Revelation Through Hallucination A discourse on the Joseph Smith-entheogen theory

Sunstone Symposium SLC 2017

By: Bryce Blankenagel, Cody Noconi

Thesis

Mormon history is rife with speculation and controversy; we construct the Smith-entheogen historical

model describing Joseph Smith’s frequent use of plant medicine, specifically entheogens, and the impact

it had upon many of the early followers of the Mormon movement.

Abstract

In order to understand Mormon history in 19th-century context, it is necessary to understand the fertile

religious soil in which it took root. 19th-century American religious leaders often championed personal

revelation or theophany. It’s imperative to incorporate abundant first hand accounts and circumstantial

evidence of Joseph Smith’s frequent use of entheogens into existing historical models. These entheogens

provide a naturalistic explanation for angelic and prophetic visions experienced by Smith and many of his

followers where previous naturalistic historical models rely heavily on conjectural group psychology and

mass-hallucinations often equated to Pentecostal revivalism.

Important Definitions

Entheogen: A group of chemicals, mainly derived from plant or fungal origins, that reliably induce an

altered state of consciousness for the sole purpose of initiating a mystical or religious experience. It’s a

relatively new word proposed by a group of scholars including Dr. R. Gordon Wasson, Prof. Carl A.P.

Ruck and Jonothan Ott in 1979. Common examples include: Psilocybe mushrooms, LSD (acid), DMT,

and datura/scopolamine.

Paracelsus: A 16th-century German alchemist, physician, and astronomer who is credited with the

advancement of spagyrics, or alcohol based tinctures (potions), as well as the invention of the opium-

based anesthetic and inebriant, laudanum.

Eleusis: A town and municipality in West Attica, Greece. For nearly two millennia, beginning in

approximately 1500 BCE, Eleusis was the site of an annually held series of religious initiations that

resulted in a reliable and consistently reported vision of the Greek pantheon.

Hermeticism (Hermetism): A religious, philosophical, and esoteric tradition purported to reach back to

Greco-Roman Egypt, which is based primarily upon writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus.

Theophany: A specific altered state of consciousness in which an individual experiences a perceived

meeting or communication with deity.

Magician: A practitioner of esoteric secret rites or rituals which have the explicit intent of causing

perceived physical or psychological change in reality.

Set and setting: Referring to the psychological state of an individual's mind and the environment in which

that individual administers chemical substances to reach an altered state of consciousness; the time, place,

and company with which one chooses to imbibe entheogens.

Introduction

Perusing firsthand accounts of Mormon history during the Kirtland, Ohio years (1831-1837)

yields a plethora of incredible visionary accounts, easily explainable with entheogens such as ergot,

datura, and psilocybe mushrooms. From Mormonism’s early days on the Isaac Morley’s farm, to the

Kirtland Temple dedication ceremony in 1836, there exists substantial evidence that Joseph Smith was

frequently using entheogens and possibly even drugging his followers. Ignorant of modern science

surrounding plant medicine, and a champion of personal revelation and theophany, Smith likely perceived

entheogens as a conduit to god. Understanding the plausibility of the Smith-entheogen historical model

requires understanding Smith’s magic worldview and the knowledge surrounding him. In this paper, we

begin by defining ‘altered states of consciousness’ and evidence of pre 19th-century Entheogen use. We

exhibit a brief overview of the Smith worldview including excerpts of the science of entheogen use,

providing likely candidate entheogens abundantly available to Smith. The intersection of occult rituals

and plant medicine was embodied in Smith’s mentor, Luman Walters, who would have taught him how to

use and manipulate entheogens. We include a recently discovered inventory list from Walters’ medicine

shop, located in his probate records, documenting “medasine” and much of the necessary equipment for

making medicinal tinctures. Once Smith’s entheogen use prior to Mormonism is established, we cover the

abundant extant evidence which can only be explained by entheogen use during the Kirtland years (‘31-

’37). We conclude that the Smith-entheogen historical model effectively explains Smith’s ability to incite

visions, revelations, and theophany in the minds of himself and the early Mormons. The direct and

indirect impact of Joseph Smith’s frequent drug use merits incorporation into existing historical theories.

Altered States of Consciousness and Entheogens in History

The most reliable way to reach altered states of mind is through chemical induction. A lifelong

devoted Tibetan Monk may struggle to achieve enlightenment in a meditative state, but nearly every time

someone achieves the threshold dosage of a given entheogen in the proper set and setting, they’re thrust

into an altered state of consciousness. For the purposes of this paper, we’ll be discussing this very small

subset of altered consciousness, drug use, and how it may have intersected with ritualism in Mormon

history.

Current evidence shows that human beings have been using entheogens for thousands of years.

People will go to great lengths to achieve what we call ‘altered states of consciousness,’ meaning any

state of mind that differs from the every-day baseline. Incredible things can happen to the human mind

when a person gets into an altered state of mind.

The pursuit of altered states of consciousness which lead to moments of theophany, may be one

of man’s chief pursuits in life; achieving the pinnacle of spiritual enlightenment by any and every

available method. The methods of achieving an altered state of consciousness may include, but are not

limited to: physical exertion to the point of complete exhaustion, hatha yoga or holotropic breathing,

ecstatic dance, chanting or listening to music, religious ritualism, intimacy, or, most reliably, by some

plant based substances which are known as “entheogens”. We’ve been collectively seeking “that happy

place,” in many ways for longer than we’ve had written history. While all methods of achieving altered

states of consciousness are certainly valid, entheogens are significantly more effective and reliable than

other methods when it comes to eliciting experiences of religious ecstasy. They exhibit demonstrable

chemical mechanisms for their effectiveness, especially in group settings. While group hallucinations are

not unheard of, without the use of entheogens, these shared experiences become exponentially more

difficult to replicate with each additional participant.

We use proper set and setting to reach altered states of consciousness in a safe and comfortable

way. The experiences during altered states are scarcely describable as the associated emotions evolved

long before our written language and are often given simplistic and outdated definitions like ‘spiritual,’

‘transcendent,’ or ‘sacred,’ often attributed to God.

This is where dogma and ritualism come into play. One great way to fill the time in a given set

and setting is by engaging in ritualistic behavior, an entertainment of sorts. Prior to the existence of easily

accessible media, and even today, it’s up to a ceremonial guide to program the set and setting to occupy

the minds of those who imbibe the given entheogen, subsequently entering an altered state of

consciousness.

The phrase ‘altered states of consciousness,’ describes admittedly subjective experience as

everybody’s consciousness is inherently subjective. An altered state of mind can be as simple as the

feeling during a favorite song or the ability to ignore the world when engaging in a favorite hobby. It can

mean a runner’s high or a marijuana high. Altered consciousness can even be that bosom-burning God

when reading a favorite scripture passage.

Entheogens are chemical substances, typically of plant or mycological origin, that are

administered to produce an altered state of consciousness for religious, spiritual, or ritualistic purposes,

but can also be taken recreationally. They are most often used as either a vehicle for, or a supplemental

aid to reaching a state of religious ecstasy, a moment of divine gnosis, or theophany.1

As demonstrated by Harvard theology student Walter Pahnke’s 1962 ‘Good Friday’ experiment,

even a single dose, administered under religiously compliant set and setting, proved to be one of the most

meaningful and profoundly religious experiences of the participants lives. Considering that the

participants were themselves Harvard theology students, their immediate and long term analysis of the

psilocybin induced religious ecstasy was provided from an educated and genuine perspective.2

Long term meditators and religious practitioners regularly report the profound, yet ineffable

difference between endogenously(internal) and exogenously(external) elicited religious ecstasy;

specifically the comparison of prayer/meditation versus the effects brought on by clinically administered

psilocybin.3

We have arranged transcendent experiences for over one thousand persons from all walks of life,

including 69 full-time religious professionals, about half of whom profess the Christian or Jewish

faith and about half of whom belong to Eastern religions. Included in this roster are two college

deans, a divinity college president, three university chaplains, an executive of a religious

foundation, a prominent religious editor, and several distinguished religious philosophers. At this

point it is conservative to state that over 75 percent of these subjects report intense mystico-

religious responses, and considerably more than half claim that they have had the deepest

spiritual experience of their life [sic]. -Timothy Leary4

This was the first of many studies exhibiting the fact that people from all demographics and belief

spectra can have incredible experiences in altered states of consciousness when entheogens are induced

exogenously in a controlled set and setting.

Evidence of the entheogenic administration of plants and fungi reaches far back to the very

beginning of documentable history and is almost culturally universal. The examples included in this paper

are a small fraction of the available evidence that supports this hypothesis. Virtually anywhere cattle

veneration or tribal animism is found (Africa, India, Greece, Gaul, Scandinavia, Britain, China, North,

Central and South America, Australia, etc.), multiple examples of religious cults using hallucinogenic

material abound.5

The idea of drug use in religion is a very controversial subject. It is also a subject about which

many people are rather sensitive, preferring to consider such usage as an aberration of the distant

past; yet it remains a topic that ignorance will not make disappear. In a time when wars are being

waged against drug use and all illegal drugs are lumped together as the enemy, it is more

important than ever to speak openly and rationally about drugs, especially those that serve a

useful and relatively benign purpose. -Clark Heinrich6

Our current understanding of the role mind altering plants and mushrooms have played in the

development of human culture is dismally lacking and under appreciated. It has only been in the last 2

decades that these substances have been experiencing a renaissance in serious reevaluation from the

scientific community.

Boston University classicist Carl AP. Ruck, who helped first popularize the word ‘entheogen’,

postulates that the other methods of achieving religious ecstasy mentioned above, are a result of the

entheogenic substances proving seasonally or annually unavailable. Drought, pathogens, insect and

animal predation all play a major factor in the regular availability of these plants and fungi. Ruck, along

with several other prominent scholars in his field, further hypothesize that agriculture was originally

introduced as a way to secure a consistent source of these entheogenic plant materials.7

Far from being consumed for hedonistic purposes, drug plants and alcoholic drinks had a sacred

role among prehistoric societies...It is not surprising that most of the evidence derives from both

elite burials and restricted ceremonial sites, suggesting the possibility that the consumption of

mind-altering products was socially controlled in prehistoric Europe. - E.Guerra-Doce8

In his book Food of the Gods, Terrance McKenna

postulates that the transformation of humans' early ancestors Homo

erectus to the species Homo sapiens was attributed to the addition

of the hallucinogenic mushroom Psilocybe cubensis in its diet. An

event that, according to his theory, took place around 100,000

BCE. Also put forward by McKenna, is that our ancestors

subsequent development and sophistication of language, art, music,

tools, and agriculture were owed to regular, socially accepted

intoxication of hallucinogenic mushrooms.9

Life was certainly not easy for our early ancestors.

Seasonal diet restrictions inevitably led to food experimentation,

which in turn leads to the discovery of new medicinal or poisonous

plants to a community’s herb lore. The fine line between poisoning

and medicine is often quickly realized by the more observant and

experimental members of the community. Those who don’t

understand the onset of poisonous chemicals often don’t stick

around very long to further experiment.

McKenna has been highly criticized for his lack of paleontological citation and possible

misrepresentation of the psilocybin and anthropological research available at the time. There are certainly

some serious holes in his presentation of this hypothesis, especially with the proposed timeline and

overemphasis on the role played by just the psilocybe cubensis mushrooms. That being said, while it may

be currently outdated and in serious need of a makeover, the hypothesis is certainly worth more

investigation and discussion from a more academic and multi-disciplinary perspective.

There is a rising body of evidence emerging, from analyzing the residue left in ancient storage

containers, that a score of hallucinogenic plants and fungi were regularly being used by the ecclesiastical

and high status elite, if not more commonly among the lower social classes as well.10

The philosophical and religious Mecca of the ancient Greek world was undoubtedly the

Eleusinian Mysteries. The Mysteries were an annually held series of initiation ceremonies for the cult of

Demeter and Persephone based at the plains of Eleusis. Starting in approximately 1,500 B.C., the

Eleusinian Mysteries reliably administered an experience of visionary gnosis to the masses for nearly two

millennia. This ceremony was available to all classes of society, and nearly every major mover and shaker

of ancient Greece attended. Initiates could attend the ceremony only once in a lifetime and were sworn to

secrecy thereafter.

Despite this secrecy, there are extant plays and writings which hint at what exactly took place at

Eleusis. Proclus described the events in the following:

They cause the sympathy of the souls with the ritual in a way that is incomprehensible to us, and

divine, so that some of the initiants are stricken with panic, being filled with divine awe; others

assimilate themselves to the holy symbols, leave their own identity, become at home with the

gods, and experience divine possession. (Frag. CLXXXVI)

The fact that participants of the Mysteries would drink from a sacred vessel before such ecstatic

and visionary experiences cannot be ignored. It is now a well established theory that this drink, the

kykeon, contained some kind of hallucinogenic elixir meant to elicit an experience of theophany.11 The

main contenders are an ergotized beer, or less plausibly a mushroom extraction of some kind, most likely

from a psilocybe variety. Albert Hoffman, the man first credited with the synthesis of LSD-25, believed

that the ancient Greeks had discovered a method of drawing off the convulsive alkaloids of the ergot by

skimming boiling hot oil across the surface of the hallucinogenic beer for a short time.

The examples of entheogens used by spiritual and religious leaders to elicit altered states of

consciousness are surprisingly abundant. Administration of entheogens may help to explain the genesis of

sacramental rituals throughout religious history. The set and setting programmed by religious leaders

have historically created safe spaces where parishioners could freely imbibe under direction from the

spiritual leader. A person’s altered consciousness can allow them to explore the darkest folds of their own

existence, or cause them to commune with deity and experience true theophany, interpreting their own

mutterings as divine revelation from on high.

Joseph Smith was a spiritual leader of sorts, leading religious rituals usually involving sacrament,

thus inciting personal revelation or theophany for his followers. As the Mormons’ spiritual leader, Smith

was responsible for programming a proper set and setting, administering entheogens through anointing oil

and sacramental wine, and guiding his parishioners through their entheogenic experience, hopefully

resulting in theophany, a perceived connection to deity. Entheogens played a significant cultural role

throughout human history and it’s necessary to ignore modern prejudices and incorporate that information

into historical models.

Smith Worldview

Historians are engaged in a never-ending struggle to understand the founder of Mormon history,

Joseph Smith jr., and the world in which he flourished. The product of a magic worldview and

exceptionally intelligent, Smith likely consumed any publications which were incestuously passed around

his occult treasure-digging groups. Smith likely would have filled the role of charismatic apprentice to a

number occult practitioners such as Samuel Lawrence, Joseph Knight Sr., Luman Walters, and especially

Smith’s own father.

Lucy Mack and Joseph Sr., Smith’s

parents, had incredible formative power in

shaping the young prophet’s perception of reality

and teaching him necessary life skills. While Lucy

Mack was a faithful Christian, Joseph Sr., was a

passionate practitioner of Enochian magic in the

form of divining and ‘money digging’. It was

Joseph Sr. who initiated Joseph Smith Jr. into

these arcane practices. Joseph Sr. quickly

recognized the inherent charismatic skills of his

son, allowing him to take charge as ‘seer’ for their

treasure digging expeditions at a relatively young

age.12

It is from the same books of ceremonial magic, which numerous researchers have linked to the

creation of Smith Sr.’s collection of magical items,13 that we find explicit recipes and experiential

descriptions of hallucinogenic plant mixtures.14

Ebenezer Sibley described various plant medicines to be effective in ways which are perceptible

and visible to the senses, while other odoriferous herbs act by occult power, which the eye cannot see and

the mind cannot comprehend.

It was the opinion of many eminent physician...that such kind of charms or periapts as consisted

of certain odoriferous herbs, balsamic roots...and most probably possessed, by means of their

strong medicinal properties, the virtue of curing or removing such complaints as external

applications might effect. and which are often used with success, though without the least surprise

or admiration; because the one appears in a great measure to be the consequence of manual

operation, which is perceptible and visible to the senses, whilst the other acts by an innate or

occult power, which the eye cannot see, nor the mind so readily comprehend; [emphasis added] -

Ebenezer Sibly15

Barton Stafford, a neighbor of the Smith family in Palmyra, reported, “Joseph Smith Sen. was a

drunkard, and most of the family followed his example.”16 It should be noted that the mindset of the pre-

prohibition American concerned itself with drunkenness itself more so than the vehicle or method for

achieving said drunkenness. Because the pharmaceutical industry had yet to be established, medicinal or

psychoactive plants were used exclusively by Americans in the early 19th century as folk medicine. In

addition, beers, ciders and wines were very often used as a staple source of safe hydration, and a great

many people of the day drank diluted alcohol out of sheer necessity. 17

A wine or cider infused with offensive tasting plant medicines were often sweetened with honey

or molasses to render the tincture palpable. It’s likely the case that when we often see reference to

‘sweetened’ alcohol in the historical record, the sweetening was done to cover the taste of whatever bitter

herb caused the drink to require sweetening. Additionally, the sweetening agent itself could be used to

store psychoactive chemicals long-term, which could subsequently be put into any drink to render it

psychoactive. The evidence for intemperance in the Smith family far outweighs any naive preconception

of the prophet’s sobriety.18

Extracting and preserving active chemicals in plants was a necessary skill for any farmer like the

Smiths trying to make their way in the competitive field of root sales. Competent in these skills, Joseph

Sr. crystallized several thousand dollars’ worth of ginseng in the early 1800s, and subsequently lost the

family’s fortune.19

Joseph Sr. was one of many people with whom Joseph Jr. frequently associated as a personal

mentor. Any skills Sr. possessed would have been eagerly learned by the bright young Smith, or simply

picked up through osmosis. Joseph Smith had many mentors is the treasure digging group, and while it’s

commonly understood that Joseph Sr., and the treasure-diggers (Walters, Lawrence, Chases, Stowell,

Knights, etc.) were business partners, they were also likely very good friends who shared fascinations and

fields of study, likely spending many non-working hours in each other’s company. Given this group of

occult colleagues steeped in magic, Joseph Sr. wasn’t the only person influencing Joseph Jr.’s education

as a bright young man would have been little more than learning alchemy and plant manipulation/root

doctoring from a number of his friends and mentors in the treasure-digging group; this folk education was

only rarely punctuated by occasional bouts of structured schooling. The most likely candidate for

expanding Smith’s mind on these magical subjects and substances is Luman Walters.

Entheogen use in ritualism and the occult world into which Joseph Smith Jr. matured leads to the

conclusion that he had knowledge of, and frequently used, entheogens, likely extracted and preserved in

alcoholic beverages. To claim Smith was using these plant medicines recreationally misses the point; they

were crucial to his understanding of the magical world surrounding him. The Spirit of God literally lived

inside the plants to Smith. It was through the use of entheogens that Smith could hallucinate buried

treasure when staring at the small brown rock in his hat. It was through entheogens that Smith could

dictate the Book of Mormon almost endlessly from an indescribably source. And, as the early history of

the Mormon church progressed, through the use of entheogens Smith received hundreds of revelations on

the nature and teachings of Mormon gospel.

Luman Walters

While still a young teen in the early 1820s,

Joseph Smith met a legitimate hermetic and magical

influence in fellow treasure-digger and seer, Luman

Walters. Joseph is reported by several sources to have

picked up his ceremonial magical repertoire after

meeting and working with Walters, who showed an

interest in the clearly intelligent, albeit uneducated,

pupil. Michael Quinn theorizes that the young Joseph

Smith looked to Walters as an occult mentor.20

He was also a distant cousin of Joseph's

future wife, Emma Hale. As Quinn notes,

"Brigham Young described the unnamed

New York magician as having traveled

extensively through Europe to obtain

`profound learning,'" and others identified

Walters as "a physician who studied

Mesmerism in Europe before meeting Joseph

Smith." Walters family records and legend

called him "clairvoyant." If these statements

are generally accurate, Walters possessed

considerable knowledge of Hermetic

traditions. During this period in Europe (and

to a lesser degree in America) a physician with interests in Mesmer, magic, clairvoyance, and

"profound learning" moved in a milieu nurtured by the legacies of Hermeticism. By definition,

such a physician stood in a tradition dominated by the medical and esoteric writings of

Paracelsus, steeped in alchemy, and associated closely with Rosicrucian philosophy. - Lance

Owens21

To add context, Paracelsus was a 16th-century physician who made incredible advances in

medical science, early chemistry, alchemy, and astronomy. He was renowned for his writings on

spagyrics/tinctures, and is often (falsely) credited as being the inventor of pills as we know them today.

Paracelsus did invent laudanum, an opium tincture which would become the preferred anesthetic and

pain reliever for the next several centuries. Luman Walters, aside from practicing as a ceremonial

magician, also became known later in life, for his use of tinctures and herbal remedies. Given that the

source books used to create the Smith family lumen, or parchments of ceremonial magic, contain explicit

sections devoted to the works of Paracelsus,22 it stands to reason that Walters was also in a position to

furnish the Smiths with the ethnobotanical information necessary to incorporate psychoactive plant

medicines into their magical practice.

In addition to his connection with the Smith’s money-digging group, Pomeroy Tucker cites

Walters as one of the early members of the Mormon church when it was still the Church of Christ.23 In

1834, shortly after his wife passed away while delivering their last child, Walters purchased property in

Gorham, New York where he remained a resident on census records until his death in 1860. It is currently

unclear if Luman actually made the exodus to Kirtland, and although Luman himself appears to have

severed ties with the early church after 1834, it seems at least some of his immediate family did stay with

the Saints. Ancestry.com lists his twin brother Eber as a member in Kirtland, Ohio24, and Luman’s second

cousin, Dorothy Walters is mentioned on the first Relief Society rosters in Nauvoo.25 Practicing magic

and esoteric arts must have run in the family, as Dorothy’s husband Benjamin Hoyt, was asked by his

bishop in 1843 to, “cease to call certain characters witches or wizards, cease to work with the divining

rod, and cease burning...boards to heal those whom he said were bewitched.”26

Although Luman Walters’ time with the Saints was relatively brief, Walters certainly made a

lasting impression on at least one prominent church member. Brigham Young made the following

statement in an 1857 address, which seems to describe the relationship between Walters and a young

Joseph Smith.

Joseph was what we call an ignorant boy, but this fortune teller whose name I do not remember

was a man of profound learning. He had put himself in possession of all the learning in the

States,—had been to France, Germany, Italy, and through the world,—had been educated for a

priest and turned out to be a devil. I do not know but that he would have been a devil if he had

followed the profession of a priest among what are termed the christian denominations. He could

preach as well as the best of them, and I never heard a man swear as he did. He could tell that

those plates were there, and that they were a treasure whose value to the people could not be told;

for that I myself heard him say. -Brigham Young27

We have recently discovered documentary information surrounding Luman Walters and his

professional life after his brief time with the Saints. The Ontario County records department has on

microfilm a massive probate file on Walters. His estate was handled by Joseph Hershey and Daniel

Walters, the latter being Luman’s son, where they kept scrupulous notes including inventory lists of his

possessions after his death. From his obituary and probate records we know Walters was an eccentric

“root and yarb” doctor, owning his own emporium/medical tincture shop in Gorham, New York.

We have often heard it remarked that “the fools are not all dead yet.” We are convinced of the

fact by a letter which has been placed in our hands, of which the following is a verbatim copy. Dr.

Walters, to whom it is addressed, has some reputation as a physician skilled in the curative

properties of “roots and yarbs” and brandy; but that he brings to his aid a “conjurashion stone,” as

believed in by this Vermont Doctor, surpasses the credulity of Dr. Walters’ neighbors;28

Dr. L. Walters, for many years known as a successful but eccentric practitioner of the medical

profession, died at his residence at Bethel, Ontario county, on Saturday last. He styled himself a

seer or clarvoyant doctor, and has effected many very wonderful cures.29

From these select passages, among many others, we understand that Walters was well respected

as a root and herb doctor, albeit eccentric by the standards of some of the locals, and was also quite adept

in clairvoyance and the use of seer stones. Thanks to the scrupulous inventory recounted by the men who

handled Walters’ estate after his death, we see many things Walters used to make his famous medicinal

tinctures.

Among many other possessions, Walters’ inventory list includes line items of: “1 cider barrel, 1

pounding barrel, 50th of colombo Root, a lot of liquid medasine - 10 bot, a lot of dry medasine,

15 yards of carpet (possibly used for spore cultivation), sack of hops, about 40 loads of manure

(valued at $25.50), 5-7 total medical books, etc.30

It’s not enough to claim that the knowledge and manipulation of entheogens was prevalent during

Joseph Smith’s time, and is therefore necessary to exhibit likely candidates who taught the necessary

knowledge and expertise during formative years in Smith’s personal history. While Joseph Sr. was the

most reliable candidate, being Joseph’s father, it bolsters this historical model to exhibit people like

Luman Walters who undoubtedly had relevant expertise and was described as a mentor to Smith, who

subsequently inherited Walters’ mantle of treasure digging.

The Book of Pukei, the first ever

satire of Joseph Smith and the Book of

Mormon, published in June 1830, offers

some insight to how Walters’ role was

perceived in the treasure digging group

referred to as “the Idle and Slothful”.

2- Now Walters, the Magician,

was a man unseemly to look

upon, and to profound ignorance

added the most consummate

impudence,—he obeyed the

summons of the idle and slothful,

and produced an old book in an

unknown tongue, (Cicero's

Orations in latin,) from whence

he read in the presence of the

Idle and Slothful strange stories

of hidden treasures and of the

spirit who had the custody

thereof…

10 - Now the rest of the acts of the magician, how his mantle fell upon the prophet Jo. Smith Jun.

and how Jo. made a league with the spirit, who afterwards turned out to be an angel, and how he

obtained the “Gold Bible,” Spectacles, and breast plate–will they not be faithfully recorded in the

book of Pukei? -Abner Cole (pseudonym Obadiah Dogberry) 31

According to the author, Abner Cole, Walters may very well have established a treasure-digging

“seer” reputation which fell to young Smith when Walters was forced to flee the area due to legal trouble

in connection with treasure digging. Walters had significant influence on Smith during his treasure-

digging days. Walters was steeped in the world of magic and alchemy, knowledge which helped him

establish a successful medicinal emporium and reputation as an eccentric “root and yarb” doctor. As

Walters’ alleged protege, it’s likely Smith eagerly absorbed the expertise necessary to successfully

manipulate and preserve entheogens, as well as tips on proper administration and conducive set and

setting techniques.

Entheogen Candidate #1: Henbane, Mandrake, Belladonna, and Datura (Hexing Herbs)

Perhaps the most well documented and widely used entheogens are a group plants associated with

the Nightshade family; namely henbane (Hyoscyamus), belladonna (Atropa), mandrake (Mandragora),

and Datura. These plants are mentioned in the earliest medical botanicals known to history, and include

detailed descriptions of their intoxicating and sedative properties.

In ancient Greece, it [henbane] served as a poison,

to mimic insanity, and to enable man to prophesy.

It has been suggested that the Oracle of Delphi

made her prophetic utterances while intoxicated

with the smoke from henbane seeds. In the

thirteenth century, Bishop Albertus the Great

reported that henbane was employed by

necromancers to conjure up demons.32

Often referred to in early English botanicals as

‘Thorn Apple’ or ‘Jimson (Jamestown) Weed,’ datura has

a long history of use among Native American communities

as well as among the slaves brought to the Americas from

West Africa. Used primarily as a catalyst for the

inducement of visions, divination or medical prognosis, it

has also been effectively used as an entheogen among both

groups mentioned above.33

The contents of one of Joseph Sr.’s visions recounted by Lucy Mack Smith leads us to believe the

Smiths were experimenting with Datura.

I was travelling in an open, desolate field, which

appeared to be very barren… I beheld a beautiful stream

of water, which ran from the east to the west… I could

see a rope, running along the bank of it, about as high as a

man could reach, and beyond me, was a low, but very

pleasant, valley, in which stood a tree, such as I, had

never seen before. It was exceedingly handsome,

insomuch that I looked upon it with wonder and

admiration. Its beautiful branches spread themselves

somewhat like an umbrella, and it bore a kind of fruit, in

shape much like a chestnut bur, and as white as snow, or,

if possible, whiter. I gazed upon the same with

considerable interest, and as I was doing so, the burs or

shells commenced opening and shedding their particles,

or the fruit which they contained, which was of dazzling

whiteness. I drew near, and began to eat of it, and I found

it delicious beyond description… I presently turned to my

guide, and inquired of him the meaning of the fruit that

was so delicious. He told me it was the pure love of God, shed abroad in the hearts of all those

who love him and keep his commandments. [emphasis added] -Lucy Mack Smith34

This appears to be a clear description by Joseph Sr. of the identification, harvest, and ingestion of

the hallucinogenic datura plant. Lucy Mack states this was a ‘vision’ received shortly after moving to the

New Hampshire area in 1811. As discussed in detail by Robert Beckstead in his 2007 presentation, The

Restoration and the Sacred Mushroom, “Datura has been shown to be over 80 percent effective in

creating a visionary experience whereas hypnosis is much less reliable, probably less than 10 percent.”35

The hexing herbs all share a similar psychoactive profile, containing in varying concentrations the

main psychoactive alkaloids hyoscyamine, atropine, and scopolamine. These ‘visionary tropanes’ are

found within the entire plant, with the highest concentrations typically found in the aerial extremities,

seeds, and roots. The compound scopolamine has proven to be the strongest hallucinatory agent, throwing

individuals into a deeply altered state of consciousness. However, the other alkaloids contain similar

reports of euphoric, sedative, deliriant and hypnotic properties.36

The effects of all species are similar, since their constituents are so much alike. Physiological

activity begins with a feeling of lassitude and progresses into a period of hallucinations followed

by deep sleep and loss of consciousness...So potent is the psychoactivity of all species of Datura

that it is patently clear why people in indigenous cultures around the world have classified them

as plants of the gods.37

Certainly the most infamous and well documented use of the hexing herbs comes from the

descriptions of the so called ‘witches’ salves’ or ‘flying ointments’. The ointment, although coming in a

wide variety of similar recipes and application methods, was a psychoactive sedative that was regularly

applied transdermally (through the skin) in order to elicit vivid hallucinations, and a subsequent deep

sleep full of vivid and lucid dreams. Witches of the late medieval era were scandalously rumored to apply

the salve on the heads of a broom handle, which, after insertion into the vagina or rectum, allowed them

to physically fly away to their hedonistic gatherings. Thus the motif of a broom-riding witch, flying

through the night air was born. These dreams and hallucinations were apparently so convincingly lucid,

and the sedated sleep so profound, that individuals upon waking, were reported to be totally unaware that

they had physically remained in the room.38

As with the witches ‘flying ointment,’ transdermal application of entheogens is an incredibly

effective and safe method of delivery; the skin acting as a filter which helps breakdown compounds

before entering the bloodstream, rendering otherwise toxic plants to be much safer. It is this group of

‘hexing herbs’, which make the most likely candidate for the ‘consecrated anointing oil’ used by Smith

and the church leadership frequently in Kirtland, leading up to the temple dedication ceremony. The well

documented effects of these plants, as well a variety of recipes for such ointments, can be found in the

same books of magic that historians have linked to the Smith family collection of magical items.

Given the possible description of the datura plant in Joseph Sr.’s ‘vision’, it remains the greatest

possible candidate entheogen Joseph Sr. passed to the impressionable young Smith. Datura remains

incredibly prolific in the New England area even today, perceived as a weed to the untrained eye, and

elicits powerful psychoactive properties with proper refinement. Datura or other hexing herbs provide the

best possible candidate for the ‘consecrated anointing oil’ used by Smith in Kirtland. Due to Joseph Sr.’s

dream, we hypothesize datura to be the most likely candidate of the many hexing herbs. However, these

herbs are not the only possible entheogen readily available to Joseph Smith, nor were topical ointments

the only vehicle by which to deliver said entheogens.

Entheogen Candidate #2: Fly Agaric, Ergot and Psilocybes Fungi

The woods around the Palmyra/Manchester area are full of birch, pine and alder trees. Shortly

after moving to the New York area, Smith Sr., along with his sons, felled some 30 acres of timber,

creating an ideal habitat for a number of fungi.39

The best time of year to harvest psychoactive mushrooms is during the first rains of autumn,

typically in late September and early October. Amanita muscaria and psilocybe varieties would be

prevalent in the area and easy to spot by those who knew where to look. The angel, or treasure guardian,

told Smith to return to the exact spot at the same time every year to receive his heavenly instruction, and

to keep it utterly secret. As discussed by both Robert Beckstead and Carl P. Ruck, there are several

varieties of psilocybe mushrooms that turn a rich gold color and flatten out into round plates as Fly agaric

are known to do as well. Scholars and historians have wondered for over a century what happened to the

gold plates, maybe Smith ate them.40

Joseph Sr., wasn’t the only member of the Smith family to experience visions which seem to

describe entheogens. Often overlooked, Lucy Mack Smith was an intelligent and relatively well read

woman for the time period, who was more than capable of recognizing and utilizing entheogenic

materials, possibly even out of occasional necessity to medically administer plant medicines to her 9

children. Her personal vision is described as such by her own account.

I discovered two trees standing

upon its margin, both of which were on the

same side of the stream. These trees were

very beautiful, they were well proportioned,

and towered with majestic beauty to a great

height. Their branches, which added to their

symmetry and glory, commenced near the

top, and spread themselves in luxurious

grandeur around. I gazed upon them with

wonder and admiration; and after beholding

them a short time, I saw one of them was

surrounded with a bright belt, that shone

like burnished gold, but far more brilliantly.

Presently, a gentle breeze passed by, and the

tree encircled with this golden zone, bent

gracefully before the wind, and waved its

beautiful branches in the light air. -Lucy Mack

Smith41

Lucy Mack Smith gave an accurate description

of common mushroom behavior. Known as ‘fairy rings’,

mycelium have a tendency to occasionally sprout

fruiting bodies in what appear to be perfectly formed

circles that can often ring or crown the host tree. Often

believed by the magically inclined to be the haunt of

fairies or elves, ‘fairy rings’ are commonly used to

communicate with spirits or to perform magical

ceremonies. Several books on Scottish and Irish folklore

were available at the libraries and printing press offices

near Palmyra and Manchester.42

Amanita muscaria and psilocybes are certainly not the only suspected mycological entheogen in

the early American psychedelic toolbox. Ergot remains an undiscussed candidate for the events witnessed

in the early Mormon church. A secret allegedly held by the Adepts, St. Anthony’s Fire could have been

transmitted to Smith via a number of sources to be discussed later. If properly prepared, this method has a

long and well established history of eliciting the reactions we see from the early church members in Ohio:

swoonings, violent siezure-like physical movements, delirium, pupil dilation, etc. A tincture or beer made

from ergotized grain heads can be produced, requiring only slightly more skill and attention than with the

psilocybe or amanita muscaria mushrooms.43

Traditionally, ergot poisonings are associated with fields of mixed grain or rye as it is harder to

spot infected grains during harvest. Barley or wheat fields, are much lighter in color and only continue to

lighten as the stalks ripen. It is interesting to note that drinks made with barley are clearly sanctioned in

the Word of Wisdom. In a barley field that is white and ready to harvest, ergot infected patches are easily

spotted and isolated, making easy prey for an enlightened farmer.

...from which LSD and its psychoactive relatives are derived.

Ergot is the sclerotium (the form the plant assumes to pass the

winter) of the mushroom Claviceps purpurea, which is parasitic

on rye, wheat, barley and other cultivated grains, and which also

infests wild grasses. After infection of the host grass with spores

(technically ascospores), the mushroom forms purplish sclerotia,

which project from the husk of the ripening grain. The sclerotia

then fall to the ground, where they pass the winter. With the first

spring rains, the sclerotia fruit, that is, they develop large

numbers of tiny purple mushrooms that release ascospores, which

are borne by the wind and which may contact immature ears of

grain and again initiate infection; Some of the sclerotia, however,

may be harvested with the grain and ground into flour, which

they then contaminate with toxic alkaloids.44

The Whitmer family hosted Joseph and Emma Smith

during a large portion of the Book of Mormon authorship. Having

emigrated from Germany a generation prior, the German-

speaking Whitmers likely would have been aware of or

associated with the Ephrata Cloister, being located a mere 4 miles

from their residence. The Ephrata famously partook of a

sacramental powder which caused spiritual manifestations and a

classic shamanic death and rebirth.45 The Whitmers were likely familiar with the idea of plants as

entheogens which perpetuated upon the newlywed Smiths’ arrival to live with them prior to the

foundation of the Church of Christ. Smith and Oliver Cowdery would spend hours on end in the upper

floor of the Whitmer home, a peculiar habit to which some took notice. Their faces would often be pale, a

common side-effect of some entheogens, especially when taken while fasting or sleep deprived. This

phenomenon was noted by Sally Heller Conrad Bunnell who was living with the Whitmers during the

translation process.

I conversed with one old lady eighty-eight years old who lived with David Whitmer when Joseph

Smith and Oliver Cowdery were translating the Book of Mormon in the upper room of the house,

and she, only a girl, saw them come down from the translating room several [times], when they

looked so exceedingly white and strange that she inquired of Mrs. Whitmer the cause of their

unusual appearance, but Mrs. Whitmer was unwilling to tell the hired girl, the true cause as it was

a sacred holy event connected with a holy sacred work which [was] opposed and persecuted by

nearly every one who heard of it. The girl . . . finally told Mrs. Whi[t]mer that she would not stay

with her unless she knew the cause of the strange looks of these men. Sister Whitmer then told

her what the men were doing in the room above. . . . This satisfied the girl and opened the way to

embracing the gospel. She is the mother of Stephen Bunnel of Provo, and the Bunnel family of

Provo. - Oliver B Huntington46

Entheogens likely served as the catalyst which put Smith in the altered state of consciousness

where he could dictate the contents of the Book of Mormon to a scribe for hours at a time. It should be

noted that Mary Whitmer swore Sally Bunnell to secrecy about the translation process on account of

persecution. They probably didn’t want it publicized that Smith was writing the Book of Mormon while

heavily intoxicated as such information may have caused some healthy skepticism of the book’s veracity.

From Smith’s early days on the farm to writing the Book of Mormon we see a steady line of

frequent entheogen use which only became more frequent with the foundation of the church in New York

and the subsequent move to Kirtland, Ohio. As Smith’s reputation shifted from that of treasure-digger and

magician to religious leader, his prior affiliation with magicians and others who were known to be

frequently intoxicated may substantially explain the persecution he experienced in New York which led to

the Church’s first mass-exodus from the state.

Isaac Morley and Fertile Kirtland

Smith’s use of entheogens marks its crescendo in Kirtland

during his most charismatic years. From 1831-6, there exists rampant

firsthand evidence which is reasonably interpreted as frequent

entheogen use. Smith’s successful experimentation on the Morley

Farm, Johnson home, School of the Prophets, and upper floor of the

Kirtland Temple culminated in the Kirtland temple dedication

ceremony in 1836. According to Lamar Petersen in Hearts Made

Glad, these public outbreaks of irrationality and odd physical

movements caused local media to take notice, citing the Independent

Messenger out of Worcester, Massachusetts to make his case. Is it

reasonable to assume the Mormons’ odd behavior and trances are due

to an immeasurable divine force acting on their mental faculties? Or,

is it more reasonable to conclude they were experimenting with

entheogens with mixed results; sometimes causing erratic behavior,

other times causing theophany and subsequent life-long devotion to

the faith?

“Some [Church members] lie in trances a day or two and visit the unknown regions in the

meantime; some are taken with a fit of terrible shaking which they say is the power of the Holy

Ghost.”47

While a talented religious leader can elicit ecstatic or altered states of consciousness in

parishioners through meditation, chanting, etc., there exists virtually no evidence to support the claim that

this state can be reliably produced in statistically significant populations, or prolonged for longer than a

few hours, without the aid of a chemical stimulant. These stimulants are easily delivered through

ointments, tinctures or wine taken as part of a sacrament ritual. This is not to claim that every sacrament

ritual involves entheogens, but to posit that some sacrament rituals historically have included and relied

upon chemical stimulants derived from entheogens. It should be noted that the majority of those using

entheogens viewed them as conduit to god, not anathema to god.

Before the School of the Prophets was formed, Smith spent a number of years living with some of

his closest followers, namely: Isaac Morley, Newel K. Whitney, and John Johnson. There are various

circumstances where revelations were obtained and angels ministered to Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and a

number of other closely trusted associates. One of the earliest places Joseph and Emma Smith took up

residence was on the Isaac Morley farm near Kirtland, OH where 13 revelations now included in the

Doctrine & Covenants were revealed. The second revelation Joseph gave while there is BoC 16 or D&C

46, interpreting who should and should not be allowed to take the holy sacrament.

These meetings divert from modern perceptions of a typical church meeting. Most of these

meetings involved a small number of families or possibly just some trusted church members crowded

together in a small room, worshipping, singing hymns, partaking of the sacrament, and listening to

lectures from Sidney Rigdon or Joseph Smith, or even just meditating for hours on end. Some of these

closed-door activities raised suspicion from the locals.

From the very earliest days of the church, prospective members suspected the Mormon preachers

of drugging parishioners with laced wine or ‘strong drink’. One man, Jasper Jesse Moss was a

Campbellite living and working in Kirtland as a school teacher at the time that the first Mormon

missionaries arrived there. Moss received an education and had studied medicine and surgery, but due to a

physical deformity, was not able to practice medicine. By all accounts, he was an honest and scholarly

man.48 As such, his opinion on the matter must be weighed appropriately. Moss gave the following

account concerning the meetings occurring at the Morley farm.

I commenced teaching school in Kirkland...in the fall of 1830. The week that I commenced my

school three Mormon preachers came from York state. ...two of these preachers I

recollect...Parley Pratt and Oliver Cowdery...In the course of the winter I attended their

meeting...I believe I was the first person with a young man whose name I have forgotten, who

was present when they took what was called the sacrament up at the Morley house. They were in

the habit of turning everybody out of the door when they partook of the bread and wine, putting

up blankets at the windows, shutting off the sight from without.** They started a regular pow-

pow, and when they got well going, then they opened the door and let us all come in again. A

young man and myself made it up that we would stay in unless they took us out by force. The

young man got asleep, and I had the dumb evil and could not talk; but they did not carry us out

but went on with the sacrament. The poor-house in Portage County, Ohio, where there were half

a dozen insane and idiotic persons, was the best comparison of anything to the scene that night.

And if I had my cloak on I would have stolen the wine and carried it home to see whether it was

drugged or not.”

**A Church historian mentions that in 1831 at a log dwelling owned by Isaac Morley “even the

door was muffled with cloths to prevent a noise” while Joseph and the Elders prayed for a sick

woman who was immediately healed.(Andrew Jenson, The Historical Record, VI January 1887,

p136) Morley, chastised by the Lord (D&C 54:15-16) was later forgiven his sins and ordained

Patriarch at Far West Missouri. - J.J. Moss49

The Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt offers some insight to how “the spirit” was moving through

Kirtland upon Joseph’s arrival from New York.

As I went forth among the different branches, some very strange spiritual operations were

manifested, which were disgusting, rather than edifying. Some persons would seem to swoon

away, and make unseemly gestures, and be drawn or disfigured in their countenances. Others

would fall into ecstacies, and be drawn into contortions, cramp, fits, etc. Others would seem to

have visions and revelations, which were not edifying, and which were not congenial to the

doctrine and spirit of the gospel. In short, a false and lying spirit seemed to be creeping into the

Church...

Feeling our weakness and inexperience, and lest we should err in judgment concerning these

spiritual phenomena, myself, John Murdock, and several other Elders, went to Joseph Smith, and

asked him to inquire of the Lord concerning these spirits or manifestations.

After we had joined in prayer in his translating room, he dictated in our presence the following

revelation:--[D&C 50] - Parley Pratt50

The mentioned revelation (D&C 50) does mention the ‘false spirits’ phenomenon which seemed

to be slowly gripping the churches around Kirtland upon Smith’s arrival. The sacrament bears further

scrutiny and analysis as the ritual makes repeated appearances being the most logistically plausible

entheogen delivery vehicle. Moss was not the only one to record such observations of delirious and

perceived satanic behavior. Almost a year later, soon following a Kirtland conference session in June,

1831, a small group of the teachers, priests and elders:

...met in a log schoolhouse near Isaac Morley’s farm, hoping for a spiritual endowment. Levi

Hancock, who had earlier been startled by visionaries, was baffled by what happened that

day...Joseph promised Lyman Wight he would see Christ that day. Wight soon turned stiff and

white, exclaiming that he had indeed viewed the Savior. According to Hancock, Joseph himself

said, ‘I now see God, and Jesus Christ is at his right hand.’

Then the meeting unraveled. Joseph ordained Harvey Whitlock to the high priesthood, the most

important business of the meeting, and Whitlock reacted badly. ‘He turned as black as Lyman

was white,’ Hancock reported. ‘His fingers were set like claws. He went around the room and

showed his hands and tried to speak; his eyes were the shape of O’s.’ Astonished at the turn of

events, Hyrum exclaimed, ‘Joseph, that is not of God.’ Joseph, unwilling to cut the phenomenon

short, told Hyrum to wait, but Hyrum insisted: ‘I will not believe...unless you inquire of God and

he owns it.’ Hancock said, ‘Joseph bowed his head, and in a short time got up and commanded

satan to leave Harvey, laying his hands upon his head at the same time.’ Then, Hancock said,

Leman Copley, who weighed over two hundred pounds, somersaulted in the air and fell on his

back over a bench. Wight cast Satan out of Copley, and Copley was calmed…

This was not the spiritual endowment the elders had expected, and the outburst may have

contributed to the ‘trouble and unbelief’ among the disciples.”51

After an incredibly bold promise to multiple people that he would deliver theophany, Smith

created a ritualistic set and setting, likely using available entheogens, and chaos ensued. The rather

raucous and animated scene, which required yet more exorcisms to suppress, appears to be an example of

entheogenic influence, more than Smith could handle. The dilated pupils, rigid body, inability to speak,

hands frozen claw-like, etc., are all indicative of entheogen overdose approaching dangerous and possibly

fatal levels.

The ‘School of Prophets,’ which formed in early 1833, prominently featured late-night sessions

among the church elders after the administration of the Lord’s supper (sacrament) and oil anointings. The

use of plant based intoxicants is quite plausible at this time, as the activities conducted in the School of

Prophets would eventually lead to formation of Word of Wisdom.

It was during this time that Smith began his heavy studies into Kabbalah, a Hebrew school of

mysticism which arose from oral tradition in the 13th-century, heavily influencing Hermeticism wrapped

into the larger world of Occultism. Early iterations of Kabbalah represent a never-ending pursuit of

meditation on the nature of God in darkened caves or secluded areas protected from the outside world.

The meditative sessions of Kabbalah document novice initiates being driven mad and even dying during

mystical hypnotic trances, while other sessions of the adept include visions of angels and other scenes

which strikes incredible resemblance to the meditative sessions of Smith and the early Mormons, and

continues to cause confusion for historians today.

At the heart of the tradition, there nonetheless was a prophetic aspiration, and several Kabbalists

left intimate records—material preserved in manuscript and often held in restricted circulation—

of visions, angelic visitations, ecstatic transport, and divine anointings. These individuals saw

themselves, and were sometimes seen by others, in the same mold as Israel's ancient prophets. A

rationalistic approach to history might judge such phenomena as aberrant, even pathological. But

within the scholarly study of Kabbalah, these phenomena are so well witnessed and so central to

the tradition, that they require acceptance at very least as empirical psychological realities.52

These private mystical meditation sessions show up repeatedly in early Mormonism, with limited

public manifestations culminating in March of 1836 with the Kirtland Temple dedication ceremony.

Whatever the method of administration, it is clear that Joseph Smith had the ability to repeatedly and

reliably invoke radical and sometimes challenging visions or revelations of angelically guided theophany,

including occasional appearances from God and Jesus.

I exhorted the brethren to faithfulness, and diligence in keeping the commandments of God, and

gave much instruction for the benefit of the saints, with a promise that the pure in heart would see

a heavenly vision; and after remaining a short time in secret prayer, the promise was verified; for

many present had the eyes of their understanding opened by the spirit of God so as to behold

many things. I then blessed the bread and wine, and distributed a portion to each, after which

many of the brethren saw a heavenly vision of the Savior, and concourses of angels, and many

other things, of which each one has a record of what they saw, &c.” -Joseph Smith Jr.53

By repeatedly describing the ingestion or application of ‘consecrated’ sacramental wine or

anointing oil, and subsequent theophany and angelic visions, Joseph Smith was likely describing multiple

closed-door worship sessions augmented with entheogens. A few patterns emerge which are necessary to

recognize. From the Morley farm to the Johnson home, to the School of the Prophets, Smith was meeting

with his closest companion church leaders in secretive closed rooms to administer sacrament/anointing oil

and spend hours enjoying visions once “the eyes of their understanding” were “opened”. During these

sessions, Smith honed both his manipulation of entheogens as well as the perfect set and setting. This

experimentation and subsequent knowledge likely increased the impact of Smith’s charisma, causing

parishioners to attain personal revelation and theophany in small group settings, or even in a large public

setting like the elusive, and often confusing, Kirtland Temple dedication ceremony in 1836.

Kirtland Temple Dedication

Kirtland presents a grand theatre of

Smith’s entheogenic trials. From the earliest

days on the Morley farm, to the School of

the Prophets, to the late-night meetings with

anointing oil in the 3rd floor of the temple

prior to dedication, during the majority of

the Kirtland years of Mormon history the

use of entheogens lurks somewhere beneath

the surface.

Parsing Mormon history using the

Smith-entheogen model, the surviving

accounts from the temple dedication

ceremony are stunning to say the least.

During this incredibly spiritual time in

Mormon history, many people reported

seeing visions of angels and God while in

attendance of the ceremony. Space and

redundancy limit the number of accounts we include concerning the dedication ceremony. It cannot be

argued that Joseph Smith and Heber C. Kimball were untrustworthy sources upon which we base claims

that the dedication ceremony was heavily influenced by entheogens infused in the sacramental wine.

Joseph Smith, Jr.

"Brother George A. Smith arose and began to prophesy, when a noise was heard like the sound of

a rushing mighty wind, which filled the Temple, and all the congregation simultaneously arose,

being moved upon by an invisible power; many began to speak in tongues and prophesy; others

saw glorious visions; and I beheld the Temple was filled with angels, which fact I declared to the

congregation. The people of the neighborhood came running together (hearing an unusual sound

within, and seeing a bright light like a pillar of fire resting upon the Temple), and were astonished

at what was taking place."54

It should be noted that auditory hallucinations sounding like whooshing wind or rushing water are

very well documented as one of the myriad effects of entheogens. Many of the extant accounts from the

dedication ceremony detail this very phenomenon with stunning ubiquity.

Heber C. Kimball

"During the ceremonies of the dedication, an angel appeared and sat near President Joseph Smith,

Sen., and Frederick G. Williams, so that they had a fair view of his person. He was a very tall

personage, black eyes, white hair, and stoop shouldered; his garment was whole, extending to

near his ankles; on his feet he had sandals. He was sent as a messenger to accept of the

dedication...While these things were being attended to the beloved disciple John was seen in our

midst by the Prophet Joseph, Oliver Cowdery and others."55

These are but two trusted accounts extracted from an

ocean of similar visionary tales. Are we to believe that angels

and even God appeared to some in the temple and not to

others as some kind of blessing for the dedication of the

temple? Or, is it more realistic to assume the fasting and wine

catalyzed scores of people to enter altered states of

consciousness where Smith’s programmed set and setting

caused vivid hallucinations? If the angelic manifestations

were indeed legitimate, would we not expect more

consistency in the accounts?

Some of those partaking of the sacramental wine were

likely privy to the situation as they must have known that

alcohol alone could not elicit such hallucinations. Alcohol

induced hallucinations are primarily auditory only and occur

very rarely, usually in consequence of alcohol poisoning prior

to death. A few glasses of wine wouldn’t contain the

necessary amount of alcohol to explain anything these people

experienced. Likely there were a few who may have known

full well that the wine was infused with an entheogen,

knowing the consecrated wine was required for visions.

It was on this occasion that one of the brethren, lying flat on his back so full of the spirit (of

drunkenness) that he could not sit up, hiccoughed out: "Now is the time to see visions." Yea,

verily it was. He spake as spirits gave him utterance, but not as the Spirit of God...56

From an account by Milo Andrus, a Saint living in Kirtland, we see how Smith used altered

states of consciousness catalyzed by entheogens and set and setting to convince people of his divine

power.

Milo Andrus, a faithful Seventy who had been a member of the ill-starred Zion’s Camp,

despaired of seeing the celestial visitors until Joseph told him to continue to fast and pray. ‘When

we had fasted for 24 hours,’ marvelled Milo, ‘and partaken of the Lord’s supper, namely a piece

of bread as big as your double fist and a half a pint of wine in the temple, I was there and saw the

Holy Ghost descend upon the heads of those present like cloven tongues of fire. I said it is

enough, Father, and I will bear a faithful testimony of it while I live.’”57

Smith had honed the expertise necessary to cause true theophany in his parishioners much like

Andrus experienced, causing them to forever believe in Smith’s ability as prophet. However, not

everybody was so well convinced and saw through the theatrics. William E. McLellin later attributed the

entire scenario to the intoxicating wine, considering the entire thing to be nothing more than a drunken

mess.

As to the endowment in Kirtland, I state positively, it was no endowment from God. Not only

myself was not endowed, but no other man of the five hundred who was present--except it was

with wine.” -William McLellin58

The Kirtland Temple dedication ceremony

marks the crowning event on 6 years’ culmination of

spiritualism and entheogen use. The vast majority of

the extant evidence concerning the Mormon’s use of

entheogens involves limited exposure with a small

group of a dozen or so individuals experimenting in

dark rooms segregated from the general population for

hours on end.

Smith had profound effects when he promised

his followers administering of angels or vision of God

and followed up with psychoactive sacrament. It was a

scalable formula that worked on a number of people in

small groups as well as a statistically significant

number in the large group setting in the Temple.

Unfortunately, the dedication ceremony marks the

crescendo of Smith’s overt entheogen use with a sharp

decrease in public consumption from then on.

One of the most significant occurrence where

angels appeared in Kirtland after the dedication

ceremony was one week after when Oliver Cowdery

and Joseph Smith saw the Lord one final time in the

Temple and subsequently received revelation

comprising current-day D&C 110.

I assisted the other Presidents in distributing the elements of the Lord’s Supper to the church,

receiving it from the Twelve… I retired to the Pulpit, the veils being dropped, and bowed myself,

with Oliver Cowdery, in solemn, and silent prayer. After rising from prayer, the following vision

was opened to both of us-- [D&C 110]

The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened; we saw the

Lord standing upon the breastwork of the Pulpit, before us,... His eyes were as a flame of fire; the

hair of his head was white like the pure snow,... and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of

great waters...” -Joseph Smith Jr.59

The charisma and resources necessary for these experiences was not sustainable and soon public

consumption appears to have been eliminated. This is not to say that the use of entheogens as sacrament

for Smith and his closest followers was eliminated, but rather, that such activities were conducted

privately for a number of reasons, least of which was logistics.

From Far West to Nauvoo:

After a series of managerial and financial disasters following the founding of the Kirtland Safety

Society, Joseph Smith and other church leaders were forced to flee Kirtland to settle in Missouri and later

Nauvoo. After the Mormons’ exodus from Kirtland, overt evidence of Smith using entheogens becomes

relatively sparse. This decreased evidence correlates with many other changes in the Church during the

Missouri and Nauvoo years (1838-1845). There exists a dramatic decrease in the number of inspired

revelations making their way into Church canon; 122 revelations were given from 1829-1838 compared

to 14 revelations from 1839-1844. During the Nauvoo years, Smith was consistently busy with the

construction and administration of the city. This, among many other time-consuming daily activities must

have impacted Smith’s free-time and, by extension, the time he could devote to spiritual pursuits

enhanced by entheogens. Evidence may exist that these activities were forced underground for purposes

of sustainability and broadening public perceptions.

Smith also existed in a realm constantly influenced by teetotalers and those forwarding the

temperance agenda. John C. Bennett undoubtedly had an impact on the laws of Nauvoo and their

intermittent banishment or alternating tacit approval of alcohol sale and consumption within city limits.

At one point in February of 1841, John C. Bennett passed a city ordinance banning the consumption and

sale of unsanctioned spirituous liquors after which Smith provides his alternative to the people’s need for

alcohol delivered medicine.

In the discussion of the foregoing bill, I spoke at great length on the use of liquors, and showed

that it was unnecessary, and operates as a poison in the stomach, and that roots and herbs can be

found to effect all necessary purposes. - Joseph Smith Jr.60

The fact that Smith argued roots and herbs would make proper medicinal and recreational

substitutes for alcohol leads us to conclude he was familiar with plants as intoxicants; exactly to what

degree he was educated in the field remains conjectural and ripe for further research.

It’s worth noting, however, that it takes very little in the way of education to take advantage of

the plant medicines readily available to Smith. An average person at the time, armed with some basic

canning or soap making equipment, could accomplish some very startling kitchen chemistry with just a

few commonly found herbs. Scholars are aware that Smith Sr. crystallized and attempted to sell roughly

$3000 worth of ginseng overseas in the early 1810s.61 The Smith family also produced and sold molasses

regularly as a side business. Whatever their formal education may have included, the Smith family

undoubtedly held some basic folk herbalism and chemistry skills.

There exists a sharp line of distinction between the elementary policies during the early days of

Kirtland and the seemingly more refined period of Nauvoo. If entheogen use among the early Saints did

persist, it must have done so by going underground, possibly only being used by small, insular groups or

hierarchy on rare occasion. The secrecy involved in Freemasonry and the Council of Fifty may be the

only set and setting where these practices persisted. These assertions are admittedly speculative and

require further research to substantiate.

In stark contrast to the visionary experiences in Kirtland leading up to early April 1836, Oliver B.

Huntington tells of a perfectly normal worship service in Far West in 1838. The service involved

sacramental wine and bread, but noticeably lacked in angelic visitation or subjective visions.

The people came together in the morning without their breakfast, to the bowery on the Public

Square where there was prepared a plenty of good bread and a barrel of wine. The bread and wine

was blessed, every person ate bread and drank wine as they wanted all day, when they wanted.

They sat and talked, and walked and conversed upon heavenly and spiritual things as they felt

like, walked out on the Prairie and returned to eat and drink.

No one said, ‘Let’s go and get a drink,’ but with solemnity they commemorated the death and

sufferings of Jesus. A part of the day Joseph was preaching in the large room on the North side of

the square, while George A. Smith preached on the South side, from a wagon, no one was

intoxicated during the day.” -Oliver B Huntington62

It could be argued that this service in Far West was fundamentally different in nature to the

Kirtland Temple dedication. Such an argument only serves to buttress the necessity for proper set and

setting, shedding light on the complexity of subjective spiritual or visionary experiences. A simple

explanation for the stark differences between this worship service and the Kirtland Temple dedication

service may lie in the wine.

During the Nauvoo years of church history, 1839-1844, activity alluding to entheogen use seems

to have remained successfully underground and is largely omitted from extant historical models. The

company Smith kept may have just as much to do with the suppression of this activity as the lack of

practicality. Smith’s study and practice of Kabbalah and occultism embodied a new iteration in Masonry,

where entheogen use may have continued behind closed doors of those ascended to the sublime degree as

Smith was.

After Smith’s death in 1844, the Brighamite church doesn’t seem to include much available

evidence in relation to entheogens. Understandably, if the evidence exists it may be largely ignored or

misinterpreted and requires further investigation. Beyond the Nauvoo years, there may be evidence to

suggest continued entheogen use in other sects existing after the 1844 schism. The Strangites along with a

few other smaller factions prior to the reorganization may have been using entheogens in their sacrament

rituals, however, extant evidence is sparse at best and likewise requires further investigation.

There may also be evidence to suggest that some underground societies which embrace the power

of entheogens in sacrament cropped up in Utah and possibly exist underground today hiding in plain

sight. William Clayton, an important scribe and alchemist during the Nauvoo years, began the British

Metallic Mutual Association, an alchemical occult group with dozens of prominent members founded in

Utah roughly 20 years after Smith’s death. Various iterations of this group may have survived in Utah

until possibly as late as the 1980’s, although evidence is admittedly sparse and intentionally obscure.63

Limitations and Alternate Theories:

Lack of tangible and unambiguous documentary evidence: Evidence for this historical theory

relies heavily on a culmination of multiple firsthand accounts and broad circumstantial evidence. A

reasonable search for substantial documentary or scientific evidence should be pursued to further

construct and evaluate the Smith-entheogen historical model.

Evidential unfamiliarity: Those unfamiliar with entheogenic materials and the body of science

behind them may be tempted to explain away visionary reports by alcohol consumption alone. To actually

incite hallucination however, incredibly copious amounts of alcohol must be regularly ingested over many

years. Even under such conditions, documented hallucinations are rare and usually only auditory in

nature. Alcohol on an empty stomach isn’t reasonable to explain the visions seen by the early Mormons.

Confirmation bias: Once plausibility is granted to this model, it becomes challenging to not see

evidence supporting the claims, even when such evidence may be better interpreted differently. This

historical model offers a new tool by which to view existing evidence and may provide direction in the

never-ending search for new evidence or new interpretations of existing evidence; the Smith-entheogen

historical model should be wielded reasonably and cautiously.

Pentecostal revivalism: The visions and experiences reported by the early Saints have been

previously explained with typical Pentecostal revivals which frequently occurred in early 19-century

America and still perpetuate today. Individuals seeing angels don’t require entheogens to reach altered

states of consciousness, such states can be achieved through a vast number of methods (ecstatic dancing

or other physical exertion, singing, chanting, prayer, etc.). In group settings, the partaking of plant

medicines to catalyze altered states of consciousness is the most reliable method to attain theophany and

visionary experiences with repeatable and demonstrable accuracy.

Conclusion:

The unfortunate reality remains, we can never get into Smith’s mind. We could never understand

what was going through the minds of Smith and his followers at any given time. We can only expose

ourselves to the same material and mindset available to them and construct educated historical models

which explain all the available evidence.

It should be noted that Smith’s use of his seer stone to see the spiritual light in the process of

translating the Book of Mormon is a concept with which historians have wrestled for quite some time.

Once Smith had attained an altered state of consciousness and placed the anointed seer-stone in his

darkened hat, he may have literally hallucinated the characters and the interpretation, adding some level

of sincerity to his translation process, making the Smith-entheogen theory a plausible naturalistic

explanation for the genesis of the Book of Mormon.

The historical model of Joseph Smith’s entheogen use is by no means a new theory. As early as

1831, J.J. Moss (a trained medical doctor) suspected and accused the early church of drugging prospective

members with sacramental wine on the Morley farm. Others, like William McLellin, may not have

directly accused as Moss did, but understood that the sacramental wine played a role in the Kirtland

Temple dedication ceremony. More recently, Dr. Robert Beckstead presented his paper “Restoration and

the Sacred Mushroom,” at Sunstone 2007, becoming a seminal work for the Smith-entheogen historical

model.

Beckstead’s Restoration and the Sacred Mushroom does a great service to this field of study and

lays out the blueprints for further investigation. However, we can’t help but notice some profound

weaknesses, chief of which hinges on Smith’s involvement with entheogens prior to Mormonism.

Beckstead presents a version of Smith who founded the Church of Christ and was subsequently

influenced by people like Black Pete (Peter Kerr) who introduced entheogens to the church. Evidence

seems to point to Smith using entheogens long before and after Kerr’s involvement with Mormonism.

The preponderance of existing circumstantial and testimonial evidence supporting the Smith-

entheogen historical model cannot be ignored. Without straining credulity with appeals to highly

conjectural and subjective group hallucinations, there are no widely accepted naturalistic historical

models which comprehensively explain the extant body of visionary experiences in early Mormonism.

The Smith-entheogen model understandably causes some discomfort; some may scoff at the very idea that

Joseph Smith was knowingly drugging the unwitting early Mormons, an offense which would currently

merit significant prison time.

If we are to truly understand Mormon history, it is incumbent upon historians to reasonably

consider all reasonable historical models. Even if some models seem counterintuitive or uncomfortable, if

they plausibly explain a number of previously unexplainable events, they should be considered; such

models may enrich an already exciting, albeit polarizing, body of research. To dismiss this historical

model is to dismiss solid, tangible, and naturalistic explanations which directly validate Joseph Smith’s

abilities to commune with, and manipulate, the divine.

It may be asserted that once we can explain the mechanics of a miraculous event, it somehow

invalidates the miraculousness. This assertion couldn’t be further from the truth. Modern doctors

routinely kill their patients in order to perform open heart surgery, only to then resurrect them later with

another dead person's heart freshly installed. A century ago, this too would have been considered an

undeniable miracle and is often still considered miraculous to the family members of those with new

hearts. Even if the miracle is scientifically understood, it can still be miraculous to those involved;

perception changes everything.

Analogously, the emerging science of entheogenic substances should be treated with due respect.

Just as most Mormon historians have come to terms with the idea of seer stones and Joseph Smith’s early

career as a ceremonial magician, it may be time to come to terms with the evidence of entheogenic

substances being used by Joseph Smith and the early Mormon church. Entheogens are chemicals with a

given pharmacology which affect human neurochemistry and the “normal” perceptions of consciousness.

These chemicals are neither good nor evil. Just as with any other tool, it is what people do with them that

allows them to be judged as good or bad.

Given the current medical research by Johns Hopkins Medical, the Multidisciplinary Association

of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), the Heffter Institute, the International Center for Ethnobotanical

Education Research and Service (ICEERS), and the Beckley Foundation, these chemicals are once again

being appreciated for their biomechanical reliable ability to elicit indescribable mystical experiences

associated with altered states of consciousness. What began with legitimate scientific investigation, free-

love and tie dye-clad experimentation quickly rose to dominate public perception of entheogenic

substances. Today, renowned scientists from reputable research facilities are reclaiming outdated

perceptions by using research grants to safely and effectively study the myriad effects induced by

entheogens in clinical settings. These are remarkable medicines and require much further investigation

and study, as well as a paradigm shift in public perception.

Despite its longevity and explanatory power, the Smith-entheogen historical model comparatively

lacks hard evidence and therefore requires a multidisciplinary perspective of history to unravel; it’s no

surprise the entheogen model of Mormon history has largely gone uninvestigated and unexplored for the

last century. New documentary evidence must be gathered before this historical model reaches the level

of academic theory or falsifiability. An even greater obstacle; much more research is necessary before

Joseph Smith’s drug use will be accepted by the mainstream LDS church.

“I can take my Bible, and go into the woods, and learn more in

two hours, than you can learn at [church] meeting in two years, if

you should go all the time.” -Joseph Smith64

Notes:

1. Richard E. Schultes, Albert Hoffman, and Christian Ratsch, “Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred,

Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers.” Healing Arts Press, Rochester Vermont. 1992. p10-14

2. Doblin, Rick. “Pahnke’s ‘Good Friday Experiment’ A Long Term Follow Up and Methodological

Critique.” In The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, Vol. 2. Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1991.

3. R. R. Griffiths & W. A. Richards & U. McCann & R. Jesse. “Psilocybin can occasion mystical-

type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance.”

Springer-Verlag 2006. Received: 20 January 2006 /Accepted: 27 May 2006.

4. Leary, Timothy. “The Religious Experience: It’s Production and Interpretation.” 1964 See

maps.org Last accessed June 2017.

5. Richard E. Schultes, Albert Hoffman, and Christian Ratsch, “Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred,

Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers.” Healing Arts Press, Rochester Vermont. 1992.

6. Heinrich, Clark, “Magic Mushrooms in Religion and Alchemy.” Park Street Press, Richmond

Vermont, 2002. p.5

7. Bryce Blankenagel, Carl P Ruck. Naked Mormonism Podcast SpEp43.

http://nakedmormonismpodcast.com/episodes.html Last Accessed June 2017.

8. Guerra-Doce, E. The Origins of Inebriation: Archaeological Evidence of the Consumption of

Fermented Beverages and Drugs in Prehistoric Eurasia. Journal of Archaeological Method and

Theory. 2014.

9. McKenna, Terrance. “Food Of The Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge.”

Ebury Publishing, 2010, pg54.

10. Guerra-Doce, E. The Origins of Inebriation: Archaeological Evidence of the Consumption of

Fermented Beverages and Drugs in Prehistoric Eurasia. Journal of Archaeological Method and

Theory. 2014.

11. R. Gordon Wasson, Albert Hofmann, Carl A. P. Ruck, Huston Smith. “The Road to Eleusis:

Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries.” North Atlantic Books, 2008.

12. Quinn, D. Michael, “Early Mormonism and the Magical World View.” Salt Lake City, Utah.

Signature Books, 1998. p 31-65

13. Ibid. p98-114

14. Sibly, Ebenezer. “A New and Complete Illustration of the Occult Sciences.” London, 1795.

15. http://www.esotericarchives.com/solomon/sibly4.htm Last accessed June 2017.

16. Howe, Eber D. “History of Mormonism, or A Faithful Account of That Singular Delusion, With

Sketches of the Character of Its Propagators.” Painsville Ohio, second edition, 1840. p249-250.

17. Peterson, Lamar. “Hearts Made Glad, The Charges of Intemperance Against Joseph Smith the

Mormon Prophet.” Salt Lake City, Utah, 1975. pg38-40

18. Ibid.. pg38-40

19. Bushman, Richard L. Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism, University of Illinois

Press, 1984 p.29.

20. Quinn, D. Michael, “Early Mormonism and the Magical World View.” Salt Lake City, Utah.

Signature Books, 1998. p 131.

21. Owens, Lance S. “Joseph Smith and Kabbalah: The Occult Connection.” Gnosis.org. Pub 1994.

http://gnosis.org/jskabb2.htm Last accessed December 2016.

22. Barret, Francis. “The Magus, or Celestial Intelligencer.” London, 1801.

23. Tucker, Pomeroy. “Origin, rise, and progress of Mormonism.” 1867. pg38.

24. Repository information found at http://www.ancestry.com. Last accessed May 2017.

25. Ward, M. C. (Fall 2002), "'This Institution is a Good One': The Female Relief Society of Nauvoo,

17 March 1842 to 16 March 1844", Mormon Historical Studies, 3 (2): 140.

26. History of the Church Vol5. P312.

27. Journal of Discourses, Vol 5, pg 55.

28. The Geneva Gazette, Aug 26, 1859, 15:34 pg2

29. Auburn Weekly Union, Jun 13, 1860, 6:20 pg 5

30. Luman Walters microfilm, Ontario County records and archives department, Canandaigua, NY,

accessed and copied 7 Apr 2017.

31. “The Book of Pukei.—Chap. I.” The Reflector (Palmyra, New York) 3d series, no. 5 (12 June

1830): 36–37.

32. Richard Schultes, Christian Ratsch, Albert Hoffman. “Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing,

and Hallucinogenic Powers.” Healing Arts Press; 2nd edition, 2001. p86-91.

33. Ibid. p86-91.

34. Lucy Mack Smith, “Biographical Sketches.” 1853 p58-59.

35. Beckstead, Robert T. “Restoration and the Sacred Mushroom.” Presented at Sunstone

Symposium August, 2007.

36. Ott, Jonathon, “Pharmocatheon.” Occidental, CA, Jonathan Ott Books, p363-369.

37. Richard Schultes, Christian Ratsch, Albert Hoffman. “Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing,

and Hallucinogenic Powers.” Healing Arts Press; 2nd edition, 2001. p111.

38. Hatsis, Thomas. “The Witches Ointment: The Secret History of Psychedelic Magic.” Park Street

Press, Vermont. 2015

39. For chronology and manual labor, see Donald L. Enders, “The Joseph Smith Sr. Family: Farmers

of the Genesee,” in Susan Easton Black and Charles D. Tate Jr., eds., Joseph Smith: The Prophet,

the Man (1993), 213–25. Found on https://www.lds.org/ensign/2005/12/the-early-preparation-of-

the-prophet-joseph-smith?lang=eng#footnote20-25912_000_005, Last accessed April 2017.

40. Beckstead, Robert T. “Restoration and the Sacred Mushroom.” Presented at Sunstone

Symposium August, 2007. --- Ruck, Carl. “The Effluents of Deity: Alchemy and Psychoactive

Sacraments in Medieval and Renaissance Art.” Carolina Academic Press, 2012

41. Smith, Lucy Mack “Biographical Sketches.” 1853 p54.

42. Quinn, D. Michael, “Early Mormonism and the Magical World View.” Salt Lake City, Utah.

Signature Books, 1998. p 17-21.

43. Richard Schultes, Christian Ratsch, Albert Hoffman. “Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing,

and Hallucinogenic Powers.” Healing Arts Press; 2nd edition, 2001.

44. Ott, Jonathon, “Pharmocatheon.” Occidental, CA, Jonathan Ott Books, pg121.

45. Hancock, Graham. “Supernatural: Meetings with the Ancient Teachers of Mankind.” 2005. ---

Stavish, Mark. “The History of Alchemy in America.” Hermetic.com. Copyright 1996. Last

accessed December 2016. http://hermetic.com/stavish/alchemy/history.html

46. Oliver B. Huntington, Journal 2, typescript, Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, BYU,

412, last accessed June 2017

http://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1773&context=msr

47. Independent Messenger, Worcester, Massachusetts, May 27, 1831. From Peterson, Hearts Made

Glad. 1975 p81.

48. The Disciple of Christ, Volume 2. 1885. Biographical Sketch of J.J. Moss p463

49. Branden-Kelley Debate, 369. From Peterson, Hearts Made Glad. 1975 p82-83

50. Pratt, Parley P., “Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt,” pg 6, Chicago, IL, 1888,

https://archive.org/details/autobiographyofp00prat, accessed 28 Apr 2017.

51. Bushman, Richard. “Joseph Smith: Rough Rolling Stone” Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group,

2007. p156-157

52. Owens, Lance S. “Joseph Smith and Kabbalah: The Occult Connection.” Gnosis.org. Pub 1994.

Last accessed June 2017. http://gnosis.org/jskabb2.htm

53. Vogel Dan “History of Joseph Smith & The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” vol

1:245-6, Smith-Petit Foundation, Salt Lake City, 2015.

54. Smith, Joseph, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 vols., introduction

and notes by B. H. Roberts (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

1932-1951), 2:428.

55. Journal of Discourses, 26 vols, London: Latter-day Saints' Book Depot, 1854-1886, 9:376.

56. Braden-Kelley Debate, pg 370, 1887, Christian Publishing Co., St. Louis, MO, date accessed 29

Apr 2017, http://icotb.org/resources/Braden-Kelley--Mormon.pdf

57. Lamar Peterson, Hearts Made Glad, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1975, pg 139-140 quoting Charles

Walker Journal, Utah State Historical Society, pg 35

58. William McLellin, True Latter-Day Saints’ Herald, XIX, 437, quoted from Lamar Petersen

“Hearts Made Glad,” pg 137

59. History of Joseph Smith & The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints vol 2:419-420, Vogel

Dan, Smith-Petit Foundation, Salt Lake City, 2015

60. History of the Church vol 4:299; read History of Joseph Smith & The Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter-day Saints vol 4:293, Vogel Dan, Smith-Petit Foundation, 2015

61. Bushman, Richard L. Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism, University of Illinois

Press, 1984 p.29

62. History of the Life of Oliver B. Huntington Written by Himself 1878-1900 pg 31, Library of

Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, accessed 7 Mar 2017,

https://archive.org/details/historyoflifeofo00hunt

63. Quinn, D. Michael, “Early Mormonism and the Magic World View,” pg 307, 1998, Signature

Books, Salt Lake City

64. Smith, Lucy Mack “Biographical Sketches.” 1853 p90.

Picture Plates:

1. Joseph Smith teachinghttps://www.josephsmithjr.org/index.php/history/joseph-smith-jr.

2. Ceres (Demeter) holding cereal barley, opium pods with snakes. Terracotta (3rd-2nd century

BCE) Museo Nazionale Della Terme.

3. Joseph Smith home photographed by Bryce Blankenagel April 2017

4. “The Oracle of Dr. John Dee.” 1825. A similar illustration can be found versions of Sibly,

Ebenezer. “A New and Complete Illustration of the Occult Sciences.” London, 1795.

5. John Quidor (American, 1801-1881). The Money Diggers, 1832.

6. https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura_stramonium

7. http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/t/thorna12.html

8. Amanita Fairy Ring - https://s-media-cache-

ak0.pinimg.com/originals/79/88/f2/7988f2ab0fb6f082e0f9f6965c5c5015.jpg

9. “Fairy Ring.” Walter Jenks Morgan (British, 1847-1924)

10. Ergot. See http://www.erowid.org

11. Morley Log Schoolhouse plaque photographed by Bryce Blankenagel March 2017

12. Kirtland Temple photographed by Bryce Blankenagel March 2017

13. Angels in Kitland - Found at: https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-and-church-

history-study-guide-for-home-study-seminary-students-2014/section-05/unit-24-day-1-doctrine-and-

covenants-109?lang=eng

14. Christ Appearing in the Kirtland Temple - Found at: https://www.josephsmith.net/exhibit/the-

house-of-the-lord?lang=eng#mv1

About the Authors

Bryce Blankenagel was born and raised in Utah of

goodly parents. He is a full-time researcher and

contributor to TheRealBookOfMormon.org

scholarly project, co-host of My Book of Mormon

Podcast, and host/editor/producer of the Naked

Mormonism Podcast (the serial Mormon history

podcast). Bryce is a fan of history and can’t get

enough of 19th-century American history. He

spends his free time reading non-fiction, canoeing

in the Puget Sound, and hardcore video-gaming

with friends from time to time. You can find his

online presence by Googling his oddly unique

quadra-syllabic last name or by searching anywhere

for Naked Mormonism.

Bryce's online presence can be found at the

following sites:

http://nakedmormonismpodcast.com/index.html

http://realbookofmormon.org/

Cody Noconi is a permaculture designer,

history fanatic, amateur mycologist, and LDS

survivor. He is the co-host/editor/producer of the

Psilly Rabbits Podcast, along with his far more

credentialed life-partner, Amanda. Cody is

interested in researching ancient, esoteric, and lost

traditions in hopes that such knowledge can help

lead humankind towards a more sustainable and

healthy future for generations to come. Whenever

he manages to pull his nose out of a book or

computer screen, Cody is usually catering to the

constant demands of two beautiful children and

an ever ongoing, 20-acre permaculture project.

Cody's online presence can be found at the

following sites:

http://psillyrabbits.com/

https://www.facebook.com/PsillyRabbitsPodcast/

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