The Church acquired hundreds of Hofmann forgeries.

[_I have a question]

This week marks the anniversary of a significant event in one of the most bizarre, complex and ultimately tragic criminal cases in Utah history.

On October 15, 1985, Mark Hofmann — one of the most accomplished forgers and counterfeiters of all time — killed two prominent Utahns with homemade bombs in a desperate attempt to thwart the discovery of his fabrications.

Following these bombings, police investigations revealed Hofmann had forged a number of historical documents including a previously unknown Emily Dickinson poem, Founding Fathers' signatures and — most famously — the Salamander Letter, which presented a narrative of Joseph Smith’s discovery of the gold plates that countered The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' account, including Smith's description of an angel that appeared to him as a white salamander.

According to LDS Church historian Richard Turley, the church has found 446 Hofmann forgeries in its collections.

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900 ... eceit.html

According to LDS Church historian Richard Turley, who will be one of the presenters at the upcoming "Genuine Fakes" symposium, the church has discovered 446 Hofmann forgeries in its collections. At the symposium, "I plan to strongly advocate that other institutions and individuals with Hofmann materials clearly identify them as such," Turley says. "Failure to do so only enhances the likelihood that others will be victimized by Hofmann's crimes."

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/935 ... penny.html

Did someone not pray to know if they were true?

[_CameronMO]

At a minimum of 446 times, The Spirit (TM) told those prophets, seers, and revelators, "Oh yeah. That's good. Buy it."

[_kairos]

Hoffman should be invited to give the keynote address at this conference and bring additional materials he has stored up in the FP vault from long ago- he also should be asked if he wrote the proclamation on the family.

[Guest]

Whew, that seems high to me. I know he was doing a lot of dealing with the church for a few years, but to even have *created* 446 forgeries in that time?? I have to wonder just a little if certain other genuine documents that may have been in the vaults might have been added to the Hofmann pile.

Spalding’s other Manuscript: Hofmann
116 pages: Hofmann
McClellin diaries: Hofmann
Rigdon’s notes that he told his wife to burn: Hofmann
Hyrum’s unpublished tell-all, “My Brother Was a Scammer”: Hofmann
Joseph's own tell-all, "If I Did It": Hofmann

I’m really being facetious, but then again, who knows.

[_Craig Paxton]

At a minimum of 446 times, The Spirit (TM) told those prophets, seers, and revelators, "Oh yeah. That's good. Buy it."

To be fair...the spirit ®, has always been a very weak indicator or barometer as a tool for perceiving the truth. So its understandable why the church, using its super special magical spirit ® powers bought 446 Hofmann forgeries. In all likelihood the spirt ®, was taking a sabbatical that October in '85 and they couldn't tell the difference between their counterfeit non spirit ® feelings when compared to the real truth bearing spirit ®.

[_Fence Sitter]

Ironically, the forgeries, on the whole, are probably worth more than if they were authentic. So you can see God really does work through His profit.

[_cinepro]

Ironically, the forgeries, on the whole, are probably worth more than if they were authentic. So you can see God really does work through His profit.

From the Sugar Beet (the LDS "Onion") years ago:

Hofmann Forgeries Now More Valuable Than Originals

SALT LAKE CITY—A rough draft for one of the notorious Salamander Letters, forgeries of letters from the LDS prophet Joseph Smith created by Mark Hofmann, recently sold at a public auction for more than an original letter from Joseph Smith himself. Howard Mumford, the winner of the forgery, is proud of his purchase. “Which would you prefer, I ask you,” he said, “a laundry list from the prophet, or a forged letter that led to bombings, death, destruction, and apostasy?”

[_Fence Sitter]

Ironically, the forgeries, on the whole, are probably worth more than if they were authentic. So you can see God really does work through His profit.

From the Sugar Beet (the LDS "Onion") years ago:

Hofmann Forgeries Now More Valuable Than Originals

SALT LAKE CITY—A rough draft for one of the notorious Salamander Letters, forgeries of letters from the LDS prophet Joseph Smith created by Mark Hofmann, recently sold at a public auction for more than an original letter from Joseph Smith himself. Howard Mumford, the winner of the forgery, is proud of his purchase. “Which would you prefer, I ask you,” he said, “a laundry list from the prophet, or a forged letter that led to bombings, death, destruction, and apostasy?”

Makes you wonder what that document that Hinckley, Tanner & Hoffman were examining in that famous photo, is worth?

[_sock puppet]

At a minimum of 446 times, The Spirit (TM) told those prophets, seers, and revelators, "Oh yeah. That's good. Buy it."

Faith, man, ya gotta have faith!

[_canpakes]

I wonder what back story Hofmann presented to Church officials for his collections of documents. It would otherwise seem odd, I'd think, for any one source to have so many of them, and offer for acquisition. Wouldn't that raise a red flag with someone at some point?