Moroni As A Treasure Guardian

About this episode

This episode explores the connections between Moroni and treasure digging practices in early Mormon history.

Tonight on Mormonism Live, we explore one of the most uncomfortable and fascinating questions in early Mormon history: Was Moroni originally understood through the same treasure-digging framework Joseph Smith had already been practicing for years? Long before the Book of Mormon was published, Joseph Smith and those around him were involved in treasure seeking using seer stones, ritual practices, magic circles, guardian spirits, and buried treasures hidden in hills. In the earliest recollections of Moroni and the gold plates, the similarities become difficult to ignore. In this episode we examine: Moroni as a possible “treasure guardian” Joseph Smith’s use of the rock in the hat before the Book of Mormon Guardian spirit folklore in early America Magic circles, rituals, and treasure enchantments Animal sacrifice allegations in treasure digging “Slippery treasure” stories and buried ancient records How apologetics attempt to separate treasure digging from Mormon origins Why the historical continuity matters The deeper one goes into the earliest sources, the less the story initially resembles polished religion and the more it resembles the folk magic treasure-seeking culture of early…

People in this episode

Host: Bill Reel

Topics covered

• Moroni
• treasure digging
• Joseph Smith
• folk magic
• early Mormon history
• guardian spirits

Keywords

• Moroni
• treasure guardian
• Joseph Smith
• seers
• folk magic
• gold plates
• rituals
• guardian spirits

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Mormonism Live, Mormon Discussion Podcast

Books & works: Book of Mormon

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