Could Joseph Smith have been lying? Scholar responds to pastor
August 16, 2026 at 9:07 PM MT · via YouTube / Hello Saints · Summarized by Mormon News from original reporting
Pastor Jeff confronted rumors about Joseph Smith's early claims in an interview with LDS historian Dr. Casey Griffiths, who answered "hard questions" about the church founder. The Hello Saints video has drawn 8,645 views in just 8 hours with 184 comments.
The video addresses the central question of Smith's credibility: could he have simply invented his revelations? Griffiths, a BYU professor and Scripture Central podcast co-host, defends Smith's character and the historical evidence supporting his claims. The interview reflects ongoing apologetics work responding to critics who argue Smith was either a fraud or delusional. Comments suggest the video reached both faithful members seeking answers and critics challenging the responses.
More coverage of this story
- YouTube / Mike Winger →August 13, 2026 at 9:00 AM MT
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