Doctor Philastus Hurlbut

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Doctor^[1] Philastus Hurlbut (1809–June 19, 1883) is best known for his collection of a set of affidavits in 1833 which were published in E. D. Howe's anti-Mormon book Mormonism Unvailed. The purpose of these affidavits was to produce damaging evidence related to the character of Joseph Smith Jr, his family and his associates.

Hurlbut had previously been excommunicated from the Mormon church on charges of immorality. A contemporary author discusses Hurlbut's background, noting that prior to joining the Mormon church that he was a member of a Methodist congregation but was "expelled for unvirtuous conduct with a young lady."^[2] As a member of the Mormon church, Hurlbut "immediately commenced his old practices, in attempting to seduce a young female...for this crime he was immediately expelled from the church." In response to his expulsion from the church, Hurlbut "now determined to demolish, as far as practicable, what he had once endeavoured to build up."^[3] Hurlbut began travelling throughout the country giving lectures against the Mormon church.^[4]

Hurlbut traveled to Palmyra and the surrounding regions at the request of an Ohio anti-Mormon committee for the purpose of "collecting statements disparaging to the Smith name."^[5] One LDS author states that Hurlbut's task was to 'obtain information that would show “the bad character of the Mormon Smith Family,” divest Joseph of “all claims to the character of an honest man,” and place him at an “immeasurable distance from the high station he pretends to occupy.” To accomplish his task, Hurlbut traveled in Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania collecting statements disparaging to the Smith name.'

When he actually read the Spaulding manuscript, he is quoted as saying, "I obtained a manuscript...which was reported to be the foundation of the 'Book of Mormon'...when upon examination I found it to contain nothing of the kind, but being a manuscript upon an entirely different subject."

[edit] Notes

^ "Doctor" was the first given name, not a title or honorific.
^ Winchester 1840, p. 5
^ Winchester 1840, p. 6
^ Winchester 1840, p. 7 Winchester states "I would here observe, that while he was in connexion with the church of Latter Day Saints, the preachers and priests of the different denominations heaped their calumny upon the Society for fellowshipping him; and made a stumbling block of him, and said there was no mark of a Christian about him. But no sooner had he made his appearance, as the champion of sectarianism, and the assailant of Mormonism, than churches, chapels and meeting houses were crowded to hear him."
^ Jessee 1989, p. 12, editor's note