Smith As A Treasure Seeker
Vogel states that he believes that the significance of treasure seeking in Smith’s early life deserves greater emphasis than has been given in previous biographies, and presents Smith as “a leader among the treasure seers of Manchester, New York.” Regarding these activities, it is suggested that “Smith was both convinced of his ability and also deceptive” and that “Smith may have believed himself to be inspired and may have at times heard voices or experienced visions but still used some deception to convince others.” In order to support the thesis of Smith’s primary focus in life being treasure hunting, the author makes extensive use of the Hurlbut affidavits originally published in E. D. Howe’s exposé Mormonism Unvailed and other early anti-Mormon publications.
Read more about this topic: Joseph Smith: The Making Of A Prophet
Famous quotes containing the words smith, treasure and/or seeker:
“He who goes against the fashion is himself its slave.”
—Logan Pearsall Smith (1865–1946)
“And who, in time, knows whither we may vent
The treasure of our tongue, to what strange shores
This gain of our best glory shall be sent,
T’enrich unknowing nations with our stores?
What worlds in th’yet unformed Occident
May come refined with th’accents that are ours?”
—Samuel Daniel (c.1562–1619)
“How much more the seeker of abstract truth, who needs periods of isolation, and rapt concentration, and almost a going out of the body to think!”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)