by Dan Wees | Dec 21, 2019 | Miscellaneous
“Many of the earliest Mormons, including [Oliver] Cowdery, Martin Harris, Orrin P. Rockwell, Joseph Knight and Josiah Stowel, were rodsmen or money diggers but became Mormons for religious reasons.” Marvin S. Hill, Secular or Sectarian History. In Newell...
by Dan Wees | Dec 20, 2019 | Miscellaneous
Forerunner to Brigham Young using his staff to identify where the Salt Lake Temple should be built: “In the summer of 1818 … The prophet’s [Isaac Bullard] staff, which by the direction of its fall had hitherto pointed out the way, now stood still; and he declared...
by Dan Wees | Dec 20, 2019 | Miscellaneous
“The ‘rod’ was almost as much of an essential part of paraphernalia of early Mormonism as the seer-stone.” Charles A. Shook, The True Origin of The Book of Mormon (Cincinnati, OH: The Standard Publishing Co., 1914), 16 fn...
by Dan Wees | Dec 20, 2019 | Miscellaneous
“I have been told that Joe [Joseph] Smith’s father [Sr.] resided in Poultney at the time of the Wood movement here, and that he was in it, and one of the leading rods-men. Of this I cannot speak positively, for the want of satisfactory evidence … I have before said...
by Dan Wees | Dec 20, 2019 | Miscellaneous
“Joseph [Smith, Jr.] went to the town of Harmony, in the State of Pennsylvania, at the request of some one who wanted the assistance of his divining rod and stone in finding hidden treasure …” Joseph Smith, Sr., see Fayette Lapham, Interview with the Father of...
by Dan Wees | Dec 20, 2019 | Miscellaneous
“Young Jo[seph Smith, Jr.] had a forked witch-hazel rod with which he claimed he could locate buried money or hidden things. Later he had a peep-stone which he put into his hat and looked into. I have seen both.” Isaac Butts, Naked Truths About Mormonism (Oakland, CA:...
