Descriptions:
Some people, such as Fawn Brodie and Dan Vogel, have suggested that Joseph Smith may have duped the witnesses of the Book of Mormon plates via hypnotism. In this episode, Dave explores the merits of that theory.
Transcript and additional notes: https://bit.ly/37OGf7F
Video: Did Martin Harris actually see the golden plates?: https://bit.ly/2QUX8p3
Video: Did David Whitmer actually see the golden plates?: https://bit.ly/3h0IirB
Video: Did Oliver Cowdery actually see the golden plates?: https://bit.ly/3lQHUzw
“The Book of Mormon Witnesses and Their Challenge to Secularism,” by Daniel C. Peterson: https://bit.ly/331beuu
Preview of Emily Ogden’s, “Credulity: A Cultural History of US Mesmerism”: https://bit.ly/3lTsD19
“Mesmerism and Mormonism,” BYU Studies: https://bit.ly/356gCPR
Ian Wilson and his claims that Christ used hypnotism (which Latter-day Saints obviously do not believe is true, but just in case you’re interested): https://bit.ly/2JjRIUA / https://bit.ly/3lL9v5n
Notes:
-Another popular theory that people adhere to in order to shrug off the witnesses is the “Second Sight” theory. Essentially, that idea is that the witnesses were simply worked up in a religious fervor and in their fanaticism only imagined seeing that which they wanted to see. This explanation is based on an extremely narrow view of the witnesses. For example, the 8 witnesses were not worked up in a religious fervor when they saw and handled the plates. It was casual, tangible, and matter-of-fact. Nothing supernatural about it. Also, how would “second sight” explain the experiences of people like Mary Whitmer, who was not in a religious mood when her angelic messenger appeared? Or Emma Smith, who often had casual experiences with the plates while doing usual chores? Or Josiah Stowell who claimed to have seen a corner of the plates in a gap in the cloth that was covering them while the plates were trading hands? One could argue that the supernatural experiences with the plates were second sight (though statements from the witnesses contradict the idea), but the theory fails to explain the non-supernatural experiences, which abound.
-Ian Wilson (author who believes that Christ’s miracles were actually the work of hypnosis) made an interesting observation about Christ’s inability to perform miracles among those from his home town: “Jesus failed precisely where as a hypnotist we would most expect him to fail, among those who knew him best, those who had seen him grow up as an ordinary child. Largely responsible for any hypnotist’s success rate are the awe and mystery with which he surrounds himself, and these essential factors would have been entirely lacking in Jesus’ home town.” Source: https://bit.ly/3lL9v5n
If it’s true that the hardest people to hypnotize are those who know you best, then Joseph’s choice of witnesses poses a particular challenge, as two of his brothers and his own father were among the 8 Witnesses. A powerful hypnotist indeed! On the other hand, if the 8 Witnesses were duped by fake plates, you’d think that Joseph’s father or brothers would have been tough to fool. On a third hand, if they were conspirators we run into another set of complicated questions.
-To be transparent: I have not read much of Dan Vogel’s book, “The Making of a Prophet.” But from what I have read, it appears that the basis for his belief that Joseph employed hypnotism was a verse from the Book of Mormon: 1 Nephi 16:38. In the verse, Laman and Lemuel complain that their brother, Nephi, is a false prophet seeking only after power and authority. They say,
“Now, he says that the Lord has talked with him, and also that angels have ministered unto him. But behold, we know that he lies unto us; …and he worketh many things by his cunning arts, that he may deceive our eyes, thinking, perhaps, that he may lead us away into some strange wilderness; …to make himself a king and a ruler over us…”
Instead of a reference to sleight of hand or a naturally crafted illusion, Vogel interprets Nephi’s “cunning arts” as a form of hypnotism, and uses this as evidence that Joseph knew that hallucinations could be induced in others. It seems like quite a logical leap to assume that this is evidence of Joseph’s hypnotic ability, and falls quite short of explaining how Joseph learned hypnotism, and why there is no evidence of him ever being interested in, learning about, or practicing the art.
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