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Joseph Smith and Diabolism in Early Mormonism 1815-1831 Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 5-2021 "He Beheld the Prince of Darkness": Joseph Smith and Diabolism in Early Mormonism 1815-1831 Steven R. Hepworth Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the History of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Hepworth, Steven R., ""He Beheld the Prince of Darkness": Joseph Smith and Diabolism in Early Mormonism 1815-1831" (2021). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 8062. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/8062 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. "HE BEHELD THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS": JOSEPH SMITH AND DIABOLISM IN EARLY MORMONISM 1815-1831 by Steven R. Hepworth A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in History Approved: Patrick Mason, Ph.D. Kyle Bulthuis, Ph.D. Major Professor Committee Member Harrison Kleiner, Ph.D. D. Richard Cutler, Ph.D. Committee Member Interim Vice Provost of Graduate Studies UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 2021 ii Copyright © 2021 Steven R. Hepworth All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT “He Beheld the Prince of Darkness”: Joseph Smith and Diabolism in Early Mormonism 1815-1831 by Steven R. Hepworth, Master of Arts Utah State University, 2021 Major Professor: Dr. Patrick Mason Department: History Joseph Smith published his first known recorded history in the preface to the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon. In it, he recounted the loss of the earliest portions of the book’s manuscript due to theft in a scheme the future prophet believed was concocted by the devil. Smith claimed to receive a revelation that instructed him on how to overcome the diabolic plot meant to discredit and destroy the Book of Mormon. This was not Smith’s first or last recorded encounter with the devil. He believed the devil was real and that he was engaged in a cosmic battle between God and Satan. Much of Smith’s early prophetic projects were directed at engaging and winning this cosmic battle. This important aspect of Joseph Smith’s religious thought, under-developed in the vast scholarship written about him, is crucial in understanding how he developed his prophetic identity and religious system. This thesis explores the impact Joseph Smith’s diabolism, that is his belief in and encounters with the devil, had on the formation of his prophetic identity, his production of new scripture, and the rise of early Mormonism. (152 pages) iv PUBLIC ABSTRACT “He beheld the Prince of Darkness”: Joseph Smith and Diabolism in Early Mormonism 1815-1831 Steven R. Hepworth Joseph Smith published his first known recorded history in the preface to the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon. In it, he recounted the loss of the earliest portions of the book’s manuscript due to theft in a scheme the future prophet believed was concocted by the devil. Smith claimed to receive a revelation that instructed him on how to overcome the diabolic plot meant to discredit and destroy the Book of Mormon. This was not Smith’s first or last recorded encounter with the devil. He believed the devil was real and that he was engaged in a cosmic battle between God and Satan. Much of Smith’s early prophetic projects were directed at engaging and winning this cosmic battle. This important aspect of Joseph Smith’s religious thought, under-developed in the vast scholarship written about him, is crucial in understanding how he developed his prophetic identity and religious system. This thesis explores the impact Joseph Smith’s diabolism, that is his belief in and encounters with the devil, had on the formation of his prophetic identity, his production of new scripture, and the rise of early Mormonism. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In the course of researching and writing this thesis, I had to battle some of my own demons. If not for the help and support of various individuals, I would not have been able to complete this work. I take great pleasure in acknowledging their help now. I thank Gene Sessions and Sarah Dant at Weber State University for fostering my first forays into Mormon scholarship, and instilling in me a passion for history and a desire to further my education. Philip Barlow significantly shaped how I think about history in general, and my approach to Joseph Smith in this work. Patrick Mason stepped in and graciously accepted to chair my committee. I am grateful to him for his encouragement, feedback, insights, and patience. I thank Kyle Bulthuis for his work on the committee and for his influence over my topic. His graduate seminar generated the first seeds of this work. Harrison Kleiner, the final member of my committee, brought an interest and enthusiasm, as well as some important feedback, to this thesis for which I am grateful. I am lucky to have colleagues at the Church History Library who were willing to hear some of my thoughts and ideas and provide helpful feedback. For this I thank Jay Burton, Carly Davis Morrison, Robin Jensen, Mark Ashurst-McGee, Anne Berryhill, Jay Burrup and Mark Staker. Lastly, I owe the greatest amount of thanks to my Family. I thank my parents for encouraging my passion for learning. My father and mother-in-law went above and beyond in offering various means of support during this journey, and I will be forever grateful for their help. My wife Jessica has supported me every step of the way, and I could not have completed this thesis without her. Thank you J for all your love and support. To my children Shelby, Tanner, and Jack thank you for the love and laughs you provided as I toiled away on this project. Steven R. Hepworth vi CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................................... iii PUBLIC ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................................... v CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 2. “I WAS SEIZED UPON BY SOME POWER”: JOSEPH SMITH, DIABOLISM, AND HIS FIRST VISION .......................................................................................................... 19 3. TREASURES, TRANSLATION, AND THE DEVIL ...................................................... 37 4. DIABOLISM AND THE BOOK OF MORMON ............................................................. 64 5. THE RISE OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST AND DIABOLISM ....................... 91 6. “SATANIZING” THE OLD TESTAMENT: MOSES, ENOCH AND DIABOLISM... 103 EPILOGUE ...................................................................................................................................... 124 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................... 127 Chapter 1 Introduction In January 1844, Latter-day Saint apostle Parley Pratt published a fictional account of an interview between the Devil and Joseph Smith. In the narrative, Satan is concerned about Smith’s work and tells the prophet that he is out conducting business and “warfare against you and your imposition” because Smith had “made more trouble than all the ministers or people of my whole dominion have for ages past.” Satan is worried that Smith would “overthrow my kingdom” and “leave me not a foot of ground on earth.”1 While fictional, the account portrays one aspect of Joseph Smith’s prophethood as a contest between Smith and the devil. Joseph Smith believed the devil was real and fought to diminish Satan’s power and influence on earth. Diabolism, that is a belief in and encounters with the devil, played a central role in forming Smith’s prophetism, both forging his identity as a prophet and propelling his prophetic projects. As historian Richard Brodhead has noted, prophetism is the process through which men and women form and exert their prophetic identity, which typically includes access to a special knowledge of reality and includes the consequences of their prophetic undertakings.2 Smith’s first recorded encounter with the devil took place in 1820, immediately preceding his first theophany. Indeed, scholars have rarely noted, let alone fully considered, that the devil was the first supernatural being Smith personally encountered. In the following decade Smith participated in various activities that included elements of diabolism. His treasure seeking 1 Parley P. Pratt, “A Dialogue between Joseph Smith and the Devil,” New York Herald, January 1, 1844. 2 Richard H. Brodhead, “Prophets in America circa 1830: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nat Turner, Joseph Smith,” in Joseph Smith Jr.: Reappraisals after Two Centuries, ed. Reid L. Neilson and Terryl L. Givens (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009), 18. 2 enterprises included a common component of battling or overcoming evil spirits. He retrieved and translated gold plates published as the Book of Mormon. Both the retrieval and the translation included diabolic encounters. He organized a Church, performed an exorcism, and received revelations. He revised the Bible, inserting the devil into the Old Testament. He
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