"a protestant faith?" This is deceptive at best since there no kinship between Mormonism and the Protestant Reformation. In fact, it was the creeds of the Protestant Reformation That the First Vision (the foundation of Mormonism) reveals to be an abomination. The deity of Mormonism told Smith NOT to join ANY of them.
Protestantism centers on the twin foci of
Scripture alone and
faith alone; yet
Mormonism adds to Scripture (e.g. The Book of Mormon, D&C, PoGP) and makes works a requirement (e.g. 1 Nephi 25:23 ...for we know that it is by grace that we are saved,
after all we can do).
Mormonism was not a reforming of Christianity it was presented as a re-instituting of Christianity complete with a "Prophet-Seer-Revelator" a new priesthood (Melchizadek) and a new required ordinance (proxy-Baptism).
Mormonism more resembles the Indian Israelism (i.e. native americans are the lost tribes of Israel) of Ethan Smith's
A View of the Hebrews written 7 years before Smith's unearthing of the golden plates.
Joseph Smith was a
convicted treasure seeker[1826]. He was termed a "glass looker" who claimed to be able to see buried treasure.
Smith's own mother tells of her son's fascination with native american tales prior to 1830... ""He (Joseph Smith) would describe the ancient inhabitants of this continent, their dress, mode of traveling, their buildings, with every particular; their mode of warfare; and also their religious worship, This he would do with as much ease seemingly, as if he had spent his whole life among them." -- Lucy Mack Smith,
Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith, 87.
Mormonism is the creation of Joseph's Smith's fertile mind and evidence that his conviction in 1826 was not the end of his penchant for cons based upon buried treasure.
