Treasure Digging Podcast

[_consiglieri]

Me? I'm celebrating the 80th anniversary of the radio broadcast of the war of the worlds by listening to it. Having a great time all by myself. Well, me and Orson Welles to be accurate. Love you all!

[_Shulem]

SALEM TREASURE QUEST

By 1836 Joseph Smith and the church were heavily in debt. William Burgess and Don Carlos Smith conveyed a story to the leadership of the church of a building in Salem that had hidden treasure buried in its cellar. The church leaders saw an opportunity to ease the financial pressure the church was under at the time.

In August 1836 Joseph Smith Jr., Hyrum Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and Sidney Rigdon traveled to New York city to talk to their creditors, assuring them they could pay their debts. On their way back they stopped in Salem Massachusetts where they met up with Brother Burgess. Unfortunately he was unable to locate the correct house and went home. Joseph and the others remained in Salem until they felt they had found the right house. Joseph wrote to Emma:

“We have found the house since Bro. Burgess left us, very luckily and providentially, as we had one spell been most discouraged. The house is occupied, and it will require much care and patience to rent or buy it.”

Attempts at renting the house were apparently unfruitful and sadly no treasure was discovered. Joseph’s debts remained unpaid. Joseph received a revelation regarding this adventure recorded as Doctrine and Covenants, Section 111.

Follow the Spirit

[_annie]

I haven't logged in for AGES - took me several goes to remember my password - but I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed this podcast. Thank you Consiglieri!

[_Shulem]

LOOK! Just in time for Halloween! (this is orange, not red)

Another interesting tidbit with possible connections to Joseph Smith's treasure digging activities:

Those who do not adhere to the narrative of a religious purpose for the Salem adventure point to an article in Ohio's Painesville Telegraph. The article claimed Salem contained buried (possibly pirate) loot. This starkly earthly motive was, by secular accounts, the true main focus of the journey. Joseph, of seer stone fame was simply plying his old trade of treasure hunting.

Sounds like Joseph Smith was money digging again

[Guest]

Joseph Smith and his buddies took off to Salem hoping to find buried treasure under a house but were sorely disappointed when they went back to Kirtland empty handed. What was ole Joe thinking? Did he feel the Spirit was actually guiding him and that treasure was going to be uncovered to pay church debts? Is that what his companions actually thought at the time? Joseph Smith frequently spouted his mouth about how inspired he was and how what oozed from his lips was revelation. But this time, the prophet got his face slapped and had to delicately backpedal his way out of the mess he got himself into.

Here are statements he made to his wife Emma in a private hand written letter he wrote while in Salem:

. . . . our buisness here cannot be determined as soon as we could wish to . . . .

we had one spell been most discouraged

[_Shulem]

Apologetic Excuses for Joseph Smith's Folly Abound

More Treasures Than One

Joseph and other leaders had been told about a hidden treasure in Salem, Massachusetts, and hoped to find it.

Well, they did not find any treasure and debts in Kirtland were adding up. Salem was a rabbit hole.

Joseph and his three companions followed the direction in the revelation (D&C 111) to “tarry in this place” and spent several weeks in Salem, preaching and visiting historic places while hoping to obtain money to help pay Church debts and redeem Zion. But no documents exist indicating that they saw this revelation fulfilled in any way by the time they returned to Kirtland.

It was a lost cause. Smith gambled and he lost.

Like the four Church leaders who traveled to the East in 1836, we don’t know exactly what treasures the Lord intended to come from Salem.

Nobody knows. Smith backpedaled to get himself out of a tight squeeze and apologists just guess hoping to make anything stick.

[_Dr Exiled]

Consig:

This was one of your best podcasts to date, right up there with "wrong roads." Your reading Tortilla Flat brought back some memories of my high school years. I grew up on SLC, and went to school with a lot of G.A. kids and grandkids, including one of Nonsense Nelson's daughters (incidentally, she was instrumental in getting Grant Palmer fired as my seminary teacher and our seminary principal, but that is another story).

One of my english teachers assigned Tortilla Flat for the very reason that you read it and got into some hot water over it. He didn't go as far as you did in making the overt comparison to J.S. and his money digging. But the early 80's was when the truth about money digging was surfacing everywhere and the Tanners were as evil as ever. Precious minds cannot handle too much reality at once when santa clause still is a not too distant memory. Hence the censure.

[_Shulem]

Joseph Smith rides into Salem gambling he'll be able to fund his Kirtland ventures by getting rich quick.




Things don't go so well.




This message brought to you by Kirtland Ohio:

The Church of the Latter Day Saints

[_Eyepatch]

I really appreciate all the time Consig spends bringing us this great content. This podcast was especially good, and brought me up to speed on the "Salem" fiasco. Thanks.

[_cwald]

Downloading now.

Well hell, I've listened to more RFM and Infants on Thrones the last few months than I have over previous two years combined.