Conference tecrus::mormonism

    How do you come by this understanding? I don't think it is true. Sounds
    like one of many falsehoods that are told of the prophet Joseph Smith,
    and have been told of prophets throughout history. Even Jesus was
    falsely accused. 
    
    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches its members
    to avoid the occult.
                                                    
         Occultism has reference to the hidden and mysterious powers
         subject to the control of those who engage in divination,
         alchemy, astrology, sorcery, and magic. Practice of occultism
         in any form is contrary to revealed truth and should be
         avoided. 
         
         Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 542.
    
    Rich Kotter
    
                 

    Joseph Smith was heavily involved in the occult.  One example is
    the talisman that he had around his neck when he died.  It was a
    Jupiter Talisman and contains information relating to astrology
    and magic.  This discovery was given in an adress by Dr. Reed Durham
    on April 20, 1974.  Was able to interpret it as the Table of Jupitor
    which was the planet Joseph was born under.  He got in trouble for
    the speech by President Spencer Kimball and finally found it necessary
    to issue a letter in which he reaffirmed his faith and that he was
    sorry for the trouble he caused.
    
    This talisman was found around his neck when he was matyred.
    
    There are other examples, but I will leave with this for now.
    

    
    
      There were many things that Joseph knew about what we call the
    occult,it doesnt surprise me.There are many examples in history
    where the church condemnd men who had more knowledge and understanding
    of the universe,than they.There are warnings in the scriptures about
    occult activities,because most of the people did not understand
    what they were doing.Even today this is true.Joseph had knowledge
    of such things,but,knew of the dangers to those who could not
    understand.It was for him to understand certain things,that could
    not be given to the church,for man was not ready for this.Even today,
    many people who are involved with occult do not know what they are
    dealing with.WHEN ARE WE GOING TO STOP FIGHTING EACH OTHER,AND,UNITE
    TO DEFEAT THE EVIL ONE AND HIS FOLLOWERS!

    Mike,
    	Are you saying then that it is OK to be involved  in occult
    activities if you 'know what you are doing.'

    
     Anytime that you are dealing in the spirit realm,you must use great
    caution.Anything taken to great extremes can be dangerous.It would
    depend on what the activity is.There is always a risk in delving
    into the unknown,so,if you are not prepared then you could get into
    trouble.It is an individual choice,for some are ready to know and
    are able to understand,many are not.Joseph was one who was ready
    for this understanding.If you have progressed enough then this
    knowledge will come in due time,if you choose to seek it.I must
    stress that if you are investigating the spiritual realm,you must
    always seek Gods help,for there are things that can be dangerous.
    I would not encourage anyone to get involved,but,i dont see anyone
    going to hell for having the knowledge.Its only what you do with
    it.I have the knowledge and privilage to drive a car,but,if i use
    it to kill someone,then i am in deep trouble.
    
    Peace
    Michael
    

    My own feeling is that we should stay away from the occult and
    concentrate on putting our trust in the Lord alone. I believe that this
    is consistent with the scriptures and with LDS church teachings. 
    
    Regards,
    Rich

    I had a thought about criticism of J. Smith and his ALLEGED occultism
    and that thought is that people are quick to call something occult
    if it uses what is currently considered occult.  That is one way
    to view it. 
    
     Let me further elaborate.  Say we had something that was TRUE but
    that when people look at it they also notice that it has some
    similarities to what is currently considered occult. So, they
    conclude that the TRUE thing is occult because it looks like the
    occult thing.  
    
    
    But let's look at it differently.
    
    Constance Cumbey, A Born Again Christian, in her book, 
    Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow, exposes the dangers of the
    New Age .  She states that the occult
    method is to take a divine TRUTH and distort it or copy it, only
    for some Satanic reason.  Some examples are the symbol of the Rainbow
    for the New Age, Black Sabbaths and Black Masses, Hitler's use of
    the Twisted Cross (the Swatsticka), the Medeival Knights Templar
    use of the Cross, Masonic Emblems etc.  
    
    Therefore, using this logic, the occult borrows the TRUE thing,
    but for an evil purpose, thus twisting and distorting the original
    intent.
    
    So, we cannot say the TRUE thing is occult because the same thing
    can be found in the occult.  Rather the occult is trying in some
    fashion to imitate that which is true. Therefore our conclusion
    of  the TRUE thing being occult because of the false comparison is wrong.
    
    This happened in Egypt under the Ptolomy Pharoahs where an imitation
    of the Levitical Priesthood was set up.  Also, in imitation of the covenant
    of Israel with Jehovah the Egyptians even practiced circumcision.
    
    So my conclusion is this. I abhor the occult and its growing influence
    in American as any other Christian does.  But, before we fly off
    the handle and claim Joseph Smith was an occultist we should check
    to see how we are making our comparisons, recognizing that the occult
    will counterfeit the TRUTH.
    
    Does any of this make sense to anyone else?  Does anyone have any
    other examples of how the occult has used a divine/Christian truth
    or symbol for its own means.  If anyone cares to look at Easter,
    I think you would find that "Christian" holiday loaded with occult
    symbols, yet no one is calling Easter-observing Christians occult.
    
                                                
    AFter 11 years in the LDS Church and after having attended some
    of the most solemn and sacred assemblies, and having worked at Church
    Headquarters, I can face anyone and say the practice of the occult
    is as abhorrent to Mormons as any Christian.  We are advised to
    never engage in any of its forms, be astrology, palmistry, Oija
    Boards, etc.  We are further advised to not even talk of it, for
    in so doing we invite the Adversary in.  
                                                
    I know for myself that when someone tells me I am involved in the
    occult I scratch my head in bewilderment.
    
    Regards,                                 
    
    
    Paul

    
      I think to really understand it,you have to check it out.Then
    there are those who will go by what someone else says.When i joined
    the church,i didnt just believe what the missionaries said,and,accept
    it.I had to investigate it first.Then i had to feel it within myself.
    After i felt enough truth to be baptized,i had to experience it
    by actively participating and learning.I have a special purpose
    for learning these things,just as Joseph did.I am being prepared
    to do Gods work in the spirit world,and,part of it is to know of
    these things.Mostly of knowing how things really work on the other
    side.I agree that occult activities can lead people away from God.
    Satan knows our weaknesses,that is how he traps us,but,it is our
    decisions that get us there.I can only try to tell people to stay
    close to God.I am sure a lot of what i say people dont believe,just
    as they didnt believe Joseph.Joseph works closely with Jesus,just
    as I will do when i cross over.He has asked me to do certain things,
    to help him here.God,our father,wants us to unite in a common cause,
    to overcome the Evil one.This has to be all people,of all races,and
    beliefs,through-out the world.In order to do it,we must stop fighting
    each other and start helping.It doesnt matter what one believes,only
    what he does,will show whos side he is on.
    
    Peace
    Michael
    

Re: .7
    
Hi Paul,
	I was thinking of a reply to enter here and then I saw yours. 
	You have crystallized some of my feelings into well expressed
	thoughts, better than I could have.  As you expressed, satan
	likes to use counterfeits of the Lord's ideas. 	I have wondered
	if this is from the adversaries lack of creativity, wisdom,
	or because it is effective at creating confusion and diverting
	Father's children as we attempt to return. 	

   > Does any of this make sense to anyone else?  Does anyone have any
   > other examples of how the occult has used a divine/Christian truth
   > or symbol for its own means.

	Yes, Paul, it does makes sense and I have noted satan's use of
	counterfeits before.  I am not learned enough to site many of the
	examples you asked for but a couple come to mind.  One is the
	distortion of one of the most important parts of Father's plan
	for our salvation, sacrifice.  The occult has long used bizarre
	forms of animal and human sacrifice even from the time that the
	house of Israel was still observing the law of sacrifice in
	similitude of the Saviors sacrifice for us. I do not know the
	purpose or meaning of the occults use of sacrifice.  I am not
	sure I care to. 


    
    
    >....I can face anyone and say the practice of the occult
    >is as abhorrent to Mormons as any Christian.  We are advised to
    >never engage in any of its forms, be astrology, palmistry, Oija
    >Boards, etc.  We are further advised to not even talk of it, for
    >in so doing we invite the Adversary in.
  
	Neither one of us have quoted any church documents on the subject
	but my understanding is as you have stated above.  I am without
	my Scriptures so I can not say where, but doesn't the Lord refer
	to such as these, as those who "Peep and mutter". I learned the
	hard way of satan's power and influence and know of a surety that
	he exists and why he is the father of lies. In keeping with the
	policy just stated, that is all I want to say on that. 
	
                                           
    
	I have just a couple of thoughts I would like to share on the
	subject of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the occult.  I have
	mentioned this before in another reply so forgive my redundence
	but, my Great Grand Father wrote of meeting the Prophet Joseph
	and talked of some trouble with his own illusion of what a
	prophet should do, as when he heard the prophet talking of
	boot-black and 	horses.  It is reasonable to assume that
	something as controversial as a belief in the occult would have
	really shook the old boy up. There is no mention of it in his
	journal.  This is not proof per soy, but is offered as a point 
	of interest. Recorded also is an instance where he was at a
	particularly spiritual meeting and my Grand Father spoke in
	tongues.  This was more common then and this brings me to my 
	next point. 

	On one occasion the Prophet was explaining the difference between
	the gift of tongues when acted on by the Holy Spirit as opposed
	to some examples he observed that were of satan.  When acted on
	by the spirit one has a feeling of peace, love and warmth as
	opposed to the counterfeit manifestation induced by satan which 
	had caused some to become unseemly agitated with distorted
	features or limbs and a loud tumultuous clamorings of voice. 	

    
 	You mentioned Constance Combey and her book.  I believe that the
	foundation of that part of the New Age Movement, the Theosophical
	Society etc., are based on counterfeit and these distorted
	parallels may bring some misguided condemnation on our church. 
	But that is probably best left for another note or conference. 
    
	There are numerous instances of people bearing false witness to
	discredit or convict the Prophet.  Some of this was sworn
	testimony in court.  So it would not surprise me to find numerous
	accounts extant today purporting all sorts of dubious acts to the
	Prophet. I can not believe that the Prophet had anything what so
	ever to do with the Occult.  The compost heap of scurrilous
	fabrication is also heaped  high with accounts concerning things
	the Prophet was alleged to have done or said at his death.  It
	always gets back to Moroni 10:4 & 5. 


	In Christ's Love,
	-gary
    

There is a new book by D. Michael Quinn (Professor of American History at
BYU) called "Early Mormonism and the Magic World View".  It is published by 
Signature Books, Salt Lake City, 1987.  This book discusses in very great
detail the topic of this note.

I will post several replies giving what I feel are the key points that are
brought out by Dr. Quinn.  However, I will be slow in doing this because most
of my spare time is being used to prepare for my eight days backpacking with
my scout troop in the White Mountains of NH.

Allen

Another reference that discusses this topic is BYU Studies, Volume 24,
Fall 1984, Number 4.  (See note 125.2 for information about obtaining
BYU Studies)

This issue has the following papers:

New Documents and Mormon Beginnings, by Dean C. Jessee (he discusses two
Hofmann documents that are now known to be forgeries)

The Persisting Idea of American Treasure Hunting, by Ronald W. Walker

Joseph Smith: The Palmyra Seer, by Ronald W. Walker

Money-digging Folklore and the Beginnings of Mormonism: An Interpretive
    Suggestion, by Marvin S. Hill

The Mature Joseph Smith and Treasure Searching, by Richard Lloyd Anderson

Later in the year I will review these articles.

Allen

D. Michael Quinn's book is being discussed in note 182.

In note 115, a question was asked whether Joseph Smith was involved with the
occult.  This is a question that has interested historians for many years.

Opponents of the LDS Church have charged that Joseph Smith was involved with
the occult and that he claimed to have used supernatural powers in the form of
"stones" and "rods" to find treasure, all activities which they say would
disqualify him from being a prophet.  Latter-day Saints have denied the
charges and have said that Joseph was only involved in treasure seeking as an
occupation.  Charges and denials have flown back and forth for years.

In studying the life and activities of Joseph Smith, it is important that we
do so in the context of the 19th century.  Social customs were different then
than now.  What was considered "proper" was different then than now.  Religious
ideas and accepted practices were different then than now.  As we study LDS
history, we must understand and judge it as the people who lived then did, not
as we understand and judge such things in our society today.

D. Michael Quinn, a BYU professor, has published a book called "Early Mormonism
and the Magic World View", in which he discusses in great detail the cultural,
folk lore, and religious customs and practices of the 19th century, and how
Joseph's beliefs in folk lore and his "treasure seeking" fit into the context
of the 19th century.  In this note, I will review his book.  At the conclusion
of that review, which will take a number of replies, everyone is welcome to
join into a discussion of the topic.

Allen

From the inside cover of Quinn's book:

D. Michael Quinn received his Ph.D. in history from Yale University, which 
awarded him the Samuel F. Bemis, the George W. Egleston, and the Frederick
W. Beinecke prizes for his graduate work in Mormon studies.  Quinn's first
book was the award-winning biography, "J. Reuben Clark: The Church Years"
(Brigham Young University Press, 1983).  He has also published in the
"Pacific Historical Review", "New York History", "Brigham Young University
Studies", "Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought", "Sunstone", the "Journal
of the John Whitmer Historical Association", "Utah Holiday", and "The
Ensign of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."  Three of his
essays have received best article awards from the Mormon History Association.

In addition to his professional responsibilities, Quinn was voted Outstanding
Teacher for 1986 by students at Brigham Young University, where he is Professor
of American History.  As a result of his work on the present study, Quinn was
invited to deliver a lecture in 1987 at the University of Paris (France) on
the topic, "Religion, Rationality, and Folk Practices in America to the
Mid-Nineteenth Century" at a colloquium organized by the Laboratoire de
Recherche sur l'lmaginaire Americain of the University of Paris and sponsored
by the Foundation de la Maison des Sciences de l'Homme.  His present interests
center on American social history and popular culture and he currently resides
in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In his Introduction, Dr. Quinn explained the importance of understanding
history in proper context.  I've omitted his references in giving this
quotation.

    It is often difficult for us in the twentieth century to appreciate the
    world from the perspective of earlier generations.  All of us have a
    tendency to assume that our progenitors saw the world much as we see
    it today.  Morris Berman, a historian of science, observes that when
    we do come to recognize that earlier generations had a view different
    from our own, we sometimes find it easy to regard "the thinking of
    [these] previous ages not simply as other legitimate forms of
    consciousness, but as misguided world views that we have happily
    outgrown,"  He calls this approach "misguided," noting that such an
    attitude results from our apparent inability to understand the point of
    view of "premodern man".  "There is, indeed, only one way of 
    understanding a cultural phenomenon which is alien to one's own
    ideological pattern," Mircea Eliade, a historian of religions, has
    argued, "and that is to place oneself at its very centre and from there
    to track down all the values that radiate from it....Before we proceed
    to judge it we must fully understand it and become imbued, as it were,
    with its ideology, whatever form it may take--myth, symbol, rite, social
    attitude".  (pp. x-xi)

Dr. Quinn explains that we use the terms *occult* and *magic* differently
than they were used in times past.

    An essential starting point, then, in any analysis of early Mormonism
    and its beginnings lies in the meaning of two words I will use
    frequently: occult and magic.  For many, occult means evil and magic
    refers to fantasy or sleight-of-hand entertainment; but these popular
    definitions distort the real meanings of these words.  There are, in
    fact, no better words in English to describe the specific beliefs and
    practices relevant to the present study. (p. xi)

Quinn then gives the dictionary [Webster's Third New International Dictionary
(1981)]definition of *occult* and *magic*, and it is within these definitions
that he uses the words.  It is within these definitions, not the popular use
of the words today, that he discusses the early experiences of Joseph Smith
and other LDS church leaders.

OCCULT:  "deliberately kept hidden, not revealed to others, secret,
         undisclosed; not to be apprehended or understood, demanding more
         than ordinary perception or knowledge, abstruse, mysterious,
         recondite; hidden from view, not able to be seen, concealed; of,
         relating to, or dealing in matters regarded as involving the action
         or influence of supernatural agencies or some secret knowledge of
         them, not manifest or detectable by clinical methods alone."

MAGIC:   "the use of means (as ceremonies, charms, spells) that are believed
         to have supernatural power to cause a supernatural being to produce
         or prevent a particular result (as rain, death, healing) considered
         not obtainable by natural means and that also include the arts of
         divination, incantation, sympathetic magic ["magic based on the
         assumption that a person or thing can be supernaturally affected
         through its name or an object (as a nail paring, image, or dancer)
         representing it"], and thaumaturgy ["the performance of miracles"],
         control of natural forces by the typically direct action of rites,
         objects, materials, or words considered supernaturally potent; an
         extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural
         source; something that seems to cast a spell or to give an effect of
         otherworldliness, enchantment; the art of producing unusual illusions
         by legerdemain."  My [Quinn's] use of "magic" incorporates all of
         the foregoing definitions except, that of legerdemain (slight-of-hand
         tricks).  (pp. xi-xii)

Because of the great difference in our use today of the terms *occult* and
*magic*, it is important that we understand the use of those terms by Quinn
and by the peoples of the 19th century.

In addition to understanding the historical meanings to the terms *occult* 
and *magic*, we need to understand the attitudes and beliefs of the 19th
century people toward the influence of the occult and magic in their lives.
Quinn calls these attitudes and beliefs "the magic world view".

He characterizes the magic world view as follows (I've omitted his
references):

1.  The occult and magic were part of the daily lives of those people.
    That is, things happened which they did not understand, or which only a
    few people claimed to understand, and they attributed those events to
    supernatural powers.  We do the same thing today, only we attribute the
    events to the power of God.  As Christians, we believe in miracles and
    healings, for example, and we believe they result from the power of God.
    
2.  [Quoting Quinn] "peculiar to the magical or mythical perception of
    reality is that it does not distinguish, as we do, between lifeless and
    living things, between organic and inorganic.  All have 'power' and
    'life' of one kind or another in them.  This can also be expressed by
    saying that all things have a 'soul'".  This is sometimes called an
    "animistic" world view. (p. xii)

3.  [Quoting Quinn] there are no symbols, as such, in the occult-magic world
    view.  Special words, signs, numbers, and "inanimate" objects are in
    themselves powerful, even if they also represent something else.  (p. xii)

4.  [Quoting Quinn] "for the dweller in the magic world, no event is
    'accidental" or "random", but each has its chain of causation in which
    power, words, things do not happen by coincidence.  (p. xii)

5.  [Quoting Quinn] Finally, and perhaps most important, the magic world
    view can be both emotionally satisfying and rational for those sharing
    such perceptions.  (p. xii)

Quinn commented on the fifth characteristic, the satisfaction received by
those who shared the magic world view.

    With a degree of empathy once unusual among academics, Morris Berman
    has stated why magic was as appealing to its adherents as science has
    been for us: "It is not merely the case that men conceived of matter
    as possessing mind in those days, but rather that in those days matter
    'did' possess mind, 'actually' did so.  When the obvious objection is
    raised that the mechanical world view must be true, because we are in
    fact able to send a man to the moon or invent technologies that
    demonstrably work, I can only reply that the animistic world view, which
    lasted for millennia, was also fully efficacious to its believers.  In
    other words, our ancestors constructed reality in a way that typically
    produced verifiable results".  (p. xii)

    The potentially religious dimension of these definitions [of the magic
    world view] raises the problem of clearly differentiating magic from
    religion.  Influential writers attempted such distinctions from the
    mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, and these views
    continue to be reflected in textbooks and scholarly writings.  For
    modern Americans, "the distinction between magic and religion seems...
    simple and obvious enough.  Magic, being by definition false or wicked,
    or both, couldn't possibly be confused with 'religion' which was
    equally by definition true and virtuous".  Yet while such views have
    dominated, there have been dissenting voices.  Ernst Cassirer, a
    philosopher of culture, summed up both the motivation for and difficulty
    of separating magic and religion: "It is natural to desire a clear-cut
    definition that would enable us to trace a sharp line of demarcation
    between magic and religion.  Theoretically speaking, we are convinced
    that they cannot mean the same thing and we are loath to trace them to
    a common origin.  We think of religion as the symbolic expression of our
    highest moral ideals; we think of magic as a crude aggregate of
    superstitions.  Religious belief seems to become mere superstitious
    credulity if we admit any relationship with magic.  On the other hand the
    character of our anthropological and ethnographical material makes it
    extremely difficult to separate the two fields".  (p. xiii)

Quinn goes on to explain that to the earlier peoples, magic and religion were
the same.

    "Yet for the magicians themselves the summoning of celestial beings was a
    religious rite, in which prayer played an essential part, and where piety
    and purity of life were deemed essential....For many, this was no
    mechanical manipulation of set formulae, but a humble supplication that
    God should extend to them the privilege of a unique view of his
    mysteries....At this level the practice of magic became a holy quest; the
    search for knowledge, not by study and research, but by revelation".
    (p. xiii)

    Keith Thomas concludes that despite efforts to separate the two, "From
    this point of view religion and magic were not rivals, but traveling
    companions along the path to one identical and supernatural supplication,
    supernatural coercion, intricate rituals, and efforts to understand the
    otherworldly and ineffable...." (p. xiv)

In order for us to understand the historical context of early Mormonism, we
need to clearly understand that to those in the 19th century, magic, the
occult, and Christianity were fully compatible with each other, being in
fact different expressions of God.  When referring to "those in the 19th
century", I am not just referring to 19th century Mormons but to people in
general.

In chapter 1, Quinn discusses "Early America's Religio-magical Heritage", the
background to the 19th century time of Joseph Smith.  He discusses the
following topics, and they will be discussed in detail in separate replies.

    o Biblical parallels to the superstitious and magical customs and
      beliefs of the times.

    o The entrenchment of magic and the occult in the Catholic church in
      medieval Europe, and the revolt of Protestantism against Catholicism
      and hence against magic, the occult, and visions.

    o The involvement of scientific and political leaders during the
      Renaissance and Reformation in magic and the occult.

    o Beliefs in magic, the occult, and visions in America during the 18th
      and 19th centuries.
      
    o The slow growth of the "Age of Reason", or opposition to the magical
      beliefs and practices of the times.

    
    Allen,
    
    I have gotten access to this book recently and plan to reply in the
    near future.  From what I've read, I've found the book to be well
    written and appears to be well researched. In fact, myself and some 
    friends are currently spending time discussing various aspects of 
    the book. I'll share some of my comments with this notesfile in the
    future.
    
    Kevin

    I will continue the review of this book and pick up some of the high-
    lights of it. 
    
    Chapter 2:
    
    o Biblical references to divining and it's use in early nineteenth
      century American folk magic
    
    o Smith and Cowdery family's involvement in these activities (divining
      with forked rods) and their comtemporaries in Vermont and Western New
      York state in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century.
    
    o The use of seer stones in the Palmyra, NY. area during Joseph Smiths'
      time by his contemporaries and Joseph's use of them, ie. (treasure 
      seeking for others), detailing cases.  
    
    
    o D & C reference (8:8) to Oliver Cowdery's gift of working with the
      rod, going into some detail over original 1833 Book of Commandments
      wording, contrasting it with our present wording.
    
    
      There is much more info in this chapter. Because of time and space
      limitations, I will go on to summarize Chapter 3 in my next entry. 
    
    
      Kevin
                                                   

BYU Studies, Fall 1987, Volume 27, Number 4 (See note 125.2 for info about
ordering individual issues of BYU Studies.

Review by Stephen E. Robinson, associate professor of ancient scripture,
BYU.

Robinson gives the strengths of Quinn's book as (a) "the incredible
breadth of its research", and (b) "a total lack of any pro-Mormon bias."

    Quinn is clearly no LDS apologist.  There is not a single page of the
    main text that would appear to be motivated by loyalty to the LDS
    Church or its doctrines or to be apologetic of the Church's interests.
    (p. 88)

Robinson believes "Quinn's book suffers from major flaws.  Time and again
his thesis shapes his data rather than the other way around."  Robinson
goes on to give a number of examples to support his belief.  These
examples concern Oliver Cowdery's rod, Quinn's claim that Joseph Smith
was controlled by astrological considerations, medallions, and carvings on
Joseph's cane.  Robinson is also critical of Quinn's interpretation of
historical evidence and gives examples to support that.

Robinson believes Quinn is playing with words when he equates the word
"occult" with the word "secret" or "hidden" in the Book of Mormon in
an attempt to show that the BoM is full of the occult.

"The best part of Quinn's book is the chapter on rods and seerstones,
although here Quinn merely repeats information that has long been
available.  Clearly use of these objects was a part of early Mormonism.
But the vital question is did these practices have their origin in magic?"
Robinson believes there are clear biblical precedents for the use of
rods and seerstones, and that it is more likely that the Mormon use of
those was based on a biblical precedent than on magic.

Robinson asked the question why Quinn would publish a work so full of
flaws.  He went on to speculate that it was because of the Hofmann forgeries.
Before Hofmann's work was known to be forgery, Robinson felt Quinn's
"speculative notes" had credibility do to the acceptance of the papers
discovered by Hofmann.  After the Hofmann papers were known to be forgeries,
Robinson believes Quinn's research was nothing more than "a handful of
fragmented and highly speculative research notes."  Robinson believes Quinn
"simply made the wrong choice" in going ahead with publishing his writings.

    The basic weakness [of Quinn's book] can be illustrated by merely
    stating the thesis in different terms:  Quinn asks us to believe that
    a twenty-four-year-old New York farmer spent his entire youth and early
    adulthood immersed in the study of magic, to the extent of marrying his
    wife and begetting his children out of occult considerations, and then
    at the peak of this occult involvement, and motivated by it, he founded
    a religious movement and penned an extensive literature that were both
    so barren of magical doctrines, terms, or practices that no one noticed
    the true origins for 158 years. (p. 95)