A Question For Those In The Know

[Bad Writer]

I think it's possible for both to be true. To my eye, to be human is to be constantly deceived, not so much by others as by ourselves.

Granted, but in the case of Smith, I think it is important to remember that he was convicted of deliberate fraud before all the rubbish about the 'golden plates'. His founding of Mormonism appears, based on the available evidence, to have been just another scheme to avoid being stuck on a farm for the rest of his life (having been raised on a farm myself, I can - to a certain extent - sympathize with him).

Boru

Back in Smith's day, everyone around him, including himself, believed in a Christian god. He was indeed convicted of being a conman, and his Book of Mormon and story about the Golden Plates entirely back up this explanation of his dubious nature. However, when it came down to it, he probably believed he was called of God. This was an idea not only influenced by his entire family, but all those men and women that decided to believe in his stories as well.

He probably knew that he couldn't actually translate anything from ancient scriptures, but he probably firmly held the belief that the Bible was true, so if his religion was just another iteration of it, all was well in his mind. I'm sure he thought God and Angels actually ministered to him on occasion, and even the top leaders in his religion thought they had seen Angels and miracles as well.

Smith was, from a young age, a superstitious man by nature, adhering to legends about spirits, seer stones, and, of course, god. His con was simultaneously his belief. For a modern type of Joseph Smith, I think of Ray Comfort: this man has to bend so many little facts about reality, such as completely denying the facts associated with Evolution. He has essentially conned himself, and, in so doing, thousands of individuals with him.