Prophecies attributed to Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter-day Saint movement, is viewed by the movement's adherents as a prophet in the tradition of the ancient prophets recorded in the Bible. During his life, Smith made several prophecies, many documented in the Doctrine and Covenants, a book of scripture in several of the movement's denominations. Non-LDS sources note Smith's prophecies failed to come true.[1][2][3] After Smith famously gave a public prophecy that Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs would be violently killed within a year, Boggs was shot in an assassination attempt. Latter Day Saint viewsMembers of the largest Latter Day Saint denomination, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, regard Smith as a prophet who correctly predicted the rise of their church.[4] They argue that Joseph Smith predicted he would find "three witnesses to the word of God", and later found three men who would corroborate his story of the plates. After his loss in the 1838 Mormon War, Smith correctly predicted that he and his fellow prisoners would not be killed; the group were allowed to escape custody and flee to Illinois.[5] Smith prophesied that Mormon enforcer Porter Rockwell would never be harmed by bullet or blade; though he violently killed others and was repeatedly charged with murder, Rockwell died in jail of natural causes.[6] Non-LDS viewsNon-LDS sources note many of Smith's predictions failed to come true. Smith predicted that his firstborn son would one day translate the Golden Plates; the son died in infancy.[7] During the Winter of 1829, Smith predicted that a buyer for the Book of Mormon copyright would be found in Canada, though the trip to Canada ultimately failed to result in a buyer. Smith later reported that some revelations are "of the devil".[8] On December 25, 1832, at the height of the nullification crisis where South Carolina threatened civil war, Smith predicted a war "that will shortly come to pass". Unless referring to the Mexican-American War in 1846, the crisis of the state rebelling was averted and the United States remained at peace throughout Joseph Smith's lifetime.[9] In 1841, Smith publicly prophesied Missouri Governor Boggs would be assassinated within the year. This event occurred within the context of heated conflict between Mormons and Missourians. Boggs was shot by an unknown assailant on the evening of May 6, 1842. He was seriously injured but survived and lived until 1860, contradicting Smith's prediction. Porter Rockwell, an associate and bodyguard of Smith, was arrested on suspicion of the crime but ultimately released as a grand jury found no evidence of his involvement.[10] Smith confidants John C. Bennett, Joseph Jackson, and William Law later reported that Smith had ordered Boggs be murdered.[11] Smith taught followers that they were living in the "latter days". Smith renamed the organization the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" in 1838.[12][13] In 1843, Smith reported a revelation telling him "Joseph, my son, if thou livest until thou art eighty-five years old, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man". Smith opined "I believe the coming of the Son of Man will not be any sooner than that time".[14] See also
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