Joseph Smith's Memory

[_dblagent007]

Joseph Smith was known to have a wonderful memory. I thought it was because he had a rare gene that the ordinary person didn't. This TED talk puts that theory to rest. The speaker explains that a great memory is learned skill and there are some simple tricks that make it possible. I think Joseph Smith knew these tricks and that was why he had such a good memory. In fact, it isn't much of stretch to believe that using these tricks he memorized the Isaiah passages, italics and all, so that he could repeat them during the Book of Mormon translation process.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/joshua ... an_do.html

[_Fence Sitter]

In the MTC, back in the '70s, besides learning a foreign language, we memorized the discussions in that same foreign language. Many Elders left the MTC having them all memorized. I do not see memorizing lengthy Biblical passages, with which Joseph Smith was already very familiar and in his own language, as extraordinary at all.

[_brade]

In the MTC, back in the '70s, besides learning a foreign language, we memorized the discussions in that same foreign language. Many Elders left the MTC having them all memorized. I do not see memorizing lengthy Biblical passages, with which Joseph Smith was already very familiar and in his own language, as extraordinary at all.

On my mission I memorized JSH 1-20. Took a week or so to get it word for word perfect. Just takes lots of practice and the more you do it, the easier it gets.

[_Uncle Dale]

Joseph Smith was known to have a wonderful memory. I thought it was because he had a rare gene that the ordinary person didn't. This TED talk puts that theory to rest. The speaker explains that a great memory is learned skill and there are some simple tricks that make it possible. I think Joseph Smith knew these tricks and that was why he had such a good memory. In fact, it isn't much of stretch to believe that using these tricks he memorized the Isaiah passages, italics and all, so that he could repeat them during the Book of Mormon translation process.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/joshua ... an_do.html

According to a family friend, Joseph Smith sr. could memorize
an entire book in a single reading. Of course, even if this
report were true, it doesn't mean that he passed on this
remarkable ability to his son...

A Hale family member suspected that Joe was memorizing
some (all?) of the material he was dictating while at
Harmony ... That is about as close to any eyewitness
account that exists. However some of Smith's associates
during the Nauvoo era also noticed Joe jr's. ability to
memorize lengthy texts.

Somebody should investigate that old testimony and
write an article on the topic.

UD

[_Uncle Dale]

double posting

[Guest]

I doubt he memorized those passages from Isaiah. No clue what was going on in that room, or if it happened in that room at all, but he could have read a Bible, brought notes, who knows, there was a curtain there when Cowdery was helping and it was done in Smith's house.

Later they moved to Peter Whitmer's home to finish up the Book of Mormon, and there aren't really any memorized portions there except the sermon on the mount If I recall correctly with variations and probably edits (not hard to remember that speech).

I don't recall Smith having a fantastic memory for anything outside of names. Then again this was the 1800's and people said everything about religious leaders.

Thomas S Monson has a photographic memory, according to the testimony of an apostle. And heck this is even scripture: https://www.LDS.org/ensign/1994/09/pres ... h?lang=eng

I don't put much stock in testimonials from Mormons about their leaders anymore lol.

[_Bob Loblaw]

Hmmm. He seems to have had trouble remembering who appeared to him in the grove.

[_dblagent007]

According to a family friend, Joseph Smith sr. could memorize
an entire book in a single reading. Of course, even if this
report were true, it doesn't mean that he passed on this
remarkable ability to his son...

This highlights exactly the point of the TED talk. The ability to memorize large amounts of information is learned rather than inherent. If Joseph Smith Sr. knew how to memorize large quantities of text, then there is a strong likelihood that he taught his son the same techniques.

The TED talk also notes that these memorizing techniques have been known since ancient Greece. I wouldn't be surprised if the Smiths knew some of them.

A Hale family member suspected that Joe was memorizing
some (all?) of the material he was dictating while at
Harmony ... That is about as close to any eyewitness
account that exists. However some of Smith's associates
during the Nauvoo era also noticed Joe jr's. ability to
memorize lengthy texts.

Somebody should investigate that old testimony and
write an article on the topic.

UD

I would love it if someone would research this and write a Dialogue article about it. One thing that I should note is that the principle trick used by memory champions is to organize the information spatially (e.g., place the information in different locations in a house) and associate them with things that you can remember and associate them with.

Joseph Smith had numerous visions where he saw people and was taught concepts in a very spatial way. For example, when he had the vision of the three degrees of glory, it was reported that he would say "I see ...." and then describe what he was seeing. This is very similar to the way memory champions organize information for later recall and is evidence that Joseph Smith was aware of these techniques even if perhaps he didn't consciously recognize them as such.

It would be fascinating to study this further.

Edit to add: It would also be interesting to see if there is a correlation between "visionaries" such as Joseph Smith and Martin Harris and memory (I believe people said Harris also had a fantastic memory when it came to the Bible). The techniques used to become a memory champion seem to align very well with people who have "visions."

[Guest]

Edit to add: It would also be interesting to see if there is a correlation between "visionaries" such as Joseph Smith and Martin Harris and memory (I believe people said Harris also had a fantastic memory when it came to the Bible). The techniques used to become a memory champion seem to align very well with people who have "visions."

I still think that it would be a little difficult to do with a head in a hat. And then he would have to conjure up a vision for the three witnesses and make some tin plates that had the appearance of gold complete with 8 more witnesses. Plus, mary whitmer...he would need a fool to show her the plates and then disappear.

And pray that all would stick to their story. And then we have emma who swore that he couldn't have written the book without her knowing it. But then, she could have been in on the fraud too. Right?

And then we would need to think just what exactly was going through his mind when he was doing all this...why bother? To start a new church. He could have just started a new protestant sect without the Book of Mormon.

[_luc]

Hmmm. He seems to have had trouble remembering who appeared to him in the grove.