Why is it called the Salamander Letter?

Why is it called the Salamander Letter?

The Salamander Letter was a document Hofmann claimed was written in 1830 by Martin Harris, the scribe of the founder of the Mormon Church Joseph Smith. It stated that Joseph Smith was led to the gold plates by a spirit who “transfigured himself from a white salamander” rather than an angel.

Why was the Salamander Letter controversial?

The salamander letter was a controversial document about the history of the Latter Day Saint movement that later proved to be a forgery. Rendell then recast his conclusion, stating that while there was “the absence of any indication of forgery in the letter itself, there was also no evidence that it was genuine.”

Where is the Salamander Letter?

Salt Lake City
It is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, where Hofmann lived. The contents of the Salamander Letter, which is perhaps the most famous of the countless documents forged by Hofmann throughout his career, directly contradicted the church’s own story of the origins of the Book of Mormon.

Who published Nauvoo Expositor?

On Friday, June 7, 1844, dissenters from the Church published the one and only issue of an opposition newspaper they called the Nauvoo Expositor.

What did the white salamander letter say?

“The letter said that Joseph Smith had told [Harris] that Joseph Smith was led to the golden plates by a white salamander. This contradicted the church version of what had happened and struck deeply at Mormon belief,” Rob Decker, a former Utah news anchor, says in the docuseries.

What is in the Salamander Letter?

What exactly is in the Salamander Letter? In the letter, Harris explains that when Smith found the golden plates, they were guarded by a white salamander that transformed itself into a spirit. It also requested that Smith’s deceased brother be present in order for him to access the plates.

What does the white salamander letter say?

What happened to Martin Harris LDS?

In 1870, at 87, Harris moved to the Utah Territory and, shortly afterward, was rebaptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He died on July 10, 1875, in Clarkston, Utah Territory, and was buried there.

Who did the Mormon bombings?

Mark Hofmann
Mark Hofmann, the subject of Netflix’s new documentary, Murder Among the Mormons, was a prolific, master forger turned bomber who was convicted of killing two people in Salt Lake City in 1985. Now aged 66, he was born in 1954 to a Mormon family in the Utah-based city known as a US hub of the religion.

What does the Mormon church spend money on?

Use of funds. The LDS Church uses most of its financial resources to construct and maintain buildings and other facilities. The church also spends its funds on providing social welfare and relief and supporting missionary, educational, and other church-sponsored programs.

When was the Mormon printing press destroyed?

0 n July 20, 1833, a throng of western Missourians, acting in premeditated concert, demolished the Mormon printing establishment in Independence, Missouri.