Scholars debate authenticity of newly discovered Joseph Smith photograph
November 7, 2026 at 10:02 AM MT · via YouTube / The Stick of Joseph · Summarized by Mormon News from original reporting
Chad Winks and Dee Jay Bawden present arguments against the authenticity of a daguerreotype image recently claimed to be of Joseph Smith on The Stick of Joseph YouTube channel.
The 43-hour-old video has drawn 14,207 views (~330/hour) and 326 comments as historians and church members debate evidence for and against the photograph being the LDS Church founder. The case against the daguerreotype examines technical and historical inconsistencies.
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