History of the letter:
-Lyn Jacobs initially offered it to Don Schmidt of the LDS Church Historical Department on January 3, 1984, in exchange for a $10 Mormon gold piece. The offer was declined.
-Jacobs then met with Gordon B. Hinckley, who said; "I don't really know if we [the LDS Church] want it."
-Jacobs then offered to trade it for a copy of the Book of Commandments, which was also rejected.
-Jacobs asked Brent Ashworth if he had interest, but he had already seen a transcript from Hoffman and declared it to be fake.
-Then the church's Historical Department found the contents of the letter to seem too similar to Howe's Mormonism Unvailed (an anti publication), casting further doubt on its authenticity.
-Then Gordon B. Hinckley recommended to the First Presidency that the Church NOT purchase it.
-Then it was offered to other parties including Jerrald and Sandra Tanner, but they too expressed doubts in its authenticity.
-Finally, after all of those rejections, Steven F. Christensen purchased it and found an examiner who disagreed with the previous examiners and declared it to be authentic.
-In April 1985, with that ONE examiner claiming it authentic amidst the SEVERAL who expressed doubt (including the Tanners), President Hinckley objectively addressed both sides of the issue by stating, "No one, of course, can be certain that Martin Harris wrote the document. However, at this point we accept the judgment of the examiner that there is no indication that it is a forgery. This does not preclude the possibility that it may have been forged at a time when the Church had many enemies."
That is the comment that the antis feast upon. What they intentionally fail to include is the history of the letter being rejected over and over. Instead, they twist Hinckley's objective report as "being duped" and "unable to discern evil intentions."
Those whose testimonies were shaken were most likely not given the full story.
Hinckley later acknowledged his critics by offering the following: "I accepted [Jacobs] to come into my office on a basis of trust.... I frankly admit that Hofmann tricked us. He also tricked experts from New York to Utah, however.... I am not ashamed to admit that we were victimized. It is not the first time the Church has found itself in such a position. Joseph Smith was victimized again and again. The Savior was victimized. I am sorry to say that sometimes it happens."
Sorry Indy but I voted no in your little poll.
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