declaring:
“It will be necessary here to make a few observations on the doctrine set forth [on the subject of Levitical sacrificial rituals, as] it is generally supposed that sacrifice was entirely done away when the Great Sacrifice [i.e.,] the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus was offered up and that there will be no necessity for the ordinance of sacrifice in [the] future; but those who assert this are certainly not acquainted with the duties, privileges and authority of the Priesthood or with the Prophets.” Smith then goes on to explain that it will be the assigned duty of Mormon priesthood holders to slaughter animals after Jesus returns:
“The offering of sacrifice has been connected and forms a part of the duties of the Priesthood. It began with the Priesthood and will be continued until after the coming of Christ, from generation to generation. We frequently have mention made of the offering of sacrifice by the servants of the Most High in ancient days, prior to the law of Moses, which ordinances will be continued when the Priesthood is restored with all its authority, power and blessings.“
(Joseph Smith, in “Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith: Taken from his sermons and writings as they are found in the Documentary History and other publications of the Church and written or published in the days of the Prophet's ministry; Selected and arranged by the Historian, Joseph Fielding Smith and his Assistants in the Historian's Office of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” under the subheading, “Sacrifice to be Part of Restoration”[Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1976], p. 172; as referenced in “Encyclopedia of Mormonism” Daniel H. Ludlow, ed., under “Sacrifice in Biblical Times,” by Richard D. Draper [New York, New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992), vol. 3, p. 1249)
Mormon historian H. Michael Marquardt, in his book, “The Rise of Mormonism: 1816-1844,” confirms that Smith taught the continuaton of Old-Testament style “sacred” slaying of animals:
“Joseph Smith taught that performing animal sacrifice was still a duty of the priesthood. Smith said that Elijah held these priesthood keys. . . . [I]n 1836, Smith and Oliver Cowdery had a vision wherein they received keys from Elijah the prophet. At the October 1840 conference Joseph Smith said [the following] in his prepared remarks on priesthood, read by his scribe Robert B. Thompson . . . . Smith . . . explain[ed] that the offering of sacrifice 'will be continued when the priesthood is restored with all its authority, power and blessings. Elijah was the last prophet that held the keys of this priesthood and, who will before the last dispensation, restore the authority and deliver the Keys of this priesthood in order that all the ordinances may be attended to in righteousness.'”
(H. Michael Marquardt, “The Rise of Mormonism: 1816-1844” [Longwood, Florida: Xulon Press, 2005], p. 542)
The Mormon Death Cult's official position on animal sacrifice is officially non-Christian. Don't get me wrong: I'm not Christian--and, despite its own public-relations claims, neither is the Mormon Death Cult, as will be now demonsrated. John R. Farkas and David R. Reed, in their book, "Mormonism: Changes, Contradictions and Errors," accurately note that "Mormon leaders' teachings show that they expect animal sacrifices to be reinstituted as part of the restoration of all things."
Taking issue with teachings on the subject by Mormon Death Cult inventor Joseph Smith; former official Mormon Death Cult historian/eventual LDS president Joseph Fielding Smith; and Mormon Death Cult apostle Bruce R. mConkie, Farkas and Reed observe that traditionally-accepted Christian teaching, as found in the Bible, declares that "Jesus was the final sacrifice; we need no other." They go on to say that "[the Mormon Death Cult's teaching] of restoring blood sacrifices makes a mockery of the sacrifice for our sins. The following," they argue, "[is one of] the Scriptures that refute[s] this Mormon teaching:
"'Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he [Jesus] entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your consience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:12-14)' . . .
"Yes, that 'great and last sacrifice' [as noted by Farkas and Reed in quoting Alma 34:10, 13-14], was the Son of God himself. It is absurd and unbiblical to believe that animal sacrifices will be reinstituted."
(John R. Farkas and David A. Reed, "Mormonism: Changes, Contradictions and Errors" [Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1995], pp. 174, 176-77)
Spoken, of course, like true Bible-believing Christians--and in direct opposition to Mormonism's official non-Christian teachings on the subject.
Joseph Smith issued a roll call for the rolling of animal heads. He wasn't kidding about the animal killing--as indicated by his order to assign 144,000 Mormon priests to slaughtering the animals every day:
“At the close of the meeting, we returned to Benjamin F. Johnson's, where we slept; and I [Smith]remarked that the hundred and forty-four thousand sealed are the priests who should be anointed to administer in the daily sacrifice.”
(Joseph Smith, “History of the Church,” vol. 1, p. 326, under “ Future Animal Sacrifices,” at:
http://emp.byui.edu/marrottr/AnimalSacrificesFuture.html; for the pdf version, see:
http://emp.byui.edu/marrottr/AnimalSacrificesFuture.pdf)
Some may ask, “Was Smith actually referring to slaughtering animals when talking about the Mormon Christ'-s modern-day sanction of sacrifice?” Hell, yes, as confirmed by Mormons in Smith's day, reported by Hyrum L. Andrus and Helen Mae Andrus, in their book, “They Knew the Prophet”:
“Words of Oliver B. Huntington: 'I heard the Prophet reply to the question: “Will there ever be any more offering of sheep and heifers and bullocks upon altars, as used to be required of Israel?”
“He said: 'Yes, there will; for there were never any rites, ordinances of laws in the priesthood of any gospel dispensation upon this earth but what will have to be finished and perfected in this last dispensation of time --the dispensation of all dispensations.'”
(Hyrum L. Andrus and Helen Mae Andrus, “They Knew the Prophet” [Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1974], p. 62, in ibid.)
Mormon Death Cult belief in animal killing went from occultism to Official Mormon Death Cult doctrine--which should come as no surprise, given that Smith and his family practiced rituals of the occult. As Richard Abanes notes in his book, “One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church”:
“. . . [T]estimony shows that Joseph, Jr. and his family often engaged in complex rituals based on occult lore generally not known except by avid practitioners of folk magic. . . .
“On some occasions, Smith made animal sacrifices to appease whatever spirits might be guarding the buried treasures [he was digging for]. Emily M. Austin recounted one time when Joseph told his money-digging company 'there was a charm on the pots of money and if some animal was killed and the blood sprinkled around the place, then they could get it.' Austin remembered: 'So they killed a dog and tried this method of obtaining the precious metal. . . . Alas! How vivid was the expectations when the blood of poor Tray [i.e., the dog] was used to take off the charm and after all to find their mistake . . . and now they were obliged to give up in despair.'
“Hiel Lewis, a cousin of Joseph's wife, Emma, reported that the sacrifice of white dogs, black cats and other animals 'was an indispensable part or appendage of the art which Smith, the embryo prophet, was then practicing.'“
(Richard Abanes, “One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon” Church” [New York New York: Four Walls Eight Windows, 2002], p. 31)
Mormon historian Fawn Brodie, in her book, “No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith the Mormon Prophet,” provides graphic evidence of Smith's penchant for killing animals in a quest for supernatural power needed to enrich himself and his treasure-seeking comrades:
“[A] neighbor, William Stafford, swore [by affidavit] that Joseph Smith told him there was buried money on his property, but it could not be secured until a black sheep was taken to the spot and 'led around a circle' bleeding, with its throat cut. This ritual was necessary to appease the evil spirit guarding the treasure. 'To gratify my curiosity,' Stafford admitted, 'I let them have a large, fat sheep. They afterwards informed me that the sheep was killed pursuant to commandment; but as there was some mistake in the process, it did not have the desired effect. This, I believe, is the only time they ever made money-digging a profitable business.' . . .”
(affidavit of William Stafford, in “Fawn Brodie, ”No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet” [New York, New York: Alfred A. Knopt, 1983], pp. 21, 434)
Historian Rodger I. Anderson, in his book, “Joseph Smith's New York Reputation Re-examined,” provides the full text of Staffords' affidavit, where more details of Smith's throat-slitting sacrifice of the sheep is laid bare:
“At another time, they devised a scheme, by which they might satiate their hunger, with the mutton of one of my sheep. They had seen in my flock of sheep, a large, fat, black weather. Old Joseph [Sr.] and one of the boys came to me one day and said that Joseph Jr. had discovered some very remarkable and valuable treasures, which could be procured only in one way.
“That way, was as follows: That a black sheep should be taken on the ground where the treasures were concealed; that after cutting its throat, it should be led around a circle while bleeding. This being done, the wrath of the evil spirit would be appeased; the treasures could then be obtained and my share of them was to be four-fold. To satisfy my curiosity, I let them have a large, fat sheep. They afterwards informed me that the sheep was killed pursuant to commandment, but as there was some mistake in the process, it did not have the desire effect. This, I believe is the only time they ever made money-digging a profitable business. They, however, had around them constantly a worthless gang, whose employment it was to dig money nights and who, day times, had more to do with mutton than money.”
(affidavit of William Stafford,, State of New York, Wayne County, confirmed as follows: “I certify that on this 9th day of December 1833, personally appeared before me, William Stafford, to me know, and made oath to the truth of the above statement, and signed the same. [signed] Th. P. Baldwin, Judge of Wayne County Court,” as quoted in Robert I. Anderson, “Joseph Smith's New York Reputation Re-examined” [Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books, 1990], pp. 145-46)
Jerald and Sandra Tanner, in their essay, “Was Joseph Smith a Magician?,” describe how the sacrificial slaughter of animals was part and parcel of the folk-magic rituals performed by Smith and other like-minded practitioners of the occultic arts in his day:
“Animal sacrifices were often a part of the magic rituals that accompanied money-digging. In the first edition of his book, 'Early Mormonism and the Magic World View,' p.144, Dr. D. Michael Quinn gives this information: '
"A cousin of Smith’s wife Emma reported that Smith ‘translated the book of Mormon by means of the same peep stone, and under the same inspiration that directed his enchantments and dog sacrifices; it was all by the same spirit' (H. Lewis 1879). In a magic book known as 'The Greater Key of Solomon,' p. 122, we read that “[i]In many operations it is necessary to make some sort of sacrifice unto the demons, and in various ways… Such sacrifices consist of THE BLOOD AND SOMETIMES THE FLESH' [emphasis by Tanners]."
Regarding the color of William Stafford's sheep that Joseph and Company sacrificed, the Tanners write:
“The reader will notice that it was a 'black' sheep that was supposed to have been sacrificed. This is interesting because 'The Greater Key of Solomon,,' p. 122, says that, "Sometimes white sheep are sacrificed to the good Spirits and black to the evil.' In any case, the Mormon apologist Richard L. Anderson says that, "If there was such an event of a borrowed sheep, it had nothing to do with dishonesty." ('Brigham Young University Studies,' Spring 1970, p. 295). On p. 249 of the same article, Professor Anderson quotes the following from BYU Professor M. Wilford Poulson’s notes of a conversation with Wallace Miner: 'I once asked Stafford if Smith did steal a sheep from him. He said no, not exactly. He said, he did miss “a black sheep,” but soon Joseph came and admitted he took it FOR SACRIFICE but he was willing to work for it. He made wooden sap buckets to fully pay for it [emphasis by Tanners]."
Despite such efforts by Mormon apologists to minimize the reality of Smith's animal-killing rituals, the Tanners help confirm the credibility of Stafford's affidavit through the testimony of one of Staffords nephews:
“C[ornelius]. R. Stafford testified concerning the same incident;
“'Jo[e] Smith, the prophet, told my uncle, William Stafford, he wanted a fat, BLACK SHEEP. He said he wanted to CUT ITS THROAT and make it walk in a circle three times around and it would prevent a pot of money from leaving' (“Naked Truths About Mormonism,” January 1888, p. 3; also reproduced in “Early Mormon Documents,” Vol. 2, p. 197) [emphasis by Tanners).”
(“Was Joseph Smith a Magician?, ” in “Salt Lake City Messenger,” Issue #95, April 1999, at:
http://www.utlm.org/newsletters/no95.htm; for further confirmation of William Stafford's affidavit involving Smith's sacrificing of the black sheep, see Anderson, “Joseph Smith's New York Reputation Re-examined,” pp. 60n, 66, 168; see also, D. Michael Quinn, “Early Mormonism and the Magic World View” [Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books, 1987], p. 144; as well as Abanes, “One Nation Under Gods,” p. 496n44)
The Mormon Death Cult's top non-sacrificed dogs ddmit that Joseph Smith was into sacrificial animal throat-slitting. To be sure, Smith's commitment to contemporary sacrificial animal slaughter has been confirmed by contemporary Mormon Death Cult leaders. Joseph Fielding Smith, in his book “Doctrines of Salvation,” writes under the capitalized headline, “RESTORATION OF BLOOD SACRIFICES”:
“We are living in the dispensation of the fulness of times into which all things are to be gathered, and all things are to be restored since the beginning. Even this earth is to be restored to the condition which prevailed before Adam's transgression.
“Now in the nature of things, the law of sacrifice will have to be restored, or all things which were decreed by the Lord would not be restored. It will be necessary, therefore, for the sons of Levi, who offered the blood sacrifices anciently in Israel, to offer such a sacrifice again to round out and complete this ordinance in this dispensation. Sacrifice by the shedding of blood was instituted in the days of Adam and of necessity will have to be restored.”
(Joseph Fielding Smith, “Doctrines of Salvation,” vol. 3, p. 94, quoted under “Future Animal Sacrifices,” at:
http://emp.byui.edu/marrottr/AnimalSacrificesFuture.html)
Similarly, Mormon apostle Bruce R. McConkie, in his book, “The Mortal Messiah,” invokes Joseph Smith's teachings in declaring the necessity of continued animal sacrifice:
“It was during this [Book of Mormon] American ministry that our Lord instituted in the New World, as he had done in Jerusalem and the Old World, the sacramental ordinance in which broken bread was eaten in remembrance of his body, and wine was drunk in remembrance of his blood.
“From that blessed day onward the sacrament replaced sacrifices except that as part of the restitution of all things and then on a limited basis only blood sacrifices will be offered again.
“It was of these future sacrificial ordinances that Malachi prophesied, in a setting descriptive of the Second Coming of the Son of Man, that the returning Lord would 'purify the sons of Levi,, . . . that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.”' Of this offering, to be made in 'Judah and Jerusalem,' the prophecy says it shall be 'pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.”' (Mal. 3:1-5)
“It was to these sacrifices that Ezekiel alluded when he set forth the nature and use of the temple yet to be built in Jerusalem. And so that they might be performed by Levites who once again were legal administrators, John the Baptist, a Levite whose right it was to offer sacrifices anciently, and who was in fact the last Levitical priest to hold the keys of the ministry brought back the ancient order of Aaron, saying to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, as he did so, that 'this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.”'(D&C 13)”
(Bruce R. McConkie, “The Mortal Messiah,” vol. 1, p. 128, as quoted in ibid.)
McConkie also argues that animal sacrifices in the allegedly modern Mormon age are necessary in order “[t]o complete the restoration of all things, apparently on a one-time basis . . . .“ Therefore, he declares, such “sacrifices will again be offered in this dispensation. John the Baptist, for instance, brought back the commission and power whereby the sons of Levi shall offer again in righteousness those offerings which they made in ancient days. (D&C 13:1)”--meaning slaughtering animals in God-invoking religious rituals.
McConkie attempts to make the ritualistic killing of animals more palatable to human sensibilities by arguing that at least these slaughters aren't as bad as blood-sacrificing people on the altar of God:
“As a natural historical development, perverted forms of sacrifice have found place among various portions of humankind. The most abominable of all these perversions of the truth has been the offering of HUMAN SACRIFICES [emphasis by McConkie]. Even the house of Judah, at one period, offered its sons and daughters as sacrifices to the God Molech (Jer. 7:29-34). Captive Nephite women and children were offered in sacrifices to idols by the Lamanites in some of the final struggles of those then-apostate remnants of Israel (Morm. 4:14-15, 21). The Aztecs offered scores of thousands of human sacrifices in the days of Cortez. False and apostate sacrifices, as with all perversions of the truth, have no saving power. 'The things which the Gentiles sacrifice,' Paul said, 'they sacrifice to devils , and not to God.' (1 Cor. 10:20)
(Bruce R. McConkie, “Mormon Doctrine,” 2nd ed., under “Sacrifices,” [Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1966, pp. 666-67)
According to official Mormon Death Cult belief, acceptable--indeed, mandated--sacrifices are ones where Mormons secretly kill animals as an offering to the Elohim, the universe's one and only true God. Notice how McConkie attempts to blunt the barbarism of Smith's animal-sacrifice doctrine by claiming that the practice was to be performed in modern-day Mormonism on a “one-time” and “limited basis only.”
Likewise the “Encyclopedia of Mormonism” tentatively suggests that “[t]hese [blood sacrifices of animals] may be undertaken for only a brief period of time and perhaps only by a selected group.”
(“Sacrifice in Biblical Times,” in “Encyclopedia of Mormonism,” p. 1249)
Really? Recall that Smith's idea of a “select group” sacrificers was 144,000 Mormon priests assigned the task of killing animals daily.
Join in on the Mormon hymn: "Going to the Temple and I'm Going to be Slaughtered." The “Encyclopedia of Mormonism” eventually lets the sacrificed cat out of the bag, so to speak, when it goes on to claim that “[i]n a very different sense sacrifice continues in modern LDS temples (D&C 124:38-39), for those laboring therein are modern equivalents of Levites . . . .” (ibid.)
In actuality, it is not different as far as the God-ordained use of Mormon temples for animla sacrifice because Smith in fact, directly commanded that animals be put to death in modern-day LDS temples. As the Tanners note:
"Animal sacrifice after the death of Christ is [an] Old Testament practice that has found a place in Mormon beliefs. It was Joseph Smith himself who taught this doctrine:
"' . . . It is generally supposed that sacrifice was entirely done away when the Great Sacrifice . . . was offered up and that there will be no necessity for the ordinance of sacrifice in [the] future, but those who assert this are certainly not acquainted with the duties, privileges and authority of the priesthood, or with the Prophets . . . .
"'These sacrifices, as well as every ordinance belonging to the Priesthood, will, when the Temple of the Lord shall be built, . . . be fully restored and attended to in all their powers, ramifications and blessings (“History of the Church," vol. 4, p. 211).'"
The Tanners report how, in the journal of Smith's faithful Mormon supporter, Wandle Mace, the following is recorded about Smith's order that a room in Mormon temples be set aside for the sacrificial slaughter of animals:
"'Joseph told them to go to Kirtland and cleanse and purify a certain room in the Temple, that they must kill a lamb and offer a sacrifice unto the Lord which should prepare them to ordain Willard Richards a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.'"
("Journal of Wandle Mace," p. 32, microfilmed copy at Brigham Young University). “
(Jerald and Sandra Tanner, "The Changing World of Mormonism: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Changes in Mormon Doctrine and Practice" (Chicago, Illinois: The Moody Bible Institute/Moody Press, 1980-81), pp. 488-89)
Animal sacrifices are, in fact, a Sure Sign of the Cult.
The Mormon Church would like the non-Mormon world to believe that sacrificing animals in secret LDS temple rituals is normal and justifiable. But, as Abanes writes, in this regard the Mormon Church is manifesting the trappings of a “sociological cult”--as judged by “whether that group's religious practices and day-to-day behavior are normative for the surrounding culture.” To be sure, when it comes to the Mormon Church's advocacy of animal sacrifice in its temples, one could regard this doctrinally-approved practice as something that Abanes describes as a “sociological red flag.” However, Abanes adds a cautionary flag of his own:
“When dealing with sociological cults, . . . the government must be careful to not infringe on constitutionally-protected forms of religious expression simply because they diverge from societal norms. Debate regarding exactly how much freedom is too much freedom remains a heated and emotional topic that has sparked several court battles. In 1992, for instance, the U.S. Supreme Court heard a case centering on the ritualistic killing of animals in Florida by followers of Santeria, a fusion of Roman Catholicism and African tribal religions ('Church of the Lukumi Babalu v. City of Hialeah').
"The Court ruled that Santerians should be allowed to practice their sacrifices, even though such acts are technically illegal and contrary to societal norms.”
(Abanes, “One Nation Under Gods,” pp. 394-95)
Sounds like the Death Cult of Mormonism.
But, Mormon defenders counter with the claim that Joseph Smith actually loved animals. As one blogging defender of Smith writes:
“We look to the Prophet Joseph Smith for proper teaching [on the treatment of animals]. He said once:
“'We crossed the Embarras river and encamped on a small branch of the same about one mile west. In pitching my tent we found three massasaugas or prairie rattlesnakes, which the brethren were about to kill, but I said, ‘Let them alone--don’t hurt them! How will the serpent ever lose his venom, while the servants of God possess the same disposition and continue to make war upon it? Men must become harmless, before the brute creation; and when men lose their vicious dispositions and cease to destroy the animal race, the lion and the lamb can dwell together, and the sucking child can play with the serpent in safety.’ The brethren took the serpents carefully on sticks and carried them across the creek. I exhorted the brethren not to kill a serpent, bird, or an animal of any kind during our journey unless it became necessary in order to preserve ourselves from hunger.”
(Tariq Khan, “What Does Mormonism Say About Animal Rights?,” 4 October 2010, at:
http://themormonworker.wordpress.com/2010/10/04/what-does-mormonism-say-about-animal-rights/; see also Smith's account of the same incident which “occurred while Zion's Camp was on the march from Kirtland to Missouri,” under “Kindness to Animals Required of Man, “ in “Documentary History of the Church,” vol. 2, p. 71, 26 May 1834, as quoted in “Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,” p. 71)
Smith made it a point to differentiate between killing animals "needlessly" vs. killing them faithfully. The book, ”Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,” lists that Smith believed “[a]nimals . . . should not be killed needlessly.”
(“Index and Concordance,” p. 398)
That, in the mind of Joseph Smith, of course, didn't apply (or is necessarily limited to) the sacrificial altar-slaughtering of “sheep and heifers and bullocks.”
And for today's Mormon Death Cult, it, of course, still doesn't apply. After all, what's good for Joseph Smith and the Mormon God is good for the Mormon Death Cult and its anointed-'n-appointed animal slicers. That's because it's official Mormon Death Cult doctrine.
Joseph Smith said so.
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--Exhibit D: The Teachings of Joseph Smith’s Mormon Death Cult Included His Support for Shootings and Slashings_
The ugly truth that the Mormon Death Cult wishes to hide is that the savage roots of its sanctioned blood atonement trace directly back to Smith, who expressed, endorsed and blessed the practice.
Historian D. Michael Quinn notes that the doctrines of shooting and slashing as God's ordained form of retribution dates back to the early days of Mormonism under Smith's Church leadership. LDS founder Joseph Smith "explained what he intended as the ultimate 'judgment in the hands of [God's] servants.' At a meeting of the Nauvoo City Council, he said: 'I was opposed to hanging, even if a man kill another.' Instead, 'I will shoot him, or cut off his head, spill his blood on the ground, and let the smoke thereof ascend up to God; and if ever I have the privilege of making law on that subject, I will do so.' The official 'History of the Church' called this 'Blood Atonement,' and the prophet [Joseph Smith] warned Mormons at General Conference: 'I'll wring a thief's neck off if I can find him, if I cannot bring him to justice any other way.'"
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--Exhibit E: Joseph Smith Believe Beheading was a Doctrinally Acceptable Method for the Mormon Death Cult to Save Otherwise Unredeemable Sinners
Quinn continues:
"When former Danite John L. Butler heard Smith preach on this occasion, he understood him to say 'that the time would come that the sinners would have their heads cut off to save them.' Butler said the 'spirit' of God filled him as he listened to those words.
"[While] [t]here is no evidence that Joseph Smith ever authorized a decapitation of blood atonement[,] . . . one of Smith's housegirls wrote (apparently in late November 1843) that Dr. Robert D. Foster, surgeon-general and brevet-brigadier-general of the Nauvoo Legion, had used a sword to decapitate a man execution-style 'on the prairie 6 miles' from Nauvoo. Foster was not a dissenter then, but would become one within four months."
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--Exhibit F: Joseph Smith Taught that the Penalty for Disobedience to His Mormon Death Cult Commands Was Having One’s Throat Cut
Quinn writes:
"Regarding [the 1838] Danite expulsion of prominent Mormon dissenters, [Smith's] Counselor [Sidney] Rigdon told Apostle Orson Hyde at Far West [Missouri] that 'it was the imperative duty of the [Mormon] Church to obey the word of Joseph Smith, or the presidency, without question or inquiry, and that if there were any that would not, they should have their throats cut from ear [to] ear.' Benjamin Slade, a lifelong Mormon, soon testified that Rigdon carried out that threat shortly thereafter: 'Yesterday a man had slipped his wind, and was thrown into the bush,' Rigdon told a closed-door meeting of Mormon men (apparently Danites), and added: '[T]he man that lisps it shall die.'
"Speaking of prominent dissidents who received the death-threat in June, Joseph Smith's 'Scriptory Book' noted: 'These men took warning, and soon they were seen bounding over the prairie like the scapegoat to carry of[f] their own sins.'
"John Whitmer gave the view of the 'scapegoat' in this situation: 'While we were gone Joe. and Rigdon and their band of Gadiantons kept up a guard and watched our houses and abused our families and threatened them if they were not gone by morning they would be drove out and threatened our lives if they [the Danites] ever aw us in Far West.'
"As David Whitmer hurriedly left Far West on horseback, 'the voice of God from heaven spake to me' as clearly as it had in testimony of the Book of Mormon nine years before. God's voice told him to 'separate myself from among the Latter Day Saints, for as they sought to do unto me, so should it be done unto them.'
"This 1838 ultimatum was not an aberration in Mormonism, but a direct fulfillment of God's commandment four years earlier concerning unfaithful Latter-day Saints 'who call themselves after my name' (D&C 103:4). [Mormon educator Leland H.] Gentry acknowledged: 'The method chosen by the Latter-day Saints to rid themselves of their dissenting Brethren was unfortunate since it furnished the dissenters with further proof that the Saints were inimical to law and order.'"
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--Exhibit G: Joseph Smith Viewed Assassination of Secular Government Leaders to be Acceptable Mormon Death Cult Punishment
Quinn writes:
"As an extension of Smith's 'spill his blood on the ground' doctrine, it will probably never be known if the prophet actually authorized his bodyguard and former-Danite Orrin Porter Rockwell to kill Missouri's ex-governor [Lilburn] Boggs in May 1842. Smith held Boggs directly responsible for the expulsion of Mormons from Jackson County in 1833 and for the disasters of 1838: the Haun's Mill Massacre, Smith's near execution, and the Mormon expulsion from Missouri.
"[Nonetheless,] [k]illing Boggs would have fit within the provisions of the 1833 revelation (D&C 98:31), as well as consistent with another Danite pledge to the prophet in 1839: 'I from this day declare myself the Avenger of the blood of those innocent men, and the innocent cause of Zion.' Although one of the [Mormon] Church newspapers called the attempted assassination a 'noble deed,' Smith denied that he was involved in the attempt. Boggs miraculously survived, despite two large balls of buckshot lodged in his brain and two in his neck.
"However, his dissenting counselor William Law claimed Smith told him in 1842: 'I sent Rockwell to kill Boggs, but he missed him, [and] it was a failure; he wounded him instead of sending him to Hell.' Decades later Rockwell allegedly acknowledged: 'I shot through the window and thought I had killed him, but I had only wounded him; I was damned sorry that I had not killed the son of a b*tch.' Even if Smith had no role in the Rockwell-Boggs incident, [as] Nauvoo's mayor [he] was willing to assault a county official. He choked the county tax collector and 'struck him two or three times' because the man threatened Smith with a rock. Smith pleaded guilty and paid a fine.'"
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--Exhibit H: The Killings of Joseph and Hyrum Smith Provided Mormon Death Cult Justification for Slitting the Throats of Their Assassins
Quinn observes:
"Another former Danite made a private vow that was more chilling than Rockwell's [notorious flashes of anger]. As Allen J. Stout [later] viewed the [assassinated] bodies of the Mormon prophet [Joseph Smith] and [Church] patriarch [Smith's brother Hyrum], 'I there and then resolved in my mind that I would never let an opportunity slip unimproved of avenging their blood upon the head of the enemies of the Church of Jesus Christ.'
"As a Nauvoo policeman, Stout was conspicuously in the vicinity of physical attacks on Mormon dissenters of whom he said, 'I feel like cutting their throats.' Paraphrasing Smith's theocratic revelation of 1834 (D&C 103:25-26), Stout wrote: 'And I hope to live to avenge their blood; but if I do not I will teach my children to never cease to try to avenge their blood and then teach their children and children's children to the fourth generation as long as there is one descendant of the murderers upon the earth.'
"Feelings were so intense in the months after the martyrdom that the apostles stopped Stephen Markham from telling a congregation that Smith 'charged' him to avenge his death if anti-Mormons succeeded in killing him: 'Willard Richards pulled him down from the stand, as he feared the effect on the enraged people.' For some of Nauvoo's Mormons that desire for vengeance would echo through their words (and sometimes their actions) for decades."
Two months prior to Smith's assassination, Rigdon "startled many Mormons at the April 1844 General Conference by saying, 'There are men standing in your midst that you can't do anything with them but cut their throat and bury them.'"
(D. Michael Quinn, "The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power" (Salt Lake City, Utah: in association with Smith Research Associates, 1997], pp. 246-52)
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Exhibit I: The Seeds of Joseph Smith’s Mormon Death Cult Found Root in His Occult-Devoted Family’s Historical Ties to the Salem Witch Trials
Author Mark Hines, in his article, "Mormonism: The Halloween Religion," points out both Joseph Smith's ancestral ties to occultic beliefs and practices, as well as Smith’s own personal devotion to occultic ceremonial magic. Those included those brought to bear against suspected practitioners of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials:
"Many Mormons do not know about Joe Smith's family involvement in the Salem witch trials of 1692, when Joe Smith Sr.'s great-grandfather Samuel Smith and Samuel's father-in-law John Gould testified against Mary Easty and Sarah Wilds, respectively. The testimony of these relatives of Joe Smith hanged these girls as witches. A belief in witchcraft was passed through the Smith generations. Even Orlando Saunders, whom Mormon apologists consider to be one of the most favorable witnesses to Joe Smith's character, said in an interview that both Joe Smith Sr. and Jr. believed in witchcraft (Frederic G. Mather, "The Early Days of Mormonism," in "Lippincott's Magazine" 26, August 1880, p. 198).
"Mormon General Authority B. H. Roberts admitted that Joe Smith's ancestors believed in warlocks and witches, but he asserted that such belief was normal in Smith's day, 'Yes, the Prophet's ancestors were credulous. . . . It may be admitted that some of them believed in fortune telling, in warlocks and witches. . . . To be credulous in such things was to be normal people" (B. H. Roberts, "A Comprehensive History of the Church," vol. 1, pp. 26-27).
"Fayette Lapham, who spoke with the Smiths at length to find out firsthand about Mormonism, said, 'This Joseph Smith, Senior, we soon learned, from his own lips, was a firm believer in witchcraft and other supernatural things; and had brought up his family in the same belief' ("Historical Magazine," 7 May 1870, p. 306).”
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--Exhibit J: Joseph Smith’s Mormon Death Cult Mindset was Connected to His Personal Belief in Throat-Sliced, Blood-Spurting Ghosts
The Mormon Death Cult won’t teach you this in Sunday School—namely, that Smith said the Book of Mormon gold plates were guarded by blood-spurting ghosts. Hines reports
"Some of the first people to hear of Joe Smith's golden plates story remember Smith's telling of a bloody Spaniard ghost who guarded the plates (Marquardt and Walters, pp. 92, 94). After Fayette Lapham visited the Smith family with a friend in 1830, he reported Smith's dream of a blood-spurting ghost who guarded the plates. The tale was similar to the pirates' tales Joe Smith and his family relished:
"'He [Joseph] then told his father that, in his dream, a very large and tall man appeared to him, dressed in an ancient suit of clothes, and the clothes were bloody. And the man said to him that there was a valuable treasure, buried many years since, and not far from that place; and that he had now arrived for it to be brought to light, for the benefit of the world at large; and, if he would strictly follow his directions, he would direct him to the place where it was deposited, in such a manner that he could obtain it. He then said to him, that he would have to get a certain coverlid, which he described, and an old-fashioned suit of clothes, of the same color, and a napkin to put the treasure in . . . when he had obtained it, he must not lay it down until he placed it in the napkin. . . .' ("Historical Magazine" 7, May 1870, 306-07).
"Smith's early story of the plates, as related by those who heard it, had more in common with Halloween tales of hobgoblins and blood-spurting ghosts than it did with anything 'holy' or 'Godly.' When Smith first told the story, he had not learned to smooth out the rough edges. Hiel and Joseph Lewis, cousins of Smith's wife, recalled Smith's learning of the plates from a man who had his 'throat cut from ear to ear and the blood streaming down':
"'He [Joe Smith] said that by a dream he was informed that at such a place in a certain hill, in an iron box, were some gold plates with curious engravings, which he must get and translate, and write a book; that the plates were to be kept concealed from every human being for a certain time, some two or three years; that he went to the place and dug till he came to the stone that covered the box, when he was knocked down; that he again attempted to remove the stone, and was again knocked down; this attempt was made the third time, and the third time he was knocked down. "Then he exclaimed, 'Why can't I get it?' or words to that effect; and then he saw a man standing over the spot, which to him appeared like a Spaniard, having a long beard coming down over his breast to about here, (Smith putting his hand to the pit of his stomach) with his (the ghost's) throat cut from ear to ear, and the blood streaming down, who told him that he could not get it alone; that another person whom he, Smith, would know at first sight, must come with him, and then he could get it. And when Smith saw Miss Emma Hale, he knew that she was the person, and that after they were married, she went with him to near the place, and stood with her back toward him, while he dug up the box, which he rolled up in his frock' ("Amboy Journal," Amboy, Illinois, 24, 30 April 1879).”
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--Exhibit K: The Death Cult-Molded Mind of Joseph Smith Was Inspired by His Participation in Animal Sacrifices and Associated Occultic Practices
Hines continues:
"The Book of Mormon and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were offshoots and natural progressions of Smith's involvement with peepstones, money digging, Freemasonry, astrology, fortune telling, water witching, a Jupiter talisman, magic parchments, a ceremonial dagger, talking toads, magic circles of black lamb's and black dog's blood, hemlock juice, necromancy, blood-spurting ghosts, wizardry, demonic possession, etc. The demon Moroni has its antecedent in occult books about ghosts who were thought to guard buried treasure. To Joe Smith, these enchantments needed to be broken. Appeasement through blood sacrifice to Satan was Joe Smith's method of choice to break the enchantment and to get at the treasure.
"Smith's father influenced this belief. The newspaper Palmyra Reflector noted that Joe Smith's father 'evinced a firm belief in the existence of hidden treasure, and that this section of country abounded in them. He also revived, or in other words, propagated the vulgar, yet popular belief that these treasures were held in charge of some EVIL spirit, which was supposed to be either the Devil himself, or some one of his most trusty favorites'" ("Palmyra Reflector," as cited in "A Witness For Christ in America," vol. 2, pp. 68-69).
"William Stafford, who lived about a mile and a half from the Smiths, corroborated Joe Smith Jr.'s blood sacrifices to Satan:
"'Old Joseph and one of the boys came to me one day, and said that Joseph Jr. had discovered some very remarkable and valuable treasures, which could be procured only in one way. That way, was as follows: That a black sheep should be taken to the ground where the treasures were concealed; that after cutting its throat, it should be led around in a circle while bleeding. This being done, the wrath of the evil spirit would be appeased: the treasures could then be obtained, and my share of them was to be four fold. To gratify my curiosity, I let them have a large fat sheep. They afterwards informed me, that the sheep was killed pursuant to commandment; but as there was some mistake in the process, it did not have the desired effect. This, I believe, is the only time they ever made money-digging a profitable business" (Howe, pp. 238-239; also reproduced in Dan Vogel, ed., Early Mormon Documents, Salt Lake City, Signature Books, 1996, vol. 2, pp. 59-61).
"BYU Professor M. Wilford Poulson noted Wallace Miner's saying, 'I once asked Stafford if Smith did steal a sheep from him. He said no, not exactly. He said, he did miss a black sheep, but soon Joseph came and admitted he took it for sacrifice but he was willing to work for it. He made wooden sap buckets to fully pay for it' ("Brigham Young University Studies," Spring 1970, p. 249)
"C. R. Stafford testified about the same incident: 'Jo Smith, the prophet, told my uncle, William Stafford, he wanted a fat, black sheep. He said he wanted to cut its throat and make it walk in a circle three times around and it would prevent a pot of money from leaving' ("Naked Truths About Mormonism," January 1888, p. 3; also in Vogel, vol. 2, p. 197)
"[Here is shown] is a graphic of the actual dagger Joe Smith used for animal sacrifices to Satan. The Smith family dagger was listed in the inventory of Hyrum Smith's 'relics.' An authorized biography of Hyrum Smith described the artifact as 'Dagger, Masonic--ten inch, stainless steel—wooden handle—Masonic symbols on blade' (Pearson Corbett, "Hyrum Smith, Patriarch," Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1963, p. 453). Slides of the dagger were screened at the Sunstone Theological Symposium, August 24, 1985, Salt Lake City, Utah. Symbols on the blade are not 'Masonic,' but they are used in ceremonial magic. One side of the blade has the seal of Mars. The other side of the blade has a symbol for the 'Intelligence of Mars,' the zodiac sign for Scorpio and the Hebrew letters for 'Adonai.' Occult books recommend the inscription of 'Adonai' for those seeking a treasure-trove (Agrippa, "Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy,"" 1655, p. 81; Ebenezer Sibly, "New and Complete Illustration of the Occult Sciences," illustration opposite p. 1103; Francis Barrett, "Magus," 1801, II:110). These magical signs were inscribed according to instructions for inscribing occult symbols (Henry Agrippa, "Three Books of Occult Philosophy," London: Gregory Moule, 1651, p. 245; Barrett, "Magus," I: illustrations opposite pp. 143, 174; Melton, "Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology," vol. 2, p. 1179). Mars is the governing planet of Smith Sr.'s birth year (1771).
"Dr. William D. Purple, a respected Bainbridge physician and a personal friend of Justice Neely, took notes at Joe Smith's 1826 court trial. Justice Albert Neely listed the case as 'Joseph Smith The Glass looker--March 20, 1826.' Some of Dr. Purple's recollections of the trial were printed in the Chenango Union. In a snippet from that article, one notes that Smith lured Josiah Stowell into sacrificing a lamb to an 'evil spirit.' During the blood sacrifice to an evil spirit, Smith sprinkled the lamb's blood to make a magic circle, just as he had done with the black lamb from William Stafford's flock. Dr. Purple wrote,
"'In this emergency the fruitful mind of Smith was called on to devise a way to obtain the prize. Mr. Stowell went to his flock and selected a fine vigorous lamb, and resolved to sacrifice it to the demon spirit who guarded the coveted treasure. Shortly after the venerable Deacon might be seen on his knees at prayer near the pits while Smith, with a lantern in one hand to dispel the midnight darkness, might be seen making a circuit around the pits sprinkling the flowing blood from the lamb upon the ground, as a propitiation to the spirit that thwarted them' (William D. Purple, "Joseph Smith the Originator of Mormonism: Historical Reminiscences of the town of Afton," in "Chenango Union," Norwich, NY, May 2, 1877, p. 3).
"Hiel Lewis affirmed that Smith translated the Book of Mormon by means of the same enchanting spirit that directed Smith to make dog sacrifices. Dr. Quinn wrote, 'A cousin of Smith's wife Emma reported that Smith 'translated the book of Mormon by means of the same peep stone, and under the same inspiration that directed his enchantments and dog sacrifices; it was all by the same spirit' (H. Lewis 1879)" (Quinn, 1987 ed., p. 144).
"When Joe Smith started his 'church' in 1830, the local Palmyra newspaper 'Reflector' ran an article making fun of the Book of Mormon and Joe Smith's animal sacrifices (Dogberry, pseudonym [Abner Cole] "Book of Pukei," in "The Reflector," Palmyra, NY, June 12, 1830, p. 36).
"Early Mormon convert Emily M. Austin recalled Joe Smith's urging animal sacrifice, '. . . in the time of their digging for money and not finding it attainable, Joseph Smith told them there was a charm on the pots of money, and if some animal was killed and the blood sprinkled around the place, then they could get it. So they killed a dog and tried this method of obtaining the precious metal. . . . Alas! how vivid was the expectation when the blood of poor Tray was used to take off the charm, and after all to find their mistake . . . and now they were obliged to give up in despair' ("Mormonism; or Life Among the Mormons," 1882; Wesley P. Walters, "Joseph Smith's Bainbridge, N.Y., Court Trials" in "Westminster Theological Journal," 1974, part 2, p. 125).
"Justice Joel King Noble, who tried Smith in an 1830 trail in Colesville, N.Y., related in a letter that when Joe Smith and others were digging 'for a chest of money,' they acquired a black dog and offered it as "a sacrifice [blo]od sprinkled prayer made at the time (no money obtained) the above Sworn to on trial. . . .' (Letter of Justice Noble, dated March 8, 1842, photographically reproduced in Walters, "Joseph Smith's Bainbridge, N.Y., Court Trials," p. 134)."
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(Part 2 continues below)
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