Thursday, January 25, 2018

Prophecies made by Jesus and Joseph Smith

In a Roman Catholic catechism for adult converts, we read the following:

13. What are some of the prophecies made by Jesus?

The following have already been fulfilled: those about His Passion, death, Resurrection, denial by Peter, betrayal of Judas, the coming of the Holy Ghost, the persecution of His followers, the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem and the preaching of the Gospel throughout the whole world. (William J. Cogan, A Brief Catechism for Adults: A Complete Handbook on How to be a Good Catholics [Chicago: ACTA Foundation, 1951; repr., Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books, 1993], 48)

While I do not have any issue with the prophecies listed, I find it interesting that many of these prophecies by (not about [whether “direct” or more often than not, typological]) Jesus are similar in terms of impressiveness (and in some cases, less) than those of fulfilled prophecies by Joseph Smith. For instance, Jeff Lindsay, in his LDSFAQ page, “Fulfilled Prophecies of Joseph Smith” lists the following:

Accurate Prophecies of the Civil War
The Saints to Flourish in the Rocky Mountains
The Liberty Jail Prophecies
The Saints to Escape Enemies Within 5 Years
The Stephen A. Douglas Prophecy
A Prediction of Destruction in Jackson County, Missouri
Condemned to Execution, Joseph Prophesies of Deliverance
Prediction of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon
The Prophetic Book of Mormon
The Prophetic "Word of Wisdom"
Prophetic Miracles Involving Newel K. Whitney
The Hearts of the Children to Turn to Their Fathers
Prediction of Stakes in Boston and New York
Joseph Predicts His Death
Dan Jones to Serve a Mission in Wales
Sidney Rigdon to Be a Spokesman
Healing and Prophecy with the Johnsons in Kirtland
Escape of Stephen Markham
Apostles to Depart from Far West on 26 April 1839
Isaiah 11 about to be fulfilled?

Many critics who appeal to prophecy often have to engage in a double-standard for Joseph Smith that they would never do for Jesus.

For more on Joseph Smith’s prophecies, see:

Articles:

Gilbert Schaffs, “Samples of Prophecies of Joseph Smith that have been fulfilled” (this is appendix C of The Truth about the Godmakers)

Books:


Duane Crowther, The Prophecies of Joseph Smith (a full preview of the 2008 printing is available on Google Books)

Daniel C. Peterson, The Last Days (2 vol.) (doesn't deal exclusively with Joseph Smith's prophetic utterances, but is still a good resource)