My understanding is young Joseph Smith asked God to tell him which church was the real church, and God sent an angel with some tablets to translate instead. Budda bing, he's got his own religion. Whether he actually received prophecy, or was experiencing the onset of mental health issues that besiege some people as they enter their late teens and twenties, or was a natural born grifter learning the craft, is hard to say. But, he convinced a lot of people he was on the path of righteousness, and he quickly amassed a following. History speaks for itself.Maybenaut wrote: ↑Sun Sep 12, 2021 11:26 pm
AFAIK, the Unification Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and the Church of Scientology are all recognized by our government as real churches with the primary purpose of religion, earning them tax-exempt status.
And yeah, I agree that there’s ample evidence that Hubbard, Smith, and Moon were likely frauds. But so what? There are over 16 Million Mormons. Whether I like it or not, it’s a real church. Same goes for Scientology and Unification.
When the scoreboard says he's a prophet, there isn't much any of us can say about it. Like you, I just nod, and get out of the way. It's not worth arguing.