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Im going back to New York to look for the lost 116 pages of The Book of Mormon manuscript. The letter states that Smith encountered an "old spirit" that "transfigured himself from a white salamander" when he first came across . Her non-fiction includesBanking on the Hemingways: Three Generations of Banking in Utah and Idaho,Friendly Fire: The ACLU in Utah, andWelcoming the World: A History of Salt Lake County. Mark Hofmann's most famous forgery was known as the White Salamander Letter. A simulation of document forgery pictured in Murder Among the Mormons, episode 3, courtesy of Netflix The contents of the Salamander Letter, which is perhaps the most famous of the countless documents forged by Hofmann throughout his career, directly contradicted the church's own story of the origins of the Book of Mormon. What is the White Salamander letter from Murder Among the . Promise. She co-produced the PBS-affiliated documentary, Navajo and American. She lives in Mesa, Arizona.Allen Dale Roberts is an award-winning architect (Cooper-Roberts Architects) specializing in historical restoration. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 26, 2020, Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. His analysis is included as an appendix toSalamander. She has taught journalism on several college campuses. The Salamander Letter was a document which presented a controversial view of the Latter Day Saint movement. Eastern Newt. A change was coming, too, in the new Mormon history, for the faith-promoting finds that blossomed in 1982 now seemed in short supply. This is a great book about the bombing murders of people linked to the forger Mark Hofmann. Mark was a renowned collector of rare documents, including the infamous White Salamander Letter - an artefact whose contents threatened to shake the very foundations of Mormonism. Please try again later. PALMYRA OCT 23D 1830 Dear Sir Your letter of . This was obviously very different from the OG story, which had zero mention of this pushy amphibian that we can only assume bears some resemblance to the star of the Geico commercials. It claimed that Smith had been led to the golden plates not by the angel Moroni, but by a white salamander. The story of Mark Hofmann and the LDS Church is a true-crime drama centered on religion. After the shocking events of October 1985, however, Hamilton would find out that the impression he had of his former colleague was completely wrong. By the early '80s, some of his most infamous forgeries propelled him to meetings with top church leaders. A meticulous account of diabolical criminality in the wider context of institutional deceit and delusion. Simmonds did not press Jessee but silently concluded that Jessee was telling him he had seen it among the LDS churchs fragments. So, is the Salamander Letter real? In 1997, the Forensic Files episode "Postal Mortem" told the story of how Mark used ancient ink recipes and other trickery to create forgeries like the White Salamander Letter which retold Mormon history in a way that rattled the church and then killed two people so he could evade suspicion and continue to bilk collectors. It presented a view of Latter Day Saint founder Joseph Smiths life that was at odds with the accepted recorded history of the church that Smith established. In the letter Hofmann brought to Hinckley, Joseph Smith had written with little punctuation, misspellings, and sporadic capitalization: since you cannot ascertain any particulars you should not dig more until you first discover if any valuables remain you know the treasure must be guarded by some clever spirit and if such is discovered so also is the treasure so do this take a hasel stick one yard long being new cut and cleave it Just in the middle and lay it asunder on the mine so that both inner parts of the stick may look one right against the other one inch distant and if there is a treasure after a while you shall see them draw and Join together again of themselves . A skilled con artist by anyones assessment, Mark Hofmann eluded exposure by police and document authenticatorsthe FBI, Library of Congress, the LDS historical department, and polygraph expertsuntil George Throckmorton discovered the telltale microscopic alligatoring that was characteristic of the forgeries. Ive got some good leads.. Smiths discovery was basically revised, with Moroni replaced by a white salamander that morphed into a spirit. But the Joseph Smith to Josiah Stowell letter, like the Thomas Bullock to Brigham Young letter, was kept under lock and key. The injured victim of the bombing, Mark Hofmann, was a renowned collector of rare documents including the letter, worth a collective total of $1,5 million. He claimed to have been visited by an angel named Moroni, who told him he had been chosen to translate the Book of Mormon. A lucrative business was thus born, and in 1984, it truly took off with Hofmann's biggest find to date: the Salamander Letter, a note apparently written by Martin Harris which claimed that . We work hard to protect your security and privacy. The "white salamander" letter was a game-changing document for the Mormon church until it wasn't. . It also requested that Smiths deceased brother be present in order for him to access the plates. In the letter, Harris connected the beginnings of Mormonism with folk magic and claimed that Joseph Smith's spiritual experience was actually the result of . Why was this one of the most unusual cases in American forensic history? Lets overanalyze them together. 64,836 views Mar 5, 2021 Mark Hofmann was a renowned collector of rare documents, including the infamous White Salamander Letter an artifact whose contents threatened to sha Show more. There was WAY too much detailed information that did not move the story along. "The letter said that Joseph Smith had told [Harris] that Joseph Smith was led to the golden plates by a white salamander. Hofmann later counterfeited a document that became known as the "White Salamander Letter," which he claimed he had found on Dec. 27, 1983, as outlined in Netflix's new docuseries, "Murder Among the Mormons." The letter was supposedly penned by Martin Harris, an early disciple of Smith who helped fund the first printing of the Book of Mormon. Thanks for a perfect transaction. Hofmann's infamous Salamander Letter, among other documents, sought to undermine the Mormon prophet's credibility, while making its real author a big chunk of money. Really! For more on that, we direct you to Netflixs (highly addictive) documentary series, which delves deep into the controversy and its morbid fallout. Wanna Stay at the 'White Lotus' Season 2 Resort? For the 2022 holiday season, returnable items purchased between October 11 and December 25, 2022 can be returned until January 31, 2023. The letter states that Smith encountered an old spirit that transfigured himself from a white salamander when he first came across the golden plates which he discovered through the use of a seer stone. If the Salamander letter was proven to be authentic, it would confirm controversial aspects of Smiths life and introduce more mystical, magical elements to the religion than the original, orthodox beginnings. Despite the churchs natural interest in the document, this story is less about religion and more about (say it with me, true-crime fans): a violent man with delusions of grandeur trying to prove a point. Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. The letter, and the salamander of it all, caused a serious rift in the Mormon community. While Hofmann was gone, Simmonds researched the fragment. Unfortunately, Hofmann was able to wreak some serious havoc before he ultimately was discovered and convicted. No Import Fees Deposit & $15.60 Shipping to Hungary. All rights reserved. "He developed, in my opinion, a vendetta against his church. Posted by 1 year ago. Is the Salamander Letter real? Why was this one of the most unusual cases in American forensic history? Is the Salamander Letter real? Throughout his career, he would go on to stealthily fabricate documents written by everyone from the likes of Emily Dickinson to George Washington, profiting hundreds of thousands of dollars before he got caught. Find out everything you need to know about the White Salamander letter discussed in Netflix's new true crime documentary Murder Among the Mormons. . Types of Salamanders - Identification Guide. I have a friend, Lyn Jacobs, who collects foreign editions., Well, Mark, if this is going to Jacobs, why isnt he up here making the deal?. How can you reconcile the two versions of the story? It presented a view of Latter Day Saint founder Joseph Smith's life that was at odds with the accepted recorded history of the church that Smith established. Murder Among the Mormons tells the little-known story of forger and convicted murderer Mark Hofmann, a former member of the Church of Latter-day Saints who ended his string of fake documents by . In conversation with Esquire, directors Tyler Measom and Jared Hess were asked about what theyd like to ask Hofmann if they had the chance. After all, Hoffman claimed to have found The Salamander Letter which claims a white salamander led Joseph Smith to the gold plates. The letter was supposedly written by Martin Harris to W W Phelps, an early convert in the Latter Day Saint movement. It threatened to re-write Mormon history and fooled many Mormon experts. This is the story of the greatest document forger in history. Lets get it explained. 1. 18. this intimate documentary brings together key characters in his story - one that is far from black and white. Like most of the other documents, the Grandin contract was prominently featured in the churchs Ensign magazine and other journals. This brings us back to Hofmann, the supposed devout Mormon, who by discovering the document actually meant to say that he had secretly made it himself and passed it off as real. What would have been his next steps? More importantly, the letter described an occult means of finding buried treasure and portrayed Smith as a treasure digger, an image the church had tried to deny ever since the young preacher proclaimed himself a prophet and his parlor-full of followers became a church. The religions founder Joseph Smith claimed that he experienced a number of visions from God, with the most notable he described happening in 1823. But in 1984, Hoffman had sufficient. It helped that they were both raised in the LDS church, currently lived in Salt Lake City and had been toying with the idea for a documentary project about the "Salamander Letter" for almost a decade. Unmarked copy. ${cardName} not available for the seller you chose. What was the "salamander letter" and why were so many people determined to possessand to concealit? The letter states that Smith encountered an "old spirit" that "transfigured himself from a white salamander" when he first came across . All of this had the effect of muddying up the Mormon origin story for a hot second, until it was eventually revealed that the Salamander Letter was a forgery. . If that detail was off in the original account, what else could be wrong with the story? . Although, due to the jump from traditional Christian imagery to, well, salamanders, it compelled some to question Joseph Smiths account of 1823 and beyond. Of all the books on the Hoffman murders in Salt Lake this is the most informative. The writer needed a better editor. So do we! But the letter was in a fact a fake created by Hofmann who set off a series of bombs in Salt Lake City in an attempt to cover up his forgery. For Hamilton and most other document experts, the letter seemed to be completely authentic. Hofmann said that he originally intended to use a common toad but changed it to a magical white salamander as he "wanted to spice it up". A second bomb killed Kathy Sheets on the sidewalk outside her Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders by Linda Sillitoe & Allen Roberts, Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2011. This second letter, known informally as "the Salamander Letter," had called into question the origins of the church, because no mention of anything that fantastical had ever appeared in church writings. Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2014. Welcome, amateur sleuths, to a deep dive into one of the most important components of Netflixs new docuseries Murder Among the Mormons. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the LDS Church or more commonly as the Mormon church, has been rocked by numerous scandals throughout the years. NEW documentary series Murder Among The Mormons investigates three bombings in 1985 which sent shockwaves through Salt Lake City, and delves into the famous Salamander Letter. He was so desperate to cover his tracks and keep his deceptions alive that he was willing to kill, which resulted in the deaths of two people in the 1985 Utah Bombings. The register noted the bills issued by serial number. Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2016. Contradicts church history. The following species are the most common in the world of salamanders. What was his long-term game plan?. According to the church's history, Smith was visited by an angel who gave him gold plates, which he translated into the Book of Mormon. We dont share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we dont sell your information to others. She is also the author of a collection of poetry, a collection of short stories, and a novel and has contributed to several anthologies of poetry and short stories. But it was fake. Isn't real life always stranger than fiction? The darkest secrets unravel graduallyallowing the reader fleeting glimpses of the infamous white salamander as it ducks in and out of its fabricator's head. Appearing to Smith as an angel in 1827, Moroni revealed the location of the plates to be in Manchester, NY. One of the church's biggest scandals . There was a problem adding this item to Cart. Hofmann also told Michael Marquardt about the letter and described its contents. We're hooked already! . Mark didn't just fool Mormon experts. After the bomb exploded in Hofmann's car, police soon focused their attention on himnot as a victim but as the perpetrator of the bombings. A lot of them ;-) This was a good one. But in the Salamander Letter, the author claimed Joseph Smith had told him he was led to the gold plates, not by an angel, but by a white salamander. In December 1983, Mormon document dealing and collecting was at its peak. Smith published the Book of Mormon in 1830. On one of his trips to USU that spring, Hofmann became interested in a register book for Deseret Currency, Mormon money used in early pioneer Utah. Find ratings and reviews for the newest movie and TV shows. Tyler explained: Weve reached out to Mark [Hofmann] dozens of times. Some Mormons considered this concerning, to say the least. Over the course of his career as a documents dealer and forger Hofmann sold many fake historical artifacts - including forty-eight just to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - but the best known is the infamous Salamander Letter. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. The letter was eventually sold to Steven F. Christensen who would later be murdered by Hofmann. Murder Among the Mormons is now streaming on Netflix. Netflix The Salamander Letters The Mormon church is based on the story that Joseph Smith was led to the buried golden plates by an Angel called Moroni. Ive sent him so many letters and hes yet to speak to anyone since hes been in prison other than visits from family. He added: Im curious because Mark was such a genius at what he did, he was so good at crafting these documents. Let's Manifest 'The Midnight Club' Season 2, All About the Wednesday Addams Show on Netflix, The Twisted True Story of the Salamander Letter From Murder Among the Mormons. CNN's summary of Sunday's 2-hr documentary on Afghanistan has some interesting quotes from the commanders - and a few errors - I thought we should start the week out with. A little over a year after its purchase, Christensen donated the document to the Church. Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2013. Some suspected that the LDS Church acquired the document in order to hide it. It was during this time that document dealer Mark Hofmann "found" the letter. ", The Real History And Meaning Of The Salamander Letter, This Fool Gets Real & Weird About Latine Families, This New Must-Watch Amazon TV Series Is An Ode To The 90s, These Black Women TV Leads Helped Me Lean Into My Selfish Era, The Black TV Shows You Should Be Watching This Fall, religion founded by Joseph Smith 150 years ago, The Salamander Letter was said to be written by. John Reznikoff, founder of University Archives, was a credited featured contributor during the production of the newly released Netflix three-part true crime docuseries "Murder Among the Mormons: The Salamander Letter." Reznikoff has made a special study of Mark Hofmann, the subject of this documentary, after acquiring material in 2013 relating to Hofmann's life of crime. As it turns out, the red flags were about Hofmann all along. The letter, purportedly. The LDS Church is only one of many victims of Mark Hoffman. ${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}. UK accused of involvement in 'violence' of Russian warships in the Black Sea, Trespasser at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort prompts huge Secret Service response, Quinton Simon's grandfather 'killed' amid landfill search for toddler's body, Man kills 2 research scientists then leaves mom-of-5 dead in murder-suicide, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, The documents Mark was carrying were found to be fraudulent, The car bomb was supposedly intended to kill Mark Hoffmann, Hofmann's car blew up in the third explosion. Unable to remove them, he instead wrote down the texts they contained, which became the Book of Mormon. Netflixs new investigative docuseries, Murder Among the Mormons, depicts a widely known yet largely misunderstood moment in time. The writer needed a better editor. I recommend it. Truthfully, what did he plan to accomplish if he had gotten away with it? While it primarily involved Mormon historical documents, it also involved the poetry of Emily Dickenson and other historical American documents, especially the Oath of a Freeman. As explained at the end of Netflix's Murder Among the Mormons, it took two years before the truth finally came out about the origins of the Salamander Letter. The letter was supposedly written by Martin Harris, an important figure in early Mormon history, and gave a very different version of the religions roots from the churchs version of events. ), Wanna Feel ? Have something to tell us about this article? The Church of Latter-day Saints reportedly paid $40,000 for the letter and it was released to the public. He is a board member of the Utah Endowment for the Humanities and is the Utah Advisor for the National Trust for Historic Preservation.George J. Throckmorton, an expert in document authentication, was the first to expose Mark Hofmanns forgeries. Stowell, a farmer in Pennsylvania, had hired Smith and his father to hunt treasure for himan enterprise not uncommon to rural New Yorkers. Watch Murder Among the Mormons . white salamander documentary white salamander documentary . The letter Mark Hofmann took on January 11, 1983, to Gordon B. Hinckley, by now second counselor in the LDS first presidency, was of major significance. Im not delighted, Mark, but Im not angry.. When the Salamander Letter, along with dozens of other historic documents, were discovered to be forgeries, all the pieces fell into place to expose the long con being executed by Hofmann. The enormous success on Broadway of "Book of Mormon" brings to mind the longest and most difficult mini-series development in the then-William Morris Agency's history. Worldwide shipping is available! The Salamander Letter was a document which presented a controversial view of the Latter Day Saint movement. The document has links to the 1985 Salt Lake City bombings. One of them had nothing to do with him in any way and the other was working to help him obtain financing to bail him out of a banking problem he had created between himself and the Church. Then he insured the document, made an appointment to see Dean Jessee to examine the handwriting, alerted sheriffs all along his route to Salt Lake City, and took the fragment to the LDS historical department. is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app. Netflix Television. However, the Salamander Letter contradicted this and was passed off as a letter from Smith's scribe, Martin Harris. The book condition was as described, shipping was perfect and timely. As highlighted by Decider, Hofmann faked a number of documents about Mormonism and sold them to the church, with the Salamander Letter proving to be the most controversial. The letter, purportedly written by Martin Harris, an early disciple of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints founder Joseph Smith, recounts that a spirit in the form of a white salamander appeared to Smith at the time he discovered the "gold plates," which the church maintains contained hieroglyphics that Smith would translate into the . Mark Hofmann's notorious and deadly legacy will always be inextricably tied to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the impact of his machinations spread far outside of Utah and the church. This is an excellent book. The letter was supposedly written by . She has taught journalism on several college campuses. The letter was dated in 1830 and signed by Martin Harris, the BFF of LDS founder Joseph Smith. Toads, Salamanders, Bloodstone Amulets, and the Smith Family Magic Parchment: Possible Origins of the White Salamander Letter. But behind the case is a much larger story. It. Discovered in the mid-1980s, the Salamander letter was a controversial document about the history of the Latter Day Saints - a collection of independent. Dan Levy Is the Low-Key King of Entertaining. Hofmann said he and Jacobs would work out the transaction between themselves. The letter was supposedly written by Martin Harris, an important figure in early Mormon history. Hoffmann was caught up in one of the blasts as he carried a series of documents that were thought to contain "explosive and embarrassing revelations about the Mormon church", and supposedly included the letter. The LDS Church is only one of many victims of Mark Hoffman. The church, Hofmann was told, was delighted to own the contract. We are sorry. "One of our news reporters said, 'That would be like if somebody found a document that said that Moses actually got the 10 commandments from the ghost of Elvis Presley.' Murder Among The Mormons Director Jared Hess. Please try again. Some time later, a church employee noticed eleven faint rows of uninked type impressed into the reverse side of the contract, indicating that the contract had been laid on the type in Grandins office, lightly imprinting an advertisement for the shop. Working through the documentary, you may be particularly eager to note a very significant detail. This controversial letter threatened to destroy the very foundations of the church, and reportedly led to a number of people leaving the institution.
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