Summary:

Why this matters:

• The Book of Mormon was not unique in it's assertion that the Native Americans came from the house of Israel. Many theologians and the common folk of the day believed that the Native Americans were descended from the Lost Ten Tribes.
• Some early church members used View of the Hebrews as proof of the Book of Mormon's authenticity.
• View of the Hebrews was published 7 years before the Book of Mormon.
• Oliver Cowdery was a native of the same town as Ethan Smith and was a member of his congregation. He would have been very familiar with the book.
• This book has so many similarities that the church historian B.H. Roberts looked into it and stated: 

Did Ethan Smith's View of the Hebrews furnish structural material for Joseph Smith's Book of Mormon? It has been pointed out in these pages that there are many things in the former book that might well have suggested many major things in the other. Not a few things merely, one or two, or half dozen, but many; and it is this fact of many things of similarity and the cumulative force of them that makes them so serious a menace to Joseph Smith's story of the Book of Mormon's origin. - B.H. Roberts, Studies of the Book of Mormon, pg. 240

Summary:

Why this matters:

• The fact that these items were owned by the Smith family implies that they had more than a passing interest in magic.
• It demonstrates that the Smith family and the people of the time had no problem mixing Christianity with magic.
• The purpose of this parchment seems to be to help protect the house from evil.

Summary:

Why this matters:

• The remaining Smith family accused Brigham Young of  having Samuel murdered, although his official cause of death is "bilious fever".
• William Smith, the brother of Joseph and Hyrum and a former apostle (before Brigham Young had him excommunicated), published two newspaper articles about this tragedy. The first stating that his brother Samuel was poisoned and the second pointing an accusing finger directly at Brigham Young:

"I have good reason for believing that my brother Samuel H. Smith, died of poison at Nauvoo, administered by order of Brigham Young and Willard Richards, only a few weeks subsequent to the unlawful murder of my other brothers, Joseph and Hiram Smith, while incarcerated in Carthage jail. 

"Several other persons who were presumed to stand between Brigham Young and the accomplishment of his ambitions and wicked designs, mysteriously disappeared from Nauvoo about the same time, and have never been heard from since." -William Smith, "Mormonism," letter to the “New York Tribune,” 28 May 1857

• Samuel's wife Levira also accused Brigham of having her husband killed. She also stated that Samuel  realized he had been poisoned. "[He ]spit it out and said he was poisoned. But it was too late--he died."
• Samuel's daughter Mary also accused Brigham of having her father killed. 
• Samuel was violently opposed to Polygamy and thus a threat to Brigham Young and his vision of the church, so Brigham had motive.
• Brigham denied from the pulpit any knowledge of Samuel's suspicious death, though he certainly profited from it. 

Summary:

Why this matters:

• The fact that these items were owned by the Smith family implies that they had more than a passing interest in magic.
• It demonstrates that the Smith family and the people of the time had no problem mixing Christianity with magic.
• The purpose of this parchment seems to be to protect from supernatural beings.

Summary:

Why this matters:

• Emily lived with Joseph while he made advances towards her
• Emily first shut him down when he asked if he could write her a letter

After a year in the Smith home, Emily remembers: “...in the spring of 1842...Joseph said to me one day, ‘Emily, if you will not betray me, I will tell you something for your benefit.’ Of course I would keep his secret...he asked me if I would burn it if he would write me a letter. I began to think that was not the proper thing for me to do and I was about as miserable as I ever would wish to be...I went to my room and knelt down and asked my father in heaven to direct me...[At Joseph’s insistence] I could not speak to any one on earth...I received no comfort till I went back...to say I could not take a private letter from him.  He asked me if I wished the matter ended. I said I did.” Emily recalls, “he said no more to me [for many months].”

• Joseph acquired the help of a third party (an older woman already married to Joseph) to help convince Emily to marry Joseph
• Joseph married Emily and her older sister Eliza twice. Once behind Emma's back in secret and then another time when Emma picked out Emily and Eliza as brides for Joseph. They had to pretend they were not already married for Emma and Joseph's sake.

Emily recalls, “I do not know why she gave us to him, unless she thought we were where she could watch us better...” Emily continued, “To save the family trouble Brother Joseph thought it best to have another ceremony performed...[Emma] had her feelings, and so we thought there was no use in saying anything about it so long as she had chosen us herself...Accordingly...we were sealed to JS a second time, in Emma’s presence.” 

Summary:

Why this matters:

• The fact that these items were owned by the Smith family implies that they had more than a passing interest in magic.
• The purpose of this parchment seems to be to help procure a visitation from a supernatural being.
• It demonstrates that the Smith family and the people of the time had no problem mixing Christianity with magic.
• There is an obvious connection to Mormon Temples as they all have the inscription "Holiness to the Lord" on them.

Summary:

Why this matters:

• Joseph Smith and his contemporaries were fascinated by William Kidd and believed his treasure could be found in their geographical region
• According to witnesses, Joseph owned "dime novels" about Captain Kidd and likely read other works about the notorious pirate that were popular at the time.
• Eyewitness accounts, including Porter Rockwell state that Joseph, with the aid of his "peep stone", was looking for Kidd's treasure along the Susquehanna River and that he had a vision through the stone where he saw Kidd sailing up the River to hide his treasure, and described in great detail, where it was hidden, yet the treasure was not found.
• There is some Book of Mormon connections regarding the names Cumorah and Moroni which are unusual names but appear together in Kidd's history and on maps from the era.

Summary:

Why this matters:

• The Smith family had a business where farmers and other land owners would pay them to search for buried treasure on their property. There was a general conception that there was lots of buried chests and ancient Native American gold in the hills and mounds around the countryside.
• As far as the records indicate, the Smith's would never find anything instead explaining that the enchantments were too strong, or that the spirit guarding the treasure could not be appeased. They would explain that the chest of gold would slip deeper into the earth, always just out of reach.
• Magic Circles are typically viewed today as a type of witchcraft, yet here we have the first prophet of the Mormon faith fully believing and performing these magic ceremonies.

Summary:

Why this matters:

• This relationship began 2 months before the revelation on plural marriage was revealed.
• Joseph acquired the help of a third party (Helen's Father) to arrange the marriage for him.
• Helen was appalled by the idea of Joseph, a married man taking another wife but she ultimately gave in because she loved and trusted her father Heber and he wanted her to marry Joseph.
• Joseph was over twice Helen's age.
• Joseph would not allow Helen to attend parties or social events which made her very angry because other kids her age were enjoying being young adults. She expressed in her journal that she felt:  "and like a wild bird I longed for the freedom that was denied me".
• Helen was married for just one year before Joseph was killed. She was a widow by 15 years old.

Summary:

Why this matters:

• Some see Bennett as the scapegoat to provide plausible deniability and distract from the actually-true rumors about Joseph's similar sexually predatory behavior.
• Joseph rewarded Bennett's loyalty with positions in both the church and the city government. 
• Bennett was a medical doctor and allegedly performed secret abortions, even promising to abort the babies of his "spiritual wives" if they were to become pregnant.
• Some have suggested that Bennett's performance of abortions on Joseph Smith's extra-marital sexual partners explains why there are few offspring of Joseph Smith through his polygamous wives. 
• Hyrum Smith discovered Bennett's duplicitous character after digging into his background and warned Joseph to distance himself from Bennett, but Joseph ignored his brother's advice.

Summary:

Why this matters:

• This relationship is 2 years before the revelation on plural marriage is revealed.
• Joseph acquired the help of a third party to arrange the marriage for him.
• There is pretty strong evidence of a sexual relationship immediately after the wedding because they both stayed their honeymoon night in a friends home and he records that he told them to "Blow out the lights and get into bed and you will be safe there."

Summary:

Why this matters:

• Oliver was involved with local superstitious magic just like Smith family and many other's in the area.
• Oliver's gift with the rod was mentioned specifically by God in D&C section 8 as a true gift.
• The scriptures were later changed to make it less magical and more in line with later teachings. The wording "gift of working with the rod" was changed to "gift of Aaron".
• Oliver attempted to receive scripture through his rod as mentioned in D&C 8 but he ultimately failed.

Summary:

Why this matters:

• This relationship is 10 years before the revelation on plural marriage is revealed.
• Fanny was living with Emma and Joseph as a servant girl at the time.
• It was a source of major contention between Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith. Oliver called the relationship a "dirty, nasty, filthy affair" and this was one of the reasons he left the church and was excommunicated.
• Emma loved Fanny as her own daughter, but upon discovering their relationship Fanny was kicked out of the house.

Summary:

Why this matters:

• Joseph had more than one seer stone, not just the one used to translate the Book of Mormon