Radio Free Mormon: Magic and the Book of Mormon (We Need Dan Vogel's Help!)

[_moksha]

Now I want to see a Youtube video of RFM reading notes from Bill Reel's hat.

[_Simon Southerton]

This was a fascinating podcast. Quick question. How do we know the hat was white?

I seem to remember seeing a white hat in a church-produced picture and being a little surprised by the color. Assuming they were attempting to be historically accurate ( ), that suggests there is evidence it was white. But it would be good to see a reference.

But now that I think about it, since the hat was a prop, its likely to have been fabricated in such a way to allow sufficient light in to make reading his notes easy. I imagine you could even make a black hat with a thin enough weave to allow sufficient light in.

This truly is an amazing RFM episode. I love the way he logically walks us through all the essential components of the trick. This is my favorite episode, by far. We know Joseph was fascinated by folk magic. Very occasionally Shulem can stray into hyperbole but not this time. I believe this is a major advance in our understanding of how Joseph Smith pulled off one of the greatest magic tricks of the 19th century.

[Guest]

This truly is an amazing RFM episode. I love the way he logically walks us through all the essential components of the trick. This is my favorite episode, by far. We know Joseph was fascinated by folk magic. Very occasionally Shulem can stray into hyperbole but not this time. I believe this is a major advance in our understanding of how Joseph Smith pulled off one of the greatest magic tricks of the 19th century.

I agree. I've listened to the podcast 3 times and it's without question the bomb -- his best work yet. I don't think RFM realizes what he just did. He's got a lawyer brain and he doesn't realize what he has actually done in cracking the case and solving the mystery of the Book of Mormon translation in which Oliver was duped. How much of the Book of Mormon was complete in manuscript form before Oliver came on the scene is a big question. I tend to think that the Smith family pulled a con. I wonder if father Smith was the one who wrote the Book of Mormon? I don't know. Things are more fishier now more than ever. There is much to be considered in light of this new inspired theory that makes total sense. I think the pieces will fall into place!

Where the hell are you, RFM! You want another dollar out of me you better show up and comment!!

And where the hell is Kishy?



Here is a reference to the white hat:

wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seer_stone_(Latter_Day_Saints)

Smith's usual procedure was to place the stone in a white stovepipe hat, put his face over the hat to block the light, and "see" the necessary information in the stone's reflections.[8][9][10]

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Oh yes, that should do just about right.

[_Shulem]

I am simply beside myself. If I was standing on the edge of a cliff, I could just fall off -- or jump. It will be RFM's fault if I fall and dash my foot against the stones and die! Your fault!

Radio Free Mormon (RFM) our beloved Consiglieri has just posted another podcast WITHOUT even commenting on his last one wherein it was the bomb.

RFM, what the heck? What is wrong with you? Don't you know what you've done? Hello, McFly! You've exposed Joseph Smith's magic trick with the rock in the hat and now you're just going forward, full steam ahead, and releasing another podcast?:

Radio Free Mormon: 162: John Larsen Interviews RFM

We need to hear your comments, Consiglieri! Hurry it up before I damned start yelling. I'm beside myself and practically freaking out.

[_consiglieri]

Peace be unto you, Shulem.

I will have something up along those lines tomorrow. God willing.

It is already half done but I didn't want to release it half baked.

You are quoted by the way.

Thank you so much for all your support!

RFM

[Guest]

Peace be unto you, Shulem.

I will have something up along those lines tomorrow. God willing.

It is already half done but I didn't want to release it half baked.

You are quoted by the way.

Thank you so much for all your support!

RFM

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





Now you see it, now you don't

[_Shulem]

Hip hip hooray for Radio Free Mormon!

Folks, it was Joseph Smith who razzle dazzled Oliver Cowdery. I can imagine Smith cracking up with laughter while having his head buried in his hat just prior to reading his hidden script. I always thought Cowdery to be smart (seeing he was a school teacher like Daniel F. Peterson) but have since changed my opinion on that -- he was dumber than a box of rocks! I have to wonder if in the end Mormonism is going to become a great source of entertainment whereby everyone is going to simply laugh at it.

[_Shulem]

The Book of Mormon was NOT translated using a magic stone in a hat.

Rather, it was read aloud by simply reading hidden script in the bottom of the hat.

Abracadabra!

[_Simon Southerton]

Its important to remember it was not a regular top hat. It was a stovepipe hat. Stovepipe hats are taller than top hats. A white stovepipe hat would be ideal for "translating" in the method Smith used because it would let in more light, thus making it easier to read your notes.

[_Simon Southerton]

This is a quote from Scrying for the Lord: Magic, Mysticism, and the Origins of the Book of Mormon Clay L. Chandler Dialogue 36/4 (2002): 43-78. Bold added by me,

In most descriptions of the translation process, Joseph Smith placed his stone in a hat and held it up to his face, blocking out all light. If these descriptions are accurate, he was likely doing two things: First, he was creating a state of sensory deprivation; and second, he was changing his blood chemistry. What should be pointed out here and, I believe, has been overlooked heretofore, is what Joseph Smith was not doing: Technically, he was not crystal gazing, since with no light in the hat, it would have been impossible for him to see the stone. Unless one is willing to grant the stone actual magical powers or the ability to glow in the dark, then the stone becomes irrelevant to the proceedings except for a possible placebo effect. Nonetheless, by staring into the darkness, Joseph was likely inducing an altered state of consciousness where his mind could become blank as described above. It's also possible that Joseph, much like a hyperventilating person who breathes into a paper bag, changed his blood chemistry slightly, increasing the amount of carbon dioxide and reducing the amount of oxygen getting to his brain. This state, known as hypoxia, can cause brain damage and even death if the oxygen deprivation is complete, but minor changes in blood oxygen level may have helped Joseph induce a trance state. Prolonged periods of even mild hypoxia would likely have impaired Joseph's judgment and reduced his motor coordination, so we must consider the possibilities that his hat was either porous enough to let him breathe freely, he didn't really hold it tight around his face, or he was constantly removing his head from the hat in order to get oxygen. If either of the first two is correct, then some light may have gotten in, and Joseph may indeed have been crystal gazing. If the third possibility is correct, it's unlikely that Joseph could have maintained the trance state for the long periods of time that he was reported to have spent dictating.

We know the hat was white and you can see clearly enough to read in a white hat. But it was also a very tall white hat that would allow more light in. It also needed to be porous to allow the translator to keep breathing for long periods. More light.

This is arguably the most successful magic trick of the last 200 years. He's tricked everyone. This apologist was getting close by figuring out the hat needed to be porous to allow more air in, but he missed the fact that a porous hat would allow more light in as well. He also suggested the stone was unimportant!! He was so close! It wasn't the stone, it was the visible notes Smith was reading on the bottom of his well illuminated tall, white, porous hat.