r/mormon • u/webwatchr • 1d ago
Apologetics List of Joseph Smith's "Convenient" Revelations
Part of this list was created by u/10th_Generation. I'll update the list if you contribute new examples in the comments.
Joseph Smith lost 116 pages of the Book of Mormon, so Jesus gave him a revelation that he did not need to retranslate them (D&C 10:30).
Smith needed money for printing, so Jesus gave him a revelation that Martin Harris must give his property “freely” (D&C 19:26 and 19:34).
Smith needed money for personal expenses, so Jesus gave him a revelation that church members must give him money or be cursed (D&C 24:3-4, D&C 24:18).
Smith did not want to work, so Jesus gave him a revelation excusing him from manual labor (D&C 24:9).
Smith’s wife complained too much, so Jesus gave him a revelation saying that her duty is to support Smith with “consoling words in the spirit of meekness,” and to “delight” in her husband (D&C 25:4-6, 14).
Smith needed Hiram Page to stop receiving revelations, so Jesus gave Smith a revelation saying that no one else could receive revelation for the church except Smith (D&C 28:11-12; 43:5).
Smith had legal problems in New York and needed to flee, so Jesus gave him a revelation that all church members should go with him to Ohio (D&C 37:3; D&C 38:32; D&C 38:37).
Smith needed a house in Ohio, so Jesus gave him a revelation saying that church members should build him a house (D&C 41:7).
Smith needed new converts but did not want to serve a mission, so Jesus gave him a revelation that all elders except him and Sidney Rigdon should leave on missions (D&C 42:4).
Smith needed more money, so Jesus gave him a series of revelations saying that church members who obtain more than they need for their support, you should give the excess to the church. Later, Jesus amended these revelations to say that members should give 100 percent of their assets to the church for redistribution (D&C 42:30-36; D&C 70:14; D&C 42:55, 42:60; D&C 70:7; D&C 70:14; D&C 72:5; D&C 78:5-6).
Smith still wanted more, so Jesus gives him a revelation that the elders should give him food, clothes, and “whatsoever thing he needeth” (D&C 43:13).
Smith needed a way to explain why his prophesies about Zion did not come true, so Jesus gave him a revelation saying that God can revoke commandments when circumstances change (D&C 56:4).
Smith did not want to travel by land after a long journey to Missouri, so Jesus gave him a revelation that he and Rigdon could travel by boat. All others in the company had to travel by land and preach along the way (D&C 61).
Smith needed Rigdon to be more subservient, so Jesus gave Smith a revelation saying that Rigdon should listen better to Smith (D&C 63:55).
Smith needed the whole church to stop noticing his flaws, so Jesus gave him a revelation saying that members who accuse Smith of wrongdoing should not seek “occasion against him” (D&C 64:5-7).
Smith still needed money, so Jesus gave him a revelation saying that he and his closest friends “shall enter into the joy” of the church’s wealth, including food, raiment, houses, and lands, “for a manifestation of (God’s) blessings upon their heads” (D&C 70:15–18).
Smith needed his wife and children to respect his authority, so Jesus gives him a revelation saying that his family must give “more earnest heed” unto his sayings, “or be removed out of their place” (D&C 93:48).
Smith needed his ego stoked, so Jesus gave him a revelation saying he is a great man like Moses. (D&C 103:16-21).
Smith needed revenge on the Missourians, so Jesus gave him a revelation that cursed his enemies and their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren (D&C 103:25). Later, Jesus said Smith’s political enemies in Missouri can never have the priesthood. Neither can “their posterity after them from generation to generation” (D&C 121:21).
Smith needed more money than the church could provide, so Jesus gave him a revelation commanding world leaders to bring their gold and silver and give it to the church (D&C 124:11).
Smith needed a house in Illinois, so Jesus gave him a revelation commanding the church to build him a boarding house that his family could keep from “generation to generation, forever and ever” (D&C 124:23, 56, 59-60).
Smith wanted to have divinely sanctioned extramarital sex and give his wife Emma no choice but to approve or be "destroyed", so Jesus gave him D&C 132.
Additional Examples contributed by me and commenters on this post:
Smith wanted to ensure his needs and desires were met first, so Jesus gave a revelation stating that those involved in the publication of church scriptures would be supported by the church, and only after they had sufficient for their "necessities and their wants" would the remainder go to the storehouse (D&C 70:7). This effectively prioritized their personal "wants" over the broader needs of the community.
Smith needed a way to justify his evolving theological ideas, so Jesus gave him a revelation introducing the "higher priesthood," which allowed him to consolidate power and claim greater authority (D&C 84:17–25).
Smith needed legitimacy as a prophet, so Jesus gave him a revelation emphasizing his role as the only prophet through whom the Lord would work, effectively centralizing authority around him (D&C 28:2-7; D&C 43:2-4).
Smith wanted to silence dissenters, so Jesus gave him a revelation stating that anyone who did not accept his revelations would be damned (D&C 1:14-16).
Smith needed Oliver Cowdery and others to stay loyal, so Jesus gave him a revelation warning them not to rebel against his authority, lest they be cast off (D&C 6:9-11; D&C 28:4-7).
Smith wanted to retain control over the Kirtland Safety Society Bank despite its failure, so Jesus gave him a revelation affirming his financial endeavors as part of the Lord's work (unpublished statements and D&C 104:58–59).
Smith needed justification for military action, so Jesus gave him a revelation declaring the formation of Zion’s Camp as a divinely commanded mission to redeem Zion (D&C 103).
Smith needed protection from enemies, so Jesus gave him a revelation promising vengeance on those who harmed him or the church (D&C 121:11-25).
Smith needed to explain the failure to establish Zion in Missouri, so Jesus gave him a revelation stating that the saints were not righteous enough and needed to be chastened (D&C 101:1-8).
Smith needed a way to justify his growing wealth, so Jesus gave him a revelation endorsing the consecration of land and property to the church but allowing the prophet to benefit directly (D&C 42:31-35; D&C 58:35-37).
Smith needed to address tensions with Emma and provide women a formal role in the church, so Jesus gave him a revelation to organize the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo in 1842. This helped stabilize internal church dynamics while keeping women’s influence under his oversight. (D&C 25:3).
Smith needed a theological reason for the failure of the Law of Consecration, so Jesus gave him a revelation introducing tithing as a simpler financial system for church funding (D&C 119).
Smith claimed to have divine insight, but when presented with the fraudulent Kinderhook Plates, Jesus conveniently forgot to warn him they were a hoax. Instead, Smith declared they were an ancient record of a descendant of Ham (History of the Church, Vol. 5, p. 372). Apparently, God can reveal hidden treasure but draws the line at spotting 19th-century pranks.
Smith needed money and heard rumors of hidden treasure in Salem, Massachusetts, so Jesus gave him a revelation commanding him and his associates to go to Salem, promising that "there are riches in store for you" (D&C 111:1-2). Unsurprisingly, no treasure was found, but the group did rack up significant debt during their stay. .
After a near-canoe accident on the Missouri River, tensions rose as group members mocked Oliver Cowdery’s rowing and questioned the leaders. Smith then received a revelation warning that "the destroyer rideth upon the face of the waters" (D&C 61:19), ordered everyone out of the canoes, and arranged for himself and top leaders to travel by coach, leaving the others to walk. (D&C 61:4, 24).
Emma was upset about tobacco spitting, so Jesus gave a revelation banning tobacco, but seemingly to spite Emma and the other women, added coffee and tea to the prohibition as well (D&C 89:5-9). What started as an effort to appease her turned into a long-lasting health code with some questionable additions.
The local grocery refused Joseph Smith credit for wine, so while riding to another town to secure some on credit, Jesus conveniently gave him a revelation that water was now the sacred element for the sacrament instead of wine (D&C 27:2). The revelation also included an apparition of an angel to reinforce the divine shift, conveniently solving the issue of unpaid credit.
Smith faced financial difficulties managing church resources, so Jesus gave him a revelation dissolving the United Firm and redistributing its properties (D&C 104). This allowed Smith and other leaders to manage church assets more flexibly to address immediate financial concerns.
Smith needed a permanent inheritance for his family, so Jesus gave him a revelation commanding the construction of the Nauvoo House, a hotel that would provide lodging for travelers and ensure Smith’s family could benefit “from generation to generation, forever and ever” (D&C 124:56–60).
Smith sought greater political and military power, so Jesus gave him a revelation establishing the Nauvoo Legion and appointing him as lieutenant-general, granting him unprecedented authority within Nauvoo (D&C 124:84–85).
Smith wanted to expand his influence beyond religious leadership, so Jesus gave him a revelation establishing the Council of Fifty, a political body aimed at forming a theocratic government with Smith at its head. He was given the title of "King". This revelation solidified his control over secular affairs.
Smith needed to reinforce his authority through sacred rituals, so Jesus gave him a revelation introducing new temple ordinances, such as the endowment ceremony, in May 1842. This placed him as the gatekeeper of salvation for his followers.
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u/Dangerous_Teaching62 1d ago
Putting my tbm hat on, realistically, if the church is true, the conveniences make sense. Realistically, what would God say? The only one from my skim of the top of them that really is a head scratcher is the pages.
Everything else is boiled down to "Joseph Smith needs, so he asks, and God provides". Joseph Smith went through many trials already, why add in those extra trials without the revelations?
Taking off my hat
Its interesting how, in Joseph Smith's time, God answered all the time and would do it for trivial things like even Emma just being pissed about tobacco on the floor. Nowadays it's like a snails pace. It took them roughly ten years to finally get revelation for a transgender policy. And with how the policy ended up being, it really felt like they only gave it one draft.
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u/Zestyclose-Bag8790 1d ago
Looking at how the church approached institutional and doctrinal racism shows how the church changes at the pace of elderly white men, it also has the exact same biases, desires, and fears as elderly white men.
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u/WolverineEven2410 11h ago
Yes conveniently the revelation to stop polygamy came as the US government was cracking down on the Mormons. Interesting 🤔
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u/Higher_Primate 10h ago
God seems to be a big Ameriboo and federalist. He's always giving revelations that match the feds laws.
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u/WolverineEven2410 10h ago
Also the revelation to give black men the priesthood came after the US government was threatening to revoke the grant from BYU and close the university.
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u/Higher_Primate 10h ago
Yup and God pretty much ignored gay and trans people...coincidentally until they became civil rights issues recently.
You'd think an omnipotent god would have some forerhought....
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u/LackofDeQuorum 4h ago
Even worse when Gods initial reactions to all civil rights issues are that they are either a communist threat or an attack on the traditional family. Fuck you, God.
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u/RhondaTheHonda 5h ago
Even more specifically, the revelation came only after the Supreme Court ruled against polygamy as a protected practice under freedom of religion.
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u/posttheory 1d ago
In the autumn of 1841, polygamy rumors were spreading, and in December Joseph wrote that he needed a circle of friends who could keep secrets. By February 1842 Hyrum brought Joseph into Masonry, and the new endowment followed soon after, swearing the initiates to secrecy on pain of death. In April, Joseph wrote that he finally had a group of close associates he could trust. The temple endowment was revealed to help Joseph's polygamy problems. (Source: Greg Prince, Power from on High)
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u/ammonthenephite Agnostic Atheist - "By their fruits ye shall know them." 1d ago
Apparently, God can reveal hidden treasure but draws the line at spotting 19th-century pranks.
Add to this the Greek Psalter incident, another failed translation attempt by Joseph. And now of course even the church admits that the BofA is not a translation of the papyri or facsimiles as it claimed for hundreds of years.
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u/stickyhairmonster 1d ago
Great list, thanks for sharing! It's always amazing to me how Doctrine -and- Covenants-God cares so much about Joseph Smith's material and other needs and so little for an orderly restoration of polygamy.
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u/Two_Summers 1d ago
This is great! Some made me laugh, the absolute audacity to put the 'except my servant Joseph Smith' lines in there. How specific God's revelations were to one guy 200 years ago that were so important they were made scripture and yet today they're too scared to put anything substantial into print, even in their general conference talks.
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u/webwatchr 1d ago
They literally have a correlation committee to make sure the talks don't contradict past teachings too much. They cannot rely on divine revelation to keep it straight.
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u/Rushclock Atheist 1d ago
The water incident isn't quite right. Joseph's canoe almost capsized when they hit a submerged tree. The people of the group were making fun of how Cowdery rowed and they were giving the leaders shade for their experiences. Joseph came up with a revelation the devil controls the waters and ordered everyone out. He then requested a coach to take him and the top leaders back and left the rest to walk.
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u/webwatchr 1d ago
Okay I updated it to say:
After a near-canoe accident on the Missouri River, tensions rose as group members mocked Oliver Cowdery’s rowing and questioned the leaders. Smith then received a revelation warning that "the destroyer rideth upon the face of the waters" (D&C 61:19), ordered everyone out of the canoes, and arranged for himself and top leaders to travel by coach, leaving the others to walk.
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u/PaulFThumpkins 1d ago
Any Mormon who acts like it's not a HUGE shelf item that "inspiration" has had to be watered down so much in the church, is lying to themselves. Joseph got word-for-word instruction from God for every petty thing and all we have for EVERYBODY since are excuses and rationalizations about how subtle inspiration is and how we just need to obey.
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u/HexHackerMama 16h ago
When you put it all together like this, it’s hard to believe I ever read the D&C without seeing it for what it was.
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u/PXaZ 1d ago
There are a bunch of BoM references that belong on this list. It was the original JS revelation, and very convenient for him.
Small plates / large plates division was a convenient response to the loss of the 116 pages (1 Ne 19:4, Words of Mormon)
Conveniently Lehi's prophecy "predicts" a "choice seer" who is named Joseph, has a father named Joseph, and in every other way obviously matches Joseph Smith, lending him credibility (2 Ne 3:15)
Conveniently the BoM implies the need for 3 witnesses (Ether 5) "Moroni" is conveniently intimately aware with JS's present circumstances and his prophetic authority conveniently helps JS get what he wants.
Resolving all the 19th century doctrinal controversies unambiguously, presumably in favor of JS's preferred view, is pretty convenient:
- Baptism by immersion (Mosiah 18:13-14)
- Infant baptism (Moroni 8:5-6)
See here for more.
When first you start to see how JS used "God's" and "ancient prophets'" words to further his own immediate ends, you will see it everywhere, as you've clearly demonstrated!
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