And all I can really say is holy crap. What a buncha maroons!

I didn't like this book. I read it on my mission and it let me down. I found it full of hyperbole and drifting off topic constantly to sidetrack into poorly prepared 'anti mormon' research.

As a result it helped immunise me to the truth for another decade or more. The fact that it was written by two respected lawyers made it worse because it created a false sense of security with me thinking 'is this all the world has to throw at us'.

Comparing that to Mormon Think or the CES Letter is (IMO of course) like comparing a tabloid to a research paper.

I read the book last December, and couldn't put it down.

I liked the book. I had the paperback, and it got passed around and lost. I have a hardback copy now. I was impressed with the mad boldness of Hofmann. He created some of his fraudulent artifacts without even practicing. The brethren were easily hoodwinked. In the end he was the worst kind of murderer. The story peels back several layers of evil from the rotten fruits of deception.

I read the book. It was a fun read. I'm not sure how accurate
the dialogues recorded in it are.

But it was interesting for me because, as I read through I
counted ten people mentioned in the book whom I had personally
met.

I read this book in the late 80's and I was fascinated by it. I'm sure there is more information now available.

The biggest question I was asking then I have answered for myself now–since no one else would.

Question - How could the leaders be defrauded by Hofmann?

Answer - They don't have any special power of discernment because they are not what they claim to be. Thus those men were susceptible to skilled fraud like any other normal individual.

The book is better read backwards. The order doesn't flow right.

It's an enjoyable book, and it employs the old style of creating dialog that may not have happened. But it is very entertaining. It wouldn't be considered a scholarly work by today's 'so called' academia however. It starts slow so really to get into it the reader needs to start somewhere in the middle and read backwards to the front. It's one of my favorites.

"Tracking the White Salamander" by the Tanners

http://www.utlm.org/onlinebooks/trackingcontents.htm

The Tanners had figured out long before the bombings that the salamander letter was phony. Their account is detailed and comes from the perspective of all they know about Mormon History. You won't be disappointed.

Edited to add that you can purchase this for $10.00 or read it online.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/2015 10:01AM by Twinker.

There is no mention that Sandra believed it.

Because of the extensive research by the Tanners, they recognized the wording of The Salamander Letter as similar to an account by E D Howe in his book, Mormonism Unvailed [sic]. Tanners were familiar with Martin Harris' writings and noted the discrepancies between the Salalmander Letter and what they knew of Martin Harris which led them to be suspicious early on about the fake letter.

It would appear that Hofmann had also read those sources, being familiar enough with Church history to create a document that would support evidence for the Church's questionable origins.

Tanners also relate that Hofmann visited them on occasion at their bookstore and at one point showed them a copy of a 2nd Anointing Document he had.

Edit: this was in response to gannosu's question further down.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/2015 02:58PM by Twinker.

Motive.

Beyond blackmailing the church for money, perhaps Hofmann was a disgruntled ExMo trying to recoup his tithing losses?

+1 Twinker

The Tanners! Absolutely the most amazing people.

I read the book. Also read "A gathering of saints"

After reading the book my shelf cracked, Internet finished it off.

On another board discussing the Salamander Letter I claimed that Jerald and Sandra Tanner claimed the letter was a fraud. Someone said that was not true, that Sandra believed it and Jerald felt it was a fraud. Was this mentioned in the book?

gannosu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> On another board discussing the Salamander Letter
> I claimed that Jerald and Sandra Tanner claimed
> the letter was a fraud. Someone said that was not
> true, that Sandra believed it and Jerald felt it
> was a fraud. Was this mentioned in the book?


Sandra talks about this in her interview with John Dehlin. I don't recall her saying she thought it was a fraud, but Jerald definitely thought so.

She also talks about Hofmann visiting their bookstore, surprised that they didn't back it - after all it was a black eye for TSCC.

I read that book about ten years ago and wrote a review of it on the now defunct Epinions.com. A TBM took me to task over it because the book put the church in a bad light. The comment section was pretty wild.