Kishkumen wrote:In any case, the demand for a detailed description of the process whereby the Book of Mormon was fabricated and foisted on others is unnecessary. As you say, one does not have to explain how the illusion was created to know that it was an illusion. A modern magician is an ethical illusionist. Joseph Smith was a pious fraudster.
Smith was the greatest religious magician of his day. His invisible props (golden plates) were used to tell a tale of a tale. Claims of angelic visitations including the First Vision were simply stories to excite the minds of anyone who would follow him in his quest to establish himself as God's prophet on earth. He saw the opportunity to make a show and he ran with it.
Then came the papyrus and mummies. He used those props to tell more tales.